Susan's RMS Max C250

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
I'm new and am assuming I should start a thread here. Basically adding my intro here as a start

I'm new to SW but have had FW in the past. My hopefully future son-in-law has a 300g tank with a separate sump room and he started my dau with a RMS 40 or 50 gal. They inspired me to take the plunge. It's been many years since I had a tank. I love watching fish.

I happened upon my tank, a RMS Max c250 (66 gal) in Craigs list--brand new, put together but never used for a price I couldn't pass up: About a third of the going prices I saw online! He bought it for his mobile home and decided it would be too heavy.

It's set up now (Dec 15) and starting its cycle. I added a shrimp today to help it along. Looking forward to this new adventure. I put it in my office where I spend most of the day writing so I can enjoy it. No one else here during the day and hubby hides in his office when he comes home. figure it would be wasted elsewhere in the house <g>

Right now have tons of micro air bubbles since starting the skimmer. Found this site using google, read some suggestions and will remove air valve and play around with it after I give it a day or two to see if it adjusts on its own as I just turned the skimmer on today.

The photo shows temp probe which will be moved to sump on back, some brown stuff bottom of sand bed. Hoping that's good. String attached to shrimp for easy removal in a couple days. Mag cleaner on front holding thread...

I added probably about 45-50 lbs of dry rock. Mostly from Marco with 2 pcs pukani and 1 tonga shelf from BRS. Sand is Caribbsea Bimini. Working on adding an ATO. Have it. just need an appropriate container. Jug I planned to use isn't going to be conveinant.

Researching clean up crew while going through the cycle. Want to be ready to add my first life!

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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Looks like your off to a good start. The hard part comes now. You got to wait for it to cucle, and then slowly add the clean up crew and then other livestock. Don't rush and you'll be fine.
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
welcomefish.gif


to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Congrats on your new RSM !

Cheers for starting a tank thread & sharing your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics :nessie: Great start !
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Looks like your off to a good start. The hard part comes now. You got to wait for it to cucle, and then slowly add the clean up crew and then other livestock. Don't rush and you'll be fine.
Yeah, using this time to research! Planning my CUC.
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Here are my tests since I started. I waited a couple of days. The bio spira took care of my cycle and I think i'm going to order 3 corals and 2 clowns.
17th NH4 0, NO2 0, NO3 0
18th NH4 0, NO2 .5, NO3 0
19th NH4 0, NO2 .05, NO3 0
20th NH4 0, NO2 .02, NO3 2
21st NH4 0, NO2 .01, NO3 10
I'm using the Red Sea kit
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Day 16 and all is still good in tank. Numbers steady. Cyano made a brief appearance, just a bit, appears in the morning, and it gone in a couple hours or less once lights are on and wave maker back on full. No sign of it today or yesterday so tank seems to have balanced out.

Added a torch, clove, and xenia on the 23rd. Dau gave me a zoo frag rock, and a green star frag for xmas. A GBTA and a Golden Royal feather duster added on 26th (looks like it has 2 heads). He's (green is a he, rose when I get one will be a she) buried deep in a pukani crevice (why did I put him in that nice bit of hollow...). He just sank deep. Been coming out a bit during day. At night, can't even see him...

All corals doing great. Xenia was a bit pale so moved it up higher, and still lower flow so it pulses, not swept and blown. Fan needs repositioned. Clowns bug it and this morning its out of the sand--unburied. So will move it. I think all corals are in their final position. The zoo frag will be shifted slightly when I expoxy it today.

Snails (3 ceriths, 2 turbans) are hard at work on the diatoms. Really cleared a lot of it. The 4 Nassisarius are fun to watch when I feed the tank. Need to pick up some algae supplements and some pellets for the Nassisarus.

The GBTA is poking up out of the crevice.

Next step is to set up my refugium. I have a 10 gal tank. It will have to be out in the room as it won't fit under. Which means snaking hoses along wall. Unless I use a 5 gal tank in cabinet. I'll have to see if the baffles I bought will fit.

Researching my next additions. Trying to plan what fish next and when to buy--plan for the next six months. That way, I know what I want and won't give in to impulse buying at the LFS, or at least not too much... Same with corals.

Received my RS Cal/Ma/Alk test kit yesterday. All numbers seem to be in normal ranges. Today, I'll prepare for another water change as nitrate are up a bit--between 10-15. Nitrites at .1 when it's usually 0. Setting up my RODI unit in kitchen, mounted to wall. Then I can either snake hose inside or devise a hook up to the sink when needed. Not sure my facet can be converted. I'll figure that all out. First things first. Def. need to find some longer lengths of aquarium hose though for pumping into my tank.

Keep hoping GBTA will climb out of crevice. Comes out part way during day. At night? I swear it slides down to sandbed. Can't even see it. Assuming it's happy there or it'd move. It eats what I drop onto it (pc of shrimp one day, some frozen brine the next)

Having fun and my hubby is even getting into it by looking up info online
picture: . The GBTA is in the crevice of the pukani on far left and "over" the top to the valley below. Clove polyps on far right behind rock. Might move them out but the flow is good there so they aren't blown all around. Might try them above the torch although that has some pretty long sweepers.20161229_131959_resized_1.jpg
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Wow, so it has now been officially a month (and a day) since adding water to my tank and hitting the "go" switches. I've seen cyano come and go, the green dust algae has come and gone, and I'm staring at lots of hair algae! Still have lots of bright green color on most rocks. I did a bit more than just a water change today. I scraped off all the algae on the back glass. Wow, did that make a mess. Cleaned one of the foam blocks in the sump and rinsed the purigen. Next week, I'll rinse out the other foam block on the other side, and take out and rinse the media in the media rack, including the bio ceramics. Carbon should be okay as my instructions say to replace once every 2 months. I do have some--maybe not as good a grade--so could replace one bag out of the 2.

Might even be a good idea iwth all the junk this week to do the water change out of the sump to vacuum anything on the bottom of the sump chambers. Should probably also look into taking the skimmer out and doing a cleaning but will wait another week or two.

So far, except for losing a few snails and hermits. Hmm, since doing the water change and a bit of a vacuum of the sand (just getting loose stuff up), I haven't seen my hermits active. They are all still... 2 clowns and 2 chromis very active and corals and feather duster all seem to be thriving. GBTA was pissed at the maintenance. Went back under rock and balled up. Now back out a bit. Tempermental little guy.

So considering this is my first foray into saltwater, I think things are going well. Normal even. Going to add more clean up crew. This is what I have presently:
4 nassarius but have only seen 3 recently,
3 cerith, but only seen 2,
4 trochus,
2 bumble bees, 1 questionable whether it is moving or the flow of current is moving it around
4 hermits.
2 clowns
2 Chromis
1 green star polyp
1 xenia
1 torch
1 frag of zoas and polyps
1 hawaiin feather duster (I think--it has more than one crown and they spiral outward)

My next trip maybe this weekend will be to add:
another 10 hermits and maybe 10 other snails to keep that hair algae down
a Tang also for algae
something for the sand. Goby or blenny
maybe a firefish or royal gramma
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
I don't recommend adding any more fish at this time. Let your tank stabilize for awhile fist. It's newly set up, and things need time to get established.

Your tank is much too small for a tang, do yourself a favor and don't get one Even if the LFS says it's ok, don't get a tang.
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Feel like jumping for joy. The GBTA finally came from beneath a rock and the crevice it has hidden in, coming out just slightly then pulling back. First it came out to the rock beside it. Now its on the sand bed. Hoping it will stay, even though it's a the back of the tank!
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Susanedw

Well-Known Member
@DaveK I was thinking to add the Tang, a small one, but when it got over 4 inches, to return it to the LFS. It's a 66 gal, and will have a 10 or 20 gal refugium. I can also give it to my son in law who has a 350 with 200 gal sump <g>. Oh, one of the yellow ones or a mimic, not the really huge ones.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
@DaveK I was thinking to add the Tang, a small one, but when it got over 4 inches, to return it to the LFS. It's a 66 gal, and will have a 10 or 20 gal refugium. I can also give it to my son in law who has a 350 with 200 gal sump <g>. Oh, one of the yellow ones or a mimic, not the really huge ones.

In my opinion this is a very bad plan. It's not so much a question of size, but that they need running room, something smaller tanks can't supply.

See this thread - http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/so-you-want-a-tang.566/

There are many other fish you can select from, and they will not out grow your tank.
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
Almost at the 6 week mark. Tank very ugly :p Numbers this week/today. Tried the kent 2 part dosing which brought things up some.
NH4 0, NO2 0, NO3 0
Cal 380, Mag 1400, Alk 6-7 depending on which test kit, P 8.2

Went to a new fish store for more cuc. Came back with 4 more hermits, 1 emerald, 2 peppermit cleaner shrimp (m/f). Still need to get more snails
Wanted a lawnmower blenny for algae control. Came home with
Scooter Blenny
Tricolor blenny (male). He can get a female when I want
Small yellow watchman goby.

Have to say I'm enchanted with the three. The scooter is doing just that. Scooting around and around the tank, up and over the lower rocks. The watchman has taken up a spot front and center and the bicolor has a couple holes on one side but is also all over the tank, staying close to rock. All are very interested in me but not afraid and all have been pecking at rocks and sand. Emerald crab now out and eating on the rock. If he does well, might add one more. Hermits had a gathering where they were all checking out the extra shells...View attachment 465867 View attachment 465869 View attachment 465870

The owner, a man I would say is very old school was informative, though at odds with some of the forum advice. He did identify some of my red algae as macro but it's growing on my clove coral and zoa frag. He also recommended putting tank temp to 76 for the algae. It's at 78-79.

Debating whether to do a water change tomorrow. Some advice says no, some say yes. Nitrates still 0 but some other numbers still a bit too low, plus I want to do more algae scraping and suck it out to get rid of it. Changed out one bag of carbon to try and clear tank. Skimmer pretty foamy yesterday--might be the kent? Added just half a dose of part 2 for the alk (both parts day before for 40 gal, though I prob. have 50 gal water)

Torch coral is extending somewhat, not as much as before, green stay polyps opened today--closed yesterday and xenia still alive and maybe looking a tad better.

Next weekend, hope to check out another new fish store. the new one today had great prices on fish stuff, and the livestock I bought but very limited on fish choices. Mostly clowns and blenny's and cuc. Poor coral selection. Mostly a lot of freshwater. My normal store had an electrical accident and is closed until repaired. Not sure if there was a fire or person hurt or what.

So the journey has been fun and frustrating but never boring so far. Fish thriving, coral hanging in there. Goal to get rid of algae
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
@spiraling yes, eventually. This guy is very tiny, and the place didn't have the right ones. I want to get a small one. I'm also concerned that if I put brain coral (eventually) on the sand that they might cover it.. I was also concerned that with a shrimp, the goby wouldn't do much but this guy doesn't do much anyway. I was hoping he'd sift and stir sand but he just lays still on the sand so far. I also have to be sure I can mix peppermint shrimps with a pistol shrimp. Do you know?
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
4 more hermits and one emerald seemed to make a difference with algae in one night. One rock looks almost clear. the Bicolor is also hanging out in that rock. This weekend, might add one more emeral, a few more hermits and some more snails, esp. the trochus. Have to see how many per gal of tank. I have 4 but they sure eat the algae.
 
Keep in mind that the scooter blenney is a pod eater so you want to make sure your tank has lots of pods or he will likely starve. They are in the same family as mandarins and have the same limitations. Adorable fish but can be difficult to keep.
As far as the water change, the answer is almost always yes.
 

spiraling

Well-Known Member
I also have to be sure I can mix peppermint shrimps with a pistol shrimp. Do you know?

I have both and they ignore each other. The peppermint hangs out and steals food from the corals. I have it eating out of my hand now so it leaves the corals alone. Unless he wants another snack...

The pistol will dig all day long. No breaks per OSHA standards. Just a little excavator. The watchman hangs out along side of him. They dig under the rocks and mine have more or less stayed in the same hole. They dump the sand about 4 - 6" outside the hole, but everywhere else is safe to put coral. At night they hide in their burrow. I wouldn't say my yellow watchman keeps the sand clean at all. The diamond watchman might be different?
 

Susanedw

Well-Known Member
@spiraling good to know. I think I can only have one goby so am stuck unless someone says differently.

@Florida Sunshine What I found on this one (and I didn't realize when I bought it as I thought it just another blenny) was it will eat frozen brine and such, and so far it is, as well as pecking at the sand. I plan to get some live brine and some pods to add, and dropped in some shrimp pcs and pellets, but that means no more trying to vacuum the sand of stuff. I figure I can add pods directly to tank until I get a refugium set up.

My tank really cleared up today--I did some skimmer adjustments and wow. I'll give the tank another day or two to see what it does and the numbers. Local fish store owner (old school guy) said if the nitrates are 0 to wait (actually looked at me like I was nuts and asked why the heck do I want to change water when at 0 lols)

I want to get rid of more algae although the new cuc additions are making headway. going to the lfs on sunday for more hermits, another emerald and more snails.
 
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