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

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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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your car always runs best on the way to trade it in. lol

when I sold my first 240 it looked fantastic.

new setup is looking good. Can’t wait to get my 625xxl setup in my fish room once it’s built.
lol's. Ain't that the truth! How many gal is the 625xxl? Do you have it already? Will check out your build thread after work tonight! And thanks for the visit and the laugh.
 
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Susan Edwards

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Looking great! How's the Apex working out for you?
I've only got the probes hooked up, lol's. I'll have to try the cor-20's again but everytime I do, it screws up my return chamber and overflow box. either too much flow or not enough! Gave up until after the holidays. I'll have to try it with apex set to like 10% and do 1 at a time until it is set correctly. Right now, each cor controller is set to "2" lights which keeps 6" of water in the return chamber. (8 lights, each worth 2 settings--faint on and hard on)
 

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lol's. Ain't that the truth! How many gal is the 625xxl? Do you have it already? Will check out your build thread after work tonight! And thanks for the visit and the laugh.
It’s 137 in the display.
The 12 foot tank is only 148 gallons it will be planted.

I will have some other interesting stuff setup in the room as well.
 
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Susan Edwards

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It’s 137 in the display.
The 12 foot tank is only 148 gallons it will be planted.

I will have some other interesting stuff setup in the room as well.
wow! Will check it out!
 
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Susan Edwards

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some good coral growth Looks like the candy cane now has 5 heads. And the new heads on the duncan are getting larger.

Left head is now 2 it looks like

20211206_233737_001.jpg

blasto is nice and fluffy and has new heads. This is the frag I found in the "gunk" after draining tank. Went next day to vacuum out remaining water/sand and barely spotted the green centers. Figured it was a goner (it had been thought dead for months) and it recover immediately
20211206_233819.jpg



Duncan has 3-4 new heads. Can see sorta under
20211206_233938.jpg
 

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Should tackle the ato situation soon. Top off is a good 2 gal or more of water. Need some imput on this, so will ask on the forum but my dilemma is the return area is in back of the sump, and the divider height is way above the 6" of water I keep there.

That means I cannot see apex atk float valve or the sensors I want to add from the front. I have to lean way over. There is a divider coming in to that area that is lower but the sponge is on the other side and that means I can't put the magnet held atk there as every time I want to rinse the sponge, I'd have to move the atk.

So I'm thinking of putting the auto top off water into the skimmer chamber. It will be in front or on the side (if magnet falls there is enough room for me to slide it out).

Other option is to use the second sump where the UV pump is and my reactor when I put it in. That area is divided into 2 with a smaller refugium behind.

This pic shows where I put the atk-not hooked up. The apex probes are to the left and the dosing lines need to go here. Not a lot of room...



This view is holding the camera high above. Apex sensors will go to the left. You can see the sponge to the right. Not enough room at back for the magnet, plus if it falls, will be impossible to get out.

20211116_204321.jpg
20211116_204243.jpg

Option 2 either the front or side here. I'd have to see if there is room for the magnet against the side wall. Could hot melt glue a cord to it so if it falls I can pull it out.
20211116_204305.jpg

this view you can see how low I have to put the ato/atk module. I can't see it from front.
20211116_204333.jpg

3rd option is to put the ato lines here. It is the 2nd sump. Plumbed to the main sump. I could easily add tape to mark my water line here.
20211116_204407.jpg


any reason not to use this area?
Man you’re sharp! I’m catching up and the progress you’ve made is amazing!
 

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Awesome!! ETA is next Friday!! My son will need to come out to help me put the stand together to start. Not going to be the fastest build..lol
Mine either lol compared to most people here I’m a tortoise. I’ll be following your thread when you set it up!
 
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Susan Edwards

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Not much to report.
No3 10-15
PO4 .04 Redid test as 1st one came out at .2 and I knew that was wrong!
CA 380 drop. Will increase
Mag 1400 trying to get 1450 or so

Dosing
alk 40ml day
ca 10. Up to 20
mg 70 up to 80

Everything is looking good. Good coral growth.
I think this is a birds nest. Oct, Nov and Dec
birds 03a.jpg
birds 03b.jpg
birds 03c.jpg

Duncan Aug, Oct, Nov Dec
duncan 01a.jpg
duncan 01b.jpg
duncan 01c.jpg
duncan 01d.jpg

I thought these were blastos but am thinking they are acans. Maybe micromusas? They were not doing well and were nearly gone when I put them in the new tank. Looking much better now
micro 01a.jpg
micro 01c.jpg
micro01b.jpg

Montipora capriconus? Oct, Nov, Dec
Monti cap 02a.jpg
monti cap 02b.jpg
monti cap 02c.jpg

Pavona Aug, Oct, Nov Dec
pavona 01a.jpg
pavona 01ab.jpg
pavona 01bb.jpg
pavona 01c.jpg

Pocillopora I think. Or Birds nest? Oct nov dec

poc 03a.jpg
poc 03bb.jpg
poc 03c.jpg


Another pocillopora I think. In different spot as the fish knocked it down. Think it's the same one lol's
poc 02a.jpg
poc 02b.jpg

Goni and galaxy or galaxea?

galaxy 01a.jpg
galaxy 01b.jpg


goni 01a.jpg
goni 01b.jpg


More to come. Have to find all the other pics! Need to do the stylophoa
 

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Not much to report.
No3 10-15
PO4 .04 Redid test as 1st one came out at .2 and I knew that was wrong!
CA 380 drop. Will increase
Mag 1400 trying to get 1450 or so

Dosing
alk 40ml day
ca 10. Up to 20
mg 70 up to 80

Everything is looking good. Good coral growth.
I think this is a birds nest. Oct, Nov and Dec
birds 03a.jpg
birds 03b.jpg
birds 03c.jpg

Duncan Aug, Oct, Nov Dec
duncan 01a.jpg
duncan 01b.jpg
duncan 01c.jpg
duncan 01d.jpg

I thought these were blastos but am thinking they are acans. Maybe micromusas? They were not doing well and were nearly gone when I put them in the new tank. Looking much better now
micro 01a.jpg
micro 01c.jpg
micro01b.jpg

Montipora capriconus? Oct, Nov, Dec
Monti cap 02a.jpg
monti cap 02b.jpg
monti cap 02c.jpg

Pavona Aug, Oct, Nov Dec
pavona 01a.jpg
pavona 01ab.jpg
pavona 01bb.jpg
pavona 01c.jpg

Pocillopora I think. Or Birds nest? Oct nov dec

poc 03a.jpg
poc 03bb.jpg
poc 03c.jpg


Another pocillopora I think. In different spot as the fish knocked it down. Think it's the same one lol's
poc 02a.jpg
poc 02b.jpg

Goni and galaxy or galaxea?

galaxy 01a.jpg
galaxy 01b.jpg


goni 01a.jpg
goni 01b.jpg


More to come. Have to find all the other pics! Need to do the stylophoa
Looking good Susan!! Seeing some nice growth!
 
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Susan Edwards

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Decided to spend the bucks on a clearview lid. Hubby is concerned that the frame work will block light if not between the lights. Standard design for my tank is 3 pieces which I hope the mid piece covers the overflow. Right now with a 2 piece diy mesh lid, I have to slide one side off to open the overflow. I want to be able to just remove the middle piece.

So far in the groups I've asked, people do not think light is blocked. And the lights spread anyway so I don't think it matters where the frames are. I'll call clear view and ask them as well.

Plan to get the pisces with the inserts. Hoping at night if I use them it will conserve heat and stop evaporation. I have to run the ceiling fan right now to keep humidity in room below 55. And leave window open a bit. I will most likely get a dehumidifier and hope that having the lid inserts will stop water loss. I can remove inserts during day and not run the dehumidifier as much.

Tank is running smoothly. Tests all in same range. CA dropped a bit so dosing more. Took 3 Po4 tests to get a reading I felt was more to what my tank is. 1st was .2, 2nd was .19 and 3rd time at .05 which is consistant to what it has been. Prob. time to change out the phosguard and maybe carbon and boyd's elite just in case.

Have some time off next week. Will make a trip to a lfs for some more corals. Will get the 40 gal up to speed in case I get a fish or 2.

working full days until 24th. Need to be sure my "baby" is all clean for company! Including son in law who has a 400+ tank!
 

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Decided to spend the bucks on a clearview lid. Hubby is concerned that the frame work will block light if not between the lights. Standard design for my tank is 3 pieces which I hope the mid piece covers the overflow. Right now with a 2 piece diy mesh lid, I have to slide one side off to open the overflow. I want to be able to just remove the middle piece.

So far in the groups I've asked, people do not think light is blocked. And the lights spread anyway so I don't think it matters where the frames are. I'll call clear view and ask them as well.

Plan to get the pisces with the inserts. Hoping at night if I use them it will conserve heat and stop evaporation. I have to run the ceiling fan right now to keep humidity in room below 55. And leave window open a bit. I will most likely get a dehumidifier and hope that having the lid inserts will stop water loss. I can remove inserts during day and not run the dehumidifier as much.

Tank is running smoothly. Tests all in same range. CA dropped a bit so dosing more. Took 3 Po4 tests to get a reading I felt was more to what my tank is. 1st was .2, 2nd was .19 and 3rd time at .05 which is consistant to what it has been. Prob. time to change out the phosguard and maybe carbon and boyd's elite just in case.

Have some time off next week. Will make a trip to a lfs for some more corals. Will get the 40 gal up to speed in case I get a fish or 2.

working full days until 24th. Need to be sure my "baby" is all clean for company! Including son in law who has a 400+ tank!

I was on the fence about what lid to use. After talking with a couple people who put together the red sea top, I decided the bad reviews were from impatient folks who didn't ask for tips. :) I am waiting to put mine together until after the room is finished.

Keep us posted on your lid and take pics!
 
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Susan Edwards

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The RS diy would have been better if we'd done it in 3 sections, not 2. 2 is a pita! I bought 2 feed doors for it and haven't bothered to put them on as I'm so not happy with the lids. Hubby did his best. We just did not think it thru good enough.
 

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The RS diy would have been better if we'd done it in 3 sections, not 2. 2 is a pita! I bought 2 feed doors for it and haven't bothered to put them on as I'm so not happy with the lids. Hubby did his best. We just did not think it thru good enough.
Thanks for the tip. The kit I bought has the options for two or three. On the 625XXL I took one look and knew I would do three on it when I get to that point. :)
 
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Susan Edwards

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Have to clean tank in AM for kids coming over for xmas. Son in law has a 460 tank so need to be looking good lol's. He's bringing me some goodies he no longer wants. A neptune trident, AI fuge light, and a DOS with 2 chamber dosing container. Whoo hoo for me! I need a fuge lite and I wanted to try the trident. And I'll figure out what to do with the DOSHe's redoing some stuff. He got hit with ick so is setting up a couple 100 gal qt tanks for his 40 fish so he can go fallow.

My litho is looking so good once lights go out. Lots of waving tentacles. If it is a plate coral, does it need to be on the sand and not on a frag plug? It's so tiny I don't want it on the sand as it will get blown around and lost

Second pic is my blue rimmed rhodactis. I noticed these "bubbles" on it. Is it a bounce?? Or growth or what?

20211223_232218.jpg
20211223_232248_001.jpg

20211222_223808_001.jpg
20211222_223815_001.jpg
 
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Susan Edwards

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Well, Merry Christmas to you!! I'd say that's some pretty nice gifts!! :)
Yeah! And I don't know what my xmas gifts are from him and my dau lol's. Maybe a gift card for corals!
 
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Susan Edwards

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Merry Christmas to everyone. Feel like I need an ornament that says Tank's 1st Christmas lol's. Found some algae on a plug. Taking it out to scrub it off and peroxide the plug.

Got the extra goodies from son-in-law. Now I need to get more of this tank hooked up! Today is take down xmas and my village and get house back in order. And maybe to look at the ato system. Going to put it (neptune atk) in the main sump and not in the return area as I cannot see the float from the front unless I lean way over. I'll add a marked line for the proper water level and see if that keeps the return chamber at its proper level. Then its hook it to the apex and see if it works! Next goal is to hook up dosing. Have a couple days off, Mon and Tue, to test things out.

Hoping Sunday after work to go hit a fish store and add some corals and maybe some fish, so today I also need to tackle the aio 40 g observation tank. Will water change and vacuum sand bed and try to get the skimmer working again. Might need a new one. It keeps quitting yet the pump works when I take it out to test. Want to add a bit more sand as well so will have to rinse the new sand in the cold outside with cold water-ugh!! So busy xmas day. We did our family gathering yesterday so today is just another day lol's.
 
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Susan Edwards

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Got the algae off the frogspawn. Soaked the frag part in peroxide and then in fluconazle--not the coral head. Came off plug so I scrugged and soaked. stem of coral also brushed and soaked then reglued. So far doesn't seem too angry but I do not want algae! And it looked like bryopsis. Will be watching.

All tests looking good. Mg close to 1500 so will lower the dosing. Ca could still go up a bit. Alk and no3 and po4 all good.

tested the 40g aio. Super high nitrates, low ca, low alk. Didn't test others. A totally neglected tank. Did a small water change. will do a larger one in a few more days or next day off. Took skimmer out as it quit. Again. and it's working now. We'll see how long. Need to replace media. So no nem in there right now lol's. Not even sure I should put any fish to qt/observe. Going to fish store tomorrow. They might have to just go into the tank....
 

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