The Long and Winding Road(Red Sea Reefer 250ish)

[saltienewb]

Hello all,
Under advisement I have decided to start my build thread. But unlike many, I have no glorious tank to start the festivities. Just a dream, and a longer time horizon.

For a few years, I’ve been into planted freshwater tanks. Going to my LFS, I always stared longingly at the beautiful salties, but thought them out of my price range and skill level. However, due to myself and my wife moving up in income; and at her insistence that SHE would like one, I started looking early this year. Watching videos, reading here, asking questions when I’m in store.
We are undergoing a reno of our enclosed porch and have decided when it is finished and conditioned, we will place a tank there.
In that spot we will wire a separate 20 amp outlet next to the other shared outlet, and run most of the tank off the new outlet. I will keep at least one wavemaker on the previously wired

im leaning heavily towards a Red Sea Reefer 250, but would go bigger if the right deal was to be had.
So far as of today I have, as far as Salt only gear:
RedSea reefwave 25
Redsea rsk3000
60 lbs Caribsea Fiji pink
BRS 4 stage with one of each replacement filter
New damaged box Sicce ADV 5.5(the best deal of the bunch)
All except the sand used, but at a good price and in good condition.


I’m keeping an eye out for deals, but also don’t want to get out over my skis. I also don’t want to go too deep into gear in case a larger used tank becomes available.

wish list:
RED sea G2 250
1 Red Sea slide out control panel
Kessil AP9X
2 head reefdose
One more new reefwave 25
Rock(no preference here)- 50 lbs?


The plan is to finish the Renovation then get this baby wet, 5-10 months from now. Will take any suggestions or critiques along the way. While not a newb to aquariums in general, I am a saltie newb

 

[Zach B]

Sounds like a good setup! Best of luck

 

[saltienewb]

Have a g2 Reefer 300 XL coming tomorrow!
Also have a RedSea DC 5500 and controller

The plan is to buy the upgrade kit for the rsk600 and add it to the Redsea controller and make it DC since the biggest complaint from it is the noise level.

Trying to get the internal dimesions of the new tank to order an EZ Clearview lid. And need to buy the rest of my rock(I have 3 life rock arches so far) and looking at the algae barn cycle kit because it comes with a free jar of pods with my purchase.

Excited to finally get started in earnest

 

[saltienewb]

 

[saltienewb]

Not much done so far, just ordering items. Went and bought some rock and doing mock ups. Current favorite, is this enough hiding space for the fishes? I like the look

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Not much done so far, just ordering items. Went and bought some rock and doing mock ups. Current favorite, is this enough hiding space for the fishes? I like the look

I like the Aquascape!! It has a unique look to it

 

[saltienewb]

Getting there. Hooking it up is half the battle, cord management will be the war.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Getting there. Hooking it up is half the battle, cord management will be the war.

Best of luck with getting everything set up!

 

[saltienewb]

Equipment:

RS Reefer 300XL G2
Redsea dc 5500
Red Sea ato
Reefwave 25x2
Inkbird heater controller
Finnex 300w titanium element
Rsk300 with dc upgrade kit
Slide out control panel 25

Fiji pink(way too much)
Around 50 pounds of Caribsea shapes/rock
100 gallons worth of Tropic Marin reef pro salt

Wish list for later:
Reefdose 2 head
Kessil AP9x or 2 xr15
IKEA or similar white cabinet for supplies next to tank
5 gallon or more ato container


Everything is plugged in, just waiting on a cable raceway to organize the rats nest.

Hooked up my four stage to a smart buddy booster in the laundry room utility sink, and has been flushed. Once I get the equipment how I like it, I will start early one morning I’m home and run a rodi line from the laundry room to the tank, and mix salt directly

 

[saltienewb]

Let’s get wet!

 

[saltienewb]

After looking at used radions, I finally jumped on a new AP9x with mount. I just wanted to have the peace of mind of a warranty for such expensive equipment. This thing is so nice. I have it mounted 10 inches above the waterline, and still have some light spillover.
Fully cycled with two black and white ocellaris clowns with 6 small hermits. I have a Clearview lid still waiting but will wait until I add next fish.

Next up: Royal Gramma and either pistol shrimp/yasha goby pair or yellow coris wrasse. Cannot decide quite yet.
Also will grab some pods and add nassarius and turbo snails for the diatom invasion likely coming. The dark start has kept them at bay, but I’m sure they’re around the corner.

Trying to dial in the DC RSK300. I don’t know if it’s the newer tank or maybe epoxy remnants, but no matter how low I turn the pump down or raise the skimmer, it overflows into the cup. Has been running for around 4 days and I just let it empty into the sump, but I’m hoping it will calm down soon.

 

[saltienewb]

One month update:
Current inhabitants
2 juvenile black and white ocellaris
1 Royal gramma
6 small hermits
3 nassarius

2 frogspawn
1 goni
1 duncan
Next week I will grab a zoa colony and 5 headed hammer.
I recommend joining a local(or localish) reef club. The Goni and Duncan were free with the gramma and snails, but the rest were less than 100 dollars total from local hobbyists. Just the hammer colony would have been that at a store, and the zoas cost more for one to three polyps vs an entire 10+ polyp colony


Currently nice little diatom bloom going. I was worried about it being Dino’s, and may well still be a type of them, but no bubbles and the hermits are working on it. I will monitor, and if I start seeing it slime up, I will be more concerned.
I feel good about adding some algae snails now that I know they won’t starve. I will add a few trochus snails. Eventually want an urchin but will wait until the hair algae stage. I’ll also starting my first dosing with some pods and phyto. After I add these next coral and see some growth, I plan to add all for reef to my regimen.

I’ve also started an order with dr reef for a halichoeres chrysus and a Macropharyngodon meleagris. Should be here in a month or so

 

[thedon986]

One month update:
Current inhabitants
2 juvenile black and white ocellaris
1 Royal gramma
6 small hermits
3 nassarius

2 frogspawn
1 goni
1 duncan
Next week I will grab a zoa colony and 5 headed hammer.
I recommend joining a local(or localish) reef club. The Goni and Duncan were free with the gramma and snails, but the rest were less than 100 dollars total from local hobbyists. Just the hammer colony would have been that at a store, and the zoas cost more for one to three polyps vs an entire 10+ polyp colony


Currently nice little diatom bloom going. I was worried about it being Dino’s, and may well still be a type of them, but no bubbles and the hermits are working on it. I will monitor, and if I start seeing it slime up, I will be more concerned.
I feel good about adding some algae snails now that I know they won’t starve. I will add a few trochus snails. Eventually want an urchin but will wait until the hair algae stage. I’ll also starting my first dosing with some pods and phyto. After I add these next coral and see some growth, I plan to add all for reef to my regimen.

I’ve also started an order with dr reef for a halichoeres chrysus and a Macropharyngodon meleagris. Should be here in a month or so

If you have any other peaceful fish you plan on adding I would do so before the wrasses. It can be a toss up with aggression, but if in doubt, play it safe.

 

[saltienewb]

Naoko fairy wrasse okay after or would you add before?

Then flame hawk after wrasses, then finally an angel.

If you have any other peaceful fish you plan on adding I would do so before the wrasses. It can be a toss up with aggression, but if in doubt, play it safe

 

[thedon986]

I think that is a good process, could do flame hawk with your other two wrasses from DrReef.

 

[saltienewb]

I guess it’s time for a 5 month update:

Current stocking:
Cleaner shrimp
Fighting Conch
3 trochus, 3 nassarius, 6 hermits
Pair of black and white ocellaris
Bicolor blenny
Royal Gramma
Halichores Chrysus

Had two leopards delivered but neither lasted a week. One died a day after shipping the other 6 days later. I love the look of them but I cannot deal with quick deaths like that. I would love to try again locally and when the tank is more mature.

Corals are doing great with the exception of gha accumulating on some zoas. I lost a Goni early on, which I attribute to it not being a stable enough environment for it. Another that I will take a try at again with more stability. Other than that, I have no “store bought” coral. All from local hobbyists in my area.

Currently fighting GHA and a bit of red cyano. Blew off and siphoned the cyano, and cleaned the wave pumps in citric acid to get flow back up.

The tank got really bad while I was gone for a vacation, and the tank sitter overfed and turned off the skimmer. Nothing some scraping and siphoning can’t handle.

Next step is to continue maintenance and enjoying the tank. Will keep slowly adding coral and possibly a Naoko over the next month.

 

[Not_Erick]

Any updates?

 

[saltienewb]

Just took a picture this morning! Dealing with GHA so added 3 Mexican turbos, and a couple banded trochus.
Dealing with some cyano on the sand. Added some pods from @Dinkins Aquatic Gardens and dosing phyto and added waste away to weekly regimen. Already receding.
No new fish but added a couple torches and gonis, along with a rainbow acan. February or so will add the Naoko then decide if I want to add a flame hawk or flame angel as last fish.