This is Part #6 in a series of blog posts about my 225 gallon peninsula tank build.
The sump I chose for my new 225 gallon peninsula tank is a Royal Exclusiv Dreambox. It is made out of PVC and is bullet proof. I like investing in high-end products since I believe you get what you pay for…..and I wanted something that would last a very long time. This is actually my second Dreambox so I guess you can say I am a fan.
Overall, it is 74 gallons and is 59”L X 24”W X 14”T. Typically, I like my display tanks to be 2.5 to 3 times larger in volume versus the sump so that is how I settled on 74 gallons for this Dreambox with a 225 gallon display.
A neat feature with these Dreamboxes are the clear acrylic lids that cover each section. They really help to cut down on evaporation and can easily be removed to do maintenance.
Plumbing
For plumbing there are five inlets. Four are 1-1/2” and one is 1”. Two of the 1-1/2” inlets are for the two drains on the tank while a third is for the frag tank drain. The fourth 1-1/2” inlet is a spare. The lone 1” inlet is for my water changing system, which I will cover in more detail in the next chapter.
My philosophy is to go bigger with drains when in doubt since you can always reduce them down in size, if necessary. It would be problematic if an inlet fitting was smaller versus the pipe since it would restrict flow.
For mechanical filtration there are ten filter bags. The first three, which capture larger particles, are 800 microns, the next three are 400 microns and the last four are 200 microns.
The bags are nylon and are very easy to clean. I attach a garden hose with a spray nozzle to my slop sick and give them a good rinse once a week. No need to throw them in a washing machine like you would have to do with cloth filter socks.
Skimmer
The skimmer is a Royal Exclusiv Double Cone 200 and is rated for systems up to 264 gallons. It is fed by a Red Dragon 3 Mini Speedy DC pump that is 50 watts and controllable. An adjustable baffle in the compartment adjacent to it has been raised up to keep water in the skimmer compartment level. This stable water level has helped to optimize the performance of the skimmer.
The Dreambox also has two dosing/probe holders that I attached with PVC glue. There were multiple spots to do this so it was nice to have options. I love the fact that these holders can be secured with glue versus magnets, which can slip. Plus, there are titanium screws available for securing the probes inside the holders.
A media reactor with activated carbon sits in the compartment next the skimmer. It is screwed into the bottom of the Dreambox so it will not move around. All you have to do to change out the media is unscrew the reactor and then unscrew the top. This reactor is fed by one of the two return pumps. Piping connects the reactor to the pump and a valve controls the flow rate.
Adjacent to the media reactor is a small compartment for a heater. I decided to use an 800 watt titanium heater.
Return Pumps
The return pumps also have a dedicated compartment. I settled on two Red Dragon 3 Speedy 100 watt pumps that can generate 2,400 gallons per hour. These pumps are controllable and at this point each are set to 50 watts. Piping connects each pump to outlets coming out of the Dreambox. Some other optional features include cable holders for cable management and a controller cockpit, a nice addition since it keep the controllers high, dry and accessible.
And last but not least are the LED lights, located inside the Dreambox to enhance visibility for maintenance. You not only have the option to change the color of the lights, but you can select an option to automatically scroll through each color and pulsate the lights! Time to invite my reef keeping buddies over to party!
Additional Resources
If you would like some help with a new tank build, including help designing a custom aquarium, or help re-configuring your current setup then you can visit this page for more information. And if you are looking to add some equipment, I do sell GHL, Pax Bellum, Reef Octopus Calcium and Kalk Reactors and Royal Exclusiv products, including Dreamboxes, which is the equipment I use and recommend. I also sell Reef Brite metal halide and LED fixtures as well as Maxspect & IceCap Gyres.
As for additional insights and information, please explore my many other reef tank and SPS related articles as well as my YouTube channel. For an even deeper dive into reef tank care you can check out my Reef Keeping Master Class. This online course is an immersive and one of a kind educational tool designed to help reef aquarium hobbyists build and maintain a beautiful SPS reef tank. The course is a series of video presentations with some supplemental video from my YouTube channel. There are also quizzes to help students retain and understand the information presented in the course.
Need some frags…..I can help with that as well 🙂 Please visit my SPS Frag store to see what is available.
