Reefer 200XL No More: Maddie's Lagoon Transformation

[design.maddie]

Where do I begin?

Equipment List:

• AIO: Red Sea Reefer Deluxe XL 200 Rubbermaid 50 gal. Structural Foam Stock Tank
• Lighting: ReefLED 90 AI Prime 16HD
• Refugium Lighting: Tunze Eco Chic LED 8831.00 (removed refugium)
• Return Pump: VARIOS-4 Syncra Silent 2.0 (removed sump)
• Wavemakers: Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6040 x2
• Skimmer: Red Sea Reefer 300 Hydor E-SK 600 DC
• Dosing Pumps: Kamoer X1 Pro
• ATO: Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152

~40lbs of CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand
~20lbs of CaribSea LIFEROCK
~20lbs of hand selected cure live rock

Everything did not go as smoothly with the "To your door" part. I had to drive a little over a mile one way to shuttle it to my house because the truck didn't want to drive down my road (it is a public road) Tank setup was relatively easy and if you all would like me to share some of those pictures, I will be glad to. Currently on day 8 of the cycle.

The Tunzes are really impressive. It took me less than a minute of setting up (no prior experience with anything like it) to create this.

I am keeping a much more intense daily build on a local club forum but wanted to keep a more highlight reel going here.

 

[design.maddie]

I have a gif of me giving a view of all three sides but for some odd reason I can't get it to work on here.

Hard to get a clear shot while in the dark hovering over equipment.



What did I get myself into?



Tools Required.



Ride on the EAC duuude!!!



Super Snug.



Filter sock is on rails.



I actually used these.



What happens to the cat if I open?



This is on low.



Cycling.

 

[splitting_lanes]

These are great, made a big difference in how easy it is to work in the cabinet

Premium Plug-In 12 in. LED White Under Cabinet Light, Linkable

www.homedepot.com

 

[design.maddie]

These are great, made a big difference in how easy it is to work in the cabinet

Premium Plug-In 12 in. LED White Under Cabinet Light, Linkable

www.homedepot.com

I have already started looking into that sort of thing. Thanks for the heads up

 

[design.maddie]

Thought I would share the reading from the cycle so far. I used the Red Sea Reef Mature starter kit, but totally botched the instructions. Day 5 is when the cured live rock was added and Day 6 I added a cube of Emerald Entrees Omnivore because I thought it might be needed for all the starfish and bristle worm on the rock. Might have been a noob mistake. 10% water change on Day 10.

 

[design.maddie]

That took me way to long to get this gif to post, no clue why it wouldn't work like the first one. I had to ad it as a Media link and now it is super blurry even though it is taken in 4k UHD. I'll work on it so that the rest of my content is up to par.

 

[design.maddie]

Nitrates drops down to 10ppm today. I am really not understanding what this Reef Mature is doing to my tank. Can somebody maybe break down to me what is happening or what I should expect next? I understand it is cycling and the nitrogen cycle itself I just don't understand what this bacto start stuff is doing in my tank and how to read the readings I am getting.

 

[design.maddie]

14 day mark

 

[design.maddie]

Diatoms are in bloom and starting to look around at cleanup crews. What is your favorite to have?

 

[tho]

Following! This is basically the setup that I want to build. Super excited to see your progress! Love the gifs too!

 

[jcolliii]

Nice progress! Not understanding how the nitrates dipped to 10ppm though... could that have been an inconsistent test? Interpreting low API results is an art, but the higher values are easier.

 

[design.maddie]

Here we are. ~3 months into the tank. I will start off and give ALL my equipment and overall 4.5/5. I will rate my understanding of reef keeping now that I see what I didn't know a 3.5/5

Equipment:

I REALLY like my lighting. I want to give it a 5/5 but I feel like it wasn't user friendly enough for all walks of life during setup. Once it is setup you never think about it until it impresses you with a light show during a big storm, or the nights it simulates a full moon, or better yet a new moon. The lighting feels organic. PAR is probably a little lower than what some dominate SPS guys would want. I would go as for as to say that SPS will need to be kept in the top center of the lighting. I measured the area I would put SPS at a 8"Dx10"W from the surface while using the standard stand.

This skimmer is a horrible design. No one wants this design and it is all brought to you by the stupid, and I mean STUPID water level adjustment mechanism. So bad. Everything else about the skimmer is great. The collection cup had that drain hose that has become a must have on skimmers. It has a cool self clean deals which actually come in much more helpful than you might think. I think the volume pump are spot on for a 40 breeder under heavy load. I have yet to dial this thing down to a steady production of skimmate. I even did a test and fed heavy and got my Nitrates and Phosphates up high enough and never started producing much skimmate. So disappointed.

The AIO as a whole is still doing really well. I don't have any issues with the overflow noise, all thought the Red Sea diaphragm thing takes a bit of a learning curve. The sump is nice but it is tight, but that is almost a plus because I wanted it all in a closed box. You kinda get what you ask for. That's about all I have to say about that.

That VARIOS-4 is no joke. I feel like I could depend on it for my life. I don't know much of what to say about a return pump. This thing just works. It is such a luxury to have something of this caliber.

Sigh, Tunze oh Tunze. How you have let me down, yet make me smile. Our relationships has had its ups and downs but we stay strong together. Honest thoughts. They are exactly what I want. They offer me the flow that I was aiming for. 30x display turnover not including return. Both of these pumps were/are rating up to 1200gph. I call crap. Maybe I don't know my stuff. I have had Maxijets, I have had tanks with closed loops systems I just don't get it. My vision was to have then both ramping up and down 0-65%. In reality I have them both from 40-100% and feel like I could use a bit more flow. Lets talk some about what ramping means. When I think about it I think of the feeling of a wave coming at me and feeling it lift me up and down. These Tunze are like a railgun version of ramping up speed. Still, They had all the right boxes checked for me and still do. I look around the market and still can not find something that competes with it in the ways I want a pump.

The tank as a whole has been nothing but a joy. I wouldn't trade any of it for something else. Everything has been great learning and sorting through things. There is still much to learn and enjoy.

LIvestock:

Let us start with the bad. I have lost 1 coral and 3 fish. The coral was a LPS she wasn't pretty but the family liked her because of the name it was sold under "Dirty Girl". Looked like a bright green coral with dirt stuck around the mouth. Next we have two Gobies, both sand sifting. Amblyeleotris wheelri, would not eat. Twin spot goby, again could not get to eat. Last and most recent was a BlueGreen Chromis. MIA.

Lets talk good. I have some Acans that are doing great with signs of grows. I have a Cyphastrea that looks healthy but I don't notice any growth(don't know what to look for). A really nice Chalice that my yellow clown goby calls home. I have a Leptoseris that has grown 4 times its size. I have something called a Green and Purple Platygyra Maze that is really doing super well and might scare me with the rate of growth. I have a Candycane and Duncan because, well because it is a reef tank. I also have 3 types of Montipora and man oh man, remember that 3.5/5 for things I didn't know that I should have. This is where that starts. Lots of testing and not understanding of what to do or fix or cause of it.

Parameters:

Temperature 78
pH 8.0
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate 0.09ppm
Salinity 1.025
Alkalinity 8.3
Calcium 380ppm
Magnesium 1130ppm

Eyecandy:


Candycane


Green Shaggy Leptoseris



Lizard Scale Chalice


Bright Green and Purple Platygyra Maze



View from front door


My view at 3ft


My view at 1ft


Under tank


Electrical


Filter sock/ Carbon baggy


Dirty Skimmer Neck


Left Side


Mystic Sunset Montipora


Red White and Blue Acan


Bright Meteor Shower Cyphastrea


Best lil Duncan ever


Rainbow Favia


Bright Orange Acan


Disclaimer: Not all corals and fish have been shown in these photos. The ones left out have been compensated generously with yummy ReefRoids and Shrimp served with a slice of Nori.

 

[design.maddie]

My plans for the next 3 months are to fill in some of the bare spots with corals. I have no Zoas/Palys which I have plans for on one side. Steady smooth current and about 80 PAR. The glass would be about 4 inches away so prime viewing. Have a rock that is planned to get covered. I do want a hammer but that would be near the 6 month mark. I just can't stomach dropping $75+ for a single head coral.

I have a spot that I don't know what to do with on the back side of the tank. It really won't be viewable from the front but from the sofa and kitchen it would be directly in front. It is in the full force of the current and in a shady 125 PAR area but no room to grow up past 3-4 inches. It will be near three different forms of Monti so the thought of something flowing sounds nice.

I also want to finish off the fish list. I can't see adding more than one more. The rocks are really crowded between the clown goby and blenny. They are best buds but there is no more room. My two chromis are always hanging out at the top of the water column in the corner I feed. I have never owned a Clown, but I am a true Wrasse lover. I seem to always find an excuse to put a Sixline in. My LFS has two beautiful Sixlines, it is hard not to purchase one. I need a show fish that is active throughout the tank.

 

[design.maddie]

Practicing Macro Video

 

[design.maddie]

I started dosing All-For-Reef by Tropic Marin. I am coming up on 7 days in dosing their suggested starter amount. 10ml for 200 litres. Current levels are at dKH 10.3, Ca 360, Mg 1240. I don't know if I should change things are not. I would prefer my Ca a bit higher.

 

[terraincognita]

I started dosing All-For-Reef by Tropic Marin. I am coming up on 7 days in dosing their suggested starter amount. 10ml for 200 litres. Current levels are at dKH 10.3, Ca 360, Mg 1240. I don't know if I should change things are not. I would prefer my Ca a bit higher.

This is the exact tank i'm looking for, however I'm probably looking at running the AI Hydra 32, and the reef wave 45 that's sold with it.

Hows it coming along now, you mentioned problems with the skimmer height chamber? but it looks like it's working really well to me lol.

I might've missed it but were you able to get any Par readings?

 

[design.maddie]

...mentioned problems with the skimmer height chamber? ...

I might've missed it but were you able to get any Par readings?

The skimmer is on a pedestal, which puts it at the correct height as stated by the manufacture. I still have not been able to dial the dang thing in. I end up having to run it super dry to not have it overflow at random times throughout the day. I have not tested with a PAR meter.

 

[design.maddie]

Woke up to a dead fish today. Found no sign of outside parasites, water parameters all in check. No other fish or inverts show signs of illness or stress. Good bye Blenny the Blenny, you will be missed.

Now, I need to find a replacement for scrubbing the rocks of algae. I am open to all forms of suggestions on a replacement.

 

[terraincognita]

What other CUC Do you have rn? I have Astrea, Trochus, Nasarius, and some hermits and I've had like almost no algae issues with my current nano tank.

 

[design.maddie]

What other CUC Do you have rn? I have Astrea, Trochus, Nasarius, and some hermits and I've had like almost no algae issues with my current nano tank.

Oh man, My CUC is running deep.

• 100+ dwarf Ceriths
• 50 Dwarf Planaxis
• 10 Nassarius Vibex
• 5 Florida Ceriths
• 3 Hermits, 2 grey clawed, 1 blue clawed
• 2 Emerald Crabs (maybe 3)
• 4 Nerites
• 1 Scarlet Skunk

I want to add a Serpent star fish and and a few other specialty inverts. I don't have a problem with algae, but it is sorta free food. If I can buy/keep a fish I don't have to feed then sign me up. My algae level is at the point that it just enough to add character.