Joe's New RSM S400

[EdwoodWallaby]

Joe,

How far off the wall does your S400 need to be - off the wall? Isn't there a rear door that needs to be accessible?

Im looking at the different RSM models and seeing which would fit in my room with a pool table - so, being most snug to the wall is key.

Thanks in advance!

Ed

 

[JKT]

According to the setup video on youtube the tank needs to be 6" from the wall.

 

[joecas]

Joe,

How far off the wall does your S400 need to be - off the wall? Isn't there a rear door that needs to be accessible?

Im looking at the different RSM models and seeing which would fit in my room with a pool table - so, being most snug to the wall is key.

Thanks in advance!

Ed

Hi Ed,

I have my tank 5.5 inches away from the wall. The manual recommends 6" but my space is tight and every inch (or half inch) counts. I've had to access all of areas back there for maintenance and troubleshooting and it seems to be just enough room, I wouldn't go any less.

Joe

 

[joecas]

Hi All, I'm on day 51 with my RSM S400 and all seems to be going well. The only issue/concern I have is the protein skimmer isn't really bubbling much. It's the C-Skim 1800. Can someone make some suggestions of things I can check and/or adjust?

Thanks!
Joe

 

[joecas]

I guess the tank has been going through it's 'ugly phase'. I just added a bunch of CUC including:

ROUND 1 (ordered online):
Peppermint Shrimp - 1
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab - 1
Serpent Sea Star - 1
Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab - 5
Nassarius Snail - 10
Cerith Snail - 5
Astraea Turbo Snail - 10
Banded Trochus Snail - 5
Margarita Snail - 5

The above CUC were all pretty small and didn't seem to be doing the job so I added these yesterday and now the tank is really coming along!

ROUND 2 (from LFS):
Emerald Crab - 1
Sea Urchin Royal - 1
Brittle Star large - 1
Nassarius Snail Large - 3
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab large - 5
Peppermint Shrimp - 3
Margarita Snail large- 5
Astraea Turbo Snail large - 6

Here are some pics:

 

[joecas]

So, I spent over 3 hours cutting down the hair algae to about a half inch and removed all the clippings and the CUC kicked into action and wiped all the live rock completely clean! The tank looks awesome and I never had to add any chemicals. I tested the water and it is perfect. zero ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, perfect ph and salinity.

I'm dying to add some coral, but should I add fish first? Or can I add fish and coral at the same time?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Hi Joe,

The tanks about 9 week in now & cycled, so you should be able to add both fish & corals

adding a fish a month or a pair is a good rate, then wait another month before adding more fish - fish will increase your bio-load much more than corals

you should be able to add some frag corals, maybe one or two a week 3-4 a month

for some corals you should have success with starting out look here...
https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets

and pick level I & II corals
Sensitivity/Difficulty:
Level 1 - easy to care for, good corals for the novice aquarist
Level 2 - require slightly more attention than level 1 corals, but
still generally tolerant

 

[ziggy]

Hi Joe,

The tanks about 9 week in now & cycled, so you should be able to add both fish & corals

adding a fish a month or a pair is a good rate, then wait another month before adding more fish - fish will increase your bio-load much more than corals

you should be able to add some frag corals, maybe one or two a week 3-4 a month

for some corals you should have success with starting out look here...
https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets

and pick level I & II corals
Sensitivity/Difficulty:
Level 1 - easy to care for, good corals for the novice aquarist
Level 2 - require slightly more attention than level 1 corals, but
still generally tolerant

for the CUC starting with about 1 guy for each 2 gallons and working up to 1 guy per gallon tends to be the norm. in any case a gradual increase in bio load is what you want.

Love the pics

 

[joecas]

ok. maybe I went just a little overboard, but the tank was in pristine condition for adding some fish and coral and the LFS was dangerously helpful

So, I left the store with 4 very young fish: 2 clowns, 1 yellow tang, 1 heniochus
and 4 coral frags: 1 leather coral, 1 favia, 1 acan, 1 acropora

I still struggle with uploading pics every time... i'll post them separately.

 

[joecas]

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Pretty new fish & corals !

Here one tip that you will find to be wisdom along the way....
Anything the lfs tells you, before you buy - ask here....

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+25+242&pcatid=242
Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: No
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
Max. Size: 8½"

See what others think... about the butterfly fish but Live Aquaria saying there not Reef Compatible

Love the clowns & keep the tang feed well, a key imo to health & their ability to fight off ich - keep nori hung and add some vitachem to it.
http://www.marinedepot.com/Boyd_Vitachem_4_oz._Fish_Vitamin_Additives_Supplements-Boyd_Enterprises_(Chemi_Pure)-BE1131-FIADTESF-vi.html

http://www.marinedepot.com/Two_Little_Fishies_Julian_Sprung`s_Veggie_Mag_Feeding_Clip_Magnet_SeaVeggies_Seaweed_Fish_Food_Clips_Feeding_Stations-Two_Little_Fishies-TL33131-FIFDFECF-vi.html

 

[Oxylebius]

I suggest doing an extensive online search of the heniochus to make sure you can provide it with a diet that is appropriate for the fish.

Most butterfly-fish can only live in FOWLR systems b/c their diet consists of 100% sps poylps. But, there are exceptions. There are some, very few butterfly fish that can be kept with sps corals. Not many people know this or do so, but there are few. But, these fish can also be difficult to keep b/c their diet consists largely of plankton (someone with a lot of experience can sometimes get these fish to change their diet in captivity to consume frozen, flake, fresh, freeze-dried, seemingly whatever foods offered- even directly from the surface by hand). TIt is hard to transition a wild fish from plankton to a different diet, most don't transition and end up dieing. As such, there aren't many butterflies seen in our tanks.

There are a few butterflies that can be kept successfully, like the Copperband Butterflyfish.

 

[joecas]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback! In my research, I read that the general rule when adding fish to a coral reef, no butterflies and no angels.... the store convinced me that there are exceptions and the pointed out the bellus angel and the heniochus. Since the bellus (much more beautiful) was around $150, I went with the heniochus at $30.

The LFS has a 24 hr return policy, so the question is do I return the heniochus? So far, he is not paying the coral any mind, but it is very early days and the coral are just a few frags. Please feel free to post comments on this....

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Oxylebius]

As usual there is contradictory information on the internet. From my quick search of this fish, seems that they are characterized as planktivores. Apparently, they go for some inverts, not sure which ones so perhaps you may need to watch out for that.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/165626/0
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/5588

So, is it readily eating what you are feeding your other fish? If, not, you are going to have to get it to start eating regular fish food or it will starve to death.

 

[joecas]

The heniochus seems to be ok. Seems happy, it came from he same tank as the yellow tang at the LFS and they seem to keep each other company. Still not the slighted bit interested in the coral. I fed the tank Hikari frozen Mysis Shrimp and Hikari frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp and the heniochus ate as much as the others (although the clowns are much faster than the tang or heniochus and they clearly ate more), but all four ate until all the food was gone.

I have a new problem: When I came home today, the Sea Urchin appeared to be devouring the favia coral. I couldn't tell if it was after the coral or just the algae on its frag plug. I pulled it off and there was a little damage around the edge of the coral. Its seems to be staying way now, but will this be a perpetual problem? Do people usually find a new home for the sea urchin once all the green hair algae is gone?

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Oxylebius]

Urchins can be omnivorous, although I haven't heard specifically that they will go for favia coral. Most likely was going for the algae at the base. I'd watch this, it might be a perpetual problem. Once all the green hair algae is gone, you will want to feed the urchin nori sheets or large algae pellets. Urchins have a huge appetite and can eat a tremendous amount of algae in a day. They can go many months alive while starving to death, unfortunately, so you wouldn't know it was starving until it up and died on you.

 

[Oxylebius]

The heniochus seems to be ok. Seems happy, it came from he same tank as the yellow tang at the LFS and they seem to keep each other company. Still not the slighted bit interested in the coral. I fed the tank Hikari frozen Mysis Shrimp and Hikari frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp and the heniochus ate as much as the others (although the clowns are much faster than the tang or heniochus and they clearly ate more), but all four ate until all the food was gone.

This is fantastic! Glad it is eating along with the other fish. Now just watch the fish, it will probably pick at rocks and corals, but it is likely looking for pods and other micro-inverts. Don't jump to conclusions that it is eating polyps when picking at sps. Just b/c it picks at sps doesn't mean it is actually eating the polyps. Look to see if the polyps are still in place, closed up, but there. I have an angel that picks at sps in my tank, but I watch it like a hawk, and the sps polyps are always left behind and not eaten. I think many people freak out prematurely over their fish picking at their sps, when the polyps may actually still be there and the fish didn't eat them.

 

[Oxylebius]

And as Glenn pointed out, the heniochus does get large and you will need to find a larger tank for it in a year or so, recommended 125g tank. Be mindful of this.

 

[joecas]

Hi, The tank seems to be doing great. And the heniochus seems to feel right at home not bothering any of the coral. He does bon his nose into rocks as if he's picking for food, but no more than the yellow tang. The nuisance of the tank is still the sea urchin. Now, he's not eating the coral, but he like to pick up the frags and carry them around on his back. ugh! it's actually comical, but annoying.

I didn't want to glue them down because I wanted to be able to move them around to play with the aquascape, but I may need to.

Question: My main circulation pump is pumping tiny white bubbles into the tank making the tank look slightly cloudy.. Does anyone know how to stop this?

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Oxylebius]

Ah yes, urchins carrying things on their backs is completely normal. There isn't anything you can do about it. They will continue to do this. It can be very comical indeed! If it is eating your corals, you can either try to feed it more algae or find a new home for it. Urchins can be omnivores.