My new Red Sea 170

[ItouchedThebutt]

posting here to follow and track the start of my new Red Sea 170 30+ gallon tank.

As it stands here, just finished the scape the day of posting this with fresh RO water filling up.

As equipment stands, have an AI prime for lighting. No schedule yet. Won’t have the lights on for a month.
Cobalt heater and a brs titanium heater with controller.
Return pump is the new AI Axis 40
No power head yet. Plan on going with a single Nero maybe 2 depending on a singles performance for the tank.

Ultimate goal is to have LPS and softies in the tank. Maybe a single bubble tip nem.

Live stock goals, absolute must haves is going to be a spotted dragonet goby. Won’t be till a mature Fuge is set up with and good pod population is set. Plan on getting some mixes from algea barn. Purple fire fish will likely be the first addition after cycle. Single designer clown. Plan on keeping up to 4-5 fish no skimmer in the future. Want to see how a successful fuge will treat me instead. If nutrients rise to much with a fuge then a filter roller may come in. Not set on any other fish at the time. Maybe a tail spot bleny they tend have some cool personalities. Pistol shrimp and gobies have always interested me.

Salt mix atm is Red Sea mix, not the coral pro mix. But I may be swapping salts after this and before corals. Gonna look into it some more.

But for cycling and first month or two, plan on having a black out period. Maybe week two add algea barns coraline seed bottles. Hopefully by week four first fish can go in while setting the fuge up. Plan to light it with AIs fuge light. Probably won’t have lights turned on in the tank until fuge is up and running. Really trying to avoid the ugly phase and really seed this tank right. Seeding it with bright wells MicroBacter 7 for cycle as well.

Below is pictures of the scape so far! But please feel free to give input or inquires!

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Wooo! The cycle starts now! Finally got some salt water in the tank. Officially more than a glass box now! Haha.

Set up the new Axis 40 return pump. First impressions, love it. Pretty quiet, can’t hear it with the stand closed at all. Integrates into the app just as easily as the AI primes. Full control over feed modes, scheduling, and power of the pump. Fairly priced, offers a lot of control and super small. Time will tell how well it holds up but so far, I’d say it’s worth it. Especially for a nano style reef.

Gotta say next to painting, cord management is right up there with things I hate to do.

Going to give the tank a day to get the salinity right. Once that happens I’ll start dosing microbacter 7 to seed the tank. Question when it comes to cycling , I don’t have ammonia tests or any of that I’m usually accustomed to waiting a month any ways. But if I just ghost feed once a day a small amount would a month be sufficient by time to add the first fish? Is there a better meathod? Was heavily intrigued by the seena reef monitor. That’ll have to wait though. When would be a good time to add coraline algea seeds? I’ve been hesitant to add to a cycling tank just cause I didn’t know if a tank cycle would interfere or ruin the seeding of coraline. But anyways here’s some pictures of water! Still kinda cloudy from the sand and all that.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Glad the cycle is going ! Best of luck to it!

 

[lil sumpin]

Get some Fritz turbo start or Biospira, these are sure fire ways to get your cycle going. Would also recommend an ammonia source like fishless fuel, while ghost feeding will act as an ammonia source it may be hard to determine how much and if enough.

API test kits are pretty cheap and you only need to test your ammonia and nitrates a couple times before you can determine that you’re cycled. A month is a good time to wait, most are itching to put fish in within a week or two lol..

I used the coralline in a bottle after my cycle was on its tail end and now I’m 7 months in, I don’t have any coralline. It will make its way in on shells and frag plugs. The uglies will all eventually come and go, I don’t think there’s a sure fire way to completely avoid them but maybe in a few weeks, try to get your hands on some live rock or rubble and a good CUC.

Looking forward to your progress and good luck with your build!

 

[exnisstech]

Get some Fritz turbo start

^This ^ I did my first dry rock start up last February and fritz 900 really helped things along. I have a reefer 170 in our bedroom. I really like the rock scape you put together

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

Cool build! I really like the aqua scape, and all the little caves within it.

I would recommend to get a bottle of Dr. Tims ammonium chloride, worked great for me. Just make sure you dose it right, because it is easy to out to much in.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Cool build! I really like the aqua scape, and all the little caves within it.

I would recommend to get a bottle of Dr. Tims ammonium chloride, worked great for me. Just make sure you dose it right, because it is easy to out to much in.

Yeah I guess I’ll do that along with an api test kit. That Microbactor 7 is supposed seed all different types of bacteria. But I’ll look into getting an ammonia source. All previous other tanks I’ve had I’ve always just winged it and it usually worked out. Haha probably not the best practice. This will be my third reef tank but I’ve been out of the hobby for maybe 3-4 years.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Get some Fritz turbo start or Biospira, these are sure fire ways to get your cycle going. Would also recommend an ammonia source like fishless fuel, while ghost feeding will act as an ammonia source it may be hard to determine how much and if enough.

API test kits are pretty cheap and you only need to test your ammonia and nitrates a couple times before you can determine that you’re cycled. A month is a good time to wait, most are itching to put fish in within a week or two lol..

I used the coralline in a bottle after my cycle was on its tail end and now I’m 7 months in, I don’t have any coralline. It will make its way in on shells and frag plugs. The uglies will all eventually come and go, I don’t think there’s a sure fire way to completely avoid them but maybe in a few weeks, try to get your hands on some live rock or rubble and a good CUC.

Looking forward to your progress and good luck with your build!

Honestly I may avoid adding someone else’s live rock because I don’t have a great source for clean rock and really don’t want to add pests or nuisances to the tank. I know they may end up in there anyway but the more I can do to deal with less the better

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

Yeah I guess I’ll do that along with an api test kit. That Microbactor 7 is supposed seed all different types of bacteria. But I’ll look into getting an ammonia source. All previous other tanks I’ve had I’ve always just winged it and it usually worked out. Haha probably not the best practice. This will be my third reef tank but I’ve been out of the hobby for maybe 3-4 years.

I would try to steer away from API test kits, and go for Salifert, or Hanna Checkers.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

But yeah! Thanks for the support on the scape. Took me to many times putting it up and tearing down to get how I like it, but I think I’ll have some happy fish for sure!

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

But yeah! Thanks for the support on the scape. Took me to many times putting it up and tearing down to get how I like it, but I think I’ll have some happy fish for sure!

Definitely!

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I would try to steer away from API test kits, and go for Samifert, or Hanna Checkers.

I have a Hannah salinity checker, I don’t think I’ll invest that much into an ammonia checker just cause after the cycles done they become pretty useless. If I get some spare cash that reef seneye i believe looks really cool.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Side note does anyone know why on my reef bird I keep getting an error 8 message? Its frequent and annoying cause it beeps the whole time.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

^This ^ I did my first dry rock start up last February and fritz 900 really helped things along. I have a reefer 170 in our bedroom. I really like the rock scape you put together

Do you have a build link to your 170? Curious to see how yours turned out. How do you like it?

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Updated pics now that it’s cleared up!

 

[exnisstech]

Do you have a build link to your 170? Curious to see how yours turned out. How do you like it?

I do not have a build thread. I've tried twice but am lousy at keeping up with them. The 170 has been through a few transformations. I run it fairly simple. I added an external ato reservoir. Fuge with chaeto and rock rubble, no skimmer. This is a fairly recent image of its current state. There is a is a large blue haddoni that was front and center for about a year but has now decided to move off to the side toward the rear

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I do not have a build thread. I've tried twice but am lousy at keeping up with them. The 170 has been through a few transformations. I run it fairly simple. I added an external ato reservoir. Fuge with chaeto and rock rubble, no skimmer. This is a fairly recent image of its current state. There is a is a large blue haddoni that was front and center for about a year but has now decided to move off to the side toward the rear

Man that tank is dope. Couple questions, do you have a Nero? If so what size and how do you like it? Was recently looking into getting one but there are polar opposite reviews on that thing.

I was thinking of only trying out a fuge in my tank with no skimmer cause a desperately want a mandarin. Never been able to have one before because in my old tank I had a resident dotty back that would pick on kill my dragonete and well aside from dismantling the tank that fish was there to stay. What stage in this set up would you recommend getting the fuge up and going with Chato and what light do you use for yours?

Do you run filter socks or a fleece roller?

My initial thoughts on the tank are it’s pretty good, I picked mine up “used” never seen water for 600$ I enjoy it but it is a bit noisy and adjustment for that could leave more to be desired. The ato it comes with also isn’t my favorite and I may do what you did and hook up a different ato meathod.

 

[exnisstech]

Thanks. I run 2 nero 5s in that tank. They have been fine except the occasional snail locking one up. Note to self do not buy Dwarf cerith snails again lol. I have 2 5s in another tank that have also been fine. That said I've only been running them about a year. I'm running reef diapers in place of socks. I thought about a fleece roller but added one to my reefer 300 back in November and to be honest I love the convenience but I think it's stripping too many nutrients and my acro frags are not looking happy. I've started manually advancing it a couple of times a day and letting it overflow in between.

The drain valve on the redsea tanks are very finicky. I get mine set so water is just trickling down the emergency and it's pretty quiet. It'll go a month or two and need tweeked again. I've just gotten used to it. I read of some people replacing the stock valve with a gate valve but even some of those reported it wasn't a huge difference.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I had mine quiet when it was going down the emergency valve but something about it made me a bit nervous using the emergency drain like that. Do you think the Nero 5s are a must have for the 170 or do think Nero 3s would produce enough? I notice your mainly sps and acros in your tank. I think I’m personally going to stick with softies and LPs. More like some leathers, Duncan’s, acans, and some euphilla.

What lighting do you use for your coral and Refugim?

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Alright! Update on the tank, some things have changed but not much. Biggest is the first live stock has been added. Purchased a little royal gramma named squishy about a week back or so. This weekend we bought two small blue legged hermits, one small nassaria snail, I believe an onyx clown fish, and a skunk cleaner shrimp. Mainly got inverts atm to help scavenge extra food the fish don’t get in the tank. Was a little worried getting this clown fish as he had some fin nip page on him but after watching him in the store he didn’t display and other signs of trouble weather it be swimming or breathing. Decided to get him cause he was the most unique and I know nipped fins will heal. Time will tell. Today is also the start of implementing light schedules. Going off the BRS spectrum for AI prime at 70% since I guess mine may be an older model and can’t go to the intensities they are getting. Have it on a 12 hour schedule with a two hour ramp up and two hour ramp down also set to acclimation mode to make sure I don’t start an algea factory.

That’s about it so far, deciding on what my next purchase to be weather it be a power head or steps to start getting a fuge going. Thought about just getting some pods to atleast start seeding the tank, I have rubble rock in the sump figured it’d still be fine until cheato goes in. Will be buying a mesh lid this coming week as I want the next fish to be a purple fire fish and I don’t need any carpet surfers. But I’m curious to know what y’all think the next purchase for routes would be best. A power head, looking at the Nero 3 as I only use the return for flow or fuge set up. Was thinking the AI fuge for lighting. I’m kinda leaning towards power head as I don’t think my bio load is there yet for a fuge to thrive as well is I’d want so that may be able to wait till maybe one or two more fish are added but open to suggestions.