Nobby's S-650

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Duh, I got all excited earlier, and that's not too easy at my age, as one of the fish shops (a big chain one) was offering a 20% for tomorrow, including Red Sea and Ecotech stuff. I first thought that this is a good opportunity to get that Ecotech Vectra L2 that I have been drooling over. I buy fish and corals from the small LFS but most times the big chain shops can offer cheaper prices for equipment. I've seen the L2 advertised in Germany for 420 euros. However, this shop offering the 20% discount sell it for 499 euro, so in effect I'll only be saving 20 euro. Not such a good deal after all. I was thinking 84 euro off the 420 euro (336 euro) would be a good price. As always, the devil is in the detail.

I used this same 20'% discount three years ago to buy my S-650, and that was a real saving :)
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Gggrrrr, in the end I didn't buy a Vectra. At times Germany is way behind the rest of the world and in the shops I can only find the L1. Now, the L1 is the same price as the L2, so I don't see the reason to buy an L1 when I can get the newer version for the same price. However, the L2 hasn't really hit Germany yet and I've only been able to find a couple of sites online that sell the L2 in Germany. I shall have to order from one of these sites.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I've decided to make a small change to my rock scape. I have a beautiful Golden Torch, which is probably growing better than any other coral in the tank. However, below it is a Galaxia. Up to this point there hasn't been any problems, but recently the Galaxia has gone into full-on War Mode and is spreading it's attack feelers right up to the Torch. The Torch has lost a couple of heads on the bottom due to this and I don't want to lose any more, so I have to relocate the Galaxia. The only problem is that the Galaxia has encrusted onto the rock, so I have to move that whole rock. I think I've identified another rock that I can swap it with and this wouldn't cause any problems. I don't want to move the Golden Torch as it seems to love it where it is.
Normally, I'd leave the corals to just fight it out, but I can't just leave it and see the beautiful Golden Torch be wiped out.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Anyone else feel like this? I want to go to the LFS tomorrow, but I have no idea what I want to buy. You know the Richard Dryfuss character from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, where he had this compulsion to go to that mountain? He couldn't stop thinking about it. He just knew he had to go there. He didn't know why, but he had to do it.
I'm a bit like that with the LFS.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I have a strange one. Without adding any equipment or media, and the fact that the NYOS Torq has been out of the tank for two weeks (needed a new O ring) my Nitrates have dropped to zero! I still feed heavily (six cubes per day plus live Brine Shrimp twice a week, plus seaweed three times a week), still add Red Sea Energy A+B every day. Reef Roids twice a week. Everything else is stable......or at least my test results say so.

Funny things these tanks. Any ideas?
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
If your wondering why I’ve been ignoring you it’s because I haven’t had any notifications of posts for some reason for the last 2 weeks! I thought you had been quiet! Lol

I’ve unwatched and watched to see if that fixes it.

It depends what media you had in the Torq as to wether it will affect nitrates. What did you have in it I don’t recall?
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Anyone else feel like this? I want to go to the LFS tomorrow, but I have no idea what I want to buy. You know the Richard Dryfuss character from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, where he had this compulsion to go to that mountain? He couldn't stop thinking about it. He just knew he had to go there. He didn't know why, but he had to do it.
I'm a bit like that with the LFS.
That’s what I do all the time, when I’m in fish buying mode. I just go and see what they have.

I’ve not done it for 6 months though because I’ve been planning the new tank and the S650 is pretty much full.

But very shortly I’m going to be like.a crazed addict who’s fallen off the wagon big time! Lol
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
If your wondering why I’ve been ignoring you it’s because I haven’t had any notifications of posts for some reason for the last 2 weeks! I thought you had been quiet! Lol

I’ve unwatched and watched to see if that fixes it.

It depends what media you had in the Torq as to wether it will affect nitrates. What did you have in it I don’t recall?
Pah, I've been ignored in the past by better people than you :)

I only have Carbon and Rhowaphos in the Torq, so that shouldn't affect the Nitrate. It has been going down for a couple of months now, and I don't know why. I did add another four Anthias on Saturday (now down to three as one just sat in a cave and died within 48hrs. No sign of illness and I think it just stressed/scared itself to death!).
I did have 23 fish, and I now have 26, so room for a few more yet. I have 2 x Royal Gramma's on order.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
With the Torq it got to the stage where I had to replenish the media, but the bottom of the unit was 'falling off'. With the Torq this can be quite stressful as when you load it you do it when the unit is upside down. After loading you place the bottom on (which at this point is on the top) and when you turn the whole unit back over the bottom should stay in place, but if it is loose you dump your media all over the floor ! The second time you learn to place a hand underneath but a loose bottom effects the way it sits on the Docking Station. It needed a new O ring. I e-mailed NYOS, got a nice reply and they posted one to me free of charge. Excellent customer service.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Last Saturday I purchased four Bimaculatus Anthias, one magnificent male and three females. In the LFS they were all looking good, feeding and there were no problems.
Took them home and did all the usual flaffing around etc. Eventually they go into the tank, and initially all four shot straight into the rocks. The three Females soon came out and were feeding within two hours, but the Male didn't. He was not happy, and the next morning he was dead! I can only assume it was the stress of the move as there were no indications of illness or disease in the LFS and the three Females are fine.
The only silver lining in this particular cloud is that now one of the Females will turn into a Male, and I'm quite looking forward to that.
So I now have four Lyretail Anthias and three Bimaculatus Anthias. I like to have a mix as on a real reef in the sea that is what you will find.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Last Saturday I purchased four Bimaculatus Anthias, one magnificent male and three females. In the LFS they were all looking good, feeding and there were no problems.
Took them home and did all the usual flaffing around etc. Eventually they go into the tank, and initially all four shot straight into the rocks. The three Females soon came out and were feeding within two hours, but the Male didn't. He was not happy, and the next morning he was dead! I can only assume it was the stress of the move as there were no indications of illness or disease in the LFS and the three Females are fine.
The only silver lining in this particular cloud is that now one of the Females will turn into a Male, and I'm quite looking forward to that.
So I now have four Lyretail Anthias and three Bimaculatus Anthias. I like to have a mix as on a real reef in the sea that is what you will find.
There funny things fish. I last purchased 5 small Lyretail Anthias to go with the ones I had, and they all ‘disappeared’ into the deep never to be seen again.

But I guess being hauled around the world in a bag must be a little stressful for them sometimes.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Pah! I've been looking around to see what potential problems I may encounter when I purchase the Ecotech Vectra L2 with regard to fixing the standard S-650 flexi-hose to it.
Using Shaun's recommendation, I found a video from his favourite YouTuber called Mindi.

I didn't learn a thing.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Pah! I've been looking around to see what potential problems I may encounter when I purchase the Ecotech Vectra L2 with regard to fixing the standard S-650 flexi-hose to it.
Using Shaun's recommendation, I found a video from his favourite YouTuber called Mindi.

I didn't learn a thing.
Lol!

What I did was get a fitting from the LFS that will screw onto the top of the Red Sea pump, and then you now what you need to get the L2 or whatever your getting to screw into. If your going to use the existing connector.

To be honest, and I know this will sound scary to you, not being an advanced plumber like ‘wot i am now’, if your going non Red Sea then you could just cut the bottom of the pipe off and insert a hose tail, or 32mm piece of pipe and then it’s just a matter of joining the pump to it.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Lol!

What I did was get a fitting from the LFS that will screw onto the top of the Red Sea pump, and then you now what you need to get the L2 or whatever your getting to screw into. If your going to use the existing connector.

To be honest, and I know this will sound scary to you, not being an advanced plumber like ‘wot i am now’, if your going non Red Sea then you could just cut the bottom of the pipe off and insert a hose tail, or 32mm piece of pipe and then it’s just a matter of joining the pump to it.
Oh well done, now you've scared me !
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Oh well done, now you've scared me !
I would just get the pump you want and then worry about the plumbing afterward, I’ll help you out there.

The other thing you need to think of, if your going to alter the plumbing, you need to have a spare pump the same, or the same connection, that will fit it in case of failure, otherwise if it breaks your going to be panicking while you work out how your going to plumb a replacement in?

This was the reason I got a second spare Red Sea pump exactly the same.

if you feeling a bit ‘flush’ take a look at the Abyzz a100. These things are silent, and serious pieces of kit.

I haven’t decided on the spare pump/second return system for the new tank as yet so haven’t done anything with it. I’m tempted to get another Abyzz a200 and run them together, but I’m just waiting a bit to get everything up and running and then I’ll decide. It’s basically just a 32mm plastic pipe up the back of the tank and into the top, that’s all they are.
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
It does appear that Red Sea have marketed and pushed the Reefer Series while forgetting about the S-Series and the things that make the S-Series the flagship, like the aluminium stand and braced tank.
I have the same impression, Red Sea is relaying more and more on the Reefer as it is driving their sales. However the S-series are a much better product IMO.
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
I would just get the pump you want and then worry about the plumbing afterward, I’ll help you out there.

The other thing you need to think of, if your going to alter the plumbing, you need to have a spare pump the same, or the same connection, that will fit it in case of failure, otherwise if it breaks your going to be panicking while you work out how your going to plumb a replacement in?

This was the reason I got a second spare Red Sea pump exactly the same.

if you feeling a bit ‘flush’ take a look at the Abyzz a100. These things are silent, and serious pieces of kit.

I haven’t decided on the spare pump/second return system for the new tank as yet so haven’t done anything with it. I’m tempted to get another Abyzz a200 and run them together, but I’m just waiting a bit to get everything up and running and then I’ll decide. It’s basically just a 32mm plastic pipe up the back of the tank and into the top, that’s all they are.
I agree with Shaun, get the pump you want, the plumbing shouldn’t be an issue, just keep a flex pipe. I am sure the Vectra would do a nice job and has the possibility to get the battery back up. In my case I went with the Neptune COR-20, I liked its compact size and of course the connection to my Apex. I thinking maybe to replace the the 3 pumps in the rear chamber with another COR-20 if it fits (I will check this in a week).
 
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