TorontoReefer
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no. It just slid in. No modifications needed
Reef Casa Studio 12 Acropora Rescape
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TorontoReefer
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A few changes this week. I added an acan in front of the torch to try and hide the stem a little bit.. I havent had much luck with acans in the past but I will give it another try. The torch is still alive after 2 weeks... which I think is a record for me. I fed it some lps pellets today while I did my water change so I will see how it goes!
I also fragged a bit off the green goddess birdsnest to put in my other tank.. it was being shaded so I figured I might as well cut that piece off and use it somewhere else. Apart from that there isn't anything new that I've added lately. But there is some new gear that I'll add soon.
I picked up a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer and a Neptune Apex A3 from Fragbox. The Neptune is mostly for my larger tank but I am going to make it do double duty and automate the pump, skimmer and an auto feeder on the Reef Casa tank as well. March has the patience of a saint, I must have emailed him a dozen times trying to figure out what Apex model would be best for what I needed. I am a bit nervous to set it up but I'm sure it will go fine!
I also fragged a bit off the green goddess birdsnest to put in my other tank.. it was being shaded so I figured I might as well cut that piece off and use it somewhere else. Apart from that there isn't anything new that I've added lately. But there is some new gear that I'll add soon.
I picked up a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer and a Neptune Apex A3 from Fragbox. The Neptune is mostly for my larger tank but I am going to make it do double duty and automate the pump, skimmer and an auto feeder on the Reef Casa tank as well. March has the patience of a saint, I must have emailed him a dozen times trying to figure out what Apex model would be best for what I needed. I am a bit nervous to set it up but I'm sure it will go fine!
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TorontoReefer
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First things first… Happy New Year!
The tank is coming together nicely I think. The torch is still going strong, which is amazing since I’ve killed one under AI primes and under Radions.. the Halo light is holding its own !
I’m not sure if the Acan will grow at the bottom of the torch though. I think it’s too shaded. Time will tell I suppose. I’ve added a few frags of things I accidentally broke off colonies in my big tank while cleaning it ! I think it will fill in nicely.
I’m really happy with the Apex. I’ve got it set up to monitor my big tank but I’ve also got it set up for a feed mode on the Reef Casa. Huge shout out to the staff at Fragbox for helping me get it set up! I’ve just scratched the surface of what it can do but it was a great purchase.
I think im going to let things grow in for a bit and see what does well where before I add too much more. I’m also thinking of one more fish but I’m not sure… something peaceful. Any suggestions?
The tank is coming together nicely I think. The torch is still going strong, which is amazing since I’ve killed one under AI primes and under Radions.. the Halo light is holding its own !
I’m not sure if the Acan will grow at the bottom of the torch though. I think it’s too shaded. Time will tell I suppose. I’ve added a few frags of things I accidentally broke off colonies in my big tank while cleaning it ! I think it will fill in nicely.
I’m really happy with the Apex. I’ve got it set up to monitor my big tank but I’ve also got it set up for a feed mode on the Reef Casa. Huge shout out to the staff at Fragbox for helping me get it set up! I’ve just scratched the surface of what it can do but it was a great purchase.
I think im going to let things grow in for a bit and see what does well where before I add too much more. I’m also thinking of one more fish but I’m not sure… something peaceful. Any suggestions?
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TorontoReefer
Community Member
My wife got one for Christmas. We haven’t opened it up yet but it looks pretty cool!
Jesse571
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I love my Reef Casa 12 gallon! I have a mixed reef 75 gallon as well but bought the 12 the week it became available. Had a minor problem with the return pump that Reef Casa replaced in a heartbeat for me. Amazing after sale service! Highly recommend!Welcome to my build thread for my new Reef Casa Studio 12 tank. I started out in the reefing hobby with a nano tank, worked my way up to larger tanks and now want to apply everything I have learned to create a dream nano tank and the Reef Casa Studio 12 is the perfect canvas.
After much consideration I decided to go with Staxx rocks and a sand bottom. I initially was planning on using Hawaiian black sand but changed my mind once I realized it was magnetic and may scratch my glass while cleaning. I paired the tank with the Reef Casa Halo light and a 50 watt heater. Since I don’t have room for an auto top off reservoir I am using a quarantine box hung on the back of the tank as a makeshift ATO reservoir. I’m not sure if this is a long term solution but it works for now.
Setting the tank up was a breeze. The glass is very clear and the silicone on the seams is high quality. The included return pump is quiet and moves the water well, although I think I may upgrade to the available Random Flow Generator once I add corals because I want to try and avoid adding a wavemaker.
The tank is now fully cycled and over the next week or so I will start to add corals. My plan is to work on one section at a time, unlike in the past when I just randomly placed corals. I’ve also never kept rock flower anemones so I hope to create a garden of them as well, although they are a little bit difficult to find.
I will post again once I add corals and get this great little tank officially underway!
TorontoReefer
Community Member
Went with the Halo. That’s what I have on the studio 12 and I love it. By the time you add a timer to the Beam it’s not dramatically cheaper. The Beam isn’t dimmable either. I will likely run the Halo at about 30% on the Flat 6.
TorontoReefer
Community Member
I don’t know anything about the KoralKings tanks but I’ve been reallly happy with the Reef Casa studio. The halo light is a really solid choice and the tank is well designed. The crew at Reef Casa have great customer service too.
TorontoReefer
Community Member
Well I can say that after a few months I am very happy with the Reef Casa tank and light. All the corals are doing great, and I haven't had any issues with die off, lighting or flow. However, when I think back to what my plans were when I started I have changed pretty much everything!
When I set this tank up I was planning on focusing on Rock Flower Anemones, Blastos and other super easy to keep coals. I was going to stay away from euphyllia, especially torches, and wasn't planning on keeping any SPS corals. Well.. my rock flower experiment didn't work out because they keep playing hide and seek and while I still have a few blastos in my tank and really like them I don't think I'll be adding anymore.
After saying I would never,ever get another torch my NY Knicks torch is doing amazing and looks great under the Halo light. I also really like the hammers that I added, even after saying I wouldn't! I am going to keep adding easy SPS corals on the top rock.. am going to just frag pieces off colonies that are doing well in my other tank and will focus on easy to keep SPS like montipora and anacropora. The light is having no problems growing them at about 50% intensity on the blues.
It's funny that sometimes you can have what you think is a super solid plan, only to have the tank go in a completely different (but awesome!) direction.
When I set this tank up I was planning on focusing on Rock Flower Anemones, Blastos and other super easy to keep coals. I was going to stay away from euphyllia, especially torches, and wasn't planning on keeping any SPS corals. Well.. my rock flower experiment didn't work out because they keep playing hide and seek and while I still have a few blastos in my tank and really like them I don't think I'll be adding anymore.
After saying I would never,ever get another torch my NY Knicks torch is doing amazing and looks great under the Halo light. I also really like the hammers that I added, even after saying I wouldn't! I am going to keep adding easy SPS corals on the top rock.. am going to just frag pieces off colonies that are doing well in my other tank and will focus on easy to keep SPS like montipora and anacropora. The light is having no problems growing them at about 50% intensity on the blues.
It's funny that sometimes you can have what you think is a super solid plan, only to have the tank go in a completely different (but awesome!) direction.
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TorontoReefer
Community Member
I think right now the changes are going to start to slow down in the tank a little bit. I did add a small piece of Hollywood stunner chalice that broke off a larger frag in my big tank and moved a few things around on the sandbed but no major purchases or additions.
I am working towards getting both of my tanks reasonably automated between now and the summer so we can travel so a lot of my investments are going to go to gear rather than livestock for the next little while. I'm getting pretty good at figuring out how to make the Apex do double duty on both the tanks.
All of the corals that I have put in the Reef Casa tank have done really well and the light really has held its own. I have bought a protein skimmer but I am hesitant to set it up and mess with the tank's nutrient levels since things are going really smoothly. I am going to start feeding the corals a bit so I may need to set it up if I start to get any nuisance algae. I've never run a tank without a skimmer before but maybe I dont need one?
I am still thinking about adding one more peaceful fish, preferably one that will eat pellets.. not sure about which one though. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I am working towards getting both of my tanks reasonably automated between now and the summer so we can travel so a lot of my investments are going to go to gear rather than livestock for the next little while. I'm getting pretty good at figuring out how to make the Apex do double duty on both the tanks.
All of the corals that I have put in the Reef Casa tank have done really well and the light really has held its own. I have bought a protein skimmer but I am hesitant to set it up and mess with the tank's nutrient levels since things are going really smoothly. I am going to start feeding the corals a bit so I may need to set it up if I start to get any nuisance algae. I've never run a tank without a skimmer before but maybe I dont need one?
I am still thinking about adding one more peaceful fish, preferably one that will eat pellets.. not sure about which one though. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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TorontoReefer
Community Member
Well this week's reefing adventures got cut a little bit short when the whole family came down with COVID one after another! Everyone is fine but the tank was probably a bit neglected but still seems to be done well!
At this point I am just waiting to find a small green torch to put next to the NY Knicks and waiting for my Birds of Paradise colony in my other tank to be large enough to frag a piece off. The Reef Casa light seems to be doing a great job growing LPS, SPS and soft corals.. I am slowly bringing up the intensity and have it at about 60% on the blue spectrum right now with a little bit of white and light blue to balance it out.
I'm still debating on whether or not to set up the protein skimmer.. things seem to be doing well and I don't want to mess with things if I don't need to. I've started feeding every couple of days so I will see if that means that I need to add it to prevent algae. My clean up crew is a little bit light I think.. I tried adding a Halloween Hermit but he was a bulldozer so right now he is in my wife's empty Flat 6 until I get around to returning him.
This little tank continues to impress me. I am going to set up a 5 gallon bucket under the stand and use it as an ATO resevoir for both my tanks.. the little backpack until I put together works well for now but we plan to travel a bit in the summer so I will need more volume for the ATO. I also have to get my cardinalfish to start eating pellets by then too! Any advice?
Things are still moving along well and I seem to have broken my torch coral curse, as the torch in this tank is now splitting into 2 heads. I'm thinking of getting one more rockflower anemone, although you would think I would have learned my lesson!
At this point I am just waiting to find a small green torch to put next to the NY Knicks and waiting for my Birds of Paradise colony in my other tank to be large enough to frag a piece off. The Reef Casa light seems to be doing a great job growing LPS, SPS and soft corals.. I am slowly bringing up the intensity and have it at about 60% on the blue spectrum right now with a little bit of white and light blue to balance it out.
I'm still debating on whether or not to set up the protein skimmer.. things seem to be doing well and I don't want to mess with things if I don't need to. I've started feeding every couple of days so I will see if that means that I need to add it to prevent algae. My clean up crew is a little bit light I think.. I tried adding a Halloween Hermit but he was a bulldozer so right now he is in my wife's empty Flat 6 until I get around to returning him.
This little tank continues to impress me. I am going to set up a 5 gallon bucket under the stand and use it as an ATO resevoir for both my tanks.. the little backpack until I put together works well for now but we plan to travel a bit in the summer so I will need more volume for the ATO. I also have to get my cardinalfish to start eating pellets by then too! Any advice?
Things are still moving along well and I seem to have broken my torch coral curse, as the torch in this tank is now splitting into 2 heads. I'm thinking of getting one more rockflower anemone, although you would think I would have learned my lesson!
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TorontoReefer
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I’ve had good growth on my lps and easy sps. I haven’t tried growing any acros with them but that’s just because I’m keeping this tank a bit dirtier for my torch and hammer corals. I am running it about 60% so i imagine it has the power to grow anything
TorontoReefer
Community Member
Well I decided to risk it and added another torch coral this week. The first one has done really well in this tank so I thought I would try my luck once more. Working with hammers and torches is probably my least favorite thing to do so it was a bit stressful!
I moved the NY Knicks torch into the back corner (the stem was just too tall for where it was and I decided it looked a little funny. That opened up the spot right in front for the new torch. Hopefully the first torch doesn't mind being moved and the new one does well... it's always a bit of a coin flip with torches.
I have to move one of the blastos on the lower rockwork that is getting too shaded but I am going to wait for a week to let the torches settle before I stick my hand in the tank again.
I added (and then quickly removed) a Halloween Hermit crab that I thought would be good for keeping the sandbed turned over since the tank isn't big enough for a sand sifting starfish but he was a bit of a bulldozer and knocked everything over so back to the store he went!
Hopefully the torches tolerate the move well and keep thriving! I'm still torn about whether or not to set up the protein skimmer... I probably will in the next couple of weeks.
I moved the NY Knicks torch into the back corner (the stem was just too tall for where it was and I decided it looked a little funny. That opened up the spot right in front for the new torch. Hopefully the first torch doesn't mind being moved and the new one does well... it's always a bit of a coin flip with torches.
I have to move one of the blastos on the lower rockwork that is getting too shaded but I am going to wait for a week to let the torches settle before I stick my hand in the tank again.
I added (and then quickly removed) a Halloween Hermit crab that I thought would be good for keeping the sandbed turned over since the tank isn't big enough for a sand sifting starfish but he was a bit of a bulldozer and knocked everything over so back to the store he went!
Hopefully the torches tolerate the move well and keep thriving! I'm still torn about whether or not to set up the protein skimmer... I probably will in the next couple of weeks.
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Gumbies R Us
Certified Noob
Love the torches you have!!
TorontoReefer
Community Member
Thanks! This is the first time I’ve been able to keep them alive. I’ve lost torches under AI primes and radions but the reef casa halo light seems to be rocking them !
TorontoReefer
Community Member
TorontoReefer
Community Member
The Reef Casa Studio 12 has been up and running for about 4 months now and I have to say that I've been nothing but happy with this little tank. I really like how simple it has been to set up and maintain. Water changes are a breeze with a tank this size and the precut filter floss makes it so easy to keep the water nice and clean.
I've added the media basket and that has certainly helped to organize my chemipure and other filtration. I am considering upgrading to the Sicce pump but I'm hesitant to mess with the success I have had so far.
I'm really happy with how all the corals are growing. I had a few issues with blastos at the beginning but I think that was my fault for putting them in too much light. I can't get over how great the torches are looking, considering how much trouble I have had growing torches in the past. The easy SPS corals are growing, although I think I need to move one of the forest fire montiporas out of the way of the NY Knicks torch.
I'm not sure where to go from here.. the top top ledge definitely needs more corals but I'm not sure whether I frag something out of my bigger tank or get something encrusting like a cyphastrea to give that ledge some colour. I think the sandbed is full, especially once the acans start to grow.
I've added the media basket and that has certainly helped to organize my chemipure and other filtration. I am considering upgrading to the Sicce pump but I'm hesitant to mess with the success I have had so far.
I'm really happy with how all the corals are growing. I had a few issues with blastos at the beginning but I think that was my fault for putting them in too much light. I can't get over how great the torches are looking, considering how much trouble I have had growing torches in the past. The easy SPS corals are growing, although I think I need to move one of the forest fire montiporas out of the way of the NY Knicks torch.
I'm not sure where to go from here.. the top top ledge definitely needs more corals but I'm not sure whether I frag something out of my bigger tank or get something encrusting like a cyphastrea to give that ledge some colour. I think the sandbed is full, especially once the acans start to grow.
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