Ryan's RSM 250

[RyanF]

Yesterday I finally took delivery of a used Red Sea Max 250 from a local reefer. I had previously been running a RSM 130L up until about 2 1/2 years ago when my kids were born and because of their very early entry into this world, I spent 3 1/2 months in the hospital with them, which meant there was no time to look after a reef tank. I kept everything with the intention of one day setting it up again, but after giving it some thought, I figured I'd like to go bigger this time.

I will be spending the next week cleaning it and getting it moved into my house. I had every intention of buying a new skimmer for the tank since the previous owner had purchased another skimmer (JNS WS-1) for it but it stuck out of the hood by about 6 inches. That look may work for some people, but it's not for me. However, after measuring, and a bit of googling, I'm going to build a smaller stand for the skimmer so it allows the hood to close. I'm not sure if it will work, but based on some testing, it should in theory. There is very little information on the internet about this skimmer, but from what I've found, it's rated for up to 90 gallons. It's a very solid feeling skimmer, unlike the Tunze 9002 skimmer I had in my RSM 130L.

I'll post some pictures shortly.

 

[goma]

Congratulations and welcome! Looking forward to your build.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Cheers for starting a tank thread, look forward to the pics & seeing it come to life

 

[harveymeister]

Glad to see you started a tank thread! We all look forward to seeing pics.

 

[RyanF]

Thanks all! It's good to be back, that's for sure. Anyway, here is a couple pictures. Excuse the mess of a garage, it's very hard to keep a tidy garage with twins.

Picture of the JNS WS-1. I emailed them last night and they sent me the instructions for it. Maximum depth of the unit is 10 inches, which means I'd need to build about a 7-8 inch stand for it to sit on, which would give me enough room to clear the hood while having the back chamber about 2-3 lines down. I have an outstanding email with them about the rated capacity of the unit. It seems to be comparable to their hang on back version (JNS VS-1), which is the same as the Aquamaxx HOB-1. Some places list it as 50-75g, some 90g. Hopefully I hear back from them soon. Very quality unit and I'm hoping it will work. Worst comes to worst, I'll order the Nano Reef Systems skimmer.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Interesting skimmer ! Look forward to your review

I don't ever remember seeing one of these in a RSM - Rated for up to 90 gal tank

JNS WS1 Skimmer [JNSWS1] - $189.99 : SoCal Tropical Fish Outlet, Your Source of Superior Supplies

 

[RyanF]

I'm excited to try it out as well. I have a dumb question though on the RSM 250. Is the black plastic surface skimmer removable? It was on the 130L. I'd like to give it a vinegar bath, but I don't see how. I don't see how people are keeping it so clean without scratching the hell out it.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

No

 

[RyanF]

After a week of soaking in a vinegar bath and a bit of elbow grease, the tank is nice and clean. I moved it into the house and installed my MP10s. Unfortunately, my floor is not level, so I'm going to have to shim my stand. While it's only about 1/8 of an inch, it's enough for me to be concerned as the last thing I want is 65 gallons of water on my floor. Still need to get the chiller plumbed and install the Tunze ATO. I also ordered a BRS RODI and 60 pounds of Tropic Eden reef flakes (really nice looking sand). I'll be reusing my marco rocks from my RSM 130.

 

[goma]

Nice job on cleaning it up!

 

[Tokalosh]

Unfortunately, my floor is not level, so I'm going to have to shim my stand. While it's only about 1/8 of an inch, it's enough for me to be concerned as the last thing I want is 65 gallons of water on my floor.

Once you have done this you may want to site the tank on a sheet of polystyrene and a pice of thick plywood.
This will eliminate any uneven anomalies on the floor.

Looking forward to the build.

Tok

 

[Snyper19]

Nice and clean, congratulations!!!... can't wait to see how your tank progress...

 

[RyanF]

Well, I've made some progress, but not as much as I had hoped. I got the sand rinsed and added to my tank (I LOVE THIS SAND!) and added my aquascape. I went with a 'minimalist' aquascape. I know it's not everyones cup of tea, but the wall-o-rocks isn't for me. This will allow me to have corals grow and give the fish plenty of space to swim.

I also build a stand for my skimmer using a light defuser panel from home depot. I'm still not positive this will work, but it's worth a shot. Fits like a champ. I still need to clean up the wiring for the vortechs and install the chiller.

 

[Wrangy]

Looking good mate Liking your eggcrate mod!

 

[goma]

Nice job. I like the minimalist rockscape.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Let us know how the skimmer does as it breaks in

 

[SenseiSays]

I'm looking forward to the review on it as well!

 

[RyanF]

Well, the tank is filled and running. I put my ATO in the chamber where the fine filter goes, which I now know wasn't a good idea since I've had to pull it out every time I need to change filters. I'm going to spend some time tomorrow to move it somewhere else. My tank is still cloudy after 24 hours, but I'm guessing that will get better within the next few days. With the just the two return pumps running and no lights on, my tank is running @ 84 degrees. Good thing I bought a chiller, I just need to set it up. I turned on the skimmer for a few minutes and it looks good. It was skimming a bit wet for the cup being so high up (this is how you adjust how it skims), but once it slimes over a bit, I'm hoping it will skim a bit darker.

I'll be dropping in a raw shrimp tonight to kick start my cycle.

 

[goma]

Always nice to see another RSM start up! Congrats and keep us posted.

 

[RyanF]

Well, after a week of running the skimmer, it looks like it's just not going to work. If I put the original stand the previous owner had, it skims correctly. If I put mine in that allows me to close the lid, it just starts filling up the cup with water. Not to mention, the amount of microbubbles this thing is producing is out of control (new and old stand). I think I'm going to make a new batch of water and put the skimmer in it just to see if it still overflows at the depth I have it in. The manual states it should be in 8-10 inches of water, which is exactly where I have it, but it just overflows the cup every time. Looks like I'll be ordering a new skimmer.