Dr's 70G Rimless cube Build Log

[DrPheel]

Hello RC !! I'm doing this post to keep a log of my second build in this wonderful hobby. I started out with a 35G tank on a old dresser, a AC50, BH1000 Skimmer and a Odyssea MH/t5 fixture about 4 years ago. After a move and having to take the tank down I am now taking on a new build after finding a nice place that I will stay put for awhile. Here is the breakdown of what I will be working with:

Tank :
- 70 G Rimless Cube ( 30x30x18 )
- Corner Overflow ( 1.5 in Drain / 3/4 return )
- 2x Jebao Rw-8 Powerheads
- Caribsea coarse sand
- Mix of Marco rock and Marco shelf (TBD)

Stand :
- Marineland Ventura Cube stand

Sump + Equipement :
- Marineland 25G tall sump
- Filter Sock (s)
- SWC Xtrem Cone 160 Skimmer
- BRS Dual reactor (GAC + PO4x4)
- TLF 150 reactor (NPX pellets)
- Jebao DCT6000 (1580GPH)

Lights :
- TBD


I got the tank , sump and skimmer in a online deal , tank caulking was a bit sketchy but it held water OK. I still decided to do a complete reseal of it with some SCS1200 for peace of mind and since this will be a eyesore in the long run. Sump was fairly new and the skimmer also. After getting the tank perfectly sealed, cured and water tested it for a week I got a stand from the LFS. Unfortunately the drain holes were on the wrong side but a quick trip to the hardware store and 2x holes later I was back in business. I then notice that the bottom sheet of wood was way to thin to support the sump and equipment so I reinforced it with some 2x6 boards. Still need to Silence the overflow but it can take the full power of the DCT6000 no problem !

Removing caulking in the tank:


All taped up and ready :


Overflow goes in after clear caulking is dry :


New Holes in the stand :


Reinforced base for the filtration equipment :


Sump and filtration setup :


Testing the overflow :




Whats Next ?? Here is a quick list of things I need to buy / fix / figure out :

1. Black out the rear glass
2. build a silencer for the overflow
3. Wash the sand clean
4. set tank in its location and fill with RO/DI water
5. figure out what im going to do for lights
6. have a beer

Thanks for reading and all constructive comments and encouragements are welcome

[DrPheel]

Sorry for the bad picture links , Here they are as follow:

1. Removing caulking in the tank
2. All taped up and ready
3. Overflow goes in after clear caulking is dry
4. New Holes in the stand
5. Reinforced base for the filtration equipment
6. Sump and filtration setup
7. Testing the overflow

6/26/2015 update !
Jebao RW-8 pumps are WET, what a wave ! Did not play with all the settings yet but I love the night mode and the W1 wave. Only thing I would like is to be able to configure what mode / power it goes in when night mode is triggered . Tank is running its first 24hrs with all equipment plumbed ( no media and freshwater for now ) I'm having a hard time finding a graphic company that can sell me a 30x20 piece of black vinyl to black out the rear glass and I do not want to pain it since it would be more of a problem to get the tank out of the house and do it outside. Hopefully by Monday night I will be setting the tank in its final location with the back window blacked out and ready to go live

[DrPheel]

6/29/2015 Weekend Update !

I need to figure out how to properly add pictures to my thread , sorry for the missing ones and over sized posts

System testing is done , I have spent all weekend cleaning sand. I will be using CaribSea Seaflor special grade reef sand. I had Fiji pink in my previous 35g and the 2x MJ1200 would sand scape the tank every other day .... Lesson learned ! I have also found some black glossy vinyl to black out the rear glass next to the overflow. Looks much better and will make the powerhead blend in the background for a clean look.

Tank was drained and I lay down some egg crate on the bottom of the tank and left 2 inches all around so it does not show on the glass edge of the tank since I plan on using a maximum of 3 - 3 1/2 inch of sand bed and I don't want it to become visible.

Tank was placed in its final location and was filled with clean sand. I am waiting on the dry rock and RODI unit to complete aqua scape and final fill with salt / RODI water. Cycle will be started with a few pieces of shrimp, some mb7 and the bio pellets, no GAC or GFO for now untill end of cycle or unless I feel the need for it.

Still not decided on what lighting I will use. I almost got a Kessil 360w over the weekend but I will wait a bit to do more research and since I will not be needing the lights for another 2 or 3 months I will keep scouting my options.

That is all for my weekend update , I will read up on how to properly post pictures and I will keep you guys updated this week as I receive my rock and RODI unit and complete the scape !

[Skonig]

Originally Posted by DrPheel

6/29/2015 Weekend Update !

I need to figure out how to properly add pictures to my thread , sorry for the missing ones and over sized posts

System testing is done , I have spent all weekend cleaning sand. I will be using CaribSea Seaflor special grade reef sand. I had Fiji pink in my previous 35g and the 2x MJ1200 would sand scape the tank every other day .... Lesson learned ! I have also found some black glossy vinyl to black out the rear glass next to the overflow. Looks much better and will make the powerhead blend in the background for a clean look.

Tank was drained and I lay down some egg crate on the bottom of the tank and left 2 inches all around so it does not show on the glass edge of the tank since I plan on using a maximum of 3 - 3 1/2 inch of sand bed and I don't want it to become visible.

Tank was placed in its final location and was filled with clean sand. I am waiting on the dry rock and RODI unit to complete aqua scape and final fill with salt / RODI water. Cycle will be started with a few pieces of shrimp, some mb7 and the bio pellets, no GAC or GFO for now untill end of cycle or unless I feel the need for it.

Still not decided on what lighting I will use. I almost got a Kessil 360w over the weekend but I will wait a bit to do more research and since I will not be needing the lights for another 2 or 3 months I will keep scouting my options.

That is all for my weekend update , I will read up on how to properly post pictures and I will keep you guys updated this week as I receive my rock and RODI unit and complete the scape !

I really love the clean look of your tank. However I would not recommend putting eggcrate on the bottom. I did it on my 29 and detritus would form in pockets in in between the holes. And it eventually led to a huge tank crash. You could try to cut a price of acrylic and lay it on the bottom of you don't want to set your rocks on the glass. You could also build pvc stands around the bottoms of you rocks since you plan on having a fairly deep sand bed.

[DrPheel]

Originally Posted by Skonig

I really love the clean look of your tank. However I would not recommend putting eggcrate on the bottom. I did it on my 29 and detritus would form in pockets in in between the holes. And it eventually led to a huge tank crash. You could try to cut a price of acrylic and lay it on the bottom of you don't want to set your rocks on the glass. You could also build pvc stands around the bottoms of you rocks since you plan on having a fairly deep sand bed.

Thanks for the reply Skonig ! I did hear the good and bad about this method. Since the glass is completely sitting on wood and not just the edges I think it will be OK without the eggcrate but I do not think the bottom of my tank is tempered so I just wanted the safety. After reading a bit on the subject I think I will try to set my rock on the glass and then surround them with the substrate to keep them in place. get rid of the eggcrate and maybe dodge a crash in the future. I do clean my sand often from previous experience and I will take a deeper look into this on the weekend (should have my dry rock in by Thursday) Il report my findings and what final decision I made

Thanks for the reply to my thread and for bringing this to my attention ,

DR

[DrPheel]

Update before the weekend !

I was able to get my RO/DI unit and start pumping some 0 PPM juice at the beginning of the week ! after going trough instruction and making the filter run a bit an setting the rejection rate of the membrane I was able to make my dead rock soak a bit before doing what I hate the most about aquariums .... AQUASCAPING

I never seemed to be satisfied with the end result but I did find that it was much easier to do with the shelf rock formation rather then the more common boulders ! I had 50 pounds of Marco rock and 50 pounds of Aquamaxx Shelf rock. I have decided not to use the eggcrate at the bottom since the shelves are very stable at the bottom. I am happy with the end results

I cleaned 1/3 of a 400ml bag of TLF biopellets in RO/DI water , and I will start the reactor tonight with 2 raw shrimp in the display to get a source of ammonia. Since it takes time to decay and release ammonia I will also add some kind of bacteria additive to kick start the cycle since I only have dry rock in the tank. Could also use pure ammonia from hardware store but I rather use a biological method or some kind of aquarium supply for safety

I think I have found the lights id like to used , I will try to go with a Ocean revive t-247-B . I think the coverage will be border line and I will try to upgrade the optics to 120 Deg. If this does not cut it then I will buy a second unit and still have some coins left to eat ! I cant believe how expensive some lights can cost


RO/DI unit :


Soaking the dry rock :


Laying out the rocks to have a visualization of what I'm working with :


Cant tell from the blurry pic but most of the base rocks are flat shelves that will serve as coral mounting grounds and support for the aquascape :


Final results :



Next step will be to kick start the cycle with a natural source of ammonia and bacterias , fill the TLF reactor with bio pellets and wait for a ammonia spike before I dial in the skimmer.

[DrPheel]

Happy Monday RC !

Cycle has kicked in , A few pieces of shrimp and 3 days later and I have got a nice ammonia spike! Things are going good so far and the only think left to figure out is the lighting part. I'm waiting on a reply for 2x Maxspect Razors 120w for about the same price It would cost me for the Ocean Revive t247-b. Hopefully by the end of the week all the equipment will be ready.

[DrPheel]

Great news !! got my light dilemma sorted out

I got a great deal from a reefer that was getting out of the hobby. I got 2x Maxspect Razor R420r 120w. I was previously considering 2x Ocean revive t247 units but at the end of the day with shipping, customs and US to CA conversion I would of ended up paying way more the the Razors. I have read the manual and played a bit with the settings and now today I plan on making a custom preset for a dusk to dawn effect. I'm a big fan of having actinic's on before the white's and from what I can see in the presets they seem to blend both from dusk to dawn. Il have to work on this and read up online on what people do. I'm glad I went with the Razor's because I like how they gradually rise to what you set it instead of just jumping to the next setting. Still no need for lights yet so I will have more then enough time to get a hang of them and play with the settings to get something I like.

Here are the 2x units :


Was on a preset setting but I couldn't wait to try them on the tank :



On a side note, I will be modding the TLF Phosban150 reactor I use for the pellets because I find it produces dead spots in the tumble. I know , I know ... this is not a reactor made for pellets but I like to work with what I have so I will be following this video I found on Youtube HERE . The Idea is good but I think instead of using teflon tape at the top I will try and use some hose to make a shim and lock the tube in the cover. I will keep you guys posted when I do so and I will probably make a thread in the DIY sections for other people who may find this interesting.

[DrPheel]

Quick update guys ! I was playing with the 2x 120w razors last night after work and I try to place one on the Maxspect Mazarra LED Mount and WOW , I can get the % up higher and I still get decent coverage on the 30x30. I get a little shadow in the back and I find that the caves in my rock work are mcuh more darker then with 2 units lower , but the 2x units closer to the water will not be able to run full power. Im thinking of trying the 120deg reflectors and trying this out first. I like the slick look of one fixture and the extra clearance to glance at the tank from a overview with the rimless setup and I don't know if I would like the look with 2x MAzarra mounts. Lucky for me I dont need like for another few months



1x 120w fixture on the Mazarra Mount :


2x 120w Mounted lower with shorter legs :

[DrPheel]

So I ended up buying some 120 reflectors and using both lights with the stock legs, I will sell the mazarra fixture with the pivots on fleabay to pay off the lenses. Lucky for me my LFS ( MarineScape in Ottawa,On ) had a box full of them on standby! Im getting better coverage from the wider angle and the spill is not that bad since the lights are so close to the water level. I get minimal shadows in my rock scape caves and I really like that effect. Now il get working on my lighting schedule , I used to have a old Odyssea fixture with PC / MH combo and I love to only have the blues on for a few hrs before and after the whites come on. I don't like how the preset program ramps up the whites at the same time. I will keep you guys posted on what I end up programming.

New reflectors:




On another note , I started the skimmer last night ... Kept me busy for 2-3 hrs trying to make it not overflow / produce micro bubbles and what not I figure it will need another break in period since its been out of commission for a few months. Will have to build up slime but I cant get to make it not overflow , Even with the air control and the valve I still get bubbles to the top of the cup all the time. I lifted it up a bit on egg crate and it seems to be more stable and produced about a 1/4 inch of good wet skim but I had to leave for work and didn't want to leave it on and come back to a mess. Il get working on it tonight when I get back from work !

[DrPheel]

Quick update on the build ! I was able to rise the skimmer with 2 pieces of egg crate to make it stop overflowing. after about 6 hrs of running the skimmer a little higher with both adjustments fully opened the foam head started to die down and I was able to remove the egg crate. Got it back to 8 inches of water and the foam was just reaching the neck when cup is removed. Kept the settings wide open and I was able to get about a 1/4'' of wet skim. I could of adjusted the settings a bit but since I doubt it has broken in yet and I don't want to risk a overflow I will leave it wide open since its been working good all night and I will be at work most of the day. Pump is now more quiet and the micro bubbles are totally gone, I make the exit of the skimmer shoot into a old AC foam pad that I had to die them down but even with that removed I get none coming out of the exhaust. I also notice the bubbles in the skimmer body are now all going to the top and I don't get bubbles in the pump section of the body like it was doing when I started it up. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to dial it in to a little dryer skim.

For the water parameters I am still full ammonia and I am starting to see the first traces of Nitrite but still no sings of Nitrate.... Wait.. its only been 10 days, why am I testing this??? Patience is KEY to this hobby so I will keep myself busy testing and taking my mind off the fact Its going to be like that for another month or so

Next step to keep me busy will be to setup a light schedule for the MaxSpect units. I don't like the preset settings because they incorporate the white going up at the same times as the blues and I would like the blue alone to be on for a bit... kind of like my old T5 / Mh fixture on a timer I will start reading up on sun rise/set events and try to incorporate it the best I can and maybe just keep the blues for the dawn effect (when il be home to see it) as I do think even tho I don't like the look of it what is good to my eyes and whats good for the tank inhabitants is probably 2 different things.


Have a great weekend RC !

[DrPheel]

Hey RC ! Another update on this build before the weekend and my 2 weeks vacation

The Nitrogen cycle is in full effect , Ammonia has died down and the Nitrite are in full spike. Nitrate were also detected in the test so i'd say I am in mid cycle. Even tho this is dry rock and the tank will take a long time to mature I will then be able to safely add a fish and the end of the cycle that will aid the biological filter keeping a steady hold on ammonia and add biological diversity. No Sings of diatom bloom or life in the display and I did not get time to play with the Maxspect lights as much as I would like but they are off for now until I need them.

Last tests :



I ended up doing the mod on the LTF 150 Phosban reactor for the pellets. The screen mesh was clumping my pellets in one corner and I had seen a bunch of nice videos on YouTube showing different ways to do it. I ended up removing the bottom red piece completely and gluing the tube to the other red plate on top. For the connection to the cap I tapped the tube with water safe teflon tape until it held tightly in the socket and I then applied gel super glue on the edge to secure it. Does it work ?? yes 100% better BUTTT the only downfall for this is I now hear the pellets tumbling constantly , no matter how low I set the flow I hear them and it is very unpleasant. I will have to cap off the back of my stand to reduce the noise eventually when I'm all setup and on cruise control.

TLF MOD :



The skimmer is finally running good! (for what it has to process) no more micro bubbles from the return and its pulling out some nice wet skimmate at a good rate, also looking into making a ATO to keep the water levels stable in the sump. I'm running low salinity now at 1.023 and I usual like to keep my tanks at 1.025/6 since the higher value can get out of hand quick I want to be able to keep the water evaporation in check. hopefully by the time the cycle is done Il have a good unit in place for the big water change when I set the tank to proper specific gravity.

Have a great weekend RC

[DrPheel]

25 days later and the tank is now able to process ammonia to Nitrate in less the 48 hrs We have completed the nitrogen cycle I did not add any livestock yet other then a few dozen hermits that I keep happy with pellets from time to time but I am happy to see the work of the biopellets soaking up the Nitrates like crazy. I did not do any water test other then Nitrite each 3-4 days since my last update on the 23rd and even then you could clearly see a good 20 PPM of Nitrate. I heard that biopellets can take a few months to start working properly but i'm not sure if its the same thing when starting a tank with them. When I tested Nitrite this morning and seen 0 PPM , I took the kit out and confirmed ammonia was also at 0 and I did a test for Nitrate also to see how big of a water change I would of needed and to my surprise it was also at 0 PPM ! I had to do another test just to see if I forgot to shake that second bottle for 30 seconds I will still do a 30-40% WC before I add any fish and coral but that will go to next week as my last week of vacation is occupied by another project I'm trying to complete. Since most LFS stock up on Thursday and Friday and I will be out of town for those days I will wait till next week to do a good water change and also add the BRS Dual reactor with GAC and PO4X4 now that the cycle is over. Skimmer is pulling good gunk for a tank with no bioload, I have to empty the cup each night and I say it maybe has a good 1.5 to 2 inches of light skimmate. I now see the utility of a ATO system and I will also be looking to add one to my setup soon to keep the skimmer happy. Still no time to play with the Maxspect I need to get a low % light schedule ready for when I start adding a few frags. Waited for so long to cycle and now my other occupations are taking up my time now that the tank is ready .... UgHH I think I need a vacation from my vacation


I will keep you guys update as soon as any other additions are made ! Have a great week RC and here is a few shots of the water tests

Water test (7/23/15) :


Water test (8/4/2015) :

[DrPheel]

Good afternoon RC !

Not much happened in the last week. I made a few trips to the LFS in my area but it's the quiet season here in Canada for nice fish I did buy a little of the CUC (10x blue leg hermit 10x red tip hermit 1x Emerald) but I did not find a fish that I liked enough to bring back home. Its not the best time of the year to stock up on fish here in Canada but I think in the next few weeks / months we will start to get some diversity again !

The skimmer is pulling a nice 1.5 to 2 in of skimmate each day! I do need to top off about 2L of water per day so I think il be installing a JBJ ATO in the next few weeks. I will add the carbon and GFO reactor this week when I get my new filter socks + holder and remove the 45 bend in my drain pipe for it to go straight in the sump and if I cant quiet it down a bit I will try a stockman or durso setup.

Hopefully by next week I will have a nice fish and a few frags to show you guys

[DrPheel]

Hey RC !!

All has been going good so far , I did a big 30% WC in the display tank and I got my salinity up a bit to 1.024-5. Got the new filter sock holder and socks in and this will make my maintenance much easier I plumbed the BRS dual reactor with the PO4x4 and carbon. Water does seem a bit cleaner but not enough to tell it made a night and day difference, It will be more noticeable in the long run when the tank gets stocked up. I also got my first fish and a few frags from the LFS. I got a very small Royal Gramma and 4 Frags ( Blasto , Acan , Favia , Shroom) I have yet to get my ATO so I try to top off 2 times a day for less evaporation and water parameter changes. I have set the MAxspect at 20% white and 40% blue for now to let them acclimate to the light. They were under a few radions at the LFS so I think they will get used to it quickly. Have a great week RC and I will keep this updates as I go along this reefing quest for my dream tank.


Mr Gramma , He/She is too quick for a good shot :



Red Blasto, my favourit so far :


Purple / blue mushroom w/ red dots :


Acan w/ nice green mouths and feeding tentacles are out. I noticed that the edge of its mouth colors up when I get the lights higher but for now looks plain jane :


Green / Purple Favia or Favite ?? I'm thinking Favite since the walls of the corallite are shared :

[DrPheel]

Good Evening RC ! Tank is doing great , Frags are getting used to the Razors and MR Gramma is also eating and swimming in the open, looks like he is enjoying his new real estate

I got a few new frags for the tank , 3x kind of zoos and a green spotted mushroom from a fellow reefer that I found posted online. The guy was taking a tank apart in his living room and had a bunch of shrooms / zoos frags for 5$ ea Who can say no to that ?? the frag plugs had a little bit of green hair algae but the hermits were quick to take care of that.

3x Different Zoo's :






The next day I also had a good friend come by with a nice frag rack and 8 frags I got 3x frags of different zoo's (not to good with all the names ppl give them) 1x green Hydnophora (was advised to keep it away from other corals) 1x Pink Stylopora , 1x Purple Accropora, 1x Pocillopora 1x Neon Toxic rhodactis shroom. Very nice corals and I can start getting the SPS a little higher everyday untill I mount them to my top rock

New frag rack and 8x Frags :



I'm also going to another hobbyist tonight to take a look at his frag tank so stay tune for updates on stocking

[ijnoj09]

nice frags!

[DrPheel]

Originally Posted by ijnoj09

nice frags!

Thank you sir! and thanks for the reply this post is kind of dead but I keep updating it to have a nice log of my progress One thing I forgot to do with my 1st Reef tank



almot 1.5 K views and I got 2 replys from members ? common guys ?

[ijnoj09]

I know how you feel about the posts lol... Just keep updating and enjoy your tank.

[DrPheel]

Originally Posted by ijnoj09

I know how you feel about the posts lol... Just keep updating and enjoy your tank.

Thanks buddy ! Happy Reefing

[DrPheel]

Hey RC ! Quick update on my progress

Mr Gramma is doing great and enjoying the rock work , I see him every day in a new spot exploring the tank. I guess for now since he is alone he thinks he owns the place. I finally got to set the 2x maxspect on a custom ramp up maxing out at 45% white and 60% blue for 2hrs. Going to take it slow to ramp up the power and evaluate coral response. All the store I get my frags from is either running MH's or Radion's so my guess is that the coral are used to heavy lighting but since they get stressed with move and the change in water parameters I rather take it slow. I did notice a little Diatom bloom in the last few days on my glass and rocks and I guess that comes from the lights / sand / rock leaching some silicate and phosphate. I double tested my RODI output and I'm still at 0PPM so nothing is coming in from the outside at this point, and I would doubt that the light feeding I do is causing a issue. I feed the Gramma once a day alternating from pellets to frozen and the LPS get fed when lights go out and feeder tentacles are exposed about twice a week. I did 2 water changes since the cycle ended to get salinity up a bit slowly from 1.022 to 1.024 and at the same time I suspect it will dilute some of the silicate and phosphate from the sand and rock even tho I washed the sand and dipped the rock for a few days in RODI with a HOB running carbon, floss pad, heater and a powerehead. Hopefully it will clear up in a few days or I will make a cover for my overflow and get a few snails to munch on the growth. Don't want to risk one clogging my overflow And since I will be running a low nutrient system I don't think il need snails in the long run , I just see them as a opportunity to block my overflow in search of a food source.

Got a few more frags that I will update with pics once I get time to snap some I got a nice encrusting Acan colony that I will more then likely try and trade for some of the stalky puffy type. and I got 4x frags from the LFS ( Orange Acan - Light blue w/ orange mouth Chalice - Zoo's and some type of small encrusting flower that I did not find the name yet ) I have placed the frags that I had previously got on the live rock in the tank , removing them carefully from the plugs and superglueing them to the rockscape as I dislike the look of frag plugs / discs. I did have to leave some on the discs because they were impossible to remove so I cut the mounting foot underneath to make it look like a disc.

I also sat down at work and read the whole thread on SWC skimmers and ended up adding 1in of water in my sump. I am so amazed by the results I am getting much better control of the water level and foam head. and I also notice much better skimmate and the ability to make it a little dryer to suit my skimming style. The performance also seems to be less affected by the water evaporation ( yes, I know, I'm getting a ATO soon )


This is all for today folks ! Happy reefing to all

[DrPheel]

Happy Labor day RC !

Got some new friends in for my Gramma ! I picked up a black ice Ocellaris and a Darwin Ocellaris for the tank last Friday and I can say its nice to have some action in the tank. The Black ice clown was a little bigger so it took no time to dominate the darwin and 2 days after they are now sleeping close to each other and look somewhat paired :P The Gramma does not like the Darwin for some reason as I have seen him puff up his mouth and charge him a few times but nothing major. I was able to get my salinity back to its target of .024 with some gradual water changes. My ATO is in the mail and I'm waiting for it to get it hooked to my TOM's aqualifter pump. I also got some coral food from Polyp-Lab. I got reef roids and the polyp booster and WOW , what a instant feeding response from the corals Here is how it works ; You drip 1ML of Polyp-booster in the DT with only powerheads on ( no sump / skimmer / return on ) and wait 4-5 minutes to get full polyp response before you turn off powerheads and feed your mix of food or reef roids mixed in tank water. Since feeding polyps are extended the coral are much more prone to the intake of food. I have only feed once and I will try to do it twice a week and monitor growth. No new frags since most LFS in my area are in the dead season but hopefully it will pick up in the next few months with the fall season. I Will get some pics for the next update when I install the ATO and now its time to enjoy my labor day long weekend

[bkoo29]

I have the same size tank as you do. I was wondering is the rw-8 on both sides too strong ? Is it blowing sand everywhere?

[DrPheel]

Originally Posted by bkoo29

I have the same size tank as you do. I was wondering is the rw-8 on both sides too strong ? Is it blowing sand everywhere?

I have both in wave 1 mode at about 40% and with proper placement sand stays in place. I used coars sand and anything smaller would probably be a sandstorm. the good thing about the RW series is that they can be adjusted from very low flow to high unlike the older WP models. I will ramp them up eventually when the tank fills up and double check placement if I see sand movement. I dont think I will be running them more then 50-60% but I got the bigger rw-8 since the price difference was not that much and I could play with the power output. I rather have 2 big pumps running at 40% then 2 small ones running at 80%

Happy Reefing !

[Sandrock.e46]

What kind of calking did you use?