Kayman's Reefer 250

[Kayman]

Howdy! This tank is an upgrade from a standard 29gallon (29 Gallon Thread) that I had running for a little over 6 years. Last week I moved into my first house from my apartment so things have been very busy. My old tank is still in my apartment and I have been stopping by daily to check on it.

 

 

Equipment: 1/9/2022

Tank: Red Sea Reefer 250 V3

Lights: Reefbreeders Photon V2 24"

Skimmer: Bubble Magus Z8

Heaters: 2 100watt Aqueons

Return Pump: Maxspect DC Jump 6K

Wavemakers: AI Nero 5, Jebao PP-4, Aqumai KPS (not a fan)

Kamoer Dosing Pump - Dosing All For Reef

Hydor ATO - Hydrofill Reservoir 5gallon

ClearView Lid

 

Fish:
Coral Beauty Angelfish - Pancake

Purple Dottyback - Kora
Tailspot Blenny - Porchie 

Melanurus Wrasse - Waffle

2 Clowns - Cinnamon and Sugar

 

Coral: 

Bicolor Frogspawn

Purple/Green Frammer

Green Torch

Duncan

Neon Green Candy Canes

Dragon Soul Favia

3 Acans

2 Blastos

Toadstool

Green Sinularia 

Kenya Tree

Assorted Zoas and Palys

Orange Rhodactis Mushroom

Green Leptastrea

Blue Leptastrea

Green Porities 

Forest Fire Digitata Monti

Hulk Digitata Monti

Purple Monti Cap

Green Elkhorn

Staghorn Acro

Red Robin Acro

Branching GSP

Hairy mushrooms

Freak Hair Pavona

 

Inverts:

4 Rock Flower Anemones 

Green/Red BTA

Halloween urchin

 

FTS 1/23/2022

 

Here is the dirty beauty in all her glory!

 

 

The sump is outside soaking in vinegar while I wait for a new return pump to get the whole thing tested.

 

Looks like I need to work on leveling it a bit too, any ideas? It's leaning a bit towards the front. Side to side isn't tooo bad though. 

 

 

[Kayman]

I'm hoping to keep it right up against the wall. The outlet is of course right where I want the tank to be against the wall but it does fit into the opening of the tank. Do you think I could add an inline gfci and and a waterproof cover? Eventually would like to add a dry side cabinet to that side but I think this would work for the time being.

 

Here is where the outlet lines up...

 

I think I could use these two things to keep it safe or is it a dumb idea?

 

Also one more equipment question. Would the Maxspect Jump 6k be a good return for the 250?

 

Thanks!

[Murphs_Reef]

7 hours ago, Kayman said:

Howdy! I'm starting the upgrade process and moving from my 6 year old 29gallon up to a Red Sea Reefee 250. I picked up one used at a good price but needs a bit of cleaning so that's what I'm working on now.

 

Last week I moved into my first house from my apartment so things have been very busy. My old tank is still in my apartment and I have been stopping by daily to check on it.

 

Here is the dirty beauty in all her glory!

 

 

The sump is outside soaking in vinegar while I wait for a new return pump to get the whole thing tested.

 

Looks like I need to work on leveling it a bit too, any ideas? It's leaning a bit towards the front. Side to side isn't bad tooo though. 

 

 

I just used some plastic shims every 10cm across the back as mine was leaning back a touch. Worked really well and was pretty simple to do. 👍🏼

[Kayman]

4 hours ago, Murphych said:

I just used some plastic shims every 10cm across the back as mine was leaning back a touch. Worked really well and was pretty simple to do. 👍🏼

Thanks! I'll be making a trip to Lowe's today so I'll see what I can find.

[dwdenny]

The stand doesn't have adjustable feet?

[Murphs_Reef]

Not a 250..it's a small tank that. 

41 minutes ago, dwdenny said:

The stand doesn't have adjustable feet?

 

[Kayman]

Well she's cleaned up nicely, almost like new! Got her level as well, good call on the plastic shims!

 

 

The only thing I can't get cleaned up is this old water line that for some reason is higher than it should have been. I've been soaking it in vinegar and scraping over and over with a razor and tooth brush but it won't go away...hmm either need to get it solved soon or forget about it for later as water is going in tomorrow and the transfer will be taking place on Sunday...rather nervous, hopefully I'll have enough new saltwater ha.

 

Here is the water line... you can kinda see it. Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

[Kayman]

She's full! Had a super busy weekend but today was able to get everything moved over after work. I need some more rock to get the scape how I want it but everything is in and randomly placed. Hopefully I can get more rock in the next few days and get everything glued in. 

 

The corals are going to be pissed all week with how much I'm going to move them but so far everything is looking as good as can be expected.

 

[dwdenny]

Looking good 

[Kayman]

So I bought about 10 more pounds of rocks and put together a scape I think I like, not perfect but was tough with some corals still being stuck to rocks. My RFAs refused to move so unfortunately they are all scattered throughout the tank. Guess I'll have to get more to make my garden.

 

I plan on trying my first acros on the top left and some different frogs and hammers in the middle. I really want to try a bubble tip too so will probably try that and see what happens.

 

I've been topping off manually as well since the water level in the sump and overflow keeps fluctuating, seems to be evening out as time goes on so hopefully it picks a spot and settles soon.

 

Since I did probably an 80% water change during the move and upgrade and the fish aren't in the tank it wasn't a surprise to find some dinos on the rocks when I came home yesterday. I've gone lights out and dosed h2o2 and fed the corals heavily to try and bump up the nutrients. We'll see how it goes.

 

Oh and still need to hang the light. Also not having the fish in the tank and in QT blows. Not sure I'll make this 3 month fallow period...

 

1.026

80.1 F

8.1 kH

450 cal

1440 mag

 

Just ordered new phosphate and nitrate kits...oops

 

 

[dwdenny]

I like the rock work. Trying to convince my wife we need a bigger tank. Not going well right now hahahahaha. Will let my pico hit a year then ask again. Saving up so she can’t say we don’t the money. 

[Kayman]

4 minutes ago, dwdenny said:

I like the rock work. Trying to convince my wife we need a bigger tank. Not going well right now hahahahaha. Will let my pico hit a year then ask again. Saving up so she can’t say we don’t the money. 

Thanks!

 

Just keep dropping hints over and over again haha. For the last few years I kept telling my then girlfriend, now wife, that when we move I'm upgrading and so she was kind of ready for it to happen. She probably didnt think it would happen the same week we bought a house but hey! Ha

[Kayman]

Things are going pretty well. Got the lights hung up. Parameters are all decent and the corals are mostly happy though maybe lacking some color.

 

Still have a tiny bit of dinos but seems to be less and less each day. I also have some algae or cyano on my zoas which is keeping them closed up. Been hitting them hydrogen peroxide a bit to try and clean em up. Been getting some diatoms on the sand but also kind of expected with the new sand.

 

I also decided I hated having the QT tank going and there was no way I was going to last 3 months so I put the fish into the display. So far so good.

 

I also did get my new test kits and nutrients are pretty low as expected.

 

P04 = .01

NO3 = 2

Alk = 8

Cal = 440

Mag =1440

Temp = 79.8

Salinity = 1.026

 

 

The cyano/algae on the zoas

 

 

 

[Kayman]

Well after a long summer and fall I'm back. Dealt with cyano and dinos in the summer which led to some reef tank depression. In early September our water heater burst and flooded part of the house and so four months later we have all new flooring and the tank is getting a reset!

 

Tank spent a week in a tub upstairs while the downstairs was ripped apart. That whole process went well and didn't lose anything.

 

 

After getting the tank back up I finally rented a PAR meter and found out I've been under lighting the tank for awhile which probably explains why some corals live but don't really grow.

 

I also picked up some new equipment. Got a new skimmer a Bubble Magus Z8, picked up a Nero 5 and also a dosing pump to start dosing All For Reef. All good so far!

 

Anyway here is the tank now. Traded in some frogspawn for a new torch, my first acros (a staghorn and red robin) and a couple other assorted pieces. I'll try and get some actual good photos of individual corals soon.

 

 

[Murphs_Reef]

Looks good 👍🏼

[Kayman]

Forgot to mention that I have 3 fish at the moment. A purple dottyback a tailspot blenny and a coral beauty. The angel and blenny have been in the tank around a month I'd say. They have a weird relationship where they are always siding each other up but nothing happens ha.

 

Parameters are all doing good and alk is holding steady at about 8.3. Though there are 8 new corals in there including 5 SPS so I assume I'll be increasing my dosing soon.

 

Top down Tuesday

Right side:

 

Left side:

[Kayman]

I came home to a nice surprise today. My ClearView lid showed up! Only took about 2 weeks so very happy with the how quick it came. It is almost perfect, my only complaint would be I ordered cord slots for both back corners but only got one in the back right. I am able to squeeze the cord in the small gap between the lid and glass so it's okay. 

 

I also found a weird critter living in my new Red Robin. It really kinda looked like a black barnacle and seemed to be waving something in the current. Not being able to find anything similar online I decided to cut it out and fragged it. Still not sure what it was but it's dead now. 😄

 

 

 

It's also my birthday this weekend so I may have another little shopping spree...🎉

[Poodges]

Looking good! Not sure how I missed your tank.  We have the same light, similar corals, similar fish, clear view lid etc… my brother from another mother!  I also went through some tank depression due to Dino’s but back and running now. Glad to see you’ve got the interest again.  Quick question, how high is your light off the water and what intensities are you running in your channels? I haven’t run a par meter in my setup.  Thanks!

[Kayman]

Haha thanks! Yeah I was just going through your thread and it's really impressive! It's nice to hear other people talk about their tank depression a bit.

 

I'm running the lights at 14" just seemed to look good at that height. I have them peaking for 4 hours at:

 

1- 10%

2- 10%

3- 55%

4- 20%

5- 55%

6- 55%

 

This is a new schedule though so not really sure it's perfect but here is the PAR I have right now. Have moved some corals around since then and a couple rocks around but you get the idea. Now back to reading your thread...

 

 

[Poodges]

6 minutes ago, Kayman said:

Haha thanks! Yeah I was just going through your thread and it's really impressive! It's nice to hear other people talk about their tank depression a bit.

 

I'm running the lights at 14" just seemed to look good at that height. I have them peaking for 4 hours at:

 

1- 10%

2- 10%

3- 55%

4- 20%

5- 55%

6- 55%

 

This is a new schedule though so not really sure it's perfect but here is the PAR I have right now. Have moved some corals around since then and a couple rocks around but you get the idea. Now back to reading your thread...

 

 

Thanks so much for the intel.  I have almost the exact same intensity with a “high noon” on whites at 22% at 2pm.  That’s the only difference…crazy.  I’m 16” off the water line with a shallower tank.  

[Kayman]

No problem! Oh nice I would bet the PAR numbers are still pretty similar for you but maybe a bit higher.

[Kayman]

Well the tank and I had a busy birthday weekend! Yesterday I picked up a small bubble tip anemone and a nice chunk of branching gsp. The anemone came attached to some almost dead candy canes but I think I can save them. Today I got another fish, a male melanurus wrasse and also a little frag of rasta zoas. Don't have great pictures yet but here are a few. 

 

 

 

 

I also grabbed some turbos hoping they will help with the turf algae problem I have. Only algae I ever have an issue with. The Coral Beauty has been shadowing the new wrasse a good bit and doing some chasing but they should calm down. The wrasse did eat some flakes and frozen already so he isn't too stressed out. 

[Kayman]

Video of the new wrasse. 

 

https://youtu.be/Mx2eG-AmqdI

 

 

[Kayman]

Me: I think I'm developing diatoms again...

Wife: *blank stare....sigh*

 

Welp the turf algae seems to be growing and it looks like I'm starting to get diatoms again. See brown air bubbles in some spots in the tank. Stirred up the tank really good with a turkey baster and upped the pumps for a bit. Lovely photo of that below. I think my nitrate and phosphate ratio is flipped. I'm getting around .09 phosphates and less than 5 nitrates, probably closer to 0. Both with Hanna checkers. Hopefully adding the wrasse will up the nitrates a a bit. The lower winter temperatures might also be causing it. Last time upping the temp to 81 - 82 seemed to get rid of them but temp is down to 78-79 now. Hmmm.

 

[Kayman]

I need to slow down... bought a Halloween urchin today and named him/her Jack. Really hope they eat some of the algae. Very cool critter!