Red Sea Max Owners Club

[Reefmack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12176855#post12176855 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DontXtripNfall
Hey all! I pulled a Terry after coming back from NJ and added 3 scarlet hermits and 3 small blue legs.. about 5+ turbos (long story- they were practically free ... if your really interested then i'l share but i don't wanna type it all if nobody cares) because my brown algae bloom was setting in and greenish algae spot on the glass... Also i added 1 green chromis (YAY first fish!!) My ammonia this morning was nearly 0 (inbtwn 0 and 0.25) so i figured why not, also im not sure if i've already said i have 2 button polyps on a piece of LR.. my tank has been only running for 2 weeks so i geuss im lucky i didn't have a long cycle!

Of course we care! Good to hear from you. Don't push your luck too much though. You appear to maybe still have a bit of ammonia, and those Chromis will be adding ammonia (they excrete it though their gills during respiration, and in waste) so now give the bacteria on the rock, etc. time to catch up with the bio-load before adding anything else, and hope for the best.

And the best rule is don't do as I did It won't work for most - I was just forunate to have everything going in my favor, which is unusual in this hobby!

 

[ibscott]

Re: Re: New RSM

Re: Re: New RSM

ibscott - Forgive me.... but I don't remember where your water quality is currently and whether or not you have seen the beginnings of a brown diatom algae bloom?
Kent a.k.a. NaCl+H2O Fish [/B]

Well, the numbers are still bad. According to the RSM test kits:

NH3/NH4: 0.25
NO2: .1
NO3: 5.0

According to an online ammonia calculator:
Free Ammonia-Nitrogen Concentration (mg/L): 0.0223290921673148

Maybe in another week...

As for algae, the brown diatom algae has already come and is mostly gone. There are remains of it all over my sand, but it is no longer growing like crazy. The rocks and sides of the tank are now covered in green algae. I take this as an encouraging sign that things are progressing, albeit very very slowly.

I'll test again in another couple of days.

 

[shramj]

Rob, do you have the input from the filter in the skimmer compartment and the output in the heat compartment? That is where I have mine running.

 

[rob911]

Shramj- do you mean the right skimmer compartment just below the grate or to the left of the skimmer where it comes up on the diagonal. Kent advised not to use the heater compartment for the output so I have just to the right of the heater compartment where the diagonal skimmer section is.

I am now just running everything for 12 hours and am going to see. I still hear air when I bang on the 360.

I also added a cleaner shrimp today. He seems to be doing fine.

 

[rob911]

I am feeding the tank now and turned off the circ pumps to minimize food getting filtered out and slowing it down so everyone can eat. Without the circ heads running no bubbles. I am beginning to think this may be a circ pump issue. As soon as I start running one the water level drops to a point where that may be the issue.

 

[Brent F]

Here's a picture of the Paly rock I got on the weekend. I had to break a quarter of it off to get it to fit in the tank.

 

[RhinoCY84]

I got a Deco Crab, a few Snails, and a Slipper Lobster along with my LR shipment from TBS. The LR has been in the RSM for a week, nothing really happened as far as any spikes, and I posted pics and perimeter figures earlier...So now what? Should I feed these guys, and what?

 

[DontXtripNfall]

Hey all you can see pics of my current aquascape and my algae bloom here: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/38165-day-1-adventure-4.html

Terry i plan to hold off on the fishes but i still need more hermits and some sand dwelling snails...

 

[ibscott]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12178747#post12178747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DontXtripNfall
Hey all you can see pics of my current aquascape and my algae bloom here: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/38165-day-1-adventure-4.html

Terry i plan to hold off on the fishes but i still need more hermits and some sand dwelling snails...

Your tank looks good! The algae isn't bad at all. I'm sure a few more members of your CUC will have it taken care of in no time. For comparison, this is what my tank looked like during the brown diatom algae phase:

-Scott

 

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words...

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12178223#post12178223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rob911
I am feeding the tank now and turned off the circ pumps to minimize food getting filtered out and slowing it down so everyone can eat. Without the circ heads running no bubbles. I am beginning to think this may be a circ pump issue. As soon as I start running one the water level drops to a point where that may be the issue.

Rob911 - You still haven't answered some of my questions! Is the extension tube about 1/2 way down the back of the RSM, just left of the skimmer? Do you have ANYTHING under the main circ pumps? I HAVE NOTHING in the back of my RSM! Here is a picture of my setup:

Starting left to right... stock RSM pump with a tube extension underneath, zip tie secures the bottom plate to the pump. Next is a MaxiJet1200 pump per Y-DesygnGuy's mod with a tubing extension and a piece of black foam behind for support, also secured with a zip tie. Water level in the main circ pump compartment is running 1/4"-1/2" below the shorter stock pump. Far right is the return from the C-360. Because of the weight of the water filled tubing I am using a 'synthetic' wine cork to support the u-tube. You can see the top of the tube extension...

Intake photo:

6" shortened intake to the right of the skimmer, under A COMPLETELY OPENED overflow gate. You can also see the skimmer mod with the intake tube inserted into the side of the collection cup and the replacement of the white RSM needle air valve for a more precise micro ball air valve.

AGAIN... I have ZERO MEDIA in back of the RSM!!!
shramj is having luck with the output into the heater chamber, I am having success with it outside... EXPERIMENT!
Kent a.k.a. NaCl+H2O Fish

 

[rob911]

Sorry Kent, my setup looks exactly like yours except for the maxi mod and the cork. As I said, with the circ pumps off all is good but when even one of the circ pumps turn on water level drops to about 1/2 inch below the body of the pumps. I have the zip ties but no extensions on the circ pumps. I have ZERO media in the back. I am wondering what could cause the circ pump bubble production issue.

With the output in the heater compartment the water level is way up in the circ pump compartment and I turned the 1 pump on with just the stock director and a light stream of microbubbles.

 

[Brent F]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12179060#post12179060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rob911
Sorry Kent, my setup looks exactly like yours except for the maxi mod and the cork. As I said, with the circ pumps off all is good but when even one of the circ pumps turn on water level drops to about 1/2 inch below the body of the pumps. I have the zip ties but no extensions on the circ pumps. I have ZERO media in the back. I am wondering what could cause the circ pump bubble production issue.

With the output in the heater compartment the water level is way up in the circ pump compartment and I turned the 1 pump on with just the stock director and a light stream of microbubbles.

Rob, When were the pumps last cleaned? Maybe something got in them and they are surging?

 

[snake plissken]

skimmer mod

skimmer mod

shramj - i promised you a pic a few pages back. this thread moves to fast! especailly when i am trying to watch march madness!
anyway here is a new photo of my skimmer with the hole in the side. of course NaCl+H2O Fish just beat me to the punch and posted a great pic of his. but i guess you can never have too many views of a mod to get ideas.

 

[snake plissken]

new skimmer cup from red sea

new skimmer cup from red sea

shramj -
here is a pic of the replacement skimmer cup lid sent to me by red sea. look on the left and you will see the tiny pre-drilled hole. it really helps production. i think i will add one or two more myself.

 

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

Your Among a LUCKY FEW!

Your Among a LUCKY FEW!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12178738#post12178738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RhinoCY84
I got a Deco Crab, a few Snails, and a Slipper Lobster along with my LR shipment from TBS. The LR has been in the RSM for a week, nothing really happened as far as any spikes, and I posted pics and perameter figures earlier...So now what? Should I feed these guys, and what?

RhinoCY84 - You made a good decision with your purchase of the TBS LR! :thumbsup:

Have you had an algae bloom of any sort??? If not your crab, snails (what kind?) and slipper lobster may start to get hungry! See Tylt33 and my post in answer to ibscott concerning feeding the tank posted today. Just keep a close eye on ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels and be prepared for a 10 -20% water change if things get out of control! "Solution by Dilution!"
Rob911 - The tube extensions on the main circ pumps has helped in preventing them "STARVING" if the water level drops... water changes for example. If you are getting better results with the output in the heater chamber like shramj... go for it!!! Whatever works my friend! Good Luck!
Kent a.k.a. NaCl+H2O Fish

 

[donna53w]

Hi all!:wavehand:

ARH: I like your combination of LR ... nice job!! Glad you have come aboard here, Welcome!

Reefmack I, too, am just amazed at the early tank photo. Could you somehow post that early pic with a current one, for comparison. That's about an 11 mth time span??

DontXtripNfall: Your LR looks great! I agree with Reefmack, keep a slow pace through this maturation stage, it will pay off in the future to be patient now.

rob911: Hopefully you'll have better news for us tomorrow. It will all work out.

Kent & Tylt33: I love my nassarius snails, too! They do contribute to the CUC, and they don't knock anything over!!

Brent: Wow! Great paly colony!! It must have been huge!!

I'm caring for our son's 72g Reef tank while he's away for a week or so ... he & his family are in Disneyland!!! What a huge difference, compared to our RSMs. He has beautiful fish and corals (a lot of them we donated to him when we took down our 55g) and no microbubbles. His skimmer works like a charm, too. However I wouldn't give up my RSM or trade him tanks!! What can I say ... the RSM is a gorgeous-looking, easy maintenance tank, with plenty of options for selecting corals, fish & invertabrates!! It's such a lovely mini chunk of the ocean!!
I love keeping up with all of you with your changes and innovative modifications to the RSM. Thanks to everyone, again, for making this the greatest place to be!!!:bounce3: :fish1: :lolspin:
Donna

 

[snake plissken]

Full Tank Shot

Full Tank Shot

as long as i am posting, here is the obligatory FTS...

 

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

Re: new skimmer cup from red sea

Re: new skimmer cup from red sea

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12179163#post12179163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snake plissken
shramj -
here is a pic of the replacement skimmer cup lid sent to me by red sea. look on the left and you will see the tiny pre-drilled hole. it really helps production. i think i will add one or two more myself.

snake plissken - Are my eyes deceiving me... or am I also seeing the air intake tube inserted into the side of the skimmer cup???? Did they send it to you that way? This forum may be affecting RSM design changes! :bounce3: Now if they would only include a more precise air valve!

IMHO... don't be in a big rush to drill more holes until you see how the skimmer is performing over the next week...
Kent a.k.a. NaCl+H2O Fish

 

[rob911]

Actually, I have never cleaned them but it has been 2 months. I guess I will try that.

 

[donna53w]

Re: Re: new skimmer cup from red sea

Re: Re: new skimmer cup from red sea

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12179288#post12179288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NaCl+H2O Fish
snake plissken - Are my eyes deceiving me... or am I also seeing the air intake tube inserted into the side of the skimmer cup???? Did they send it to you that way? This forum may be affecting RSM design changes! :bounce3: Now if they would only include a more precise air valve!

IMHO... don't be in a big rush to drill more holes until you see how the skimmer is performing over the next week...
Kent a.k.a. NaCl+H2O Fish

Is the air intake tube (inserted into the side of the cup) the same air tube that would be hanging into the electrical compartment on my original RSM?? I also thought the air hole in the lid would be on the opposite side .. good thing you shared your photo!!
Donna