Newbie Reefer, Red Sea Reefer 250 Build

DowntownJosh

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Hello All!

So working from home has finally pushed me over the edge to get in to the hobby! I purchased a used Red Sea Reefer 250 setup from someone who was moving out of state. It was a "turn key" system and comes with most items needed to get started, however it had been professionally cleaned/taken apart and dry for a few months prior to sale. After purchasing I moved it to my house, placed the tank on the cabinet where I wanted it, and made sure it was level. I then called around local fish shops to pay for them to come set it all up, and have someone coming (The Fish Guys) on Monday 3/8 to set things up (local shops sure are busy right now, most didn't have availability for 3+ weeks!)

Could you guys look over what I have, and see if I should replace/upgrade anything before they arrive Monday?

A few of the items I already went ahead and bought after reading around online for what I need to get started. I'm hoping running 2 new AI 16 LED lights along side the older AI 13 LED light wont be that big of a deal (couldn't find a place to buy another older one), I was thinking about putting the newer ones on the outside and the older one in the center? Anything marked with (New) I bought this week.

I also went ahead and setup the RODI system, and made some of my own salt water to start "curing" the rock. I placed all the old live rock and the artificial coral insert in to a big tote and filled it with saltwater, and threw in the 2 SunSun pumps to keep the water circulating. Not sure this is needed at all, but it made me feel like I was doing something, while waiting on this install.

Hardware

1x Red Sea Reefer 250
1x Bubble Magnus Curve 7 Protein Skimmer
1x Riser Return Pump R850
1x Aquaillumination AI Prime HD LED Light
2x Aquaillumination AI Prime 16 HD LED Light (New)
1x Inkbird Temperature Controller ITC-306A (New)
1x Fennix 200W Heater
1x Aqueon 100W Heater
1x Aquaillumination Nero 5 Wave Maker 3000GPH (New)
1x Milwaukee Instruments MC120 Pro PH Monitor (New)
1x Resun Automatic Feeder AF-2009D
1x Zacro Digital Thermometer
1x KoolerMax Reverse Osmosis AR122 120 GPD
1x Portable Refractometer ACT
1x Water Quality Tester TDS-2
1x Magnet Cleaner

Supplies

3x 20lb Bag Nature's Ocean Reef Aragonite Sand#1
2x 55Gal Instant Ocean Salt (New)
1x 2oz Dr. Tims Ammonium Chloride for Cycling (New)
1x 4oz Dr. Tims One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria for Reefs (New)
1x Seachem PhosGuard
1x Saltwater Master Test Kit
1x Gorilla Super Glue Gel (New)
1x Instant Ocean Hold Fast Epoxy Stick (New)
~50lb Reef Live Rock
Misc Tubing/piping

Thanks!
Josh

20210302_144534.jpg
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AJsReef

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Congrats on the new tank, looks like a sweet first set up!


then called around local fish shops to pay for them to come set it all up, and have someone coming (The Fish Guys) on Monday 3/8 to set things up (local shops sure are busy right now, most didn't have availability for 3+ weeks!

I'd caution against this, nothing wrong with supporting an LFS but with all the information available online (especially Youtube) taking your time to learn and set up yourself will pay dividends in the long run. There also isn't "much" to set up with a reefer.
 
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DowntownJosh

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Congrats on the new tank, looks like a sweet first set up!




I'd caution against this, nothing wrong with supporting an LFS but with all the information available online (especially Youtube) taking your time to learn and set up yourself will pay dividends in the long run. There also isn't "much" to set up with a reefer.
Well I thought about that, but wanted to make sure everything was connected and plumbed properly, and have them kind of teach me how to use everything, since I'm such a newbie.
 

AJsReef

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Looking good, dig the scape! Are you planning to leave the lights on during the cycle or keep them off to "avoid the uglies"?

For the wires, find a way to "creatively hide them" haha... Its the dark-side of reefing, so many power adapters and cables... hate it
 
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DowntownJosh

DowntownJosh

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Looking good, dig the scape! Are you planning to leave the lights on during the cycle or keep them off to "avoid the uglies"?

For the wires, find a way to "creatively hide them" haha... Its the dark-side of reefing, so many power adapters and cables... hate it
Thanks!

Yeah I just turned on the lights for the picture, I will leave them off during cycling.

I'm going to start brainstorming on hiding the cables haha!
 

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looks good man. as far as cable management goes. you could but a nice cable management box and have the surge protector outside of the stand inside the box. put a nice little plant on top and call it a day.
 

powers2001

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@DowntownJosh Reefer 250 owner here also. If you get a chance checkout my reef build thread. You've got a great start. Go slow and research everything. Following. I have an IKEA cabinet I bolted on to the end of my Reefer stand to house electronic stuff. Sure helps.
 
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DowntownJosh

DowntownJosh

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3/21/21 Tank Update: So after day 12 of cycling, I decided I could get my first couple fish. Yesterday I got 2 clown fish from WWC; one gladiator and one darwin. After slowly acclimating them, I just fed them for the first time today, and they gobbled up the food, so I think they are doing alright. They seem to get along well, following each other around the tank. I'm leaving my lights off for now(just on for the picture), and have the Nero 5 alternating between pulse and random cycles throughout the day, maxing at about 30% flow.

My tank levels:
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate: All near 0, tough to say with the color charts, maybe a little bit of nitrite/nitrate (Salifert and API)
Phosphate: 0.16 (Hanna Meter)
Calcium: 414 (Hanna Meter)
Alkalinity: 7.6 (Hanna Meter)
pH: 7.9 (Milwaukee Meter)
Temperature: 77.7 (Inkbird)
Salinity: 1.026 (Hanna Meter)

Any suggestions for things to do differently?

I was thinking of grabbing 1 fish per week for a few weeks, adding some CUC in 2 weeks or so, then adding some coral at the 6 week mark (easy softies/LPS). Would that be a good plan?

20210320_170621.jpg
 

powers2001

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3/21/21 Tank Update: So after day 12 of cycling, I decided I could get my first couple fish. Yesterday I got 2 clown fish from WWC; one gladiator and one darwin. After slowly acclimating them, I just fed them for the first time today, and they gobbled up the food, so I think they are doing alright. They seem to get along well, following each other around the tank. I'm leaving my lights off for now(just on for the picture), and have the Nero 5 alternating between pulse and random cycles throughout the day, maxing at about 30% flow.

My tank levels:
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate: All near 0, tough to say with the color charts, maybe a little bit of nitrite/nitrate (Salifert and API)
Phosphate: 0.16 (Hanna Meter)
Calcium: 414 (Hanna Meter)
Alkalinity: 7.6 (Hanna Meter)
pH: 7.9 (Milwaukee Meter)
Temperature: 77.7 (Inkbird)
Salinity: 1.026 (Hanna Meter)

Any suggestions for things to do differently?

I was thinking of grabbing 1 fish per week for a few weeks, adding some CUC in 2 weeks or so, then adding some coral at the 6 week mark (easy softies/LPS). Would that be a good plan?

20210320_170621.jpg
@DowntownJosh I like all your arches. Did you buy the arches all ready made?
 
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DowntownJosh

DowntownJosh

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@DowntownJosh I like all your arches. Did you buy the arches all ready made?
So all the live rock came from the previous owner. I believe he bought them like that, from WWC. Its like 4 or 5 arch peices stacked, and a couple of donut shapes at either end.
 
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Sounds and looks like caribsea life shapes. R u QTing your own fish or buying QT. That wud be my only concern of weekly purchases. But apart from that yeah shud be ok if testing and prepared for wc. I will be doing fish/coral/cuc monthly or quarterly if the world still like this here! Nice clown choices :)
 
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DowntownJosh

DowntownJosh

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Sounds and looks like caribsea life shapes. R u QTing your own fish or buying QT. That wud be my only concern of weekly purchases. But apart from that yeah shud be ok if testing and prepared for wc. I will be doing fish/coral/cuc monthly or quarterly if the world still like this here! Nice clown choices :)
I do not have a QT tank. They were in clownfish only tanks at WWC, not sure if that is considered QT or not. What spacing between buying fish would you recommend, if a week is too soon? I just wanted to get to like 4 or 5 fish, then add some coral. Thanks they looked the most unique to me. Im thinking the gladiators name with be Russell (Crowe) haha
 

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I do not have a QT tank. They were in clownfish only tanks at WWC, not sure if that is considered QT or not. What spacing between buying fish would you recommend, if a week is too soon? I just wanted to get to like 4 or 5 fish, then add some coral. Thanks they looked the most unique to me. Im thinking the gladiators name with be Russell (Crowe) haha

It’s a hard one to answer, if you aren’t qting well 77days between to ensure it’s safe but other side is if not qting then your rolling the dice anyway so does it matter? It’s weird me writing this but I added a royal gramma to my tank from LFS and it wiped out my entire tank and then I had to wait 77 days before cud add fish, that was heartbreaking. But u can buy qt or captive breed fish you can also do a the quick qt safety stop or something it’s basically back to back baths meth blue and formalin. But wud just hate for u to add a fish and next week add another and the first one shows signs. If don’t have holding tank. But u want to be adding weekly well I’d split it with some cuc. Least 2 weeks would be more likely to show signs. I wud just make sure before u add anything to tank that they and u r happy before adding again. Tank will do a mini cycle with every addition.
So if fish happy eating and good form. Tanks good shape nutrients maintaining that’s ur next addition. May that be 2 weeks or 4 weeks etc. That’s my TLDR summary lol.
 
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