Red Sea Reeder 170 - Reefoholic LOTS OF PICS

[Reefoholic]

Hello Reef Buddies, 

I got a lightly used Red Sea Reefer 170 from a WAMAS member some time ago and have been working hard to put my new tank together for the last couple of months and just last night, I finally filled it up and turned it on. This is by far my biggest tank (and biggest hobby related purchase $$$) so far but I am SO VERY EXCITED to start over with this new setup.

 

I also scored a used Apex Classic with one EB8 from eBay for a good price and got another DB8 from a WAMAS member. 

Given my OCD, I really do not enjoy looking at cables in the middle of our living room, so I decided to build a side canopy that houses the Apex modules and all else. 

 

Here are some pics of the canopy in the making:

 

I got glued-wood -sheets from the Home Depot and built this canopy to go next to the tank.  After sanding it down good, I stained it with a dark walnut shade varnish. What a beauty! 

    

 

After the canopy was built, I moved on to the rock work. I got about 20lbs of Dry Live Rock from BRS. In the past, I have lots of trouble with the rocks tumbling down, or moving when I was moving things in the tank so I had a plan.

 

After watching hours and hours and hours of YouTube videos on "rockscaping", I decided to make an egg-crate base to hold the foundation rocks together. 

 

 

I used epoxy to hold everything together so that it is one solid structure except for one piece that I can easily remove to get to the back of the structure. 

(FYI, while building the rockscape, I realized that I needed more rocks so more are coming today.) 

 

 

Here is what is looks like inside the tank canopy. I was able to comfortably fit the skimmer and a reactor. I chose to hang the BRS dosers in the back and will be putting the Alk and Calc containers on the side where the screen is sitting now (waiting to be built - any help with that is much appreciated. The instruction manual is so darn confusing tbh). 

 

 

Here is what it looks like on the back of the tank. Simply NO MESS!

 

 

 

Let the cycle games begin! hehe

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by Reefoholic

[WheresTheReef]

Good start to the build. I personally don’t like putting egg-crate under the rocks as it tends to get lots of crap stuck in the little squares. Looking forward to seeing this play out.

[Reefoholic]

More rocks arrived this afternoon. I think I am liking this new high island very much.

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[ImGoingCoastal]

Looks pretty good! If you are going to be using a mag cleaner make sure that you have space between the glass and the rock for the wet side.


-A-a-ron

[Reefoholic]

On 6/1/2019 at 12:35 AM, ImGoingCoastal said:

Looks pretty good! If you are going to be using a mag cleaner make sure that you have space between the glass and the rock for the wet side.


-A-a-ron
 

Good reminder Aaron! I am using a different kind of a tool (sponge on a stick) hehe! I find the magnet things very annoying to be honest!

I realized that since I DID NOT buy any live rocks and the tank is brand new spanking clean, I am will need to use some ammonia source to kick-start the cycle. 

 

I am going to use Dr. Tim's. More pics and updates to come. 

[Reefoholic]

Added Dr. Tim's One and Only last night around 8pm to kick start the cycle. Does anyone know if I need to feed the tank some source of ammonia now? (fish food or raw shrimp to decay OR I have heard people adding some of their urine; unconventional but might work)

 

 

 

 

After adding Dr. Tim's, the Ph sky-rocketed to almost 12. It has been coming down gradually but still very high at around 11.

No skimmer running and I took the filter sock out per the instructions for 48 hours. 

 

 

PS: There is a steady decline on the temperature of the tank that I just realized looking at my ApexFusion. I shall check the heater when back home this evening. 

[thakki]

Rock work is looking good! 

[Reefoholic]

1 minute ago, thakki said:

Rock work is looking good! 

 

Thanks!

There are many little caves and crevices for the fishies and the critters.

I think I will put the two anems in there first to have them settle in before corals, etc. 

Not rushing the cycle tho. Don't wanna have nasties later on.

[Reefoholic]

So now I realize that I need to add some ammonia source to the tank to start the cycling so I ordered Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride from Amazon arriving on Thursday.

 

Per the literature I read online, I am now gradually raising the tank temperature to 79 - 80 degrees so that the bacteria will have a more suitable environment to propagate.

 

Open to suggestions/feedback on the elevated temp (have never done that before). 

 

 

[YHSublime]

Could have just had a beer and whizzed in the tank, a la naturale!

[Reefoholic]

9 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

Could have just had a beer and whizzed in the tank, a la naturale!

yo, I asked the group about that. no one said anything, I felt shamed.... hahaha

 

oh well, only $6 went to amazon. next time, I will use the beer method. 

[YHSublime]

Peein' is freein' 

[Reefoholic]

Amazon dropped the ball big time; now the ammonia additive is scheduled to be delivered on Monday. 

SO, I went the old route, I put a frozen shrimp into one of my media reactors and fed the tank some fish food this morning. I cranked up the temp to 80F so I am making shrimp and rock soup for dinner, HEHE

 

Last night everything read ZERO so I am curious to see what the ammonia will read when I go home today after work. Stay tuned. 

 

[Reefoholic]

Ammonia level is slowly going down; about 1.2 last night. 

Nitrites and Nitrates are still soaring high. I might do a water change tomorrow night. 

 

 

[YHSublime]

I wouldn't worry about doing a water change until you get your ammonia level sorted. And by sorted, I mean non existent. 

[Reefoholic]

Ammonia is down to 0.8 tonight. Should I add more ammonia like some of the blogs suggest? 

I have never cycled with Dry Live rock before, used to buy cured live rock from the fish store. 

 

M

[YHSublime]

Ammonia is down to 0.8 tonight. Should I add more ammonia like some of the blogs suggest? 
I have never cycled with Dry Live rock before, used to buy cured live rock from the fish store. 
 
M

Not with the addition of the shrimp I wouldn’t.


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[Reefoholic]

Not with the addition of the shrimp I wouldn’t.


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Took the shrimp out the next day after I put it in. The smell was unbearable since the tank is in the middle of the living room.

First signs of any life in the tank this morning. I think I am on the right track



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[madweazl]

As yhsublime mentioned, skip the water change until ammonia and nitrITE have dropped to zero. Once that happens, your nitrATE levels will increase dramatically and that is when you'll do some water changes to bring it back down to desirable levels.

[Reefoholic]

16 minutes ago, madweazl said:

As yhsublime mentioned, skip the water change until ammonia and nitrITE have dropped to zero. Once that happens, your nitrATE levels will increase dramatically and that is when you'll do some water changes to bring it back down to desirable levels.

 

Sounds good. 

Do you think then is a good time to add fish and live stock? Or should I start with a cleaning crew first?

I am giddy to get rid of the holding tank...

[madweazl]

You probably wont have much for a clean up crew to clean up. Once the cycle is complete, I'd start with a fish; the most timid one of the bunch you've been thinking to add. 

[Reefoholic]

23 minutes ago, madweazl said:

You probably wont have much for a clean up crew to clean up. Once the cycle is complete, I'd start with a fish; the most timid one of the bunch you've been thinking to add. 

 

There are only two fishes anyway; a maroon clown and a coral angel. 

I have one snail a couple of hermits... definitely need more clean up crew. 

 

[ImGoingCoastal]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but the RSR 170 is a bit small for a Coral Beauty isn't it?....


-A-a-ron

[Reefoholic]

He is a rescue from Petco and been living in my 29gal happily. He nibbles on rocks and has his cave to hide.

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[Reefoholic]

Ammonia is down to zero now. Nitrates are around 50 ppm. A 5 gal get change is due tonight then time to furnish.

Ordered two bio blocks from Amazon. They arrived last night, placed them in the sump. Changed the carbon and the filter sock.

Here is the link for the bio blocks.

Also ordered sound proofing foam for the SUMP. It already is pretty silent but hey anything to make it quieter is good. 

I went with the 1" foam as opposed to 2" foam since I don't want it to take a lot of space in the SUMP. I am thinking about installing it on the ceiling of the cabinet and on the sides as much as I can. Here is what I ordered (I will end up with extras but that's OK at that price. Here is the link for it if you are interested):

 

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Reefoholic