DKoKoMAN’s 305g Basement Reef

[Dash]

Sorry about the fish & fromia, but glad to see everything else is looking good. You must be glad the hard part’s behind you! You’re probably getting bored already At one point I had 3 tanks going before my transfer & now I’m amazed I hardly have anything to do, haha. Time to plan next year’s upgrade...

[DKoKoMan]

Thanks Maggie. It’s a bummer losing fish, coral is one thing but fish sucks. I’m just glad I didn’t lose any of the old timers as the larger tank was for them. I miss my star already, I will let everything settle in and get another. I have been pretty busy with this tank so far, my wallet is getting empty and only a couple more things to buy.

I took your advice on the Skimmer and your feedback (*spoiler alert*).

[DKoKoMan]

The one piece acrylic lid with mesh inserts that was custom made to fit the tank is great. I was really wanting to keep an open top but working shift work I feared if I had a jumper I wouldn’t be able to deal with it. This was the next best option as the design allowed for a tight lid with a minimalistic design. I love how the acrylic was cut on the CNC precise that it inlays so the top of the tank is still flush.

Here are a couple photos of the lid on the tank. In the future I may change the mesh inserts to black although the clear is not reflecting as much as I though it would. Let me know what you think.

[Mattyb]

Just had the same lid made. I love it. It’s so low profile. Makes it feel part of the tank rather then a window screen on top. Tank looks great! Sorry about ur losses

[DKoKoMan]

Thanks Mattyb! Ya I’m so glad I went this route instead of the window frame style. Best you can do for lid IMO. Sucks losing fish without a doubt, but in reality transfers are stressful. I’m just glad everyone is doing good now.

[DKoKoMan]

New Toy! I went back and forth on different skimmer options for this build. I initially made up my mind that I was going to purchase the Reef Octopus Regal or keep the cost down and buy the Bubble Magus Curve 9. I searched the internet reviewing the most popular skimmers and what worked for a larger tank.

I ended up purchasing the Vertex Alpha Cone - 200 which is a very nice looking Skimmer. Based on reviews I read this Skimmer is a beast and the external pump allows for good water draw. I put this bad boy in the sump and away it went. It took some time to dial it in but within a day or two it was pulling out dark skimmate. I really like that it is still quiet when running but produces tons of micro bubbles. The acrylic body is very nice and I’m curious to see how the screw off collection cup works out over time.

Photos of the sump and skimmer

[DKoKoMan]

This time around I decided to purchase an ATO to keep the salinity consistent. I was able to manage this manually in my 150g but I’m sure there was a bit of swing happening as I work a variety of shifts. My fear of the ATO was for it to stick on and pump a bunch of water in to the sump causing the salinity to take a dive. I also was pretty worried that it would overflow etc.

I did a bunch of research on the ATO’s on the market and found that many have different fail safes to prevent disaster from happening. I really liked the idea of a magnetic mount optical sensor. I came across the Neptune ATK and was immediately sold (first Neptune product I have purchased). This ATO has a low water optical sensor, a high water optical sensor and a traditional plastic float valve if they fail.

I setup the ATO which was overall pretty simple to install. I did use the included siphon break as the water level in the 5g pail was higher than that of my return pump section. I had to fiddle around a little as the top optical sensor would ever so slightly be covered with water and trigger the 10 min alarm. I have since got it working and other then the siphon valve spraying when the pump turns in it a great unit. The pump itself is quiet, I love that the intake is on the bottom and the pump is compact. It sits upright making it run until there is absolutely no water left in the reservoir. I am temporarily using a 5g pail until I receive my glass ATO container which is around 15g.

Here are a couple photos.



ATK module, simple plug n play.



Magnetic mount with two optical sensors and traditional plastic float. Overall pretty compact but does take a bit of room in your return section.



Compact pump and attached siphon break.

[smokinreefer]

Awesome, I was leaning towards the Neptune for my next ato.
Thanks for the feedback.

Wondering how long the 5g or even the 15g will last you on a tank that big.

[DKoKoMan]

Originally Posted by smokinreefer

Awesome, I was leaning towards the Neptune for my next ato.
Thanks for the feedback.

Wondering how long the 5g or even the 15g will last you on a tank that big.

Funny you mention that! So 5g lasted about 2 days. Im hoping a topped up container approximately 18g will get 7 days for a vacation but not sure if that will work out.

[smokinreefer]

Well it's easy enough to use a temporary container when needed for vacations. Just sit it beside the tank while you're gone.