StevieT's Red Sea Max Experience

[siwelk]

oooh, i just got a 9002 too. let me know how its performing for you stevie.

[StevieT]

Will do. I wonder how long it will take for it to break in, i have never run a Tunze before.

 

Is it me or are these skimmers WAY overpriced. Once you get inside there is nothing to them. My guess, they cost $25 to make.

[kooolaid]

First of all steve what a beautiful setup what ever your doing keep doing. Regarding the skimmer would you have any recommendations for 24 g nano cube. I got one problem and thats a covered hood. Your insight will be greatly appreciated.

[Urchinhead]

Will do. I wonder how long it will take for it to break in, i have never run a Tunze before.

 

Is it me or are these skimmers WAY overpriced. Once you get inside there is nothing to them. My guess, they cost $25 to make.

 

Ze German Engineering iz vat you pay for StevieT. Seriously when you think about it a manufacturing cost of $25 and a retail cost of $150 means a 6x increase which isn't too bad as far as things go after you factor in R&D, overhead, etc. I see allot more gouging in things like apparel for example. Back in HS/College I dated a few girls who's fathers were in the textile business. One as a manufacturer. As an example he made shorts (here in the US) for $0.18 including materials and labor per piece. It was sold to a wholesaler for $1 and the wholesaler sold it to a retailer for $5 and the retailer sold the shorts for $20!

 

UH

[StevieT]

Ze German Engineering iz vat you pay for StevieT. Seriously when you think about it a manufacturing cost of $25 and a retail cost of $150 means a 6x increase which isn't too bad as far as things go after you factor in R&D, overhead, etc. I see allot more gouging in things like apparel for example. Back in HS/College I dated a few girls who's fathers were in the textile business. One as a manufacturer. As an example he made shorts (here in the US) for $0.18 including materials and labor per piece. It was sold to a wholesaler for $1 and the wholesaler sold it to a retailer for $5 and the retailer sold the shorts for $20!

 

UH

 

Ja ist es die deutsche Technik. Du bist intelligent. I know, I know, everyone wants to make their 30% margins. This has to be one of the most simple skimmers I have EVER seen though. Even the plastic is rather thin. Overall, if it works, I am game!

 

First of all steve what a beautiful setup what ever your doing keep doing. Regarding the skimmer would you have any recommendations for 24 g nano cube. I got one problem and thats a covered hood. Your insight will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

I am not overall familiar with that tank but I would imagine an in sump skimmer would work. Best to post a thread asking this question, i'm sure you'll get good answers. If you could maybe cut or get access to the back of the hood where you could hang on a skimmer that may work as well. But I would look into insump options first.

[siwelk]

Will do. I wonder how long it will take for it to break in, i have never run a Tunze before.

 

Is it me or are these skimmers WAY overpriced. Once you get inside there is nothing to them. My guess, they cost $25 to make.

 

 

my thoughts exactly. i know that Tunze is a great name in terms of quality, but when i opened up the box i was like WTF? this thing looks like it would cost 15 bucks. ive heard great things about them though, im sure it will work out great. i think the break-in period was like 3 weeks??

[nemofan]

Just snooping ... wow if i ever have a office i must install a nano That looks like a great place to work! you hiring ?

 

BTW thanks on the time you take to reply to posts and all :-) say, do you have a tank at home?

[StevieT]

Thank you and you're welcome!!! I have this entire office to myself so I was able to customize it to my liking. The tank is a must, it is so fun to look at. It is also a nice visual while talking on nano-reef

 

I do have a tank at home. Just a 55gal freshwater african cichlid aquarium. I spend way more time awake at work so it was a better choice to have the SW at the office.

 

[StevieT]

why not more pics.

 

 

 

 

2 Days of skimming: Why didn't I do this earlier?

 

[siwelk]

looks like the Tunze is working out for you

[Sea_unt]

Great StevieT ---Its nice to see that someone actually has a nice build up of coraline algae in their Nano. most pics I've seen, peoples LR looks like cement!!! Note to newbies--Coraline algae is KEY

[StevieT]

some fun pics:

 

 

eating a shrimp molt

 

[chazde3]

Love the African Cichlid setup, I kind of miss mine but the nano reef is more interesting

[StevieT]

Love the African Cichlid setup, I kind of miss mine but the nano reef is more interesting

 

 

thanks, I really do enjoy my nano more, but it is nice to come home to a tank that easy to care for.

[chazde3]

Yeah, I look back to when I hated tank maintenance on my 29gal planted tank and wonder what I thought was so bad. 10 minutes a week on that compared to all the time I spend on the nano is nothing.

[hudson2212]

Steve,

 

The RSM is looking great. I have been debating picking one up, and almost have my wife talked into it.

 

Have you upgraded the lighting? I scanned through the whole post and could not tell. If you are keeping SPS with the stock lighting I will have to start push harder to buy one.

[StevieT]

Thank you!

 

Nope, the lighting is stock, It is rather bright, I was impressed the first time I saw it. The SPS is middle to top placement and is growing very fast. I just replaced the skimmer but other than that the tank is stock. I added a korilia pump and an ATO system.

 

Keep pushing! I really like this tank, you will be happy. If you do get one, look into upgrading the skimmer, it will save you a few headaches.

[philcarp]

Couple quick questions that I don't remember seeing the answers to anywhere in the thread. About how many pounds of live rock rubble did you use to replace the bioballs? Also, where did you find that large mesh bag to put it in?

[StevieT]

Couple quick questions that I don't remember seeing the answers to anywhere in the thread. About how many pounds of live rock rubble did you use to replace the bioballs? Also, where did you find that large mesh bag to put it in?

 

 

Zero. i should really take that picture out of my thread. Bio balls and live rock rubble are pretty much the same thing with the same problems, they raise nitrates. I found the problem first hand with the rubble. The bag came with the tank, for the bio balls. No one that runs reefs recommends balls or rubble, so it is best to remove all of them. Thanks for the heads up, I am going to have to edit that out

[Monkfish]

Tanks looking great Steve. Funny I thought the same thing as well about the tunze's simplicity but I havnt fired mine up yet. Also Good idea making a magnet for the side I might steal your idea

[StevieT]

Tanks looking great Steve. Funny I thought the same thing as well about the tunze's simplicity but I havnt fired mine up yet. Also Good idea making a magnet for the side I might steal your idea

 

yeah, go for it! It makes it super easy to put it where ever you want.

[snake plissken]

StevieT - what did you use to attach the magnet to the Tunze? i see the pix but i cant tell what you are using exactly.

 

also - did you ahve to do anyhitng to the tank itslef to get the tunze to slide down in the rear compartment where the stock skimmer was? i have never held or even seen a tunze in person to get an idea of how it would fit. i know others said it would stick out of the top and they had to cut a hole in the the hood. i am guessing they used the stock mounting kit that comes with it and not the StevieT german engineered magnet supreme!

[StevieT]

I used a two part epoxy that comes in a syringe type tube. The kind you mix together. Says it is Quick Set Super Glue brand. I'm sure you could find anything like this at HD, I got this at Grainger. It set in 5 mins but I let it cure over night. Holds nice and strong.

 

 

The Tunze is a much shorter skimmer than the stock RSM unit. Much shorter! So getting it to fit is not much of a problem. There a lot of sace bellow the unit for flow now, unlike with the crap they give you. The problem lies with mounting it. If you use the factory set up of the tunze, and the magnet mounts, you can only get it bellow the surface skimmer grates. Well that would work but you will loose your sponges, which is bad IMO.

 

Those who can't get their lid closed didn't really look into the problem good enough. My lid closes just fine. There is a water level mark on the skimmer and I think they are scared of that. I lowered the tunze just over that line and the lid closed fine. If it were to raise up just a smidge, yes it would probably hit slightly.

 

Basically if you keep your water level in the tank at a proper level, 1/4" or so under the black molding, you won't have a problem with the lid closing. If your water level is higher then you will be over the water line mark on the skimmer, possibly hindering performance.

 

Let me know if that helps or not, I can take more pics if you need. Use my magnet way of mounting and you shouldn't have a problem. I use magnets for just about everything, this came like the best way to mount the skimmer.

 

Overall performance, IMPRESSIVE!!!! I have empied out the cup three times not and every time is getting better. Thicker and better skimmate.

[owned162]

Hey StevieT, what was the actual model of the Tunze... I went to my LFS today and they had a couple of different types that all kinda looked like the one you had... Also, is it only the one magnet thats holding the unit there??

 

Thanks

OwNeD

[StevieT]

It is the Tunze 9002 model.

 

Well there is a magnet glued on the unit under the water and another on the outside of the tank at the back. I have about 4 small magnets on the outside.