Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build

SPR

Well-Known Member
Thank you and I hear exactly what your saying.

When I went to the LFS a few days ago the owner was telling me about a regal angel he had that was peaceful for 8 years and then went on the rampage!

Makes me think I might leave most of them were they are in the S650, because in the new tank it might be a bigger problem!
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I think by now we accept that these things can happen.
The only way to stop it is to have your new tank as a LRO tank, that's Live Rock Only, but that would be a mite boring eh :)
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Someone asked me what I’m using to dose etc.

On the S650 ‘frag tank’, I use Red Sea Foundation elements A B and C and also coral colours with Nopox via a Kamoer doser. I dose coral colours once every 7-10 days by hand though

Now in the bigger system, I use the Deltec Twin Tech 1500 Calcium Reactor and it’s an absolute dream to use. It might look like something from back to the future, but all you do is press a button to increase/decrease flow that’s pretty much it. It’s also simple to set up once you appreciate how I works with the CO2 being injected. And I think my CO2 bottle will last a lifetime with the amount it uses

It took me about 2 weeks to dial the flow rate in with testing alkalinity every 3-4 days and it’s now set at 9 litres per day of effluent (out of a maximum I think of 360) and it holds alkalinity at around 8-8.5 and I haven’t touched it in about 5 weeks and counting

I use Rowalith W (chunky version) as media and this also contains magnesium so it holds alkalinity calcium and magnesium were they should be as the coral skeletons dissolve.

For anyone thinking of running a large tank, yes you can dose elements traditionaly like I do on the S650 but it will get very expensive . The Twin Tech is expensive of course, but in the long run will be far cheaper and is so easy to use. I really can’t recommend it enough.

I also add Red Sea coral colours to the larger tank by hand, but not very often at the moment as it’s fairly new

There’s a short video here showing it and also the electrics etc at the rear of the tank

 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Someone asked me what I’m using to dose etc.

On the S650 ‘frag tank’, I use Red Sea Foundation elements A B and C and also coral colours with Nopox via a Kamoer doser. I dose coral colours once every 7-10 days by hand though

Now in the bigger system, I use the Deltec Twin Tech 1500 Calcium Reactor and it’s an absolute dream to use. It might look like something from back to the future, but all you do is press a button to increase/decrease flow that’s pretty much it. It’s also simple to set up once you appreciate how I works with the CO2 being injected. And I think my CO2 bottle will last a lifetime with the amount it uses

It took me about 2 weeks to dial the flow rate in with testing alkalinity every 3-4 days and it’s now set at 9 litres per day of effluent (out of a maximum I think of 360) and it holds alkalinity at around 8-8.5 and I haven’t touched it in about 5 weeks and counting

I use Rowalith W (chunky version) as media and this also contains magnesium so it holds alkalinity calcium and magnesium were they should be as the coral skeletons dissolve.

For anyone thinking of running a large tank, yes you can dose elements traditionaly like I do on the S650 but it will get very expensive . The Twin Tech is expensive of course, but in the long run will be far cheaper and is so easy to use. I really can’t recommend it enough.

I also add Red Sea coral colours to the larger tank by hand, but not very often at the moment as it’s fairly new

There’s a short video here showing it and also the electrics etc at the rear of the tank

I do like the idea of a Calcium Reactor.
One thing that gets my Spiderman senses tingling is having the unit outside of the Sump. I have my Chiller and uVC outside and I am forever nervous about it.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Lol!

There’s actually a guy who goes to my shop who does that and winds the staff up no end. He got a Walt Disney frag for about £80 and cuts pieces off and sells them for £180

And the calcium reactor, well it just works. But I wouldn’t fancy one of the non automated ones were you have to monitor pH etc.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I think the frag tank looks awesome Shaun. Are you going to keep those fish there or are you thinking to move some of them to the new one?
I’ve already moved 3 of the bigger fish Pancho, the Magnificent Foxface, Sailfin tang and regal tang.

The regal who I’ve had since I started out, is missing presumed dead. He was ‘scratching’ against the rocks in the S650, which tangs sometimes do, and I noticed before I went away he was doing it even more. When I got back from Cape Verde he was hiding in the rocks.

I prodded him to make sure he was ok and he went back into the rocks, and hasn’t been seen since so...... My grandson (I’m a young grandad by the way!) keeps,saying were is Dory......

So after this, apart from the Emperor Angelfish who I will move at some point, I’m thinking I’ll leave the others were they are in their home as their all settled and happy.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Now, Regal Tangs are similar to the Yellow Tang in that in the wild they are a shoaling fish. How about getting two or three for the new tank? Just a thought.
I think they get a bit to big to be honest.

He was the first ive had and grew quickly and having had one they do need a big tank and even in the S650 there isnt that much swimming room for a fish so active

Ill certainly get another one, a baby Dory though.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Ok...so now we'll move onto the Wrasse? Any thoughts or preferences?
Personally, I love the Malanurus, the Yellow Tailed Tamarin and the Leopard.
I do quiet like wrasse and will definitely get some added.

I’ve been concentrating on corals for a week or so to try and get them in and growing, but no more ‘green uns’ I want blues purples etc for more colour and now the Indonesian coral ban is over the LFS’s are getting more types in and better selection

I have got 3 chalk gobies coming to clean the sand, and also a cleaner wrasse next in next few days.
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
I like the melanarus and the yellow ones. I am tempted to try a Ruby Longtail Fairy wrasse or Carpenters Flasher wrasse.

I currently have: melanarus, yellow and cleaner wrasses.
 
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SPR

Well-Known Member
You may recall a week or so ago I had an issue with the Tunze Osmolator failing just before I flew out of the country with a tiny piece of detritus on the optical sensor causing it to stop topping up.

I considered all sorts of options, a back up Osmolator, Apex ATK and finally went back to a basic physical system with no electronics to fail. A gravity fed ATO

I couldn’t risk using the 425 litre RODI tank for this because there would be a major siphon issue if the float valve failed. It would empty around 300 litres into the sump before the levels stabilised which is, well not good.

So my solution was to use a 30 litre container which I used to use to store RODI and I have many, so the maximum exposure if it failed would be 30 litres into the sump which would have no affect on the tank. This will last around 4 days during testing depending on temperature conditions etc.

Now 30 litres should be ok, as it would only be used if the Tunze Osmolator failed and for a few days, but what I’m also going to do if I feel necessary, is hook up a pump and hose from the 425 litre RODI tank into this smaller 30 litre container which I can switch on if need be via Apex and refill it manually from anywhere in the world. I could add some float switches but thats just things to fail or cause issues, so I think I’ll just time how long it takes to fill it and use that as a rough guide if I ever need to.

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