Red Sea Max 250 - Advice & Critique Welcome!

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 04:42 PM

Background
Due to a new house and young kids, I got out of the hobby in 2010. Recently my 11-year-old daughter expressed some interest in having a fish tank. My wife promised my daughter if she didn't eat candy for a whole month, she could have a fish tank. I don't know what they were thinking. Something about a goldfish or a betta. Because of my previous reef keeping experience, my wife looked to me to set everything up. That was last June. Here is what happened next (pics attached).

System Profile
Display/Stand - Red Sea Max C250
Lighting - DIY LED Retrofit, LED stand lighting as well
Sump - 15 gallons integrated on the back of the tank
Refugium - Threw some chaeto in the back with a Magnafuge LED light
Skimmer - Whatever comes with the Red Sea?
Return Pumps - Jaebo DCT - 4000 Variable
Water Circulation - 2 MP10WQD's with Reeflink running reefcrest, tidal swell, lagoon and then constant 20% speed at night
ATO - JBJ
Chiller - JBJ 1/10 HP
Other Equipment - NextReef GFO Reactor, Vortech Battery Backup

Water Parameters
Salinity 1.026
PH 8.2
Alkalinity 8.6
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1400
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0

Fish
Long Nose Hawkfish
Percula Clown
Coral Beauty
Orange Spotted Goby

Coral mostly small frags
Various Maricultured Acro
Canary Porites
Purple Stylaphora
Green Pavona
Green Birdsnest (not doing well)
Yellow Fiji Leather
Alien Acan
Rainbow Acan
Purple Favia
Maze Brain
Hammer Coral
Montipora
Misc. Mushrooms and Zoas

Everything is going quite well so far. What a great Father/Daughter hobby! My daughter really likes doing the water testing.

I know I have some Nitrate and Phosphate that is being taken up by some minor algae on the glass. I think the next step for me is to get something to better regulate my Alkalinity and Calcium. I have been going back and forth on Calcium Reactor or dosing. After much research, I have decided to go with dosing. I watched the BRS video on calcium reactors and it seemed like a nightmare! Too much to deal with! I am going to go with the GHL KH Director and dosing pumps.

I would welcome those of you with more experience to evaluate my set up and give me any advice. For example, what would be the next piece of equipment should I buy? Am I on the right track with the dosing? Thanks!

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 04:45 PM

[IMG]

******** async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8">[/IMG]

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 04:46 PM

Sorry, trying to figure out how to post pictures from Imgur.

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 05:10 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 05:11 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 05:13 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 05:19 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 07:07 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 07:11 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 07:27 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 07:31 PM

DunnoMuch · 11/04/2017, 07:43 PM

taherk77 · 11/06/2017, 06:41 AM

Hi man, I think you r doing great so fat and your corals look amazing. But why don't you go hermit crabs or snails and also may be put a fire goby. Crabs are a lot of fun to watch, also the way the fire goby roams around with it's thorn like fin up looks really amusing to kids.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

DunnoMuch · 11/06/2017, 05:31 PM

Thanks for the compliments. I do have a small clean up crew I forgot to mention. I have about 3 or so blue leg hermits, a couple trochus and two Mexican turbos (you can see one of them photobombing the hammer, lol)!.

Yes, I like firefish. In fact, I had one when I started the tank. He was eating healthy for a couple months and everything was fine. One day, he disappeared. Very unfortunate! Maybe I will get another one. Is it possible he didn't get along with the Orange Spotted Goby? The firefish disappeared about the time I added the Orange Spot.

JUNBUG361 · 11/06/2017, 11:08 PM

Looks good

11/04/2017, 04:42 PM	#1
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51	Red Sea Max 250 - Advice & Critique Welcome! Background Due to a new house and young kids, I got out of the hobby in 2010. Recently my 11-year-old daughter expressed some interest in having a fish tank. My wife promised my daughter if she didn't eat candy for a whole month, she could have a fish tank. I don't know what they were thinking. Something about a goldfish or a betta. Because of my previous reef keeping experience, my wife looked to me to set everything up. That was last June. Here is what happened next (pics attached). System Profile Display/Stand - Red Sea Max C250 Lighting - DIY LED Retrofit, LED stand lighting as well Sump - 15 gallons integrated on the back of the tank Refugium - Threw some chaeto in the back with a Magnafuge LED light Skimmer - Whatever comes with the Red Sea? Return Pumps - Jaebo DCT - 4000 Variable Water Circulation - 2 MP10WQD's with Reeflink running reefcrest, tidal swell, lagoon and then constant 20% speed at night ATO - JBJ Chiller - JBJ 1/10 HP Other Equipment - NextReef GFO Reactor, Vortech Battery Backup Water Parameters Salinity 1.026 PH 8.2 Alkalinity 8.6 Calcium 450 Magnesium 1400 Nitrate 0 Phosphate 0 Fish Long Nose Hawkfish Percula Clown Coral Beauty Orange Spotted Goby Coral mostly small frags Various Maricultured Acro Canary Porites Purple Stylaphora Green Pavona Green Birdsnest (not doing well) Yellow Fiji Leather Alien Acan Rainbow Acan Purple Favia Maze Brain Hammer Coral Montipora Misc. Mushrooms and Zoas Everything is going quite well so far. What a great Father/Daughter hobby! My daughter really likes doing the water testing. I know I have some Nitrate and Phosphate that is being taken up by some minor algae on the glass. I think the next step for me is to get something to better regulate my Alkalinity and Calcium. I have been going back and forth on Calcium Reactor or dosing. After much research, I have decided to go with dosing. I watched the BRS video on calcium reactors and it seemed like a nightmare! Too much to deal with! I am going to go with the GHL KH Director and dosing pumps. I would welcome those of you with more experience to evaluate my set up and give me any advice. For example, what would be the next piece of equipment should I buy? Am I on the right track with the dosing? Thanks!

11/04/2017, 04:45 PM	#2
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51	[IMG] ******** async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8">[/IMG]

11/04/2017, 04:46 PM	#3
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51	Sorry, trying to figure out how to post pictures from Imgur.

11/04/2017, 05:10 PM	#4
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 05:11 PM	#5
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 05:13 PM	#6
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 05:19 PM	#7
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 07:07 PM	#8
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 07:11 PM	#9
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 07:27 PM	#10
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/04/2017, 07:31 PM	#11
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/06/2017, 11:08 PM	#15
JUNBUG361 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Antioch,CALIFORNIA Posts: 1,091	Looks good

11/04/2017, 07:43 PM	#12
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51

11/06/2017, 06:41 AM	#13
taherk77 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 10	Hi man, I think you r doing great so fat and your corals look amazing. But why don't you go hermit crabs or snails and also may be put a fire goby. Crabs are a lot of fun to watch, also the way the fire goby roams around with it's thorn like fin up looks really amusing to kids. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

11/06/2017, 05:31 PM	#14
DunnoMuch Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 51	Thanks for the compliments. I do have a small clean up crew I forgot to mention. I have about 3 or so blue leg hermits, a couple trochus and two Mexican turbos (you can see one of them photobombing the hammer, lol)!. Yes, I like firefish. In fact, I had one when I started the tank. He was eating healthy for a couple months and everything was fine. One day, he disappeared. Very unfortunate! Maybe I will get another one. Is it possible he didn't get along with the Orange Spotted Goby? The firefish disappeared about the time I added the Orange Spot.