Red Sea Reefer Peninsula 500

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Starting a build thread (and my introduction post to this forum) for first tank and reef. My plan is to have an almost entirely SPS dominant Acropora reef.

Tank
Red Sea Reefer 500 Peninsula (white)
Total system 132 gallons
Display Tank - 105 gallons
Sump - 27 gallons

Gear
Reef Octopus Regal 150 Protein Skimmer
RedSea ReefMat Fleece Roller Filter
2 VorTech MP40's by EcoTech
2 Radion XR15's by EcoTech (with their rail mount system)
Reef Octopus Varios-6 Pump
Apex Controller System

Gear that I still need to purchase, a couple Versa Dosing Pumps from EcoTech, a battery backup for my MP40's, and an electrical controller panel. I'm also thinking about adding a UV to the system, and adding a dual return for redundancy. I'll also add some lights under the sump, and paint my plumbing to look nice and sharp once I decide on a cool color scheme.

Aquascape
I'll be doing an aquascape with MarcoRock, something modern/minimalist while still providing habitat for my fish (Like BRStv's HNSA). I'll likely do sand (tropic eden mesoflakes) but I really like white bare-bottom tanks like Emoceans on Instagram. I like floating pillars or islands that have tree-like forms with acropora growing on them.

Fish
I plan to buy already quarantined fish from Elliot at Marine Collectors. I don't have the time or space to quarantine myself, and after watching several videos of him on BRStv I really trust him and his process.

Fish Plan:
3 Anthias (Bimaculatus)
7 Blue Green Chromis
1 Yellow Tang
1 White Tail Tang
1 Powder Blue Hybrid Tang
1 Diamond Goby
1 Six-Line Wrasse

Plan
Almost everything is ordered and in route. I plan to build my aquascape first so I can start conditioning that in a brute container which will allow me to take my time (a couple months) to build the tank and trick out the sump. Hopefully I'll be able to start adding fish in October, but I'm going to be patient and try not to rush things.

Fish Plan.png Screen Shot 2022-07-25 at 11.01.48 PM.png Screen Shot 2022-07-25 at 11.05.41 PM.png
 
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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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First draft of the aquascape all glued up today. I'll probably mortar this and create another to see what feels right.
 

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I.AM.MR.MIKE

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The DOS is not that loud for dosing small amounts through the day, not annoying and noises bother me. I know it is working. It is quite annoying for large doses or water changes. Lets put it this way, it is less annoying than the REEFMAT is when it advances and I don't find it terrible and like to know it is advancing. Now the Red Sea Skimmer pumps are very annoying to me.
 
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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Update
Still waiting for the tank but it has shipped. All the equipment is here, I got 2 versa dosing pumps rather than the DOS. Updated the aquascape and planned a QT for chromis. Ordered 3 30lb bags of Tropic Eden Mesoflakes, leaning towards using sand rather than bare bottom.

Aquascape
I revised and added to the aquascape today, feels much better and will likely be somewhat final. I tried to balance my love of minimalism and negative space while also providing good habitat for fish. I guess some people call this HNSA.

QT
Also ordered a bunch of medications, will start quarantining and treating chromis once the tank arrives. Took advice from Elliot at Marine Collectors and HumbleFish. 45 minute formalin bath on arrival and 14 days in metronidazole (in tank and in food) for urenoma. Then another 14 days in copper/nitrofurazone for ich, velvet and freshwater bathes during the water changes for flukes. 100% water changes every 3 days. I'll do this while the tank is cycling.

tempImageVx8iQf.png tempImagejxBAHK.png tempImage3lyoE9.png
 

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Update
Still waiting for the tank but it has shipped. All the equipment is here, I got 2 versa dosing pumps rather than the DOS. Updated the aquascape and planned a QT for chromis. Ordered 3 30lb bags of Tropic Eden Mesoflakes, leaning towards using sand rather than bare bottom.

Aquascape
I revised and added to the aquascape today, feels much better and will likely be somewhat final. I tried to balance my love of minimalism and negative space while also providing good habitat for fish. I guess some people call this HNSA.

QT
Also ordered a bunch of medications, will start quarantining and treating chromis once the tank arrives. Took advice from Elliot at Marine Collectors and HumbleFish. 45 minute formalin bath on arrival and 14 days in metronidazole (in tank and in food) for urenoma. Then another 14 days in copper/nitrofurazone for ich, velvet and freshwater bathes during the water changes for flukes. 100% water changes every 3 days. I'll do this while the tank is cycling.

tempImageVx8iQf.png tempImagejxBAHK.png tempImage3lyoE9.png
Rock scape looks cool. Will be interesting to see what the fish like. when the time comes, put a video of the fish interacting with the rocks.
 
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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Back to building this tank after a short pause. I cycled my rock with Fritzzyme for a couple weeks in a brute can while I spent time wiring the control cabinet and constructing the sump. Last week I filled the display and continued cycling the aquascape and mesoflakes sand.
 

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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Today with the help of an expert local reefer we leak tested the plumbing, filled the sump and turned everything on and tested it all. We also did some initial work with the apex controller, although I have a lot to read up on before taking a stab at programming that. First fish, a tomini tang, is ordered from marine collectors and will take a couple weeks to go through quarantine. I’ve updated my fish plan although I’m sure it could still change.
 

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Gumbies R Us

Another Fish in the Sea
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Today with the help of an expert local reefer we leak tested the plumbing, filled the sump and turned everything on and tested it all. We also did some initial work with the apex controller, although I have a lot to read up on before taking a stab at programming that. First fish, a tomini tang, is ordered from marine collectors and will take a couple weeks to go through quarantine. I’ve updated my fish plan although I’m sure it could still change.
Can't wait to see the fish in there!
 
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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Update: good group of fish established and doing well in the tank. Thanks to Biota and Marine Collectors for the healthy fish! Coral frags from ReefBum and Battle Corals are arriving tomorrow.

Fish:
Tomini Tang
3 Yellow Tangs
1 Male and 2 Female Square Anthias

Incoming fish:
Powder Blue Tang
School of Blue Green Chromis
Some type of wrasse (maybe six-line)
 
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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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Update, here is where things stand with my build a few months in:

RedSea Reefer P-500 (G1)

105 gallon display, 132 total system
4ft x 2ft x 2ft
5/8" Glass

Equipment

  • Lights - 3 EcoTech Radion XR15 Pros with RMS Tank Mounts
  • Powerheads - 2 EcoTech Vortech MP40s
  • Return Pump - EcoTech Vectra M2 (2000 GPH)
  • Dosing Pump - EcoTech Versa VX-1
  • Protein Skimmer - Reef Octopus Regal 150INT
  • Filter Roller - RedSea Reefmat 500
  • Controller - Neptune Apex A
  • ATO - Tunze Osmolater 3155
  • ATO Reservoir - Innovative Marine 15 gallon
  • Heater - Helio Controller with BRS Titanium 600W heaters
  • Battery Backup - 2 EcoTech Battery Backups

Rock & Sand

  • Dry Marco Rocks
  • Tropic Eden Mesoflakes

Livestock

  • Ecopods & Galaxypods (Algaebarn)
  • Tomini Tang (Marine Collectors)
  • 3 Yellow Tangs (Biota)
  • Powder Blue Tang (Marine Collectors)
  • Male Square Anthias (Marine Collectors) and 2 Female Square Anthias (Biota)
  • Melanurus Wrasse (Marine Collectors)
  • Diamond Goby (Marine Collectors)
  • School of Blue Green Chromis (Cuttlefish & Corals direct from Fiji, QT and treated for Urenoma by me)
  • 3 Pincushion Urchin (Algaebarn)

Dosing & Feeding

  • Frozen Food - Hikari Blends, Spiurlina Mysis, LRS Herbivore Frenzy with Selcon Supplement (daily)
  • Other Food - Nori (every other day), TDO Chromoboost Pellets (occasionally)
  • Coral Food - Pohl's Coral Vitalizer by Koralline Zucht
  • Dosing - Tropic Marin All-For-Reef
  • Other: Koralline Zucht Coral Snow (to clear up water when dirty or maintenance) and Coral Snow Plus (to lower phosphates)

Corals

Acropora
  • Bali Green Slimer
  • BC Bubbleboy Blue
  • BC Dragonfly
  • BC Hawaii
  • BC Port Rhombus
  • BC Reading Rainbow Tenuis
  • BC Rosevine Table
  • BC Strawberry Fields
  • BC Twilight Dragon
  • Cali Tort
  • GC Acroberry
  • JF Homewrecker
  • ORA Hawkins
  • Oregon Blue Tort
  • POTO Afterburner
  • POTO Backdraft
  • POTO Bladerunner
  • POTO Blue Demon
  • POTO Blue Devil
  • POTO Boomerang
  • POTO Bungie Juggler
  • POTO Cleopatra
  • POTO Dragon Rider
  • POTO Dragon Slayer
  • POTO Dreamweaver
  • POTO Egyptian Sunset
  • POTO Fantastic Beasts
  • POTO Golden Dragon
  • POTO Goofy Homewrecker
  • POTO Judgement Day
  • POTO Intergalactic
  • POTO Kaiju Simplex
  • POTO Legoland
  • POTO Mona Lisa
  • POTO Optimus Prime
  • POTO Pink Panther
  • POTO Red Diablo
  • POTO Sidechick
  • POTO Showstopper
  • POTO Watermelon Milli
  • RR Lady in Pink
  • RRC Shazam
  • RRC Supreme
  • R66 Merlin Staff
  • TSA Rainbow Fusion
  • TGC Orange Creamsicle
  • TGC Northern Crush
  • Tyree Kryptonite
  • Tyree Red Dragon
  • Vivid Insanity
  • Walt Disney

Montipora
  • Leng Sy Cap
  • JF Fruity Pebbles
  • POTO Blue Rose Cap
  • POTO Red Hot Cap

Stylophora
  • JF Bug Out Stylo

Parameters

Salinity - 1.026
Alkalinity - 8.5
Calcium - 420-440
Nitrate - 10
Phosphate .1
Temp - 78F
Alk tested daily, all other parameters every 2-3 days

Initial Timeline

  • May 2023 - Aquarium built/placed and aquascape created and started cycling in brute
  • June 2023 - Equipment placed, controller cabinet wired, tank filled, bacteria and copepods added, first fish arrive
  • July 2023 - More fish arrive, biology builds, algae starts on the rock
  • August 2023 - Multiple coral orders arrive, dipped on arrival, frags glued to the rocks after 2 weeks of settling in, 3rd Radion XR15 Pro added and Versa Dosing Pump Added



This peninsula is more educational than it is artistic, as it's teaching me the ins and outs of the reefing hobby. I love acropora, as you can see above, and put a lot of coral into this tank so I can begin to figure out what corals I like and what I don't. I know I have too much coral, it's perhaps unsustainable without a lot of future fragging, but I couldn't help myself!
 

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Rhapsody in Blue Reef

Rhapsody in Blue Reef

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I’m quite happy with it! We’re going through an ugly stage now with the algae, but my tangs, urchins and copepods are grazing nonstop on it, and I’d rather have an ugly stage with algae than the other photosynthetic uglies.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 74 51.4%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 73 50.7%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 36 25.0%
  • None.

    Votes: 32 22.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.3%
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