Red Sea Reefer 170 build thread

Checked the big 3, I definitely have .5 ammonia, but 0 nitrite/nitrate. I'll have to watch the ammonia careful and be ready for water changes. Rock like this should already be good to go with all the right bacteria so there should be only a small cycle if any, but just have to wait and see.
 
Took the dead wrasse back to LFS and picked up a pair of picasso clowns. Locally captive bred and the LFS has had them since october. They are already seeming to enjoy their new tank, I'll probably do a short QT with them since the LFS had them so long. I already gave them a tiny bit of frozen food and they chowed down like little piggies!

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I was nervous last night going to bed that I would wake up to my clowns having the same fate as the wrasse but I am happy to say they are swimming and eating like little piggies. They are doing great and I may not keep them in QT long. I've never cared for really long QT periods.

As for the display tank, ammonia was still .5 ppm last night but today it is down to .25ppm. Nitrite and Nitrate remain at 0! I'm guessing by tomorrow ammonia will be back down to 0.
 
I am also working on slowly increasing the clownfish to my 1.026 salinity. The water from the LFS was 1.020. They started yesterday in water that was 1.021 after 20 minutes of drip acclimation and are currently in water that is 1.023.
 
2nd MP10 came today and has been installed. I absolutely love the reeflink to control the two MP10s and the radion, makes it really easy to modify and control all 3 at once with a web interface.

Only thing I can't decide just yet is if I like the placement of my MP10s. Once I get the rest of my rock I guess I'll be able to decide then.

But here is a screenshot showing my schedules as well as more tank shots.

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Whats the grain size of that sand? does the Benny have any problems with grains that size? I ask because i have a slightly larger substrate in my tank and I'm hesitant on getting a blenny because of that.
 
CButkos said:
Whats the grain size of that sand? does the Benny have any problems with grains that size? I ask because i have a slightly larger substrate in my tank and I'm hesitant on getting a blenny because of that.
Click to expand...

It's a mix of large/small since it's from the bottom of the ocean. He seems plenty happy with it.

Today's update, ammonia is 0, nitrite/nitrate 0, looks like the bacteria is doing their work! I have some diatoms cropping up on some of the rock, as to be expected. Also have a little bit of caulerpa algae, but something also seems to be eating it overnight? Might be the blenny or an invert. If it starts to become problematic I will take measures to resolve of course. I've never had a tank that didn't have algae though that's for sure :)

The clowns are still doing fantastic. They already recognize me when it's feeding time.
 
Made some changes to my vortech schedule, here is the new one. Put the 2nd pump to antisync during the day for the reefcrest, NTM, and lagoon. I also got sponge material today that I put in my sump to start seeding bacteria for QT tanks. I have always done this for QT so that I can do less water changes in QT and so long as I don't have to medicate it works great. Just grab a sponge from the sump and put it into the HOB filter!

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Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate all still 0. Diatoms galore, but they'll go away soon. Also some algae cropping up. But I'll tackle that as needed. The blenny has been eating some of it.

I am getting a new 2016 model apex Neptune controller and will be selling my reefkeeper elite. The RKE is great but I like the cloud interface of the Neptune now that I've seen it. I also have items coming to build a DIY screen top that will recess into the tank to be flush with the rim to keep the clean look while preventing jumpers. Also going to build a DIY ATO system. I will link what I'm using where I got it and pics on how it's done for the screen and ATO. Ill be using the Neptune and a breakout box for ATO control.
 
The ATO works perfectly for me since I removed the white control valve. I just run a hose straight to the float now. A clamp on the hose eliminates any unwanted drainage during maintenance.
 
smatter said:
The ATO works perfectly for me since I removed the white control valve. I just run a hose straight to the float now. A clamp on the hose eliminates any unwanted drainage during maintenance.
Click to expand...

For me it's too small. The 1.5g only lasts about a day or a bit more. I'm going to set up something sitting next to the stand with a larger reservoir that will feed the smaller one.
 
You evaporate 1.5g a day? The air must be bone dry in your house. Mine lasts 3 days but I do run a humidifier. If you are going to bother hooking up an ATO I'd just eliminate the included mechanical ATO. A Tunze or whatever you decide to use has multiple fail-safes that would be negated.
 
smatter said:
You evaporate 1.5g a day? The air must be bone dry in your house. If you are going to bother hooking up an ATO I'd just eliminate the included mechanical ATO. A Tunze or whatever you decide to use has multiple fail-safes that would be negated.
Click to expand...



I would go with the Tunze as well. I just got my Reefer 170 up today and moved the corals and fish from by JBJ nano. I didn't use the included ATO and going to put the Tunze on the Reefer.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I'm doing a DIY ATO using the new Neptune apex and float switches. I'd have to find a larger container that could fit in the cabinet.

Yes our house is dry in winter. Our whole home humidifier kicked the bucket and haven't had the desire to replace it.
 
Part 2 is installed. Huge massive post with a billion pics incoming. Holy moly this was a lot of stuff, and lots of things to tell you!
 
So, after cramming two boxes into the trunk of my M3, and one more box into the back seat, we finally made it home from the airport. My packages were actually shipped yesterday around noon and arrived in milwaukee at 9pm last night. I picked them up at about 9am this morning.

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Where am I going to put all this live rock!!

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Here are all the inverts and sponges and everything sitting in bags in a tub of ready made saltwater, getting temp acclimated.

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