Melissa's Red Sea Max S650
- Build Thread
- Thread starter UConnMel
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
First fish in the tank! His shrimp buddy is busy building their new house.
Also ordered my clean up crew (ReefCleaners). Shipping out Monday for next day delivery. Can't wait to get some more movement in there!
Also ordered my clean up crew (ReefCleaners). Shipping out Monday for next day delivery. Can't wait to get some more movement in there!
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
FTS for ya @Diesel
Lots of diatoms and some hair algae starting in. Threw some chaeto in there until I get a light for the sump/fuge. Tank is in the ugly phase now anyway, right? Might as well keep nitrates down.
Along with my goby/shrimp I also moved a few corals from my cube over. They're just on the sand now to ease into the new light.
@Ahruk He's a Randall's goby, or orange stripe prawn goby. Him and my tiger pistol shrimp are BFFs
Lots of diatoms and some hair algae starting in. Threw some chaeto in there until I get a light for the sump/fuge. Tank is in the ugly phase now anyway, right? Might as well keep nitrates down.
Along with my goby/shrimp I also moved a few corals from my cube over. They're just on the sand now to ease into the new light.
@Ahruk He's a Randall's goby, or orange stripe prawn goby. Him and my tiger pistol shrimp are BFFs
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Haven't done any updates for a bit, so I'll say that I got my CUC from Reefcleaners. Everything came in great, but I feel like I went too light. I've got a lot of GHA breaking out and could probably use a few turbos and some trochus snails.
Exciting news is that my LFSes Greenwich Aquaria and House of Fins are both having big sales this weekend!!! I'm super excited and it's safe to say that my next pics will have a few swimmers in them
Exciting news is that my LFSes Greenwich Aquaria and House of Fins are both having big sales this weekend!!! I'm super excited and it's safe to say that my next pics will have a few swimmers in them
Shredded
Active Member
Sorry, getting in late on this. I am fairly new here. I read back thru the thread so I am up to speed. I nearly went this direction with the S650, but changed my mind just because I wanted to go in wall, but it is a cool system design. Do you have a picture showing the power distribution center? I would like to see that. I do have a question that applies to what I am doing now. How do you feel about the aluminum stand? I am looking at the T-slot extruded aluminum for my current project. I'm not so much worried about the strength of the aluminum per se but more about the connectors used to hold these together. When you assembled it, how did it feel to you. Did it have any play? I wanted to ask someone that has one, rather then someone selling them.
Thanks
Jeff
Thanks
Jeff
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Hi @Shredded. I'm attaching a pic of the power center. Left side is the pumps. Right side is skimmer, chiller, 2 optional outlets (i.e. If you want a light for a fuge in your sump) and then the temp controller/heater. Center are timers from your lights - left dial is moonlights, right is daylights.
The stand is ridiculously light, but extremely sturdy. When I first started putting it together, I was a little skeptical. But the final product is solid.
The stand is ridiculously light, but extremely sturdy. When I first started putting it together, I was a little skeptical. But the final product is solid.
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Fantastic sale at Greenwich Aquaria this weekend! Specifically requested the red tail and he looks great hunting down pods. Eats brine and LRS reef frenzy too. Yay!
Stock list:
False perc clown
Red tail wrasse
Helfrichi firefish (x2)
Pencil wrasse
Orange stripe prawn goby + pistol shrimp
Stock list:
False perc clown
Red tail wrasse
Helfrichi firefish (x2)
Pencil wrasse
Orange stripe prawn goby + pistol shrimp
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Haven't done an update in a while. Been getting a bout of hair algae under control thanks to dialing in my skimmer, compressing light cycle, and adding the appropriate CUC. Still some to go, but not concerned about it being taken care of in the next week or so. Here's an updated FTS (sorry it looks blurry, just did a water change) and my two favorite fish. Love how active these wrasses are. The red tail is now eating brine whole - no more chewing, spitting out, chewing spitting out. Couldn't be happier with her
I also thought I would include a picture of my dad's tank who has been in the hobby for 30 years with the same 180 gallon tank. He just switched from the 180, which had plagued him with overflow aggravations and issues with the dimensions as it was tall, but not deep. Now he has a 220 with an extra 6 inches front to back to work with and is loving it! It has rejuvenated his love for the hobby. Here's a pic right after the move. The image does not do his rockscape justice - so many valleys, tunnels, etc. And props to anyone with the patience to stick with any hobby, let alone one that can be as frustrating and costly as this one, for so long!
I also thought I would include a picture of my dad's tank who has been in the hobby for 30 years with the same 180 gallon tank. He just switched from the 180, which had plagued him with overflow aggravations and issues with the dimensions as it was tall, but not deep. Now he has a 220 with an extra 6 inches front to back to work with and is loving it! It has rejuvenated his love for the hobby. Here's a pic right after the move. The image does not do his rockscape justice - so many valleys, tunnels, etc. And props to anyone with the patience to stick with any hobby, let alone one that can be as frustrating and costly as this one, for so long!
hingisp
Community Member
Welcome to the red Sea brand. I just love them, I got the 650 as well. Question about the new sock design in the sump, rather an interesting setup their as I have the older design where my socks fit over the downpipes. Wondering if they sell those hang on clips for the socks separately so the older models can be upgraded to this setup or the flow in the sump would not allow for it as that has changed at all? Sorry if I missed it earlier but will you be keeping the bio cube as well? Or converting it as a quarantine setup.. Love the aquascape btw, am tagging along for this journey [emoji6]. Oh yes, you upgraded the standard skimmer to another?? Wow what was the reason for that, as the stock one is a beast already [emoji16]
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Hi! Yes I love Red Sea! The entire flow of the sump around the down pipes has been changed with the new model. There has been an extra compartment added specifically to accommodate the socks. So I'm not sure if a clip on would work. I could barely find ANYTHING on the sump of the new 650 which is why I posted the images earlier in the thread in case anyone else was having the same issues. The sump is now set up very similarly to the Red Sea Reefer series so that may help you as there are probably more images of that out there.
I'm on the fence about keeping the cube. It's still running with rock, some frags and one wrasse in it. I could turn it into a QT tank, which could be helpful as my dad and I share a lot of resources in this hobby. However my fiancé has decided he wants to turn the cube into a mantis tank, which I'm also not opposed to. They are so cool!
I haven't even taken the stock skimmer out of the box. (Anyone want a skimmer??) When I did research on the S series, the stock skimmer function was one of the more common complaints. I figured one more swipe of the credit card upfront would be less painful than getting frustrated and shelling out the money later. And luckily I'm THRILLED with my skimmer. I almost puked when I cleaned it the other day. Truly, truly fowl smelling stuff. Yay! Haha
hingisp
Community Member
Hahahahaha, tell me about, the skimmer remains ain't the best smell at all [emoji87]. Ok I never knew their were issues with the stock skimmer however I didn't read into it much but glad you chuffed with the purchase and upgrade [emoji106]. I kept my little red Sea 130d as a quarantine and frag tank and actually wish I used it for that purpose as recently I bought a fish which I didn't know was not well and after aclimating him, put it in the 650,needless to say I had a few casualties a couple days later... So now any new fish goes through my quarantine tank. Sad to hear about the redesigned sump as it's obviously much better now. In general though I still think I will own a better tank [emoji1]
Ps if I was nearer I would definitely take you up on the offer of the skimmer [emoji13]
Ps if I was nearer I would definitely take you up on the offer of the skimmer [emoji13]
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Alright, so things are moving slowly but surely. Got some more color going on in here thanks to a few live sales this weekend 
Also moved some more rock up from my sump and from my cube to add to the the scape a bit. I'm liking it a little better and the two wrasses are having a field day hunting for new stuff, so that is always fun to watch. On the look out for some tangs now - specifically a hippo, desjardini, purple and white tail bristletooth.
Couple pics of the tank:
Also moved some more rock up from my sump and from my cube to add to the the scape a bit. I'm liking it a little better and the two wrasses are having a field day hunting for new stuff, so that is always fun to watch. On the look out for some tangs now - specifically a hippo, desjardini, purple and white tail bristletooth.Couple pics of the tank:
OP
OP
UConnMel
Active Member
Been hitting the live sales pretty hard. Happy to have more flexibility with what I can keep in this tank. Fish stocking has been slow. Only new addition is a little hippo tang who looks great. Guess you can say I'm on the picky side when it comes to fish additions. Overall really happy with how things are coming together
