MatthewJ
Member
I posted this at reefcentral.com and got some decent info, but I'm glad to have found this site! I have specific questions about the RSM.
Last Christmas my brother purchased a Red Sea Max reef setup for his son. I jokingly told him at the time to let me know when he was ready to give up. Well, he called me a week ago and told me he couldn't get rid of the hair algae and he would drop it off. I've now got it setup and running. I like the looks of the package, but I'm not too sure about it functionally. One of the powerheads already has a short (explains the cowering clowns my brother mentioned). I've ordered a replacement powerhead and lights.
I'm looking for advice about next steps.
So, 29G volume. 3 largish pieces of live rock(guessing 30lbs). 2 clownfish and 4 snails. The live rock was scrubbed with a toothbrush (half-arsed it turns out after looking at the rock back in the tank). Everything else was scrubbed clean. New substrate.
When I took it apart to clean it, I noticed that it has one compartment in the back, below the powerheads, that contained a bag of carbon and a bag of ceramic media. In 10 months neither had ever been touched. For now, I've cleaned the ceramic media and replaced the carbon bag. Both were a pita to get get out. If the idea is to replace them every so often, I don't know how that's possible without making a holy mess in the tank. Is everybody else using these two items and if so how often do you change?
I also noticed that in another compartment I'm supposed to have some sort of mechanical fine/course media. I have the course sponge-like media, but not the fine media. Nobody seems to sell this specific part online either. Can I just use any "cut-to-size" fine media?
I've read a few posts about cutting the course media (the sponge) to increase flow, and that it was done at the factory in later models?. Mine is already beveled on one side, is that the change that increases flow or is there something else I'm supposed to do.
I've already done the "hole in the skimmer cup" modification. Is there a list of changes folks are making to improve the efficiency of this?
Are reefers still doing "berlin" style tanks? I had a 75G berlin style reef tank about 8 years ago or so and just had a Top Fathom skimmer...no other filtering. I was only moderately successful at best, but I was a college punk back then to;-)
Last Christmas my brother purchased a Red Sea Max reef setup for his son. I jokingly told him at the time to let me know when he was ready to give up. Well, he called me a week ago and told me he couldn't get rid of the hair algae and he would drop it off. I've now got it setup and running. I like the looks of the package, but I'm not too sure about it functionally. One of the powerheads already has a short (explains the cowering clowns my brother mentioned). I've ordered a replacement powerhead and lights.
I'm looking for advice about next steps.
So, 29G volume. 3 largish pieces of live rock(guessing 30lbs). 2 clownfish and 4 snails. The live rock was scrubbed with a toothbrush (half-arsed it turns out after looking at the rock back in the tank). Everything else was scrubbed clean. New substrate.
When I took it apart to clean it, I noticed that it has one compartment in the back, below the powerheads, that contained a bag of carbon and a bag of ceramic media. In 10 months neither had ever been touched. For now, I've cleaned the ceramic media and replaced the carbon bag. Both were a pita to get get out. If the idea is to replace them every so often, I don't know how that's possible without making a holy mess in the tank. Is everybody else using these two items and if so how often do you change?
I also noticed that in another compartment I'm supposed to have some sort of mechanical fine/course media. I have the course sponge-like media, but not the fine media. Nobody seems to sell this specific part online either. Can I just use any "cut-to-size" fine media?
I've read a few posts about cutting the course media (the sponge) to increase flow, and that it was done at the factory in later models?. Mine is already beveled on one side, is that the change that increases flow or is there something else I'm supposed to do.
I've already done the "hole in the skimmer cup" modification. Is there a list of changes folks are making to improve the efficiency of this?
Are reefers still doing "berlin" style tanks? I had a 75G berlin style reef tank about 8 years ago or so and just had a Top Fathom skimmer...no other filtering. I was only moderately successful at best, but I was a college punk back then to;-)