Yet Another Red Sea Reefer 350 build thread

john0824

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Getting started today. Water is added, but will need to do some plumbing on the return hose, which it seems is a common issue with these tanks.

Equipment so far

Tank
Red Sea Reefer350

Lights
2x AI Hydra 64

Powerheads
1 Icecap Gyre 4k
1 Icecap Gyre 2k

Return Pump
Neptune Cor 20

Skimmer
Simplicity 240

Controller
Neptune Apex

I have about 60 lbs of rock and an additional 2 "bio bricks" in the sump. I plan on ordering a starter pack from Algae Barn tomorrow as well. I appreciate anyone's input on this setup.

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J_anderson_75

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Nice. I love the Red Sea Reefer tanks. I'll be watching...I'm getting ready to start my RSR 350 build as well. Just waiting on interior house paint to be finished and I can hardly stand it!

How much sand did you use?
 
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john0824

john0824

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Nice. I love the Red Sea Reefer tanks. I'll be watching...I'm getting ready to start my RSR 350 build as well. Just waiting on interior house paint to be finished and I can hardly stand it!

How much sand did you use?
I used 60 pounds total. Its pretty uneven right now but looks like it should be right about an inch or so when spread more.
 
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john0824

john0824

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Made a lot of progress today, plumbing for the return pump is done and sump is flowing. Made a few tweaks with the overflow valve to get the flow right and get the tank silent, which seem to be working. Got the Apex mostly set up as well. Tank is still pretty cloudy after evening out the sand bed.

One big issue I had was my heater must have been partly out of water and melted itself. Came downstairs from dinner to a basement full of smoke. Replacing the heater tonight, but crap that was scary. A couple questions if anyone is actually reading this:

1. For anyone with a 350, what chamber are you putting your heater in? It seems like the 300w is pretty long and doesn't fit comfortably in the skimmer chamber without touching the skimmer. The return chamber is also tight with the pump in there. Maybe I need to remove the bio brick from the refugium chamber?

2. Return pump question: I have a Cor 20, which is oversized for this tank, but I currently have it dialed back to 30% in the Apex app. Does that sound about right? I haven't connected any of the Icecaps yet since I have barely even started to cycle.

Almost forgot, ordered a few things from BRS including a probe holder for the Apex probes and a plugboard to clean up that cabinet.

Here are today's pictures:


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Phil D.

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I have a Red Sea E-260, which is a little smaller and you are going to find that having the 2 Icecap gyres is too much. I have the Maxspect 330 and have iit set to 10% which is plenty in my tank, (36" long). For the return, you can set the gate valve and leave it using the controller on the return pump to adjust the water level in the rear weir area.
 
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john0824

john0824

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I have a Red Sea E-260, which is a little smaller and you are going to find that having the 2 Icecap gyres is too much. I have the Maxspect 330 and have iit set to 10% which is plenty in my tank, (36" long). For the return, you can set the gate valve and leave it using the controller on the return pump to adjust the water level in the rear weir area.
I was kind of worried about this. I initially bought 2 Icecap 4k Gyres at my LFS' advice, and then when I went back the next day another person told me that was too much and suggested I return one 4k for a 2k, which I did. I haven't opened them yet, so I can still swap them out for something smaller if needed.
 
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john0824

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Wow! I don't have an answer to your heater question, but I think I bought the same heater for my build. A Finnex HMA-300S?

That totally sucks, man. Hope you get it squared away!
It was probably user error. I put the top off tank back in the stand and I am guessing it pushed down on the wire forcing the tip of the heater out of the water. The tank is still cold since I didn't have a return pump going last night so the heater is pretty much on full time. I'm just glad it happened while we are home, but I wonder if I am not bright enough to be doing all this.
 
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john0824

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Not much new other than setting up lights. Going to clean up the cabinet this weekend with a new plug board.
 

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john0824

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We have the Red Sea Reefer 350 w/ white cabinet. It’s an awesome tank.
What pumps are you using? Feels like I am going to have way too much flow if I set it up with everything I bought. Have a COR 20 return pump that I can't really set past 25%, and then I have both an Icecap Gyre 4k and 2k, though I think I am either going to go with the 4k only or 2 2ks.
 

346700984

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What pumps are you using? Feels like I am going to have way too much flow if I set it up with everything I bought. Have a COR 20 return pump that I can't really set past 25%, and then I have both an Icecap Gyre 4k and 2k, though I think I am either going to go with the 4k only or 2 2ks.
Sicce Syncra Silent 3.0 and Sicce Voyager Nano 2000 stream pump.
 
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john0824

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Not a whole lot new, but I am down to 0 ammonia after dosing to 1.5 ish ppm twice. Nitrates around 20 and just hovering, so will monitor those. I keep dosing the bottled bac, though not sure if it is entirely necessary right now.

My tank is evaporating about 1.5G a day so I ordered the Tunze auto-top off as the one that comes with the tank is pretty awkward to fit in with the skimmer.

Here are some before and after shots of my cabinet:

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I ordered 2 Mocha Storm clownfish and a few snails and crabs from TSM and plan to do a 25% water change the day before they arrive. I have a QT tank set up, but after reading a lot of reviews here I am considering going straight to the DT with them. Curious about anyone's thoughts on this.
 
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john0824

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Fish have been in the tank a week now, and are doing well. Thanks @tsmaquatics.

A couple of scares because these two seem to sleep on the sand, on their sides, stacked on top of each other in the back corner under a pump. I guess they are just weird, not dead.
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Haven't really figured out how to take decent photos with the lights on yet, but I did attach a photo of my dog staring directly at the tank. This goes on daily and he seems to like the snails.
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I also added an ATO, which I was nervous about installing, but ended up being super simple.
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john0824

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Lots of new stuff to update. Have been keeping a solid maintenance schedule, change filter sock every 4 days, water change 15g once a week. Nothing new for about a month other than just watching nutrient levels - 0 po4, 10 nitrates, 450-460 calcium, 7.5 dkh.

A few weeks ago I added a cleanup crew from reefcleaners and a Florida fighting conch, which is pretty awesome.

I added a few corals a couple weeks ago from the LFS to see how they would do, and all seem to be doing well. Nothing crazy, just a couple of zoas, favites, and an acan lord.

Last week got another fish order in from @tsmaquatics , and just as before everything is eating and healthy. I got one coral beauty angelfish, one yellow tang and one yellow eye kole tang. All started off shy, but today was the first day they started coming out front and watching my dog watch them.

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john0824

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Went a little crazy during the @WWC live sale and ordered about 30 new frags. Unfortunately my shipment was delayed by three days due to it missing a FedEx connection and sitting in a container during 20 degree nights for an entire weekend. Everything arrived yesterday and while a rainbow BTA and xenia were both DOA, some of the corals seem to be recovering.

Yesterday:
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And today, some better, some seem worse
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