Simon's 450

[GoldeneyeRet]

It gets better every update!

 

[ca1ore]

Cannot seem to get the pictures to look like the tank I see with my eyes. Either they're too blue, or more often too violet. I suppose that's what I deserve for using the phone camera. Confess to getting a tad bored with the tank now tha it's mostly on cruise control. Once the cooler weather comes, there'd are a few additional fish I'd like to add ..... and reintroducing the purple tang and a second flame angel.

 

[ca1ore]

Been looking for one of these for a while .....

 

[VJV]

Hey Simon, great tank and read [emoji106]. How are your yellow tails doing? Been thinking about getting a group of 5 for my 180 but am a bit concerned about aggression, namely towards other fish such as wrasses.

What is your opinion?

Cheers

 

[ca1ore]

Well, I have 35 odd of them. They are quite keen on chasing each other around, but completely ignore the other fish ..... and I do have a decent number of wrasses. Personally, I have never found the yellow tail to be problematic, but I have always kept them with larger fish that may contribute to keeping the peace. I also think that keeping them in a group serves to distract should bothering another fish species be entertained. I'm a big thumbs up on them.

 

[ca1ore]

Hoping to get this trio into the big tank in the next few weeks. Had some disease issues with them; mostly past though .....

Also going to reintroduce the purple tang that was gnawing on my gem and a rescue flame angel.

 

[ca1ore]

Equipment list:

Lighting - four Radion XW30 Gen4 Pro; 3 kessil 360; 4 kessil 160
Main return pump - PanWorld 200
Circulation - 2 MP60; 2 MP40: one Vectra powered CL ..... and a pair of WAV if I need them.
CaRx - Modified MTC ProCal
Skimmer - Modified MTC PowerPro
ATS - DiY
Sump - 150 gallon (old Oceanic tank)
Refugium - 120XH
Frag - 60 gal Deep Blue
RDSB - 20 gal Deep Blue
Heating - three Finnex Titanium 500 waters
Controller - Apex classic and too many modules to list
UV - 40 watt pondmaster

Probably missed something ...... good enough for now.

Equipment update .....

Added 2 more Kessil 360s and removed one of the 160s. PW200 proved a tad underpowered so now using the PW250. Still running the two MP60s, two WAV, only one MP40, a single Jebao and two of the new Reefbreeders RP-M pumps. Swapped the injectors and pump for bigger to boost skimmer performance. Apex classic replaced with Apex 2016. UV replaced with TMC 110.

 

[ca1ore]

Recent video .....

 

[Victoria M]

Equipment update .....

Added 2 more Kessil 360s and removed one of the 160s. PW200 proved a tad underpowered so now using the PW250. Still running the two MP60s, two WAV, only one MP40, a single Jebao and two of the new Reefbreeders RP-M pumps. Swapped the injectors and pump for bigger to boost skimmer performance. Apex classic replaced with Apex 2016. UV replaced with TMC 110.

Simon, how do you feel about the new ReefBreeders RP-M performance?

 

[iReefer12]

Awesome video! Wow love the activity in the water column with all the damsels and anthias.

How many damsels do you have now? All one type? I have a 220G and would love to try and replicate that in a small way. So any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[ca1ore]

Simon, how do you feel about the new ReefBreeders RP-M performance?

They've only ben in there for about a week and a half, so no useful conclusions yet really other than they appear to be quite solid and well made. I do like them and they are very low profile so good for sticking to the overflow.

How many damsels do you have now? All one type? I have a 220G and would love to try and replicate that in a small way. So any recommendations would be appreciated.

Approximately 45, though hard to count as I am sure you can appreciate. Mostly yellow-tails, but 4 azures, 3 rollands and a pair I bought as talbots that are something else. The azures are the ones with the extended yellow belly, the rollands have the white, black and yellow angular coloration (I really like them) and the mystery damsels are the yellow-peach ones at the bottom. I'd consider a group of 10 or so azures in your tank.

 

[iReefer12]

They've only ben in there for about a week and a half, so no useful conclusions yet really other than they appear to be quite solid and well made. I do like them and they are very low profile so good for sticking to the overflow.



Approximately 45, though hard to count as I am sure you can appreciate. Mostly yellow-tails, but 4 azures, 3 rollands and a pair I bought as talbots that are something else. The azures are the ones with the extended yellow belly, the rollands have the white, black and yellow angular coloration (I really like them) and the mystery damsels are the yellow-peach ones at the bottom. I'd consider a group of 10 or so azures in your tank.

Thanks! I will give that a go! Is the giant green acro colony a Green Slimer?

 

[ca1ore]

Thanks! I will give that a go! Is the giant green acro colony a Green Slimer?

Whoops, I somehow ascribed your question to Victoria - appologies to you both. Yes, green slimer.

 

[ca1ore]

A better video with inane voice-over ......

 

[iReefer12]

Great video! Amazing tank!

 

[Victoria M]

That is good to hear that so far the reef breeder rp-m is looking like a good product. $300 for this and $300 for that just really starts to get painful finacially for a hobby.

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah I figured I'd try a couple ..... $130 each seems generally reasonable.

 

[Victoria M]

Yeah I figured I'd try a couple ..... $130 each seems generally reasonable.

Yes, I can agree with that.

 

[User1]

Curious question - have you ever considered going with one vendor for water movement? I personally don't like getting caught up with a single vendor / ecosystem but I'm also getting very frustrated with each vendor providing their own controller. I don't care if it is a web app or dongle it is getting old. Remote control syndrome again and one reason I'm strongly considering getting rid of my XF250 Gyre's and either going with Neptune's power heads or another pair of sea swirls.

Enjoyed the video. How is the Gem Tang doing? Did the purple(?) get rehomed or are they getting along now.

 

[ca1ore]

Oh I completely agree with you. So many boxes, dongles, whatever's to try to keep straight. A major pain I the petard. BUT, for me at least, experimenting with new gear is part of the fun, even if it lands one in a rats nest of wires and control boxes (exhibit A: my sump room LOL). At some point I probably will go with dual MP60 on either end; but for now the WAV will suffice. The pumps in the overflow ar chosen for a specific purpose, either to flow along the back wall or to be as unobtrusive as possible.

Gem has completely recovered, but the purple remains in a timeout in the frag tank. I need to give said tank a thorough cleaning so will be returning it to the big display. Interestingly, when I put the purple into the frag tank, he and the resident smaller scopas worked things out almost immediately. These things are wierd sometimes.