Red Sea MAX Nano G2 XXL

[*GAREEF*]

The name of my tank is Smorgsville.
I’ve been out of the hobby for 8 years. I’ve been keeping reef tanks since 1996.
I started this tank in October 2024.
30 lbs or so dry rock and about 5 lbs of cultured rock. Substrate is crushed coral labout 3/4 inch deep.
I used Dr. Tim’s and ammonia to start cycling along with a few other bottled bacteria.
I added two Kessil tuna blues, that I’ve had since my last tank 8 years ago.
Everything else is stock that came with the system.
I had a two week period of Ostreopsis, that I think was caused by a combination of adding aminos and letting phosphate bottom out to zero.
I added about 1000 copepods and 200 amphipods, 4 turbo grazers,10 astrea snails and about 20 small blue leg hermits and 4 red leg hermits.
Had a month long ugly stage.
I use Tropic Marin pro reef salt and B-ionic two part.
I use the standard Brs Co2 scrubber and replace its media roughly every week.
My goal is to not to ever have to do a water change but if I do it’s because of an emergency.
I practice my old school KISS method that I’ve used since 1996 and a combination of Reef moonshiners.
I’m super duper freaking happy with this

Salinity 35
PH 8 - 8.45
Temp 78
Dkh 8 - 8.5
Calcium 420-450
Phosphate 0.10 -0.15
Nitrate 10-20
I don’t check magnesium except for icp ms.

My Kessil light schedule starts at 0700 peaks at 0730 and the peak lasts from 0730 to 1500 and ends at 1900. 100% intensity 60 color red 25 and green 5
My Red Sea led 50s Run same schedule but color is 100% blue, 60 white and 100 UV.

 

[tobster]

Looks good! I have the 525 G2- I’m struggling with algae and cyano right now though. Hope to load it up with acros someday.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Looks good! I have the 525 G2- I’m struggling with algae and cyano right now though. Hope to load it up with acros someday.

For algae I suggest astrae snails, Mexican turbos, hermits, Amphipods and copepods. These will all eat algae in various forms and disturb the cyano, to be taken out by filter sock and protein skimmer.
Keep your phosphates at 0.05 - 0.10 and nitrates between 5-10. The balance of nitrates to phosphates will help with the cyano problem.
Without the inverts I suggested, you will more than likely always be battling algae.
I also like to have an algae blenny and a Tang too but they more than likely won’t be able do it all on their own, you have to have the inverts.

 

[tobster]

For algae I suggest astrae snails, Mexican turbos, hermits, Amphipods and copepods. These will all eat algae in various forms and disturb the cyano, to be taken out by filter sock and protein skimmer.
Keep your phosphates at 0.05 - 0.10 and nitrates between 5-10. The balance of nitrates to phosphates will help with the cyano problem.
Without the inverts I suggested, you will more than likely always be battling algae.
I also like to have an algae blenny and a Tang too but they more than likely won’t be able do it all on their own, you have to have the inverts.

Yeah I e got all the inverts, snails, urchin, huge turbo etc and even a couple tangs that eat it.
The tank is about a year and half old and this started about 2 months ago. It’s awful.
It’s probably my fault from over feeding but I don’t know.
I’m working on lowering phosphate and nitrate so hopefully it will get better soon.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Yeah I e got all the inverts, snails, urchin, huge turbo etc and even a couple tangs that eat it.
The tank is about a year and half old and this started about 2 months ago. It’s awful.
It’s probably my fault from over feeding but I don’t know.
I’m working on lowering phosphate and nitrate so hopefully it will get better soon.

What are your parameters?
How many turbo grazers do you have?
When the lights are out do you see amphipods running around?
Have you done an icp test? If so was there any irregularities?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Great looking pictures of your tank!

 

[*GAREEF*]

Great looking pictures of your tank!

Thank you
Hopefully after Christmas I will be able to take better ones.
Merry Christmas

 

[*GAREEF*]

Christmas/birthday present today!!!
Wohoo!

 

[TOMACONDA]

I’ve been out of the hobby for 8 years. I’ve been keeping reef tanks since 1996.
I started this tank in October 2024.
30 lbs or so dry rock and about 5 lbs of cultured rock. I used Dr. Tim’s and ammonia to start cycling along with a few other bottled bacteria.
I added two Kessil tuna blues, that I’ve had since my last tank 8 years ago.
Everything else is stock that came with the system.
I had a two week period of Ostreopsis, that I think was caused by a combination of adding aminos and letting phosphate bottom out to zero.
I added copepods and amphipods, turbo grazers, astrea snails and hermits.
Had a month long ugly stage.
I use Tropic Marin salt
B-ionic two part
And every ten days or so a 25% water change.
I feed Nori and Prime reef flakes
Salinity 35
PH 8 - 8.45
Temp 77.5-78.5
Dkh 8 - 8.5
Calcium 420-450
Phosphate 0.10 -0.15
Nitrate 10-20
I don’t check magnesium

Are you Phosphate naturally 10-15 mine is .01-.02

 

[*GAREEF*]

Are you Phosphate naturally 10-15 mine is .2 .1

Right now I’m adding 3-5 ml of nyos phosphate every morning.
This keeps it between 0.10 and 0.15.
I was adding nitrate too, every morning but since I’ve increased feeding I have not added nitrate in the last 5 days or so but I just did a water change this evening so I might have to add some nitrate in the morning. We’ll see…

 

[*GAREEF*]

Update recent video!
Corals are baking!

 

[*GAREEF*]

Caught my candy cane pistol shrimp, doing his thing with the his Yasha this morning.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Christmas/birthday present today!!!
Wohoo!

Those are some sweet-looking gifts!

 

[*GAREEF*]

Clowns today in the Giga.

 

[mmorrison55]

Christmas/birthday present today!!!
Wohoo!

Santa was nice!

I really wanted to go with Hydros. I wish it was fully compatible with my ecotech return pumps and mp40s. If they were , I think I would have gone with hydros and I’m very intrigued by their kraken power controller and their upcoming Maven auto water tester.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Santa was nice!

I really wanted to go with Hydros. I wish it was fully compatible with my ecotech return pumps and mp40s. If they were , I think I would have gone with hydros and I’m very intrigued by their kraken power controller and their upcoming Maven auto water tester.

Yeah, maybe after it’s been out for awhile I can see if there’s any hiccups in it and get it for Christmas/ Birthday present next year

 

[*GAREEF*]

Turbo grazer running out of food.

 

[bikerbutter]

I’ve been out of the hobby for 8 years. I’ve been keeping reef tanks since 1996.
I started this tank in October 2024.
30 lbs or so dry rock and about 5 lbs of cultured rock. Substrate is crushed coral labout 3/4 inch deep.
I used Dr. Tim’s and ammonia to start cycling along with a few other bottled bacteria.
I added two Kessil tuna blues, that I’ve had since my last tank 8 years ago.
Everything else is stock that came with the system.
I had a two week period of Ostreopsis, that I think was caused by a combination of adding aminos and letting phosphate bottom out to zero.
I added about 1000 copepods and 200 amphipods, 4 turbo grazers,10 astrea snails and about 20 small blue leg hermits and 4 red leg hermits.
Had a month long ugly stage.
I use Tropic Marin pro reef salt and B-ionic two part.
Every ten days or so I perform a 25% water change.
I feed Nori and Prime reef flakes 3-4 times daily.
Salinity 35
PH 8 - 8.45
Temp 78
Dkh 8 - 8.5
Calcium 420-450
Phosphate 0.10 -0.15
Nitrate 10-20
I don’t check magnesium except for icp ms.

My Kessil light schedule starts at 0700 peaks at 0730 and the peak lasts from 0730 to 1500 and ends at 1900. 100% intensity 60 color red 25 and green 5
My Red Sea led 50s Run same schedule but color is 100% blue, 60 white and 100 UV.

Spectacular!! And I'd like to add a big THANK YOU for your service to our beloved county.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Spectacular!! And I'd like to add a big THANK YOU for your service to our beloved county.

Thank you!
Your support means a lot to me and other Veterans.
I have moral and ethical injury from the experience but I still love my country with all of its problems and its greatness.
As a young man I was fairly ignorant to world history and how our government operates.
Joining the Army and its experience with the loss of battle buddies lives, having never known anyone that had died before and then losing friends that became brothers was the hardest thing I’ve dealt with in life and continues to be.
The experience made me really start asking questions and led to a life of paying closer attention to politics and the functions of governments.
This has been both a blessing and a curse.

 

[bikerbutter]

Thank you!
Your support means a lot to me and other Veterans.
I have moral and ethical injury from the experience but I still love my country with all of its problems and its greatness.
As a young man I was fairly ignorant to world history and how our government operates.
Joining the Army and its experience with the loss of battle buddies lives, having never known anyone that had died before and then losing friends that became brothers was the hardest thing I’ve dealt with in life and continues to be.
The experience made me really start asking questions and led to a life of paying closer attention to politics and the functions of governments.
This has been both a blessing and a curse.

I understand that, i tried getting into politics but I stayed angry to much. Theres no good way to lose friends but violence is exceptionally awful. But know that a lot of people like me really appreciate the sacrifice you and all soldiers have made so that i/we all may have the freedom to build aquariums, and/or whatever else we so desire. 1997 i joined the army but they said basically that i was to fat so they didn't accept me. Since we decided to get the aquarium, i feel like my blood pressure has dropped substantially. I had heard that it was a very relaxing lifestyle. I've stopped watching political news and focused all my efforts on this tank.