RSM C-250 Journey in Las Vegas!

Greetings all from sunny Las Vegas!

I have gone “all in” on reef tanks as a hobby and will be journaling my progress as I attempt to bring my newly acquired RSM C-250 (used) to life.

Background: My only experience is a 29g Biocube that I kept for six months last year until I moved to the opposite side of town. I would say that I barely scratched the surface in gaining experience and still consider myself an enthusiastic beginner. As I disassembled the Biocube in preparations for the move I decided that it’s a perfect opportunity to upgrade to a larger aquarium.

As I researched the next best setup for me I discovered the RSM C-250 as an ideal all-in-one and perfect upgrade from the Biocube. In my research I came across Roy Page’s awesome C-250 journey and read his thread (and watched his videos), took meticulous notes, and decided to take the plunge.

As luck would happen (Vegas baby!) I happened on an opportune Craigslist post from a woman that decided to get rid of her entire C-250 bundle after only a year. I feel fortunate to have come across the add and now the new owner of the following:
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My next week or so will be spent carefully breaking down the aquarium, a thorough cleaning of everything and detailed study of “what goes where”. The tank will actually be moved onto the tile where the TV currently is and vice versa.

I will also be setting up a 30g “garage tank” for quarantine and water-mixing.

I’m very excited to start down this path and an extremely appreciative for Roy Page’s forum where there is a treasure of knowledge and lessons-learned to help me on my journey.

Let it begin!

I will appreciate any advice and suggestions in the future...I think the best advice now for me is to take it slow and do my research!

Scott
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Hi Scott,

welcomefish.gif


to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members
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Cheers for starting a tank thread & sharing your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics :)

Looks like you got quite a great start with the beautiful tank & everything that can with it !
 
Hi Scott,

welcomefish.gif


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


Cheers for starting a tank thread & sharing your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics :)

Looks like you got quite a great start with the beautiful tank & everything that can with it !
Thanks for the warm welcome! :crowd:

Yes I think I was very lucky to come across this lot...I will try my best to do it right and learn along the way. The journey is the best part though right?

Lots of pics and videos in the future!

Question: I know its frowned upon to clean the tank with chemicals...is that also the case if it is still a week away from having RODI and live rock? Glass cleaner is the main item of reference...

If so, any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Not a lot of progress being Valentine's Day...:tantrum: but I did manage to get the tank and tv locations switched around, emptied the old sand (minus the residue), and ordered some supplies from Amazon:

  • Bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro Marine Sale
  • Reef Mature Pro Test Kit

  • Blue Ocean Corals Coral Dip (for later)
  • 2x Chemipure Elite
  • 2x Purigen
The best I can tell thus far is that the aquarium includes a dosing system, coral ("turkey") baster, drip system, lots of tubes, a 1/4 hp chiller, and the MP-10W. There seem to be two controllers for this...(see pictures), not sure why...?

In the meantime...i'm busy taking out all the cords/tubes and reading various manuels.

For whats left of the sand: Is it ok to leave that in there or will that be a big problem when I place my own live sand in there in a week?

Happy Sunday!
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Garage tank is coming along...have a 30g basic tank out there thus far collecting RODI water from my Barracuda pump. Eventually there will be everything needed to maintain a QT. I plan on doing the initial fill of the DT this Saturday which will mean storing ~15g of mixed SW in some of those buckets you see under the table.

As for the RSM C-250, I have cleaned as much as possible but have can't seem to get the build up off that you see in the included picture...it has defeated my razor...any suggestions?

I plan on purchasing cured live rock and live sand with the understanding that it will likely still produce a cycle. Much like Roy, I will be following a strict cycle regimen and will not be in a hurry to place fish/corals in the tank.

I read an older thread that discusses using only base rock and no lighting until more anaerobic bacteria can build up. I might try this but the idea of starting off with beneficial bacteria and the possibility of hitchhikers is attractive...Bottom Line: I'm going to take it slow and hopefully will have plenty of advice from the experts on this forum.

Cheers,
Scott



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AFrederick

Active Member
Looks like an awesome start! Very cool that you got all those bits and pieces of equipment. Your package truly is "all-in-one"!

RE cleaning: I have read that bleach and vinegar are safe to use. Though bleach is initially toxic, after you rinse it out, whatever is left breaks down naturally and relatively quickly. Vinegar is useful for dissolving deposits/residues because of its low pH but I do not think it is otherwise inherently toxic. Once you rinse it out, whatever might be left will be diluted beyond relevance.

One note about the garage tank: 30 gallons of saltwater is going to weigh almost 300 pounds. It is very important the bottom of the tank is supported completely and evenly. If that plastic folding table bows under the weight it will result in pressure points under the tank which might cause the glass or seams to fail.
 
Looks like an awesome start! Very cool that you got all those bits and pieces of equipment. Your package truly is "all-in-one"!

RE cleaning: I have read that bleach and vinegar are safe to use. Though bleach is initially toxic, after you rinse it out, whatever is left breaks down naturally and relatively quickly. Vinegar is useful for dissolving deposits/residues because of its low pH but I do not think it is otherwise inherently toxic. Once you rinse it out, whatever might be left will be diluted beyond relevance.

One note about the garage tank: 30 gallons of saltwater is going to weigh almost 300 pounds. It is very important the bottom of the tank is supported completely and evenly. If that plastic folding table bows under the weight it will result in pressure points under the tank which might cause the glass or seams to fail.

Thanks for the tips AFrederick! I have thought about the weight issue for the table in the garage. I have only filled the QT halfway until I get a proper stand (any ideas) or discover the weight limit of the table.

Good cleaning tips! I'm about three days away from putting the LR and LS in the DT and beginning the cycle (w/ cured LR).

At this point I do not plan on putting any LR in the QT... I will be following the same RS Reef Mature process that Roy did on his C-250. Here are the parameters I am shooting for in the tank (from Marinedepot I believe):

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Questions of the day for you guys!

1. I'll be acquiring my CUC soon and wanted to get an reality check on numbers...the only crabs I plan on having are a single Emerald and a couple of scarlet hermits (perhaps that way too few). But the snails...I've read 1/2 snails per gallon....should I really be putting 32 snails in my C-250 12 days into the cycle?

2. Is turning on the T5 lighting really necessary during the cycling? Does the aerobic/anaerobic bacteria growth depend on lighting at all? Would the GHA and Diatoms be better controlled by limiting/eliminating the lighting during the cycle?

3. Ideas for a better stand for the QT other than the pictured table?

4. Fish Acclimating: I will be using the drip method...but what do you recommend for how I actually get them into the tanks? Is it simply keeping them in the bags they came in and netting them? Empty the bag into a clean container (chem free) and net them from there once acclimated?

Thanks again...exciting days ahead!
 
Cranked open the rear chamber of the C-250 this evening and it didn't smell pretty (but dry)...see pics.

Big picture question: any advice on the best way to clean the rear chambers (and the skimmer) here? It is a tight space and goes down pretty deep.IMG_0499.JPG IMG_0501.JPG IMG_0502.JPG
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
some feedback...

I pull my skimmer cup weekly, take it to the sink & clean- the body the same every 3 months or so...

I like snails for cuc
Asterea, Trochus, Cerith, Nerites, Margarita, Nassarius and Mexican Turbos

1 per gallon in my 66 gallon RSM 250, I started with a dozen (after the cycle) and added another dozen or so... every month (free shipping on snails "quick crews" from RS Sponsor Reef Cleaners

no on "right" answer on the lights during the cycle, you can go either way... I ran mine a few hours a day, to enjoy the tank, whenever you turn them on, you will have some algae
 
some feedback...

I pull my skimmer cup weekly, take it to the sink & clean- the body the same every 3 months or so...

I like snails for cuc
Asterea, Trochus, Cerith, Nerites, Margarita, Nassarius and Mexican Turbos

1 per gallon in my 66 gallon RSM 250, I started with a dozen (after the cycle) and added another dozen or so... every month (free shipping on snails "quick crews" from RS Sponsor Reef Cleaners

no on "right" answer on the lights during the cycle, you can go either way... I ran mine a few hours a day, to enjoy the tank, whenever you turn them on, you will have some algae

Thank you for the advice. I'll definitely follow it.

My goal is to have the DT cycling by Sunday afternoon. I have only to clean the rear chambers and stock the tank w/ LR, LR and H20.

I'm currently looking for a device that will hold my QT in the garage. I've added an LED light fixture, cannister filter, and submersible water pump to my collection...filled a couple of 5g buckets with RODI water and am keeping the QT no more than half full for the time being.

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Happy Friday to all.
 
Happy Sunday!

Well the tank is finally set up! So far I have the skimmer, both main pumps and the heater running...but nothing else (slowly getting smart on the chiller, ATO, MP-1W Ecosmart Controllers (there are 2), and doser. These are all these lovely used items (including plenty of nice support equipment pictured in my first post) that came with this all-in-one used package.

I'm using the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro-Kit that is the 21-day step-by-step.

Stocked:
  • 43 lbs of cured Fiji Live Rock
  • 16-lb bag of special-grade reef sand (live)
  • 20-lb bag of live Fiji-Pink fine-grain sand
The temperature has been running hot at 84 degrees but I have not hooked up the rear cooling fans in prep for the chiller. I have just turned off the heater to attempt to cool down to 79 degrees.

Other parameters:
  • Salinity: 1.025 (trying to get to 1.024)
  • Phospate: See picture...it could be .25 or it could be 1.0! What do you think and is this a normal reading for day 2??
  • Calcium: 426 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 200 ppm...11.5 dkh???
  • PH: 8.0 (based on color matching)
I've been fidgeting around in the tank a bit so it's still a little cloudy (as pictured).

Questions hoping you guys can answer!!
  1. I don't have filters yet in the back....the only thing running back there is the skimmer (already working nicely as it was broken in by the prior ownner). I've read not to use things like Chemi-pure or purigen yet until the tank has cycled. What else should I have back there right now? I elected NOT to use the black sponges, chemi-pures...but should I have some filter media at least?
  2. Is that phosphate reading a reason to be concerned just yet?
  3. Should I add more sand? It's very shallow right now
  4. From what you can see, does that live rock setup look like it needs to be adjusted to make it more stable?
  5. What's the best way to aim the two main water pump nozzles for best flow/gas exchange?
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AFrederick

Active Member
If you are still trying to figure out a stand for the garage tank, I would probably just build something simple out of 2x4s. Cheap and strong.

On the high temperature - my RSM C130 ran really hot for about the first month. It was around 84 during cycling and I was worried I would have to get a chiller. Then the temp mysteriously stabilized in the high 70s as the cycle was finishing. I will probably get a chiller before summer though.

As for your other questions, I am still very new at this but I can take a shot at a few of them:

Regarding sand depth - this is a hot topic. Deep sand beds (more than a couple inches) used to be touted as a way to complete the nitrogen cycle, turning nitrate into gas, but seem to have fallen out of favor. They get dirty. And apparently they can release toxic gases. Some have gone so far as to skip the sand entirely - "bare-bottom" they call it. It is visually cleaner, easier to siphon out detritus, and looks kind of modern, but you have significantly less surface area for good bacteria.

I have a shallow sand bed - about 3/4 of an inch average. I like how it looks and it provides some surface area for good bacteria to grow. If it gets dirty I vacuum it during a water change. Pretty easy to take care of.

On the return nozzles - just experiment. You can usually see the "flow" you are creating by watching particulates suspended in the water.
 
If you are still trying to figure out a stand for the garage tank, I would probably just build something simple out of 2x4s. Cheap and strong.

On the high temperature - my RSM C130 ran really hot for about the first month. It was around 84 during cycling and I was worried I would have to get a chiller. Then the temp mysteriously stabilized in the high 70s as the cycle was finishing. I will probably get a chiller before summer though.

As for your other questions, I am still very new at this but I can take a shot at a few of them:

Regarding sand depth - this is a hot topic. Deep sand beds (more than a couple inches) used to be touted as a way to complete the nitrogen cycle, turning nitrate into gas, but seem to have fallen out of favor. They get dirty. And apparently they can release toxic gases. Some have gone so far as to skip the sand entirely - "bare-bottom" they call it. It is visually cleaner, easier to siphon out detritus, and looks kind of modern, but you have significantly less surface area for good bacteria.

I have a shallow sand bed - about 3/4 of an inch average. I like how it looks and it provides some surface area for good bacteria to grow. If it gets dirty I vacuum it during a water change. Pretty easy to take care of.

On the return nozzles - just experiment. You can usually see the "flow" you are creating by watching particulates suspended in the water.
Thanks for the advice. I'm just lucky that the used set I bought includes a 1/4hp chiller.

I'll probably end up getting one more bag of sand today to put in.

Does that top level LR look to high (too close to the light/heat)?
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Chiller is connected and seems to be working fine. I set it at 79 degrees. It has an internal probe that says the water running through it is currently 79.5, which differs from my other two thermometers (probes located in each main water pump chamber). They read 82 on one and 80 on another...who knows which is correct. I calibrated the chiller to the temperature readings of the water in the main part of the DT.

Moved a couple of rocks slightly and turkey basted some sand off the rest of the LR...which is why it's still cloudy.

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Day 3

I have two thermometers both reading 84 degrees but they are located in the rear chambers. I placed them in the main tank and they didn't drop that much. The chiller internal temp probe, even though I have calibrated it once already, was still reading 79.9..quite a big difference. I went ahead and re calibrated it to get it closer to what the digital thermometers were reading. Can anyone recommend an accurate thermometer to get? I have two of the ones pictured below but not sure they are inaccurate or my chiller is.
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Parameters this morning:
  • Salinity: 1.026
  • PH: 7.5...is it normal for it to drop that quick while cycling? This seems to be out of the normal range.
  • Alk: 194 PPM
  • Nitrates: 5
  • Phos: .25
  • Temp (depends on if I believe the chiller or thermometers but the tank could have been running at 84 degrees all day!
I can already see what I think is Diatoms blooming....bring on the ugly tank stage.
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For some reason my iphone camera darkens the image a bit...the RL visual is much less blue. I placed the temp probes in there to help with the temp mystery.

Is the tank supposed to be clear yet? It still seems a touch murky...perhaps taking a rag to the inside of the glass?

ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATED!!

Have a great day.
 
ph will drop during the cycle no worries - don't adjust dosing... 7.8-8.5 is okay

I have not given any doses other than what the reef mature kit calls for...should I be dosing otherwise?

Thanks for the tip on the thermometer...will definitely check it out.

Which specific one did you get?
 
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