Although I have a 4 footer 75 gallon Aquarium, I have been drooling at Red Sea Max every time I visit one of the Local Fish Shop. Then I would always read up the RSM threads at nano-reef.com and pick up some knowledge (its issues, DIY, modifications, etc).

Finally I got an offer to purchase the last black RSM130 model at a discounted price. With a fellow reefer’s help, we transported the assembled unit back home.





Day 1:
RSM arrived at 1pm, but my existing 75 gallon aquarium was still operational. The air con guy was due to come later in the afternoon to disconnect the chiller drum (which was inside the cabinet) connected to the external compressor, so that the cabinet and aquarium can be sold off the next day.

I leisurely decommission my tank and managed to complete it before the air con guys came.

Dismantle:
1. Siphoned out 50% of quarantine tank water out
2. Siphoned some water from 75 gallon to quarantine tank and big black bin
3. Siphoned the remaining water from 75 gallon tank to toilet
4. Moved the corals to the quarantine tank.
5. Moved the live rocks to the big black bin
6. Scooped out the sand into a bucket
7. Removed all my equipments from the tank and sump into a bucket.

Since I completed dismantling the 75 gallon tank, the air con guys could help me moved the old cabinet to a corner and moved in RSM. And instead of coming back another day to reinstall the chiller, they can now complete disconnecting the chiller drum and reinstalling it back.

By the time they have completed the installation, it was already 7.30 at night. The workmanship was good, better than all previous experiences. (I found out they specialize in restaurant chillers where the chilling temperature was much lower than our reef tanks)

Later in the night, I added freshwater to test run the RSM.

I managed to fit all my dry aquarium stuff into the RSM’s cabinet. Oh the chiller drum now sits outside the cabinet and I plan to cover it with wooden boards or DIY cabinet. Currently I using the RSM’s box to prevent my children from fiddling with it.





So much for Day 1

Been keeping a diary of my reef tank since Sep 2008, hence my posts are according to days

Next morning, I added salt and installed back both nano tunze (6045 &6025). Later I realised my salinity was 1.030, I lowered back 1.025.


Did a lot of pumps washing and brushing including my skimmer whilst waiting for salt to be mixed.


Later in the afternoon, I added back my sand. I didn’t wash it.

Minor SAND STORM.

Had to switch off my tunze 6045.


Day 3

Although the chiller drum has been connected back to the compressor, but the guy also removed my pvc pipings I had earlier.



Usually I would have connected it the same day I run the tank (day 1), I guess either I am enjoying the setup process that I am willing to let my corals stay in nano tank without a cooling fan and skimmer or my kids required my attention. Hmmm I think the earlier as could have done it when they slept.

So after work with kids already sleeping, I hid myself inside in the yard and started sawing pvp pipes. Darn did a mistaken, wrong pvp size, couldnt fit, lucky I had a spare. Took me 90 mins to reconnect the pvp pipe to the drum, ehiem hose to the ehiem 1000 compact and finally it work. Wasn’t that difficult and it didn’t leak. So happy. (Previously it leaked, as I didn’t use the rubber valve correctly, thanks to the air con guy who spotted my mistaken and taught me) ::

Too 30 mins to cool the tank from 30 deg C to 25 deg C (seems like very long), subsequently less than 10 mins (27 to 25). Chiller stays standby mode for more than 1 hr.

Oh did I tell u, my house is totally quiet now….no more water fall, no more vibration despite sponges surrounding pumps. Less wires. All my dry stuff inside cabinet and free up space for a study table beside the fish tank. Can now surf beside my tank….kekekeke

Busy day

Congrats on the RSM score. Looking forward to the pics.

Gonna tag along here. Nice work so far!!!

I have added you to the RSM owners list

Looking good! Keep the pics coming!

Can't help but ask...how good of a deal did you get on the RSM130? now that the 130D is out and of course the RSM250 i wonder how cheap you can snag the "classic" RSM

I have a RSM 130 for two years now and still get compliements on how good the tank looks. congrats...you will like it

the price of the new RSM130D compared to existing stock RSM130 is about 333USD difference.
And the new model does not include any salt, sand, test kits and freebies (not that i use them except the salt)

I been following the threads here on RSM, i figured with the modifications or DIY needed, i feel i dun want to pay the extra. my 2 cents:)

thanx

Day 4, 5, 6.

Scaping, Scaping and more scaping.....
trying to get nice scape is challenging in a nano tank.

Lets see the 3rd scape after the dust settles down and the corals open later in the evening. If lucky might get a pic too

I have ordered my Tunze 9002 skimmer, inTank media basket and inTank Tunze cover. Rubbing my hands now, anxiously waiting

May be whip SteveT and my local fish shop to go faster (joking)

here are some pics

white rhyzo




reddish rhyzo



partial shot

another reddish rhyzo




another white rhyzo



super sun




yellow sea fan



chilli


normal sun coral

this tank

nanobuds, thanx




FTS @ 25 Jun 2009

I like it. I like it a lot.

WOW! Do you have any fish in there or do those Rhizos keep feasting on them??????????

yellow pony and spanko,

thanx, there is no fish yet. I still resisting the urge to introduce my clown fish in the QT.

I think of goby and dartfish
and my 2 clown fish

Very nice tank already!! We started oour RSM's on the same day but you're lightyears ahead of me.

I was wondering how you managed that scape. did you glue or bonded the LR? Tell me all about it because my last bit of LR will come in today or tomorrow so I can finally start scaping.

I'll be following this thread from now on.

Keep it coming.

great pics!

Actually it was my 3rd attempt. It is challenging to scape in a narrow tank compared to my previous setup.
First i did research on how other RSM looks like and decided to do it differently.
Second, I selected LR which are purplish or reddish (coraline algae), mix of tonga and unique pieces.
Third, try try and try until i get a layout i like or acceptable.

Try do dry scaping it helps.

thanx

great looking corals. tank looks like its been going for months instead of days!!
sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

thanks

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i got 2 banggai cardinal today, they were feeding pellets at lfs.

but now back home, 1 is rather sick....like wasting away on the sand.
another is active but not taking pellets.

this is my 2nd attempt, previously in 5ft (all didnt make it)

i read they can refuse to eat suddenly.
may be i try mysis tomorrow

update, i removed the sick banggai and place in a hospital tank, this morning it died.

also my inTank parcel has : Your item left the United States from ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS) at 8:53 AM on June 26, 2009.

oh boy oh boy

Sorry to hear about your banggai.

Very nice tank!

The InTank parcel is arriving soon

Out of Foreign Customs, June 30, 2009, 9:53 am, MALAYSIA
Into Foreign Customs, June 30, 2009, 9:48 am, MALAYSIA
Arrived Abroad, June 30, 2009, 7:56 am, MALAYSIA

Beautiful tank !

Great pics - what camera & settings did you shoot the pics with?

hi thanx

camera 400D + sigma marco lens 105mm, apenture was 7.5, iso not sure.

where are my posts? they are missing

oh we lost all posts until july 1

got my cabinet to hide the chiller drum. dun be deceive, it has a handle but no door, handle for me to pull it out if need too.
frog


skimmer cup in place


RSM timer set to switch on actinics at 5pm


so u decided to come out but where is my yasha goby

I glad my cardinals are taking pellets and mysis shrimp, tonite they had fresh seafood
They seem happy in my little reef home, probably the noctural reef suits these noctural fish




this goby has caused the yahsa goby to hid and eventually die. Also my mistake.

i dunno if u believe this...i shot this and produce this
shot in between 2 seafan's stem, did a bit of "emphasis"

here is shot and orginial as it was taken




original


lighting- 55 watts actintic

decided to revert by to the original lighting. (RSM - 10k kelvins - 1 blue 1 white PL, but use 1 55 watts instead of 2 PL)
the corals colors are original

here is the 1 of the rhyzo




super sun



here is FTS today

Thanks for sharing - tank looking great ! Fanstatic pics !!!

I think this is my new favorite tank. What is your feeding schedule like?

thanks all


1337, i dose cyclopeeze daily. I feed Fauna Marin products every 2 days
I feed mysis shrimps - cube x 8 every 2 days
I also feed market prawns once a week

recently is started to replace mysis shrimp food with market prawn.
Instead of mysis x 3 (per week)
I opt for mysis x 1 and market prawn x 1 (per week)

the corals open larger and the duration is longer. (both number of hrs and number of days)

wat type of fish is this? I love this tank.

it is sand percher:)

thanx

This is an amazing RSM. I like it alot.

These pictures are insane. I hope you asked permission to post them from the local aquarium.

no need to ask all was taken in my aquarium


thanx mate

Beautiful tank!

I haven't heard someone use the term "market prawn", are you just talking about the prawns you'd buy at the local market previously frozen and thawed for sale?

yup

Wow

My god, this is just stunning. Can I be your friend ?

lol....thanks.....trying to battle with NO3 though

I'm actually considering a similar setup myself but planning to maybe include some sponges and macros in tank to help out with keeping the tank clean. Not sure though, how do you think you'll be resolving the NO3 ?

Not sure if sponge will help u.

i have tried the following means
~ sulphur reactor
~ denitrator

both works, but would require your constant monitoring to ensure the drips are constant as it does get clog over time. Hence the manual tunning of the reactors can be time consuming or hassle.

I have also tired remote deep sand bed and cheato, but that was in my previous 75G. Now with RSM, space is an issue and so is tidyness is an issue for my wife:P

Now that the tank is smaller, i calculate the cost of changing water 50% per week against Ultralite system. It seems for my small tank, changing 50% once a week is much cheaper than using ultralit system.
And changing water only requires less than 30mins, which allows me to spend time enjoying the tank on other days rather than spending many minutes getting the right drip rate for the reactor. Hassle free. I opt for simiplicity:D

What sort of lighting schedule do you use ? Do you dip the prawns in any vitamin mix ? Have you faced any problem with the rhyzo touching the sun coral, does it do any damage?

no schedule, when I come home, I switch the lights and when I slept I off the moonlights. I use solite moonlights (not RSM) and the photo period is about 3hrs.

Mkt prawns I dip into selcon.


So far no problems

This tank is awesome! I'm glad the fish are doing well, too.