Zombies Ultra Automated 65g

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
I just got myself a 65g, which is the largest tank that can fit in the little nook I want to have a tank at (first thing you see when you walk through the front door). I am starting with a less than optimal setup that has a canopy that isn't tall enough, only 2 bulkheads for return and overflow, and horrendous plumbing that I am just gonna scrap and start fresh. This will take a number of steps to get exactly how I want it but it will be awesome when it's all done. The overall goal of this tank is to create a fully functional nearly 0 maintenance tank that can run itself for extended periods without any intervention with failsafes and notifications for absolutely anything that could go wrong.

The pics below are the current state of the tank after I put together my durso drain and loc-line return standpipe.

The equipment that will be used is.

- 65 gallon tank with stand and modified canopy
- (3) AI sol blue
- Trigger 26g sump
- Ice cap K2-50 (40-80 gal) skimmer that will eventually be upgraded to one rated for 120+ gal.
- Cheapo return eventually upgraded to COR 15
- (3) finnex titanium 200W heaters
- Neptune WAV
- Cheapo backup powerhead probably a jebao or something.
- 1500 VA UPS for battery backup
- litermeter3 or Avast Diaphram for custom ATO
- Cheapo 5000k LED light for refugium
- evaporative cooling fans, not sure what I'm getting yet
- Apex 2016
- VDM with SOL cable
- Neptune WAV
- Neptune DOS for AWC
- PM2 to check NSW conductivity
- (2) OS-1 hacked in custom cable harness to use DOS optical ports used for ATO
- crapton of float switches to verify level in 30 gal NSW container and 50 gal RODI container, oh $h!t ON sump level high/low and overflow
- momentary, door, and toggle switches for various automation tasks

Future equipment
- calcium reactor or 2 part dosing. I will probably run 3 part using BRS 1.1ml/min pumps from downstairs
- GFO, carbon, and maybe biopellet reactor


Livestock plans are
- 10ish gal worth of life rock started from dry or mature from my biocube
- 70lb sugar sand 3in deep for wrasses and whatnot.
- various coral from my biocube plus whatever I want to add later.
- (2) snowflake clowns
- blood red shrimp
- flame angel
- mandarin goby
- shrimp goby pair
- snails and emeralds

Possible additions (1-3 tops)
- coral beauty
- melanarus wrasse
- lunar wrasse
- small tang (are there any fine in a 65 gal?)
- flasher wrasse


These are all the steps that will need to happen before I transfer over what I have in the biocube and start adding new stuff.

1. Modify canopy with 8" oak board to get extra height
2. Hard plumb between tank and sump/return
3. Create mounting bracket for SOLs.
4. Water test with tap water
5. Drain biocube enough to slide into temporary location so I can set up this tank where it is at right now.
6. Drill through floor for ATO, AWC, and future 3 part lines.
7. Set tank in place and cure new sand and dry rock using starter culture from biocube for about a month.
8. Run tubing for AWC and ATO, set up apex and sensors, and automate the $h!t out of it.
9. Transfer inhabitants and mature rock from biocube to the new tank.
10. Add new stuff and enjoy my ultra low maintenance tank.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

whyamisofly

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
Great looking tank and proposed setup!
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#3
Plumbing done but not water tested yet. Canopy is still being glued and hopefully ready for stain tomorrow.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
Realized that I screwed up the plumbing because the sump was gonna block the wall outlet. Replumbed to the other side and installed what should be a super awesome fuge light from home depot.

It's 100W equivalent work light 4000k and built for outdoor use so it's at least splash and rain proof if not waterproof.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
Glueing done on canopy. I need to figure out the best way to mount the SOLs and get everything stained and assembled.
 

flagg37

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
Too bad there wasn’t a way to do at least a herbie drain. Those dursos are always loud and no emergency drain makes me nervous.

Three 200w heaters for 65 gallons. Are you going to be implementing some redundancy or what’s the need for so much?

What’s your plan for awc?
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
Too bad there wasn’t a way to do at least a herbie drain. Those dursos are always loud and no emergency drain makes me nervous.

Three 200w heaters for 65 gallons. Are you going to be implementing some redundancy or what’s the need for so much?

What’s your plan for awc?
The durso should be fine. A float is going into the overflow so I will be alerted and the return/ATO will be locked out until I fix the problem. As a second layer of protection, the height of the durso and water level in sump will be tuned such that an overflow or return failure won't flood the tank or sump and both will cause an alert.

Three 200W heaters is for redundancy. The heat transfer calc shows a requirement of 200W break even at 68F ambient. One will be in the overflow so the tank can stay at temp if the return is ever shut off and the other two are redundant for heating in the sump. One will be independent of the apex in case the fuse blows in the energy bar.

AWC will be 10% weekly (7 gallons) with the DOS and it will have failsafes to shut it off for sump low low, sump high, sump high high, sump conductivity high or low, NSW conductivity high or low, and NSW low level.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
Got the canopy finished up minus the light mounting. Not the most elegant woodworking, but more useful than before.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#11
Lights and lid stay mounted. I decided I only wanted 2 SOLs instead of 3.
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
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#12
Good work, coming along nicely
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#14
Water test and plumbing checks out. Now on to the fun part of moving the biocube and running tubing while I wait for my dry rock to cure.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#15
Neat little trick to make BOBs more useful. Clip the RSV wire, and jumper a wire between where it was and GND.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
I'm in the dark about what you did there, but I am curious. What will that mod do?
I removed the RSV which isn't used for anything at all and repurposed it as an extra ground connection. The reason is it's near impossible to fit 6 wires reliably in one terminal but 3 is very easy. The RSV port is now an extra ground terminal.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#19
Im surprised you don't diy your own bob
I have in the past, but found 2 used picking up other stuff for the tank, so I didn't feel like doing it this time around. If it was between buying a brand new one at full retail and DIY, then I would have made my own.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#20
Apex wall before cable management.
 
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