Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build

SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
I’ve just done a water change of 120 litres which is my standard now. I basically turn the main pump off and then empty the sump of all the water whilst stirring all the rubbish up with my Python water changer.

I also changed out the main return pump for my spare and the dirty one will be left soaking for a week in a citric acid mix and will come up as good as new. The last change over was 1st August and it wasn’t that dirty really, just a film of ‘sludge’.

Anyway I had been ordering a few bits and bobs for a great space saving idea of ‘mine’ and it’s located out of sight at the back of the tank.

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SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
Ive done a bit of a summary of were I am with the system and all of the details, controls and what I use etc for anyone interested.

The System is as follows and was set up in June 2016

2016 Red Sea Max S 650 LED Black
650 litres of water
4 x Hydra 26 lights (as standard) run on ‘Reef Spec’ (no green/red) settings from 11.30am to 10pm with ramp down to ‘blue’ in evenings
Red Sea Sicce 7000 lph return pump (standard) and I also have a spare which I swap over every so often for cleaning (4-5 months ish)
Red Sea Sicce 2150 lph rear circulation pumps x 4 (as standard)
NYOS Quantum 160 protein skimmer which I swapped from the original C Skim 1800 after about 12 months
JBL Pro Cristal UV-C 36w steriliser fed from an Eheim 1000 pump
Tunze Osmolator hooked up to 100litres RO reservoir in chiller cabinet with build in ATO used as backup. Will last around 2 1/2 weeks.
Deltec FR509 fluidised reactor with around 500g of Rhowaphos fed from the main return pump with a separate flow control valve
Kamoer 4 channel auto doser dosing NoPox, Ca, Alk and Mg in the form of Red Sea Foundation Elements A B and C
2 x Eheim jagger 200w heaters controlled by Simply Aquaria temperature control with triple redundancy into Neptune Apex
6 x LED sump light strips to light up the sump after a year of using a torch!
2 x Brightwell Xport NO3 Bricks in the sump
1 x Seachem ‘The Bag’ containing around 250g of Purigen

2017 Neptune Apex Fusion with:
Advanced leak detection module
Leak detectors
breakout box to add float switch detection
Apex auto feeder
Standard salinity, temperature, ORP and PH probes

The Apex is currently hooked up to control / backup the heaters, skimmer, ATO, sump light as well as the leak detectors and auto feeder. I haven’t as yet plugged in the main return or rear circulation pumps on the basis these should always be on other than for water changes. And also the Hydra 26 lights are still on the original power centre as no point/need to have these under Apex control as they have their own independent system.

The parameters, which I try to keep stable, are as follows and these are the target numbers:

Salinity 35ppm
Phosphate 0.03ppm or less
Nitrate 5-10ppm
Calcium 430ppm
Alkalinity 8.2dKH
Magnesium 1310-1360ppm
PH 8.2

I control nutrients and foundation elements as follows some of which is listed above as well:

Red Sea Salt (I originally used Red Sea Coral Pro for 12 months and then dropped to the lower parameters of the standard with additional dosing foundation elements)
Red Sea Foundation A B and C via Kamoer auto doser
Red Sea NoPox via Kamoer auto doser
Rhowaphos in reactor for phosphate control
Red Sea Activated Carbon at around 200g
Purigen in The Bag to help with Nitrate control (removes nutrient before they turn into Nitrate)
Brightwell Xport NO3 Bricks for extra surface area for Nitrate reduction x 2
Red Sea Coral Colours A B C D which I dose manually around every 4 days using calcium uptake as a guide to ensure no accidental over dose
Red Sea Reef Energy at between 20-40ml total per day depending on nutrient levels
Liquid phytoplankton are around 40ml once a week as an alternative to Reef Energy

Test Kits

Red Sea Refractometer (primary but very sensitive)
D D Refractometer (backup for cross checks)
Hanna Checker for Alkalinity & ULR Phosphate
Red Sea Nitrate Pro & occasional Phosphate Pro
Red Sea Calcium, Magnesium & PH
Neptune Apex for continues monitoring and alarm functions

The food I use is:

Gamma frozen cubes of mysis, garlic, bloodworm, krill and several others x 3 cubes per day around 1-2pm
I feed dry pellet food of many mixed varieties once a day by auto feeder at 6.30pm and then also add plenty of ‘greens’ for the vegetarians in the form of seaweed and algae pellets several times a week or day.
Red Sea Reef Energy for corals and occasional phytoplankton.

Fish & Corals

I have a lot of fish and corals and the fish are probably a bit over stocked but everyone seems happy with little, if any aggression. The corals are a mix of mainly LPS, soft and over the last 6 months I’ve started with SPS so a mixed reef. I can’t begin to name all the corals.

Regal Angel
Flame Angel
Coral Beauty
Yellow Tang
Regal Tang
Purple Tang
Chevron Tang
Freckle Face Tang
Kole Tang
Blonde Naso Tang
Pair of Blue Throat Triggers that have spawned on at least 2 occasions
Pair of clown fish
Magnificent Foxface
Laboute Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Yellow Wrasse
2 Yellow Goby
Royal Gamma
Starry Blenny
5 Green Chromis
5 Azure Damsels
7 Lyretail Anthias
2 Purple Anthias

I also have full clean up crews including urchins, hermit crabs, snails, starfish, sea cucumber, etc etc. I haven’t added snails in a long time as I found the Sea Urchins did a much better job on any algae control.

Anyway if you have any questions or interest in anything, Just ask.
 
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SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
Nobbygas said:
I see all over Faceache that people are having their Red Sea mesh tops delivered today..........
Click to expand...
I think it’s on its way as I had the invoice raised from the shop yesterday and am just awaiting the delivery/dispatch confirmation which should follow shortly. I was expecting it to have been today by the way they normally work.
 
SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
Following my recent purchases I’ve taken some more photos including all of the new residents

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PS. If your wondering about the old fashioned blue phone at the side of the tank, it’s not that we’re ‘backward’ in the shires of Nottinghamshire, it’s just my grandmother had one exactly the same. So when I saw it in London I had to have it. And it works!

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SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
My Red Sea Mesh cover arrived yesterday so I started to put it together.

I don’t know who wrote and drew up the instructions but...... The only reference to a Max S Series is a small drawing picture of the completed item! So if you have an S Series don’t do the logical thing and follow the step by step instructions or you will do what I had to do and take it to pieces again whilst swearing a lot! The instructions seem to be mainly directed at Reefer Series as the kit fits different tanks.

Shaun’s top tip. Study the small picture of a Max S cover. Have a look at how to make it look like that by glancing at the instructions and then ignore the rest!

Anyway, I continued to put it together in daylight this morning and it’s finally finished and I have to say I am very pleased with it. I was worried it may spoil the clean and quality look of the tank and basically be an eye sore, but no it’s a very nice piece of equipment.

The only potential problem, is that in the pictures online there are 2 small fittings that rest the cover onto the left and right and sides of the tank. They are supposed to be spaced 1 each side of the lighting mount. Now that can be done, but as it’s a tight fit you have to manipulate the cover into place by pushing and bending the cover and light mounts, which is never going to work for me and would drive me insane. I even recut the rear plinth a few mm shorter than stated, but it’s still tight.

So my solution is to put the 2 small fittings on one side, which are shown in the pictures below, and then the cover just lifts in and out very easily without potentially damaging anything. It’s all in line and the back right hand side sits on top of the return nozzle so it’s all nice and level.

To feed dry food you can just drop it through the top, and today I fed Gamma frozen cubes and also Reef Energy by just lifting the front of the cover up. I may cut a small feeding hole somewhere in the mesh but I’ll see how I get along with it first as it’s easy to lift up.

Since putting it in place I feel much more relaxed now nothing can jump out, as my morning ritual involved looking on the floor for casualties!

Anyway pictures, I’ve done them from different angles so you can see. Looking up from my chair you can’t see anything of the cover, and you will see the upward shot from the right hand side as well.

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SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
Over the Christmas break I’ve done a few minor modifications to the return hose on the UVC system. Before the hose went under water so i couldn’t see the exit and water flowing out, i.e, that the pump was working and not blocked or something.

So I’ve moved the hose outlet into the return pump chamber. I can now easily see the water flow and it also helps to create ripples in the water surface to reduce the occasional bacterial slime caused by NoPox dosing.

I’m just awaiting a plug adapter and then the UVC and pump will be hooked into Apex so I can add flood/leak protection to it in case of any issues.

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Over the last week I ‘happened’ upon my LFS on two different occasions.

Now I’ve installed the mesh cover I added a Blue Cleaner Wrasse. This fish is fascinating to watch as he cleans the other fish. The Yellow Tang loves it and just hovers in the water as the Wrasse cleans him. Some of the other fish are a little weary but they are all gradually getting used to him. It’s quiet beautiful to watch actually.

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And the other new addition is a Neon/Arabian Dottyback. Now the LFS said this is ok, and all my shrimps are large and most of the other tank mates are much bigger. But don’t read what’s on the internet about them! I ‘think’ he will be fine Lol!

Anyway he is a stunning fish so....

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SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
I went to the fish shop yesterday, and found the most stunning coral I have ever seen. I will let you be the judge of this, and I can’t remember what it’s called and may have to go back to ask them, (good excuse or what ! Lol), but when I spotted it, I new I had to have it, and it wasn’t cheap either.

It has tubules that come up out of it from time to time. Very unusual

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