GlassCages 70 build.....

[evoIX_Reefer]

First off, let's start by saying GlassCages overall sucks donkey poop. Their customer service - sucks, their people skills - sucks, their delivery - sucks, their delivery process - sucks, their "worksmanship" - most of the times sloppy.

Well, if I am buying used and didn't have to deal with almost 99% of the items listed than they aren't too bad. Their tanks are built like tanks and have never seen a thread about one busting open, etc.


Next, thank you sh55 for the awesome deal. Here is what I am getting:

Custom 70G Tank
- 70 gallon starphire glass tank with center overflow (34"x24"x20")
- Custom built stand (plywood with oak trim)
- Custom adjustable quiet durso standpipe drain
- Single return with split loc line
- Custom screen top (BRS kit)
- Included: Trigger systems Ruby30S Sump (30"x14"x15")
- Included: Neptune Apex Lite mounted in the stand with wireless module for Ecotech products and Temp sensor (no PH proble)
- Included: Reefkeeper 2 mounted in the stand for extra power supply and simple power controls
- Included: Iwaki MD-30RT (Japanese Motor) 600 GPH return pump

What I am bringing over:
- Custom Tree Lamp kit
- Prestige LED/T5 hybrid
- BRS 1.1ml Dosers
- RKL+ for pH + orp
- BM Curve 5
- LiveStock (selling some fish since I want to go another route)

What I need:
- New Rock
inspiration aquascapes:

- 50/50 New/old sand
- Switching over salts from RC to Red Sea or Tropic Marin Pro (which ever is more available and closer) I have no LFS close to me selling ESV.

I will be making a "medicine cabinet style fuse box" for all power outlets from the PC4s and Apex + dj power strip. At the bottom of the cabinet will be a "cubby" to house all the extra wire. I'll be looking for a better method to hide / organize my wiring.

Controllers will need to have an acrylic box "control center" so I can place my controllers on the side of my tank or build a drop down setup within the top of the cabinet.

Once I get the cabinet I can figure out what is the best view&access.

Livestock:
Current Black Ice Pair
Current Flame Angel
A mix of anthias or 2 blotchy anthias
A mandarin
Cleaner shrimp

Mixed reef

If you can tell by the aquascape inspirations, I am chosing lower rockwork with spaced opening for mainly zoas. They grow for me like weed and can't get sps to work for me. I'll try easier ones just to have some sticks but rather have sick acros/millies.

 

[piranhapat]

I heard some bad things about they tanks. My friend brought a few tanks looked strong but after a year one leaked. After seeing the tanks myself. I wasn't so impressed. Good luck and SPS are not hard at all. As long you maintain steady levels. Alk is important and low Phosphates. Sticks are awesome....

 

[greengny]

Good luck with your new build. FWIW, I had a G/C 100g for several years. No problems with it.

 

[CancerverO]

nice setup.. I have a GC tank and no issues..

I guess I was a few of the lucky ones cuz my experience with them was great.

good luck with the setup..

 

[b-ridge]

I also have a glass cages tank. 240 gallons. I had no issues whatsoever. Call me lucky but I had one of there bulkheads break and they sent me a new one out immediately at no cost. Now as far as there silicone job, that's another story. Nothing I couldn't handle myself. I have seen a lot worse

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

That sucks. I wrote up a story but didn't post through my phone earlier today.

I had a glass cages setup previously and even posted a review about 5-6 years ago.

It was one of my favorite setups, mainly because of the high end equipment I purchased for it at that time.

vertex skimmer
zeo setup
tek 6 bulb

starfire on 3 sides

Like others just mentioned, they are pretty known to be built like a "tank". I honestly NEVER heard of one breaking or leaking before. I haven't researched them in quite some time but they have been around for awhile and it would have been on a thread that I passed by, by now.

It can happen and it's very possible it could happen again. The thing is it isn't likely. A report of less than .... 2%? I just picked up equipment from rstimeout and he said the same thing since he recently had a 250gallon glass cages setup.


Silicone
Customer service
Glass not level

^Those are my main concerns with GC.

Either way, I'll be moving onto a reefoman setup in the future. I got the good news from the job that I should expect to be made supervisor/lead tech within a year. More money MORE problems!

 

[thirty6]

Good luck with the build. Looking forward to the medicine cabinet idea, like the idea

 

[BZOFIQ]

So it's safe to say that GC tank are perfectly fine for sump use if one needs custom size; correct?

 

[NYreefNoob]

That tank is same dim as my old gc tank

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

The medicine cabinet idea:

I am going to do a cut out on the left hand side of the cabinet and make a box out of plywood and 1x2/1x4 wood.

Using magnets, i'll be placing the size of the cutout and placing new door with door handle so that it is flush and easily removable.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_424846-45395-MC0097/BLK-1_4294711029__?productId=4713097&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=



I'll be using enamel plastic to cover the interior of the stand to prevent water leakage from getting on the floor, etc.

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/de...gle-PLA+-+Test&CS_003=7867724&CS_010=84144476

^I believe that is the one I read on R2R/RC that was used by mojo.

 

[STHILL]

Love them dimensions. .and that light I had same light on my 93 cube and loved it

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

So all my LPS have been sold with the exception of favia, chalices, lepastrea and anything else that doesn't wave or have long stingers.

Sold the Yellow tang but decided to just keep my SixLine for my frag tank.

Had to get some things:

RED SEA CORAL PRO SALT MIX 175 GALLON
207079 $69.99
Ordered: 1
$69.99
BRS TONGA SIMPLE MULTI-BRANCH DRY LIVE ROCK
000717 $2.99
Ordered: 20
$59.80
BRS TONGA SHELF (FLAT PLATES) DRY LIVE ROCK
000713 $2.99
Ordered: 10
$29.90
MATRIKX 5 STAGE RO/DI REPLACEMENT FILTER KIT
200102 $34.99
Ordered: 1
$34.99
SINGLE INLINE TDS METER SM-1 - HM DIGITAL
200032 $24.99
Ordered: 1
$24.99
75 GPD REVERSE OSMOSIS MEMBRANE - DOW FILMTEC
200051 $34.99
Ordered: 1
$34.99
24W - 24? T5 ATI BLUE PLUS
204333 $19.99
Ordered: 2
$39.98
24W - 24? T5 ATI CORAL PLUS
204346 $19.99
Ordered: 1
$19.99


I just need to get some new sand, clean and place my old sand in temp holding with my LR.

Looks like a lot of my corals got pretty pissed after messing around with my tank and then the move. Hopefully I don't lose anything.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

ORGANIZATION

Wire organization inspiration

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2370633

I will be going more for this style:

Wall Wire Duct/Raceway
Use the same thing at work on our servers, easy way to hide the wires.

Purchased from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008VFAP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Expect a 1.5week turn around.

I was going to do a medicine box but I'll probably set it up like post #15 or #20.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Goals for setup
Try to keep SPS
Customize, modify or great equipment
GROW, GROW, GROW CORAL

Try to go with higher end coral - save up a little longer if necessary
I am with others about spending based on name....CB has AMAZING coral so I plan to test my luck on that.

Custom 70G Tank

• 70 gallon starphire glass tank with center overflow (34"x24"x20")
• Custom built stand (plywood with oak trim)
• Custom adjustable quiet durso standpipe drain
• Single return with split loc line
• Custom screen top (BRS kit)
• Trigger systems Ruby30S Sump (30"x14"x15")
• Bubble Magus Curve 5
• Iwaki MD-30RT (Japanese Motor) 600 GPH return pump
• Custom Tree Lamp
• Prestige Gamma T5/LED hybrid
• 2ATI Blue+, 1UVL 454, 1 ATI Coral+
• 2 Jebao RW8
• Tunze Osmolator 3155 + Bubble Magus 5L Container
• BRS RO/DI 4 Stage + 2 additional stages from old RO/DI
• 2 TLF reactors SeaChem Matrix Carbon + Rowaphos
• Titanium heater
• Red Sea Coral Pro salt

Controller

• Neptune Apex Lite mounted in the stand with wireless module for Ecotech products and Temp sensor (no PH proble)
• Reefkeeper 2 mounted in the stand for extra power supply and simple power controls

Livestock

Fish

• Trio of Randall's Anthias
• Flame Angel
• Mandarin
• Black ICE Pair
• Purple Tang

Coral
SPS

• Original GARF Bonsai from CoralCruze
• Wild Bonsai
• AX Orange Millie
• AX Rose Millie
• AX Yellow/blue Acro

Zoas

• WB Fairy Farts
• GA HYPER PHEONIX zoa
• GA (forgot the name but I'll figure it out!)
• DNOV Spacemonsters
• Red Hornet
• CARs
• CC Cherry Nova
• JF God of War
• Goblins fire
• Tequila Sunrise
• Utter Chaos
• Sunny Ds
• Electric OOompa LooMpa
• Nuclear Death
• Purple Death
• Super Saiyans
• Captain America
• Tyree Pink Rainbows
• MyClementines
• Jokers
• Rastas
• Yodas
• Orange Bam Bams
• Mandarin Zoas
• Rainbow Sakura
• Knockouts
• Scarfaces
• True Supermans
• a few more from Rob&Gab

LPS

• Javy Different color Rainbow Monti
• DNOV FNF Watermelon Chalice
• DNOV WWC Bizzaro Cyphaestra
• Bubble Gum Monster Chalice
• Orange Lepastrea
• Fire Ice WAR Coral
• Various/Unknown
• GSP

Nutrient Reduction:

• Skimmer
• Carbon and Rowaphos
• Water changes
• A lot of Chaeto vs most who start only with a softball size mine is more like 3gallon bag!

**Rowaphos is run at 1/2 recommended so it does not outcompete my Chaeto. I had a problem in the past where I ran too much and it kept killing off my chaeto. I decided ahead of time to run 1/2 recommended and have not shown any of this. I am running at 0.02-0.04~ PH from my Hanna PH test kit.**

Dosing
Just got test kits in so I will begin my auto 2part dosing next week
I'll probably manually dose mag if I see this is off

• Brightwells Amino Acids
• Feeding (every other day)
• Ocean Nutrition pellets
• Ocean Nutrition Formula 1 Frozen
• Rods Food
• Coral frenzy (once a week)
• Prodibio BioDigest **NEW**

Husbandry:

• Bi-weekly water changes
• Rowaphos changed out during water change
• Carbon changed out monthly
• Quarterly equipment cleanup with vinegar:water solution

 

[jaywee]

Nice Zoa list u got there. This is gonna be a sweet tank.

 

[Atsoi88]

Gonna be a killer setup.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Thanks guys. I am probably going to annoy people for a few weeks with updates. I want to get things documented, notes and hopefully help someone else with all the details with the pictures + information.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

WOW!! I beat everyone for the best deal on MR. I am utterly jaw dropped and my gratitude for the awesome gesture is beyond words.


Some freebies for my setup included so many extras:

Test kits
Julian things coral feeder
Auto feeder
BP reactor
4channel dosing pump
Python no spill
Plumbing items
Tunze nanostream 6055 controllable
Acrylic skimmer stand
Heaters
ATO
AND MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE...

Tank already came with mid-high-end equipment.
Trigger ruby 30s sump
Apex lite with eb8 and wxm module
Reefkeeper ii + 8outlet
Iwaki pump

Tank and stand


Whoever flaked on sh55, thank you!! This is the one deal you should have followed through. Hopefully, I can get this tank towards my vision and get TOTM and repay him someday.


I just wanted to shout him out. I would hate to say blessed but definitely felt like I hit the lotto or got a late XMAS gift.

Amazing!!!

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Tropic Eden Reef flakes on order. Supposed to be a 4 week wait then another x amount of time to wait for shipping.

I hope it's well worth the wait.

I need to order more Tonga dry rock. I ordered 20 and should probably order another 15-20#. Initial design was pretty good so we'll see how it turns out.


Most of my corals are doing fine but nervous about a few. I probably lost all my montis. Some zoas are closed but they we're open not too long ago so I'll see how that flies.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

So a lot of work done over the weekend. My back is hurting like hell from shoveling the snow and carrying the tank + equipment. Old man syndrome!

Command Center

When not in use it is lifted up to view sump:

When I need to make changes or use the controller:

Solution
I used hinges for the swing motion and a magnet to hold it propped up. I put the cables behind so no wires are ever visible.

This gives me access without having to deal with other equipment in the way and "unique" setup as I have not seen this done. I've seen other ways to display but mine fits my goals for it.