Time for an update!
The tank is ticking over very nicely. Since early on it's been running with Rowaphos in a D-D reactor, a Marine Pure Block 8x8x4, Activated Carbon in bags, filter floss in the socks, and the stock C-Skim 1800. I've since added a 36w UV and a Temperature Controller which I've stuck on the front of the Power Centre.
I've not had any spikes at all with the parameters. I did have a dusting of Diatoms on the sand which spread to the rocks, but I added some Sera Silicate Remover (in bags) and this seemed to remove the Diatoms from the rocks, although I still have a light dusting on the sand.
I have started Dosing with Triton Core 7 Reef Supplements at a rate of 6ml a day. I think this is still a bit too much as my stocking levels are quite low and the KH has started to creep up, so I'll adjust this to Dose every other day and monitor the situation.
Livestock now includes:-
6 x Blue Chromis
2 x Clowns
1 x Cleaner Wrasee
2 x Yellow Bellied Damsels
1 x Kole Tang
1 x Yellow Tang
1 x Coral Beauty
2 x Cleaner Shrimp
1 x Peppermint Shrimp
20 x various snails and hermit crabs.
Corals:
about 18 pieces (heads?) of Orange Florida Ricordia
1 x Torch
1 x Hammer
2 x Zoas (small colonies)
1 x Hydnophora
1 x Finger Coral
1 x Mushroom Coral
1 x Red Plating Monti
Hardware Problems:
The only issue is with the C-Skim 1800. I now have it tuned-in and I never have to adjust it. It skims very well and removes a lot of gunk. However, there is the noise problem. If I lived on my own I could deal with it, but the tank is in the Living Room and I get a lot of complaints from my wife. It has to go. I've tried everything from placing additional foam padding underneath, to fiddling with the air intake. I've ensured it is not touching the Sump anywhere, but it still produces a constant deep hummimg noise.
I'm looking at the NYOS 160 at the moment as a replacement, unless of course, you have any other recommendations? As the S-650 is Red Sea's Flagship Tank, this issue should have been addressed ages ago.
I had a small issue with the LED lights. If I try to connect to the Router, one of the lights just drops out, and this affects the other three units. I was coming home from work some days to find the tank in darkness. I solved this by only connecting the lights in 'Standalone Mode' directly to my phone. No big deal, but the lights really should work as advertised. Oh, and my Router is about six feet from the lights, so signal strength is not a problem. The problem is NOT with the Router.
Otherwise I am totally happy with the S-650. It looks fantastic and it's everything I wanted it to be.