Red Sea Products for a new RS build (3xl900)

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Okay, I am trying to get my game plan for this new tank. What I was doing with my 125 wasn't working (part I think due to a 13" head leather putting toxins in tank). Right now I have softies (rhodactis, gsp, zoas, palys).

I'm going with mostly RS equipment: skimmer, reefwave gyres, 2 cor-20 return pumps, 4 RS 160's lights and eventually if not right away 2 mp40's

I am planning to change salt--using the dr foster/LA salt and ESV 2 part, although I had to get BRS additives as ESV still out. Red Sea salt has alk at 8dk, the pro at almost 12. I run around 9 currently. And I'm not sure if their salt leaves brown crud in container. I'm setting up a water mixing station-2 65 gal containers and plan to keep salt mixed for awc (going to start with using a 10 gal brute until I know it works as planned. So the salt has to be able to stick around for a while and not turn my containers icky. So choosing a new salt is first on my list.

Then I figured I'd try the RS ABCD supplements, and the Reef Energy Plus AB (trying this now).

Their program also suggests starting out with Nopox

Anyone out there want to chime in? Anyone use these products? This go-around I want nice LPS's and some SPS's!
 

clifg

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
981
Reaction score
1,099
Location
Belmont, MA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The pro salt doesn't mix very clean but I like it anyway. Lasts about a week mixed. Not sure about the regular.

Reef energy is well loved here. Great product.

Nopox works too well almost. Has lead to a lot of people bottoming out and getting dinis, myself included. Not sure why you would start with it. I'd look at it as more of a slow emergency solution after testing.

Can't speak to their ABCD. But I'd think you would want to test iodine regularly if you're going that route. I use koraline-zucht 1,2,3,4.
 

SPR1968

No, it wasn’t expensive dear....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
20,028
Reaction score
124,587
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you do regular water changes much of the additives needed will come from the new salt water.

I can’t see any reason why you would want to use Nopox at the start of a new system, or ever, unless the nitrate levels reach a point were they need reducing, probably in excess of 30+

As far as the coral colours, ive used them for years, adding a little every week to both tanks. Then I stopped completely and it’s made no difference whatsoever. How much of the stuff in the bottle is just water? I then had a Triton test and all was fine.

Foundation elements. You know how much they charge you for these. Well they have to show the ingredients here in the UK and if you see my post below.


As far as reef energy, if your running ultra low nutrient levels then fine, use a little every day, but if your at higher levels you really don’t need to. I’m around 25 nitrate and 0.03 phosphate in both systems. The corals get food from the fish waste and everything else and certainly don’t need reef energy every day. I add it very infrequently like every few months, just because I like the ‘groovy colour’! Lol

Red Sea are a company selling aquarium products and I have no problem with that at all. But I would sometimes question there advice that you must use all their products from the start. I’m a little more experienced now, but I can understand new reefers following this to the letter.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The pro salt doesn't mix very clean but I like it anyway. Lasts about a week mixed. Not sure about the regular.

Reef energy is well loved here. Great product.

Nopox works too well almost. Has lead to a lot of people bottoming out and getting dinis, myself included. Not sure why you would start with it. I'd look at it as more of a slow emergency solution after testing.

Can't speak to their ABCD. But I'd think you would want to test iodine regularly if you're going that route. I use koraline-zucht 1,2,3,4.
Thanks. Every time I tried nopox in the past my nitrates were way high and it never brought them down. Maybe I'll have it on hand and if I see no3 and po4 rising, I'll start. I do test iodine and my tank is almost always low.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@SPR1968 I plan to do 3 gal daily for 10% a week, or maybe a bit less. I wasn't sure why they would recommend no pox right away. My current numbers are good but it has been a battle. Actually hit 5 n itrates (used to be 160!) I'm not new (2016) but my current tank has been a disappointment so am trying new things this time
 

SPR1968

No, it wasn’t expensive dear....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
20,028
Reaction score
124,587
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@SPR1968 I plan to do 3 gal daily for 10% a week, or maybe a bit less. I wasn't sure why they would recommend no pox right away. My current numbers are good but it has been a battle. Actually hit 5 n itrates (used to be 160!) I'm not new (2016) but my current tank has been a disappointment so am trying new things this time
The best advice I can give you is make sure your phosphate levels are kept very low, below 0.03 from the start and you will avoid many of problems we constantly read about

In my large system I used rowaphos from day 1 and basically skipped the ugly stage and have zero issues from anything. Phosphate is needed at very small levels but it’s minimal. If my Hanna reads zero I’m delighted because it won’t be absolute zero, just very low. If phosphate gets high it causes all sorts of problems and gives the tank a ‘dirty look’ about it.

The other advice is get your nitrates up to around 5-10 quickly as you don’t want sterile water for any length of time. At 5 your there, but you need something in place to maintain those levels otherwise they will continue to rise. I use Seachem Matrix and a lot of it, and much more than its rated for
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The best advice I can give you is make sure your phosphate levels are kept very low, below 0.03 from the start and you will avoid many of problems we constantly read about

In my large system I used rowaphos from day 1 and basically skipped the ugly stage and have zero issues from anything. Phosphate is needed at very small levels but it’s minimal. If my Hanna reads zero I’m delighted because it won’t be absolute zero, just very low. If phosphate gets high it causes all sorts of problems and gives the tank a ‘dirty look’ about it.

The other advice is get your nitrates up to around 5-10 quickly as you don’t want sterile water for any length of time. At 5 your there, but you need something in place to maintain those levels otherwise they will continue to rise. I use Seachem Matrix and a lot of it, and much more than its rated for
another thanks. I use phosguard but am thinking of adding a reactor this time around. I think rowaphos has to be used with a reactor? I'm hoping the Real Reef and caribsea rock won't give the same issues as marco rock as well. I'll have a few pieces of it in the new system as I have corals attached but only about 4 smaller chunks. The rock in the sump will have pods so will toss some of those in the new refugium.

Will try one of the Red Sea salts. Prob. regular as the alk is lower and I dose anyway. At least until I get more corals. Might have to get a back scrubber brush, put it on a stick to scrub out container periodically lol's and flush that water out!
 

SPR1968

No, it wasn’t expensive dear....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
20,028
Reaction score
124,587
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes you really need a reactor certainly for rowaphos or it won’t work properly, certainly in a tank your size. Use it from the very start as if your adding new sand, it also removes silicates which will help reduce issues with diatoms

I use the RS standard salt, and it does leave a brown coating on the bottom area of the container. I just have a long handled mop and wipe it down every so often (yearly!) and take out the dirty water.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes you really need a reactor certainly for rowaphos or it won’t work properly, certainly in a tank your size. Use it from the very start as if your adding new sand, it also removes silicates which will help reduce issues with diatoms

I use the RS standard salt, and it does leave a brown coating on the bottom area of the container. I just have a long handled mop and wipe it down every so often (yearly!) and take out the dirty water.
adding a reactor to my list to have at the start of the build! A mop sounds easier lol's.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top