Back into reefing with a Red Sea Reefer 250

[Matt Dice]

You have a nice setup! And your water station is awesome! Can you tell me if one nero with maybe an tunze 6020 is enough flow for a reefer 250? I'm still doubting between 2 Jecod SOW8 versus 1 Nero 5 with a Tunze 6020 i already have

 

[smellytunic]

You have a nice setup! And your water station is awesome! Can you tell me if one nero with maybe an tunze 6020 is enough flow for a reefer 250? I'm still doubting between 2 Jecod SOW8 versus 1 Nero 5 with a Tunze 6020 i already have

Thanks! Most of ideas for the water mixing station came from looking at all the examples in a thread on here.

As for flow. I think 1 Nero works in that it moves enough water for turn over. But I never could get just one dialed in for the entire tank. With only the one nero I could never get the entire tank with a good random flow. It was either too much all over or too many dead spots for too long. I played with a bunch of settings. So I added a second one and run them both lower then the single and can get some great random flow in the entire tank. I have been happy with them I know other folks have had issues with the magnets on then and them staying in place. 0 issues for me so far on the sides of the tank. I would say a single nero with any other supplement would also work out well. The second powerhead can help fill out the dead spots here and there. As for the Jebaos originally I ordered 2 for the tank (not positive on the model) set up one and it had a very noticeable hum kicking on and off and was kinda loud. So I returned the un opened one and kept the used one around as a backup/spare.

 

[smellytunic]

Thanks! Most of ideas for the water mixing station came from looking at all the examples in a thread on here.

As for flow. I think 1 Nero works in that it moves enough water for turn over. But I never could get just one dialed in for the entire tank. With only the one nero I could never get the entire tank with a good random flow. It was either too much all over or too many dead spots for too long. I played with a bunch of settings. So I added a second one and run them both lower then the single and can get some great random flow in the entire tank. I have been happy with them I know other folks have had issues with the magnets on then and them staying in place. 0 issues for me so far on the sides of the tank. I would say a single nero with any other supplement would also work out well. The second powerhead can help fill out the dead spots here and there. As for the Jebaos originally I ordered 2 for the tank (not positive on the model) set up one and it had a very noticeable hum kicking on and off and was kinda loud. So I returned the un opened one and kept the used one around as a backup/spare.

Found it. This was what I ordered originally and was not happy with how loud it was. Cannot really speak to other models however.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0192HNEBI/ref=twister_B0192HNECC?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

 

[Matt Dice]

Thanks for your answer! I will start with 1 nero 5 and the Tunze and will add later another nero 5.

 

[smellytunic]

Been a bit since I added any updates. So far things are coming along nicely. AWC humming along with out issue parameters remain in check and stable. Alkalinity is a tad low hovers at 8ish sometimes 7.9. Not running any kalk or supplements yet I want to let the AWC run a bit longer and see where that keeps it then decide on steps for raising slowly. Other issue is the Cheato I added to the fuge just kinda slowly died off. Slowly turned browinsh and slimy and shrunk in size. There is pretty much nothing left. Running the light on the fuge opposite my display and for roughly 12 hours. I have a normal but not huge bioload feed regularly. But nitrates have always been low and the AWC is keeping them lower. I am however getting some nuisance algae in the tank and the sump. So I am not sure if it is low nutrient causing the the cheato to die off or something else.

I also ended up with a decent sized acropora colony for really cheap. Was not planning on SPS yet but I did have a big flat spot with tons of light and flow and it was less then $50 and my wife and I really liked the way it looked so in it went Has been nearly 2 weeks since it was added and it is looking great tissue looks good and great polyp extension.

List of Livestock
Fish
Coral Beauty (0 issues with nipping at corals but still keep an eye on him)
2 Onyx clowns (they are showing signs of pairing up. One is much bigger and harasses the smaller one for a while then they both do the wobble/twitch)
Royal Gramma
2 Purple Firefish

Inverts
Skunk Cleaner shrimp
4 Trochus snails
5 Scarlet hermits

Corals
Green star Polyps
Palythoa and 5 pack of WWC zoanthids
Alevopora
Scoly
Acan lord
Ricordia mushroom
Pulsing Xenia
Branching Hammer
Acropora colony not really sure what kind.

 

[Flameback Pair]

With your Coral Beauty it is a KNOWN fact none of them will ever eat coral of any kind. In fact I don't think any specie of angel will, big or dwarf. However they nip at things throughout their environment, TASTING them. If they don't like the taste they usually don't nip at the same thing again. Mr. Saltwatertank has a good video of fish nipping at corals. Some species will nip more than others but very few will actually eat them. And the very little nipping they do will do any damage. If a coral is damaged in a reef tank it is most likely an invert.

 

[smellytunic]

With your Coral Beauty it is a KNOWN fact none of them will ever eat coral of any kind. In fact I don't think any specie of angel will, big or dwarf. However they nip at things throughout their environment, TASTING them. If they don't like the taste they usually don't nip at the same thing again. Mr. Saltwatertank has a good video of fish nipping at corals. Some species will nip more than others but very few will actually eat them. And the very little nipping they do will do any damage. If a coral is damaged in a reef tank it is most likely an invert.

Absolutely. The constant nipping can sometimes do some damage in smaller frags that is my only concern.

 

[smellytunic]

Have not updated this thread in a while. Things are mostly humming along nicely. I did have some losses however. 1 purple firefish had some type of external parasite/leech and did not survive his time in quarantine also one of the clownfish (smaller male) jumped. May have been related to the constant harassment from the bigger one. Found him on the ground right after we got home from RAP NY

My current situation. I keep eyeballing some nice looking SPS despite thinking I would not go that route when I set the tank up. Going more SPS would mean a light upgrade and I cannot decide on what to switch to. Looking at 2 radion xr15s, a Kessil AP700, or keeping the Primes and adding the 36' aquatic life T5 Hybrid. At a loss of which way to go.

Only other issue is nitrates... I cannot get them above 0. Trying really hard to not chase numbers, but I dialed back the volume of water changed out with the AWC still read 0 after 2 weeks, then shut the AWC off waited 2 weeks still reading at 0. Cheato was not really growing in the fuge so I switched it out to a caluerpa that is doing better. I would not say it is out of control but it is growing. I am feeding once a day a fair amount of either LRS Reef Frenzy or PE Mysis. I tend to like running with low but still detectable nitrates. Other parameters all seem to be in line and stable. Things are looking healthy but not seeing much growth in the corals. Some growth but not a lot. Kinda stumped on this one.

Here are a few updated pics.

 

[Flameback Pair]

@smellytunic Updates?

 

[smellytunic]

Wow I sure have neglected to keep my build thread up to date huh. Tanks still up and running. In March it was moved to a new spot in the house. Was a huge pain but we were as quick and efficient as possible and did not have any major issues with the move. There have been a few equipment changes over the span of time since my last update. As for the lighting that was changed out to two gen 4 Radion XR 30 Pros, I have them facing front to back to help with spread and avoid shadowing. I added a bubble tip anemone at one point it split a few times and they were taking over a large area of the tank and starting starting to sting some other corals. So the bubble tips and clowns were moved to there own home in a Fluval 13.5.

Here are a few shots of how things are currently.

 

[linxg]

A. Lin

 

[Flameback Pair]

Wow I sure have neglected to keep my build thread up to date huh. Tanks still up and running. In March it was moved to a new spot in the house. Was a huge pain but we were as quick and efficient as possible and did not have any major issues with the move. There have been a few equipment changes over the span of time since my last update. As for the lighting that was changed out to two gen 4 Radion XR 30 Pros, I have them facing front to back to help with spread and avoid shadowing. I added a bubble tip anemone at one point it split a few times and they were taking over a large area of the tank and starting starting to sting some other corals. So the bubble tips and clowns were moved to there own home in a Fluval 13.5.

Here are a few shots of how things are currently.

@smellytunic wow it has been awhile. Thanks for the update glad to know you’re still going strong. Can we get a livestock list or at least a fish list?

 

[smellytunic]

@smellytunic wow it has been awhile. Thanks for the update glad to know you’re still going strong. Can we get a livestock list or at least a fish list?

Livestock wise here is what Is the list currently

Fish/Inverts
Coral Beauty
Yellow Corris Wrasse
Royal Gramma
Orchid Dottyback
Yellow head sleeper goby
Mandarin
Cleaner Shrimp
Coral Banded shrimp

Coral Wise its a bunch. A lot of montis encrusting and branching, green slimer, Anacropora, bi color hammer, and more. If there was something in the pic you saw you wanted to know about let me know.

 

[Flameback Pair]

Livestock wise here is what Is the list currently

Fish/Inverts
Coral Beauty
Yellow Corris Wrasse
Royal Gramma
Orchid Dottyback
Yellow head sleeper goby
Mandarin
Cleaner Shrimp
Coral Banded shrimp

Coral Wise its a bunch. A lot of montis encrusting and branching, green slimer, Anacropora, bi color hammer, and more. If there was something in the pic you saw you wanted to know about let me know.

@smellytunic that is a wonderful fish list. Some questions. How does your yellow wrasse treat your mobile inverts? Especially the shrimp? I've read a lot of things about wrasses not being compatible with shrimp. And a question about your Orchid Dottyback. Is she very aggressive? And I'm asking very aggressive? I see them listed as very aggressive and not just aggressive. If they are just moderately aggressive I definitely want one. Just about all my fish will be moderately aggressive so there should be a balance of power, either that or World War III will erupt! I'm not sure right now but I have my fingers crossed!

 

[smellytunic]

@smellytunic that is a wonderful fish list. Some questions. How does your yellow wrasse treat your mobile inverts? Especially the shrimp? I've read a lot of things about wrasses not being compatible with shrimp. And a question about your Orchid Dottyback. Is she very aggressive? And I'm asking very aggressive? I see them listed as very aggressive and not just aggressive. If they are just moderately aggressive I definitely want one. Just about all my fish will be moderately aggressive so there should be a balance of power, either that or World War III will erupt! I'm not sure right now but I have my fingers crossed!

The wrasse does not bother my shrimp at all. I know there is potential for the issue but the shrimp were in the tank first and are pretty large now so no problems currently. I may have lost a hermit crab or two but it's hard to say. I saw him picking at a hermit carcass once or twice but I am not certain if it was a molt or the crab itself. If it was the crab I have no way of even if it was the wrasse that was the cause. The wrasse is the boss of the tank however for sure. I did have the wrasse in a previous tank first with an antenna goby which was problematic. Every time the goby even poked his head out of his burrow the wrasse would bolt across the tank after him. Orchids can be pretty mean but I really think it is a case by case basis. What I have always found to be the most successful with them is to add them last. Don't give them a chance to establish a large territory before other fish. The dottyback does have his own area and he will chase others away but it's just one small cave and section of rock that they claimed.

Only thing I would say with the wrasse is make sure you have a cover. I have saved him 2 times from jumping. First was me forgetting to put the screen back on. Second was even with the screen on there is like a 1 inch gap by the over flow which they some how found and jumped. Lucky the tank is right next to my desk and I was here both times to see it.

 

[Flameback Pair]

The wrasse does not bother my shrimp at all. I know there is potential for the issue but the shrimp were in the tank first and are pretty large now so no problems currently. I may have lost a hermit crab or two but it's hard to say. I saw him picking at a hermit carcass once or twice but I am not certain if it was a molt or the crab itself. If it was the crab I have no way of even if it was the wrasse that was the cause. The wrasse is the boss of the tank however for sure. I did have the wrasse in a previous tank first with an antenna goby which was problematic. Every time the goby even poked his head out of his burrow the wrasse would bolt across the tank after him. Orchids can be pretty mean but I really think it is a case by case basis. What I have always found to be the most successful with them is to add them last. Don't give them a chance to establish a large territory before other fish. The dottyback does have his own area and he will chase others away but it's just one small cave and section of rock that they claimed.

Only thing I would say with the wrasse is make sure you have a cover. I have saved him 2 times from jumping. First was me forgetting to put the screen back on. Second was even with the screen on there is like a 1 inch gap by the over flow which they some how found and jumped. Lucky the tank is right next to my desk and I was here both times to see it.

@smellytunic thanks for the heads up on those fish. Your opinion is valued. That was just dumb luck you were able to save those jumpers. I’m a firm believer in using screen tops. I’ve had my share of jumpers—once ending up about 8 feet from the tank!