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

SPR

Well-Known Member
She’s’ grown a little… How do I know its a ‘she’, well because with a face so pretty, it couldn’t be a ‘he’!

The first picture is about 1 1/2 inches long, the second is around 6 inches

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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
How is the big boy coming along? (no, not you!)

Are your corals in the S-650 starting to outgrow the tank? I have decided to sell some frags from my Australian Golden Torch. It got so big it sort of collapsed, and now I have spare heads!
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
How is the big boy coming along? (no, not you!)

Are your corals in the S-650 starting to outgrow the tank? I have decided to sell some frags from my Australian Golden Torch. It got so big it sort of collapsed, and now I have spare heads!
Lol! The big boy is fine

I did some major fragging/removal in the S650 about 6 months ago so it’s recovering but all good and to be honest doesn’t look much different because I’ve added some frags from the big tank.

Im getting ready for another frag session in both systems so when I can be bothered to get the diving gear on, I’ll start! Lol
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I did my normal weekly tests on both tanks, mainly alkalinity in the large system, all is well in the S650 which is dosed by normal foundation elements from a Kamoer 4 channel doser which has been faultless for 6 years

The large system is run by a Deltec Twintech 1500 super duper calcium reactor, you know the type that costs about £1850

Alkalinity was at 4.8 and I was wondering why one of the montipora corals was going a little white!

So I immediately added some normal alkalinity powder in a liquid form, about 1 litre (a rough guess from calculating what’s used in the S650) and went to investigate

As I suspected the stupid flow meter in the Twintech had got stuck again. This is a cheap piece of plastic with a impeller inside that rotates and the unit then counts the dosage. But you can’t access it to clean it, it’s a sealed unit. Furthermore it doesn’t alert you that it’s stopped, it just caries on regardless but nothing is coming out of the reactor.

The only way I can tell if it’s working, is the output hose is in the return section of the sump, along with an Apex pH probe. When is adds effluent the pH drops and the probe picks it up. That’s it, otherwise you don’t know

When it works it’s brilliant, but……

I won’t be replacing it, if and when it fails or I get fed up with it, I’ll go back to normal dosing with a Kamoer, and some large containers!
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I bought a couple of those 'flow indicators', basically just an impellor inside a casing that whirls round as the water flows through. At first I thought it was a good idea as it gave a visual check on flow through any pipe, but like you I found that they clog/jam very quickly and then can in fact, cause the flow to be restricted. They are pretty much impossible to clean out as well.
Oh well, something else to go on the list of things we'd never buy again :)
 
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Nobbygas

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How are the corals in the Beast coming along? Have you found any that grow like mad, or others that are struggling for no known reason?
 
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SPR

Well-Known Member
How are the corals in the Beast coming along? Have you found any that grow like mad, or others that are struggling for no known reason?
All doing well, and the GSP has grown about 1cm so I’m a reefing success! Lol

I had one, a green one, it grew like crazy, I had numerous frags, and then one day they all started to die off, and in both tanks, as I’d fragged some into the S650. Very weard

It’s coming back now but who knows……

All else is good. I haven’t been posting much as I spend a lot of time outside with the nice weather etc., and I don’t really have much to say so….

How are you doing ??
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
All doing well, and the GSP has grown about 1cm so I’m a reefing success! Lol

I had one, a green one, it grew like crazy, I had numerous frags, and then one day they all started to die off, and in both tanks, as I’d fragged some into the S650. Very weard

It’s coming back now but who knows……

All else is good. I haven’t been posting much as I spend a lot of time outside with the nice weather etc., and I don’t really have much to say so….

How are you doing ??
Doing fine thanks. As Summer is here it's that time to shank a few golf balls that I'll never see again. You know how it goes :)
I'm just about to attempt, for the very first time, to sell some frags on eBay Marketplace. I have an Australian Gold Torch that is growing like a weed !
My GSP is still just surviving. I remain a reefing failure !
 
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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Doing fine thanks. As Summer is here it's that time to shank a few golf balls that I'll never see again. You know how it goes :)
I'm just about to attempt, for the very first time, to sell some frags on eBay Marketplace. I have an Australian Gold Torch that is growing like a weed !
My GSP is still just surviving. I remain a reefing failure !
Actually I have a correction. My GSP is no more. I have managed to kill one of the nuclear corals.
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
I’m running the aquarium engineering calcium reactor and it’s a similar type but seem to wire good once up and running. Have you ever looked into that?
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I’m running the aquarium engineering calcium reactor and it’s a similar type but seem to wire good once up and running. Have you ever looked into that?
I’ll have a look.

I’ve been looking at the standard Deltec PF601 combined with a Kamoer FX STP (which I have a new one already) if and when the Twin Tech fails completely.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
How is the Beast coming along. C'mon, we want pictures !
All is well, I’ve just been a bit distracted by other projects and stuff so haven’t really been around much

I have taken some of the equipment of line, UV-C, calcium reactor (got sick of it! Lol), not using rowaphos anymore, installed a refugium in the big tank, haven’t changed activated carbon for about 6 months….. so I will give reasons etc in a bit of an update.

So yes I will update, but I’ve been using the S650 as a sort of experiment for the large system. I stopped the UVC in that years ago when it needed a new bulb. And it’s never made any difference.

Im also using X Filter media rolls at 25 micron in both and that means the skimmers are hardly producing anything anymore as these take out most of the dirt etc. I only clean the cups every 2 months or so when I feel I should! Lol
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Yep. It's funny when you enter this hobby. We read everything we can. We buy all sorts of equipment, but in the end, experience wins. I too have dumped the uVC. I only have a bag of carbon, skimmer, filter floss and the reactor for Rowophos. I've gone back to KISS, Keep It Simp!e Stupid
 
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