GT's first reef - Reefer 170

[GTBlackIce]

Hey y'all...Greetings from the other end of the world!!! [emoji16]

Long time lurker (>2yrs) in RS and especially on RSM Owner's forum...and after all these years I'm pleased to finally be on-board and be part of the Red Sea owners' club.

Bought a Reefer 170 today, to deliver in a couple of days. Super excited as it wouldn't only be my first time going sw but I've been told I'll be the first Reefer owner to have one physically in the country (Malaysia)!!! (Yippee!!! [emoji1]) Anyway, enough of boasting.....there are still lots for me to learn in reef keeping so hope to obtain guidance from y'all as my journey begins...

Based on what I've read and all, well these are the equipment I'm getting (apart from the Reefer 170, of course):

- Radion XR15W pro
- RMS mount
- Vortech MP10w QD
- Reef Octopus NWB-110-SSS
- D-D FL-3000 pump (as return, through chiller)
- CaribSea Fiji pink sand (20lbs x2)
- Tune care magnet (long)
- Unbranded refractometer (this was sold at a few lbs, was told it's good enough)
- Red Sea Pro salt (7kg bucket) - I'm getting mixed feedback from different lbs comparing it against D-D's H2ocean salt, so if anyone could provide an unbiased experience please drop me a PM. Thanks!

Well, those are what I've paid for (cost a bomb as everything is multiplied by at least 4.4x due to the forex and all). I've yet to buy the rocks as stock is coming in only next week (can't find dry rocks at the lfs around here so I've got no option but to go live rocks).

I'll be re-using my Hailea HS28a chiller which I'm currently using for my planted shrimp tank, so I get to save up on this part. I was told I could also reuse my API freshwater test kit to test on saltwater (albeit different color scheme is used) - can someone verify this? Hope to save up a lil if I could on this as I'd still have to get test kits for other parameters not in the kit.

Hope I've got pretty much what are required on the initial startup...I didn't miss anything now did I? As for RO water, will be using the existing RO drinking machine I've got at home (unsure of it's DI too).

Oh yes, was also informed I could use the Prodibio Digest I have during tank cycle...and add on Microbacter 7 along with it as it'll somehow help on controlling the diatom bloom eventually. Could someone comment on this?

Here's what the Reefer 170 is replacing:


And a sneak peek of what is to be mine soon [emoji16] :


Unfortunately there's a chip to the door right next to the 'Red Sea' logo (bummer), so the lfs owner will get it replaced for me.

Can't wait to start reefing!!!


- Gary

Sent from my SGP612 using Tapatalk

 

[DianaKay]

Hi Gary
Cheers for starting a tank thread with your very 1st post
Your new set up sounds exciting & your previous one sure is beautiful too!
I think you'll have an amazing reef...Patience is must with SW.
So what are most interested in keeping in your RSM Reefer after it cycles?

Hope you make yourself at home here and post lots of progress
pictures as you go.
Very BEST WISHES....

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Hi Gary - great 1stb post and great to have another member join RS and RSM Club family from around the world !

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

Cheers for starting a tank thread & share your lovely new tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

Look forward to your build !!!

On the Prodibio Digest and add on Microbacter 7 ... see what others think... I have always just gone old school cycling, added a deli shrimp (prawn) and let it rot.

Cycling tank:

Watch for the ammonia to soar then fall to zero, then the nitrites soar & then fall to zero, then the nitrates soar, once this happens, do water changes to get rid of the nitrates - tank cycled

Depending on the state of your LR (how cured it was & how much die off it had), in general it will look something like this...

Here a read read on the cycle:

http://reefsanctuary.com/forum/inde...on-cycling-breaking-in-a-new-reef-tank.26180/

 

[Squatch XXL]

@GTBlackIce

If you can keep a planted FW tank that nice, you very well understand the patience required to maintain a reef. I highly doubt that your water filter is also DI, but it could be....I just highly doubt it. Check out the unit, and compare the model number on the web, and visually verify that it is the same. It is possible to add a DI filter to the existing unit depending on MFR.

Good luck with the build! I am excited for you!

 

[GTBlackIce]

Wow!!! First off I'm honored to see familiar names replying in my thread... Thanks much!!! [emoji1]

Since I've yet to get my tank and all I'll just blabber a lil on how I got myself into this...if you don't mind [emoji12]

Hi Gary
Cheers for starting a tank thread with your very 1st post
Your new set up sounds exciting & your previous one sure is beautiful too!
I think you'll have an amazing reef...Patience is must with SW.
So what are most interested in keeping in your RSM Reefer after it cycles?

Hope you make yourself at home here and post lots of progress
:camera[emoji14]ictures as you go.
Very BEST WISHES....

Thanks Diana, your tank is one of those that inspired me since I started lurking here once upon a time ago. Glad to see your tank is still thriving to-date. Hope to achieve the same stability as yours in the near future [emoji6]

Well, I started that tank as missus didn't want me to get a 'big' tank...as (for me,back then) it was a little to small for me to start off with a sw tank (only 7g - 30cm cube) without prior experience (what people mentioned about don't start small, many issues, etc. put me off) so I decided to go planted...and to be slightly 'exotic' kept ornamental shrimps (caridina & neo-caridina species) instead, and added some borarras brigittae, strawberry and galaxy rasboras at a later stage. Well it was 2 years since, and apart from me no one else in the family seem to be interested in that tank...so decided to try sw after being inspired by NanoTopia's tank over at nano-reef, which was beautifully done on a same 30cm cube.

Went to my usual lfs...spoke about getting overflow done on my tank, building a small sump and all (spent quite some time on this actually, lol)...almost went ahead to get the sump custom made till the devil in me told me "No, Gary... Don't convert it...it's too small...go bigger...remember the Reefer series you saw recently while surfing the net? Yeah...that...GO FOR IT!!!" [emoji48])

So decided to try my luck, showed the missus a very nice pic of the Reefer Nano (white) one fine evening and said "this is nice, ain't it?"
Her: "What's the size of it?"
Me: "Oh, it's just 45x45cm"
Her: "And the current tank?"
Me: "30cm...so it's just 15cm bigger. Looks sleek in white doesn't it?"
Her: "Mmmm..."

Then showed her NanoTopia's tank:

Me: "Look at this, awesomely done"
Her: "Yeah, it ain't easy doing that...doubt you could"
Me: "We'll see..."

Yes!!! No objection!!! Stage 1 cleared!!! [emoji322]

That's when I started my mission contacting several lfs asking about the availability of the Reefer tank, and only one has it (thus far). I was then told no Nano version will be brought into the country...the smallest being 170, so I was like "bummer" (but the devil in me was like "Hell Yeah, go for it man!!! The bigger the better!!!") So...there I was...at the lfs yesterday... Negotiating the final deal on my equipment (prior correspondences were done when I was away on biz trip recently, lol).

So here I am...anxiously waiting for the arrival of the beautiful Reefer 170 tomorrow... And lil does the missus know (at least not yet, till she returns from the in-laws...lol) that the "only 15cm longer" would actually turn out to be double the size of the current halfway de-comm tank. Hope I get to keep my head once she sees it. Very likely to get an earful first [emoji5]

Hi Gary - great 1stb post and great to have another member join RS and RSM Club family from around the world !

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

Cheers for starting a tank thread & share your lovely new tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

Look forward to your build !!!

On the Prodibio Digest and add on Microbacter 7 ... see what others think... I have always just gone old school cycling, added a deli shrimp (prawn) and let it rot.

Cycling tank:

Watch for the ammonia to soar then fall to zero, then the nitrites soar & then fall to zero, then the nitrates soar, once this happens, do water changes to get rid of the nitrates - tank cycled

Depending on the state of your LR (how cured it was & how much die off it had), in general it will look something like this...

Here a read read on the cycle:

http://reefsanctuary.com/forum/inde...on-cycling-breaking-in-a-new-reef-tank.26180/

Thanks much Glenn and glad to see your reply. Appreciate the chart on cycling... A useful reminder since the last tank cycling done was 2 years ago [emoji1]

@GTBlackIce

If you can keep a planted FW tank that nice, you very well understand the patience required to maintain a reef. I highly doubt that your water filter is also DI, but it could be....I just highly doubt it. Check out the unit, and compare the model number on the web, and visually verify that it is the same. It is possible to add a DI filter to the existing unit depending on MFR.

Good luck with the build! I am excited for you!

Thanks Squatch. It wasn't easy at all and yeah it was a real test of patience back then...attempting a 1-month dry start method on the plants and another month on cycle [emoji29] Yeah, my unit isn't DI, you're right...would it be an issue if it's just RO?

Test of patience back then:

Day 1 (initial scape attempt):


Day 11 (final scape):


Day 1 (planting - dry start method):


Day 30 (didn't work out well, still DSM):


Day 57 (after Day 30 failure, flooded tank and started cycle):


In between there and then there were battle against bha, gha, etc., but managed to pull through and first hardy shrimps went in the tank as cuc in Day 57.

So here I am...2 years later...dismantling it...and starting my new journey into setting up a mix reef instead. More pictures to follow once the tank arrives!!!

Cheers!
-Gary

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[newo11]

Looking forward to seeing this tank come together.

That's a beautiful planted tank - it's a shame that you are planning on taking it down. Or are you planning on moving it somewhere (assuming if course that the mrs. doesn't object too badly[emoji15])

 

[GTBlackIce]

Looking forward to seeing this tank come together.

That's a beautiful planted tank - it's a shame that you are planning on taking it down. Or are you planning on moving it somewhere (assuming if course that the mrs. doesn't object too badly[emoji15])

Thanks newo...so do I. Truly look forward to it as it has always been my dream to own a reef tank [emoji4]

I'm afraid not, albeit a pity and with a heavy heart (somewhat, as I get to replace with a reef tank instead [emoji12]) I have to go only one tank... Due to space limitation and I've got a vivarium to look after as well...

Current state of the tank half an hour ago:


The ex inhabitants:

(only the neos were thriving, not the caridinas)

But I'll definitely miss my borraras brigittae (such colorful small fishes):


Whatever livestock in that tank was given to a friend of mine, so I'm glad to know they're in good hands.

What's left in it go into the trash can, gonna be cleaning up the tank and equipment and hope to sell it off soon. Gonna be an exciting AM session tomorrow as I was told my new baby will be delivered by noon time. Yippee!!! [emoji122] [emoji1] [emoji322]

Sent from my Xperia Z3

 

[spiraling]

I love your FW tank, too bad you took it down, but a new adventure awaits!
With your aquascaping skills I can't wait to see what you do with the reefer

 

[GTBlackIce]

I love your FW tank, too bad you took it down, but a new adventure awaits!
With your aquascaping skills I can't wait to see what you do with the reefer

Thanks spiraling, I like it too but unfortunately wasn't much of a shared sentiment with the other family members. Am planning to make this reef a family thing so hopefully I'll get more involvement (who doesn't like clownfish?[emoji12])

Scaping is one thing, finding the right rocks are always the toughest part for me... So hopefully with the new rocks arrival next week I'll have better options [emoji6]

Counting down the hours to the tank arrival now... I'll likely dream of it later lol [emoji23]

Cheers!

-Gary

Sent from my Xperia Z3

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

 

[GTBlackIce]

[emoji33] [emoji33] [emoji33]

I just dreamt of it...and I dreamt of you too Glenn!!! LMAO!!! [emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]

OK time for dreamland...[emoji42]

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[mtsully71]

Really cool tank, can't wait to so what ya do.

Sully

 

[GTBlackIce]

Really cool tank, can't wait to so what ya do.

Sully

Thanks Sully!

First off... I'm alive!!! Mrs didn't chop my head off! Yeehaw!!! [emoji23]

So the tank was delivered yesterday morning by a nice guy and his girlfriend. As he helped to set things up, I didn't take any photos of unboxing (guess y'all have seen enough of that anyway). Well the good thing was, the chipped door of the stand had been replaced (with the 350's) so I got a nice stand delivered.

The unfortunate thing, however, was I found out some hairline scratches on the top right (front) of the tank both on the outer and inner part of the glass. It was a heartbreaker as I was expecting top notch sleek looking tank with no scratches whatsoever. Proper care was taken to ensure no harm would come to the tank and such, so this was definitely a default from manufacturer's site [emoji24] [emoji24] [emoji24] Perhaps I'm a perfectionist when it comes to these sorta stuff...still a disappointment nonetheless. What a 'gift' to the first Reefer owner in the country [emoji29]

Anyway y'all don't wanna listen to my sob story on the scratches so here's the moment we've all been waiting for.....photos!!!

First, the other equipment that came with the tank:



Tank's up!!! [emoji122] [emoji322] :




What's underneath:

The RO 110-sss fits nicely in the sump with space left for mini reactor / chaeto if needed. I like the amount of space left, could mount / place some stuff eventually without fear of it dropping into the sump.

Radion mounted:



Test mount with short rail:

It's currently on the longer rail... Do ya think this short rail would suffice in terms on support (looks sleeker though, no sharp end protruding at the back) or should I just stick with the longer rail?

Question to those with RMS mount: There's a slight droop to the front due to the weight of light, couldn't get it to sit 45 degree straight no matter how I tried - is this normal?

And to those (like me, before) wondering about the cutout piece on the overflow box... Here's how it looks like:


Had to cut the thin plastic with my x-acto knife (first injury encountered), but overall it was quite easy and the cutout helps to align the mount right in the center. Got over excited in setting it up I didn't notice I could remove the spacer (yes,didn't read the instructions properly [emoji12]) so the screw cover ended up in 2 separate pieces instead of one [emoji5]

The Radion came with the 80 degree lenses pre-installed, but I've changed it to the wide angle. Light spread seems to be too wide, will change it back to the 80 degree lens to see how the spread is. Anyone could comment on which would be the better lens to use on this tank?

Also, being a complete noob to this... I'm currently using the default ESL setting for the light. Could someone recommend me a good setting? I'm seeing quite a few shared at www.aquaticlog.com but unsure which would suit me better. Advice is very much appreciated.

The only thing I could do for now is to clean the parts and tanks. Off for rock hunt next Saturday. The inner space available for rockscape seems to be smaller than what I expected, so hopefully I'll get some nice small rocks to piece together and work out a good scape.

That's all the update I have for now. More questions to come for sure in coming posts... [emoji16]

Cheers!
-Gary

Sent from my Xperia Z3

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Looks great Gary !

Hopefully some can advise on the questions...

 

[newo11]

Looking good!

 

[GTBlackIce]

Looking good!

Looks great Gary !

Hopefully some can advise on the questions...

Thank ya both [emoji4]

Took some time to finally clean the whole tank, sump and tank today. Noticed the potential 'flaw' I've came across some that mentioned about leak on the return pipe. Had to tighten up more on the hose connector where the o-rings sits. Wonder why the design is such and not a single piece. Hopefully I wouldn't encounter the same leak issue once I fill it.

Again OT, wife and kids seem to like if not love the tank so that's a great start in getting the family involved. My daughter liked it so much she thinks I got it for her. Her response when she first saw it was "[emoji33] Daddy... I like the tank very much... Thanks a lot Dad! [emoji7]" jumps right at me and gave me a big hug... Which is kinda rare lately lol)

Then again... What's not to love about the sleek looking tank... RS did a good job on this series (albeit kinda pricey [emoji12])

Can't wait to get me hands on some rocks!!! [emoji1]

Cheers!
-Gary

Sent from my Xperia Z3

 

[GTBlackIce]

Hiya folks!

Sorry ain't got nothing to update yet on the tank's progress, and if all goes well my lfs would be getting the live rocks this Friday - which means I could get my hands on some on Saturday. With that, I got a few questions (sorry I'm the type that needs to do research and getting as much info before I do anything, so hope you don't mind the questions) :

1) Should I scape the rocks on egg crate or just on glass?
2) Is it really necessary to mix the salt with water temperature of +/-78F? Am using Red Sea coral pro salt (due to the initial volume required I'll be buying the RO (non DI) somewhere)
3) During tank cycle, should I or should I not turn the light on? If yes, 6hrs would suffice? That's what I did on my previous tank cycling stage
4) Should the skimmer be turned on to break in as well?
5) This may sound stupid (pardon the noobiness) but IF I'm to place the MP10 at the back on the tank (next to the overflow) would there be significant impact on the flow of the opposite corner? E.g. If I'm to place it on the back-right I'll likely be getting low flow on back-left - or it depends on the rockscape eventually? Reason for this silly idea is I'm hoping to 'conceal' the MP10 (by not having anything protruding out from the sides) [emoji5]

Well, just for the fun of it I've turned on the Radion and messed with the settings... Had a pleasant surprise yesterday while I was having my dinner...flashes of light all of a sudden. That's when I remembered I've actually set the storm probability at 50% when I was messing around with the settings lol [emoji23] No repetition of it today [emoji12]

Thanks!


-Gary

Sent from my SGP612 using Tapatalk

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Hey Gary - feel free to ask any question you have, we all have had similar question at some point in time along our sw journey

You will find many times there no one way or "right" answer, so getting input from different members is a great way to learn... so with that I will add some of my thoughts below...
1) Should I scape the rocks on egg crate or just on glass? I added sand & wiggled my rock down into it, others like egg create - imo - either will work

2) Is it really necessary to mix the salt with water temperature of +/-78F? Am using Red Sea coral pro salt (due to the initial volume required I'll be buying the RO (non DI) somewhere)

My best advise... is follow this sticky from Red Sea & you will have success... I do when I use it
Mixing Red Sea Coral Pro salt

3) During tank cycle, should I or should I not turn the light on? If yes, 6hrs would suffice? That's what I did on my previous tank cycling stage - imo - either way is fine, when you turn them on you will have algae grow & run it's course - others go lights out during the cycle, me, I would run my light a few hours a day to enjoy the tank & enjoy rock watching, then increase the light cycle each week by an hour or 2 each week as th cycle progresses... usually 4 - 8 weeks, depending on the state of your LR
Here a great read...
Newbies, a little something on cycling/breaking in a new reef tank.

4) Should the skimmer be turned on to break in as well? I would run it, it won't hurt and will allow it to break in, if you want (I didn't) you can dump what it skims back in... it may not do a lot, until you have some bio-load

5) This may sound stupid (pardon the noobiness) but IF I'm to place the MP10 at the back on the tank (next to the overflow) would there be significant impact on the flow of the opposite corner? E.g. If I'm to place it on the back-right I'll likely be getting low flow on back-left - or it depends on the rockscape eventually? Reason for this silly idea is I'm hoping to 'conceal' the MP10 (by not having anything protruding out from the sides)

not sure here... my guess, you will be fine

Hope this helps, see what others think...

 

[NickF]

I'd second everything Glenn said above.
In my c130 I added sand first then just pushed my rock in until they were very stable, I don't egg crates were necessary. You will probably end up rescaping several times before you are happy anyway. I think I had my lights on for approx 8 hours a day when I was cycling, it's surprising how interesting it just watching the life on the live rocks. I did have my skimmer on when I was cycling but I don't think it matters too much either way. I've got my mp10 in the middle on the left hand side of the tank, but they are very powerful so I don't think it would be a problem if it was further back.

I've got to say I love the look of the 170 reefer, if I had to advise someone I'd tell them to go for that rather than the c130. Looks great in white too.

Can't wait to see how you get on, if it's as nice as your FW tank it's going to be tops.

 

[GTBlackIce]

I'd second everything Glenn said above.
In my c130 I added sand first then just pushed my rock in until they were very stable, I don't egg crates were necessary. You will probably end up rescaping several times before you are happy anyway. I think I had my lights on for approx 8 hours a day when I was cycling, it's surprising how interesting it just watching the life on the live rocks. I did have my skimmer on when I was cycling but I don't think it matters too much either way. I've got my mp10 in the middle on the left hand side of the tank, but they are very powerful so I don't think it would be a problem if it was further back.

I've got to say I love the look of the 170 reefer, if I had to advise someone I'd tell them to go for that rather than the c130. Looks great in white too.

Can't wait to see how you get on, if it's as nice as your FW tank it's going to be tops.

Thanks Nick.

I'm hoping not having to meddle much if at all once the scape is done. Will be scaping out of the tank before I placed it in, just to be on the safe side as it's a precious tank lol

Gotcha on the skimmer. I'll turn it on and keep the light on too for a shorter duration. I'll have to check on the C130's design later to understand the positioning of your MP10 [emoji6] Thanks for sharing your positioning.

The 170 does look great and it's a sleek unit from top to bottom. Yeah it'll be a good recommendation. As I've been told, I guess this would be the better option for a start on the smaller scale compared to the nano which is a 45cm cube. The additional water volume and space available in the stand from sump to side wall is nice. If it were the nano there's no space left.

Well this would be a good size for me to start my learning curve on reefing. Would definitely be looking at bigger tank in future... But it wouldn't happen in the next few years for sure [emoji1]

Thanks for the compliment. I hope I'm able to come up with a nice scape too...

Hey Gary - feel free to ask any question you have, we all have had similar question at some point in time along our sw journey

You will find many times there no one way or "right" answer, so getting input from different members is a great way to learn... so with that I will add some of my thoughts below...
1) Should I scape the rocks on egg crate or just on glass? I added sand & wiggled my rock down into it, others like egg create - imo - either will work

2) Is it really necessary to mix the salt with water temperature of +/-78F? Am using Red Sea coral pro salt (due to the initial volume required I'll be buying the RO (non DI) somewhere)

My best advise... is follow this sticky from Red Sea & you will have success... I do when I use it
Mixing Red Sea Coral Pro salt

3) During tank cycle, should I or should I not turn the light on? If yes, 6hrs would suffice? That's what I did on my previous tank cycling stage - imo - either way is fine, when you turn them on you will have algae grow & run it's course - others go lights out during the cycle, me, I would run my light a few hours a day to enjoy the tank & enjoy rock watching, then increase the light cycle each week by an hour or 2 each week as th cycle progresses... usually 4 - 8 weeks, depending on the state of your LR
Here a great read...
Newbies, a little something on cycling/breaking in a new reef tank.

4) Should the skimmer be turned on to break in as well? I would run it, it won't hurt and will allow it to break in, if you want (I didn't) you can dump what it skims back in... it may not do a lot, until you have some bio-load

5) This may sound stupid (pardon the noobiness) but IF I'm to place the MP10 at the back on the tank (next to the overflow) would there be significant impact on the flow of the opposite corner? E.g. If I'm to place it on the back-right I'll likely be getting low flow on back-left - or it depends on the rockscape eventually? Reason for this silly idea is I'm hoping to 'conceal' the MP10 (by not having anything protruding out from the sides)

not sure here... my guess, you will be fine

Hope this helps, see what others think...

Thanks much Glenn!!!

Reason why I'm considering the egg crate is coz this tank scratches too easily. I'm trying to avoid creating any more scratches from the ones that came with it [emoji16]

Appreciate the RS link. That temp was suggested by my lfs guy, to dunk a bottle of frozen ice in the bucket - let it cool down to the temp then start mixing. Ambient temp here is unfortunately high @ 84-86F (not to mention high humidity as well). I'll give a good read on that instructions. Cheers!

Wasn't sure if there's much difference between fw and sw, but I had my light on then at a shorter period to minimize the algae bloom. Seems it'll pretty much be the same concept here.

Alrighty then, I'll get the skimmer running and give it a head start.

Will give it a try on the MP10 placement. I've seen the flow drawing at Ecotech's site, theoretically it looks to be somewhat workable... But I guess time will tell [emoji4]

Oh yeah I think you did ask me on your initial post on what I intend to have in the tank... Well I've got some ideas but I'll bring it up once I start my cycle... Hehe!

Thanks for the input guys!!! [emoji482]


Cheers!
-Gary

Sent from my Xperia Z3