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

SPR

Well-Known Member
I will refer you to your posting on May 8th 2021...."That goby has decided he likes the taste of my favorite SPS corals, so when I catch him, and I will, he's going to get rehoused!!"

Move forward to May 21st......
"

Patience and cunning......!"

Mr Jingles is still going strong eh? What happened?
I haven’t caught him that’s what’s going on. I decided to leave him alone and not stress although he has killed a couple of nice Acropora colonies. Ones coming back so…..
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
No nothing at all, I haven’t done anything for around 11 months and have some corals coming on Friday

Have you ?
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Nope. I was considering buying the Red Sea Doser, but I never got round to it. After thinking about it I realised that my old cheap doser was working ok and the only reason for buying a new one was, well, 'because'. I need to do a 'chemical online order' soon, as I need another 6kg bucket of baking powder, another 5 litre can (?) of NOPOX plus Rhowphos and Carbon. Usual stuff.
 
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SPR

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Nope. I was considering buying the Red Sea Doser, but I never got round to it. After thinking about it I realised that my old cheap doser was working ok and the only reason for buying a new one was, well, 'because'. I need to do a 'chemical online order' soon, as I need another 6kg bucket of baking powder, another 5 litre can (?) of NOPOX plus Rhowphos and Carbon. Usual stuff.
I stopped using Nopox a while ago in the S650. I made my own mix of vodka and what was left of the Nopox but to be honest I found it wasn’t making any noticeable difference other than a film on the glass, so I just stopped over a period of a few weeks, it made no difference

I don’t test nitrate levels very often in either system now. They are both mature tanks especially the S650 and within reason I don’t think it really matters. New systems definitely. I havent noticed any adverse effects anyway other than the corals glow with life.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I spent a few hours yesterday doing maintenance on both tanks, basically changing both return pumps, rowaphos and activated carbon.

Now before I say this just remember both systems are mature tanks, the S650 very mature so it’s different to new tanks

I started using Seachem carbon a few months ago and it apparently lasts longer and hence I change it every 2 months. I dont test for phosphate (or nitrate) much anymore as I just change rowaphos every 2 months and it keeps it very low

I change the main return in the S650 about every 6-12 months or when I can be bothered, for an identical stock Red Sea pump, and in the big house I change the Abyzz a200 every 11-12 months when I think it might fail from needing to be cleaned (like it did last year!lol). I also have an identical a200 to swap out so that should be around 20 years of reefing in theory with the 10 year warranties!

But what I also did was some major coral removal from the S650 and fragging from the big house into the S650. I can grow some corals like weeds and sometimes use them as tank fillers, but then they grow and keep growing. I hate removing them, but I had 3 very large staghorn coral colonies in the S650 which we’re getting huge, like football huge, and there just not very ‘pretty’. I also did some major ‘pruning’ of this coral which I can’t remember what it’s called.. but it’s grows like crazy!

467AA149-BEAF-4173-8E43-379C27818B08.jpeg

What I then did was frag some of the SPS from the big house into the S650 to cover the gaps with more ‘pretty’ corals’. I also added a pathetically small piece of GSP which I purchased and hopefully that will survive!

Then I cleaned the floor ‘a little’ until my wife came in and said WTF (the site edited this she actually said something similar with F in it!) have you been doing in here! Lol. Sea water seems to stain hard flooring…….
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I spent a few hours yesterday doing maintenance on both tanks, basically changing both return pumps, rowaphos and activated carbon.

Now before I say this just remember both systems are mature tanks, the S650 very mature so it’s different to new tanks

I started using Seachem carbon a few months ago and it apparently lasts longer and hence I change it every 2 months. I dont test for phosphate (or nitrate) much anymore as I just change rowaphos every 2 months and it keeps it very low

I change the main return in the S650 about every 6-12 months or when I can be bothered, for an identical stock Red Sea pump, and in the big house I change the Abyzz a200 every 11-12 months when I think it might fail from needing to be cleaned (like it did last year!lol). I also have an identical a200 to swap out so that should be around 20 years of reefing in theory with the 10 year warranties!

But what I also did was some major coral removal from the S650 and fragging from the big house into the S650. I can grow some corals like weeds and sometimes use them as tank fillers, but then they grow and keep growing. I hate removing them, but I had 3 very large staghorn coral colonies in the S650 which we’re getting huge, like football huge, and there just not very ‘pretty’. I also did some major ‘pruning’ of this coral which I can’t remember what it’s called.. but it’s grows like crazy!

View attachment 51007

What I then did was frag some of the SPS from the big house into the S650 to cover the gaps with more ‘pretty’ corals’. I also added a pathetically small piece of GSP which I purchased and hopefully that will survive!

Then I cleaned the floor ‘a little’ until my wife came in and said WTF (the site edited this she actually said something similar with F in it!) have you been doing in here! Lol. Sea water seems to stain hard flooring…….
Haven't you used the old, "the dog had a pee in front of the tank, but I cleaned it up" story yet?
 
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SPR

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I did a bit more fragging and chopping today, and had a go at one of these

Ive been looking at them for ages, they look solid but actually move in the water current, so I thought you must be able to cut them, and so you are and it’s very simple.

So I made about 8 frags and added them to both tanks, for free……. and you can’t even tell I’ve touched them

This pictures over 12 months old, it’s now twice the size of this.

3D147A3E-ACA1-4353-8263-19CCB572E5B5.jpeg
 

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Oh yes. The poor dog also gets blamed for any 'bottom burping' that may, or may not, have come from myself or my son. It's the price the dog has to pay for us to take him out in the cold/rain/snow for walkies. He carries the burden well.
That must be some burden!! His olfactory system is 500 times more sensitive than yours... Multiply every noxious gas mixture you expel by 500 times and take a big whiff. I'd bet you'd want to "go on a walkies" too. :)
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Now here is a bit of, well, let’s say observation……

In both my systems I have one of these running roughly 25 micron filter media, so a filter roll in my case the excellent X Filter 1.7 and 1.0 (in the S650 I changed it from the 1.7 which was to big!)

B0E697E9-2308-481B-9256-5B62EE2B2098.jpeg

Now I appreciate that a protein skimmer might add oxygen to the water, but these days both of mine hardly produce any skim at all. I’m borderline on turning them up so much it’s very easy to go into over skim And I clean them about every 4 weeks.

Basically the filter rolls are removing most of the waste before it gets to the skimmer

So what do you think to that?
 

Blue Space

Well-Known Member
My skimmer's production was also cut down once I implemented a roller mat filter. However, the skimmer is still running at the same setting. It still gets just as stinky and dark, over time, but is lighter color at the start.

I would still utilize the skimmer on your system. Say goodbye to cleaning/replacing filter socks!! :)
 
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SPR

Well-Known Member
My skimmer's production was also cut down once I implemented a roller mat filter. However, the skimmer is still running at the same setting. It still gets just as stinky and dark, over time, but is lighter color at the start.

I would still utilize the skimmer on your system. Say goodbye to cleaning/replacing filter socks!! :)
It still produces skim but just not as much and the roller matts are excellent. Depending on the media they last months between changes

I did try 9 micron and that lasted about 14 days! In my case 25 seems the best balance.

If I ever need to replace the NYOS 300 I’ll downgrade it to the next model down and also half the price!
 
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