The Tank "At a glance"

Tank: RSM 130D (34g AIO)
Started: June, 2009

Upgrades/Additions:
-3 Aquabeam/Aquaray 600 LEDs (instead of stock T5s) (colors - 2 reef white and 1 marine blue)
-Maxi-Jet 1200s for Return pumps (instead of stock)
-Koralia (K1) for water circ.

Fish:
Allard's Clownfish, Amphiprion allardi
Yellow Watchman Goby, Cryptocentrus cinctus

Inverts:
Banded coral shrimp, Stenopus hispidus
Blue legged hermits (~3)
Astro snails (~5)
Nass snails (~3)
Cerith snails (~2)

Corals:
Bali green slimer acro
"Long tentacle" acro, (Unk sp)
Branched frogspawn, (Euphyllia paradivisa)
Aussie acans (Acanthastrea sp)
Open brain, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
Finger leather, (Lobophytum sp)
Kenya tree, (Capnella sp
Superman mushrooms, (Coralimorphia/Actinodiscus)
Various zoanthids/palythoas
Duncans, (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Trumpet coral, (Caulastrea furcata)
Green star polyps, (Clavularia viridis)

The lid to the skimmer comparment won't shut all the way. Its like the skimmer is sitting to high up or something. I've tied to physically push the skimmer down farther, but it seems to be all the way down. Any ideas?

make sure the skimmer in in the chamber correctly. Look through the electrical pannel. Also check the pump and make sure it is in the correct position

I have added you to the index thread

Good LUck!

Sweet, you'll love and become addicted!

FTS Day 2

Removed the skimmer yesterday, inspected and reinstalled it and it is still sitting about 1/4 inch too high. I looks like it is all the way seated when I look through the view port on the power panel side, but the pump may be sticking down a little too far. I don't mind that the lid to the skimmer part is open for the time being.

Other than increased evap, will this cause a problem? I'm gonna drop a new skimmer in there in a few months anyway...

Your aquascape is looking good ! Congrats on your new RSM - they are great tanks

Regarding your lid... RSM had a few lids with problems, if you have checked all the above tips, contact Pinky & they will ship you another one out at no charge - Red Sea Max has great customer service. Mine was up like 1/8" I just took a knife & shaved down a couple of the ribs 1/8"

Pinky Bulot U.S.A. Office: Red Sea 18125 Ammi Trail Houston, Texas 77060

Tel: (281) 447-0205 Fax: (281) 447-1153

Toll Free: 1-888-RedSea9

pinky@redseafish.com

Thanks a bunch nano4funreef, I thought I was losing my mind with this lid thing. I'll just shave the lid down.

Yeah, glad you like the 'scape. I lucked out with some awesome LR.

come on..cycle!

Went home over lunch and fixed the lid. I had to remove some plastic on a few lid-ribs. Thanks agian nano4funreef!

'Nother question- when I set my tank up I thought I had it level (using a super-cheapo level), but the water in the tank is clearly ~1/4" lower on one side. I know tanks that aren't level put extra stress on the glass...is this cause for concern?

Thanks for helping the new kid!

Yes! I'm in!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=prod...&lpage=none

Might try cabinet shims, I did from Lowes or Home Depot $1 .50 cents

+1

They worked for me

I'll be following this thread! My RSM is only 1 week older. In my thread you can see what mods I made to the stock skimmer to make it work better. (I'm getting the tunze later)

I see you have the 130D, this new model had 1 big error. the lid would close... but I guess you fixed that yourself. You could have contacted RS because to had other lids for you.

I wouldn't like to have my aquarium at an angle that big. I would try to fix this asap.

Microbubbles! What?

So, my tank has been running mostly sans bubbles for almost 3 weeks. Now the water is kinda cloudy from them. I started dosing with 2 part, a couple days ago. But other than that, I haven't changed anything. Whats the deal?

Tank has cycled. Did a 25% H2O change on Sunday, but 'trates are still around 12.5. Cleaning crew is destroying all the algae on the LR, but the sand is a little gunky still. Photo period is around 8 hours, with a 3 hour break mid-afternoon to try and control the temp.

CUC:
10 astros
10 blue legged herms
4 nass

Also, does anyone have any advice about how to cool RSMs? I just can't get mine below 83 with the lights on!

Hi, How's your waterlevel in the tank? my rsm only spits bubbles when I'm a bit late with top off with RO water. The waterlevel in the back of the tank then drops causing micro bubbles. Also You algae might be producing a lot of bubbles that are released by the force of the streamers. Sometimes the bubbles will dissapear by them self I have heard.

Get some pics! I want to see your algae... I haven't put sand in yet and I'll wait till I'm through my cycle. That way my sand will stay fresh and white but that's a bit late for you I guess. Mayby get some more snail that live in the sandbed or a special starfish that cleans your sand. (will have to look up name)

I would change your light period. Mine's on for 12hrs a day almost since the beginning. The algae cycle is just something you'll have to sit out and wait and you might just be prolonging yours.

Temp can be lowered by using a cooler, this is a bit expensive but your best option. You can also build in more computerfans in the hood. Like two fans sucking out air and 2 on the other side blowing in cool air. I have 4 fans and that works for me. When it's been hot weather for a week or more I just open the front cover for more evaporation. I do have to top off morre RO water daily then. And I only have my skimmer on at night, the skimmer gets warm as well. Also check how warm your room temperature is and try to get this down. Don't know if you've got airco or use other measures to keep the temp down.

Have a look at my tank for my algae growth..

My water level is set to where they suggested for the 130D in the RSM threads <shrugs> for optimal surface skimming. I'll wait it out for a couple more days before I do anything drastic. I lowered the house AC so that it is the same in the day as it is at night and this seams to have dropped the daytime hihg to about 82 degrees. I won't be using a chiller since they are crazy expensive and I don't want to redistribute the water heat into the air around the tank. My tank would have to be running >84 for me to consider that, I think.

The algae on the sand is slowely going away, and the rock is looking nice. This crew is hungry!

As for the light period... Most guys I have talked to say to limit the photo period to ~8 hours during the cycle and before you add corals to reduce unwanted algae growth and since there is no reason to leave them on for 12...

Yeah that's because we're from different coutries, continents even.

Here in holland people give you the evil eye if you put in your sandbed from the beginning. Also when you keep doctors or that kind of bigger fish in your RSM.
They idea of having your light on for the full 12hrs is because you will go through heavy algae but for a shorter period. If you don't have your lights on long enough the Po4 will stay in your rocks longer and you will have less algae but for a longer period.

It's just which god you believe I think. We all have different ideas about the matter but in the end we'll all get there.

I don't think there anything wrong with the american way of doing things, I even try some things out. The only thing I would never do is put the sandbed in from the start. It will get drity and it's hard to clean and will stay that way for a long time.

Hope you get your temperature's in check now! keep it cool!

Its all good.

I never looked at the photoperiod that way. Just getting it over with does make sense. I've been slowely increasing the photoperiod this week. Up to 11 hrs on with a one hour break in the afternoon.

Keeping the sandbed out until after the cycle makes sense. Do you add "live sand" then or do you just add regular sand? My sand bed is slowely getting cleaned by the crew and by cleaner water, but I haven't hit the green algae point yet. I'm hoping to have a slightly more robust crew in there, along with an algae eating fish by the time that hits.

I think the temp is finally in check. I turned down the house AC to 72F and the tank has been at ~81 for about 36 hours.

I'm going to do another 10g H2O change tonight and maybe add a fish and a frag! I'm excited!

Your tank is looking good, Seb. Thanks for the comments.

Post us some new pic, as you start adding coral & fish

and remember go slow on fish... fish= bio-load, coral = good-bio, cuc = neutral bio-load

regarding micro bubbles... I will send you a PM.

Thanks for the PM! Adjusted levels over lunch, so hopefully that does the trick.

I added my first livestock this weekend, but my wife took the camera on vacation (without me!) so it will be a week before I can take pics.

Here's what I added:

red scooter blenny (eating cyclopeeze like crazy!)
thumb-sized frag of green star polyps (approx 20)(aquacultured)
neon green Duncan poly (single polyp)(aquacultured)

I LOVE the scooter blenny. He's (yeah, he's male) probably the coolest fish ever.


I'm spot feeding the corals with the cyclopeeze in the mornings, and the duncan gets a tiny piece of uncooked shrimp at night. Sound good?

Woah! Star has single duncans?

Yeah! They just fragged one of the monsters they've had into a few 3-head frags, and I've been eyeing the orange dendros in the front/bottom right frag tank for weeks, but I was gonna wait until I got some other stuff first. But when I went in on Friday he talked me into breaking off a single duncan polyp (and he stuck it on a piece of rock for me). Star rocks.

My first fishy addition to the RSM. The coolest fish of all time. "Waldo".

">Duncan

Nice pic of scotter blenny & duncan - tank progressing nicely!

Thanks nano4fun!

I still can't get rid of the microbubbles. I followed the flow chart at Red Sea's support site, and I've tried a few different water level configs and they still won't go away. I think its time to call Pinky.

Other than that, everything seems to be coming along nicely. I'm gonna run out and get another frag or two this weekend, and maybe a firefish or something.

I would like to add another fish in addition to the blenny, but the tank is only 6 weeks old. I also want to add a peppermint shrimp. Is it too early?

Anyone have any ideas for peaceful tank mates with a red scooter blenny?

Skunk / "Cleaner" shrimp are a little more entertaining imo (unluess aptasia(sp) is a problem).

Coming along very nicely nick! Just fragged a couple small pieces of a green monti cap...once they get a little bigger ill send one ur way

Awesome! I almost picked one up at Star this week, but the monti caps they have are soooo tiny. I walked out with a super zoo rock instead. Pics will be up shortly. One of those frogspawn frags is yours if you want it when the day comes.

Great stuff happening here!

Nice to see some life after waiting for 6 weeks huh? I just added some stuff in my tank today and will get pics and update tomorrow,... but enough of me...

I had a peppermint shrimp from the 4th week. but then I had a lot of aptasia. I must say he did his job well because you can't find a single aptasia in my tank now. The peppermint is very shy and you hardly see him. cleaner shrimps are much cooler!

I like your fish a lot. I believe it's a blenny? he looks a bit like a mandarin but you shouldn't add those in this early stages so I hope he's not family of the mandarin..Anyway, he looks amazing, get some more shots!

I added a tailspot blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura) and he's pretty cool too. I don't think he will be a problem for your current habbitants. He eats a bit of grean algae too so he's usefull.

the micro bubbles are the skimmer i bet..... junk it..... and you got some nice live rock there

Seb - Thanks! Yeah, he's a red scooter blenny and yeah, they're in the dragonette family, which is the same family as mandarins. I was hesitant to get one, but he was eating frozen foods like crazy at the fish store, so I think I lucked out. He has gotten much bigger than he was when I first picked him up - so hopefully he'll stay fat and healthy despite the tanks youth. I'm also having a huge 'pod bloom right now (all over the glass, LR and LS), so I'm sure he's loving that.

I'll look into the tailspot blenny. I certainly have enough algae to feed him. And I think I'll take your advice about the peppermint shrimp, and get a cleaner shrimp instead.

Coralcor - I've been emailing Pinky at the US RSM office and I'm starting to think I should just junk it. The bubbles have toned down a bit, but they're still annoying- and there is hardly any skimmate. I may give it another week or two with some more livestock in the tank to see if that helps.

My LFS had all that totoka live rock on sale. That stuff has a lot of surface area, but I'm thinking 30lbs just isn't enough. Plus, I would like to get a little more height so I can attempt some more branching stonies.

+1 Skunk / "Cleaner" shrimp they are the best imo

NEW FTS and stocking list at the top of the thread

So far I'm having some nice growth with this PBN, and I LOVE the green birds nest too.


Some mighty fine zooanthids. This is a HUGE rock that my wife picked out. Hopefully I can keep it thriving.


bicolor trumpets (very slow growing here)

WOW... those bi-color trumpets look pretty nice Tank is coming along great Nick!

Really like your zoa's so colorful!

You really lucked out on that Scooter Blenny, from what I've heard they can be very finicky eaters, and its best to allow your tank to mature before introducing them. If yours is chowing down on frozen foods though, keep on truckin! Very cool fish!

WOW!!!

Those Zoa's really got me droowling.. So vibrant in color, good spread.... I wish I could get my hands on such nice pieces here in holland. I must find out how I can get them shipped over to me.

I have updated my thread so you can see what I mean.

Your tank is coming along nicely mate. Good to hear you got a "trained" scooter, they are fun to watch. I'm planning on getting one too but I'll wait a couple of months.

Any updates on the tank Nick?

UPDATE: New pic (FTS) at the top of the thread. Coral pics to come in the next few days.

So, I put a coral banded shrimp in the tank and she promptly ate my Kenya tree, then a few days later my 6-line wrasse went missing (no signs of illness or anything). Found the shrimp eating his little carcass that evening. What the heck?! This shrimp is ####### me off, and I love that wrasse (even though he was a major bully)! And yet....she's so stinking cool....what do I do?

Updated Stock List:
Firefish
Banggai cardinalfish
red scooter blenny
6-line wrasse
thin-branching pink birds nest
ORA green birds nest
bali green slimer
green monti cap
red monti cap
frogspawn
3 zooanthid rocks
bi-color trumpets
christmas tree leather
golden ricordea
duncan
green star polyps
Kenya tree

So after talking to the pros at the LFS, I've given the coral banded shrimp a full pardon for the Kenya tree coral, as a fungus is the new primary suspect. They hooked me up with another beautiful rock of Kenya tree, so we'll watch things carefully. At the first sign of trouble, I'm doing a fresh water dip.

The shrimp is still, however, the primary suspect in the death of the six-line wrasse (who was the bully of the tank, mind you).

any new info on the tank wanna see how its comming i just finally updated mine.

Here's the latest. Since the last update, I've had an explosion of Kenya tree all over the place and I've added a nice little piece of purple stylopora. Oh, and I think the elk horn is new since the last update.

I'm thinking about just getting it out of the tank and adding some more zoos and some mushrooms on the bottom. Thinking about some brain or acans, but I'm not sure if I have the guts or experience to try it yet.

Sorry about the quality of the pic. I'm trying to get better at the FTS, I promise!

I also wanted to add that my coral banded shrimp is the coolest critter of all time!
Is there a club for people who love their CBS? I would join. And we could have t-shirts.

your tank is looking nice nick! Find the droppings from that softy shove em in empty snail shells let grow and trade em. I swear its a never ending stock of them. But as you can see that thing can easily take over a tank

Thanks man!

Yeah, I think the guys at Star are getting sick of my leather frags! I took the big momma back a few weeks ago to make room for a brain so things are finally under control!

this looks great!!

Hey! I'm in the area too! Star is awesome as well as your tank. I just got the RSM 130D. Will be following along.

This tank is amazing

@Daleo - Hi! We Augusta reefers should start a club!

Star is the best - they always take the time to chat and geek out with reef stuff, and they have fantastic tanks.

Best of luck with the RSM. I had a couple minor glitches getting started, and the usual new tank syndrome stuff, but overall its has been a great experience so far. I'll hop over to your thread to continue this conversation.

@StevieT - Thanks! I've learned so much by ghosting your threads and I love your tank, so it means a lot to hear that from you!

AMEN!

+1!!