Megability’s RedSea REEFER 625 Build Thread

[Megability]

After 10 years in this hobby with a BioCube29, I’ve wanted to eventually upgrade for a while. I finally took the plunge and ordered a Red Sea REEFER 625 Deluxe during all the “Black Friday” deals!
I’m so excited!

So this is gonna be my build thread, and it’s meant for fellow reefers and novices like most of my friends & family alike, so I’m going to be extra specific and obvious at times, but my only goal is just to help anyone reading get more engaged with our excellent hobby, AKA passion!

Ok, the Red Sea REEFER 625... For those that don’t know, this is Red Sea’s package tank with great glass, stand, sump below, all the plumbing, and three 90watt LED Light clusters, 625 liters / 165 gallons total. pretty much everything you need to get going besides a return pump for the water.

It hasn’t arrived yet but I’m starting this thread anyway with some stock photos, but I intend this first post to be a rotating current shot of the tank and current equipment, livestock, etc., please follow along in my journey!


Current Equipment:
Red Sea ReefLED 90 Lights
Sicce Syncra SDC 7.0 Return Pump (1700gph)
Red Sea REEFER Skimmer 900
Maxspect Gyre 350 w/ controller (2nd soon)
50lbs MarcoRocks ReefSaver Dry Rock
(to be seeded by rock from current system)

Current Inhabitants (July 2022):

Fish (15 soon to be 21)
Tomato Clownfish, 13+ years old from my BioCube29
Blue Damselfish
Lawnmower Blenny
Falco Hawkfish
Six-Line Wrasse
Purple Dottyback
Royal Blue Tang (Dory!)
Convict Tang
Lyretail Anthias (7)

(still in QT / observation tank)
Rainford's Goby
Yellow Coris Wrasse
Pygmy Possum Wrasse
Yellow Goby
Green Clown "Warpaint" Goby
Target Mandarin

Inverts:
Fighting Conchs
Tiger Conchs
Nerite Snails
Astria Snails
Margarita Snails
Cerith Snails
Trochus Snails
Elephant Snail
BumbleBee Snails
Nassarius Snails
Emerald Crabs
Harlequin Shrimp (still in QT)

Corals (30+)
Lots of Torch Coral from previous tank
Large Red Montipora cap. from previous tank
Green Star Polyps
Bubblegum Digitata
Pink Passion Digitata
Walking Dendrophyllia
Green Montipora Capricornis
Neon Green Encrusting Montipora
Pulsing Xenia
Watermelon Psammacora
Red Acans
Zoanthids: BamBams, Blue Hornets, Avatar, Eagle Eye, Armor of God, Cotton Candy, Punk Rocker, Utter Chaos, Goblin Fire, Rainbow Yoda...
Palythoas: Captain Jerks, Mind Blowing, ...

 

[AZMSGT]

Get a bigger skimmer. I have the 600 and wish I had a bigger one. Look at the reef octopus regal 200. Also if you haven’t already bought the system consider different lights.

GL and welcome to the 625 club.

 

[Megability]

Get a bigger skimmer. I have the 600 and wish I had a bigger one. Look at the reef octopus regal 200. Also if you haven’t already bought the system consider different lights.

GL and welcome to the 625 club.

Thanks and for your suggestions.

I was thinking too bigger is better, how about the bigger RedSea, 900 I think?

As for their LEDs, I’ve read they’re great, like “one of the best available”, but why do you recommend different and any specific suggestions?

 

[CasaReefer]

Welcome to R2R... Tank Envy... Only has the 525 .... Pouting Now.... But I know it going to be AWESOME.... Can't wait for you to get er up and runnin.... Riding along...

 

[Megability]

Haha, nah... your tank and setup looks awesome!
But thank you sir!

 

[Megability]

Return Pump Choice:

After reading about as much as I could process I went ahead with ordering the Red Sea-recommenced Sicce Syncra SDC 7.0 return pump, it’s variable controlled via WiFi and app up to 1,700gph, quiet and with lots of features like an eco/night mode, and on sale for the holidays

I did read some reviews that the 7.0 model specifically was perhaps louder than it should be, but I figured I’m going to take my chances they’ve fixed any issues and/or be ready to return it if I do get any...

 

[Megability]

I‘ve been using a VorTech Mp10 on my BioCube for almost 10 years and have really liked it, but I’m considering going with MaxSpect Gyre X350s on this tank since the 330s are apparently too small, and Red Sea similar-functioning/looking ones aren’t available yet (right?)

I just like the way they look and they’ll be clean and practically invisible on the back wall, but any opinions/suggestions on this choice or for another?

 

[DS204]

Return Pump Choice:

After reading about as much as I could process I went ahead with ordering the Red Sea-recommenced Sicce Syncra SDC 7.0 return pump, it’s variable controlled via WiFi and app up to 1,700gph, quiet and with lots of features like an eco/night mode, and on sale for the holidays

I did read some reviews that the 7.0 model specifically was perhaps louder than it should be, but I figured I’m going to take my chances they’ve fixed any issues and/or be ready to return it if I do get any...

I have a Sicce SDC 6.0 for my 525xl and I love it. It's a little under-powered (originally bought it for a Reefer250 tank) so I'll be upgrading to the 9.0. I wouldn't say the 6.0 is noisy, but it hums a little. I want the 9.0 so that I can run the pump at 50% or less and hopefully dial down some of that hum.

You're going to love your Sicce though. And I haven't had a single wireless problem as others have described.

 

[Megability]

Thanks chiming in @Dean Smith, interesting to hear about your idea to run bigger than necessary return pump but at reduced strength just to run quieter, do you think there’s any disadvantages to this strategy besides the higher upfront cost? (maybe reduced heat output too)

 

[DS204]

Only been keeping saltwater for just over 1 year, so please take my advice with a grain of salt - but my thoughts on running bigger than necessary is because for my application I am teeing off to run a refugium and would like extra flow for that. Also, we ordered the VCA random flow generators and I read that additional flow is helpful for those. So I would like to push a bit more to the flow for both those upgrades. Plus, more flow is usually better right?

The skimmer & skimmer pump make more noise than my return pump, so I suppose dialing down the hum isn't my top priority. It's running at 86% now and I just thought a little lower might conserve its useful life & it won't need to work as hard.

I'm not sure about how much heat the pump generates but I live in a cold climate 5 months of the year so not too worried about excess heat. I like how easy it is to disassemble (no parts required) and the rotating output is a nice touch, too.

Researched the Cor20 quite a bit and it's cheaper than the SDC9 for me, but it looks harder to disassemble and it's not as much flow (less by 400-500gph I think). Plus, Sicce is an Italian pump company so that sort of inspires confidence for me. All my pumps are Sicce so maybe there's some brand royalty going on there, too.

 

[Phil D.]

The Red Sea Reef 90 LEDs are awesome! I bought the E-170 for my daughter and it came with the 90. Setup is easy and the spectrum is exactly what corals need. I had some corals bleaching in my tank, (AI Hydra 26 HDs), and put them in her tank. They came back with more vibrant colors.

 

[Megability]

Awesome @Phil D. ! and great to hear some anecdotal experience, thanks

 

[Megability]

So after double-checking my credit card limit I bit the bullet and ordered the RedSea RSK-900 size skimmer, the biggest one, thankfully SaltWaterAquarium.com accepted my price-match request from a different store’s holiday sale so I saved 10%, got rewards, and no sales-tax... win-win

In a perfect world I like the idea of plumbing to an external skimmer and get more use/size out of the sump/fuge but I’m just gonna run “as intended” stock for now and see how it goes...

Coming from a BioCube29 of 10 years and barely utilizing a tiny skimmer, it’s gonna be great to have all this extra room for equipment and using a real skimmer too!

 

[Megability]

I’m not sure if I can link this here but below is my build thread from my first and only tank from 2009

I still have it and it’s goin’ strong but I’ll probably decommission it or maybe use it for QT as soon as my new 625 is up and running safely...

Megability’s BioCube29 Build 2009-2019

If anything there are a lot of great livestock photos I’ve posted there over the years - lots of corals, inverts, fish, etc., and I’ll be adding the best and my faves over here at my new home Reef2Reef over time...

For example:

TrumpetCoral-Megability.jpeg

Happy Toxic Waste Trumpet Coral at feeding time ;)

www.reef2reef.com

ArcEyedHawkfish-Megability.jpeg

ArcEyed Hawkfish on the lurk in the Montipora...

www.reef2reef.com

TubsBlueZoanthids-Megability.jpeg

TubsBlue and RadioactiveDragonEyes Zoanthids and a PomPom Crab lurking too ;)

www.reef2reef.com

 

[AZMSGT]

So after double-checking my credit card limit I bit the bullet and ordered the RedSea RSK-900 size skimmer, the biggest one, thankfully SaltWaterAquarium.com accepted my price-match request from a different store’s holiday sale so I saved 10%, got rewards, and no sales-tax... win-win

In a perfect world I like the idea of plumbing to an external skimmer and get more use/size out of the sump/fuge but I’m just gonna run “as intended” stock for now and see how it goes...

Coming from a BioCube29 of 10 years and barely utilizing a tiny skimmer, it’s gonna be great to have all this extra room for equipment and using a real skimmer too!

Just an FYI, that RSK 900 skimmer base is very large. You might need to move the refugium wall to the narrower setting or if you aren't going to run a refugium just remove it. My LFS has a 900 in their display 750xxl and they removed the wall.

 

[Megability]

Equipment has started getting delivered this week and I scheduled the tank delivery for tomorrow, can’t wait!

I got a busy weekend ahead with my son’s first birthday party (Happy Birthday JJ!) but I’m hoping to get it all unpacked, inspected, the stand built, and leveled at least. Placing the display too would be nice just to have something to gaze at and let my mind wonder...

 

[matthias_bln]

Let me know how you manage to move the tank to where it needs to go .. I’m debating on whether I need to hire some movers..

 

[Bender]

Congrads on the new tank! I am tagging along for the ride, I am also currently building a 625 XXL as we speak to. It looks like i ordered mine almost the same day as you.

 

[Megability]

Thanks! and great to hear, mine has been delivered ok I just haven’t had much time to unpack it yet and begin putting it together, but can’t wait to...

 

[Megability]

This is what 50lbs of MarcoRocks Reef Saver looks like -about a dozen pieces.
I asked for larger pieces if possible, don’t know if it made a difference but I’m happy



I got a few pieces of foundation rock on the way next, the ones with the flat-cut bottom, and lookin’ forward to start puttin’ together some aquascapes soon...

I’m a little torn between starting completely fresh with this dry rock and just dosing bacteria and coralline, etc. to help the cycle, and being patient, or seeding with a few pieces of my 10+ years old Fiji rock, some nice stuff that’s served me well, but definitely has some hair algae and vermitid worms at least... what do you think?