RSM- by the book

steveh · 10-07-2008, 10:25 AM

I thought I would re-set up my old RSM now I'm travelling less, and would keep a record of how it progresses. I know lots of people add mods, and good luck to you all. However the RSM was designed to run exactly as supplied and I thought it might interest a few people to see how well it can perform straight out of the box (actually I have the soon-to-be-released new surface skimmer on there so I'm already modding, but the thing works so well it's a shame not to use it)... So, after waiting for my RO to spit out enough water, the MAX is now up and running and awaiting some live rock. I'm going to follow the Red Sea supplement & test program and will post the results as they happen.
1. Threw out the white felt pad (we only recommend this for occasional polishing of the water, and I'm too lazy to do this. Plus I know the tank will clear without it)
2. I had an old black foam (the square block), so cut a channel in the front left hand corner to improve water flow, as is done on more recent Max's
3. Put the carbon under the foam so it's easier to access than if under the pumps
4. Washed and added approx 8kg Reef Base substrate
5. Filled with RO water and Coral Pro salt
6. Added approx 75ml Nitrobac
So, day 1, everything running and off to get some live rock in the next couple of days.

Reefmack · 10-07-2008, 07:33 PM

steveh - let us know how it goes! Some good points on the white pad and the corner cut off the black sponge. Wish I known those things 17 months ago. And post some pictures, especially after you get the rock in. I agree - the carbon will do well over the skimmer pump - carbon doesn't compact and restrict flow in that location, like some of the chemical media, like Chemi-pure Elite, will do in that location.

Arreola · 10-08-2008, 05:18 PM

steveh - Are you going to use the ceramic filter?
Some of us have removed this bag.
Regards
Arreola

slakker · 10-08-2008, 05:25 PM

I put the carbon on top of the foam, thinking the bag is malleable and may restrict flow if over the pump, but maybe less so if over the foam.

steveh · 10-09-2008, 03:10 PM

I have retained the biomedia. Tested the water today and added some uncured live rock (approx 28lbs), as I want to show how the MAX copes with the curing process. Lights are on 6hrs per day, increasing one hour every couple of days until I hit 12 hours, by which time the rock should be cured.
Water parameters: Ca 450ppm, Alk 3.5 Meq/L, Mg 1350ppm. No supplements added, just Coral Pro salt & RO water.
Skimmer has already collected 2 cupfulls since live rock was added.

Reefmack · 10-09-2008, 06:08 PM

Wow - that skimmer is foaming like crazy! I only had mine do that once - when I epoxied a lot of corals in at one time. The epoxy can drive the skimmer crazy. Have you turned down the air valve to get the skimmate drier?

Reefloony · 10-09-2008, 06:24 PM

What a great idea- keeping a diary. I'll be following it as I just got my RSM. Hope you don't mind if I follow along. Red Sea should publish a RSM book version or make this available on their website.

yungreefer2410 · 10-09-2008, 06:28 PM

12 hours is a lot of light time. most people do 8 as 12 could cause lots of algae

Reefmack · 10-09-2008, 07:16 PM

Reefloony -

to Reef Sanctuary and the RSM Club! Great to have another owner join us! Our ranks are growing! Be sure to check out the rest of the RSM Club forum, and of course the rest of Reef Sanctuary. Lots of good information here.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...x-owners-club/

Follow along with the rest of us, and good luck with your new RSM! You could also start a diary post of your own tank and we'll follow you along too, and help if you need it.

steveh · 10-13-2008, 01:30 PM

I am learning all over again that patience is sometimes the hardest thing about setting up a reef tank.
Live rock has been curing in the tank for 4 days and I've been increasing the lighting an hour every couple of days since it went in. No algae signs yet. Ammonia peaked at 5ppm on 11th and has now dropped to 2.5ppm with nitrite rising sharply to over 1ppm. All entirely to be expected. Did a 10% w/change to help the cycling on its way and added 20ml Nitrobac to further shorten the cycle time. I won't bother checking nitrate until the nitrite is on the slide. Am hoping everything zero's out in record time as I'm out visiting some great retailers next week and want to do some shopping while I'm there! Alkalinity has been stable at 3.5 Meq/L, and calcium remains around 440-450ppm. I was going to cheat a little and add an ozoniser/redox controller to speed things up, but have decided to stick to the rules. Skimmer is taking around 20mls of gunk out daily, and the surface skimmer is working really well. The tank is crystal clear. Will re-test everything end of week to see if I can allow myself some livestock!

Reefmack · 10-13-2008, 02:43 PM

Patience is indeed the toughest part! Got any brown diatom yet? It may be too early for a hair algae attack. Sounds like the cycle is progressing well. Any signs of life on the rock?

MatthewJ · 10-13-2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveh

and the surface skimmer is working really well.

this wouldn't be the new one would it? Is that available yet for purchase?

steveh · 10-16-2008, 01:39 AM

Day 9 since setting the RSM up and the live rock is curing nicely. Just starting to get some algae. Readings as follows:

13 Oct (4 days after adding LR): Ammonia dropped from 5ppm to 2.5ppm, Nitrite >1ppm. 10% w/c using Coral Pro salt & Ro water, added 10ml Nitrobac

15 Oct- NH3= 0.25ppm, NO2= 0.50ppm, NO3= >50ppm, Ca= 440ppm, Mg= 1350ppm, Alk 4 Meq/L. Added 2ml Red Sea Molybdenum to help the nitrogen cycle process. Lighting now up to 8hrs per day. Skimmer isn't taking out much but the initial cupfuls and the carbon will have dealt with most of the organics. As an experiment I put a new X2 Turbo skimmer on the tank for a while, and this also took out virtually nothing despite being huge for the tank and very quick at removing any protein; which backs up what I've seen before with new Max's. Even with the live rock curing, the initial skim & carbon has dealt with most of the organic matter. Hoping to start stocking next week, depending on state of water conditions.

It's the original MAX 130, and the only mod is the new adjustable surface skimmer/overflow box. The new M130D should just about be available in the USA by now give/take a few days, but I wanted to run the original.

Reefmack · 10-16-2008, 08:23 AM

Sounds like the cycle is getting close to reaching equilibrium soon - good news. That's a good point on the skimmer also, and that was a great idea doing a check with the X2 skimmer. Hopefully the new surface skimmer will be released soon also - I think that will allow the water level to be kept higher in the display tank, as well as the back, and should help the protein skimmer also.

steveh · 10-25-2008, 01:43 AM

So, the RSM has been set up for 3 weeks now and I added a small "clean up crew" yesterday: 3x Turbo snails, 3x hermit crabs, 1x brittle star. The skimmer is pulling out a good amount of waste. Here's notes since I started:

06-Oct Live rock added
10-Oct NH3 5.0, NO2 0.2, ALk 3.5, Ca 450, Mg 1350. Added 15ml Nitrobac, 20ml Coral Buff
13-Oct NH3 2.5, NO2 >1.
15-Oct NH3 0.3, NO2 0.5, NO3 >50, Alk 4.0, Ca 440. Added 2ml Molybdenum
17-Oct NH3 0,NO2 0.2. Significant algae growth on glass, rocks, substrate. 10% w/c using Coral Pro salt
20-Oct NO2 0, NO3 5.0, Alk 3.5, Ca 420, Mg 1350. Added 45ml Calcium, 30ml Coral Buff
23-Oct NO2 0, NO3 0, Alk 3.8, Ca 450, Mg 1325. Still lots of algae everywhere. 10% w/c using Coral Pro salt. Clean up crew added.
25-Oct NO2 0, NO3 2.5, Alk 3.5, Ca 450, Mg 1300, Phos 0. Added 2ml Molybdenum, 10ml Nitrobac, 15ml Coral Buff

With the onset of algae I started getting bubbles in the tank as the algae photosynthesises. I can see if fizzing off the algae and rocks. However this will disappear once the MAX fully matures. I have modded the protein skimmer inlet to reduce noise, by drilling the top corner of the skimmer cup and pushing the inlet into the hole. It really makes a difference and is very simple to do. There's lots of brown & green hair algae right now but this too will disappear over the next 3-4 weeks. Assuming all is well I will start adding corals in the next week or 2.
The Coral Pro salt is giving me good Ca, Alk & Mg levels so I'm only adding supplements as the Ca & Alk are being used by the live rock algaes. The Nitrobac and Molybdenum certainly seems to be keeping the nitrate down nicely although of course there's very little bioload. All in all it's running exactly as expected having followed the manual.

10-07-2008, 10:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	RSM- by the book I thought I would re-set up my old RSM now I'm travelling less, and would keep a record of how it progresses. I know lots of people add mods, and good luck to you all. However the RSM was designed to run exactly as supplied and I thought it might interest a few people to see how well it can perform straight out of the box (actually I have the soon-to-be-released new surface skimmer on there so I'm already modding, but the thing works so well it's a shame not to use it)... So, after waiting for my RO to spit out enough water, the MAX is now up and running and awaiting some live rock. I'm going to follow the Red Sea supplement & test program and will post the results as they happen. 1. Threw out the white felt pad (we only recommend this for occasional polishing of the water, and I'm too lazy to do this. Plus I know the tank will clear without it) 2. I had an old black foam (the square block), so cut a channel in the front left hand corner to improve water flow, as is done on more recent Max's 3. Put the carbon under the foam so it's easier to access than if under the pumps 4. Washed and added approx 8kg Reef Base substrate 5. Filled with RO water and Coral Pro salt 6. Added approx 75ml Nitrobac So, day 1, everything running and off to get some live rock in the next couple of days.

10-07-2008, 07:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,139 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book steveh - let us know how it goes! Some good points on the white pad and the corner cut off the black sponge. Wish I known those things 17 months ago. And post some pictures, especially after you get the rock in. I agree - the carbon will do well over the skimmer pump - carbon doesn't compact and restrict flow in that location, like some of the chemical media, like Chemi-pure Elite, will do in that location. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

10-08-2008, 05:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Arreola Serpent Star Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 212 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book steveh - Are you going to use the ceramic filter? Some of us have removed this bag. Regards Arreola

10-08-2008, 05:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
slakker Scopas Tang Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 440 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book I put the carbon on top of the foam, thinking the bag is malleable and may restrict flow if over the pump, but maybe less so if over the foam.

10-09-2008, 03:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book I have retained the biomedia. Tested the water today and added some uncured live rock (approx 28lbs), as I want to show how the MAX copes with the curing process. Lights are on 6hrs per day, increasing one hour every couple of days until I hit 12 hours, by which time the rock should be cured. Water parameters: Ca 450ppm, Alk 3.5 Meq/L, Mg 1350ppm. No supplements added, just Coral Pro salt & RO water. Skimmer has already collected 2 cupfulls since live rock was added.

10-09-2008, 06:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,139 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book Wow - that skimmer is foaming like crazy! I only had mine do that once - when I epoxied a lot of corals in at one time. The epoxy can drive the skimmer crazy. Have you turned down the air valve to get the skimmate drier? __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

10-09-2008, 06:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
Reefloony Tunicate Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book What a great idea- keeping a diary. I'll be following it as I just got my RSM. Hope you don't mind if I follow along. Red Sea should publish a RSM book version or make this available on their website.

10-09-2008, 07:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,139 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book Reefloony - to Reef Sanctuary and the RSM Club! Great to have another owner join us! Our ranks are growing! Be sure to check out the rest of the RSM Club forum, and of course the rest of Reef Sanctuary. Lots of good information here. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...x-owners-club/ Follow along with the rest of us, and good luck with your new RSM! You could also start a diary post of your own tank and we'll follow you along too, and help if you need it. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

10-13-2008, 01:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book I am learning all over again that patience is sometimes the hardest thing about setting up a reef tank. Live rock has been curing in the tank for 4 days and I've been increasing the lighting an hour every couple of days since it went in. No algae signs yet. Ammonia peaked at 5ppm on 11th and has now dropped to 2.5ppm with nitrite rising sharply to over 1ppm. All entirely to be expected. Did a 10% w/change to help the cycling on its way and added 20ml Nitrobac to further shorten the cycle time. I won't bother checking nitrate until the nitrite is on the slide. Am hoping everything zero's out in record time as I'm out visiting some great retailers next week and want to do some shopping while I'm there! Alkalinity has been stable at 3.5 Meq/L, and calcium remains around 440-450ppm. I was going to cheat a little and add an ozoniser/redox controller to speed things up, but have decided to stick to the rules. Skimmer is taking around 20mls of gunk out daily, and the surface skimmer is working really well. The tank is crystal clear. Will re-test everything end of week to see if I can allow myself some livestock!

10-13-2008, 02:43 PM	#11 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,139 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book Patience is indeed the toughest part! Got any brown diatom yet? It may be too early for a hair algae attack. Sounds like the cycle is progressing well. Any signs of life on the rock? __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

10-16-2008, 01:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book Day 9 since setting the RSM up and the live rock is curing nicely. Just starting to get some algae. Readings as follows: 13 Oct (4 days after adding LR): Ammonia dropped from 5ppm to 2.5ppm, Nitrite >1ppm. 10% w/c using Coral Pro salt & Ro water, added 10ml Nitrobac 15 Oct- NH3= 0.25ppm, NO2= 0.50ppm, NO3= >50ppm, Ca= 440ppm, Mg= 1350ppm, Alk 4 Meq/L. Added 2ml Red Sea Molybdenum to help the nitrogen cycle process. Lighting now up to 8hrs per day. Skimmer isn't taking out much but the initial cupfuls and the carbon will have dealt with most of the organics. As an experiment I put a new X2 Turbo skimmer on the tank for a while, and this also took out virtually nothing despite being huge for the tank and very quick at removing any protein; which backs up what I've seen before with new Max's. Even with the live rock curing, the initial skim & carbon has dealt with most of the organic matter. Hoping to start stocking next week, depending on state of water conditions. It's the original MAX 130, and the only mod is the new adjustable surface skimmer/overflow box. The new M130D should just about be available in the USA by now give/take a few days, but I wanted to run the original.

10-16-2008, 08:23 AM	#14 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,139 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: RSM- by the book Sounds like the cycle is getting close to reaching equilibrium soon - good news. That's a good point on the skimmer also, and that was a great idea doing a check with the X2 skimmer. Hopefully the new surface skimmer will be released soon also - I think that will allow the water level to be kept higher in the display tank, as well as the back, and should help the protein skimmer also. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

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