Blue's 40G Mixed Reef

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Can't seem to find my old tank chronicle so I'm just going to pick it up here during my 40g (breeder) sump upgrade. I ordered the triton sump upgrade kit and it's going to replace a 20 gal long. That'll give me more room for a roller mat filter and my skimmer in the same section. The new sump will tie into the existing 40 gal breeder holding a pair of clowns, one buckshot and one snowflake extreme and various coral.

Here's a video from when I first got the buckshot:
ah! cute li'l thing has grown into a big girl now with what appears to be a skull-pattern on her left side.

triton baffle kit from jaxrax:
Baffles.jpg

Sump upgrade currently in progress:
sumpupgrade.jpg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Here's a video from when it first started:

The tank is pretty much filled up and I'm ready for yet another upgrade (180 in the works) but here are some more pics for your enjoyment since I know we all love pics!

fulltankshot.jpg

This Tyree neon green toadstool likes to reproduce and I always have something to trade at the LFS.
tankrighthand.jpg

After they've grown up a bit place them in the sand. After a short time they'll have plenty of
sand on their foot that you can glue to a plug.
littletyree.jpg

MrPurps.jpg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
I got the baffles in place. I'm no pro that's for sure but I think the seams turned out pretty good overall and I'm pleased with fact that I didn't have to spend 500 bucks on a pre-built sump. I'll let the silicone cure fully before bringing the new sump online.

45888.jpeg45889.jpeg45890.jpeg45894.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Thanks sir! I'm not going to implement the triton method. I just needed some cast acrylic baffles (branded Triton Baffle Kit) because the Home Depot DIY acrylic warps like son-of-a-gun! There's plenty of evidence the triton method works well, but I'm sticking with the Berlin method. :)

Jaxrax had just what I needed and stood out among all of the choices I saw out there. Goal was just to upgrade to a sump that could accommodate both the Clarisea roller mat filter and the skimmer in the first chamber. I did NOT want to fork out the dough for a prebuilt sump due to the high cost. The baffle kit also comes in black but I preferred the red because it matches my Reef Octopus skimmer.
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Thanks sir! I've learned so much from the members here at RS and could never have done it without everyone sharing their knowledge. I'm deeply humbled because you're kind of a legend in this hobby! I have often heard your name dropped on many a forum when on the topic of treating fish.
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
I built a stand for the new sump upgrade. Since this tank is in the basement I like having the sump on the side of the DT instead of underneath and it's the perfect height to make maintenance easy -no bending over.

I've built 3 stands using this jig from Kreg and I think it really does a nice job. It has an adjustable setting that ensures the pocket holes guide the screws exactly to the center of the board for the strongest joint possible, or at least that's what the instructions say... :)

I hope to get the new sump plumbed in this weekend, depending on the honey-do list. We shall see.
Jig.jpg
pocketholes.jpg
Kreg.jpg

Stand.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if any of you have been looking into getting one of these roller mat filter units to avoid having to clean or replace filter socks but I decided to take the plunge.

Since I have never changed my filter socks at the recommended frequency (every 3 days), I'm certain that my tank has never enjoyed the benefits. I'd like to reduce the amount of filter media I burn through to reduce nitrates and phosphates so I'm excited to see the impact. Besides, anything has to be better than cleaning filter socks (or rather the detrimental effects of NOT changing/cleaning, which I'm guilty of).

For anyone interested, the unit was easy to put together. Though, I must admit the directions that came with the Clarisea Gen-2 SK-5000 are just a bunch of tiny pictures. Instead of breaking out the magnifying glass I turned to their online video which was an improvement but still left out the description of a step or two.

For instance, where to install the top rollers (common sense but still - it was missing) and which direction to point the internal pipe (either up or down) for best performance. Overall, it was pretty easy to assemble. I had it completed in about 30 min. once I had it unboxed and all the pieces organized. Oh, and the pieces no longer come with the annoying paper to protect the acrylic so that was a bonus. I heard lots of folks complaining that without finger nails (or a woman in the household) it was very tough to peel off, even after moistening.

I'll reply back to this thread to let you know my thoughts on ease of use, maintenance, and performance once deployed with the new sump. Happy reefing! :)
Clarisea_Gen2_SK5000.jpg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Yep, I did a lot of online research on the subject before pulling the trigger. I guess you could say that I'm cautiously optimistic.

The dry run executed flawlessly and I was careful to align the take-up spool so it does't start binding on the inside edge. However, we won't know more until the sea trials are completed. :)

I'll let you know if it's a bust or not...
 

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Okay, the new sump is now online and I'm amazed by how quiet it is now. Finished late last night and I'm very pleased with the new setup other than a couple of items that will need remedied. Let the sea trials begin!

First thing, I noticed that with the increase in water volume, my two Finnex heaters are now unable to get the tank any higher than 78.4 degrees. I'll be placing an order for a couple of up-sized heaters today.

Second, as a temporary measure I have some clear plastic tubing connecting my return pump to the return line until I get the return manifold built and installed.

Lastly, pay no attention to the rats nest of wiring in the background. That is a total figment of your imagination... :)
Just kidding. That's a whole other project that I'll need to tackle.

sump1.jpg

sump2.jpg

sump3.jpg
 
Last edited:

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
Okay, the new sump is now online and I'm amazed by how quiet it is now. Finished late last night and I'm very pleased with the new setup other than a couple of items that will need remedied. Let the sea trials begin!

First thing, I noticed that with the increase in water volume, my two Finnex heaters are now unable to get the tank any higher than 78.4 degrees. I'll be placing an order for a couple of up-sized heaters today.

Second, as a temporary measure I have some clear plastic tubing connecting my return pump to the return line until I get the return manifold built and installed.

Lastly, pay no attention to the rats nest of wiring in the background. That is a total figment of your imagination... :)
Just kidding. That's a whole other project that I'll need to tackle.

View attachment 50682

View attachment 50683

View attachment 50684
 

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Thank you sir! I ran both corner drains to some spa flex into the T sitting right on top. No issues to report yet. Though, I did cause it to alarm by advancing the the roll manually a couple times. It was just cool to see all the "nasty" rise up out of the water and know that I don't have to clean a filter sock!! :bigbounce:

According to the website every time you advance manually you create "Clean Roll" situation, which means that it takes time to dirty up again. It must do within 8 hours or it will alarm thinking that there's something wrong with the float switch or Jammed. Oops! Ha ha! :D I cleared the alarm and all is well again, for now.

T.jpg
FltSwtch.jpg
 

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
I received the Finnex HC-0810M digital heater controller matched with a single TH-800 Plus (800W) titanium heater from BRS. It replaced a pair of Finnex 200W heaters and is now keeping the tank at a perfect 79 F.

The old pair would've been fine except for some of the cold snaps we get in the winter. If they could barely keep the tank at 78 F when the temps were mild I doubt they'd be able to keep the tank in the comfort zone when the temps took a nose dive. Plus, if they have to run full blast all the time I doubt they'd last long. I'll hang on to them for a back up for the BC29.
htr.jpg
htr2.jpg

htr3.jpg

bigun.jpg

Bigun2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Yep! Make no mistake, they still fail.. I had one (1 out of the 5 now I've purchased) with a built-in controller that started alarming on me and then wouldn't hold temp in the bc29. I rather like not having to worry about them exploding or breaking though. :)
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
Looks awesome. I’m still running my jagers and I’ve had great luck but I’d like to go titanium. I like the sump setup for sure..... great to have space!
 
Top