Humble Red Sea Reefer 250 G2+ Build

[mcc21]

I recently got back into the reef tank hobby this past January. My last tank was 8 years ago when Apex system was still ethernet, and everything was manual programming on the equipment itself. Fast forward 2 years ago when I started researching the latest equipment and how much the reef community and systems have changed. I really couldn't believe how much everything is app based and automated as well as how much everything cost!!! The corals and fish now cost 5x the price as it did 10 years ago!

I have settle on the Red Sea Reefer 250. Luckily I waited and researched before purchasing this system as I found out all the horrible quality from the G1 tanks. With the confidence (hopefully) that Red Sea have addressed themselves from embarrassment in his hobby with the G2+ tanks, I took the plunge in purchasing it on Black Friday.

The tank was set up shortly after January and has been cycling for a month. I adopted my friend's pair of clownfish from his tank shutdown.

Here is a list of the tank build:

Red Sea Reefer 250 G2+
Custom ClearView lid cover
AR- Pro Refugium
AR- Pro Refugium modified to be a 5gallon ATO reservoir
Apex Jr headunit + EB4 + EB832
2 x optical sensor (one for refugium if the outlet is plugged and overflowing and one for the ATO reservoir to let me know if the water is running low)
Ecotech XR30 G5 Pro + XR15 G5 Pro w/ ONF hanging bar
Ecotech MP40 w/ back up battery
AI Nero 3
Alkatronic tester w/ PM1 Apex module
Red Sea Reefdose 4 doser
Red Sea ReefMat 250
Red Sea ReefATO+
Tunze Refugium light
UV Aqua 15 watt sterilizer running off an AI Axis 90 pump (I have it set up so it alternates between two flow rates for bacteria and algae)
Reef Octopus Varios 2 return pump
Bubble King 160 skimmer
AquaMaxx FR-S media reactor

The brown Crate and Barrel hamper is to house all my cables/power supplies. The Yamazaki storage tower is my doser, Ecotech battery, and miscellaneous supplies.

The goal of the tank is 85% SPS and 15% Torch Garden. The left side (big hanging rock) will be SPS and I will flip the rock on the right hand side and mount Torch corals into it.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

Looking good fellow 250 peep!

 

[Not_Erick]

Nice! Can’t wait to see it grow out!

 

[OctaviusBrine]

I have one question though. being a 250 owner and realizing that valve is hot trash. how are you able to service it? Because believe me that day of frustration will come.

 

[mcc21]

I have one question though. being a 250 owner and realizing that valve is hot trash. how are you able to service it? Because believe me that day of frustration will come.

Oh you mean the gray outlet pipe infront of the valve?
Oh that is easy removed. Its just put together from silicone tube to barb. Its my outlet from my uv sterilizer. Maybe when the time comes i will take it apart and run the outlet behind the filter. I didnt have the filter before I did the plumbing so i didnt thought there be room behind the filter. But it be nice and cleaner look to hide everything behind.

 

[ze_reef]

Very nice clean build!!

 

[mcc21]

I went over to a local SPS seller who has crazy SPS grow out tanks and i selected a bunch of medium frags / corals for the tank. He is holding them in the tank for me until my tank is ready to stock.

Here is the list of the corals I have purchased so far:

RR Wolverine
RR Orange Passion
Yellow Caroliniana
JF Fox Flame
WWC Little Red Ferrari
Ultimate Bonsai
FG Tangerine Shortcake
Vivid's Confetti
RR Angry Bird
Indo Blue Torch x 3 heads
Indo Rainbow Torch x 4 heads
Dragon Soul Torch x 4 heads

I also have added since 3 more Randall's Anthias: 1 male and 2 females.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Good list of coral!

 

[mcc21]

Quick update I finally picked up a some corals and added to the tank.
Trying out LPS corals first and get my parameters stable before adding the sps corals i have purchased and being held at the local reefer's tank.

Currently also have 7 fish.
2 x clownfish
Purple tang
Melaranus wrasse
Randell anthias (1 male and 2 females)

 

[tuscani]

Nice! Maybe I missed it, but where did you get that rolling side shelf?

 

[tuscani]

JK found it

 

[mcc21]

A little update on the tank. I ran into some problems last week as my Hanna Salinity meter was 'off calibrated', but I didn't notice until all my snails, starfish and a fish died. My corals werent happy as well. I started to then notice my parameters calcium and magnesium was off the test kit charts and couldn't figure it out (both new water and tank water). So after consulting with a local reefer, he suggested to check my salinity with the Tropic Marin hydrometer which i quickly ordered online with 2 day express shipping. Behold my salinity was 1.031!!!

Fast forward to this week after a week of slowly replacing tank water with freshwater i have lowered it back down to 1.026 and the last couple days my corals are happier than ever. I have added 10 new Trochus snails as my tank been ridden with brown algae on the glass and diatoms on the rocks! Within 2 days almost all of it was gone from the rocks

Still waiting to finish my Hammer / octospawn garden on the other side and finally start to pick up my 9 pieces of SPS from the local reefer. Will update with more pictures later next month.

Here is a couple of pics of my prize firefish and torch garden

 

[tuscani]

How are things looking? Can I get a better pic of the reef mat connecting to the plumbing?

 

[Absolutekind]

Very nice! Following along.