Kindreds reefer 350

Kindred

Member
5D9BAA77-F506-4E0F-8FC0-E70070E1D060.jpeg Hello,

Just got my reefer 350 deluxe set up and going for about a week now. very excited to start on this journey, this is my first salt water tank. Used about 60 lbs of live rock and live sand. So far so good ammonia 0 nitrite .5 phosphate a little high at .26. Keeping lights off during cycling. Put in some fish food probably raising the phos, but did to keep bacteria ok. Going to wait a few weeks then planning two clowns to start.

One day hope to have sips, lps but going to go slow and take my time. Appericiate any advice.

Kindred
 

RedSeaKev

RS Sponsor
I would be inclined to run your lights on a normal cycle, this will help you go through the algae phase whilst waiting for the cycle to finish, I would also ensure your skimmer is running as well.
 

Kindred

Member
Thanks for the feedback!

Rearranged my rock again today to make it more open. Also installed two EcoTech mp40 poweheads, running them on lowest setting.

Kev, I read some about light on and off seemed split. I wasn’t aware there was an algae phase, thought you were just always supposed to avoid it....

I’m still tinkering with my skimmer, a three year old could have written a better instruction manual...but I have it foaming near the top now so getting better.

Check full chemicals. Salinity 1.024, ammonia 0. Nitrite .5 phosphate .24 alk 8.7 calcium 470 magnesium 1440. Ph 8.2. Magnesium little higher then targets I’ve seen...not sure if I’m supposed to do anything about that...

Picture a little cloudy since I just moved rocks...
060554B2-CA61-4178-8B9B-D171341FD6E9.jpeg
45329D18-648A-4D63-A9E4-95475AB5D95B.jpeg
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
You tank looks good so far. Just a couple of my thoughts.

You may need more rock. Typically you want about 1 lb per gallon of water and your tank works out to about 90 gal. However, this is not a hard fast rule and you have some latitude depending on the exact type of rock and what your going to keep in the tank.

I don't recommend building the rock work as open as you have it in the last picture, unless you build some sort of structure to support it, so it can't easily fall down. You don't need to worry about crashing through the tank, but if you topple the rock with a lot of live corals you can do a lot of damage to them. Also consider how a lot of rock is in the shade of rocks on top of them. Many corals will not like the dim areas. Look more to what you have on the far right, where you have a lot of bright surface area for corals, even thought it's not as high.

All that being said, open rock work does allow better circulation of water through it, and may fish love swimming through it.
 

Kindred

Member
Hi dave,

Thanks for the feedback, now that you point it out I do notice there is a fair amount of shade in this design...top is pretty flat and good for corals but not a lot of steps down with different levels of light. Might move again before adding fish..

Maybe I’ll get more rock and try to add and create more structure/plateaus . At very least I’ll try to support better, maybe epoxy befor adding corals.

Apperciate the feedback. Here’s a pic showing flatness/surface area of top levelimage.jpg
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Ok...so I think I have an addiction to moving rocks around...now I know why people do this with dry rock before adding water!

Much more sturdy , more layers with light...thanks for the suggestions..added another 20 lbs of rock..up to 80. View attachment 48106View attachment 48107 View attachment 48108
I think it looks better like that, in fact it looks sort of familiar! lol

If your not using putty just make sure it’s all locked together well and also it’s resting on the bottom (glass) of the tank for when critters start burrowing under it so it doesn’t move.
 

Kindred

Member
Added some more rock and got some hitchhikes....worm looking things...kinda centipeedish looking with red heads and dark brown bodies....any idea what they are or what I should do.?? Seem to be spreading around. :/
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Added some more rock and got some hitchhikes....worm looking things...kinda centipeedish looking with red heads and dark brown bodies....any idea what they are or what I should do.?? Seem to be spreading around. :/
Sounds like Bristle Worms. They are good for the tank as they form part of the CUC. If you find you are getting too many of them it's because you're probably overfeeding the tank, as their population depends entirely on the amount of waste food they can find. The more waste, the more Bristle Worms.
Don't touch one though. Those 'hairs' have barbs on the end, and they can sting you. Be careful moving rocks around as you always find them underneath.
 

Kindred

Member
Thanks nobbygas, they look like the critters. There were like 5 or 6 last night on the rocks but now their hiding...I’ll keep an eye on them. I was worried might be a big problem

Ammonia and nitrate at zero now...hopefully get some fish in a week or two now, thinking a pair of Picasso clowns to start. Finally done messing with rock.

Got the reeflink to control my mp40s ..starting to think the are oversized and should have gone with mp10’s ..reefcrest really moved the substrate around at only 20 percent power. Running them around 10 now...


Next to play with all the modes though pumps are nice..
 

Kindred

Member
Not sure my overflow box is set up correctly.....see picture the left overflow pipe is lower then the right larger diameter main flow thus water is always going down the lower pipe and never goes over the larger main flow lip...is that right? If not how do I adjust....2EDB61FE-266F-4D51-8989-DFC9C5D0E1FC.jpeg
 

NickF

Well-Known Member
Hi Kindred, looking good so far :thumber2:.
Yes you’re correctly set up, the water doesn’t flow over the top of of that tube that sits over the main downpipe.
You need to make adjustments to the flow valve so that the water level in the overflow box is just below the pipe on the left. To lower the water level in the overflow rotate the dial anti-clockwise. When the level is roughly where you want it you only need to make very small adjustments to fine tune and give it a few minutes after each turn to settle down.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

Kindred

Member
Thanks nick , know that’s a newb question , but didt know lol. Set it below overflow and much quieter
 

Kindred

Member
Soooo went skiing and left tank for a week, came back to algea Breakout all over rocks and glass. Mostly green hair..but several others too...amazing in one week. I had my lights running 12 hour cycle while gone with red and green turned down... my water went crazy too, salinity 1.025 ammonia 0 ,nitrite 0 , nitrate 0, phosphate 0, calcium fell to 360 , ph high at 8.6 ( or higher, that’s highest Red Sea kit goes may be higher... alk dropped to 6.7, magnesium way up to 1800 ...

Any suggestions? Would algea causes these shifts? I was going to shorten my lights to 6 hours..maybe do a water change...maybe add a few algea eating critters? Right now tank still empty, I have been running it for around 3 weeks...

Some rocks showing purple coralline starting to grow too...I’ll post some pics
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Looks like your tank is cycling. Is this true? At this point I'd just pull out the clumps of algae and then just let the tank to its cycling thing. I wouldn't add any clean up crew until the tank's cycling is complete.
 

Kindred

Member
Yes it’s been cycling with cured live rock...should I leave lights on or blackout? Will it naturally die off at end with no phosphate....?


Thanks
 
Top