Just got done setting up my RSM!

[Mavjoy]

I bought a used RSM tank with a stand for cheap($275). It came with everything except the foams. I decided not to use the stock skimmer and went with LR rubble in its place. I currently have a 10 gallon reef tank. I added 20 lbs of live sand and 10 lbs of LR for now and I will be adding more later this week. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Will be posting pics as soon the water gets clear.

[ReefSki]

I would suggest adding a Tunze Nano DOC 9002 skimmer down the road. Also look into buying a media rack for the first chamber. This will help if you decide to run any kind of media.

Ask the people in the RSM forum, they can direct you on how to either make one or purchase one.

[Reefmack]

Mavjoy - Welcome to another RSM owner! Sounds like you got a great deal on the pre-owned RSM. If you have any questions, ask and one of us owners will try to help. I'll PM you with a link to the media basket that Reefski mentioned, in case you're interested in it.

[Mavjoy]

Hi all, I know about Steviet's media rack and stuff. I've been following his thread and Reefmacks. There a lot of great looking setups for the RSM here. I wanted to go with no skimmer 'cause I'll be doing weekly WC and also be emptying the back compartment when i do my WC. Natural filtration from my LR and sand plus weekly WC are my only filtration. I still want to put some kind of filter pad or foam on the grill to filter unwanted stuff and for added insurance. I'll be updating my progress and thanks for all the suggestions.

[Witfull]

Patience is your friend,,,welocme and dont rush things,,,,haste makes waste.....Ben F was so correct~

[Mavjoy]

Hi fellow RSM owners, I'm having difficulty turning my moonlights on and as I mentioned before, this is a used RSM. Is there any way to fix this? I'm thinking the wires inside might be loose or something. LED bulbs should last for a long time. I also took the stock skimmer and waiting for a media rack to get here, but for the meantime, I placed chemi-pure underneath the return pumps and some filter pads where the heater should go. The tank is still cycling(2 days) and I'm thinking of making the back chamber as a fuge with macro-algae and lights of course. Here are some pics:



I'm gonna post more pics when the water gets clearer.
Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[Reefmack]

Mavjoy - I'll have to wait till I get back from work to see the pictures. I'm not sure what to tell you on the moonlights. Have you got the manual for the tank? If not, you can download it here (see page 10 for the lighting setup):

RSM Manual

I know a few owners have had their moonlights stop working and they may have gotten a new set from Red Sea, or instructions on what to check to get them working again.

[Mavjoy]

Originally Posted by Reefmack

Mavjoy - I'll have to wait till I get back from work to see the pictures. I'm not sure what to tell you on the moonlights. Have you got the manual for the tank? If not, you can download it here (see page 10 for the lighting setup):

RSM Manual

I know a few owners have had their moonlights stop working and they may have gotten a new set from Red Sea, or instructions on what to check to get them working again.

Thanks Reefmack. I DL the manual already but it does not get into detail about the wiring. I'm gonna try to open it up and see if the wiring is loose or something. I saw these portable LED lights-R2 Solutions Moonlight 11000 MC, Moon Lights > Fixtures > Lighting > Saltwater Aquarium Supplies
I might get these instead. Have anyone tried these things yet? Thanks for all the feedback.

[Reefmack]

Mavjoy - I got the R2 lights but never put them in permanently as I ended up getting a raised hood. They are nice & bright and had good coverage of the tank the way the bulbs are aligned. I'd suggest screwing them in as the self stick pads didn't hold on very well.

[Mavjoy]

reefmack- thanks for the input about the lights. I'm gonna see if I can fix the stock LED lights first, then if that doesn't work, time for the R2 lights with velcro instead of the tape or screws. Thanks again.

[Mavjoy]

Here are some updated pics of my tank. Enjoy!





I also added some chaeto today in the back chamber but still looking for a fuge light to go in there. It looks pretty bright in my back chamber when my lights are on. Hopefully it will buy me time 'til i get a real fuge light.

[Reefmack]

Looks great, and much better after the water cleared LOL! I like the rock layout - is it pretty stable? That shelf rock in front looks like an interesting place to mount some corals - zoas, mushrooms, etc. Keep us posted as things progress.

[Mavjoy]

Reefmack- thanks man, the rocks are stable and yeah, the front rock slab is perfect for shrooms, gsp and zoos. I tested my water and everything is 0. Calcium is 460. I got fully cured LR and it's almost a week now, i don't know if I'm still gonna get a "real" cycle. There are some small snails roaming around the tank at the moment. I added live sand that has all this beneficial bacteria too. Added some chaeto on the back chambers. My currently running 10 gallon reef tank was set up the same too. It never had any algae blooms and no spikes in levels. I'll wait a few more days and see if I can test then add something.

[Reefmack]

Sounds like your cycle was a short one, but test anyway. Your "real cycle" may have happened so fast you missed it. That was my case too with fully cured rock and a bacterial additive called Bio-Spira. I also never had a green hair algae bloom like many do - just a small piece here & there.

[blue_eyes53813]

Your tank looks great... I like the rockwork too...