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ChukeeR's 266G Reef Savvy + Synergy Reef Build / Upgrade (1 Viewer)

ChukeeR

ChukeeR

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
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141
Location
Ramsey
I know it's been all of 6 months since my girlfriend and I got into this hobby, but over Christmas we agreed we both wanted to upgrade from our Marineland 90G... and about a month later after doing plenty of research, our build is now set in motion.

Here's the plan at this point...

Tank: Reef Savvy - 72L x 30W x 28.5H with 24" Ghost Overflow. 3/4" glass with low iron front and sides. I originally wanted to do a 30" height, but after talking with Felix at Reef Savvy for a while, he said he could do 28.5" with Euro-bracing and eliminate the need for cross bracing which would give the tank a much cleaner look.

Stand: Reef Savvy Modern Stand. I've never done furniture building and the girlfriend and I really liked the simplistic / modern look of their stands. Stand height is 34" which will be nice in comparison to my 28" tall Perfecto Stand.

Sump: Synergy Reef - 48L x 20W x 16H. Sump will be nearly identical to the one pictured HERE, with some modifications to the filter sock chamber to be like THIS. Sump will have built-in probe holders and effluent line holders. Will also be nice to have a refugium to grow macro to reduce nitrates and feed the tangs. Place for pods reside will also be nice.

Lights: EcoTech Radion XR30w Pros. Already have 2, so we'll just be adding more.

Controller: Apex Neptune. Already have this controller with Lab Grade PH Probe and WXM module. I'm tempted to start using EcoTech Reeflink for the lights and pumps though.

Skimmer: TBD, but I'm thinking a Vertex Alpha 250.

In-Tank Circulation: EcoTech MP60's? Already have 2 MP40's which will definitely be used in the new tank.

Heaters: TBD

Return Pump: TBD. Can't decide if I want a submersible vs external. I do want one powerful enough so that I can have a manifold to feed water to reactors instead of having individual pumps for reactors.


Deposit checks are in the mail, so there's no turning back now! The tank / stand is at least 4 months out and the sump turn around is 4-6 weeks.
 
Looking forward to see your progress with the setup.

Regarding the skimmer. I have the Alpha 200 running and extremely happy with it. There is virtually no noise coming from the pump and pulls quite some gunk out of the water.
 
Very nice plans! This is going to turn out really sweet! Did you get your corals from the live sale yet?
 
Pumbooris said:
Very nice plans! This is going to turn out really sweet! Did you get your corals from the live sale yet?
Click to expand...

Nope not yet. He mentioned he was going to start shipping them out tomorrow. He delayed due to the cold.

I scheduled mine for delivery this Saturday.

Can't wait to get them!
 
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Sound great big $ build coming up :bow:
 
Jonty said:
Sound great big $ build coming up :bow:
Click to expand...

We should start a club! The Jonty club.... :rock:

No but really this build is going to be off the hook. And I thought the 150DD that I am setting up at the store for growout was going to be cool.... :(
 
Fragtastic Reef said:
We should start a club! The Jonty club.... :rock:

No but really this build is going to be off the hook. And I thought the 150DD that I am setting up at the store for growout was going to be cool.... :(
Click to expand...

I'm sure the 150DD will be awesome as well!!! I need to make a trip down to Mankato one of these days to check out your store. :)

The tank is the biggest expense and I just couldn't find anything else out there for less $$$ that had the aesthetics I was looking for... Having the lights, controller, circulation pumps already in my possession helps to bring down costs. Additional Radions and MP60's can come later in the build, possibly when everything is already up and running. The other nice part of this is that my girlfriend is as interested in all of this as I am so she is helping split up some of the costs. She said she'd buy the sand and rocks!! haha.
 
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It is nice when the "other" one is involved also, makes it so much easier. Reef Savvy tanks are amazing and always stunning looking. Even just their "regular" sized tanks are gorgeous and so much attention to detail. There is a price to be paid, but perfection does not come cheap!
 
Only thing I would recommend for the sump would be to have the "upside down" (to many, the only way I think it should be) bubble trap.

Like this:
35gSumpwithmacroalgaechannel.png


If you have a sump with a bubble trap like the one picture in the Synergy picture you posted then you know it is hard to get detritus and junk out of the bottom there. With the upside down wier you can get to the bottom from both sides, leaving ZERO dead spots for detritus to gather. And did I mention that it works great, like really great? Cause it does!
 
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.Marshall said:
Only thing I would recommend for the sump would be to have the "upside down" (to many, the only way it should be to me) bubble trap.

Like this:
35gSumpwithmacroalgaechannel.png


If you have a sump with a bubble trap like the one picture in the Synergy picture you posted then you know it is hard to get detritus and junk out of the bottom there. With the upside down wier you can get to the bottom from both sides, leaving ZERO dead spots for detritus to gather. And did I mention that it works great, like really great? Cause it does!
Click to expand...


Thank you for that feedback! I am going to mention that to them!
 
Funny how Reef Savvy won't go over go over 28.5" without cross bracing/rim and Miracles doesn't blink an eye going 30". Vendors rimless limits vary also.

When the guy from Miracles was onsite he said something which made me think "They all bow, that's a lot of water". :)
 
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For that size tank and depending on the bio load, alpha 250 would be small skimmer. Instead I'd recommend get alpha 300 which is extra couple hundred $ more. Not saying anything bad for alpha 250 but down the road when you have bigger corals and bio load you will end up upgrading the skimmer so why not upgrade in the beginning and save double expense.

Just my 2 cents.

Awesome tank choice.
 
marty9876 said:
Funny how Reef Savvy won't go over go over 28.5" without cross bracing/rim and Miracles doesn't blink an eye going 30". Vendors rimless limits vary also.

When the guy from Miracles was onsite he said something which made me think "They all bow, that's a lot of water". :)
Click to expand...

Its because of the water height - although the tank height maybe 30" the water height may not go over 27-28" so they can go rimless with a 3/4" glass. if I recall correctly at the 27" mark you will see visible bowing on a rimless tank with 3/4" glass. With my build the 1/2" thick, 24" tall glass showed a hint of bowing using a level laser beam even with eurobracing when filled to the top. there was no bowing when the water height was limited to 22.5"

Love reef savvy tanks, they have nice finish to them.

for the skimmer, I'd also vote for a larger skimmer... Alpha vertex 300 or something along that ball park. on 400ish total actual water volume, the AV 300 on my setup was "busy" most of the time...
 
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My only concern with the 250 vs 300 is that my tank will be 266G and sump is 66G...The 250 is rated up to 350 gallons and the 300 is rated up to 600 gallons. I want to make sure I keep the +1 mentality, but I don't want to oversize to the point where I lose effectiveness of the skimmer. BUT, depending on my bioload the 300 may be just fine anyway.

On another note, who wants to help me move this thing when it arrives? ;) Beer and pizza can be provided, haha! Or does anyone know of a moving company that will help move heavy aquariums?
 
I am probably running the ultimate in oversized skimmer right now if the was ever a case for over skimming my setup would be it. It is interesting I was reviewing my Skimate yesterday in terms of production and density because I was thinking that I was #1 not getting much sigmate and #2 it was poor quality. I went to my 5 gallon Skimate collection bucket and there was close to 1 gallon in there for two weeks production it was thick and dark once I poured it in a glass Jar. So I personally don't buy into the whole over skimming statements I have never seen it proven personally. So I say if you have space and money "go big or go home " :)
 
The good thing about the 300 is that it can be run be run on a single pump also, not the best way to run it but after talking to premium and some one on reef central I have bought one - worked pretty well for the duration the tank was lightly stocked. Once the load picked up I added the second pump. No design changes or new skimmer needed
 
+1 for Vertex Alpha 300. My system water volume only ~250g and I run the Apha 300 from the beginning. It's pull some nasty skimmate. Like Jonty stated, I don't buy statement about over skim on the bigger skimmer. And I'm not recommended run 1 pump on the Alpha 300.
We're all looking forward to your build.
 
After talking with Rick from Synergy Reef, here is the final draft of my sump design.

I brought up the baffles and trapping detritus and he mentioned that in his sump which is nearly identical this isn't an issue for him.

sump.jpg
 
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