Tank Journal Archive

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
It looks like you have created the perfect environment for the pods in your fuge - does the chaeto grow much?
Hi Magic,

Yes the pods seem to be having fun in there, I don't know about me creating the perfect environment, this is the first fuge I have ever set up and was a bit of a wing job, but has turned out very well. It took a while to take off, but when it did, it really went for it.

The chaeto has probably doubled to tripled in size in 8 months, which isn't bad considering all forms of vegetation on the LR in the fuge have grown by 10X the amount, so it's a big competition in the fuge for the nitrates and phosphates.

The fuge has also become a breeding ground for my snails also, I put 2 snails in there 6 months ago, now I have anywhere around 100 to 200 snails of all different sizes in there, which I find very cool to watch grow, and I haven't researched it yet, but to me it looks like the snails and pods have a relationship of some sort, where ever I have snails on my glass, I also have 1-3 pods hanging out with it. The ball of chaeto is full of grazing snails also, it's pretty amazing, 8 Months ago it was a pretty barren tank with some sand and LR, now its full of life crawling everywhere.

:)
 

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
The pods are picking through the snail poo and breaking down the algae even more. Damn nice set up!!
thanks @ReeferRob, and thanks for the info, so what are the pods eating it straight out of the snails ass hole? do they help to keep the snails themselves clean? and do they maybe eat the algae of where the snails are grazing for an easy meal?

i ask this as the pods are almost attached to the snails on the glass:)
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
Usually, the early bird gets the worm, er, the early pod gets the poo. Yep, dunno about keeping the snails corn chute clean, but they wanna be first on the scene so they get the most food.
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
One thing I wanted to ask, did you drill the tank or is there a hole there already there? RSM 500 tanks show up here on occasion for about $500 and I'd love one. I love the 130Ds, but I want a remote sump to turn into a fuge.
 

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
One thing I wanted to ask, did you drill the tank or is there a hole there already there? RSM 500 tanks show up here on occasion for about $500 and I'd love one. I love the 130Ds, but I want a remote sump to turn into a fuge.
Hi mate,

I had it drilled, they are very nice tanks.
On my way back from picking it up i stopped in and had it drilled the same day.
:)
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
Looks like the next one I see I'll go look at. I love them, but they need a remote sump/refugium.

The problem with them is the glass, it scratches easy and the one I have now looks like someone used sandpaper on the inside, but for $200 it's good for a holding tank. When I drain it the next time I'll try to polish it out.
 

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
Looks like the next one I see I'll go look at. I love them, but they need a remote sump/refugium.

The problem with them is the glass, it scratches easy and the one I have now looks like someone used sandpaper on the inside, but for $200 it's good for a holding tank. When I drain it the next time I'll try to polish it out.
I agree, I'm sure reefers have had excellent results without it, but I definatley would add the sump and fuge. The back is too deep and narrow for maintenance I think also, getting my arms in to put in the bulkheads was enough of an issue. Plumbing the the returns to the tank was a bit awkward also.

I have had no issues with the glass, when I bought it, it already had 3 minor scratches where the glass curves at the front, I clean the glass with either a blade or scrubbing brush, I even use the blade to do the corner glass curves and have added no scratches so far. Some people are too rough I think.

Even before drilling mine, I had done a bit of research online, and everyone was saying they can't be drilled because the back glass is tempered glass, I found a thread where someone had done it too a 130, but reefers were saying they use different back glass on the 250 to the 130. So I emailed Red Sea, within a week they confirmed it was ok to be drilled. Made me smile.

When I get the new tank up and running I will turn the 250 into my frag tank, I see it staying around for a while. They are great set ups, I love the built in timer for the lights, built in power board, the built in t5s.

:)
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
Yea, they are great systems just not a fan of the PC lighting in the 130Ds. Mine are all LED now. If I get a 250, I think I'll add a dual strip of LEDs to it and keep the rest of the T5 lighting.
 

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
Yea, they are great systems just not a fan of the PC lighting in the 130Ds. Mine are all LED now. If I get a 250, I think I'll add a dual strip of LEDs to it and keep the rest of the T5 lighting.
Yeah good idea, I was going to go all led in the 250, but decided not too and I'm happy I stuck with the t5s, some led strips will be a nice touch, that's the only thing I don't like about the 250, when I want I can't saturate the tank in blue light to get the "pop" factor. The t5s on the 250 I have generate some tank heat, I'm not sure about the newer models. I have placed a fan facing both of my tanks to help move the heat away from the tank.
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
What I did with mine on the 130s is flipped them around to draw outbound so they're creating a vacuum in the hood. I don't know if they're correct that way, but it dropped the tank temp by 2 degrees.
 

Mr.Reeefer

my name is Brock
Jul 8, 2014
252
108
What I did with mine on the 130s is flipped them around to draw outbound so they're creating a vacuum in the hood. I don't know if they're correct that way, but it dropped the tank temp by 2 degrees.
On mine, air is blown into the lighting fixture from one side, the other sucks the air out, I suppose on hot days my tank would be blowing hot air in, to suck even hotter air out :banghead