1st Acro tank Reefer 300. (Retired)

[BryanM]

Just a brief update. Tanks cruising along. I'm currently dosing 55ml AFR daily to keep alk 8-8.5 dkH. I'm also dosing 10ml of ammonium bicarb which keeps NO3 3-5 ppm and also 1ml PO4 to keep levels 0.02 - 0.04. I've Just resigned myself to the fact that this tank is going to need to be dosed to keep N and P detectable. Still running a reefmat as the only mechanical filtration and I don't want to removed that so it is what it is. I'm just manually dosing for N and P as part if my morning routine so it's simple enough. AFR is in a doser. Calcium has been 425-450 for so long I don't test often any longer. Some people report calcium levels creeping up using AFR without water changes so I'm guessing my very random 2g WCs is enough to prevent that in this tank.
I brought a few LPS over and placed them on the bottom and they seem to be doing fine in the light and flow.

Tank is starting to fill in.

Currently watching the seams fail on the right end. RS says its not a concern and just to monitor it so they're aren't willing to offer any warranty replacement at this time. Not that I would fill another redsea tank in my home after 2 failures. I'm dumb but not that dumb

I'm undecided how I'm going to move forward at this point. I thought about shutting it down and moving everything over into my 330.7 but I like the idea of being able to focus primarily on SPS needs. Mixed reefs can be very challenging trying to please everything. I don't know that i could even come close to replicating the flow I have in this tank. I'm currently running two MP40s, two Nero 5s, a jebao MP40 knock off and two Tunze orca 6075s and coral are giving no indication it's too much flow. I'll probably end up with a replacement tank but we'll see.

I would love to have the problem that I need to dose N and P. So much easier to control that way.

 

[exnisstech]

I would love to have the problem that I need to dose N and P. So much easier to control that way.

I have no idea why it runs low but your right it is pretty easy to keep a handle on. My large tank runs much higher but is algae free so I let it roll. When my Hanna ULR PO4 flashes 0.9 I'll run a little GFO to bring it down to 0.3 - 0.5 NO3 runs 15- 40

 

[Rocks reef]

Tank is looking great!

 

[BryanM]

I have no idea why it runs low but your right it is pretty easy to keep a handle on. My large tank runs much higher but is algae free so I let it roll. When my Hanna ULR PO4 flashes 0.9 I'll run a little GFO to bring it down to 0.3 - 0.5 NO3 runs 15- 40

When you say algae free I assume you're not talking about the glass.

 

[exnisstech]

When you say algae free I assume you're not talking about the glass.

I wish lol. No I meant rocks

 

[exnisstech]

Just a quick update.
Had a large piece and a couple of frags RTN so I took the opportunity to open things up and try to get more flow since I've not been happy with it anyways. This happened a few weeks ago and coral seem to be happy now.

The green monticap was probably much of the cause of being able to get decent flow.

I'm not testing very often but last results were decent. I had to lower my AFR amount from 60ml to 45ml daily.

After rearranging

Few closer coral shots.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Just a quick update.
Had a large piece and a couple of frags RTN so I took the opportunity to open things up and try to get more flow since I've not been happy with it anyways. This happened a few weeks ago and coral seem to be happy now.

The green monticap was probably much of the cause of being able to get decent flow.

I'm not testing very often but last results were decent. I had to lower my AFR amount from 60ml to 45ml daily.

After rearranging

Few closer coral shots.

Looks great! I just got an orca in the mail today. How you liking it?

 

[exnisstech]

Looks great! I just got an orca in the mail today. How you liking it?

So far I'm very happy. I'm running 2 with 2 MP40s . I was running 6 powerheads and getting less flow. The ocilation makes a huge difference.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

So far I'm very happy. I'm running 2 with 2 MP40s . I was running 6 powerheads and getting less flow. The ocilation makes a huge difference.

I'm setting mine up as i type this out and by golly, theres so much to do with this thing haha. I gotta clean my mp40, which i'll do tomorrow, but I almost think I'll be able to get away with a gyre for surface agitation/pushing film to my overflow, an mp40 along the back, and my orca covering the rest of the tank!

 

[exnisstech]

Just a quick post to say I won't be updating this thread any longer. I have an eshopps mariner MP100 on the way as a replacement. I hope to take some of what I've learned on this tank and apply it to the new one. My biggest complaint on this tank is the poorly designed rock scape. Even with 6 powerheads I have a lot of detritus build up on the rocks that requires me to blow them off daily. With the condition of the tank seams I'm not going to waste any more time on this. Plan is to move most of the coral over to the new tank eventually.
Thanks for stopping by.

 

[beardedman11]

A few more images for future reference.

Leaders of my cuc

Wow!! the fact the sps is encrusting all over on the bottom of the tank is wild. And the colors look so good being that far under the lights.

 

[exnisstech]

Wow!! the fact the sps is encrusting all over on the bottom of the tank is wild. And the colors look so good being that far under the lights.

Its on the bottom but getting 300 par. Stuff up high is getting 500+ tank is 36x22x22" with 2 photon 32s so it's like a blanket of light.
That one encrusting on the bottom was a $20 frag from a bargain bin. I just stuck it on the bottom to see jow it would do. I'm currently moving out of that tank and suspect it may be one I lose. It's pretty firmly attached.

 

[UncommonSense]

I'm currently moving out of that tank and suspect it may be one I lose. It's pretty firmly attached.

Glass is extremely flat, so you can probably get the colony off it in large pieces by using a thin, flexible putty knife and scraping between glass and colony!

Alternatively, a long (~4”) razor blade might be able to get under the colony all the way around to pop it off the glass whole, though I’m not sure I’d attempt such a thing after my last cut from a razor blade snapping in half!

 

[exnisstech]

Glass is extremely flat, so you can probably get the colony off it in large pieces by using a thin, flexible putty knife and scraping between glass and colony!

Alternatively, a long (~4”) razor blade might be able to get under the colony all the way around to pop it off the glass whole, though I’m not sure I’d attempt such a thing after my last cut from a razor blade snapping in half!

I'll give it a try. The last coral I had encrusted on the glass was a cyphastrea and it took a wood chisel and hammer to get it off. I thought I was going to break the glass but didn't care since it was a junk RS tank like this one lol.

 

[UncommonSense]

I'll give it a try. The last coral I had encrusted on the glass was a cyphastrea and it took a wood chisel and hammer to get it off. I thought I was going to break the glass but didn't care since it was a junk RS tank like this one lol.

My other thought was cutting/breaking a section of the tank’s bottom pane out with the coral attached to stick in the next tank, like a giant frag plug!

 

[exnisstech]

My other thought was cutting/breaking a section of the tank’s bottom pane out with the coral attached to stick in the next tank, like a giant frag plug!

My glass cutting skills are non existent lol. The coral is heading south with a bad case of stn now along with a few others so I may just leave it behind.

 

[exnisstech]

The reefer 300 has been retired. I updated the first post with info.

 

[beardedman11]

I love that aquascape. looks great. Fish should be able to like you said swim with the powerheads and the current. Cant wait to see how those sps fill in.