Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build
- Thread starter SPR
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SPR
Well-Known Member
Thank you, I’ll only buy frags these days (honestly! Lol)
I’m just awaiting for my main LFS to open for shopping of livestock and then I’m going to go and ‘panick buy’!
Ha, ha, we're a couple of amateurs aren't we 
My GSP looks like the whiff of fluff on a kids face when he first tries to grow a beard. I've pushed my Phos up to 0.04ppm the last few months, just as a sort of test/experiment, and it changed nothing ! Even my Leathers just sort of exist. There is no real growth there either.
My GSP looks like the whiff of fluff on a kids face when he first tries to grow a beard. I've pushed my Phos up to 0.04ppm the last few months, just as a sort of test/experiment, and it changed nothing ! Even my Leathers just sort of exist. There is no real growth there either.
SPR
Well-Known Member
Lol!Ha, ha, we're a couple of amateurs aren't we
I’ve even been looking at it to make sure it’s actually GSP because I’m rubbish at coral ID!
SPR
Well-Known Member
I know I actually don’t understand it, because I used to have loads of it growing out of control in the S650 while I was learning I guess, but now it’s just won’t extend to look like the flowing grass.
Maybe it just needs filthy water or something to thrive. Either that or somehing is bothering it. in the S650 it’s a pathetic ‘green stain’ on a rock
I love these fish. They are the best for keeping the sand clean. They are one of those essential fish you must have as part of the community as they have a job to do. It's the same with a Cleaner Wrasse and a Filefish. The Filefish always looks as though he is moving in slow motion, but his nearly invisible fins are going faster than the SpaceX rocket when it's launched !
SPR
Well-Known Member
Yes he certainly does a good job it’s spotless.
I’ve got about 10 coral frags coming today from my normal online supplier mail order corals who are very good. Infact they have just arrived.
I’ve been after a bit more variety of SPS than some of the local LFS’s have, so I’ve just ordered 4 very nice SPS from MasterFischUK as a test order. I believe their actually based in France but are one of the largest European suppliers so ‘hopefully’ will be ok.
We shall see anyway
I’ve got about 10 coral frags coming today from my normal online supplier mail order corals who are very good. Infact they have just arrived.
I’ve been after a bit more variety of SPS than some of the local LFS’s have, so I’ve just ordered 4 very nice SPS from MasterFischUK as a test order. I believe their actually based in France but are one of the largest European suppliers so ‘hopefully’ will be ok.
We shall see anyway
Yep, they are based in France and I got my four Lyretail Anthias from them. They are all still alive more than two years later. I also bought some coral frags from them and I had some mixed results with these frags. I hope you get a 100% success rate.
I have switched to another online company though. They are German and the service I have had from them has always been first-class as I buy virtually all of my maintenance stuff from them. I am in the process of buying my first fish from them as I've ordered a female Blue Throated Trigger and two Leopard Wrasse. Hopefully they will arrive soon.
I'm finding that the LFS here are lacking as well. They all seem to have the same corals with nothing really outstanding or interesting. It's the same with the fish. Maybe online is the way to go? I still try to support the LFS when I can, but sometimes they don't help themselves. I ordered two Royal Grammas with one shop. I was still waiting three months later so I cancelled the order.
SPR
Well-Known Member
I actually don’t know what’s wrong with some of the shops. I have 2 I use, one has been open throughout the current mess with distancing and precautions. The other and the best for fish, has been closed throughout other than a service counter selling food etc. It’s still closed
Both have virtually zero online presence so hardly sell anything online, well not to me anyway. I use Charterhouse in London for virtually all my equipment and everything even frozen food. I spent over £20,000 just on equipment for the new tank with them and now get a special discount for everything. Non of that went to the LFS, because they can’t provide the service which is ridiculous.
They provide next day delivery on everything, from 150 miles away wereas if I get it from the LFS it might take 2-3 weeks if I’m lucky. So I don’t buy anything from them other than live stock.
Last thing I ordered was a 5kg bucket of rowaphos, from the LFS. I can get this tomorrow if I want. It took 2 weeks!
The other thing and as you’ve said, they all seem to just stock the same old corals. green pink and beige colours. I want blue acropora’s purples sky blue pink, not boring ones, so we shall see what the new online supplier is like. The corals are the ones you see wysiwyg, so they look very nice.
Im not intending to order fish online, I’m not using QT so need someone I trust fully and that’s why I continue to support them for livestock etc.
Both have virtually zero online presence so hardly sell anything online, well not to me anyway. I use Charterhouse in London for virtually all my equipment and everything even frozen food. I spent over £20,000 just on equipment for the new tank with them and now get a special discount for everything. Non of that went to the LFS, because they can’t provide the service which is ridiculous.
They provide next day delivery on everything, from 150 miles away wereas if I get it from the LFS it might take 2-3 weeks if I’m lucky. So I don’t buy anything from them other than live stock.
Last thing I ordered was a 5kg bucket of rowaphos, from the LFS. I can get this tomorrow if I want. It took 2 weeks!
The other thing and as you’ve said, they all seem to just stock the same old corals. green pink and beige colours. I want blue acropora’s purples sky blue pink, not boring ones, so we shall see what the new online supplier is like. The corals are the ones you see wysiwyg, so they look very nice.
Im not intending to order fish online, I’m not using QT so need someone I trust fully and that’s why I continue to support them for livestock etc.
SPR
Well-Known Member
I’ve been getting a bit fed up with the same old corals, in particular lack of some of the nicer SPS corals in the LFS’s, so I found Masterfisch, who are based in France with a UK office. I was a little nervous but ordered 4 SPS as a test order, and they arrived today.
It was actually interesting following their journey with UPS from France, to Germany then to Castle Donnington UK and then to me all within less than 24 hours. Very impressive.
I have to say the packaging was superb, all tightly packed in a custom made box and inside that an insulated box, which is nice enough to use to carry cold drinks in! Lol
The corals bags were thick and even had what looked like pieces of carbon inside to presumably absorb any toxins during the journey.
These corals are a descent size for frags, infact large, and we’re half the price you would pay in a shop. I do buy corals from the LFS’s but the vast majority of frags come from online in particular Mail Order Corals who I also use and are very good.
Anyway, I had a email yesterday from them about a 20% sale so I’ve just ordered another 7 SPS corals. What I really like is most of the corals are wysiwyg so you get that exact peace.
The first 3 pictures below show, just taken quickly with an iPhone, show the corals from Masterfisch and the bottom picture are the ones delivered last week from Mail Order Corals all acclimatising whilst I decide we’re they will live
It was actually interesting following their journey with UPS from France, to Germany then to Castle Donnington UK and then to me all within less than 24 hours. Very impressive.
I have to say the packaging was superb, all tightly packed in a custom made box and inside that an insulated box, which is nice enough to use to carry cold drinks in! Lol
The corals bags were thick and even had what looked like pieces of carbon inside to presumably absorb any toxins during the journey.
These corals are a descent size for frags, infact large, and we’re half the price you would pay in a shop. I do buy corals from the LFS’s but the vast majority of frags come from online in particular Mail Order Corals who I also use and are very good.
Anyway, I had a email yesterday from them about a 20% sale so I’ve just ordered another 7 SPS corals. What I really like is most of the corals are wysiwyg so you get that exact peace.
The first 3 pictures below show, just taken quickly with an iPhone, show the corals from Masterfisch and the bottom picture are the ones delivered last week from Mail Order Corals all acclimatising whilst I decide we’re they will live
SPR
Well-Known Member
My nitrates are stable at around 8 in the new tank, and I already have around 26 litres of Seachem Matrix in place along with some DeNitrate.
i have big plans for more fish, and am trying to avoid using Nopox if at all possible, just because it’s something else to dose, new doser etc.
So yesterday I added another 10 litres of Matrix and 2 litres of DeNitrate. So we have 38 litres in total of media. I added the DeNitrate because they were out of stock of Matrix so I’ve just mixed this in as well.
This time I also used Seachem stability to ‘seed’ the Matrix before adding it to the system. I soaked it in a bucket of water for 2 days in stability
i have big plans for more fish, and am trying to avoid using Nopox if at all possible, just because it’s something else to dose, new doser etc.
So yesterday I added another 10 litres of Matrix and 2 litres of DeNitrate. So we have 38 litres in total of media. I added the DeNitrate because they were out of stock of Matrix so I’ve just mixed this in as well.
This time I also used Seachem stability to ‘seed’ the Matrix before adding it to the system. I soaked it in a bucket of water for 2 days in stability
SPR
Well-Known Member
Generally every Sunday, I turn the Abyzz a200 down to allow the water level to drop In the main tank so that water stops going down the down pipes
I then make up a mix of Red Sea Reef Energy and also a Reef Roids along with some fish food, and then add it to the system and let it just flow around for about 30-45 minutes (or until I get bored! Lol).
I also purchased some Polyp Booster but to be honest I can’t see it makes any difference so won’t be replacing it when it runs out.
Anyway, while the water isnt flowing here’s a few pictures of the engine room. The plastic container in front of the skimmer is my ‘skim mate locker’ which has just been emptied and would normally sit inside the sump with the drain hose into it.
You can also see what 38 litres of Seachem Matrix/DeNitrate looks like in place, but just remember this is a big sump compartment
The main ATO remains a modified Tunze Osmolator, and the red/white float and bracket you can see is the back up ATO which is basically a gravity fed system that at the moment will last about 3 days and so far has never been called upon. I can make it last longer with a few modifications.
The scissors and stapler, is for when I replace the filter roll on the X Filter, and the small cup is for mixing up the coral food, before anyone asks! Lol
I then make up a mix of Red Sea Reef Energy and also a Reef Roids along with some fish food, and then add it to the system and let it just flow around for about 30-45 minutes (or until I get bored! Lol).
I also purchased some Polyp Booster but to be honest I can’t see it makes any difference so won’t be replacing it when it runs out.
Anyway, while the water isnt flowing here’s a few pictures of the engine room. The plastic container in front of the skimmer is my ‘skim mate locker’ which has just been emptied and would normally sit inside the sump with the drain hose into it.
You can also see what 38 litres of Seachem Matrix/DeNitrate looks like in place, but just remember this is a big sump compartment
The main ATO remains a modified Tunze Osmolator, and the red/white float and bracket you can see is the back up ATO which is basically a gravity fed system that at the moment will last about 3 days and so far has never been called upon. I can make it last longer with a few modifications.
The scissors and stapler, is for when I replace the filter roll on the X Filter, and the small cup is for mixing up the coral food, before anyone asks! Lol
Just an observation, but the water level seems a bit high in the Sump? If you switch everything off, does the DT empty a lot of water into the Sump as on the S-650?
Next question. With the TECO you can move the 'top' so it vents from the side. Are you considering venting into the side compartment as would this help the main Sump area from overheating?
Next question. With the TECO you can move the 'top' so it vents from the side. Are you considering venting into the side compartment as would this help the main Sump area from overheating?