Red Sea S-650 - Dave's marine adventure

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Well done Dave - I am still trying to get nice pics under my leds, the tank looks great, but getting pics to show the same it harder under leds. beautiful leopards wrasses !
 

Wrangy

Acropora Nut
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
How have I missed out on so many kickass updates!! Tank is looking fantabulous Dave and things seem to be progressing really well for you :) It's definitely great to read all those updates and see just how slick the led's look over the tank too! Sorry to hear about the CBB picking at your acans though, have you tried a bit of clam/muscle attached to a shell and placed on the sand near the acans to distract it away from them? Might be easier than catching if it works lol

What a gorgeous acro too!!

I'm particularly jealous as we don't have access to the thin branched smooth skin acro species like this and your's looks great!

I'm going to assume there's a pump above this birdsnest or directed at it? Because it's a fantastic example of how coral growth can be influenced by the environment it grows in!
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
I'm a bit late with the weekly update, still better late than never.

Firstly to answer @Wrangy question about the guttatus - yes bang on Dom. This coral sits below where the main return pump nozzle is and in front of it is my MP40 blowing right to left so quite a bit of flow in front and above it. As for the copperband I've decided (for the moment) to keep it. The fish is such a character, is very tame and very entertaining. I seem to remember someone (@Paul B ?) having a CBB feeder - a tube with holes in it in which you put a tasty morsel that only someone with a long mouth could reach. So going to try a little distraction feeding to try to keep it busy and its mind maybe off my Acans.....

I've not had much chance to play around with the LEDs. I'm using the settings @RedSeaKev mailed me. The corals certainly pop but it looks too blue to me. I could probably spend days looking at research into colour spectrums and coral growth but it also has to look right and to me it seems too blue. The beauty with LEDs is they are so controllable but the other side to that coin is there are so many different settings to try.... So I thought I would take come pictures and see what my camera thinks. Firstly the LEDs on the Red Sea settings with no white balance changes when I process the pictures in Lightroom.


Look at the CBB - the fish should be orange and silver not orange and blue....

Now I have adjusted the white balance but the LEDs are still on the Red Sea settings.

The CBB is looking less blue

Finally here I have adjusted all the channels on the LEDs so that they are all on 100%


This whole lighting subject seems very complicated. There is the lighting to keep the corals happy - their symbiotic algae are only interested in blue and red light. The sun produces a nice mix we see as white and then as you go deeper in water the red end of the spectrum gradually drops off, with blue light penetrating the furthest (correct me if I'm wrong...). So there is what I think looks 'right' and then what the corals need to live. Maybe the solution is to have a blue/red dominated 'coral growth' spectrum when I'm at work with a gradual change to a whiter light for when I get home.

Anyway back in the tank - the Acans are still closed up as is my Favites war coral. I've never seen the CBB go for the Favites so maybe it is the LEDs with it. The SPS seem to be enjoying the new lights with more colour and new growth on most. I've added another Wheeler's shrimp goby and pistol shrimp after quarantining and they are so far ignoring Clint and Mr Grumpy. My leopards are still brilliant and the small ones seems to have developed a taste for nori. Even the big psycho tangs don't move her out of the way at the feeder which is hilarious.

Happy reefing,

Dave
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Bit late again this week with the update. So what has been happening in the tank? Well there are a couple of new additions. I decided to risk another goby / shrimp combo to go with Clint and Mr Grumpy. So after quarantine I added a new Wheeler's shrimp goby and pistol shrimp. I think the shrimps didn't get along as there was gunfire after the new one went in and the new pistollero is now resident in the right hand side of the tank with Clint remaining in the left where he/she has always been. I need to decide on a name for the shrimp to keep with the tradition. I was going to go with another classic Western film actor, but was never a fan of John Wayne but I do like a bit of Die Hard so maybe Bruce for the new shrimp? The gobies have mostly stayed with there respective shrimps but there seems to be no aggression as you can see...



In the tank I had prune of my Chaeto and Caulerpa in the sump and my LFS were pleased with the delivery of the Caulerpa for their seahorse tank. I'm still battling the slugs - the Zoanthid slugs seem to be under control but the Montipora slugs are proving really difficult to get rid of. They love to hide under the capricornis plates.

In addition to the shrimp / goby combo I got a couple of little Acro frags including this beauty.



Under the LEDs the SPS seem to be doing well with new growth on most and the colours appearing better. Even some of the Montis suffering slug damage are growing. The LPS don't seem quite so good though as they did under the T5s however.

My two leopard wrasse continue to keep me amused. The smaller one has taken to eating algae from the sheet feeder. The two tangs think they are the bosses in the tank but the little leopard is not bothered by either of them and just glides in to take a bite.
 

Wrangy

Acropora Nut
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
I'm glad to hear the SPS are loving the new lights and the tank looks so slick with them mounted like that! :) It's coming along really well Dave and as per usual your shots are fantastic! Those two gobies are stunning fish :) and I'm glad to hear you're still fighting the good fight against the slugs!

I'm sure you've been told and read this a few times now but in terms of the LPS and the new led's you'll have to be careful they're not getting too much light. How are the LPS on the sandbed looking? Because if they're looking better than the others move everything down and then slowly back up over a few weeks as they adjust to the new much more directional and therefore intense lighting :)

(Bruce is also a solid choice! ;) lol)
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Hi Dave

Been reading this thread with interest and have just signed up for the forum so Hello!

Stunning tank and photos by the way. Beautiful.

I got into fish and reefs only about 3 months ago when I purchased the new Red Sea E max 260 and I am hooked!

I am looking to upgrade immediately to the new S 650 LED just released and I just wondered on your thoughts having been using your system for a while? Are the water changes at this size a major pain etc. The 260 is just one 6 gallon bucket whereas this would seem to need around 3 for the weekly water change.

I am just about to part with my money and as you know a lot of it but I am just a little weary about taking to much on. I do have plenty of time on my hands but I don't want it to become a chore

I am assuming that with the volume of water the chemistry maybe a bit more stable but..

Also I am in the UK like you. Do you think I will need a chiller unit and are they easy to fit later after the build?

Any thoughts having sorted your tank out would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes
 
Last edited:

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
@SPR
welcomefish.gif

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

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics :nessie:
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
I'm glad to hear the SPS are loving the new lights and the tank looks so slick with them mounted like that! :) It's coming along really well Dave and as per usual your shots are fantastic! Those two gobies are stunning fish :) and I'm glad to hear you're still fighting the good fight against the slugs!

I'm sure you've been told and read this a few times now but in terms of the LPS and the new led's you'll have to be careful they're not getting too much light. How are the LPS on the sandbed looking? Because if they're looking better than the others move everything down and then slowly back up over a few weeks as they adjust to the new much more directional and therefore intense lighting :)

(Bruce is also a solid choice! ;) lol)

Hi Dom,

Most of my LPS are fairly low down or mid water and some are fixed onto the rocks. I'm not seeing any real difference, like those on the sand doing better than those higher up. I have run an acclimatisation setting with the LEDs to gradually ramp up the lighting. I think I need to do some solid reading about the best settings though as there is so much control over the different coloured LEDs.

Dave
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Hi Dave

Been reading this thread with interest and have just signed up for the forum so Hello!

Stunning tank and photos by the way. Beautiful.

I got into fish and reefs only about 3 months ago when I purchased the new Red Sea E max 260 and I am hooked!

I am looking to upgrade immediately to the new S 650 LED just released and I just wondered on your thoughts having been using your system for a while? Are the water changes at this size a major pain etc. The 260 is just one 6 gallon bucket whereas this would seem to need around 3 for the weekly water change.

I am just about to part with my money and as you know a lot of it but I am just a little weary about taking to much on. I do have plenty of time on my hands but I don't want it to become a chore

I am assuming that with the volume of water the chemistry maybe a bit more stable but..

Also I am in the UK like you. Do you think I will need a chiller unit and are they easy to fit later after the build?

Any thoughts having sorted your tank out would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes

Hi SPR,

Glad you like the tank and thanks for the kind comments.

Despite keeping fish on and off for a long time this has been my first reef tank and it is still not a year old. My thoughts on the 650 are as follows:

The good:
  • Looks great, everything goes together nicely and it is beautifully finished. The dimensions are aesthetically pleasing and it gives you plenty of space and options for fish like tangs. The stand is really solidly built - aluminium frame and MDF panels.
  • The sump has plenty of room and the down-flow and weir are silent when adjusted.
  • The ATO works and will keep the tank topped up (for me anyway) for up to 9 days. Adding water to the reservoir is easier now with the LEDs as you don't have to lift one of the T5 'wings up' I pour in water from a bucket but have used a pump to re-fill it. It takes around 35 liters.
  • The tank comes on a lorry in a huge pallet with everything you need apart from heaters, chillers, water, rock and sand (and of course livestock). Mine was beautifully packed.
  • The LED upgrade is very adjustable and works from my phone or computer.
The not so good:
  • I never really got the hang of the Red Sea skimmer and bought myself a Deltec 1660 instead which fitted in great and took up less space and worked from day one.
  • Mine didn't come with a filter sock attachment so I had to rig something up but they may have modified things since then.
  • The tank is quite high to work in. The UK tanks are supplied with a folding stool which is great for me as it then gives me enough height to work in the tank. It does give you a great view though sitting so high on the stand.
So to your questions. The actual water change takes me around an hour once per week. I change 60 liters at a time. I have an RO/DI container in my garage and a separate salt mixing container and then carry the salt water into the house. Topping up the ATO takes maybe 10 minutes, again once per week. The filter sock blocks maybe after 4 or 5 days (I have 2 tangs). I clean the skimmer cup maybe once a fortnight and that takes 10 minutes.

I really needed my chiller during the heat wave last summer and on warm days in the autumn it would kick in during the evening occasionally as I was running the T5 lights. Since I got the LEDs the chiller has not activated but then it has hardly been warm enough here! So bottom line if you get an LED 650 - don't know yet but certainly my tank has been running cooler with less temperature fluctuations since getting the LEDs. The chiller was a pretty easy fit - I added mine well after the tank was set up With the 650, Red Sea recommend getting a separate pump to run it with and I got an Eheim which has run fine. The plumbing was ok if a little fiddly attaching the pipes so make sure if you get a 650 that you keep it the recommended distance from the wall. You could wait and see how the tank runs as you cycle it but I would keep some money aside in case you need to get a chiller once the summer arrives!

Do give us a shout if you have any other questions. For me the bottom line is I'm very happy with my 650.

Dave
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave that's very helpful

Going to re read all the thread as very interesting for someone like me

What sand did you use? I have a goby and the sand is the Red Sea white live and it gets kicked around a lot due to the fine grain Yours looks a bit larger grain and also maybe a bit of colours?

I just wondered what are the filter socks and if they aren't standard were did you put them?

My 260 just has the protein skimmer, some grey sponges and carbon. I assume the sock is an additional filter?

Update - just placed the order for the new 650 LED so here we go!
 
Last edited:

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave that's very helpful

Going to re read all the thread as very interesting for someone like me

What sand did you use? I have a goby and the sand is the Red Sea white live and it gets kicked around a lot due to the fine grain Yours looks a bit larger grain and also maybe a bit of colours?

I just wondered what are the filter socks and if they aren't standard were did you put them?

My 260 just has the protein skimmer, some grey sponges and carbon. I assume the sock is an additional filter?

Update - just placed the order for the new 650 LED so here we go!

Hi SPR,

Congratulations on ordering the 650. I hope you have as much fun and enjoyment with it as I'm having.

Sand - I used quite a mix. I got 'live' sand and some bags of dry sand and initially also added some coarse stuff for the front corners as the fine stuff got blown away by the pumps. I also added some additional sand after maybe 6 months as I wanted to get leopard wrasse. I think some of the live sand was the Red Sea stuff. I ended up with quite a mix of grades including some really fine stuff. I would do the same again but avoid the really fine sand.

I'm guessing you didn't fit your 260 with a sump. With the 650 you will get a big under tank sump. You get a coarse physical filter, a skimmer, a big chamber to do what you want with, a media rack for carbon etc and then the return pump chamber. I have my heater in there along with the return pump.

I think I have seen 650s with filter socks fitted (an American owner on here I think) - it will be interesting to see if Red Sea are fitting them as standard now. In the back right corner of the sump the downflow pipes come into the sump from the overflow in the main tank. On my 650 the tank was supplied with some coarse foam filter blocks to fit in this chamber before water flows into the skimmer chamber. I took out the big block and just put a filter sock over the downflow pipe. This catches all the coarse muck and I then swap for a clean sock maybe every 5 days. You can rinse out the socks and re-use.

There is plenty of scope in the sump to fit extra reactors etc. I have a bio-pellet reactor, the pump for the chiller and have suspended a light over the left hand chamber and I'm growing Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa algae. Helps keep my nitrates and phosphates low.

Best of luck,

Dave
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Right, stocking of the tank with fish is hopefully now complete. I had three lyre-tail anthias and a Potter's angel in quarantine and today I moved them over into the display tank. Predictably the tangs took an instant dislike to the angel. The yellow tang was not too bad but the bristletooth was merciless. I had read on here that people had used mirrors to distract bullies whilst new fish settled in so I got the mirror I use for slug hunting and strapped it to the side of the aquarium. It is working a treat - both tangs are spending lots of time trying to threaten and attack their reflections allowing the Potter's to settle in relatively un-molested... Who ever thought that idea up - genius!

Here is the Potter's


The clowns have also shown some interest in the mirror doing the clown shimmy in front of it. The new small one has settled well and they spend lots of time together.



Also spending time together this evening are Mr Grumpy and the new smaller shrimp goby. Mr Grumpy went over and was sat on the sand at new goby's burrow for a while. No aggression, so who knows maybe romance is in the air (or in this case water), it is spring after all.

Here are the anthias - only two showing at the moment. Hopefully the other one will appear out of the rocks in due course.


Happy reefing,

Dave
 

Wrangy

Acropora Nut
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
Absolutely stunning pictures of your fish Dave! Seriously wonderful! :) And what bloody healthy fish they are too, the vibrancy of those anthias is killer! (feed lots of variety to keep it long term! lol) I've always loved Potters too and what a gorgeous specimen too! :D
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
The anthias and Potter's seem to have settled in well into the tank. The anthias have had the easier time. Apart from the bristletooth chasing them occasionally (that fish is a bit of a jerk) nobody bothers them. There is some agression between the 3 - today I saw 2 of them locking jaws and one spends more time in the rocks than the others. Really pleased with them - they are such a vibrant colour.

The Potter's is holding his own in the tank now. The yellow tang is no longer interested in him. The bristletooth still chases him on occasion but he know where all the bolt holes are now. The mirror attached to one end of the tank worked a treat. For 3 days the two tangs postured and threatened their own reflections and this gave the Potter's a chance to settle in. The bristletooth in particular spent a lot of time shadow boxing.

Here a couple of videos of feeding time tonight. Firstly the view from the left side of the tank.


If you look closely you can see two of my Acro crabs - one in the coral in the centre of the shot and one just to the right of it. One of my chromis is not looking too happy. It's jaw locks open on occasion making it difficult for it to feed. Not much I can do for it I guess....

Here is a front view of the left side of the tank. Mr Grump is visible in the bottom left.


I did the usual ATO top up and water change today as well as giving the skimmer a good service. Here in the UK it has been un-seasonably warm so the chiller has kicked in a few times over the weekend.

Happy reefing,

Dave
 

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
The tank is now 12 months old. I really ought to review how things have gone but it has been a long week and it is late on Sunday night so just going to write a few notes on the tank and will think about the first year over the next few days.

Yesterday I visited my distant LFS. I had been planning to get a back-up return pump and they had 20% off on SPS so with credit card in hand I made the long trek. I got the pump plus a bunch of other bits and pieces and two nice SPS corals.





The big bonus was both have Acro crabs. Not had a good look at the crabs yet but they are much smaller than the crabs I already have. Sorry no pictures either. I also got a small blue tuxedo urchin but not got a good photo of it yet.

All the fish seem to be OK. The Anthias have settled in well. There is a bit of aggression between the three but they add a real splash of colour to the tank.



Mr Grump and the new goby (Mr Unhappy?) seem fine together. They each have their own shrimp and most of the time keep to their respective ends of the tank. However Mr Grumpy goes over to visit. I've not seen any signs of aggression so maybe they are male and female.....



Happy reefing,

Dave
 

PCDS

Active Member
All the fish seem to be OK. The Anthias have settled in well.
How often do you feed your fish? I failed with a pair of Anthias in the past, and when I was trying to figure out what I did wrong, I thought they needed feeding several times a day due to short guts or something like that.
 
Top