EddieJ's Red Sea 425xl Build
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- Thread starter EddieJ
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Thank you very much EddieJ , that’s great to hear ! I have a pair of MP10QD ‘s on my tank and I was thinking of getting a stream3 for my tank to make it good in case I go heavy on SPS coral down the line ... I am having a internal battle if I should do the Stream3 or if I should add a MP40QD . So I thought I would ask some one using a stream3 , thank you for the input !
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EddieJ
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So far so good with the Varios. Like I said earlier it’s very quiet. I am running the VCA random flow generators on the the return and it seems to do a good job.
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Hey nice build. I'm planning to get a 425xl in the near future and looking at equipment options. I think I've decided on the stock sump with an algae reactor (and use the included ATO but have it automatically filled by an RO/DI tank in the garage) so looking to see if you have received/installed the Pax Bellum you ordered and what your impressions might be.
BoomCorals
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Sweet tank Eddie. Can't wait to see it with some Acros from Boom Corals! 
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EddieJ
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Here is a long overdue update on the tank.
First off, I had a disaster on my frag grow-out/quarantine tank which killed about 20-25 SPS corals that were getting ready to head into the 425XL. That obviously took the wind out of my sails. Then summer set in and it was a crazy summer with other family obligations / events etc.. Soooo, the tank just kinda sat on autopilot and I absolutely neglected the upkeep. Result, a GREEN tank absolutely overrun with GHA, and then DINOS crept in etc... Just imagine a FW Planted tank and how green that is.. now you have the picture. Below is a little video of a couple large porcelain crabs and at the end, Shrek. Shrek is very large algae crab from the Emerald crab family. But even he could not keep up with the GHA onslaught!! You can get an idea of how overrun the tank was.
So the tank has been on a heavy Vibrant regimen and man, that stuff works!!! Also dosing NoPox to keep the nutrients down as they spiked to like .27 PO4 and 30 Nitrates from the die-off. The plan is to get the nutrients in check and bring the Pax Bellum N18 back online. I need to upgrade the pump and redo the tubing as I was only getting about 80 gph when I should have 100 or so gph thru the reactor. Tank is just about cleared and ready for a couple of the corals that survived the QT tank failure. I have also installed the second Tunze 6150 Stream 3 pump. I love THEM! Can never have too much flow for SPS right? lol! Next up is to purchase a GHL Maxi Doser to setup an ATO. This way I can just use my RO holding tank to supply the makeup water.
That's it for now, but more to come!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Eddie
First off, I had a disaster on my frag grow-out/quarantine tank which killed about 20-25 SPS corals that were getting ready to head into the 425XL. That obviously took the wind out of my sails. Then summer set in and it was a crazy summer with other family obligations / events etc.. Soooo, the tank just kinda sat on autopilot and I absolutely neglected the upkeep. Result, a GREEN tank absolutely overrun with GHA, and then DINOS crept in etc... Just imagine a FW Planted tank and how green that is.. now you have the picture. Below is a little video of a couple large porcelain crabs and at the end, Shrek. Shrek is very large algae crab from the Emerald crab family. But even he could not keep up with the GHA onslaught!! You can get an idea of how overrun the tank was.
So the tank has been on a heavy Vibrant regimen and man, that stuff works!!! Also dosing NoPox to keep the nutrients down as they spiked to like .27 PO4 and 30 Nitrates from the die-off. The plan is to get the nutrients in check and bring the Pax Bellum N18 back online. I need to upgrade the pump and redo the tubing as I was only getting about 80 gph when I should have 100 or so gph thru the reactor. Tank is just about cleared and ready for a couple of the corals that survived the QT tank failure. I have also installed the second Tunze 6150 Stream 3 pump. I love THEM! Can never have too much flow for SPS right? lol! Next up is to purchase a GHL Maxi Doser to setup an ATO. This way I can just use my RO holding tank to supply the makeup water.
That's it for now, but more to come!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Eddie
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EddieJ
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Next on the list:
1) I ordered 2 GHL Maxi dosers which I am going to setup for ATO and a continuous AWC
2) I now have a larger pump for the Pax Bellum as my previous one was only giving me about 80GPH thru the reactor. Should be 100-105 GPH or so. Just need to get that plumbed in. I won't bring that online for awhile as I want to get a few large water changes in as I have been running a pretty heavy regimen of Vibrant to clean the tank up.
3) Wife found a Eucinid worm and positively identified it from this post https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-nightmare-of-a-bobbit-worm.511550/page-4#post-5541755 . Should be pretty easy to flush him out as I can easily remove rocks.
Here are some corals (Mostly from @BoomCorals) in my QT/Growout tank
(crappy quick phone pic)
And also, I should have taken a pic with the tank at it's worse. It was GREEN as a field of grass LOL!! You can see some of the GHA on the video above. After attacking it with Vibrant agressively, I can say it worked! Very little left
1) I ordered 2 GHL Maxi dosers which I am going to setup for ATO and a continuous AWC
2) I now have a larger pump for the Pax Bellum as my previous one was only giving me about 80GPH thru the reactor. Should be 100-105 GPH or so. Just need to get that plumbed in. I won't bring that online for awhile as I want to get a few large water changes in as I have been running a pretty heavy regimen of Vibrant to clean the tank up.
3) Wife found a Eucinid worm and positively identified it from this post https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-nightmare-of-a-bobbit-worm.511550/page-4#post-5541755 . Should be pretty easy to flush him out as I can easily remove rocks.
Here are some corals (Mostly from @BoomCorals) in my QT/Growout tank
(crappy quick phone pic)
And also, I should have taken a pic with the tank at it's worse. It was GREEN as a field of grass LOL!! You can see some of the GHA on the video above. After attacking it with Vibrant agressively, I can say it worked! Very little left
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EddieJ
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Added a jumbo CO2 scrubber from BRS today. PH has always been running kinda low 7.8 to 7.9 on the high end. Been running about 2 hours now and PH has climbed a little to 7.97. Would love to get it to average around 8.2 , will see how it does. When they say jumbo, they mean jumbo!!! Very large unit built in Italy like a tank.
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EddieJ
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I now have my 2 new Maxi dosers online. The top one is running my ATO (so glad to ditch that gravity fed fresh water tank that came with the Red Sea 425) with an open pump for future use.
The bottom unit is my AWC setup, one pump pulling water from the sump and the other one adding fresh saltwater to the sump. Currently I have it set for 1.5 gallons a day broke up into 6 1000ML changes.
Here are the dosers and my saltwater mixing station. This located around 25 feet away from the tank.
The bottom unit is my AWC setup, one pump pulling water from the sump and the other one adding fresh saltwater to the sump. Currently I have it set for 1.5 gallons a day broke up into 6 1000ML changes.
Here are the dosers and my saltwater mixing station. This located around 25 feet away from the tank.
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EddieJ
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Hows the tank going?? Love the Mitras
What are those purple crabs, btw?
Tanks doing good, life and bad timing keeps getting in the way. I have a batch of corals in the QT/Growout tank ready to move in as for the moment things are stable in the tank. The purple crabs are porcelain crabs that came with the rock.
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EddieJ
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Time for a long-overdue update. The tank is doing really good at the present time. This past spring we purchased a new motorhome, so as you can imagine that commanded most of my time and money this past summer.
But now its the heart of winter and it's time for the reef. I have been trying to add a few more fish but my Kole tang is an absolute killer. She has killed a Wrasse (who was in the tank before her arrival), a Midas Blenny, and a PJ Cardinal. Anyways, here is an FTS from today.
Corals are starting to get some good growth and the new BattleCorals are settling in. Here are a couple pictures.
The one thing about growing out an SPS only tank from frags it that it takes some time!! Softies and LPS fill it up much faster.
I just recently set up my GHL KH Director and I absolutely love it so far!. Yeah, I also put my money down on a preorder for the ION Director as well. Just take my money GHL!!
So my current equipment list is as follows:
1 GHL Profilux 4
2 GHL Maxi Dosers (one for AWC and one for ATO)
2 GHL 2.1 Dosers
2 GHL Mitra LX7206 LED Lights
1 GHL KH Director
1 Nyos Quantum 160
1 Pax Bellum 18n Algae Reactor
2 Tunze Stream 3 powerheads
1 Varios 6 Return pump
I am thinking of putting in a Gyre as well on the left side of the tank. This should create even more random flow.
Currently, I am using ATI Essentials Pro as my 2 part. Going to startup the ATI Nutrition carbon along with the nitrogen. I have been manually adding No3 when it gets low so putting it on a doser should make this a little more stable. Also, I figure fueling up more bacteria with the carbon should be very beneficial as well. When the No3 bottoms out, my phosphate starts to climb very quickly. Dose the No3 back up to 3-5 ppm and bam, phosphate comes right back down into line. Might play a little bit with adding some bacteria such as Zeobak and MB7. Just to throw some other strains in the mix.
More to come...
Eddie J
But now its the heart of winter and it's time for the reef. I have been trying to add a few more fish but my Kole tang is an absolute killer. She has killed a Wrasse (who was in the tank before her arrival), a Midas Blenny, and a PJ Cardinal. Anyways, here is an FTS from today.
Corals are starting to get some good growth and the new BattleCorals are settling in. Here are a couple pictures.
The one thing about growing out an SPS only tank from frags it that it takes some time!! Softies and LPS fill it up much faster.
I just recently set up my GHL KH Director and I absolutely love it so far!. Yeah, I also put my money down on a preorder for the ION Director as well. Just take my money GHL!!
So my current equipment list is as follows:
1 GHL Profilux 4
2 GHL Maxi Dosers (one for AWC and one for ATO)
2 GHL 2.1 Dosers
2 GHL Mitra LX7206 LED Lights
1 GHL KH Director
1 Nyos Quantum 160
1 Pax Bellum 18n Algae Reactor
2 Tunze Stream 3 powerheads
1 Varios 6 Return pump
I am thinking of putting in a Gyre as well on the left side of the tank. This should create even more random flow.
Currently, I am using ATI Essentials Pro as my 2 part. Going to startup the ATI Nutrition carbon along with the nitrogen. I have been manually adding No3 when it gets low so putting it on a doser should make this a little more stable. Also, I figure fueling up more bacteria with the carbon should be very beneficial as well. When the No3 bottoms out, my phosphate starts to climb very quickly. Dose the No3 back up to 3-5 ppm and bam, phosphate comes right back down into line. Might play a little bit with adding some bacteria such as Zeobak and MB7. Just to throw some other strains in the mix.
More to come...
Eddie J
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EddieJ
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Nothing like a BattleBox and a cup of coffee. My second BattleBox arrived today, that's now 21 BattleCorals in this tank. Makes it BC SPS Dominant tank LOL! Just a quick Iphone pic under the early blues.
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EddieJ
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Added two Maxspect XF330 gyres today for more flow!! SPS love flow and with a bare bottom tank you can crank it up. So with the existing Tunze Stream 3s, my max total GPH is around 12,500.
