New E-260 adventures

[Jamie_S]

Figured I might as well share my successes and failures with a large group of people.

Started building the rock formations the day I ordered the set up.

Tank was delivered on Friday 16 Feb. A little over 2 hours later the stand was built, and I was tired!

On Saturday I put the tank together and got some help lifting it onto the stand.

 

[Jamie_S]

After countless trips for water it was filled and I started cycling on Sunday.

Oops, forgot the unboxing shot:

Stay tuned!

 

[Jamie_S]

6-day update:

Everything seems to be right on schedule as of this morning. Might add a small CuC tomorrow as the empty, lifeless tank is not much to look at anymore.

 

[Jamie_S]

Well, 2 1/2 weeks in now and brown algae is pretty out of control on the substrate and glass. I also decided that I really prefer the look of Real Reef over the pukani rock that was originally in the tank.

Cycling is going well, and my wife and I have roadmapped our list of fish and corals that we hope to put in over the next few months.

 

[SPR1968]

Well, 2 1/2 weeks in now and brown algae is pretty out of control on the substrate and glass. I also decided that I really prefer the look of Real Reef over the pukani rock that was originally in the tank.

Cycling is going well, and my wife and I have roadmapped our list of fish and corals that we hope to put in over the next few months.

Hi Jamie it all looks very nice and thanks for the pictures

I had the E260 before I upgraded so if you need any assistance just ask.

 

[hybridazn]

Very nice!

 

[Streetdoc77]

I like the negative space ! Lots of room for the corals to grow ! The real reef rock def looks better.

 

[Jamie_S]

Thanks Shaun, much appreciated.

Not done adding Real Reef just yet. The next update photo will show about 10 more lbs added.

As is the case with every new build post, we are very excited to start adding livestock! We'll see how the test goes on friday. Also have the Red Sea screen top sitting in the corner waiting to be assembled.

So far, the only issues we've had with this great AIO set up is the Hydra lights. Read lots of great info on them, and obviously for the sake of corals they are fantastic, but we have a very powerful router in our house (I can just about walk the dog around the block and still pick up the signal) and yet the lights have "unable to connect" issues every couple of days. I'm open to suggestions on how to prevent that from happening. Want to keep those running smoothly once the corals start coming in!

 

[HolisticBear]

Great tank. Starting with purple rock is nice, it can be many months or longer before Pukani is the same purple color.

I have an old AI Prime that works solid. One upside is that once you pick your lighting program, you shouldn't need to connect again. It's a popular light, asking over in the R2R lighting forum or Facebook (AI has a active support forum there) might help. My FireTV required specific channels on the 5Ghz to work (known disappointing issue), maybe there is a tweak for the Hydras.

 

[SPR1968]

F

Thanks Shaun, much appreciated.

Not done adding Real Reef just yet. The next update photo will show about 10 more lbs added.

As is the case with every new build post, we are very excited to start adding livestock! We'll see how the test goes on friday. Also have the Red Sea screen top sitting in the corner waiting to be assembled.

So far, the only issues we've had with this great AIO set up is the Hydra lights. Read lots of great info on them, and obviously for the sake of corals they are fantastic, but we have a very powerful router in our house (I can just about walk the dog around the block and still pick up the signal) and yet the lights have "unable to connect" issues every couple of days. I'm open to suggestions on how to prevent that from happening. Want to keep those running smoothly once the corals start coming in!

Forget about connecting via the router that’s why your having problems it’s well documented.

Go to your network settings on your phone and then connect directly to the ‘parent’ lights network through your phone. You can ID it with the code on the side of the light. Then just change the settings to whatever you want and that’s it.

It takes a few seconds to connect your phone to the light whenever you want to change them but once you do this you won’t have any other problems.

 

[Jamie_S]

That is the way I had originally set it up, using the lights instead of the router. That method was even less reliable so I went back to "cloud" connection.

Seeing much less brown film on everything this morning. Hopefully we've turned the corner on the cycle.

 

[Jamie_S]

Another update.

So a few additions after the weekend swap meet. All is seemingly still on schedule, battling the glass scraping daily now and we're due for a water change this weekend. Still trying to get that skimmer dialed in, and a light program that I like (and the brown algae doesn't!)

A few things I've noticed over my short time with this AIO system:

1. The stand is too tall. When sitting in my comfy leather chair observing it I have to look up. Also, at 5'11" I still need a step ladder to get to the bottom with my hand.
2. REALLY wish the collection cup wasn't brown acrylic. If this were clear it would be a lot easier to see how much, and what kind of sludge the skimmer was pulling.
3. Red Sea glass is really really nice!
4. Leptastrea is underrated. I'm fascinated with these fuzzy little blobs.
5. Two Hydra 26 HDs throw a lot of light! I have the UV, Vio, Roy, and Blu set at 40%, and the rest at 5%-10% or so for a 7 hour period, with 2 hr ramp. I can't imagine needing more light than this?
6. Reefing is so much better in 2018 than it was in 1998 when I tried it the last time!

 

[Jamie_S]

Been a while since I updated I guess.

Nearing the 10 month mark, and I am settling into a groove with this tank. Still a few more corals and a fish or two that I want to add, and probably do an aquascape makeover, but so far so good.

 

[Jamie_S]

More updates.

Parameters are good, feed Reef Roids today, and added a bottle of tigger pods just for fun. New addition to the tank this past week, and I'm really fascinated by her:


I would turn the lights all on and take a pic of the new aquascape, but as is often the case, they won't both go on:



This after recently replacing the child light that came with the system with a new one from AI. I love the quality of light these produce, and controlling them is easy, even for an old technophobe. BUT, the networking/connectivity department leaves a LOT to be desired. With this new one I made it almost a week before I got the red exclamation point. The light that came with the system that I replaced rarely made it 24 hours without disconnecting itself.

For the most part though, the enjoyment we get from this aquarium is more than I could have predicted. Aside from the height of the tank/stand combo making it difficult to do some common items, and the never ending battle with the Hydras, the RSM E260 has been a great experience. Might try to tackle the photo aspect of reefing now, see if I can produce images better than purple thumbnails!

 

[Jamie_S]

Well, good and bad today.

The FedEx guy handed this to me today, which is pretty exciting. The majority of my corals come from local sources, other than one order I placed with Cultivated Reef (great people, great stock!). JF corals have been dipped and acclimated, are getting used to their new home now.



On the bad side, our new mimic tang that we have all fallen in love with is acting very lethargic today. Pretty much since being introduced to the DT she has been very active, eating like a pig, and just quite a little charmer. Today, she is hiding in the rocks and won't come out. I hope there is nothing wrong!

Just when you think everything is going A-Ok....I guess I jinxed it.

Pics of the new corals when they are in all their full glory.

 

[Jamie_S]

Update time!

As it often happens with many of us, I just never felt good about the aquascape in this tank. I tried literally a half-dozen different adhesives to try and build rock formations that I liked, and not one of them worked for me. Finally just gave up and ordered a Vidarock Bonsai. To be honest, it's not the most natural look to start, but I know when the zoas and other frags cover it, it is going to look amazing.

The rock I took out and sold to a coworker:

And the new piece, with plenty of room for more zoas!

Added this guy (since been named Calvin by my daughter) since the last update, and he has quickly become the star of the show!

Sorry for the crappy pics, I am SLOWLY learning how to use the new iPhone, but miles away from producing anything good.

The Vidarock is really cool stuff. The initial investment is a bit steep, but I fully intend to add another Bonsai to the other side of the tank in another month or two. Yesterday marked the 11 month point since I started filling the E-260. I keep wavering over whether or not to do the sump upgrade. The skimmer seems to do a good job, but maintenance on pumps and the skimmer in the back of the tank is cumbersome. I will very likely be moving the tank to a different room in the house in the next 12-18 months, so I'll make that decision as we get closer.

 

[Dub_G]

So how do you like your E-260? I'm going tonight to look at purchasing a used E-260 from a fellow reefer that lives close by. I'd ultimately combine my current 38 gallon bowfront with his E-260. He has the upgraded sump so this will be my first setup with a sump. I've been running HOB filter and protein skimmer for a couple of years now with softies and a lot of LPS. I'm looking forward to the ability for a true mixed reef setup.