Red Sea Reefer 170 build thread

[f3honda4me]

Are you using a BRS screen top or other custom build?

Have you seen these? http://artfullyacrylic.3dcartstores.com/Red-Sea-Reefer-170-ClearView-Lid_p_1873.html

If I had all that ecotech stuff I would definitely lean towards a vectra.

How do you like the radion? Any disco? I am considering replacing my nanobox due to a bit of disco. But it seems unavoidable with LED unless using Kessil.

Yea radions have some disco. I dunno it never bothered me much though. I ordered my vectra today, should be here tomorrow! My screen top is all from parts from home depot. Cheaper than the BRS kit and you can make more then just a 2x2 screen.

 

[f3honda4me]

I have my apex coming Friday as well. Should be fun. I plan on doing the same as you and putting the plugs on the back of the tank. have you thought about a shelf in the stand? I can't quite figure out where to place mine, but it seems a lot of the space up top is unused.

I have considered that, but I am worried it gets in the way of plumbing and stuff. I have my hands in the sump often enough that I'd rather not have to constantly move the shelf.

More updates and pics.

First, got two corals at LFS today. Not sure what they were, they were just on a "mix frag" rack. I'm pretty sure one is a monti and the other is a chalice. Or they might both be chalice.

I picked up the RBTA from a local reefer who was giving two of them away, I simply couldn't resist. I've had several of them before and love them. This nem would cost easily $150 or more, it's huge. And it's beautiful too!

He also gave me a free frag of multi headed hammer. Not 5 minutes into the tank and the GGRRRRR gorilla crab was eating the heads. So I moved the coral onto the top of a rock that I know for certain has two pistol shrimp inside of it. So now, if he wants dinner he's going to have to go through them. With any luck they'll kill him for me. But you can see in the pic that's why the heads were so retracted he was eating them!

Lastly FTS

One last bit of bad news, I think the blenny might have ich. Which means I have to try to catch him and then also pull my clownfish out, QT them all and treat and then leave the DT fallow for a while. :mad2: I'll have to see if I can verify if that's what the blenny has.

 

[f3honda4me]

There must have been a battle last night. I see one dead pistol shrimp this morning and another has moved his "home" to the front of the tank between a rock and the glass lol.

Whenever I see a pistol shrimp I'm reminded of this moment from family guy:

 

[liverock]

He molted...

 

[charlesgage]

What kind of pistol is that? It looks pretty cool. I have only seen the candy cane and tiger in this hobby so far.

 

[f3honda4me]

He molted...

Oh yea you're right, lol i totally forgot they do that! Hah I did that last tank I had too, thought one of my shrimp died when he had just molted. :headwally:

 

[f3honda4me]

What kind of pistol is that? It looks pretty cool. I have only seen the candy cane and tiger in this hobby so far.

I have no idea, it came in on the live rock.

 

[f3honda4me]

So boxes of goodies arrived today. Vectra M1 return pump, new model apex neptune, frag kit, and other goodies. I am going to be moving my controllers/electronics outside of the cabinet as I do not like the moisture in there. Mounting them on the right side. Everything else will be moved behind the cabinet. The one thing I'll probably keep in the cabinet still will be the 8 outlet neptune box for the power cords as that won't really fit behind the cabinet and I don't want it on the side.

 

[liverock]

What kind of pistol is that? It looks pretty cool. I have only seen the candy cane and tiger in this hobby so far.

There is a picture of him on the price list here http://tbsaltwater.com/ordering/pricelist.html

they come in the rock when I harvest it.....along with everything else...

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :dance:

 

[Hentz]

How about you get a side cabinet? I got a cheap one from a store for $25. I, like yourself, didn't want my controllers under the stand. I also didn't want my outlet under the stand as well, allowing me to have a nice clean cabinet/sump area. Instead I put the side cabinet on the right side and put all the cords through the open hole in the back of the stand and into a drilled hole in the back of the side cabinet. Granted the sides of the side cabinet are open and I plan to cut a piece of wood to shut the side. This allows for some cable management in the side stand as well, I enjoy it!

I have my Apex Display on the outside of it as you can see. Since I just run a single Gyre 130, the controller is mounted in the side cabinet.

 

[charlesgage]

There is a picture of him on the price list here http://tbsaltwater.com/ordering/pricelist.html

they come in the rock when I harvest it.....along with everything else...

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :dance:

http://eol.org/pages/1037677/overview

Alpheus Formosus?

Looks nice. He needs a Yasha Haze or Yellow Watchman buddy!

 

[f3honda4me]

I like the side cabinet idea! I'll have to try to find something that will work for that, thanks for the tip.

 

[liverock]

http://eol.org/pages/1037677/overview

Alpheus Formosus?

Looks nice. He needs a Yasha Haze or Yellow Watchman buddy!

winner winner...chicken dinner!

 

[f3honda4me]

winner winner...chicken dinner!

I'm gonna have to bookmark that cuz I'll never remember that name haha.

 

[liverock]

I'm gonna have to bookmark that cuz I'll never remember that name haha.

You and me both...I always called them golden pistol shrimp....lol...beautiful shrimp...

 

[f3honda4me]

Ok so I hope this helps anyone who might ever buy a Vectra M1 for a reefer 170 or any other system. To start, the threads on the input/output are BSP - british standard pipe. So for the reefer 170 I had to buy the following in order to connect the Vectra M1 to the 5/8" ID flexible hose.

- Vectra M1 schedule 40 adapter kit, for the output one end is the BSP, the other end is 1 1/4" slip PVC (output) -- and the input will be BSP to 1 1/2" slip PVC. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vectra-m1-bsp-to-sch-40-slip-adapter-kit-ecotech-marine.html

- 1 1/4" slip PVC to 3/4" MIP thread female. Bought this at local hardware store.

- 3/4" MIP thread male to 5/8" hose barb

Please note that since this is reducing the overall output if you are using this on a larger system the max output will not be 2000gph anymore. My guess is with this reduction to 5/8" it will be closer to 800gph max. But, remember that the vectra is able to be turned down to whatever flow you want. That's the main reason I bought it. It can go into a "trickle return" feed mode so that the sump doesn't flood because the pump completely stops.

 

[f3honda4me]

Here is what it looks like assembled. As usual, be sure to use PVC glue on the slip fitting, and use PTFE tape on the threads.

 

[f3honda4me]

Got a lot done tonight. First, let me say, the new neptune apex is awesome. And the vectra return pump is the quietest return pump I've ever not heard O.O It is DEAD quiet. And being able to program in a feed mode that doesn't totally kill the pump and fill the return with air is great too. I also moved all electronics to outside of the cabinet except the power bar, which I may move to a different cabinet later.

I'm also now selling my old reefkeeper elite system.

 

[smatter]

Are you worried that changing the return pump speed is going to goof up your downflow valve? It seems that anytime I turn off the pump (Eheim 2000) or stick my arm in the tank I have to adjust the valve. It really screws up the ATO when the level in the pump chamber is changing all the time. I just have it offline now and am manually topping up and the level seems to be holding. Did you have any issues with your downflow valve and ATO not playing nice? I'm afraid to even look at the thing the wrong way.

Your tank is looking great by the way!

 

[f3honda4me]

Are you worried that changing the return pump speed is going to goof up your downflow valve? It seems that anytime I turn off the pump (Eheim 2000) or stick my arm in the tank I have to adjust the valve. It really screws up the ATO when the level in the pump chamber is changing all the time. I just have it offline now and am manually topping up and the level seems to be holding. Did you have any issues with your downflow valve and ATO not playing nice? I'm afraid to even look at the thing the wrong way.

Your tank is looking great by the way!

I have found that so far with the vectra, because the speeds can be dialed in so precisely, doing things like putting my arm in, etc the downflow returns to normal once everything goes back to normal. With the vectra in feed mode, it's a slow trickle so the downflow is loud during that time, but when feed mode is done and the pump cranks back up, it all returns to normal quiet operation within a few minutes.

My ATO valve sits pretty low before it starts filling (water line is at the top of the body of the vectra) and so when conditions change temporarily because of feed mode, etc, if anything the water rises above the float valve so my ATO doesn't add water when it shouldn't. Then again when everything returns to normal operation or i dont have my hand in the tank etc, the line is back to normal again as well for the ATO.

The vectra was an expensive upgrade, but I would not hesitate to do it again based on my experience with it last night and so far today. It's amazingly quiet and being able to make really fine adjustments to flow lets me really dial in the drain valve precisely.