JoeyBabooey

HAHA yar i know! I didnt even measure the compartment because i know for sure Deltec will fit. But im so glad the gamble was worth it! Anyway uncle gave me the option to change if cannot fit. YUP! Will be filling up next weekend and will give a working review on the performance of this beast... for now can only just stare at it...

Now that the heart of the system is in place, its time to fill up water!!! But not until my DI filter is ready... due for collection next weekend at MadPetz. Oh by the way... along the journey so far (cue 'Faithfully' by Journey), I had to change my plans for a mixed reef and now settle for a FOWLR. There are a few reasons but mainly its due to my current work life which doesn't leave me much energy when I get home and I would really want to settle down into my own home so that I can have a better design to better suit a reef tank... for example, I want a drop in coil chiller but my parents would kill me if I installed a massive compressor in their home. So for now just have to wait patiently for that ideal BTO...

WOOHOO! I am back from the dead! If you had been following and wondering what happened to the progress, well... there was none! Until today! Basically, i quit my old job to relax and recharge and look for another job... and that took a little longer than i thought. So I had to put off setting up my tank for the last few months. But now i've started my new job, things can get back on track (financially)! So today I set out on a mission to get my skimmer... aaaaand I wanted a Deltec SC1455. heard only good things. So i went down to the LFS to get it but they didnt have any in stock. Just as I was going to place an order for the Deltec, I was introduced to the Vertex Omega series of skimmers. I was initially scared of looking at Vertex skimmers because I assumed the price was going to be much more insane. But surprisingly it was not! Soooooooo... i went home with my new toy, the Vertex Omega 150! Here's a close look after unboxing and assembly. I must say it was super easy to assemble. Very strong build quality and heavy! Feels solid. Not a big fan of the outside pump but convinced myself that cleaning it down the road it will be easier. Cannot wait to run it!! Especially love how the collection cup is screw-on... no more mess! Here's how it looks like in sump. It super-duper-just-nice fit my sump compartment!

after they close, you can still sort of tell.. the palys are usually thicker and longer than the zoas you have. get an eyeball on the exact spots to be certain. dont have to rush to get them out at once.. if unsure, put them back, let them open up again, spot the spot and try again. like what Bro cool guy mentioned, need to stress again that you need safety glasses and gloves to do this... learnt it the scary way. if you can, try to keep them alive and glue them onto another rock. may not be attractive to you but could be nice to another =) hitchhiker or not, they are still corals... hope this helps!

I noticed the same as well at the LFS.. But i just thought to myself if they are a totally different species altogether on the same rock... Like maybe just maybe the ones your circled are just palys? Can try to frag them off and glue them onto another rock.. The zoas should encrust that lobang that your frag off..

Hi bro welcome to sgreef! You definitely came to the right forum! Im sure you will enjoy your stay here. You can check out the Reef Octopus BH2000 hang on skimmer... From experience its a strong skimmer at a great price for its class... Otherwise the Deltec MCE600 maybe? Hope this helps!

BRO! power tank la... i love the transition photos from when you just started till today! really very impressive!! hope to achieve your level someday soon! photography pun baik!

Bro your project is amazing! Looking forward to more progress!

Hehe just started the thread but very slow progression due to heavy work load. Recently my frogspawn managed to sting my zoas so now hoping they will recover.. Anyway once again your tank's gems are amazing!! You can charge me entrance fee to go see and stare at your tank!

Hey bro You need to know what kind of wood your cabinet is made of too. If it is made out of MDF then it'll be very risky in a high moisture environment. Yours lights will depend on the brand/model. I have had experienced corrision in some lights even with my freshwater tanks. Just need to watch out for any salt water splashing and get lightsets that use less metal parts. Personally have used those from Aquazonic and no issues so far hope this helps!

I must admit that i fell for the DSB trend when i first started. I kind of regret. I found it hard to maintain if algae grows on the glass beneath the sandbed as well as i'd rather put in more water than more sand. And i do not physically see any major reduction in nitrate and the tank has been running for over 7 months now. Also read that the DSB has the potential to cause more bad than good down the road. Looking back, its more of an old school method. I would personally invest in a fluidized reactors for PO4 and NO3 export. At least thats what i'll do for my new tank.

Okay, So along the topic of moisture and salty air and ever-so-annoying rust, as i was staring into the cabinet thinking of how to improve the issues, i remembered something nice that Vincent did... at least there's something in this cabinet is not a lost cause that needs constant replacing.. hahaha! STAINLESS STEEL HINGES (marine-grade apparently) If you have not got yourself some, i think you should!

Hehe! Very lucky to have a similar layout to the senior reefers like yourself.. at least there are somethings that can be confident that will work. Thank you! Will surely put in effort to keeping this journal updated.

I agree! I initially thought of another design based off those american branded acrylic sumps but after Vincent explained the flow of things in a sump, it made so much more sense... Thank you so much for dropping by! Will definitely update as it comes along =)

Thank you! credit goes to Vincent for the tank =) Skimmer wise, will very likely go with the Deltec SC1455. Had thought of other brands before but overall, Deltec seems to be the way to go? Just need to really convince myself to part with that much more money for it.. hehehe!

Hey guys! Thank you all so much for your tips and suggestions! Definitely should take those into account =) 1) With regards to the power points in the cabinet... There unfortunately is no way it can be outside the cabinet. It will be unsightly and wiring will be tough... Based on your good suggestions, I will DIY an acrylic box to cover the power points. Will update the processes here when i get to it after CNY =) The moisture i think is no choice... but for sure need to prevent actually splashing. 2) I am not too sure about how bad the salt misting will be for a sump setup.. i sure hope it wont be too bad! *STRESS* hahaha... well thanks for pointing it out! I should cover the first chamber for the filter socks... I will most probably DIY an acrylic box cover for the first chamber then. 3) Overall moisture within the cabinet... is sadly a very hard thing to combat i'm sure. My previous sump + cabinet setup, i had run various types of fans as well. From plastic computer fans to those ANS brand metal fans. Sure they could be cheap but no matter what, i will have to change them every few months which unfortunately became expensive in the long run... somehow they just stop working and got very dirty. Most probably will just leave the doors open if ventilation is a serious issue... Do let me know if there is something else i should be thinking of or if you have other ideas to combat the above issues. Thank you so much guys!

Hey bro! thanks for dropping by! Yup! will be running a 1/4 HP chiller for this tank so no worries for the evaporation rate =) I am assuming that the evaporation rate for freshwater (i had 2 freshwater tanksets running sump before) and saltwater is the same. sooo.. the 4L Top up container should be good for 2-3 days max... according to some loose calculation. Will be a problem when i go overseas for sure. Will definitely look into an auto top off system in the near future for sure!

Okay bro sure thing

Here's where the magic happens. The lifeblood of the system. Within the cabinet, sits the sump. First chamber is the filter sock, then the water flows into the next chamber that holds the skimmer, which then flows into a small refugium and lastly the return chamber. Have already put up the powerpoints for the equipment, and also bought a gravitational feed water container for automatic top off water. =

Hi guys, Finally took a step forward and got a new tankset. After tinkering with my first saltwater tank (freshwater converted) and had success with keeping fish and coral alive for close to 7 months now, it's time =) First of all, i would like to thank all reefers here that i had met along the way in person and on the forum giving me valuable education in the reefing side of things. This tank will be a mixed reef, largely dominated by LPS corals. I'm a fish guy as well so will be hunting for sweet specimens a long the way, stocking slowly and hopefully, smartly. This project will be a slow progression. They say it's good to take your time, right? Don't have much time on my hands due to work and other commitments at this moment but i will do my best to push along and will surely keep updating this journal. From equipments to livestock and I hope that through this, will give newbies like me the confidence in starting their own piece of the ocean. Here's what came in last week from Vincent of Aquarium Artist, one of the sponsors here. It is a 3ft x 50cm x 50cm tank. Very happy with the workmanship so far. Silicon work is clean, cabinet is neat and piping work is sturdy.

Hi bro, not sure if your outflow is similar to this but the hole is drilled at the bottom of the right angled section above the water of the outflow.

yea bro a picture would do great. also, like what bro Anchorman said, drill a hole above the water can already =) if need be, later i can post a picture here when i get home.

*jaw drop* just saw your tank thread.. its amazing! pack pack full full super bright! inspiration bro!

My pleasure bro! yup! Deltec you can never go wrong for sure =) check out the Reef Octopus HOB skimmers as well.. more options available.. All that being said, you have definitely done good planning and good choice coming to this forum! I have learnt loads of great advise from the seniors here and i am sure you'll have fun! Happy reefing bro!

Very nice! Looking forward to more updates