Getting new RSM need some help please.

[drizahy4]

Hello all,

I haven't had a reef tank for about 5-8 years(55 gal.) and now I am returning. I am looking to get my hands on a RSM 130D. I have seen the faults with the original 130 but the wife is sold on the clean look and design. I am located in Staten Island NY and still remember how horrible the water could be in the city. I already ordered a Mighty Mite and TDS meter from Air, Water, & Ice. Before getting the tank I want to gather the rest of my materials and possibly see if I am missing anything which hopefully the community can help me out with.

130D TANK
Substrate - Caribbean Live Sand Fine Oolite Substrate 40 lbs
Filtration - Chemi-Pure Elite 11.74 oz
Filtration - Purigen 100 ml. w/ mesh bag
Testing - Refractometer (Dr. F&S) and fluid for the long run.
Testing - Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Reef Master Liquid Test Kit
Testing - Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit
Circulation - Hydor Koralia 2
Heater - Stealth Heater 150W

Water Mixing
Pump - not sure if I should just order a second K2
Salt - Red Sea Coral Pro
Heater - Stealth Heater 150W
Bucket - dunno if I should just grab a new one and rinse out with RO/Di water? To make sure no residue left.

Things I would like to know is what dosing chemicals should I get. I am aware of the POS Skimmer. I am going to see how the 130D skimmer works off the start. Other than that the 9002 is on the list to come right after. Other than that I will be ordering the LR when all the materials are here and the water will be made around the same time to kick start the system. As you can see from above I will be using Chemi-pure and Purigen although some say it should not be needed.

Thanks to all your help to get me off the ground for a second time in the reef world.

 

[slakker]

I'd get a Auto Top Off device as well... I find it really helpful to set-and-forget so that the salinity won't fluctuate.

I'm about to mod the skimmer to see if I can get a bit higher skim.

Also, don't forget the Live Rock.

 

[drizahy4]

Oops may have deleted that when I was fixing the layout. The plan was to go with about 40+ lbs. cured of Fiji style rock.

 

[Reefmack]

drizahy4 - Welcome to Reef Santuary and the RSM Club! It sounds like you've got it all very well planned. I agree - give the modified skimmer than comes with the 130D a chance to see how it performs. IMO I wouldn't worry about dosing chemicals till you've had things set up and running for a while, and know what your water parameters stabilize at. I add a 2-part Ca/Alk to keep those parameters in line, and periodically add some Magnesium. I was using Kent Tech CB and Kent Tech M, but recently switched to Bulk Reef Supply material to save some money by making the stuff myself (not very tough to add water LOL!). I wouldn't add any more than 40 lbs. of rock as some of your corals will come on rock, and sometimes pretty big pieces. As always just my opinions.

By the way, I just throw a low cost MJ 400 pump in my SW mixing bucket, and an old heater. Any pump is fine and no reason to spend a lot of money just to stir water in a bucket. I don't even attach the MJ anymore - I just lay it in the bottom of the bucket and it actually works better that way.

 

[steveh]

Good luck with your RSM. Please note that a Red Sea Max starter kit is available which includes substrate, salt, tests, supplements etc. However should you choose separate items please note that some chemicals and salts contain chemicals which can cause over-skimming and microbubbles (chemicals such as edta for example). Our advise would be that if you run the Max with live rock, are patient and follow the pretty comprehensive manual, mods are completely unnecessary. However that's not to criticise those who love to drill, glue, add, remove bits! Whatever works for you is good for us! Check out www.redseamax.com where you will find loads of useful tips. Happy reefkeeping.

 

[slakker]

... Our advise would be that if you run the Max with live rock, are patient and follow the pretty comprehensive manual, mods are completely unnecessary. However that's not to criticise those who love to drill, glue, add, remove bits! Whatever works for you is good for us! ...

Hahahhahaha.... More than half the fun is in the modding for me! I really like the engineering and design of the stock system, really well thought out.

As feedback, for future iterations of your design, it would be good if you can have a larger area for the "chiller access". I put my Tunze Osmolator in there so have no room for chiller hoses, so when I add that, I'll be modding the hood or the back.

 

[drizahy4]

So I called up a few places to see whats the status on the 130D and they responded with they are no longer sure when it will be shipping out. It was peviously a couple days but now who knows. Not sure weather I should wait on the 130D or grab a current 130. The D looks to be 100 bucks more. In the long run which can save from buyin and modding skimmer and more...

Really tossed up. Red Seas website is down so maybe thats a hit of an update pending. My mighty mite is here and the rest of the items on the list has been ordered. Hopefully can update this on the weekend to say the 130D is out.

 

[sprintermike]

Whoa, the D is going to be $100 more? None of the improvements I saw for the D really seemed to be huge, any info on the price?

 

[drizahy4]

what I have seen is the D near the 845 mark with starter kit. Which I have yet to see any place that is not gonna put the kit in yet. So now it's the choice between waiting to see if the difference is just to drive out the rest of the 130s out or is it gonna be intact a gamble for the 100 bucks and crossing fingers on "newer" design.

 

[drizahy4]

what I have seen is the D near the 845 mark with starter kit. Which I have yet to see any place that is not gonna put the kit in yet. So now it's the choice between waiting to see if the difference is just to drive out the rest of the 130s out or is it gonna be intact a gamble for the 100 bucks and crossing fingers on "newer" design. Or lastly convince the wife that a bigger tank is needed for what she thinks is cute.

 

[Reefmack]

Just my opinion, but if the skimmer in the 130D performs well, that would save at least $100 from having to possibly later replace the skimmer with a new Tunze 9002. The other upgrades sound interesting too. Time will tell. If it's like the RSM, there will be better prices at some online dealers than others, and versus the local lfs. I think the price has gone up on the current RSM by about $100 since I got mine about 17 months ago, and I did a lot of price hunting at that time to get a price about $100 less than the major online lfs. If I was RSM hunting I might very well go for the 130D.

 

[drizahy4]

*Update*
After finding out that the 130D is still not due to supposedly November I caved to temptation/the wife and son wanting a clown fish already. So here is what I ordered. I am awaiting conformation as well as the wait on the actual RSM since it is coming from Red Sea itself.

• 
  1 - OCEAN DIRECT OOLITE 40 LBS.
  1 - FLO ROTATING WATER DEFLECTOR
  1 - MAXI JET PH 400
  2 - THE BAG FILTER BAG SINGLE PACK
  1 - REEF MASTER KIT - API
  1 - KORALIA 2
  1 - SALT MASTER LIQUID KIT- API
  1 - CHEMI PURE ELITE 11.74 OZ.
  1 - PURIGEN 250 ML
  1 - RED SEA MAX COMPLETE PACKAGE - BLACK
  1 - 150W VISI-THERM STEALTH HEATER

I skipped on the skimmer and will order it when I place my next order probly in another week or 2. The total so far came out to just over $900 shipped. So next is to find a good place online for Live Rock. Anyone have good sugestions? Also if anyone uses Chemi-Pure/Purigen how often do you change it/rinse it? If you rinse it, do you use fresh saltwater?

 

[Reefmack]

drizahy4 - I think you're wise to wait on the skimmer & give the RSM skimmer a chance. You've been in this before, and you know how easy it is to pour money into these little glass boxes of water!

Chemi-Pure Elite say 6 months, but I change mine about every three. If you rinse it, rinse it gently in water change water - the ferric oxide in it can be disintegrated pretty quickly if you mess with the bag too much.

Purigen can be reused by regenerating it in bleach, rinsing, and then putting it in some water with a bleach killer like Prime. I do that, then air dry it. My Purigen bags usually break before I get to reuse them more than a few times. Seachem told me it can be regenerated 6 times.

Lots of live rock outfits. I got mine from reefscience.com. It was very well cured, and with the addition of some Bio-Spira I never had a measurable cycle, even after adding fish within a week. I'm a real Bio-Spira fan, and have used both FW and SW versions. Fully cured (not just cured or pre-cured) rock is higher priced, but IMO worth it if you can afford it. It can really speed up a cycle.

 

[tyleratl]

Hi Dri... You were wise not to throw money into a brand new skimmer. The Red Sea Max skimmer is fine. And, there is a simple modification that you can do that will make it perform better, IMO. SWFish came up with this and several on here have done this mod. Basically, you drill a hole into the top right hand side of the skimmer cup and then connect the skimmer air intake hose to the hole. This acts as a bit of a vacuum to help the skimmate rise to the top. Also, I just cleaned my skimmer pump and skimmer housing after nine months and found that the cleaning helped improve the performance as well. The pumps do need cleaning after six months, so I was about three months overdue.

 

[Reefmack]

drizahy4 - if you haven't had time to read all the threads in the RSM section, here's one with the skimmer mod that tyleratl mentioned. Easy, and it usually works to improve things:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html

Save your money & try it if needed.

 

[drizahy4]

OK the tank was sent from Red Sea at the end of last week. I don't know exactly when it should arrive since I'm in the north east. I looked at the LR from reefscience.com and for 40lbs is gonna come out to near $300. Thats at a bit over 6 bucks a pound. A tad rough IMO. I haven't really seen much pictures of the rock they offer so I am a bit on edge weather to order from them or not. Anybody else have other places on-line or can recommend. I viewed our vendors forums but its always a shot in the dark.

 

[Reefmack]

drizahy4 - I don't know if there are any local reef clubs near you, but mine often has people selling rock at a low price. FYI - I think I paid a bit over $8/lb., figuring in the overnight shipping, for my reefscience rock - good, fully cured rock, but pretty expensive I agree.

 

[drizahy4]

Okay update time. I will post pictures later but the tank arrived fine minus a few complications.
First I ordered from petsolutions.com Very fast easy to work with. Only problem came with the drop ship of the tank from RedSea. They did not want to bring it into the building I live in and the company doing the delivery "Yellow" wanted to charge me an extra $20 to bring it upstairs. I was not at home my pregnant wife was only one there. She was very upset to say the least about the situation.

Secondly not sure why but the pins that go into the hinge to hold the hood to the arm did not come in the kit at all. The pins that lock the arm to the tank are there when I took the tank out but none other. So it does bother me when I have to open the hood that it can slip and slam shut for right now.
The Startup kit came with it. The Salt is a big block all solid. Other than that I believe thats it for the issues I came across.

So on to the good news and a few questions that are repetitive but as we all know as reefers the setup is the most important part of the tank. I got my Mighty Mite set up and running. I would suggest going to home depot and picture up a metal fitting instead of the plastic one they supply. I tried the plastic one and it stripped with the water pressure low. My input water was 40-50 TDS and output was a clean 0 TDS.
I don't have a lot of space so I am going to do it a little bit hard and start with mixing the water in the tank with about 3/4 of the water in to start. Add the salt and get it up to the 1.023 then add the 40 lbs of CaribSea Ocean Direct LS. I have will have about 3-5 Gallons on the side to top off water in the tank after the sand goes in. When the Live Rock comes I will compensate for displacement. That should basically get me off the ground and will continue to update this as it comes along.

Questions -
1. If I put the Live Sand in today which has "active bacteria" can I put the Live Rock in this weekend or even later next weekend without shocking the system into another cycle due to die off?

2. How much live rock do you actually suggest(Red Sea says 30's)? hopefully I can stay health enough to get the rock Saturday.

3. I tested the Skimmer when I had fresh water in the tank to see if I would get a bubble issue. So when I turned it on the bubbles in the chamber were not small like a regular skimmer but more full as if it was coming from a bubble wand in a tank any idea why? Is it cause of the nature of the water?

 

[Reefmack]

drizahy4 - good news on getting the tank, but a bummer on the hood pins not being in there. I assume you looked all over everything in the box for them? I can't remember if my pins were already in the hood or elsewhere in the box. If you haven't done so call or email Red Sea and I'm sure they'll get them to you as soon as possible. Calling is quicker. You may need your serial number - I think there's one on the hood and another on the back of the tank. Sounds like the salt must have picked up moisture to turn hard like that. Maybe banging the unopened bag on a hard surface will break it up. When I had mine delivered the Fed Ex guy carried it all in for me, but it's a house & first floor. I gave him a $10 tip, but he never asked for anything. To be honest, that box is heavy, and it was probably worth the $20 to have it hauled upstairs. At least your tank arrived unbroken - that's happened a few times.

I made my SW in the tank. Took forever to get enough RO/DI water made, and I then filled the tank about 2/3 - 3/4 & added the salt with the powerheads & heater going. Then I added the substrate and added mixed SW to bring the level and get the salinity OK. Much easier than mixing individual buckets of SW. Once you get the salinity OK it should be OK to add the live sand, but take out some water first. When the rock comes be sure you siphon out some water, or you'll be sloshing water over the edges (like I did). I didn't use live sand, but had my rock in the tank within 1-2 days. You'll probably get a cycle whenever you put the rock in, so may as well get it in as soon as possible and get things going.

I wouldn't even bother with the skimmer yet - it'll definitely bubble a lot with no bio-load to skim, and will take days or more till the skimmer breaks in. I added 50 lbs. rock to start, but 30 -35 may be better if you'll be adding corals. Corals often come on a hunk of rock, so I'd recommend leaving room for that to happen (wish i did).

I would run that white filter pad to remove any sand or rock dust and help the water clear faster. Just rinse it out at least every other day, or it will plug up, slow the flow through the back, lower the water level in the pump chamber, starve the pumps, and create a ton of bubbles even with no skimmer going. You can get similar filter pad material from the lfs, in a sheet, then just cut pieces to fit. The filter pads don't last forever. I use a bonded filter pad - blue on one side, white on the other, but as long as it's similar to the original white pad the color makes no difference.

As always, just my opinions based on my own experience.

 

[drizahy4]

I am starting to become disappointed in the Red Sea Coral Pro salt. It was a solid block to begin with so trying even to break it apart to be usable was a pain. I am still tweaking the SG of the tank but the salt made the RO/DI water cloudy to say the least. The amount of sediment that has built up in the rear chamber and the front of the tank is huge. I'm hoping the use of the white pad will take out as much as possible. I never had such a bad issue with mixing salt before with other brands.

Tomorrow I will be turning off the pumps for a couple of hours to add the sand in and turn them back on when some of it settles. I am off this week so pictures will be up for sure.