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"The Lab" - Josh and Tiffany's IM Nuvo EXT 200

IOnceWasLegend

IOnceWasLegend

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So it turns out one of the benefits of moving from a condo to an actual house (even if it is, sadly, further from you all) is getting to upgrade tanks, too. This will be our first big tank and, in contrast to previous builds, we're planning on...well, planning this one out better, and trying to make it as clean and high-QOL as possible. We'll be assembling this over the next 6+ months, and it's with big thanks to @under_water_ninja since we're ordering it through his store.

Current equipment list​

Tank
Sump, filtration, and life support
  • Sump: Synergy Reef CL-44.4 Innovative Marine RFS 50 Sump
    • I'd initially ordered the RFS50 sump from IM. After informing me my tank had arrived and would be delivered, they called two days later to say, "The sump is damaged, it'll be another 8 weeks for delivery." I opted to cancel the sump, get a refund, and went for the Synergy.
  • Mechanical filtration: 2x Reef Diapers (since I'm bad about washing socks)
  • Skimmer: Icecap K2-200
  • UV Sterilizer: Pentair Smart 50w UV sterilizer
  • Return pump: Ecotech Vectra M2 + L2 (M2 will power the manifold + return, L2 will power UV + return, plumbed to be redundant)
    • Mounting the controllers and power bricks with 3D printed holders
  • Heaters: Vivosun 500w titanium heaters (x2; temp controlled by Apex. Using two smaller heaters to provide redundancy if one goes out.)
Reactors
Flow
  • Powerheads: Ecotech MP-40s (3x to start; may dial up to 4)
    • Mounting the controllers and power bricks with 3D printed holders
Controllers/accessories
  • Neptune Apex 2016
  • Neptune Trident
  • Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO
  • Adaptive Reef standard white controller board
Lighting
  • Display lighting: G6 Radion XR30 (x2) and G5 Radion XR30 (x2) mounted with the Ecotech 70.5" RMS rail between two RMS arms
    • EDIT: I initially was waffling between G5 and G6; I settled on G6s given the increased light spread (G5 XR30's recommended spread is only 24x24", and the tank is 30" wide)
    • EDIT 2: I was initially going to go 4x G6 XR30s, but @Srt4eric had a couple G5s so I'm mixing and matching.
  • Refugium lighting: Kessil H380 refugium light (x1)

Been paying close attention to Beanju's thread , as well as this phenomenal build thread over on R2R that's given us a lot of ideas to work with.

Stock list is a work in progress:

  • Desjardini tang
  • Achilles tang
  • Yellow tang
  • Yellow eye kole tang
  • One-spot foxface
  • Copper banded butterflyfish
  • Firefish
  • Royal gramma
  • Either Lyretail or Bartlett's anthias (x6-8)
  • Banggai Cardinal
  • Blue/green chromis
  • Mandarin pair
  • Watchman goby/shrimp pair
  • Melanurus wrasse
  • Lawnmower blenny
 
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Innovative Marine's received my order, and now I play the waiting - and planning - game.

I've waffled back and forth about whether I wanted to do a refugium in the center chamber of the RFS50 sump, or if I wanted to plumb in an algae scrubber to free up the center chamber for a miniature frag tank. For posterity's sake, I started a discussion in another thread: Algae scrubbers vs refugium: DIY, pros/cons? After the discussion, I'm set on the refugium option.

I've also been considering livestock. I've wanted a desjardini tang forever, so that's on the list. I've recently come around to really loving powder blue tangs...but their aggression, fragility, and possibility of fighting with the desjardini are making me shy away from them. I'm hoping for a more peaceful tankmate, so I'm leaning towards a whitetail kole or whitecheek tang as possible options.

And, since build threads should have pictures: here's where I'm starting at. In a few months there'll be several hundred gallons of water there.

PXL_20230201_162859396.jpg
 
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IOnceWasLegend said:
Innovative Marine's received my order, and now I play the waiting - and planning - game.

I've waffled back and forth about whether I wanted to do a refugium in the center chamber of the RFS50 sump, or if I wanted to plumb in an algae scrubber to free up the center chamber for a miniature frag tank. For posterity's sake, I started a discussion in another thread: Algae scrubbers vs refugium: DIY, pros/cons? After the discussion, I'm set on the refugium option.

I've also been considering livestock. I've wanted a desjardini tang forever, so that's on the list. I've recently come around to really loving powder blue tangs...but their aggression, fragility, and possibility of fighting with the desjardini are making me shy away from them. I'm hoping for a more peaceful tankmate, so I'm leaning towards a whitetail kole or whitecheek tang as possible options.

And, since build threads should have pictures: here's where I'm starting at. In a few months there'll be several hundred gallons of water there.

View attachment 45168
Click to expand...
the waiting part is the hard part :) but at least time to add electric outlet, start to run some pipes etc.
 
Beanju said:
the waiting part is the hard part :) but at least time to add electric outlet, start to run some pipes etc.
Click to expand...
Fortunately, we already have a couple outlets installed in that area, so that's one thing off our list.

I'm bugging @Srt4eric for solutions on running pipes, though. The wall the tank will rest against shares a wall with a bathroom (yellow circle is where a sink is on the other side of the wall), so I'm trying to figure out how difficult it would be to plumb a drain line from the tank into the existing plumbing there so that I can easily drain water from the tank for water changes.

I'm also stealing your outdoor shed/water mixing station idea. :) Ideally I'll pour some concrete just outside that window (red circle) for a platform, then put a small shed up. There's a nearby (~20 feet) spigot that I can run water from, so I'll just try to get an oversized booster pump, mix saltwater in the shed, and then run a hose through that window to the tank so WCs will (hopefully!) be super easy. And minimize the number of holes we have to put in the new place.

PXL_20230201_162859396~2.jpg
 
Apon said:
Have you used reef diaper before? how are they?
Click to expand...
I have not used them before. I just ran my DT sockless after the first few months because I hated changing/cleaning socks, so I'm looking to use disposable socks to make it easy. I've heard good things, though.
 
Still playing the waiting game since made-to-order tanks are...well, made to order. Have made the following equipment decisions/acquisitions:
  • I initially was waffling between G5 and G6; I settled on G6s given the increased light spread (G5 XR30's recommended spread is only 24x24", and the tank is 30" wide)
  • Settled on an Aquamaxx t-3 calcium reactor with an extra chamber
  • Picked up one G6 XR30 blue (well, G5 to G6 conversion), will be grabbing a second G6 XR30 shortly, three MP40s, an Aquamaxx t-3 calcium reactor, a mixing station, and a bunch of stuff for QT, so I've made a dent!
Two minor points of frustration with the RFS50 sump so far, though. The first is that it was very clearly not designed with roller mats in mind, but I made my peace with that before buying it. The second is that, unlike some other sumps, it does not have a ready-made bulkhead for a second pump in the return chamber, which means I either need to run it with the cover off, put the plumbing linking them underwater, or drill a second hole.

I'd prefer to run it with the cover on to minimize noise and evaporation, and I don't think it's a good idea to run the plumbing underwater, so that means I'll need to drill. Best place I've found is here (circled in red, next to the existing return line + emergency drain), so...anyone have any tips on drilling relatively thin acrylic?

RFS50.png
 
I made one of the more boneheaded mistakes I've made (fortunately without consequences): I somehow put the holding tank's return pump into feed mode well over a week ago, and just noticed it last night while doing a water change. Pump was set properly last night, the tank's looking really happy, and everything's looking good, but...yeesh. Lesson learned.

I've also been a busy bee the past month or so, and have acquired nearly all the equipment we'll need for the build. So far I'm missing:
  • 70.5" RMS rail
  • Diffusers for the lights
  • Heaters
  • One Vectra M2

Finally, we've also worked on the stock list, and opted to go for a 'laboratory'-themed naming spree on all the fish. Tentative stock list:

  • Desjardini tang
  • Achilles tang
  • Yellow tang
  • Yellow eye kole tang (Beaker)
  • Foxface (Erlenmeyer)
  • Copper banded butterflyfish (Pipette)
  • Firefish (Bunsen)
  • Midas blenny (tempted, but we REALLY want the firefish, and not sure if it's a good idea, even in a tank this large given how bloodthirsty our last one was)
  • Royal gramma (Geiger)
  • Either Lyretail or Bartlett's anthias (x3) (Xenium, Chromium, Visium)
  • Mandarin pair
  • Watchman goby/shrimp pair
  • Melanurus wrasse
  • Lawnmower blenny (Coverslip)

Finally, we're at 8 weeks of a 14-20 week waiting period. Inching closer to the finish line, and absolutely cannot wait.
 
IOnceWasLegend said:
I made one of the more boneheaded mistakes I've made (fortunately without consequences): I somehow put the holding tank's return pump into feed mode well over a week ago, and just noticed it last night while doing a water change. Pump was set properly last night, the tank's looking really happy, and everything's looking good, but...yeesh. Lesson learned.

I've also been a busy bee the past month or so, and have acquired nearly all the equipment we'll need for the build. So far I'm missing:
  • 70.5" RMS rail
  • Diffusers for the lights
  • Heaters
  • One Vectra M2

Finally, we've also worked on the stock list, and opted to go for a 'laboratory'-themed naming spree on all the fish. Tentative stock list:

  • Desjardini tang
  • Achilles tang
  • Yellow tang
  • Yellow eye kole tang (Beaker)
  • Foxface (Erlenmeyer)
  • Copper banded butterflyfish (Pipette)
  • Firefish (Bunsen)
  • Midas blenny (tempted, but we REALLY want the firefish, and not sure if it's a good idea, even in a tank this large given how bloodthirsty our last one was)
  • Royal gramma (Geiger)
  • Either Lyretail or Bartlett's anthias (x3) (Xenium, Chromium, Visium)
  • Mandarin pair
  • Watchman goby/shrimp pair
  • Melanurus wrasse
  • Lawnmower blenny (Coverslip)

Finally, we're at 8 weeks of a 14-20 week waiting period. Inching closer to the finish line, and absolutely cannot wait.
Click to expand...

I try to set up alerts in Apex to remind me of things like this. In this case, since you can't really detect the "mode" of the pump, you can at least use the wattage if you have it connected to an EB832. Maybe when MXM is out, you can detect the mode, but for now wattage will have to suffice.

If you created a virtual outlet (e.g. CHK_Return) and you program the virtual outlet with something like the following:

[CHK_Return]
Set OFF
If Output Vortech WATTS < 20 Then On
Defer 30:00 Then ON

-- Change "20" to whatever is lower than your normal operating wattage
-- Waits for 30 minutes of the state of output changing before turning virtual outlet to ON

Then in your email alerts (usually named EmailAlm_I5) add the following line.

[EmailAlm_I5]
If CHK_RETURN ON Then ON
 
IOnceWasLegend said:
Woke up today to a screw holding up half my light fixture no longer in the joist, and a new-ish G6 XR30 submerged in the tank and turned off.

Here's hoping I can either find a new one soon or this one recovers.
Click to expand...
Was the light screw hole the culprit? How could that happened?
 
IOnceWasLegend said:
Woke up today to a screw holding up half my light fixture no longer in the joist, and a new-ish G6 XR30 submerged in the tank and turned off.

Here's hoping I can either find a new one soon or this one recovers.
Click to expand...
:(. My suggestion is make sure it's unplugged, then open it up and dry it out with a soft touch and some towels/paper towels that won't rip apart. After that, a heavy spray of contact cleaner until you're confident the residue is gone and all the saltwater is gone. Some q-tips and rubbing alcohol also can work.

It's hopefully savable! Just don't plug it back in until you get all the saltwater and salt out of there.
 
popper said:
Was the light screw hole the culprit? How could that happened?
Click to expand...
I honestly have no idea. Wondering if I wobbled a bit while drilling, or the bit I used was just a little too wide for the screw. Seemed completely fine, then...not.
richiev said:
:(. My suggestion is make sure it's unplugged, then open it up and dry it out with a soft touch and some towels/paper towels that won't rip apart. After that, a heavy spray of contact cleaner until you're confident the residue is gone and all the saltwater is gone. Some q-tips and rubbing alcohol also can work.

It's hopefully savable! Just don't plug it back in until you get all the saltwater and salt out of there.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Went ahead and ordered a canister of that.
 
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