Red Sea Reefer 350 Build - Still lots of mistakes!

After almost 4 years, I am starting up another reef tank (my 7th saltwater aquarium in 15 years)! My last tank was a Red Sea Reefer 170 that I had to take down because we were adding an extra bedroom to our house and had a child around the same time. I kept that tank and was planning to set it up when things settled down but I found a great deal for a Red Sea Reefer 350 and decided to jump on it. I was only going to take the tank because of my budget but he ended up gifting all his equipment for free including an Apex (I've never had one before), Doser (dosed manually in the past), Skimmer, Reactor, UV sterilizer, IM ATO Reservoir, and a bunch of other things for $600! The only things needed were lights and powerheads (I had the ones from my 170 but needed two of each) and I was ready to go. I set it up a month ago so I'll share some updates/issues that have happened in the last month and will continue as I keep building it out.

My wife actually suggested we put it in our main hallway which allows you to see it immediately when you walk in the front door. It was the perfect spot because we had two outlets on that wall: one that I converted to GFCI that goes directly behind the tank and one on the side that I can use when I want to do water changes.

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First Issue
The tank had come with a 15 gallon IM ATO Reservoir. Even though it looked nice, my wife didn't like the look of it outside the tank.
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I tried putting it in the chiller side of the stand but it didn't fit by a few millimeters and the door couldn't close all the way. I ended up ordering an Aquamaxx Rectangular Low-Iron Rimless Aquarium - 9.6 Gallon from BRS which fit and left some room on the side. I was able to cut some leftover shelving I had and it fit perfectly above it. Happy wife AND room for my doser and food - WIN!

Wiring
I had wires EVERYWHERE in my stand and wanted to try and organize them. I carefully organized each cable (lots of moving under wires or pipes to make sure they don’t get tangled) and used cable ties to keep them together. I then made a huge mistake: I put all the wires behind the tank, tied them together, and then used small sticker hooks to hang them on the back of the tank.
IMG_8320.jpeg

I thought this was a good idea because it kept the wires organized but when I wanted to change out the skimmer, I wasn’t able to get the cord out. I had to wait until I needed to do a water change and removed about 50 gallons before I could move the tank.

Here is a pic inside my stand the first week:
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The tank originally came with a Bubble Magus Curve 7 and although it is rated better for this size aquarium, it was very loud. Someone was moving and was selling their RSK300 with an extra Sicce PSK600 pump for $50 so I decided to switch out the skimmer (but as you can see the pump for the bubble magus was stuck). It also came with a GHL Doser but I wasn't able to use it because I have a Mac so I bought a used Neptune DOS to connect with my Apex. Lastly, I found an under desk organizer on Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/fhbd4vce) which fit both of my MP40 controllers and adapters and stuck it to the top of the stand. I now have easy access to it and all the cords are now out of the way. Here is what it looks like now:
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Rocks and Sand
I had always used live rock from other tanks when starting new but I wanted to try and use completely new dry rock to avoid pests. There was some kind of price error on Caribsea Live Rock at Petsmart so I was able to purchase about 100 lbs for $70. Because I had so much rock (and all sort of shapes), my first aquascape used too much rock IMO.
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Some of the rock was sticking out over the water and it didn't leave a lot of room for corals to grow up. I decided to remove 4 pieces of live rock and ended up with this:
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Pretty happy with it so far. Has lots of tunnels and caves for the fish, good amount of swimming room, and multiple shelves that have plenty of room for SPS to grow up. There are 3 structures:
- The one on the left is primarily made from different arches. I used a 14" reef rod to keep them together and because they already had holes in them, it was easy to build the reef tree. I was able to add the connecting table using a 7" reef rod that goes through an arch on the main structure. It's hard to see with the black background but there are tons of caves and tunnels created by the arches.
- The middle is a tall tunnel that is just a cave from the shapes box with an O-shaped rock on one side (you can't see the O in the pic) and a regular rock on the other side.
- The one on the right are 3 shelves that I drilled holes into and held together by a 14" reef rod. I put a small shelf in the sand to create the peninsula effect. I tried to arrange the shelves in a way that minimized shading.

Issue 2 (more like 4 or 5)
My sump has a chamber that is made to be a refugium. I wanted to start growing chaeto now to help with the future algae blooms and since I used to always give it away to fellow reefers, I asked if anyone had some to give. My mistake was not thoroughly checking it for pests. A few days after putting it in my fuge, I started to find small aiptasia growing in my DT and sump. Because they were growing on the glass, I was able to smother them with a microfiber towel and remove them all. Although I haven't seen any in 3 weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if they are still growing somewhere. I did end up purchasing pest free chaeto which is doing great and was full of pods.

Cycling:
I used Dr. Tim's One and Only + Ammonium Chloride to kickstart the cycling. Ammonia consuming nitrifying bacteria grew pretty quickly and I had 0 ammonia, 5 ppm nitrites, 0 nitrates after about a week. Nitrite consuming bacteria is still growing but was getting close to 0ppm nitrites after about 3 weeks with 20 ppm nitrates. After 5 weeks, I can dose Ammonium Chloride to 2ppm and it will be 0 in about 24 hrs. Nitrites have been stuck around 1 (probably because I add Ammonium Chloride weekly) and Nitrates fluctuate between 5-40 ppm.

Current:
This all brings us to now. I am planning on leaving my tank without livestock until March as I have a trip to the Maldives planned and I always seem to have issues when I'm on vacation. I have been going back and forth on whether I want to keep lights on starting now or wait until March hoping that the tank will be more mature to better handle the algae. I have looked all over R2R but I haven't found a thread of anyone keeping lights on with an empty tank so I'll be testing it out. I wonder if not having fish would create a shorter ugly phase. Also curious if there will be an algae bloom when I add fish and coral. I would be adding in CUC now so they can help tackle algae which would mean I won't have to dose Ammonium Chloride anymore either.

Even though I have been in this hobby for 15 years, I still made a ton of rookie mistakes and will continue to make more. I have been using Reef2Reef to get answers to my questions and it has been a great resource (which is why I finally created a build thread). I'm hoping I get a ton of inspiration from the Maldives and hopefully the hardest thing I have to deal with now is restraining myself to not add anything until March! Happy Reefing!

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Here is a full list of the equipment I currently have in my tank:

Tank:

Red Sea Reefer 350 - 47" x 20" x 21"
Custom PVC Plumbing done by previous owner

Sump:
Fiji-20 Advanced Reef Sump - 2nd Gen
- Red Sea RSK 300 (May need the 600 in the future due to bioload)
- Reef Octopus VarioS-2 Controllable DC Return Pump
- Nyos Torq 2.0 Reactor and Body
- Aqua UV 8 Watt Advantage 2000 Clarifier/Sterilizer
- Refugium Chamber with Chaeto and Marinepure blocks with cheap Chaeto light from Amazon
- Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 ATO

Lighting:
2x Ecotech XR30 Gen 4 with RMS Mounts

Flow:
2x Ecotech MP40 one each side

Neptune Systems:
Apex controller with pH and temperature probes
EB832
Neptune DOS – Dosing And Fluid Metering System
- Red Sea Reef Foundation A (Ca/Sr)
- Red Sea Reef Foundation B (Alk)

Rock:
70 lbs CaribSea Life Rock: Shapes, Arches, and Original. Held together with epoxy/glue and CaribSea Reef Rods.

Sand:
80 lbs CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Aquarium Sand

RODI:
- BRS 4 Stage Value Plus 75GPD RO/DI System
- 20 gallon Rubbermaid Brute Trash Can
- Aquamaxx Rectangular Low-Iron Rimless Aquarium - 9.6 Gallon (Reservoir)

Testing:
Hanna Checker Alkalinity
Hanna Checker Phosphate ULR
Hanna Checker Nitrate HR
Red Sea Foundation Pro Multi Test Kit
Milwaukee MA887 Digital Salinity Refractometer

Quarantine Tank:
Top Fin® Essentials Aquarium Starter Kit - 20 Gallon
 
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TX_REEF

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Nice find! Keep an eye on the seams, red sea tanks are suspect for seam failure, especially used and if they are not G2 versions.
 
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Nice find! Keep an eye on the seams, red sea tanks are suspect for seam failure, especially used and if they are not G2 versions.
Oh yeah I’m definitely aware of it and keeping an eye constantly. Especially since this is a 4 year old tank and I’m the second owner. I’m taking a risk but it was too good of a deal to pass on lol
 

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Love, love, love everything about this build and thread.

I am on the same journey as you (been in the hobby for a long time but have taken long breaks in between). I also just got back from the Maldives (2nd time being there and this last time stayed in an UNDERwater villa). Yes .....one of the bedrooms was UNDER the water and I honestly never wanted to leave. That's what sparked me getting back into this hobby. I came home and ordered the Max G2+ 300.

I am cycling my tank as well but will be waiting on fish until I get home from another trip I have in 2 weeks.

I have read not to keep the lights on or just do short stints here and there so that's what I"m going with.

Hope to read more about your adventures and what you think of Maldives. It was the most magical reef I have ever seen. To watch clown fish in their true environment was something I will never forget.

Here are the divers cleaning the window of our bedroom in Maldives. I asked if I could help but they turned me down lol.
 

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Nice set-up and what a great price you paid!

I am wondering what those 2 small rectangular things are on the floor in front of the stand ?

From the first pic? Those are the coverings for the door hinges. I was trying to get the doors to line up correctly when I took this pic and had them off lol
 
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Love, love, love everything about this build and thread.

I am on the same journey as you (been in the hobby for a long time but have taken long breaks in between). I also just got back from the Maldives (2nd time being there and this last time stayed in an UNDERwater villa). Yes .....one of the bedrooms was UNDER the water and I honestly never wanted to leave. That's what sparked me getting back into this hobby. I came home and ordered the Max G2+ 300.

I am cycling my tank as well but will be waiting on fish until I get home from another trip I have in 2 weeks.

I have read not to keep the lights on or just do short stints here and there so that's what I"m going with.

Hope to read more about your adventures and what you think of Maldives. It was the most magical reef I have ever seen. To watch clown fish in their true environment was something I will never forget.

Here are the divers cleaning the window of our bedroom in Maldives. I asked if I could help but they turned me down lol.

That looks amazing!! This will be our first trip to the Maldives. We have done French Polynesia twice now and the snorkeling there was AMAZING so I can’t wait for Maldives. Powder Blue Tangs and Regal Angels are two of my favorite fish so I’m super excited for this trip.

I’ve read a lot on leaving lights off for cycling but nothing on leaving it empty for months with lights on. Figured I would give it a try and report back!
 
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what leds did you use to light up the sump
I used this:

ACKE LED Grow Lights Full Spectrum,Plant Lights,Growing Lamps 12W for Indoor Plants,Hydropoincs https://a.co/d/h8Ozp0a

I was originally going to just get a chaetomax but saw this one. For $25, I thought it was worth a try since it has good reviews and they’re almost all talking about growing chaeto. Amazon also has easy returns so I knew I could get my money back if it didn’t work. Seems to be doing fine so far.
 

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That looks amazing!! This will be our first trip to the Maldives. We have done French Polynesia twice now and the snorkeling there was AMAZING so I can’t wait for Maldives. Powder Blue Tangs and Regal Angels are two of my favorite fish so I’m super excited for this trip.

I’ve read a lot on leaving lights off for cycling but nothing on leaving it empty for months with lights on. Figured I would give it a try and report back!
Pretty sure you will love it even if it all depends of the house reef but hard to be disappointed. I went twice in a row before COVID and twice after COVID. I couldn't go last month that was my starting point for my recent tank. Regals are my favorite but a bit shy. Anyway, nice setup.
 

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Pretty sure you will love it even if it all depends of the house reef but hard to be disappointed. I went twice in a row before COVID and twice after COVID. I couldn't go last month that was my starting point for my recent tank. Regals are my favorite but a bit shy. Anyway, nice setup.
Do you live in the US? That's a long trip to make but I agree...it's definitely worth it. We are planning our next trip for this October. <3
 

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Do you live in the US? That's a long trip to make but I agree...it's definitely worth it. We are planning our next trip for this October. <3
No living in Dubai (only 4h30 to go there), I was in your part of world last week. Agreed it is long trip. Hopefully will go back this year too. Pretty sure sbk89 is loving it.
 
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No living in Dubai (only 4h30 to go there), I was in your part of world last week. Agreed it is long trip. Hopefully will go back this year too. Pretty sure sbk89 is loving it.

I wish I was in the Maldives LOL! The trip is actually planned for the last 2 weeks of February so still about a month to go.... I know I said no livestock until after that trip BUT i got some free coral and things took off from there... It was too hard to resist when trying the lights on method. Update coming soon!
 
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Update Time! This post is long but I like to be detailed lol

The tank has been up for a little over 2.5 months now and there have been a lot of changes so wanted to share them with you! Here is what my tank looks like right now (I usually have the lights more blue but it's hard to see so I use white for pics).

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As you can see, although I originally said no livestock until after my trip to the Maldives (late Feb), I couldn't resist lol.

Here are my parameters at the moment:
  • pH level: 8.2 to 8.3
  • Alk: 8
  • Salinity: 1.025
  • Nitrate: 9.1
  • Phosphate: .03
  • Magnesium: 1170
  • Calcium: 410
My Magnesium is a little low (I am only dosing Calcium and dKH with the DOS) but am manually adding Brightwell Magnesion to get those numbers up. My Calcium levels were very high (500 ppm) and Alk was low (5.9) but was able to get those numbers back to normal over the course of 2 weeks. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with where my tank is now and have so far (knock on wood) been able to avoid the uglies.

I saw a BRS video where they tested different tank set ups (live rock, dry rock, bacteria, pods, etc) and the one with the pods seemed to do the best so that’s what I’m focused on. The pod population has exploded and with the snails I have, there hasn’t been any algae growth so far (knocking on wood again). I'm expecting it to come in the coming months but I'm hoping the CUC I added can help keep it in check.

Equipment changes
I had a Nyos Reactor 2.0 G2 but when I changed skimmers, the base would have to lean to the side. I decided to take it out and replace with an external reactor. I was able to find a relatively cheap one and this works much better and provides a lot of space in the main chamber of my sump.

One of my MP40s was louder than the other so I decided to switch it out. When it's on, my decibel meter reads 48-50 but when off, it goes below 40. I was able to get a used one for a great deal but I didn't have enough space to remove the controller behind my tank. Thanks to people on Reef2Reef who suggested I take it apart first, I was able to get it out and switch out the MP40.

I also switched out my chaeto light to a Tunze 8831 because this one can be put underwater and places it closer to the chaeto. My chaeto has been growing great and actually needs to be trimmed soon.

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The last thing I added were some islands in the sand to grow out zoas without having them take over the rocks. I took a larger piece of rock I had leftover and just smashed it until I got the sizes I wanted. I will probably put 3 frags on each island and let them grow. I know one will probably over take the rock but hopefully I can keep trimming to prevent that from happening.

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Livestock
I know I said I would wait until after my trip to add livestock, but it was too hard to resist.

Although I scraped off all the aiptasia I could find, more started popping up in the DT so I decided to grab a peppermint shrimp. It also meant I didn’t need to dose Ammonium Chloride anymore to feed the bacteria. When I went to pick it up, the reefer hooked me up with some coral as well and things took off from there.

I was also offered a Stratosphere Zoa for my Nyos Reactor but was scared because their reputation for melting and I had such a new tank. They offered 2 poylps and I couldn’t refuse (I know people selling them here for like $200/polyp). They also threw in a baby jawbreaker for $50 which I thought was a steal! You can't see it in the pic but it looks like the Strats are growing a baby as well!

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I ended up getting a bunch more coral from other reefers in the area. I tried to focus on ones that are fairly hardy and so far they are doing great and happy. Here are some of the corals I added:

Favia of the Gods
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Utter Chaos:
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Space Invader Pectinia
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Red/Green Grafted Montipora
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Pink Diamonds
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Duncans
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Pink Gonipora
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My LFS had a sale on Cleaner Shrimp so I ended up getting this little guy for $12. He is awesome and follows me around the tank. He always jumps on my hand when I'm moving things around.

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I think that is everything so far. I have my quarantine tank set up (just needs water) and ready for when I want to add fish. I think I'm going to hold on making any more changes and will just work on keeping things steady for now. Next update will probably be after my trip and when fish go in my tank! Thanks for following along!
 

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