Red Sea Reefer 200 G2

[CoachRichardson]

Excited to start my new build. I am upgrading from a EVO. I have had a hard time deciding on the tank and been back and forth a lot. I finally pulled the trigger on a Reefer 200 G2 during the Black Friday sales at BRS.

I have been in and out of the hobby since the 80’s and undergravel filters in my first 55 gallon fish only tank. Around 15 years ago I had a Biocube and have been out of it since then. I thought I wanted a nano for something small. I started up the EVO in July and it just hasn’t been enough room for me to do what I want to do. The setup is running like a top and I’m ready to move it all into the new RS.

I have been compiling everything I need. I will begin the build when I unveil it Christmas morning.

Here’s what we’ve got so far:
Radion XR15 G6 Blue
200 Watt (Dual Element) Helio PTC Smart Heater - Innovative Marine
Vectra S2 - Mobius Ready DC Return Pump
AI Nero 3 (from the
Marco Rock
Polylaps Genesis Rock
CaribSea Figi Pink
I won’t be adding a skimmer until a little down the road.

I’ve been spending hours working on the aqua scape and am pleased with what I have ready to go in.

The plan is to build the stand and set it up and fill it to leak test. I think I can scoot the EVO over for the time being and have them side by side until I can complete the transfer. I would love to have some feedback and tips on the transfer.

My plan is after I drain it from the leak test and trial run of plumbing to put the scape in and sand and fill it with new water. I plan to do a water change and put some of the current tank water in the new one. I will not reuse any sand. Once that settles and comes up to temperature is where I can use the tips and advice. I plan to add the Genesis Rock in the sump and use Dr. Tim’s.

Will be his be ok to do? Move the corals and fish into the new setup at that point and place the rock I have in the current tank sump to help spread all the good stuff to the new tank?

I have a Mocha Storm Cloud pair
Royal Gramma
Conch
4 hermits
About 4 trochus snails

2 Torches
2 Frogspawns
3 various mushrooms
Clove polyps
Candy Cane
Small Monti Cap
3 Zoa / Play rocks

Love to hear your tips and suggestions. I will attach a picture of the current setup so you can see what I will be moving over.

Thanks!

 

[blaxsun]

Lots of great gear planned for the new tank!

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

The 200XL G2 is really nice. The glass is superb with high clarity. I fitted the Reefmat 500 on mine and removed the ato reservoir. Good luck with your build!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank looks really good, best of luck to your build!!

 

[CoachRichardson]

Some pictures of the aquascape I have been working on. I think it is finished unless there is some glaring error someone sees I need to correct. Not sure that I have captured any good angles on it...

It is actually two pieces with the outer piece being one solid unit. I am so impressed by the chemical reaction of the powder and the glue and how it forms such a strong bond. This was a learning process that evolved as I progressed. The outer piece is really a tripod with two legs that will sit at the left side and one leg on the left. There is a smaller structure that sits separate underneath.

The learning process started with Two Little Fishes putty to build the structure. I went through 4.5 tubes of that which probably was an expense I didn't need to go through entirely as I learned how to do the sand from the rock. I did have to spend quite a bit of time breaking up the rock to make more sand and perhaps it could have used more sand on some of the sections that have a little larger pieces. It's hard to work on this and hide the surprise from your family for Christmas. After the putty had set I filled in with rubbles and then finer and finer pieces to the sand. Again, I could use some more finer sand in some places but it will be covered by corals and algae soon enough and I ran out of time as the kids came home from college and my younger one got out of middle school.

The pictures don't do it justice to proportions but I did use tape to mark out the dimensions. It looks like it's too big with the tank not even here. It is stashed at my mom's until Christmas Eve.

The two "legs" on the left side will leave a couple of inches on the front and back and to the side. It will angle a little to the leg on the right and leave open space for my 3 Zoa rocks from the Evo in the front and room for a Scoly or two or whatever else I will put on the bed in the front left. The separate structure underneath is where I plan to put my mushrooms to contain and shade them some. I imagine my Torches separated on one side of the structure and the Frogspawn on the other to keep them separated. Lots of room which I don't have in the Evo to fill in with other corals I choose.

At the highest point it is about 13 inches so plenty of water to the top. I ordered around 30lbs of Marco Rock and probably have a good 5-8 left over.

I lost my dad in April of this year and working on the aquarium brings back so many great memories of times he and I spent in high school with our tanks. At one time we had 5 tanks in one room and our largest being our 55 gallon marine tank. I sure do miss him.

 

[CoachRichardson]

I am nervous about his move from the Evo to the new RS. I have three hardy fish that I love but I worry about the corals. I have been working to get the Evo very stable and will do all I can to get the RS to the same parameters as I transition them to it. I worry about the phos and Nitrate being correct in the new tank with the Torches. I need a better test kit for the Nitrate because I don't trust the API.

Here are the parameters from the Evo this morning:

Temp 77.7
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.8
Alk 9.2
Nitrate 0.00 don't trust this one...
PO4 0.08

 

[kevgib67]

Great looking scape! Sorry about your dad.

 

[CoachRichardson]

The move is done and all went well other than the Gramma being a drama queen and acting like it was dying. On its side and rapid breathing until it found out all was ok. I didn’t plan well enough in preparing water and RODI takes forever.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Well...I had thought things were running smoothly. The Gramma was out and active and eating for the past couple of days. Today he is nowhere to be seen. There are lots of good hiding places that I built into the structure and he seemed to have settled on a cave. Yesterday my daughter called me at work to let me know he had disappeared. He came out later and she called back and said she found him. Today, he is nowhere to be seen. Because my lid won't be ready until 1/5/23 I have been putting a piece of cardboard over the tank at night for a lid. I thought if we had a jumper during the day we would toss him back in. I have searched all around the tank, all over the floor,the overflow (can't imagine it could possibly fit in there and doesn't generally go around the top unless to eat). I have searched all through the tank and crevices with a bright flashlight looking for a sign of yellow or purple. I would think if he had gone under a rock or in a crevice and died I would at least see some small sing of yellow or purple. This one is blowing my mind! Anyone have any ideas? He has not come out to eat and I fed an extra time today. He is a good eater. My Mocha Storm clowns seem happy and are eating well. Water parameters all look good other than phosphates are a little lower than they were before.

I had three fish and bought a Coral Beauty Angel that had been in quarantine at Reef Chasers for over 4 weeks today and added him. I added a fish and still have 3!

The corals are still getting settled from the move but I had hoped they would be opening back up more by now. The Frogspawn, Zoas, Candy Corn Cloves all seem unfazed. The mushrooms are settling in. The Kryptonite Candy Cane has puffed out a little but not yet like it was. My torches, I had hoped would be more full by now. I really need a filter for better pictures but I am attaching a pic of the torches. I have them out in front of my Nero 3. The Hellfire seems to be looking better than my Bizarro and moving with the flow better. I can't understand why the Bizarro isn't moving in the flow like the Hellfire when they are both in front of the Nero. The Nero is only running at 15% but anymore seems too much. Any thoughts on the torches?

Love to have some feedback or tips.

Thanks!

 

[kevgib67]

Royal grammas are always rather shy when first introduced to a tank. Mine really didn’t settle in where he was out and about all the time until about 3-4 weeks. First couple of weeks I didn’t see him/her more than I did. It was mostly in spots in the rocks I couldn’t see. I suspect it is fine but keep a close eye on the clown and make sure it isn’t bullying it.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Royal grammas are always rather shy when first introduced to a tank. Mine really didn’t settle in where he was out and about all the time until about 3-4 weeks. First couple of weeks I didn’t see him/her more than I did. It was mostly in spots in the rocks I couldn’t see. I suspect it is fine but keep a close eye on the clown and make sure it isn’t bullying it.

I agree. In the last tank it took him a few weeks to settle in. Then he was out and about regularly. The fact that he has been moving around the last three days throws me. The clowns and gramma have gotten along very well. The gamma is a little larger than the female clown. I would just think I would be able to see a little yellow tail or purple head somewhere. The fact that he ate the past 3 days and didn't show to eat today and I fed an extra time just to see if I could coax out if hidden. I hope he shows. Thank you for your input.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Well the struggling into the new tank is worse today. I guess the honeymoon of the first two days are over. Gramma is still missing and now all day the frogspawns are very retracted. One almost to its skeleton. It was big and full prior and even the first couple of days in the new tank. The torches are also more retracted today. All I can figure is that it is because there aren't enough nutrients in the new tank. The light is only an XR15 and its set to acclimation so it's only up to about 26 percent now.

The parameters right now:
1.025 salinity
77 temp
Nitrate .80
Alk started out really high at 11.4 I guess from all the new water but has come down to 10.8. Still higher than what they are used to.
Ph 8.0

Ideas?

Added carbon today thinking maybe some of the glue or putty from the aqua scape might be bother the corals?

 

[CoachRichardson]

Coral Beauty was dead this morning. Apparently upgrading isn't as seamless as I have read. The parameters ae still stable from where they were with the last tank. The only thing is nitrates and phosphates down a little and that should be a fish issue, just the corals. The frogspawn that is closed up was open a little more yesterday. I think it is because two heads are dividing to four. It has not been a smooth process though in the upgrade.

 

[Tamberav]

Did you move your rock over from the old tank? I can’t tell.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Did you move your rock over from the old tank? I can’t tell.

Yes, two larger rocks from old tank went into the sump. Three smaller Zoa rocks went into the DT.

 

[Tamberav]

Hmm it just seems you are having issues with both the fish and the corals. You let the reef putty dry I assume before adding?

Used new sand?

 

[CoachRichardson]

Hmm it just seems you are having issues with both the fish and the corals. You let the reef putty dry I assume before adding?

Used new sand?

Yes new sand and I the aquascape was done a couple weeks before it ever went in.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Well, turns out that after the tank transfer and adding Dr. Tim's and the Polyplabs bacteria, I have ammonia climbing. It's sitting around .5 or so. I have never had luck with Dr. Tim's. I experienced this the first time in my EVO and ended up using another bacteria and then things went smooth. I didn't expect this with all the rock from the previous tank and the corals and only a couple of fish moving over. I imagine this is why the corals are not happy.

Parameters as of this morning:
77 degrees
1.026
Ammonia .5
Nitrate 3.6
Alk 10.6
Ph 8
Didn't test PO4 this mroning

I knew this tank transfer would not go as smooth as other's experiences.

 

[CoachRichardson]

This ammonia spike has killed my conch and I found all my trochus snails upside down. I'm not understanding why this has happened with the spike in ammonia when everything from the old tank was carried over.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Flipped the trochus over and they were fine. Wield they were all upside down and supposed to be able to flip themselves. Did a 10 gallon water change and added 4 jars of ecopods. They finally came in. Things seem better after all of that other than diatoms like crazy. Pods should help with that. My Gramma could have caused the spike, I never did find it. Crabs never seemed to either though if it was in there.

My Biota Yellow Tang came today and what a beautiful and tiny little guy. He should have a nice home in here for many months before he needs to move on. Little guy has been going nuts from just a few minutes in on the diatoms.