Gary Jaz
Active Member
Hi all, first post here. I am a newbie, although I kept 3 tanks (2 cichlid tanks and 1 marine tank) back in grad school in the 90s, when undergravel filters were a thing.
I ended up going going with the Red Sea Reefer 250 because of it's modern looks. Couldn't really go bigger in the spot that I chose for it (second floor condo). I went with a pair of the AI Hydra 26s which comes with the deluxe version of the 250, although it appears the deluxe option is no longer available from Red Sea. The LFS recommended a Danner Pond-Mag (model 7) for the return pump and a Corallife Turbo Twist 3x UV filter. I still need to choose a powerhead(s).
The stand was easy to build. The first issue was leveling it. I spent a lot of time researching how best to it, and ended up shimming it with composite shims. I was worried that they might slip against the plastic feet of the 250, and asked Red Sea support about it and researched it, but didn't get clear answers anywhere. In the end I shimmed the feet. It's level and solid, but there are 2 feet (near the lowest corner) where I can slip a piece of paper under them, but cannot fit a shim. Researched this, and asked Red Sea. Red Sea says all feet should make contact. So next problem is finding something to fit under them. I tried a butter knife and could push them in, so I need to find something as thin as my knife.
After this, I need to figure out where to place the UV filter. The ATO is in the way of the ideal spot.
I ended up going going with the Red Sea Reefer 250 because of it's modern looks. Couldn't really go bigger in the spot that I chose for it (second floor condo). I went with a pair of the AI Hydra 26s which comes with the deluxe version of the 250, although it appears the deluxe option is no longer available from Red Sea. The LFS recommended a Danner Pond-Mag (model 7) for the return pump and a Corallife Turbo Twist 3x UV filter. I still need to choose a powerhead(s).
The stand was easy to build. The first issue was leveling it. I spent a lot of time researching how best to it, and ended up shimming it with composite shims. I was worried that they might slip against the plastic feet of the 250, and asked Red Sea support about it and researched it, but didn't get clear answers anywhere. In the end I shimmed the feet. It's level and solid, but there are 2 feet (near the lowest corner) where I can slip a piece of paper under them, but cannot fit a shim. Researched this, and asked Red Sea. Red Sea says all feet should make contact. So next problem is finding something to fit under them. I tried a butter knife and could push them in, so I need to find something as thin as my knife.
After this, I need to figure out where to place the UV filter. The ATO is in the way of the ideal spot.
