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

SPR

Well-Known Member
I change when i get bored (almost never) or when something is going wrong. Which has been about every 6 months or so.
Now my tank will def not win anything more than "Ugly" but fish and corals are healthy, and i dont mind a bit of algae.
Thanks for stopping by @StirCrayzy

I wonder if anyone has carried out a scientific experiment with valid findings on the subject as any threads I’ve read always turn into just an argument as of course there are 2 views and I can see both sides. I think certainly for new tanks it’s beneficial as the systems develop but mature systems, I think it’s a different issue.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
So here are a few tank shots, one of which I’ve posted before but I like it so...! Lol

Everything is doing well and I don’t really have much to do other than looking at the tank and minor maintenance.

I’ve started doing water changes every 8 weeks now, all parameters are in check.

The 2 Lobophyllia corals in the middle, pink and green, seem to be struggling and receding these days. Any ideas ?

I wonder if it was started by the low magnesium levels I had a while ago do to a faulty Red Sea test kit, as certainly the others corals have greatly improved. It really made me realise the effect of magnesium in a reef tank.

Anyway here you go......

7657018432_IMG_2736.jpg10794618624_IMG_3535.jpg
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I called in at the LFS today to pick up a 5kg bucket of Rhowaphos and whilst there I was chatting about algae reactors, and I had been looking at the ALR series for a while now.

I didn’t get one because it’s just something else to clean and maintain and apart from the obvious it’s no different to changing the rhowaphos but looks much more fiddly and I’ve read they can be a real pain to keep clean.

Anyway, an easy solution we decided, was a plastic container filled with Miracle Mud, and LED light which the LFS use and a clump of Kelp. I don’t now if the Miracle Mud was necessary but it adds things back to the system so....

The LED light is waterproof in case you see it stuck into the water at the bottom!

So this is my adventure into a refugium with a view to lowering nutrient levels, with a possible view to eventually not using, or reducing the dependence on Nopox and rhowaphos, if indeed this is possible.

I’m certainly not trying to strip the water clean, and will monitor this, but it’s just something I wanted to try.

I’ve put the LED in a reverse overnight cycle so on at 9pm and off at 11am and I’ll see what happens.

Can anyone ID the type of Kelp this is ??

IMG_0434.jpgIMG_0435.jpg
 

rustyreefer

Well-Known Member
Really great thread and has been extremely beneficial for me to read as I look to start my first reef tank. Happens to be the RSM 650 as well. Thanks for sharing your experiences for us to all learn from!

I see you have a blue tang. How does it do with your yellow tang? I was thinking of adding those both to my tank setup but have read conflicting info on mixing tangs as well as the size tank a blue tang needs.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Really great thread and has been extremely beneficial for me to read as I look to start my first reef tank. Happens to be the RSM 650 as well. Thanks for sharing your experiences for us to all learn from!

I see you have a blue tang. How does it do with your yellow tang? I was thinking of adding those both to my tank setup but have read conflicting info on mixing tangs as well as the size tank a blue tang needs.
Your more than welcome

The blue and yellow tang get on fine with no issues whatsoever. The blue tangs are very active swimmers and grow quickly so need plenty of space. To be honest I’ve got and had all sorts of tangs together and never had any issues as far as fighting goes, but having said that, some of the recent additions, which were smaller tangs, didn’t always survive, but that could have been other health issues.

And congratulations on the new tank, you will love it.
 
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