Susan's RS Reefer 3xl 900 Fantasy-Dream Build

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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Elegance was out today. Not as big as previously. Was puffed enough to hide the skeleton. Not so now. Hope it recovers. I've noticed that often corals come in, do good for a few days then decline, and I think it has to do with shipping stress catching up with them. Or conditions before my tank. So they react with a YES! all happy but "coral life" catches up, like getting a cold after flying. My observation. Holds true with a lot of lfs corals. They look so good but what's gone before catches up with them.

Tried to feed but didn't really see food stick to the tentacles plus the hungry hoard descends whenever I feed, even if I feed elsewhere in tank! They know food cometh outth the feeding tube lol's.

Testing no3 again after lights out--couple hours after feeding.
 
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Susan Edwards

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So good news. No3 this am at 9 and tonight at 11. Even after a heavy feeding. Another test in the am to see if consistant. Will dose my half dose of zero and the bio. Had added the nyos zeo rocks to the filter cups. So am happy with this. If consistant, or under 15, I'll cut back on the nopox and dose the zero/bio. And maybe the chaeto is helping. Healthiest bunch I've ever had. Dosing a bit more iron for it, plus ordered some chaeto grow

Ordered a yellow and an orange filter for my canon camera. Time to learn to take decent pics of my tank! And learn to upload them wirelessly... Need to google how to photograph fish lol's and refresh myself with the settings etc.

Some pics of some good sps growth. Mostly the montiporas. So happy to see this. To understand my joy, you had to see and know the history of my 125 gal. Started 2018 until 10/2021 and in that time, I could only grow softies. EVERY SINGLE LPS and SPS died within 2 months. Culprit I discovered was the 13" + toadstool leather plus a smaller one. Even with carbon 24/7 no other coral type survived. Once I learned about their toxins, removed them, and got the tank healthy (okay it was badly neglected- you can still see the thread) the lps corals were surviving. The blastos in the one picture were actually found in the sand after I took it down. Just a dead frag I thought but it showed green color. It had been coming back! And it looks so healthy now. So this tank, even with its challenges, is a triumph!

New alveopora. Has some bigger/longer tentacles, even a different color. Fingers crossed.
20220612_194708.jpg

Cyphastrea-Jingle Bells or meteor shower--Look at how it is encrusting. Was just on the top of the frag plug. Even spreading outward. Almost lost this one to bjd. I thought it was a goner. Moved it to sandbed and it recovered and seems to like its new home
20220612_194733.jpg

Elegance earlier. At least it is out. Blasto above. A true survivor
20220612_194820.jpg

Rainbow montipora. Spread off plug and onto rock. Back side also encrusting
20220612_194901.jpg

Another encrusting montipora orange cap. Rainbow in backgrown
20220612_194922.jpg

montipora capricornius plating. Favia below was just 2 heads and not much color. Waiting for it to puff out more still but it is growing
20220612_194936.jpg
.
Reverse sunset - months no real growth and now this

20220612_194948.jpg
 
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Susan Edwards

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changed my trident B and C and trident thinks I changed A too. Now I have to guess when it need changing. I thing I have 10 days... Not sure how you can change 2 out of the 3 or if you just have to manually figure the one you don't change. or change A when you do B and C. Except I'm cheap... Why waste it...
 
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Susan Edwards

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Dosing question. I dose alk/ca/mg. Alk on the hour, cal half hour and mg at 20 min and nopox at 40. I notice I do get precipitation in the return area even with 30 min separating cal and alk. And maybe that is why I'm dosing so much and having trouble keeping numbers where I want them.

Wondering if I should dose those 2 12 hrs apart. Do Calcium 6am to 5 pm and alk 6pm to 5 am. The other 2 can run as they are now. I'll be adding ABCD-Red Seas Trace Colors but those are such small amts. Maybe dose in skimmer area? After skimmer?
 

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Edit to add tank info before "journal" Red Sea Reefer 3xl900 240 total water volume
RS 900 Skimmer * 4 RS 160s Led Lights * 2 RS Reefwave 45's gyres * 2 Mp 40's * 2 Echotech Battery Bkups
2 Neptune Cor-20 Return Pumps * 36w UV Sterilizer * 1 reactor for media *
Caribsea rock/arches
Real Reef Rock * Neptune Apex ATO, Doser for AWC and lots of other apex bundle deal

************************************************************************************************
Okay, here I go. Again. This will be my 3rd tank since 2016 when the bug bit and 4th build thread! Started with a 60g AIO, then a 125g, and then the same 125 reboot and now (drumroll...) onto a 320 Dream build.

My current tank is and has been a disappointment and all my own fault for buying hasty. I went from a Red Sea AIO with beautiful glass to a plain, used glass tank. I should have held out! Also have had issues ever since a strong primer paint fumes wiped out a lot of my fish and corals in both tanks (with doors shut to the room being painted). The 60g had been thriving and was beautiful with lots of coral growth. After that, it never recovered. I took it down and put survivors in the 125 which was finally stable and starting to do well. It too has never recovered.

So with that, I'm going to do my dream tank: a Waterbox Reef LX 320.7 Tank is approx 86x30x24. Display 231g, sump 69g, ATO 18g. It's early yet but this way I can journal the journey. Plan to get white as black shows water streaks too easy.
I picked this tank for several reasons:
-I like the look of it
-I like that the plumbing and love the sump which are included and has nice clean lines
-As I'm short, this is the biggest I ever dare to go!
-I like the glass overflow and a glass sump for easier cleaning

I plan to put it in my office which is small--10x10 as the 125 is in the living room and I don't want to do a rushed transfer. I want to take my time with this one and do it right from the beginning. I'll be going slow and taking my time. I miss having a tank in here when I'm writing and we never use the living room except when the kids come to visit.

During this planning, research, and budgeting time, I'm working on fixing the 125 which is just getting worse and worse even though my numbers are all mostly in range. Even if the rocks have issues, there are 2-3 rocks that will have to be moved over as they are covered with corals and I need to get rid of the algae.

Right now I'm researching equipment and planning my budget. Some items can wait, most cannot. Right now I'm looking at 14k (7500 for the tank alone). My hubby actually didn't squawk or yell when I told him the tank price lol's. I pretty much know what I need and how much. Now to start a time table and To Do list.

I got a good start today:
-Called Code Enforcement to be sure I can add water storage containers in the side yard (have neighbor who calls code on us). Answer is yes, so now to plan that and see how much to get a new window screen with framed cut out for the hoses.
-Called a fish store to see about them ordering the tank and delivering it and setting it up (stand and tank and sump). Or have it delivered here and hire them to bring it in. No way hubby and I alone can do it and I'd rather for this cost have experts handle it (hubby used an engine hoist to put the 125 on the stand--nerve wracking)
-Got a quote from an electrician to add a 20amp dedicated breaker for the tank. Ouch!!!

Next is to find out how long before more waterbox aquariums are ready and when they recommend I try to put my order in.

Also going to get rock scape ideas. Going for a blend of minimalist and enough fish havens. lots of negative space but not spartan. Will use a blend of Real Reef and Caribsea rock. Will order rock way early to start playing so I can make some of my scapes.

Also need to redo my office. I'd like to blue tape the aquarium size on wall and floor. Major furniture moving and organizing to do.

Will continue to watch youtube/BRS videos and others. Research, research, research! And will pick brain of son in law who inspired me way back at the beginning with his perfect and beautiful tanks. Current tank is at least 500 gal, no algae in side with Real Reef rock.
So this is my plan and my start. My baby steps lol's.

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very nice
 

blaxsun

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changed my trident B and C and trident thinks I changed A too. Now I have to guess when it need changing. I thing I have 10 days... Not sure how you can change 2 out of the 3 or if you just have to manually figure the one you don't change. or change A when you do B and C. Except I'm cheap... Why waste it...
I just pour the old reagents together whenever I switch.
 
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Susan Edwards

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I just pour the old reagents together whenever I switch.
My C was empty and B almost. A still had a lot. Next time I'll add to it.

no3 22 this morning. Dosing 1ml zero 2x's a day and 4ml bio 2x's a day.
 

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My C was empty and B almost. A still had a lot. Next time I'll add to it.

no3 22 this morning. Dosing 1ml zero 2x's a day and 4ml bio 2x's a day.
C and B should empty at close to the same time; A about twice as fast.
 
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Eventually you can 'hack' your Trident and change the schedule - which will double the life (or more) of your reagents.
cool. So what do you think about changing dosing of alk and ca to 12 hr periods. 12 for alk, 12 for ca. I know there is some precipitation in the return chamber even though they are 30 minutes apart. Thinking I can do cal first 12 hrs, then alk evening/night. Just can't get alk above 8.6 and staying there and I'm dosing a lot! 52 ml. Ca is 24ml and mg is 48ml. Prob. take mg down when it hits 1450
 

homer1475

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Are you dosing in a high flow area?

I dose a shed ton of ALK and CAL(300ml daily in an 80G cube full of mature SPS), roughly 2.5DKH. The lines are literally 2 inches apart, and dose at 20 minute intervals, sometimes with the way the DOS splits up the shedule, they dose at the same time.

I dose right into the last baffle in my sump(highest flow area), and have 0 precip problems.

You just might have to dose in a higher flow area.
 
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Susan Edwards

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I'm dosing in the return area. Behind the 2 cor-20 pumps. So flow is moving from there to tank. I have a sponge in my baffle between return area and skimmer chamber. Maybe move one line to in front of the return pumps?
 

homer1475

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The return section is often a stagnant section with only the bottom portion of the water being churned(close to the pump), while the top is rather stagnant. You can often see this as a froth, or surface "scum" for lack of a better term, that settles on the surface in that section.

Sorry I haven't read your whole thread.....

How is your sump split up? Typical 3 chamber with a over, under bubble trap before the return?
 
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lol's. It is almost 130. I'm off tomorrow so being bad!

In this pic, my highest flow is the front. flow goes to the right and then into a second sump (see second pic) and then back to the skimmer and then to the left and return area. The flow in 2nd sump is awful. I have a powerhead back there. These pics are day of set up
20211006_185141.jpg

This is the second sump. You can see plumbing lower left. Flow goes from front to back and back out thru plumbing on left bottom to skimmer area
20211006_185115.jpg
 

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cool. So what do you think about changing dosing of alk and ca to 12 hr periods. 12 for alk, 12 for ca. I know there is some precipitation in the return chamber even though they are 30 minutes apart. Thinking I can do cal first 12 hrs, then alk evening/night. Just can't get alk above 8.6 and staying there and I'm dosing a lot! 52 ml. Ca is 24ml and mg is 48ml. Prob. take mg down when it hits 1450
I have my alkalinity and calcium-magnesium dose opposite each other at 2-hour intervals.
 
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Susan Edwards

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I have my alkalinity and calcium-magnesium dose opposite each other at 2-hour intervals.
So like: 10 am alk, 12pm cal & mg? spread over 24 hrs? Where do you dose? Return area? I'd worry that the filter cups, the stuff would be absorbed by the filter floss
 

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