Hasted's Red Sea XL 300

[Hasted]

I am really happy with most of my rock work. The 2nd most viewed angle, however, is a bit... lacking.
Front looks great.
Left looks amazing with the shelf rock wrapping around.
Right makes it look like I just built a tall, thin rock wall... I need to find something creative to build outward towards the front of the tank to create depth (I think is the right descriptive word).

The temporary Zoa rack makes it a bit harder to really see.

 

[Hasted]

A few things!

First, I have had what I believe to be "Ghost Flatworms" that got transfered from the 29g. I was trying to be extra careful and still happened.

I read that they aren't dangerous to my corals and that a Wrasse will gladly gobble them up. My plan were 2-3 wrasse once the tank settles a bit more, so that is perfect.

I think?

Well. My Radioactive Hammer has been upset for a bit. When I first transferred it I dipped it and heavily scrubbed it (and all my corals). It opened about 50% and was looking better. It closing up constantly now. It actually looks like it is being touched and constantly retracting quickly over and over again in different areas of the head.

Today I noticed:

Two Flatworms are on it. I have seen one on the base of the plug one day, but never on it. It is VERY retracted today, as you can see. I am looking into possibly Flatworm eXit after some heavy research into it. I am not Wrasse ready (no lid for starters) so that isn't an option yet!



Second! I received a CUC order from Reef Cleaners today! I only did a "25g rimless" package as I can't say I have quite enough food to support more than that. I still had a few CUC from my 29g also. Been Hermit Crab-less for 4+ months as my two I had didn't last. One was DOA and one was short lived. Now I have 6 or so that are moving around! I popped about half an algae tab around the tank to help support them until they get used to the tank. If thats a thing...

Other news. Skimmer shipment got delayed two days so it should be here tomorrow. Unlucky there since I am busy tomorrow and yesterday I was free.

Goals:
Skimmer installed
Flow improved (MP40)
In Cabinet shelves / drawers?
Electrical cleaned up / Hung
Make or order lid
Set up QT tank using old 29g
Order set of reef safe, compatible wrasse. QT
Other stock once Wrasse out of QT
Spend all my money on corals

 

[Hasted]

Yesterday:

I received my Red Sea RSK 300 protein skimmer yesterday. Went together super easy other than the dang cord holder hole thing at the base. Not 100% sure if I popped it in right.

I kept the default set up (rotation of base) for now since I wasn't 100% sure on space. I will be taking it out next time I have a couple hours free, twisting it, and putting it back in at a different angle.

Man, did this make the sump, crowded. Stock ATO had to be pushed all the way over, return pump hose had to be twisted a whole new way (need to redo also), and wires everywhere still.

Moved my smaller heater into "fuge" section to clear space for now. I didn't want both heaters in same section, so I will have to figure that out.

I currently have the skimmer chamber at rock bottom. I think the water level is inside of suggested operation, but haven't actually measured it.

This is now the loudest thing on my tank. I read these things are silent. Well, mine definitely is not. When I take it apart to rotate, I will try to see if I did something incorrect and hope that it runs less loudly. It is a bit past what I would find acceptable.

In my basement, directly below tank, I expect to hear my tank. I do. I can hear the vibrations of when my powerheads kick on and also this skimmer. Not sure if I hear my return pump as I expect it to be quieter than these and covered.

In my bed room on the second floor, though? Not a fan. The actual room the tank in is now far less enjoyable. Wife won't be able to read in here any more.

 

[Hasted]

Well, took apart the skimmer. Rotated the pump to better fit my sump. Got the silly cord hole seal fitted better. Looks a ton better now.

It is still the loudest thing on the tank when the emergency overflow isn't being used (every few days I have to adjust the valve). It isn't LOUD, but definitely over the desired threshold.

I just keep it to where it pours out the drain without overflowing the collection cup. Even when the adjustment is completely closed, this this is still spitting water. Break in period. I read and heard so many people say theirs broke in within hours or less. I guess mine is finicky. Haha. Either that or 7.25 inches of water is just too much. Trying to find a good way to raise it so I can also raise my sump level. I have the baffle bottomed out.

In other news, my Spongodes Montipora is coloring back up! I dipped this thing when I transfered and it lost ALL color. I was about to toss it as I thought it was dead. A few days ago I saw a very feint green glow in a spot. A bit more color today! I really liked this thing, so I hope it has a full recovery.

Lastly, my rockwork is definitely going through some ugly phases. I am trying to keep hands off and not attack it with every chemical in the book. I do have some interesting algae that I am worried about a bit more than that. I will be keeping a close eye on it and see what my new CUC does to it. If it progresses much more, I may need to look into it more.

Edit:

Oh, I forgot to follow up with my new CUC order!

Ignore the card. Haha

My 25g Rimless Reef Cleaners order is floating there. My order was delivered on time and in one piece. I am 100% satisfied!

I received a number of Astraeas, Hermits, Dwarf Ceriths, Florida Ceriths, Nassarius snails and an Emerald Mithrax crab.

I decided to go with the smaller package (I have a 65g, not 25g) for multiple reasons.

The 65g package seemed HUGE!
I already had a handful of snails that transfered to this from my 29g, including a Conch that does work.
Tank is still new and was worried I would starve a larger amount.

OK, that's it now. Just wanted to share!

 

[Hasted]

Since my skimmer chamber baffle was bottomed out and the RSK300 skimmer was still at 7.25 inches, I decided to raise it.

Here is the stand I built.

Weeeeelll, I built it TOO high. When sitting on top of the egg crate, it would hit the lower drain pipe (emergency drain).

I then removed the egg crate and placed it directly on the pvc corners. Interestingly enough, I made it the perfect size to sit on the pipes with the rubber feet. I can now fit the skimmer in.

If I first remove the Fuge baffle.
And slide it in
And then put the baffle in.
And JUST barely.
And I have to remove baffle to take off cup...

I am going to redo my stand and use smaller pvp to fit it under this pipe and be able to remove the collection cup. I figured the dang Red Sea skimmer would work flawlessly in a dang Red Sea tank...

Will update once I am satisfied with it.

 

[Hasted]

Even though the stand is too high and I can't really manage the collection cup... the skimmer is in full operation! I messed with the baffle until it was 6". Running like a charm now! Also, not spitting thousands of micro bubbles into the display anymore.

Looks like I got hit with a bacterial bloom a bit ago (not sure if I mentioned it), but going to wait it out and see what happens. The water being somewhat cloudy really bothers me, though. Takes so much away from the tank.

In other news. QT is mostly set up for when I decide I want to add fish. Still need to do more research before then!

 

[Hasted]

Sunday update!

Tank Maintenance

Did a water change, but only did a 5g one this week. My nitrates are a bit low (>10) and didn't want to keep dropping them with a larger change. Hopefully the 5g change is enough to keep the trace elements up a bit. It isn't like I have a TON of corals eating it up, yet.

Siphoned the gravel to clean up the Diatoms (I assume) that are collecting. I am hoping my new flow (more on that later) will help with this! A bit of it has already come back after 24 hours.

Earlier this week I also used a toothbrush and lightly went over all the rocks. I am not sure what type of algae is popping up on them (I assume Dinos, but could be hair algae?), but wanted to get them in the water column to get filtered out.

New Gear

I got a few things in this week and also ordered something big and exciting!

First, I got in a BRS temp controller and a new heater. My Inkbird has the metal probe and I read many, many times that the metal will eventually decay and leech into the tank. Well, replaced it before that happens. I used my old Inkbird and my Hanna salinity/temp tester to get a good idea of temp to see if it needs to be calibrated any. It sat right between both readings, so I assume that it is good to go!

I also got another filter sock in. The one I was using is the one which comes with the system. It is a filter "mesh" rather than a sock? Well, in hopes to collect algae that I am blowing off the rocks I upgraded. I realize I will have to be more on top of cleaning this compared to the mesh. Which is fine.

I got in a frag rack I ordered a bit ago from Oceanbox Designs. A nice small one with the colorful bottom. Wife HATES the huge blast of color due to it being crazy bright with the lights. She actually thought the rack itself was a light. Regardless, I got more frags off the sand so I don't have to worry about the shrimp burying them!

I also ordered an MP40!! Super excited about that! My flow is still pretty much what I used in the 29g and also the return pump (which is pumping out pretty heavily actually). This gets me one step closer to the desired end state of my tank. I think I will still want another one to help keep the flow a bit more varied and hit more dead spots. I will see how this one goes first and adjust accordingly. Should be here in a week!

Odds and ends

Hammer is STILL doing terrible. I am going to start dipping every other day between FW and CoralRx? I saw a post about flatworms taking out a torch and now it has me worried...

I officially removed the entire Zoa rack and glued them all to a single shelf rock. Hopefully they look good once they spread a bit. I would like to get a few more colors in and maybe replace 1 or 2 of the BamBams I have. A bit too much red for now.

 

[Hasted]

Sunday Update.

What a day.

First Death

Other than probably some snails from my last ReefCleaners order, today was my first death. I spotted my Emerald Crab (also from Reef Cleaners) on the top rock, stretching out it's claw to heaven. Stiff as a board. Literally looked like he was reaching for the sky. Gave him a small tap of the turkey baster (didn't want hands in when not needed) and he just blew off. Left him there for a little in hopes he was just playing dead. Nah, he was actually dead. Not sure if the maybe the Pistol Shrimp gave him a nice snap (I read both sides of this not being possible and this being totally possible) or if a Hermit had a nice snack on him after he died. His underside was open and looked to be empty. Kinda. Are those little black balls eggs?

Issues!

Buddy borrowed my Hanna Phosphate two+ weeks ago and took a while for us to get back together. Got it yesterday and did a test today. 0.00. Shoot. This is probably why I am getting what looks to be Dinos. I also tested my Nitrates yesterday and they seem to be around 5. I really need to upgrade from this API kit so I can get a better read. I have my skimmer off now and also going to feed heavier the next few days and check again.

3D Printing

The school I am working out of this year has a 3D printer. I am in good with the librarian / Cybrarian (literally what they call her...) / media lady and had her print me a frag plug stand thing I found on here a while ago. For some reason I am dumb and unable to find the post that had the link to the files. I book marked the STL page thingy. First time ever 3D printing something so I have zero lingo for this stuff. She did it all once I sent her the file. Works great! I do want it to be a bit shorter since I don't have that deep of a sand bed. She said she would be happy to modify the file for me if it doesn't work. Well, guess what I am gonna have her do this week

Equipment Update

I thought the MP40 was going to be here yesterday, but it looks like it is coming Thursday. I am in desperate need of more flow, so it needs to hurry up! I am super excited about that.

I am also wanting to order a Clearview (I think is the name) lid. However, I am slightly hesitant since I am not 100% finished with my equipment set up. By the end, I will only have 2 light mounts to worry about since I will have two MP40s for flow (as in wires outside of tank). I am not sure if 2 or 3 AI Primes is what I want to keep. I had pondered the idea of trading in the Primes for something else. Would be rough buying a high quality lid and then feeling stuck with my lights until I buy yet another lid due to different cut outs for the mounts.

Corals:

Everything is happy except my favorite coral. The Radioactive Hammer Coral is not extending at all! My other cheap hammer is loving life. I had them side by side for a bit in my new frag rack from Oceanbox. They were getting the exact same flow and light. Radioactive upset. Budget Hammer happy. I dipped both of them in FW and CoralRx a couple times and nothing has come off of them. Not sure what's up.

 

[Hasted]

Upgrade complete!

Will update once installed, tested, and happy.

 

[Hasted]

Sunday Update

Well, crap

Phosphate was 0.0 last week. Managed to over feed, turn off skimmer, etc to bump it up to 0.02 by today.

Well, Nitrates somehow are now at 0. Is algae soaking it all up? I have some hair and Cyano (I think), but doesn't seem like a TON.

Gonna be another week of heavy feeding, roids, etc again.

New MP40!

Working on a schedule for this guy.

I have a calmer "lights off" time to hopefully allow the fish to sleep. A little before lights go on, i did a random mode and it works its way to 55% power. Which is hair too much still.

Blasts a hole in two spots. On the other side of the tank.

Still Ugly Phase? Or worse?

Today marks 1m 5d the tank has been alive. Ugly phase is expected.

However, 1 week at 0 Phosphate, one week at 0 Nitrate. It looked as though I had Dynos during 0 Phosphate. Now it looks like all thr dynos got replaced by Cyano? I did a small 5g WC yesterday (didn't want to remove nutrients) to just clean the sand. Finished minutes before lights went out. When I woke up, before lights back on, sand covered again. Doesn't sound like Dynos.

So, going to definitely monitor. Could still be uglies. I hoped with the established rock (barely) I would skip some of this. I guess my 29g wasn't really up for a huge amount of time...

Parting Thoughts

I am itching to add more corals and colors! I want to get this algae or what ever a bit more under control. A month or so more of maturity won't hurt. But man... i want more!

I need a dang lid. Two of my next fish are jumpers. I think I want to get a Purple Firefish and then 1-3+ Wrasse (i have been researching housing multiple Wrasse... but it somewhat scares me). Having a few would be neat. Not at the risk of their safety, though.

Electronic cabinet is needed! I feel like I am gonna burn my house down.

Time is going so slow. Doing my best to go slow with it.

 

[Hasted]

Well, work is going to be super slow today. So, I guess I will update again!

Crunch Time!

As I mentioned in the last post, I am trying my best to go slow with the tank. HOWEVER, there are still some things I can and need to do.

Why crunch time? *Redacted because life sucks at times*

So! The reason I upgraded to this tank is largely due to this fact. I wanted to have a more reliable system with better equipment to HOPEFULLY allow me to focus a bit more on the *redacted*. Skip a water change? Let the skimmer run a bit longer. Not have time to clean the pumps? Swap out the wetsides of the MP40s and hit it later. Small things. I don't expect to ignore it completely (or want to) and it thrive.

What I need to do:

1. New lid. I think I want to go with a Clearview Lid. The next option is the RS DIY kit. I have heard "ok" things about it and also bad things. I am pretty handy, so I assume I would be on the bettter end of things. I can't say for certain. The Clearview lid would completely eliminate all that hassle, though. Only issue? I am still not 100% satisfied with my lighting choice. I may just go for it and get a 3rd Prime down the line. It can attach to the overflow area and not be effected by the lid at all. Meh.

2. Electrical Management. HOLY CRAP my cabinet is a rats nest. I have found a few options, but I always forget about future ATO container space. I was dead set on these two Ikea cabinet thingies. One with a push open door and one with a glass door. I could mount all my things to them and / or inside them. Then... no ATO space. I NEED to clean this up for safety and not burn my house down.

3. Finish up Equipment list. I still would like 1 more MP40 and take out my small Koralia powerheads I have to supplement flow. I will then have zero cords in the tank and the lid will be way easier to manage. I still would like to get a Tunze ATO with a larger Reservoir that's easier to fill or replace. This isn't high on my list, but I have already had my stock ATO fail on me and not fill my sump once...

Not a terrible list. I just feel like I am running out of free time!

Current State of Tank:

Just more of a repeat of Sunday's update.

The new tank has been up for 1m 7d. That's really not long at all.

The 29g (and about half the rocks) were going for 5 months before that. So, they are at the half year mark.

This is definitely a new "ugly" phase that I haven't hit before. I am doing my best to not freak out, let it run, and just maintain my levels... If you think I should do something else, let me know. Everywhere I read just says "Ugly phase. This too shall pass."

Sand. Even after a good cleaning from WC.

Rocks.

Hair Algae?

Hammer STILL not happy. Favorite coral I have, too.

 

[Hasted]

Sunday Update!

Less Ugly

Did a 10g WC today and worked on taking my time through the sand. 3 hours later some came back, but not nearly as much. Hopefully the Cyano is starting to recede.

Rocks are still needing some TLC. Gonna hit it hard next time.

Lid!

I am pretty sure that my next purchase is a lid. I will probably get that sorted out this week. I think it is a 10 week turn around, so no rush.

Not much more to add. MP40 is killing it. Skimmer is still off. Colors are coming out from corals. Hammer is still doing crap...

 

[Hasted]

Sunday Update


New Corals!

Got bored and went to the LFS. Picked up a few colorful pieces.

Joker Acan (I think) freshly added and a bit upset

Rasta Zoas

And an unknown BEAUTIFUL Blasto. Has yellow around the mouth that I just can't get on camera.

Very happy with the new colors. This Acan is doing 100x better than my current "Lava Bomb Aussie Lord" I got from WWC. No idea why that one HATES my tank. Since day 1 it has been a shriveled mess.

Win some, lose some...

Though I may have added some pretty things... i lost my favorite coral. My Radioactive Hammer has been declining ever since I swapped tanks. Never really got to be full and bushy like it was in the nano. Sad.

July 18, 2020. Full and happy.

Now:

Looking back to find that first picture made me see how full my other hammer was also... it is kind of dinky now. It was fuller as recent as Sept 8th... what happened! I will have to keep a closer eye on it now.

 

[Hasted]

Missed my Sunday Update!

27 days of woes.

Day 27 of being at zero Nitrates. I have increasingly done less and less maintenance to try to bump them up. My Phosphate is up to 0.01, so thats something. Not seeing any more Cyano and/or Dinos (I think). I believe the last thing left in my tank is Bryopsis that I incorrectly labeled as GHA.

Is the Bryopsis eating up all my nutrients?
Pre manual removal:

Just Fight Harder

Alright, my goal is to get my tank cleaned up by early / mid November so I can do a large coral order before it gets too cold (and my bday!).

That means all hands on deck getting algae taken care of. I don't want to just do Water Changes right now due to low nutrients. So, I siphoned out gunk directly into a filter sock in my sump.

It was actually pretty effective. The sock ended up catching a lot of gunk that I was able to remove from my system. I manually pulled a ton of the algae off where I could. Most places it isn't long enough to grasp, though. Took a toothbrush to the rocks with the siphon as close as I could get it. Caught any floating debris I saw.

I thought he said November...

OK, yes. I said I was waiting until November for a large coral order...

But my shop had a beautiful Acan I passed on last week. Colors compliment the green Joker one I snagged last week. Since that Acan is doing great (unlike my Lava Bomb), I went and scooped it up and 2 other interesting corals.

What I believe are Pink Constellation Zoas:

And a cheap, Itty bitty shroom. First shroom for me.

New additions looking fire


New and old Blastos. Whites up and you can really see the brown rocks...

And last weeks Acan I mentioned. Stunning in my opinion!

Waiting Game


Did I mention I ordered my lid. Well... don't hold your breath. 70 work day wait or so. I put it into Google to see how far away that is and it spit out December 30th. May be waiting until next year for the fish I want next. They are jumpers...

 

[Hasted]

Sunday Update

Nah! Let's wait until Wednesday. Whole box of goodies coming!

Stoked! Stay tuned.

 

[Hasted]

My current view through some coral glasses:

Added 20 corals to the system from WWCs livesale this weekend. Absolutely stunning colors, as you can see. Everything on the 4 racks including the massive Bowerbanki is new.

I avoided any Euphyllia since one died and the other is constantly shrinking. Hoping not to waste money until that is figured out.

Duncan, Micro, Candy Cane, Birdnests, Echinatas, Favites, Zoas, shrooms (Rhodactus and Ricordea), Bowerbanki, chalice, and Montis.

Nice variety with plenty of new things!

Just gotta find the perfect spot for all 20 of these beautiful pieces.

 

[Hasted]

Going to try to find a spot for each of these corals in the next week. Currently, I think the only two I am set on are the AIO Zoas (in the Zoa garden) and the massive Bowerbanki. The Banki is restricted to a spot simply because I have no other place to put it... unless it is not the correct spot flow / light wise, it is being shoved in the back. Thankfully, the back is my 2nd move viewed side. Love the depth of these XL300s!

I will monitor it and see how it likes it back there. Move it onto a bit of rubble or something later. Sticks out like a sore thumb, which I like.

 

[beolson25]

Going to try to find a spot for each of these corals in the next week. Currently, I think the only two I am set on are the AIO Zoas (in the Zoa garden) and the massive Bowerbanki. The Banki is restricted to a spot simply because I have no other place to put it... unless it is not the correct spot flow / light wise, it is being shoved in the back. Thankfully, the back is my 2nd move viewed side. Love the depth of these XL300s!

I will monitor it and see how it likes it back there. Move it onto a bit of rubble or something later. Sticks out like a sore thumb, which I like.

Looks great. I'm in a similar situation with a new Reefer 300 XL. I've only added a couple clownfish and anemones(yeah, I know, too early)
I appreciate you sharing.

The reason I'm writing is I'm curious if you can give more information about where you placed your MP40 and how you expect the flow to work and how it is actually working. I'm trying to decide between MP40 and a Gyre but I'm having trouble deciding. Your experience with this specific tank is appreciated.

 

[Hasted]

Looks great. I'm in a similar situation with a new Reefer 300 XL. I've only added a couple clownfish and anemones(yeah, I know, too early)
I appreciate you sharing.

The reason I'm writing is I'm curious if you can give more information about where you placed your MP40 and how you expect the flow to work and how it is actually working. I'm trying to decide between MP40 and a Gyre but I'm having trouble deciding. Your experience with this specific tank is appreciated.

I set mine up just barely off center, as high as I can. It sits about 2.5 inches below the water line and is enough not to suck in air tornados.
I placed it a little bit more towards the front of the tank rather than directly in center due to overflow and how my rock is.

My program at the moment is... random. Just high enough not to kick up sand:

I am sure this isn't close to ideal, but still messing with it. Turns out I messed up updating it and it wasn't actually running my schedule for nearly a month. Haha!

As of right now, everything is loving the flow. If you check back in a few weeks I can update you better (just got the pump working right and also new corals).


Edit: in the side view pic, you can see where the detritus settles from a small dead zone in the bottom left. To be expected. I do want a second MP40 for the other side to help out more.

 

[Hasted]

I am absolutely loving how the tank looks and is running right now. Barely any issues, mostly cleared up, colors are popping, and back to regular maintenance.

FTS with coral glasses over lense (hence amber color)

The Few Issues



.My 2nd hammer isn't receding more, but doesn't appear to be recovering yet.

I am having some bubble algae pop up. Especially on my Radioactive Dragoneye Zoas. I don't think they will be able to spread with it all!

Dosed Vibrant for the first time to combat the bubbles! Will monitor.

I currently have 3 aptasia to deal with. Going to be hitting them at least twice a week until gone. Hopefully.


Good Things!

Picked up a good looking Frogspawn local for the cheap. Since the Hammer doesn't appear to be getting worse, figured I would try it! Looks amazing!

Fluconozole appears to worked miraculously! All algae except what appears to be Turf Algae. Scrubbed the living crap out of it last WC.

Water is crystal clear. Sand is spotless except for my dead zones.

Skimmer is back in operation. Working flawlessly. Still like 2% louder than I would want, though.

Every day is 1 day closer to my Clearview Lid being made/delivered. Which means closer to my next fish!

I have a 3rd AI Prime coming. Not sure if I am stealing it from the tank it is intended for (Bought a WB Mini Peninsula 15g), or not.

On that note. Found a local shop that rents par meters for free! Waiting for it to be returned by someone else first!

I have a second freaking tank coming!

Wife is LOVING the tank as much as I am. Perfect room decor. She pushed me to buy my nano tank...

Future

.I think I will be mostly coasting until the new year (Lid). I say that every time, though.

I would like a few more Zoas in the garden, but the last two I grabbed don't seem like a good fit. Last ones are beautiful, but massive! I am afraid they will take over... Going to add rubble / plugs around the faster growers in hopes i can trade some frags.

Since I am about to set up a new Nano tank, I hope that will distract me enough so I just let this tank mature a bit and settle.

I have a hefty wish list I sent out for both my birthday and for Christmas gifts. I may be getting an upgrade here or there (Fuge light, ATO, Booster Pump + Water Saver for RODI, etc). Just depends on what I get! Leaving it up to chance for now.