Rich’s Reefer 250

[444rich]

Hi everyone, I’m starting a new build and wanted to use this space to document it. I’ve loved aquariums since I was 7 and still remember the day my dad brought home the first tank. It was fresh water for several years, I moved on the planted and for about 20 years in reefing. I’ve had about 6 tanks- all nanos, so this is my first real reef tank.

I acquired the reefer and equipment about a week ago and it is currently cycling with Red Sea reef mature on day 4. My biggest pet peeve is visible equipment in and around the tank and a mess of wires in the sump so i’m Really going for neatness here. I currently have a Red Sea max nano that I will be selling in a month after moving my stuff over to the 250. So here goes...

Tank:Red Sea Reefer 250, white stand, non modified sump

Control: New Apex

Return: Apex COR 15

Skimmer: Nyos 120

Lighting: 2x AI Hydra 26 HD

ATO: Apex ATK, 5 gallon reservoir in stand, pmup and Apex water level sensor

Dosing: Apex DOS & DDR

wavemaker : Apex WAV

BRS pump dosing NoPoX controlled by Apex

Sand: CaribSea pink Fiji

Rocks: CaribSea shapes

After 21 days I plan to start bringing over livestock. This will be a mixed reef.

 

[SPR1968]

Great set up and welcome to R2R Rich!

Looks very neat as well with all the wires in place so you’ve succeeded there.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Very nice! I love how that ATO jug fits just perfect in there. Welcome to the forum!

 

[444rich]

Thanks Guys - still gotta neaten up the sump a bit. I got the apex afs today and a dosing tube holder, this is day 6 and I started dosing nopox at the rate recommended by the mature reef kit.

The afs will need to go on the tank, doesn’t look too bad. I was considering mounting it in the sump but that will be too much of a challenge

I also picked up the tunze magnet cleaner strong and this thing is amazing

 

[powers2001]

Looks really good. Is the WAV pump too strong?

 

[kenniole]

thats a nice setup man!

 

[444rich]

Thanks guys, I made some progress so I’ll post some pics tomorrow. I moved everything over from the nano so I guess things are starting to get serious.

Funny story, as I was cleaning out the nano today, took it outside and hosed it down, I was shocked when my yellow watchman goby that I thought died months ago jumped out the back chamber into the grass. I grabbed him by the tail and tossed him into the 250. Hope he makes it and finds his homie shrimp asap.

Here is an update on the livestock

Fish:
Maroon clown
6line wrasse
Yellow tang
Coral beauty
Yellow watchman goby
Randals pistol shrimp
Emerald crab
20 blue leg hermits
12 banded Trocus snails
5 certh snails
1 small maxima clam

Coral
RBTA
4 zoas
Red shroom
Green striped shroom
A few gasp frags
Xenia frag(plan to have it cover the back wall
1 blasto head (2 small baby heads)
3 head frogspawn
2 birds nest frags
2 pocillapora frags

I don’t plan on getting much more coral_ just letting the 3xisting ones grow in and no more fish

 

[444rich]

Looks really good. Is the WAV pump too strong?

In one word- yes.

I’ve always used and loved mp10’s for the performance, adjustability and clean look- awesome looking wet side and no wires in display tank. I went with the WAV for onelink and tight integration with the Apex, also mp10 are noisy, always break and I don’t like the separate control unit. And I’m not a fan of maxspects. This was a no brainer for me, one of my main objectives with this tank is a clean look for the sump and dt.

I’m very satisfied with the single wav, but as I was aware from previous research, even dialing down to 1% is still very powerful. I think it has to maintain a specific minimum rpm.

I’m still tweaking settings and placement, I think I settled on the back wall about 5 inches down on the right side. Flow bounces off the front glass and the sand remains in place. I’m running it at 1% reaching a max of 7%. Pulse mode gives a nice wave in the tank but it raises the pump to 57% which it too much for the 250- it hasn’t happened but it looks like water will flow out of the dt. So I stopped using it.

The cor 15 is a powerful return pump as well, running at a constant 10%, it’s easy to set the overflow to be silent.

 

[powers2001]

That's what I've heard about the WAV's. It seems like Neptune would be wise to make smaller WAV's. I'm sure they'd sell a lot.

Can't wait to see the pictures !!

 

[444rich]

Just the reef here, please provide and thoughts suggestions to improve the scape, thanks!

 

[NY_Caveman]

Just the reef here, please provide and thoughts suggestions to improve the scape, thanks!

For a single structure, I really like it. The height is a little uniform, but the corals you have started up there should take care of that.

 

[444rich]

For a single structure, I really like it. The height is a little uniform, but the corals you have started up there should take care of that.

Thanks! I was contemplating 2 islands but I think I prefer just one

 

[powers2001]

With your aquascape there's exposure underneath where detritus won't get trapped.

 

[powers2001]

What % flow do you have your COR 15 set at? Do you know how much gph it's giving you? I've got a COR 15 for my RSR 250.

 

[444rich]

I have it set to 1% up to 5%, there is a flow reading but I’m not quite sure how to interpret it

 

[Slicktop]

I like it just the way it is, you have room to clean on all sides of the aquarium and also allows for good water movement.

 

[pelphrey]

Solid setup! I wish I had moved my tank 1/2" or so out from the wall so I could put my AFS on the back of the tank!

 

[444rich]

I like it just the way it is, you have room to clean on all sides of the aquarium and also allows for good water movement.

Thanks Slick, I went for the minimal look, so it’s not too much live rock in the dt, and I plus noticed that the caribsea shapes is not very porus so I put some marine pure in the sump for more surface area.

I got the marine pureballs and they fit perfectly in the space where the bubble trap goes I cut the bubble trap sponge into 3 strips so I still have a smaller bubble trap, much easier to take out and clean and I will rotate them, pics to follow

 

[444rich]

Solid setup! I wish I had moved my tank 1/2" or so out from the wall so I could put my AFS on the back of the tank!

Thanks Pelphrey, this is absolutely a coincidence.. I had no plans on getting the AFS but after research it seemed like a good option since I travel for wrk... and yes moving the 250 after the fact is next to impossible without tearing it down lol. This one guy put it in the sump where the return pump goes and runs a small power head when feeding to circulate the food and have it all go into the dt- I considered that but I got used to it.

 

[444rich]

Really happy with how things turned out so far and I’m ready to kick back and let these corals grow and allow the tank to mature.

Planning on changing carbon monthly and running floss in the Red Sea cups, along with the skimmer and marine pure for filtration. Along with monthly 5 gal water changes, the nopox should do a good job keeping everthing in check.

I just ordered the BRS 6 stage ro di with the water saver so looking forward to the project this weekend. Gonna hook it up in the laundry next to the washing machine to tap the hose.

I’ve been looking at some really cool elaborate water changing stations and auto water changers but I think I’ll just get a water tank to store the ro di and mix salt in 5 gal buckets. Was contemplating a brute trash can but with my luck someone might actually throw trash in it and I would end up polluting my tank unintentionally.

Anyone have suggestions for a good tank to store ro di ?