aquamac Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I can't answer these questions as my RSM hasn't yet arrived. However I'm considering forgoing the skimmer and using that area for a fuge instead. I can't really tell from the photos if this is a possibility. It would also remove one more source of heat if the skimmer pump is pulled out. If it is, I'd instead do weekly water changes of about 25% or even more. Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Ill, 1) Can't really tell if the back wall has a film or not. Don't feel like trying to peel anything off to try and find out. Sorry. =) 2) The stand + the tank is extremely heavy and there is no way the tank can slide off. The only way it's coming off if is you ran into it and tried tackling it. There is no lip, which I beleive adds to the appearance that the tank and stand are actually one piece. 3) I just setup a Hydora on one return pump and I added a loc-line & a splitter to the other. I had some minimal trouble hooking the hydora up. Basically the stock 1/2 inch return nozzle is just slightly bigger than the adapter that the Hydora comes with. So I wrapped plumbers tape around the adapter to thicken it and was able to slide this into the second return pump. It reduced the flow somewhat but I like the way it works. This combined with the two new loc-line nozzles creates some really good water flow now. 4) Getting to the mechanical filtration can be a bit tricky as I found out this weekend! You do have to pull the pumps out, but other than that there's nothing to it. The protien skimmer, heater and timer are extremely easy to get to though. 5) The top opens up as seen on their website to about a 45 degree angle becuase of the hinges. Although if you want you can easily pop the hinges and open this up to a 90 degree angle but you would need to hold it up or prop it against something such as a back wall. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you build a refuge. Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 So I got bored with my setup and rescaped my rocks using acrylic rods to make it a bit more secure and natural looking. Also took out the loc-line to gain back my original/stock flow. Kept the Hydor as it works fairly well. Since the snails were'nt putting out much waste I decided to add a peice of uncooked shrimp on Saturday which I ended up taking out this morning... Sure enough my amonia spiked Sunday, with today being barely detectable. My nitrites and Nitrates are way up so I can offically say that I've begun to cycle! Since I've begun to experience brown algae I added ten small zebra hermits who are attacking my algae like crazy! I also notice that I've found my first hitch hiker. It appears to be a single zoo (brown/grey circle surrounded by long waving tentacles?) Any idea what type it could be? It seems to close up into a small crevice every so often... Here's a new picture of the tank. Link to comment
Hoobahans Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 I get a chill every time I look at that tank. It is so big, and so clean looking. Like a BWM 7-series. Big, strong, and WAY out of my budget. Link to comment
FUGU!!! Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 one of those with mh....mmmm Link to comment
pico1 Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 wait a minute, you can see the skimmer from the front?! Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Whoa. I hope not...it doesn't appear to be visible on the video here, although there isn't a completely unobstructed viewpoint. I'm getting mine today and will post pics. SecondBreath? Link to comment
RaSooch Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Yeah it totally looks like you can see the skimmer. On the info video it says the false wall is frosted black glass so that makes sense that you can see it in the above photo. Bummer. Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 Yes the glass is normally pretty dark, but becuase of the ambient lighting and the the fact that the skimmer hood was up, you can see the skimmer in this shot. That's not to say that you can't see the skimmer at all but let's just say it's nearly invisible. See my earlier shots! Frankly, I like the fact that I can still slightly see it functioning without it being an eyesore. I apologize if I freaked anyone out though! =) Can anyone help me identify the hitch hiker? 1/8" light brown/grey circle with long darker tentacles surrounding it? It closes up into a crevice every now and then but it hasn't moved from it's spot. Just excited since this is the first growth (besides coraline and algae) that I've seen. Can't seem to get a good camera shot of it though. I like the BMW analogy! Even though there's no fish in it, everyone who comes over to my house loves the way the RSM looks. I'd love an MH on this setup for the lighting effect on the water, but I know for a fact that there would be over heating issues. Plus, after speaking to Red Sea and reading a ton of posts, the stock T5 lighting is enough for some clams and SPS. If you haven't been to this forum, check it out. Great RSM pics & info here! ReefsUK - Red Sea Max Discussion Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 More photos here. Looks like there is plenty of room for a fuge if you forego the skimmer...not sure yet about lighting the fuge, however. Link to comment
RaSooch Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 More photos here. Looks like there is plenty of room for a fuge if you forego the skimmer...not sure yet about lighting the fuge, however. If you were looking to do a fuge with reverse photo period you would have to come up with something to block the light cominng thru the back wall. The seems like id would be kind of tough to do. Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 You are probably correct...this will probably require a black piece of acrylic (or something similar) to block the light. Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 14, 2007 Author Share Posted February 14, 2007 So I was a bit bummed when I finally noticed that my first hitchhiker was an aptasia which I promptly decided to kill before it grew any further. Crabs are doing great and my diatom blooms seem to be under control. Amonia is zero and Nitrites are almost gone as well. My Nitrates are still way up so I'll probably do a water change in the next couple of days. How long should I wait after that to introduce my first fish? I'd like to play it safe but I don't want to wait longer than necessary either! Aquamac, congrats on the new RSM! Very detailed pics & I look forward to seeing how your fuge comes along. Also, I just found out that Red Sea is offering a free replacement for the return nozzles. As you've probably noticed, they currently just slide through backwall and into the return pumps which are unsupported otherwise. This leads to some vibration between the two pumps and in my case some problems when trying to add a Hydor or loc-line setup. I emailed them about it and they promptly sent out a threaded "screw in" replacement to the nozzles free of charge. redseainfo@redseafish.com Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 Update I received and installed the new "threaded" return nozzles that Red Sea just sent me. My lfs just recieved thier first RSM in this weekend I found out that the newer shipments have this "threaded" replacement stock in case any one's wondering. These basiaclly replace the old slip in nozzles that had a tendency to loosen and allow the pumps to vibrate against one another. Replacement nozzles work great! Also, since I was running a bit higher temps with the new nanostream and didn't want to buy a chiller just yet, I went ahead and added a third fan to the back of the RSM's canopy. Basically, the RSM comes with a pop out fan box that has just enough room for a 50mm x 15mm fan. See pics of the fan box and canopy - courtesy of aquamac. =) Aquamac's Tear Down After some searching my local Compusa had some Evercool 50mm x 10mm fans in stock. A little thinner than what I was looking for but still a good fit for the fan box. After removing the canopy and opeing it up, it was a simple affair to run the fan (with some extra/longer wires) directly to the power block that the existing light fans were hooked up to. The wires fit perfectly through a seam just above the fan box making this add-on look stock. Which if I were Red Sea, I'd add stock to the Max along with an on/off switch for those not wanting to deal with the evap. As for myself, my hookup works great as this new fan only turns on when the builtl in timer powers up the lights. Early tests show that the new fan colls my tank from the orginal 82/83 down to 78/79. Not bad! Also, since my tank had finished cycling last week, I introduced my first fish yesterday, a true perc. Wanted a pair, but was a bit worried about stressing my bioload so early. If my levels drop in the next week or so, I want to add a smaller perc hoping that they'll pair up and not tear up. =) Here's an updated pic of my tank with the perc, new nozzles, nanostream and (although you can't see it) fan. Link to comment
CGNano Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, pretty tank. Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Excellent work! Glad to hear that it helped reduce temps. And very nice rock... Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 Yeah, but I'm still on the lookout for a chiller in preparation for this summer. Haven't quite decided yet, but I think it will be either the Pacific cl-150 or the Current USA 1/15 chiller. Anyone have any experince with either one? And thanks for the initial tear down. I love tinkering, but I don't think I would have opened this baby up without someone else trying it first! How's the fuge coming? Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I'm having second thoughts about messing with a fuge...I might just put some macro in the main tank. I came across some red macro my LFS calls 'Dragon's Breath' that looks like this on the left of the photo below, although the bunch I got is a much deeper shade of red. Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 Pity, I was looking forward to seeing someone do a fuge! But again, I love how well this skimmer works and wouldn't want to give it up after seeing what it collects... I'm actually looking for some macro algae as well since my nitrates have shot up to about 20ppm. However I haven't been able to find any at any of the lfs in my area. Any particular reason you went with this one? Also, Neil from Red Sea contacted me after reading my post about the fan mod and had this to say if anyone's curious. I have read your discussions regarding adding an extra fan at the back. The Pop-out at the back was designed to allow a cooling fan to be added as an optional extra, however being so exposed to the saltwater it will probably need to be replaced frequently. When the Max is run in an environment with a steady ambient temperature of 72 - 73 degrees F, no cooling is necessary. From 74 - 77 degrees F, a cooling fan at the back will keep the aquarium below 80. Above an ambient of 78 you will definitely need a chiller. We will be offering a cooling fan add-on kit for the Max however it is not yet ready as a consumer product and since it will take another month or so until it is available I will provide you with the specs for doing it yourself. Purchase a 12 Vdc fan - Size: 50mm x 50mm x 15mm (approx 2"x2"x0.6") Rpm: 4500 I recommend the Model - RDL5015S from the following link, if it is readily available or something equivalent http://www.qwikflow.com/DC_Fans/dc5015.pdf This is a sleeve bearing design which runs a bit quieter than the ball bearing version during the useful lifetime of the fan in this application. I do not recommend that you connect the water cooling fan to the 12vdc supply that is inside the hood. As mentioned above, due to its proximity to the water the fan will eventually short circuit and stop functioning. If the fan is connected internally to the hood, this may cause a short circuit for the entire hood. It is best to run the fan from an external power source such as a universal power adapter that converts 110V AC to a range of output voltages between 7.5 and 12V DC (at least 200MA) so that the fan speed can be varied as this controls both the cooling effect and the noise level. I believe that the 9 volt level will do the job well. I recommend that the fan runs 24 hours a day and let the heater keep the aquarium at the desired temperature. Alternatively you can plug the power adapter into a time switch. The last item you need to purchase is a dc jack to attach to the 2 wires of the fan. Please note that the fan is polarity sensitive so that the red wire of the fan must be connected to the “+” of the adapter. To assemble the fan in the fan housing. Remove the fan housing from the aquarium frame by depressing the two snaps that are located on the left and right sides at the back (outside) and pushing the housing out of the frame from the inside. It is easiest to do this with the hood in the raised position. The top of the fan housing is completely open to allow the fan to slide in. The back of the fan housing has a flange running around the edge so that when assembled the fan housing fits flush with the back of the aquarium frame. The fan should be assembled so that it is blowing air into the aquarium. There is normally an arrow showing the direction of airflow embossed on the top of the fan. The connection wires are normally located at the top of the fan. Slide the fan into the fan housing with the air flow arrow facing the front of the fan housing and the connection wires and with the connection wires coming out the top. Lay the wires into the small recess provided at the top front wall of the fan housing. Remove the chiller access panel that is located in the aquarium frame next to the fan housing. This opening provides an exhaust vent for the air that is being introduced by the fan. To insert the fan assembly in the aquarium frame, push the connection wire with the dc jack through the fan housing hole in the aquarium frame and bring the wire out through the chiller access panel. Take care not to let the dc jack fall in the water during this procedure. Push the fan assembly securely into position in the aquarium frame. Using a cable tie or tape, secure the connection wire / dc jack to the aquarium frame to prevent the wires from being pulled out of place on the fan itself. Connect the dc jack of the fan to the power adapter and plug the adapter into a wall outlet. Set the thermostat on the heater to 77 degrees and the power adapter to 9vdc. Give the system about 24 hours to reach a stable temperature and adjust the heater thermostat and / or the voltage setting on the adapter accordingly. If you purchased a 5500 rpm fan instead of the 4500 rpm that I recommended, start the testing at 7.5 vdc. Link to comment
aquamac Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Pity, I was looking forward to seeing someone do a fuge! But again, I love how well this skimmer works and wouldn't want to give it up after seeing what it collects... After thinking about it, I just didn't want to mess with fitting a light and blocking the light from entering the back wall of the tank. I'm quite sure a nice fuge could be designed. I just want to get things going. I'm actually looking for some macro algae as well since my nitrates have shot up to about 20ppm. However I haven't been able to find any at any of the lfs in my area. Any particular reason you went with this one? I have chaetomorpha in the fuge in my 90...however it would simply be a big ball sitting in the tank. This red macro is much prettier! Also, Neil from Red Sea contacted me after reading my post about the fan mod and had this to say if anyone's curious. Nice proactive support! That's cool. I wouldn't think that a fan drawing air into the tank would necessarily die a premature death. From my experience with sleeve fans (my company shipped thousands in conjunction with a computer product) they tend not to last long in any application...I prefer the ball bearing fans. The fans I chose for the hood have a patented 'Vapo' bearing which is supposed to be even longer lasting and quieter; they have a lower RPM (3700) but slightly higher CFM rating (10.2) than the one Neil recommended. They are also rated 3 dBA quieter. For those interested, it is a Sunon fan, part number KDE1205PHV3.MS.GN, and I got them from Allied Electronics. The site now says they are out of stock of that part number; they have another almost identical model in stock, though. Here is a link to both: Sunon Fans Link to comment
Yankel Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Does the Red Sea Max light timer allow for separate timers for the main daytime lights and for the night lights? Or are the both on the same timer circuit? Thanks, Yankel Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 Yankel, There is only one timer for both lights. You can select when the day lights turn on/off throughout the day. You can also turn the night lights on or off via a seperate master switch. If you you leave the night light switch on then these lights will come on whenever the daylights turn off. If you leave this switch off then the night lights will never turn on no matter what the imer is doing. On the timer itself you can also override the timer by turning it off/on or you can choose to turn the daylights on no matter what the timer is currently set for. Link to comment
mwm6 Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Second - nice looking tank! Keep updated pics coming Link to comment
SecondBreath Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 Will do! Thanks! Link to comment
Yankel Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 <<<<You can select when the day lights turn on/off throughout the day. You can also turn the night lights on or off via a seperate master switch. If you you leave the night light switch on then these lights will come on whenever the daylights turn off. If you leave this switch off then the night lights will never turn on no matter what the imer is doing. >>>>>>>>>> In general is it advisable to leave the LED nightlights on all night, every night? Thanks, Yankel Link to comment
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