• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

48x24x16 Rimless Reef ready build...it has begun!!!

N

NJTaxMan

Figured I would start out with my tale of the tank. After almost two months of trying to get a tank, I finally have one coming tomorrow so the build is about to begin. Thanks #SeaLevelAquarium for selling me one that you were going to use for your store.

The basic of the build (ie...all that I have ready to go so far)
  • 48x24x16 Rimless reef ready with Aqueon Stand
  • Trigger Systems Emerald 34 that I got from their blemished section. Honestly, I don't see a blemish anywhere and saved over $100. SCORE
  • Bubble Magus Curve 5 that I won from the premium aquatics give away. Thanks @Premiumaq
  • Grade A Open Box Aquatic Life 48" hybrid 4x54w (gonna play around with different bulb configs..but figured i would run the gambit until I add in my LEDs)
    • 1 x Purple Plus ATI
    • 1 x Coral Plus ATI
    • 1 x True Actinic ATI
    • 1 x Blue Plus ATI
  • Jabao DCP 6500 Since Wave Pump
Going to set it up and start the build tomorrow. woot woot!!! Only thing that sucks is that my RODI only has a 5 gallon reservoir. Gonna take me a week to fill it!!! I guess by the time I fill it, it will be through the cycle.
 
N

NJTaxMan

Ok. Just assembled the Aquatic Life 48" hybrid 4x54w (non dimmable version)

Pros:
  • Well put together
  • Well packaged (even for an open package)
  • Good machining and fitting parts
  • Elegant (for a 4 foot monstrosity)
  • There were actually a few spare screws for each screw type.
Cons:
  • The only way of turning this on and off is through the plug. No timer, no switches.
  • The lights and ballasts are front / back instead of inner / outer. Probably not the end of the world, but the OCD in me likes to see things balanced.
  • Parts not labeled. Although the extra pieces were nice..it made matching the pieces with the piece count impossible so slight guess work on if you used the right screws.
  • The BUILD ITSELF. Not going to lie to you, it sucked!!! I am reasonably mechanically inclined and can find my way around a screw driver. The pieces themselves were great and made with quality. The problems were that the screws were ridiculously small, not labeled and stripped very easily. The end cap was especially frustrating. It felt like an amusement park for screws as the screws just kept sliding down the end cap when I missed the placement. The ridge was bigger than the screw..so you had to kinda play darts to get the screw into the holder. GRRRR. Wish I had a magnetic screw driver. Getting past the small unlabeled pieces, it was just an unwieldly beast that always moved just in the wrong angle with a cord in your way here, not laying flat there. Just a real pain. If you have big fingers, are not mechanically inclined or dont have patience...buy used, pay someone or avoid all together.
Without actually seeing this perform over the tank, gonna give this a 4 Star for good quality piece but enough annoyances that could be addressed.
Hybrid Light.jpg
 
N

NJTaxMan

Hockeynut said:
Thanks for the write up I’m interested in this fixture. Not sure I like that both chords come out of different sides.
Click to expand...
if you are not planning on using the end cap channels for the LEDs, i do think you might be able to get both cords on one side as each end cap has two channels. Dont hold me to this as I am NOT going to take it apart and find out..but I am sure if you are mechanically inclined..it could be done.
 
kabal2

kabal2

this is a video of how to mod that fixture so the wires come out of the same side, if I was handy with electrical work, I will do it in a heart beat
 
N

NJTaxMan

The next installment is the tank itself. This is a Seapora 48x24x16, 80 gallon rimless reef ready. My wife walked in and went off her rocker..for all of three minutes. She went up one side of me and down the other. It was WAY too big for her liking. When she finally calmed down and when i came out of the locked bathroom, she was pretty cool about it.

Its a glass box and we are all familiar with what a glass box meant to hold water does..I hope. As such, only going to detail the things I don't like. (although..I really do like the adjustable water height piece in the overflow...nice touch)

  1. Lack of pride in the build. There were silicone finger prints all over this. took me an hour with a razor blade and solvent to clean it up.. A couple of scratches on the black frame, but nothing to lose my mind over. The upper rim front and side panels are not flush to the tune of about 1/16". Not the end of the world..but as I said...I be OCD boy. (Seriously..that is my super hero name!!)
  2. The tank came with the in tank plumbing. The bulk heads were slip x barb. Not going to lie to you, I REALLY hate the vinyl tubing so I consider this a negative. I have been looking everywhere for a slip x slip or slip x thread bulk head and am probably going to have to go to some online place. Local hardware stores are just limited.
  3. Only two holes. One is 1" for the Durso drain and the other is 3/4" for the return. As such, you are stuck without an emergency. Not sure I am going to lose TOO much sleep over this. I guess I hold always do an overflow box emergency drain? Would really kill the aesthetics.
All in all, yet another 4 out of 5 star purchase.


tank.jpg
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
NJTaxMan said:
The next installment is the tank itself. This is a Seapora 48x24x16, 80 gallon rimless reef ready. My wife walked in and went off her rocker..for all of three minutes. She went up one side of me and down the other. It was WAY too big for her liking. When she finally calmed down and when i came out of the locked bathroom, she was pretty cool about it.

Its a glass box and we are all familiar with what a glass box meant to hold water does..I hope. As such, only going to detail the things I don't like. (although..I really do like the adjustable water height piece in the overflow...nice touch)

  1. Lack of pride in the build. There were silicone finger prints all over this. took me an hour with a razor blade and solvent to clean it up.. A couple of scratches on the black frame, but nothing to lose my mind over. The upper rim front and side panels are not flush to the tune of about 1/16". Not the end of the world..but as I said...I be OCD boy. (Seriously..that is my super hero name!!)
  2. The tank came with the in tank plumbing. The bulk heads were slip x barb. Not going to lie to you, I REALLY hate the vinyl tubing so I consider this a negative. I have been looking everywhere for a slip x slip or slip x thread bulk head and am probably going to have to go to some online place. Local hardware stores are just limited.
  3. Only two holes. One is 1" for the Durso drain and the other is 3/4" for the return. As such, you are stuck without an emergency. Not sure I am going to lose TOO much sleep over this. I guess I hold always do an overflow box emergency drain? Would really kill the aesthetics.
All in all, yet another 4 out of 5 star purchase.


View attachment 36847
Click to expand...
So how long were you locked in that bathroom........HAHA
 
Premiumaq

Premiumaq

NJTaxMan said:
Figured I would start out with my tale of the tank. After almost two months of trying to get a tank, I finally have one coming tomorrow so the build is about to begin. Thanks #SeaLevelAquarium for selling me one that you were going to use for your store.

The basic of the build (ie...all that I have ready to go so far)
  • 48x24x16 Rimless reef ready with Aqueon Stand
  • Trigger Systems Emerald 34 that I got from their blemished section. Honestly, I don't see a blemish anywhere and saved over $100. SCORE
  • Bubble Magus Curve 5 that I won from the premium aquatics give away. Thanks @Premiumaq
  • Grade A Open Box Aquatic Life 48" hybrid 4x54w (gonna play around with different bulb configs..but figured i would run the gambit until I add in my LEDs)
    • 1 x Purple Plus ATI
    • 1 x Coral Plus ATI
    • 1 x True Actinic ATI
    • 1 x Blue Plus ATI
  • Jabao DCP 6500 Since Wave Pump
Going to set it up and start the build tomorrow. woot woot!!! Only thing that sucks is that my RODI only has a 5 gallon reservoir. Gonna take me a week to fill it!!! I guess by the time I fill it, it will be through the cycle.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the giveaway came just in time! Looking forward to the build.
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
Great looking tank and excellent dimensions. Reminds me of an old Deep Blue.
And the AL hybrid fixtures are excellent. Drop a few Blue pluses in there along with an actinic and with your LEDs that tank will POP.
 
N

NJTaxMan

The next part in my series of the build is the lighting hanging hardware: Floating Suspension Hybrid Light Fixture Hanging System - Black - Aquatic Life - Bulk Reef Supply

This beautiful piece gets my first 5 out of 5 star rating. Very well constructed. Easy to understand instructions. Easy to mount to the wall. Easy to attach the lighting. Easy to adjust the level and easy to level it out. Did I mention EASY. Although this was associated with the big bulky light fixture..I had zero problem assembling and hanging this (and the light to it) all by myself. Probably would have been a little easier had I had help, but I really didn't need any. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this piece of equipment and would fully recommend if you are getting the aquatic life hybrid light system.

Hanger.jpg
 
N

NJTaxMan

Question for the vets out there. My 3/4 return is a slip x slip. Do I cement in the return pvc in the overflow bulkhead? Worried that the pressure will push out the tube. But also worries that I won’t be able to remove if I need to. Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Hockeynut

Hockeynut

NJRC Member
NJTaxMan said:
Question for the vets out there. My 3/4 return is a slip x slip. Do I cement in the return pvc in the overflow bulkhead? Worried that the pressure will push out the tube. But also worries that I won’t be able to remove if I need to. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure I didn’t glue mine in case I had to adjust height.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top