What would you do better/different?

[gamefish]

:hallo: been lurking here for months, and have had much fun reading the threads, hopefully I have absorbed something along the way.

I am going to finally set my RSM250 up It has been sitting in the shed since January while we built a new house, we move in about two weeks.

I intend to run the tank stock for a while, the heater will be thrown out(not needed in tropics) and not replaced, the chiller is on the way, and eventually an ato unit. I will be breaking down a 4x2x2 that has some well aged rock and substrate that I will use to start off. Once cycled I will transfer the bubbletips, clowns, a couple of shrimp, crabs and snails over too.I am looking forward to being able to keep some corals after years of just fish and rock.


What things should I look out for when first placing the unit? How far off the wall do you recommend? What would you do different/better if starting again?
What do you consider must have additions to the stock set up?

All comments will be gratefully received!

 

[stevesparkes]

Hi their and welcome. :hallo:

I have a RSM130, what would I do different, get the 250

No really the RSM Aquariums are great not perfect but then everybody has a different idea of what perfect is. I’m very pleased with my RSM but if theirs anything I would change it would properly be better water circulation and rock construction. My rock is tight up against the rear of the tank and I’m sure I’ve got poor water circulation in that area. I would also milliput my main rockscape as I have a pistol shrimp and have suffered some minor rock slides. Other than that I can’t really think of anything.

As far as modifications I’d really like to add a sump so I can better manage my filtration and skimmer and possible convert the T5’s to LED’s other than that I’m a happy chappy.

Enjoy.

 

[GregT]

Hi Gamefish,
Where abouts in WA?

re my 250 I think I'd cook my rock (didn't have any live rock) and do a FOWLR tank.
Even though I love the corals, I really wanted a Picasso Trigger when i decided to buy my tank but forgot - no invertebrates and now with my 2 shrimps I can't.
cheers
Greg in NZ

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Gamefish - congrats on getting going ! Start a tank thread & post us some pics when you get it up! I just ordered a RSM 250 & we will be starting up about the same time

Always nice to see another RSM tank lurker posting - Cheers !

 

[imaccat]

Hi and welcome to RS,

Congrats on your tank.

The things I would have done differently are:

Got a coarser grain substrate
Not bothered with the RS Starter Kit, mainly because of the test kits
Not spent hours trying to adjust the skimmer with no bioload

Things I am glad I did are;

Got the chiller, ATO and Vortech from the start
Kept my old tank as a QT
Joined RS and enjoyed the wisdom of many who had been there before me

Good luck with setting your tank up.

 

[Reefmack]

Welcome gamefish! Good advice above. I'm a 130 owner, but concerning how much room to leave behind the tank I'd say at least 6 inches (15 cm) if possible. That will make it easier should you later want to mount an overflow for a sump or anything else that requires some access room in the back. I only left about 4 inches and it was pretty tight installing an overflow siphon to my cabinet sump.

Leaving a good amount of room on both sides is good too - so you can open the power center on the right side and be able to see the sight glass on the left side.

 

[redsea reefer]

Welcome to the club and good luck with your tank!

 

[gamefish]

Thank you all for your welcome.
GregT, I am in Exmouth, great place to be, right on the Ningaloo reef, so am hoping a little bit of reef in the living room for when I cant go diving.:snrkl: But the downside is the nearest LFS is over 1200km away! Have been slowly stocking up on bits and pieces by mail, will go with my existing test kits until cycling complete.

yes lots of wisdom here. I managed to exchange the salt (lots of nsw here) from the starter kit for a some substrate, been that long since I got it I have forgotten what it looks like not sure if I will ever go sump, have run without for years, but you never know, so note to self, leave more room!
Have made many mistakes with the rock work over the years, I am sure there will be much agonising on placement again, and lots of rearranging too, must remember I need room for coral to grow.

OH is really paranoid about flooding, so will have to slip the ato past only time I ever had a flood was when someone was looking after the tank and didnt follow instructions on emptying the skimmer

I am getting so excited, and will eventually start a tank thread, in between all the painting and stuff that goes with a half finished house, ah what the heck, tank is more important

 

[Reefmack]

Note on the Red Sea ammonia test - it has had a lot of people think their cycle would never end as the test seems to "stick" at 0.05 ppm in many cases. When they switch to another kit they get a zero. That certainly is a looooong way to an LFS - 745 of our US miles! Leave a bit of time to get that house finished!

 

[lethal]

Welcome aboard. Great to see another aussie on this forum. There aint many of us around

 

[GregT]

Thank you all for your welcome.
GregT, I am in Exmouth, great place to be, right on the Ningaloo reef, so am hoping a little bit of reef in the living room for when I cant go diving.:snrkl: But the downside is the nearest LFS is over 1200km away! Have been slowly stocking up on bits and pieces by mail, will go with my existing test kits until cycling complete.

I am getting so excited, and will eventually start a tank thread, in between all the painting and stuff that goes with a half finished house, ah what the heck, tank is more important

I'm with you on the house reno. Haven't been posting much as been too busy sanding and painting after work and after my 2yo daughter goes to bed.

Will you be able to stock from the reef or sea? I tried collecting NSW but found it smelt too 'fishy' compared to the Red Sea salt.


My corals have grown heaps but I've had some zoas recede and cyano and cottonwool algae appearing. Tank is purpling up nicely though.

Look forward to following your tank pics - and Bathurst in a few weeks
cheers
Greg

 

[kenbut]

Look forward to following your tank pics - and Bathurst in a few weeks
cheers
Greg[/QUOTE]

Drivers were here yesterday, it gets chaotic in about a weeks time, then the madness begins..
R u coming over the pond for the race.


Sorry for thread HighjacK!

 

[kenbut]

Thank you all for your welcome.

I am getting so excited, and will eventually start a tank thread, in between all the painting and stuff that goes with a half finished house, ah what the heck, tank is more important

I am also building a house. I finished one room so I could set up the tank-best thing I did, great escape from the grindstone.
Ken

 

[Reefmack]

Well, I had to look up Exmouth, Western Australia. It's often fun to learn about where some of you people are located:

Exmouth, Western Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[GregT]

I am also building a house. I finished one room so I could set up the tank-best thing I did, great escape from the grindstone.
Ken

Ken,
I have lots of mates that go over, but I'm poor renovating the house too.

Although, would be good to get over there again.
cheers
Greg

 

[gamefish]

Yeah Bathurst not far away, AFL grand final on moving in weekend not good, telly not connected, will be moving in on mates to watch it.

Will be using nsw, realy nice and clean here, and not smelly at all, and can get some stock from the ocean, all helps save the $$$. got someone picking up a chiller for me this week, all I need now is to find a ATO at the right price, is a definate, specially as summer is almost here.

Greg T had a look at your tank thread, love the rockwork, its all looking good, are you still vodka dosing?

 

[GregT]

hey Gamefish,
No I stopped the vodka dosing. It was looking good, nice and clear with good coral growth for a few months and then I started getting a black algae, more GHA and my zoas started shrinking and dying off.

Could have been unrelated to the vodka but thought I'd see if stopping made a difference which it has.

Are you a Ford or Holden man?
cheers
Greg