eguld Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 After a year with my 14G biocube I am upgrading to a Red Sea Max 250! The deal: $1100 (after tax) for RSM 250 and stand, and ~$300 for 100 lbs of Hawaiian base rock (www.oceanproaquatics.com $0.99/lb with $180 of shipping because I am in Canada...). I will update about the quality of the base rock when it arrives, hopefully early next week. My plan is to get the tank going and then transfer the fish, corals and anemone to the rsm and then use the biocube as a quarantine and training tank for a mandarin and all new fish (this is probably at least a couple months away). Link to comment
inTank Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 awesome. I finally saw the my first 250 at MACNA this past weekend. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 8, 2010 Author Share Posted September 8, 2010 awesome. I finally saw the my first 250 at MACNA this past weekend. I know!!! (BTW my RSM was the display tank at the Seattle trade show: thats how I got the $500 discount) BTW I have loved the media basket I got from you guys for my Biocube 14G! When is there going to be a media tray that will be able to hold some chaeto for the RSM 250? I am a believer that it is much easier to keep a system happy with some macro and would love to see a media basket (that hopefully doesn't require replacing the protein skimmer) Link to comment
eguld Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 My RSM My biocube vs My RSM (the plant in the RSM is really just a reflection btw) Live rock still has not shipped yet but hopefully soon... Link to comment
Lawnman Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Sweet tank.Is that a xenia forrest in the bio or colt? Link to comment
eguld Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 Sweet tank.Is that a xenia forrest in the bio or colt? Pulsing Xenia, here is a better view There is definitely a little too much going on in there. Link to comment
StevieT Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I know!!! (BTW my RSM was the display tank at the Seattle trade show: thats how I got the $500 discount) BTW I have loved the media basket I got from you guys for my Biocube 14G! When is there going to be a media tray that will be able to hold some chaeto for the RSM 250? I am a believer that it is much easier to keep a system happy with some macro and would love to see a media basket (that hopefully doesn't require replacing the protein skimmer) A basket is in the works, I can't promise a date but it is on the list for fall projects. It will not be needed to replace the skimmer there is plenty of space to the left. Good luck with the HUGE ass tank! Link to comment
eguld Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 A basket is in the works, I can't promise a date but it is on the list for fall projects. It will not be needed to replace the skimmer there is plenty of space to the left. Good luck with the HUGE ass tank! Thanks! I look forward to seeing what you come up with! Link to comment
eguld Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 It is taking forever to fill up the rsm!!!! Stupid filter, it was so much faster just getting the water from the grocery store... Link to comment
Lawnman Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Half way there drip drip drip Link to comment
eguld Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 drip drip drip It's done! And I picked up the sand (the base rock still has not shipped...). I'm going for a relatively deep sand bed, so I got 60lbs of Arag alive Fiji pink. Should I bother waiting for the rock before putting in the sand? (as I start putting sand in...) Link to comment
eguld Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 Sand bed is done. I might add even more, its really not as high as I thought it would be (I am thinking about 50% more but I will get a better view tomorrow when the tank is less cloudy). Also I am having an issue with the activated carbon pouches floating and then blocking the flow to the main pump but will see if that fixes itself. I finally watched the RSM dvd kind of outdated and showed a lot of fish that really should never be in a rsm 130. I hope they update the video for the rsm 500 atleast. Here is a pic of the tank filled before the sand (pics really are the best part of reading blogs): Video from my biocube (I will stop overlapping between my blogs after this): Link to comment
eguld Posted September 12, 2010 Author Share Posted September 12, 2010 Just got some live rock from canreef.com and found a shrimp/lobster and I need an id before I do anything. I originally thought it was a mantis shrimp but now I think it is a pistol shrimp. Might be a reef lobster but doubt it. he looks just like the pistol shrimp in this picture: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://...280&bih=675 he is a pale green with one big claw. Edit: he is going in but would still like to know. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 12, 2010 Author Share Posted September 12, 2010 Okay, never mind he is definitely a pistol shrimp, because I am watching him build a tunnel in the sand!!!! So cool! now I need a goby for him! BTW pics in a minute of the rock work (base rock still coming but in a week or so) This rock is loaded with life bristle worms, brittle starfish, flat worms, polyps, candy coral, and unfortunately loads of aptasia but I am going to grab a bunch, 4, Atlantic peppermint shrimp to get to work. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 14, 2010 Author Share Posted September 14, 2010 I grabbed some stuff yesterday: 10 Margherita snails 10 cerith snails (might be dwarf ceriths) 10 hermits (they look like blue legged but have almost black legs) Added a koralia 1050 on a light timer Added a sedra 2500 for top offs Installed my jbj auto top off from my biocube All my lfs were sold out of Atlantic peppermint shrimp. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 14, 2010 Author Share Posted September 14, 2010 Cycle? The live rock was from a matured tank and I don't expect a huge cycle to happen in my tank from the switch but yes some cycling will happen and hopefully it will be reasonably small. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 The live rock is looking healthier and the aiptasia covers even more than you can see in the above pic (new pic coming soon). I am thinking about getting shrimp to deal with it but I kinda want to not have enough so that they are busy eating at it as much as they want. I am also trying to decide if I want to get a pair of ORA blue mandarins (they are supposed to be pretrained) or just one blue mandarin that is a red variant from thatpetplace.com. Base rock has shipped an I am tracking it...if only the tracking descriptions made sense, lol. I am going to try tomorrow to get the Atlantic peppermint shrimp. Anyone know if my dry base rock (100lbs) will cause a cycle? Should I let half of it cure in salt water for a week or two? Link to comment
eguld Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 The base rock arrived!!! It is amazing and it is going to go in on saturday!! Edit: forgot to mention got 4 peppermint shrimps yesterday and I am doing no lights for a couple days to weaken the aiptasia. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 I have put in the base rock, which brings the total amount of rock to 150-180 lbs (closer to 180 lbs). I am hoping that having so much rock will greatly aid in keeping a large pod population stable for the eventual mandarin. The pistol shrimp has begun making his cave in the front left: score! This means I can see him digging sometimes. The 4 peppermint shrimp are nowhere to be seen and to be honest I would not be surprised if I accidentally killed them (they were not very smart shrimp to begin with). EDIT: 3 PEPPERMINT HAVE BEEN FOUND AND SPOT FED FOR BEING AWESOME SURVIVORS! I am going to order some berghia to deal with the aiptasia (there is just too much and a lot of it is very large). For those considering base rock the rock I bought is fantastic! I paid $0.99/lb, which makes it cheaper than making it yourself with live sand and the colors and shape are beautiful. PM me and I will share the site with you no sense in spamming my own blog... Its hard to see but the waving hand is in the back left, candy cane coral is center back, polyps are back right and aiptasia is everywhere! Without further distraction here are some pics! Soon after reworking the rock work Well afterwards The base rock Link to comment
eguld Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Ordered 6 1/2" Bergia's from saltyunderground.com and they should be here on Tuesday. Berghia are not cheap! It cost $130 after shipping!!! Might try and breed them... Link to comment
eguld Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 My berghia are in the tank and have laid their eggs! I have setup a breeding tank under my RSM to see if I can breed a batch from one egg strand (fingers crossed!). I plan on creating a thread on it in the near future, time permitting. Link to comment
eguld Posted September 24, 2010 Author Share Posted September 24, 2010 i have had a mini diatom bloom (very small) and I am now planning on adding a fish to my rsm but with all the aiptasia i do not want to add the anemone and clownfish from my other tank and I can't add my six line wrasse or else he might become a bully so I am thinking of getting a new fish. I am planning on getting a goby to pair with my pistol shrimp and I have always loved diamond watchman gobies but I like yellow watchman gobies also. I guess it will come down to luck tomorrow at the LFS. BTW berghia are doing well aiptasia grow tank is growing quite fast Link to comment
ciedre Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 i have had a mini diatom bloom (very small) and I am now planning on adding a fish to my rsm but with all the aiptasia i do not want to add the anemone and clownfish from my other tank and I can't add my six line wrasse or else he might become a bully so I am thinking of getting a new fish. I am planning on getting a goby to pair with my pistol shrimp and I have always loved diamond watchman gobies but I like yellow watchman gobies also. I guess it will come down to luck tomorrow at the LFS. BTW berghia are doing well aiptasia grow tank is growing quite fast Awesome scape...I'm jealous of your 250 I wish you luck with the Aptasia. My LFS had an insane Aptasia out break, they used a copper band to wipe it out. Link to comment
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