RedSea Reefer 350 - and so it begins

[nanoreefing4fun]

Your new 350 Reefer is very pretty, nice start !

too much? Or can fit more?

That's getting up there... for a 73 gallon DT (display tank) my RSM 250 66 gallon had 5 fish, two clowns, a yellow tang, a bartlett anthias and a starry blenny, I consider mine stocked medium not heavy.

an 18 gallon sump does help... see what others think

 

[Desmond]

What type of lighting are you going with . Love the tank and scape.

 

[Mayja]

Yeah for some reason I have to adjust the valve quite often as the water stops coming through? It ain't blocked because when I open it up more it drops again!

For this reason, I stopped using the included gravity fed ATO and returned to using my Tunze. Same thing happened to me.

 

[pablomay28]

For this reason, I stopped using the included gravity fed ATO and returned to using my Tunze. Same thing happened to me.

On my RSR 450 I have never had to adjust the valve. I have the Tunze Osmolator Nano feed the 3 gal reservoir. I have a total of 8 gallons of RODI for the tank and due to the stock ato rate of 2 drops a sec my tunze ato does not get overworked. It has been in the mid 80s lately here and even with a fan in the sump I lose 1 gallon to evap a day 1/2 gallon without fan.

 

[pablomay28]

 

[pablomay28]

 

[pablomay28]

 

[dacianb]

Your new 350 Reefer is very pretty, nice start !



That's getting up there... for a 73 gallon DT (display tank) my RSM 250 66 gallon had 5 fish, two clowns, a yellow tang, a bartlett anthias and a starry blenny, I consider mine stocked medium not heavy.

an 18 gallon sump does help... see what others think

Indeed bit larger tank and a sump helps a bit, but I think also the skimmer size / capacity helps even more. The one I put in the system theoretically can handle 700l heavy load or 900 l of normal load. If I will add here some reactors to reduce the nitrates / phosphates, I think will make an even bigger difference between RSM250 and RSR 350

 

[dacianb]

What type of lighting are you going with . Love the tank and scape.

Lights are DIY system, not yet finished. In the pictures is only one prototyping module, but will be 3 such modules with a total power of 350-360 W

 

[dacianb]

I dont have any issues with the ATO system, just opened the valve at max and the water level seems to be constant. I have a "consumption" of 2-3 liters / day from ATO tank, so probably an autonomy of 3-4 days, but I fill it every other day. This is in humid Belgium where rains a lot. Water temperature - I keep it 25°C. Probably if I will lower it a bit, evaporation will be less.

 

[dacianb]

I am a bit worried as tank is already almost 3 weeks old and water is still cloudy (not very cloudy as on first week due to bacteria bloom), but not crystal clear either. This is normal??

 

[Desmond]

I would of though it would have been clear by now. How are your levels ? Do you change you filter sock

Sent from my SM-G870F using Tapatalk

 

[dacianb]

I would of though it would have been clear by now. How are your levels ? Do you change you filter sock

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It is going better and better. I turned the skimmer to a wetter level, but cannot use the socks for more than few hours as become clogged and water just flow above them. Every afternoon wash them and place into tank, but soon I can hear the water going above them. Maybe the return pump flow is too high (RS recommends 3000 l/h and I am using a pump with 4000 l/ h)

 

[mtsully71]

It is going better and better. I turned the skimmer to a wetter level, but cannot use the socks for more than few hours as become clogged and water just flow above them. Every afternoon wash them and place into tank, but soon I can hear the water going above them. Maybe the return pump flow is too high (RS recommends 3000 l/h and I am using a pump with 4000 l/ h)

dacianb, I have the same tank, I read somewhere where @RedSeaKev said it is very important not to exceed the recommended return. I would check your head loss and maybe add another 1-2 feet of tubing bringing it closer to 3000l/h. My guess is that those 200 micron filter socks are overflowing due to the return amount and of course tank debris/cycling. An FYI, I wash mine with 1/2 cup bleach on hot/cold with and extra rinse. I do this twice, once with bleach, once without, to make sure they are completley rinsed of bleach, I have had no issues. I change mine about once a week now.

 

[dacianb]

dacianb, I have the same tank, I read somewhere where @RedSeaKev said it is very important not to exceed the recommended return. I would check your head loss and maybe add another 1-2 feet of tubing bringing it closer to 3000l/h. My guess is that those 200 micron filter socks are overflowing due to the return amount and of course tank debris/cycling. An FYI, I wash mine with 1/2 cup bleach on hot/cold with and extra rinse. I do this twice, once with bleach, once without, to make sure they are completley rinsed of bleach, I have had no issues. I change mine about once a week now.

Thanks for tips. I can easily lower the return flow as the pump is DC version with included controller (have something like 10 or 12 flow steps). I cleaned the socks only with warm water, never with bleach, so may be really clogged.
On the other hand Reefer 450 have same filter socks but a recommended flow of 4000l/h - so should work isn't it?
The cloudiness is still in the tank, but I think is really related with NOPOX dosing. I have an overrated skimmer but still have to clean it every 2 days and on the cup walls there is a white and disgusting slime (looks like fat). The water in collection cup is the "normal" dark brown color, but on internal walls I have this slime like thing. I am afraid to just stop the dosing to not create another issues, so I have to gradually lower it.
Nitrates are at 20-30 for the moment, ammonia and nitrite at 0. PH 8.2-8.5 and KH around 12 (11-12-13) not really stable.
Practically the RS marine care program (21 days) are over 2 days ago, but still continue to add NOPOX to lower the nitrate level (according to algae management program).

I will try to lower the flow a bit, clean up really well the socks and patiently wait for improvements.

 

[dacianb]

In the meantime I am working on the lights (DIY) system. Pictures shows one out of 3 modules which will be installed on the tank, each at 120W. Still not finished, but on the way.

 

[dacianb]

Quite some time since last upgrade...
By lowering the return flow to approx 3000 l/hour and washing the filter socks every day with bleach finally my tank became crystal clear. The quality of the glass is wow... looks like fishes swims in the air now .

Next to the infant 2x clowns and a tiny chromis I added 2 weeks ago, last week I added two medium sized tangs (a yellow and a Kole tang). I planned to buy only one, but once in the shop I saw in a small tank both of them. Once in my tank they are sticked together as best friends. No aggression, no fight - just 2 guys always together. Tang police, don't shoot - if things start to go crazy I will take one out.
They are still shy if I go too close to the tank, but if I am on sofa they are out and scraping rocks (max 10 cm between them - looks like the kole is the shadow of the yellow) - so no pictures yet, as cannot go close to catch them.
They eat pellets, shrimps and green algae from clip - actually they eat so much algae from clip that kole pooped green pieces of algae instead of normal poo. After that I lowered the quantity of feeding and they looks great ( a bit of healthy belly). Kole made miracles on sand and rocks cleaning the brown cyano better than an army of snails.

 

[dacianb]

So many things happened.... Shame on me to not upgrade this build thread.
I will try to catch things up and be more consistent in this.
For last 3 months didnt made too many to the tank, just adding fishes slowly-slowly.

Now I have followings (some may say overstock, some that is still place for couple of guys):
Yellow Tang
Kole Tang
Clown Fish (2x)
Blue Chromis
LireTails Anthias
Tailspot Blenny
Midas Blenny
Banggai Cardinalfish
Royal Gramma Basslet

Each is one, except clowns - pair.
It is a very peaceful community, some minor chase of kole against the tailspot blenny (similar dark color??), but the blenny is too small and slim and enter rocks fast enough to not harm him. But sometimes are next to each other munching rocks, no issues.

I tried for more than 2 months to keep a copperband butterfly, but he only eat pods on the rocks, then sometimes, fresh and very alive shrimps. He studied each and every creature for long seconds before deciding to eat it. And never made it if didnt moved as crazy. But that guy died whatever I tried to feed him - all types of frozen bugs and worms I was able to buy, fresh clams, tubes with holes, and everything I saw and red around the web.
After he died, I bought a longnose butterfly (reading that are easier than CBB) - this time my yellow tang (very peaceful otherwise, not even interested by new fishes I put in tank) became a monster and I saw for first time the "dark side" of a tang - pushing with spine, biting and harassing continuously the poor longnose until I took him out and next day returned to shop.

As I cannot add another fish (maybe a small goby on sand level) - OK, I would looove a flame angel, but rather afraid of bioload already and potential issues with those beautiful angels, time to look into corals (SPS).

Based on my tests, I had NO3 level around 10, but still doubted after 2 months of really heavy feeding (to convince my CBB to take a bite I had to flood the tank with food).
Anyway, I bought new tests (more reliable as I red around) - 2 types for NO3, phosphates, KH, PH, Ca, Mg and preparing my tank for lot of corals .
First tests were terrible for NO3 - around 40 .

Now, I am in a second week of tank rehabilitation by large WC, using NOPOX from RS (started with 9 ml/day) and decent feeding and Sunday I already reached NO3 level of 10. This weekend another WC and hopefully to get into decent range.

On corals, 3 different Euphyllia and some zoas doing great with the high nitrates period and NOPOX treatment too (ah and a bubble nem too, not affected by issues in the tank).
My immortal acan (was in tank since day one and survived the full cycle) lived happy until third day of NOPOX treatment - then just retracted and I dont think will recover - what you see on sand is more skeleton than coral.

Also, for Christmas I get a "great" gift - 2 beautiful acros - I had no idea what parameters are in my tank, just a vague idea about how to care of them... But I had to put them in the tank - after that I found out that I have NO3 of 40. Of course they both became brown next day.
I am the only bad guy keeping sps in this conditions??

After days of having just 2 brown sticks in the tank, reading a lot about SPS flow, light, water and making adjustments needed I see life coming back to them - polyps are out (not full, but before I saw only holes), some good area of brown change back to a light bluish... so hopefully will recover them.

Currently I am following RS reef foundation program (KH, Mg and Ca) + NOPOX to bring NO3 in low range. After this, planning to go to next programs- energy and coloration, but for the moment I want to bring water at required parameters and stabilize it

Here is a fast photo with my phone. Need a better camera / technique to catch the real feel and colors of the tank, but everything looks much better than this picture.

 

[mtsully71]

looking good

 

[dacianb]

Yesterday NO3 test=5. Great news, things are going in right direction. Will continue to dose Nopox and in the week-end a water change will probably bring everything to very nice level.

Also, I printed out few pictures of clowns hosting nems (scaled to a realistic size - I dont want fishes to be scared out by an orange striped wale ) in order to convince my clowns to host the BTA... of course they ignore completely the pictures, but the yellow tang went into his "I am the king" phase - fully expanded in his beauty and doing a weird dance in front of each picture (placed 3 of them around the tank). Of course, the BTA is still empty and clowns sleep in a top corner of the tank in a vertical position - they may be too small for nems?