Johns first coral adventure RSR 425xl

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
Hi guys
It will be a few weeks yet before I get my tank but I have already started to buy equipment and everything coral.
I have always kept fowlr tanks before but after about 3-4 years out of the salty side I have decided to go for a reef tank so im a complete newbie when it comes to corals so decided to start a tank thread.
I have decided on a RSM LED-E 260 without the bottom sump (can always get one later if need be).
Im going to use Red Sea products and follow the reef care program.
Here is the list of things ive got so far:
red sea salt (blue bucket)
red sea magnesium, calcium and kh all in powder form
red sea trace colours a,b,c,d
red sea reef energy a and b
red sea nopox
red sea reef mature starter kit to cycle tank

Test kits, all red sea:
calcium pro
magnesium pro
kh pro
nitrate pro
phosphate pro
ammonia
nitrite

Equipment:
being an all in one tank it doesn't need much extra equipment but I have got so far
tunze 6040 for added flow
tunze 3155 osmolator
I already have all the other bits such as refractometer, heater and such like from before

I need a doser but this is where I need help, I have narrowed it down to a kamoer x4 or the new d-d pro, would like to hear peoples opinions on the 2 dosers.
Will add pictures and more when the tank arrives.

I welcome any and all comments whether favourable or criticism, its how im going to learn
If there is anything else you think I need or don't need please let me know your thoughts.
Cheers
John
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Save your money on the dosing subsystem, at least until you figure out what corals you are going to keep and what their demands will be for calcium, alkalinity and everything else.

Some tanks, especially ones with a mass of SPS corals and/or clams may need dosing. Other tanks may not need dosing at all. In other cased calcium and alkalinity are better dealt with using a calcium reactor and/or a kalk reactor. In other words, it's easy to spend a lot on dosing and supplements only to find that your end result not much better than a system using only regular water changes. Only dose what you actually need and what you can measure.

Another key point, many products sold for dosing are really not needed at all or are marginal. If your going to use them get a modest amount and dose it manually at first to see if it's really doing you any good. If you look around you'll see plenty of excellent reef systems. Some use no dosing at all, others only dose a couple of items, others seem to dose everything in sight. All these systems are getting good results.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the response Dave.
I have only bought the smallest available sizes but the red sea program looks easy for a reef beginner like me, as I get more knowledgeable I can tweak what to dose and not what to dose and cheaper alternatives, the red sea stuff is expensive but it seems easy to follow which is why I was drawn to it.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
I have just ordered a Kamoer x4 doser which will arrive tomorrow,.
I was torn between that and the new d-d pro 4 but decided to go with the Kamoer as its tried and tested.
Probably getting tank in a month or so.
Im just resetting up my quarantine tank in the meantime which I had from my fowlr days.
Should i quarantine corals or would a dip be sufficient?
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I’ve got the Kamoer and it’s very good and easy to use. I also had the E260 for a few months before upgrading, it a really nice tank. So anything you need to know just ask

You won’t need most of those additives until the tank has settled, Just remember don’t add anything until you test for it and confirm it’s actually needed. Simple water changes during the early stages will take care of most of what you need, and keep the tank healthy.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
So anything you need to know just ask
Thanks mate.
Ive got all the stuff because its on offer at the moment so may aswell buy it while its cheaper and most of it has got a use by date of 2023 so happy days.
Im hoping to set up a mixed reef as I love the flowing movement of softies and the plating of lps and the challenge of sps.
Expect lots of questions.
Cheers
John
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
@SPR
I wont be setting it up yet but Ive just got my kamoer x4 and have noticed the tubing is thinner than standard 4/6 tubing so how do you connect it to the dosing containers?

Also should it come with the 4 level sensors?
 
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SPR

Well-Known Member
@SPR
I wont be setting it up yet but Ive just got my kamoer x4 and have noticed the tubing is thinner than standard 4/6 tubing so how do you connect it to the dosing containers?

Also should it come with the 4 level sensors?
Mine hasn’t got sensors but you can set an alarm when it’s dosed a set amount like 80% of the size of your dosing container for example, but I don’t use it.

I just pushed the tube on, but warm it gently if your struggling and it will stretch to fit and then contract when it cools
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
I just pushed the tube on, but warm it gently if your struggling and it will stretch to fit and then contract when it cools
Not quite sure what you mean.
The kamoer tubing is to small to fit in the dosing container as its a push fit connection and the standard tubing is to big to attach to the dosing heads.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
My dosing containers have a push fit fitting on the top (the same as you get with ro units) which is for 4/6mm tubing, the kamoer tubing looks like its 3/5mm so is too small to fit onto the dosing containers, but the 4/6mm tubing is too big to fit onto the dosing heads.
Hope that makes sense
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
My dosing containers have a push fit fitting on the top (the same as you get with ro units) which is for 4/6mm tubing, the kamoer tubing looks like its 3/5mm so is too small to fit onto the dosing containers, but the 4/6mm tubing is too big to fit onto the dosing heads.
Hope that makes sense
Mine have as well, with round lids in the middle (TMC i think) They came with a clip on hose for one end same as the RO connection, and the other end has an adapter that pushes into the doser tube.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
Thanks Pancho
I cant wait to get started as its my first time with corals. Always gone for fowlr tanks in the past but decided to go for a reef tank this time. Go on holiday in 8 weeks time so no point setting anything up until I come back, Im just cycling my quarantine tank at the moment so that will be ready to put a fish in it and I think I have got all the equipment and ive decided to follow the red sea care program so I have got all that, just need the tank now.
 

chickenjohn

Well-Known Member
Hi Guys
Next part is whether to choose live rock or not, my main concern is the porosity and ability to sustain filtration, obviously live rock fits the bill perfectly but not sure I want the nasty stuff associated with live rock, man made rock I keep hearing stories that it is not very porous and not really able to sustain anaerobic bacteria, im not bothered about the 'does it look good' and such like. just how good they are at filtration.
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
For me, I will start with good dry rock, you can find good porous dry rock and avoid hitchhikers. You could clean with salt water a very small live rock and use it to seed your tank but that’s just me.


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