My new 75 rimless build

[junior2101]

Hey everyone! Feel free to follow along with my new build and offer any advice or suggestions. I have been slowly gathering equipment over the last 2 months in preparation for the move into my new place. The wife didn't want me to get anything rediculous so I went with something big enough to do some nice things with but small enough so I dont end up in a never ending fight. After weeks of trying to decide what to go with I landed on the 75 gallon rimless from SCA with the stand. I did not opt for the AIO package as I had no plans to use that equipment. I have finished moving in and its now time to start putting it together starting with the stand.
The stand is made from marine grade MDF which I am not crazy about but with a few modifications I felt it would suit my needs. The first step was sealing any exposed ends to prevent the chance for water to seep in. next was the assembly which was very simple but used those terrible twist locks so I sealed those as well. Following the assembly, I caulked the entire inside of the stand as well as the twist fasteners then I put the decorative covers on the holes and calked them on as well. I wanted a white interior so the next step was to paint the inside. I used rustoleum oil based gloss enamel. After applying 2 coats and making my whole place smell like a paint shop, it is now done. I have been letting it cure so that it wont be damaged during all the assembly and I believe it is close to being done. Here are some pics. Next step..install stand lighting, get the tank into position and begin plumbing!

[junior2101]

So while I was waiting for stuff to dry I figured I would get a jump on the ATO container.Finding a solution which was both large enough to fit my needs and appealing to the eye (yes the wife) proved difficult. This I also did a bit of looking around to figure out what I could do. I decided to go with a Vittles pet food container which holds about 7 gallons and fit perfectly inside a black modular cube. The cube is 15x15 and I found black leather collapsible storage ottoman that was also 15x15. I purchased both items an used the leather top to the ottoman as a lit to the cube. It looks pretty good and I think the volume should be ok. In total the 3 pieces cost me about $55 so not too bad at all. Let me know what you think.

[champion6sigma]

Cool placement !

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[ksigaekdb]

This is a great way to hide your ATO!

[junior2101]

Thanks! I was trying to figure out a way to use a larger one but this will do for the time being.

[junior2101]

So my project for the day was to get the stand lighting installed. I picked up a puck lighting system from Lowes. The system doesn't have any on/off switches but the didn't really bother me as I am going to be routing a bunch of items through a switched a power supply. I really like the level of light I got from these. I didn't want it to be obnoxiously bright but still want to see things well when working inside. Was a great purchase. The wiring is still hanging in the photo. I will be using some for of wire management but for the time being I am not gonna fasten it, as there will be much more to secure, I will do the wire clean up when I have more in place.

[junior2101]

Hey everyone, just posting a few updates to get you all caught up. The paint has pretty well cured now so I started getting some random things done before I put the tank up. First I sealed and mounted the power supply to the rear of the tank which will control the power to most of my equipment. I do have an apex but I will be using that mostly for redundancy and monitoring as well as a timer for moon lights. So far the only thing hooked up is the stand lighting. I will be labeling all the switches when they are installed but that is a little later on. I also put the neoprene mat on the top which is the black one with adhesive backing from Innovative marine. I chose this rather then foam due to its spring back quality. I also began a little wire management. Due to the stand lighting being permanent and difficult to work on I decided it was best to just get it out of the way now. Lastly I installed handles on the stand because for some reason it didn't come with any, making the doors quite difficult to open. Next step, the tank going on the stand later on today.

[junior2101]

The tank is out of the box and on the stand! I leveled everything an I had purchased a yoga mat to use for the floor of the stand for sound dampening purposes. Now its time to begin plumbing tomorrow and start installing the closet full of equipment I have accumulated

[CafeReef]

Very nice. I finally got my 50 cube sca setup and running.

[junior2101]

Thanks! There tanks are very clean and seem well constructed. My plan is to potentially set up a 50 next to this one and have them plumbed together but that is still a little bit down the road. Feel free to post some pics of your tank. I always enjoy seeing other peoples builds

[sixpackgarage]

nicely done. That white paint looks killer, what is it called (besides rustoleum)

[lennyd19]

Awesome job so far that stand came out great.

[junior2101]

Thanks guys and the paint is just rustoleum gloss white oil enamel. I was gonna use marine grade paint but its a bit pricey and harder to come by. I think this will serve the same purpose though.

[homer1475]

Nice so far. You'll definitely love that you painted the stand white, makes working in it way easier.

Interesting to point out, as I just setup an SCA 80 with the MDF stand(nearly identical to yours), only difference I see is I don't have a center brace on my stand. One would think with the bigger tank it would need the center support. Mine also doesn't have the SCA badge in the corner, which I'm very glad about.

[Land_shark067]

looking super clean! love the power supply mounted on the back.

[junior2101]

Yeah I am pretty sure that the 75 gallon is fairly new as it came with 3 1" holes drill as apposed the the old 1/2" returns. and it came with what I believe is the stand designed for the 90 gallon because the hole wasn't wide enough for the 3 holes. It was clearly designed for the old 2 hole system. I was gonna leave the center brace out but it leaves a gap so I am going to figure out a way so that it is a quick release to remove it. I just haven't figured out how to do so yet, lol. I am in the process of plumbing right now and everything is dry fit I will post some picks later on after it is all glued together. Thanks for your input guys

[junior2101]

Hey guys so a quick update. As usual the plumbing had some complications. The bulkheads that were sent were the wrong size so I had to drive an hour to go get new ones but I have the plumbing about 85% done I dry fit my pieces and Have glued most of it together. I also installed the sump as it was necessary to have in place during the process. I went with the R-100 3rd gen from Eshopps due to how quiet it is and I have had good luck with their products in the past. After I get the stand cleaned up a bit I will get a better pic of the sump and such but it is still a bit of a mess lol. I have posted pics of my current progress and more to come tomorrow. Night everyone!

[junior2101]

Plumbing is complete, now I just have to cross my fingers that there are no leaks. Ok, so just a run down on the project. I used almost all schedule 80 fitting and blue pvc just for looks. The fittings are from Bulk reef supply and the valves were purchased from Marine depot and are the red flag brand which I felt to be incredibly smooth and have all the same featured as Cepex for about 1/3 the cost. The line that runs up the side is for easier water changes and I have installed two manifolds for hard plumbing in reactors and such. I left space in the rising section of pipe in case I ever need to install further manifolds but for the time being 2 should be fine. I also installed my return pump. I didnt have many options with the sump I chose, as the return chamber is quite small so I went with the DCS 5000 and I also have a DCS 7000 as well just in case I need more GPH. The second pump will also serve as a back-up should I need one. The DCS series was recently released as an upgrade to the DCT series so I will let you guys know what I think when it gets up and running. I will be installing more equipment today but I wanted to do a mid day post of my progress so far. Back to work I go.

[treedog5]

Very nice build so far, following along to watch the progress..

[junior2101]

After about 12 hours today I have gotten pretty close to completion with the equipment. I started off by hooking up the reactor which is the deluxe single reactor. I have plans to add a second but I just havent ordered it yet. I still need to plumb the return line from the reactor to the sump but I will need more 90's so that is on hold till they arrive. Following that I installed the skimmer and 2 200w heaters. I decided on the Bubble magus curve 5. The price was right and it got very good reviews and I am going to use 2 finnex 200w digital titanium therms. I considered using just the titanium heaters with now thermostat, but I figure they will be nice to have for some added redundancy. For power heads I was planning to use 2 Rw-4's, but they sent me 2 PP-4's which are the new model I guess. The only difference is that they have better magnets apparently. If your wondering why I chose to go with 4's rather then 8's, it is so I can hopefully run them in the randomized "else" mode. We shall see. Following the install of the power heads and some cable management, I mounted the Apex and the 3 controllers for both power heads and the return pump. I only plan on using the apex for moonlights, refuge and both heaters for the time being so the 4 outlets on the Jr. will do for now. Next step was the lights. This was one of the harder choices I had to make. I eventually landed on Kessils as I have heard they do well and have a nice shimmer. I bought 2 160we's along with the controller, goose necks and the 90 degree mounts. I know I could have gone with 2 360we's but I plan to add the new maxpect ethereal in the center of the two kessils at some point so The 160's should be fine till I pull the trigger on the other light. I wanted some moonlighting which is as I am sure most of you know, not the easiest thing to accomplish with kessils and a rimless open top system. After some searching I found a picture of the angel eyes used for headlight assemblies being used on one. After some measuring it seemed as if it could work. I have mounted the leds using black double sided tape but I have not gotten a power supply yet that will come in the next few days. So that is where it stands. Sorry about the long update but it was a busy day. I just have to wrap up some loose ends and a little more cable/wire tidying, then im on to the aquascaping.

[junior2101]

[sixpackgarage]

Very impressive sump area. The 160 lights pack a punch for only 42 watts. I ran a single one over a jbj30 and it happily grew sps with no issues. Looks so clean vs the bulky 360 lights. That led ring looks perfect. Looking forward to seeing it lit up


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[kellerexpress]

So clean, great job on the build so far!

[junior2101]

Thanks for the comments guys, it is always nice to hear feedback from other reefers. It definitely consumed some extra time keeping things clean but I am happy with the results thus far. I am hoping to begin aquascaping early this week and get this cycle rolling. If anyone has any suggestions on a decent dosing pump that is pretty quiet, let me know. Clean and quiet is the theme here

[Devaji108]

nice! I debated for days between the SC 75 & 90...and to get the MDF stand or not they look so nice and clean all panted up. great job on the plumbing. well on everything really!