Starting over

[surffer227]

So I had a 75 gal reef tank for about a year but it was setup all wrong, I had a canister filter and bad lighting and inevitably it crashed and I lost every fish and coral and invert I had, very depressing. So I did what any hobbiest that learned what they had wasn't good enough would do and junked the old tank and picked up some new stuff, a (secondhand) RedSea Reefer 250. The quality of this thing is amazing, I love it so far. Now my question is what do you guys recommend for someone who's starting over from scratch to do right from the get go. Tank came with tank, stand, sump, (an oversized) DC pump, skimmer, and ATO. What else do you guys recommend, I'm thinking maybe a wave maker? Reactors? GFO and Carbon? Uv? What could I do now to reduce algae growth and other common issues with reef tanks. I plan on running a thin layer of Tahitian moon sand, with a minimalist bonsai style Aquascape, any ideas on how to pull this off? And due to the minimalist setup I was thinking of running marinepure blocks in the sump, anyone have experience with these? Basically any tips or tricks or advice for starting over would be appreciated. Thankyou.


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[BrandonFlorida]

Setup a QT tank and put anything wet into it for observation. At least six weeks for fish. Make sure this setup is disease free.

GO SLOW! Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

Research everything before buying..

These are just three things I changed from when I started to now, and they have helped way more than any uv or carbon reactor could.

Good luck with the new setup!

[ezerasurfr]

Only place a reactor to satisfy a need from the tank. GFO and Carbon are not solutions, rather they are quick assistance to help you locate the issue. UV is not recommended for smaller tanks as the cost for an effective solution is just not reasonable. If you want to start out controlling algae growth (no way to reduce it really) I would recommend a separate refugium.

[surffer227]

So here's my Aquascape so far, still need to do a little adjusting and some more rock chipping and gluing, but what do you guys think so far? I'm going to run about an inch - a inch and a half of Tahitian black moon sand also.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160613/3903556881b33b4ac7122474a2d84bba.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160613/d061ae007ff0716bc0729c0b025ea29a.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160613/db69bbfe0886a085ad6d5a0c08e6f2a0.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160613/f4cbc2283fe4c6c26de07ce113062d44.jpg


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[Fissues]

Quite minimalistic, I like it.

However, if you are keeping fish that like to hide when scared in rockwork holes, or sleep there (tangs, rabbitfish, gobies, blennies etc.) You might want to add a few more caves.

I'll be tagging along this build. Good luck.

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[surffer227]

I decided to start a build thread, pretty good progress so far, adding water soon [emoji1305] Red Sea Reefer 250 build

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ereefcentral%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D2585000&share_tid=2585000&share_fid=1489&share_type=t

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/584357440b7c5fa7f38c6404fe778ba7.jpg


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[Hal]

Check out the Algae Scrubber Basics thread in the Advanced Topics section. I don't run one (yet) but I'm 90% convinced that they work, and quite well.

Agree on no UV.

Check out Remote Deep Sand Bed (RDSB) threads for nitrate removal. Algae scrubbers also do this.

I'd run carbon for sure. Bulk Reef Supply Rox is best bang for the buck. Expensive, but worth it. Use a simple carbon reactor from BRS powered by a maxijet.

GFO if you don't use an algae scrubber.

Strong flow in the tank helps everyone, fish and corals. Looks like you've got the powerheads already.

And please, quarantine your fish for 6+ weeks minimum. You'll be glad you did.

[surffer227]

I actually have a friend who is going to sell me a hog algae scrubber once I get cycled. I'm actually really excited to try one out.
I'm also definitely going to run carbon, probably in a RO filter housing Teed off of my return line with a ball valve to adjust flow. If I run the scrubber I won't run GFO. I might run a small amount while I cycle so the algae doesn't get out of control.


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