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

[SPR]

Despite my post above on the Lyretail Anthias I still infact have 6!

The second largest has reappeared from hiding last night along with a smaller one and they have been missing for weeks.

I’m thinking the big male has been bullying them, so to help them out I will still need to go shopping and get a few more. To disperse aggression you see!

 

[Pancho75]

That is a good story! It is always comforting to know that some of the little guys in the tank were not lost. Some fish can be jerks (like my clowns) so as you said you need to add some more. In my little experience adding fishes even from other species will help as it will distract the bully.


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[SPR]

I was looking at the tank today and some of the corals have really started to grow significantly. Its starting to really fill out to the point we’re I’m going to have to be careful when I start my usual ‘impulse buying’! Lol

They just keep growing and spreading out.




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[Nobbygas]

Next you'll be thinking about making some frags up. Then you'll be thinking of selling them. You'll need more space, so you'll probably start planning on building a 'Frag Shed' in the garden. You'll probably need a bigger garden, so you'll have to move house......oh yes, I can see this happening.

 

[SPR]

One of my favourite times to sit and watch my tank is around 11.30am which in my case is sunrise when the systems lights start to come on and the coral reef starts to come alive.

I find it absolutely magical to see the corals slowly open up for the new day ahead.

I’ve taken a few pictures although these do not do any justice to the effects and what it actually looks like.

Ive also taken a picture of my Foxface being cleaned by the Cleaner Wrasse which is fascinating to watch until he nips a little to hard! Lol. Excuse the quality but I had to take it from a distance with zoom otherwise they all think I’m going to feed them and become fish puppies!




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[Nobbygas]

The fish do have certain habits don't they! My Wrasse are the first to go to bed every night, and the last to wake up every morning. The Blue Chromis are the last to bed, but the first to rise.

PS - Your Blue Tang. Are you sure that's not a Megalodon that's pretending to be a Blue Tang?

 

[SPR]

The fish do have certain habits don't they! My Wrasse are the first to go to bed every night, and the last to wake up every morning. The Blue Chromis are the last to bed, but the first to rise.

PS - Your Blue Tang. Are you sure that's not a Megalodon that's pretending to be a Blue Tang?

Yes they do all have habits, and its beautiful to watch them go about there business which seems to be a constant search for food irrespective of how much you feed them!

He’s a big lad isn’t he the Regal/Blue Tang lol! I’ve had him since he was very small when I set out on this journey. And you can imagine the damage he did when he took a liking for my Zoa colonies! The little sh..!

He’s bigger than the Trigger fish and very active and I can see why the general advice is to keep them in large tanks.

 

[Pat24601]

Yes they do all have habits, and its beautiful to watch them go about there business which seems to be a constant search for food irrespective of how much you feed them!

He’s a big lad isn’t he the Regal/Blue Tang lol! I’ve had him since he was very small when I set out on this journey. And you can imagine the damage he did when he took a liking for my Zoa colonies! The little sh..!

He’s bigger than the Trigger fish and very active and I can see why the general advice is to keep them in large tanks.

Ha!

 

[Pancho75]

Good pics @SPR! I like the cleaner wrasse story haha...

Your Blue Tang looks great, he looks like a gorila over there!


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[Pancho75]

You are also very lucky to be looking at your tank at 11:30AM and look all that amazing process , I envy you!


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[SPR]

I’ve been playing around with filter wool in my sump for the last few months and for those of you who have the Red Sea Max S systems, I found something that works quiet well.

I’ve posted a picture but basically if you put a length/chunk of filter wool just at the side of the skimmer it prevents an awful lot of rubbish getting into the main sump area.

The reason I did this was to prevent the Rhowaphos reactor getting clogged so quickly and it works quiet well as a cheap additional piece of mechanical filtration.

The piece shown has been in about 6 days so is ready to change out.




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[Nobbygas]

I’ve been playing around with filter wool in my sump for the last few months and for those of you who have the Red Sea Max S systems, I found something that works quiet well.

I’ve posted a picture but basically if you put a length/chunk of filter wool just at the side of the skimmer it prevents an awful lot of rubbish getting into the main sump area.

The reason I did this was to prevent the Rhowaphos reactor getting clogged so quickly and it works quiet well as a cheap additional piece of mechanical filtration.

The piece shown has been in about 6 days so is ready to change out.

View attachment 48193


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I already do something similar. I put the floss over the top of the Carbon Bag Section as basically all the water has to flow through this point, so it collects lots of little bits and bobs. I did once try putting the floss at the bottom of the Carbon Section/ Return Pump Section baffle, but I found that this had the effect of 'backing up' the water and the water level in the Return Section was lower.
It would also be worthwhile to experiment with the various colours of floss available, as there is also Green or Blue. The white floss is fine and the others have bigger holes, or something like that

 

[SPR]

I already do something similar. I put the floss over the top of the Carbon Bag Section as basically all the water has to flow through this point, so it collects lots of little bits and bobs. I did once try putting the floss at the bottom of the Carbon Section/ Return Pump Section baffle, but I found that this had the effect of 'backing up' the water and the water level in the Return Section was lower.
It would also be worthwhile to experiment with the various colours of floss available, as there is also Green or Blue. The white floss is fine and the others have bigger holes, or something like that

I have thought about over the carbon bag section but for reasons below I haven’t done it because of the possibility of it backing up, especially if I was away.

This did actually happen when I first set up the tank and added ‘all of the supplied bags of carbon’ to that little section as I thought they all went in to together. My head was still spinning from building it. About 4 think!! Lol

I came home to find the return chamber virtually empty and was stood there for 30 minutes panicking as to what to do now! It was one of my first and many calls to my samaritan at Red Sea, Kevin!

I’d basically built a activated carbon dam!!

PS I didn’t realise there are different colours/grade of filter wool! I’ll have a look now

 

[Pancho75]

The activated carbon dam was one of my first nightmares too! lol


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[SPR]

My pair of Blue Throat Triggers are starting to spawn again I believe.

They suddenly change their behaviour and the female has started preparing and guarding the area at the centre left of the tank were there is a patch of sand. She very precisely removes any rocks or crabs that offend her eye by lifting them with her mouth and then throwing them somewhere which if your a crab isn’t very dignified!

When she is there she will chase off any other fish quiet aggressively.

The Freckle Face Tang although looking very sweet, is actually quiet aggressive and was actually trying to slice the Trigger with its razor on its tail which was fascinating to see.




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[Nobbygas]

How are your Triggers towards the smaller fish? I ask because any Triggers I see in the shops are usually larger than I want. It seems really difficult to get the Triggers when they are smaller. If I got the ones in the shop, they would be bigger than any other fish in the tank by some distance, and I'm not sure how they would react.

 

[Nobbygas]

Shaun. As you are ahead of me in your tank development, it's only fair that I should remind you of the one job you haven't yet completed and documented. It's only right that you should first attempt this, and inform us all (or more specifically me!) of any pitfalls.

You have to take out, and clean, the Downflow Control Valve. Don't forget the step-by-step instructions and pictures.

Jump to it

 

[SPR]

How are your Triggers towards the smaller fish? I ask because any Triggers I see in the shops are usually larger than I want. It seems really difficult to get the Triggers when they are smaller. If I got the ones in the shop, they would be bigger than any other fish in the tank by some distance, and I'm not sure how they would react.

The Blue Throat Triggers don’t bother any other fish at all. Well apart from the evil damsels when they nip at the Triggers and they react!!

They just mind their business but they do have a significant presence in the tank and could cause some serious damage if they wanted to, but they don’t.

I researched the Blue Throats for ages before I got them and they are the safest and probably as a pair maybe that makes them even happier.

The problem if you get larger ones, those larger ones may have been in somebody’s else’s tank and you don’t know the history. You could maybe order a pair from your LFS and be specific on size and just wait until they can get you want you want.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them provided you get a smallish pair that you know have been together for a while. Mine went rogue (had a domestic!) in the LFS and were separated at one point because the LFS thought they had been fighting. But then they were together for probably a month or so and I haven’t had any issues with them and they are now spawning again.

And here are a couple of pictures to tease you....

 

[SPR]

Shaun. As you are ahead of me in your tank development, it's only fair that I should remind you of the one job you haven't yet completed and documented. It's only right that you should first attempt this, and inform us all (or more specifically me!) of any pitfalls.

You have to take out, and clean, the Downflow Control Valve. Don't forget the step-by-step instructions and pictures.

Jump to it

NO!!! Lol

There is actually a video of how to do it on the Red Sea site as part of the build videos. He shows you how to do it. It doesn’t look that difficult but possibly a bit fiddly.

I don’t see any need to clean it anyway. I just turn it and count 4 handish rotations each way and that’s all I do and when I remember every few months. Infact that reminds me!

In any case if something happens to it, and as it’s one of those jobs I don’t want to do, I’ll just buy a new tank!! Lol

 

[Pancho75]

You guys are way ahead of my and I already cleaned the downflow control valve!

Sorry I didn’t take any pics .

P.S. I want a Triggerfish!


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