# Wise Guy's 350 Red Sea REEFER



## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Well.... I am back in the saddle again!!

After a few years of not being too active in the hobby I have decide that its time to build my next reef tank. Having shut down my 150 and only having a cube for the past couple of years, I really have missed the ability to put larger fish and corals in a tank. Additionally, not having a sump in my cube, made it very difficult to maintain stable parameters in order to keep SPS and LPS corals in that tank.

So after months of research, calling around and reviewing tanks I was left with two options:

A - Build my next custom tank
B - Or see... Find a ready out of the box reef

While Option A seems the most logical choice and owning Miracles aquariums for many years, I can honestly say that it was my first instinct to go back down that route. I would build a tank and sump to my specifications and build a custom stand to go with it.

However before I could even make the call to request a quote, I went to own of my most trusted adviser to find out what is the latest and greatest ready to go reefs available.

I was convinced pretty quickly to look up the latest tanks from Red Sea and was blown away with the quality of both the tank and the stand. Additionally, the next most impressive part was the sump! A ready to go out of the box sump that meets all the needs of a typical reef tank.

1 week later, my tank arrived and away I went! After moving an old book case, putting the stand together in less than an hour and leveling the it.... my tank was ready to go.










As for the sump... WOW! Silicone was perfect and the design is very good as well. With simple access to the filter socks, ATO easily accessible and overall good footprint... I was very impressed.










Lastly I had made some fairly easy decisions on the equipment that I would be using which is listed below:

Aqua Illumination Hydra 26 HD x 2
Ecotech MP40QD x 2
Neptune Systems Apex
AquaMaxx ConeS CO-2 In-Sump Protein Skimmer
AquaMaxx XS Media Reactor x 2
Jebao/Jecod DC 5000 Return Pump

Now as I would be migrating most of the equipment from both a small frag tank and my cube, the next couple of post will come very quickly in terms of progress and livestock.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*wtf*

Holly bejezes......total wtf here....welcome back my friemd ......glad to see a veteran back....we have lost many on here .....


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

HAHAH Thanks buddy! We will have to get some of the old guard together soon.

Yes, lot of people have fallen off I know... but hopefully some will come back! Glad to see your still on here. 



tom g said:


> Holly bejezes......total wtf here....welcome back my friemd ......glad to see a veteran back....we have lost many on here .....


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*tank*

doodeeee............ just hada chance to look at the pics holly crap shes a sexy one phil.....cant wait to see this filled and stocked .... again glad to see u are back and hopefully we see more of u on here , its been pretty lonely here .....


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## Mikeylikes (Nov 22, 2013)

Wow ... one sexy looking build to be!

Welcome back!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you so much  Good to be back!



Mikeylikes said:


> Wow ... one sexy looking build to be!
> 
> Welcome back!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Here is a shot of the tank filled and finally with lights adjusted. The position should provide an even spread for my aquascape.










As for starting the cycle in this tank, previously I would add Probio Startup which is still a great product for starting tanks and will allow you to add fish right away. The only problem I found with this was it corals did not seem to do well. For whatever reason when I would transfer corals into the tank, they took forever to get adjusted.

Since then, I changed to using Aquavitro Seed and have had no problems migrating corals or fish into my tanks. In fact, I have no issues doing a same day transfer. However, I wanted to give it one day before migrated my other tanks into this one to allow the bacteria to full break down the nitrate, nitrite and ammonia. In case anyone was wondering, this is the product.










I do plan to use other Aquavitro products through my dosing pump to ensure stability.


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

Looking good.
Welcome back.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks Joe! Good to be back 



cica said:


> Looking good.
> Welcome back.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

After double checking my parameters and I decided to start migrating some of the fish and rock over. Overall I was happy with the initial layout and over flow in the tank. I wanted to ensure there were no dead spots and enough space for corals.

I know I will probably end up making some slight changes however this is a pretty good start. 










Additionally I be dosing the recommended amount of Aquavitro seed for the next 7 days to ensure the tank maintains its parameters which so far have been stellar.


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## EP32k2 (Dec 9, 2016)

You sure 2 hydra 26's are enough? Reason why I ask is because I reefer 250 with 2 of these lights and the spread just seems to be enough. Intensity is not an issue as I run at 60% max. 

Looking good so far!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Great question. I did some research on these lights and with the schedule I will be running it should be more than sufficient for SPS. The purpose of the HD is really to allow you get the extra power to the LEDs that need the most such as UV, Violet and Blue. The PAR should be around the 250-300 mark from where I plan I leaving my SPS.

Soon as I have the Apex ready and borrow my buddies Seneye I will know for sure.


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## EP32k2 (Dec 9, 2016)

Curious as to what kind of lighting schedule you are doing


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Sorry for the delay. I am using the AB+ schedule indicated for Ecotech Radions. I mirrored the spectrum from another forum based on Ecotech Coral Labs. One thing to note I run it for 11 hours rather than 9 hours of daylight. Here is the schedule:

8:00AM - 9:00AM - Ramp
RY: 5%
B: 3%

9:00AM - 8:00PM Daylight Schedule
UV: 118%
V: 116%
RY: 79%
B: 80%
G: 4%
DR: 4%
CW: 20%

8:00PM - 9:00AM Ramp Down
RY: 5%
B: 3%


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## EP32k2 (Dec 9, 2016)

Thanks for posting that up. That's quite different from the other profiles that I have seen, but makes sense too.


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## Dominipino (Jun 18, 2017)

*Cycling*

Beautiful tank and layout!

Just a quick question...

How did you cycle the tank with aqua vitro seed?

Im about to set up a tank but have been absent
For years and am feeling a little lost. Thanks for the advice!!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

EP32k2 said:


> Thanks for posting that up. That's quite different from the other profiles that I have seen, but makes sense too.


Your welcome. 

Yep its a bit different but based on everything I read it does make sense. Here is the articles that I based the info on.

http://ecotechmarine.com/corallab





There was a great article on another forum but I am not sure the rules about posting from another forum.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Hey Dominipino,

The cycle went great. I have used this product a lot since switching from Probio and I feel it just a much better product.

As per the label, the first day your adding a lot of bacteria to the tank so running a protein skimmer and using something to remove phosphates is a must. I used Phosban and a two little fishes reactor with the skimmer on during this period if available or just monitor everything and adjust accordingly. During this time, I was 0 for nitrate and nitrite and I am not sure if my phosphate test kit was still good but I was near 0. Keep in mind to follow the label for at least 7 days that you should be testing a lot during the cycle while adding livestock slowly. Add the hardy and least aggressive fish first and work your way up.

Additionally, one thing you will notice if the tank is a fresh cycle is that in the first couple of days your PH will be a little low anywhere around 7.5 - 7.8 (mine was 7.8 after mixing the RO and Salt for some odd reason). You will want to add a PH buffer depending if your migrating from a old tank or planning to add livestock right away. Make sure you also give the buffer time to settle as well until you get your desired PH for at least 2 hour relatively stable.

After a week or so, I your PH should normalize and adjust according to your dosing or water changes. 

Sorry for the long ramble but I just want you to have the same success. 



Dominipino said:


> Beautiful tank and layout!
> 
> Just a quick question...
> 
> ...


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Great news. Tank has been running amazing over the past week. There have been several livestock additions and subtractions so this is not the most up to date shot but gives you an idea of how the reef is going.

First, I decided that my long time yellow tang had to go as well as my wrasses which leaves me with the following livestock:

Purple Tang
Small Blue Tang
Flame Hawk
3 Fire Goby
Lawnmower Blenny

My spawning clowns and bangaii's are also in there but only very temporary as I am still building the fish room.

Here is a FTS:


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

Looking great. And great write up. Hopefully I'm as detailed in my up coming move and transfers. 

In my move I'm using rock and water from my current system, do you think I should be seeding it as well or that I should be fine? I'm leaning towords not seeding since nothing is coming out of water. Just into buckets. 


Excited to see your build progress. And welcome back. 
Cheers
Matt


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

Phil,
So glad to see you're back!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you so much Matt!! Good to be back!!

I think it all depends on the time frame when transferring rock.

If you are moving rock from one system directly into another as long as the salinity is close then you shouldn't have a problem. If you have rock sitting in a bucket longer than 6 hours then make sure you add a power head and heater.

If they are going to be in there for 5+ days then it gets bit tricky. Once the rock loses light for an extended period of time the micro algae starts to die which means nitrates will too. At this point, you may want to re-seed the tank.

Lastly be sure *NOT* to use the water from the buckets that have rock in it. If you want to use some of the water from your previous tank, only use clean surface water and keep stored with a power head and heater.

Hope this helps.



mmatt said:


> Looking great. And great write up. Hopefully I'm as detailed in my up coming move and transfers.
> 
> In my move I'm using rock and water from my current system, do you think I should be seeding it as well or that I should be fine? I'm leaning towords not seeding since nothing is coming out of water. Just into buckets.
> 
> ...


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks Margaret!!! Great to be back!



teemee said:


> Phil,
> So glad to see you're back!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Another update. Managed to get all the wiring into the cabinet to the right of the tank which will store all electrical components including the Apex and laptop that will be used to store images and record parameters. I also plan on putting a camera into the tank just for fun 

Built a manifold to do accomplish a few things. I want to keep my reactors on the right side of the stand so there is one union that will control this. The other is going to be used for water changes and drip acclimation. John Guest fitting with a union is perfect for this and will make getting the PH right easy especially with the probe close to the sump.

My doser is just sitting on a spare 10 gallon for now until I get around to building a few shelves.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

On a side note. I saw this great video on some easy and cheap dosing containers. Using Voss water bottles, couple of $3 fittings and some tubing and your all set. Going to do this when I get my second doser for my Red Sea ABCD+ elements as well.


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

Ohhh how fancy


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Reefer*

Looking good doode....


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## littletnklvr (Nov 1, 2010)

WiseGuyPhil said:


> Thank you so much Matt!! Good to be back!!
> 
> I think it all depends on the time frame when transferring rock.
> 
> ...


 Why should you not use the water with the rock in it? By the way beautiful tank!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks everyone!


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you Little.

Typically because when there is no light on live rock for a good length of time you risk adding something dead (plankton, zooanthellae... etc) into your tank that can have a negatively impact parameters. Additionally when you pull out the rock, you will see detritus fall out of the rock while being transferred. I wouldn't want that water in my tank nor for anyone else to use it. 

I have also seen people get ICK from doing a water transfer even when they think they got rid of it or haven't seen it in years. Just my two cents but totally up to the person doing it.



littletnklvr said:


> Why should you not use the water with the rock in it? By the way beautiful tank!


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## littletnklvr (Nov 1, 2010)

WiseGuyPhil said:


> Thank you Little.
> 
> Typically because when there is no light on live rock for a good length of time you risk adding something dead (plankton, zooanthellae... etc) into your tank that can have a negatively impact parameters. Additionally when you pull out the rock, you will see detritus fall out of the rock while being transferred. I wouldn't want that water in my tank nor for anyone else to use it.
> 
> I have also seen people get ICK from doing a water transfer even when they think they got rid of it or haven't seen it in years. Just my two cents but totally up to the person doing it.


 Thanks, I will always keep a light on rock now.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Anytime 

Just make sure its on a timer as well. You will probably only need about 4 hours a day just because you don't want too much algae on it either.



littletnklvr said:


> Thanks, I will always keep a light on rock now.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Quick FTS and one of my new coral from Louis aka saltmeup's tank. Already its getting really purple under my lighting schedule.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Another update on the tank; More so on the DIY cheato reactor. Been emptying it on a regular basis every Friday.

Here is the result.


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

WiseGuyPhil said:


> Another update on the tank; More so on the DIY cheato reactor. Been emptying it on a regular basis every Friday.
> 
> Here is the result.


Looking good Phil.
Can I ask you what kind of track light did you use? The color (or kelvin rating) of it and also the wattage of the light. 
I have a real (I think abot 4 meter) of day light (6500 kelvin) but the whole thing is about 7 watts only (0.58 A on 12 Volts). I wonder if that would work. 
Thanks.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks Joe.

6500k spectrum should work just fine not sure what the growth would be but it will work. Here is what I bought:

Topled Grow Light Strip

I liked that it has the 420-465nm and 625-660nm spectrum similar to what is on the Kessil Grow LED.

Hope this helps.



cica said:


> Looking good Phil.
> Can I ask you what kind of track light did you use? The color (or kelvin rating) of it and also the wattage of the light.
> I have a real (I think abot 4 meter) of day light (6500 kelvin) but the whole thing is about 7 watts only (0.58 A on 12 Volts). I wonder if that would work.
> Thanks.


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

That's a pretty cool idea. Keeps it nice and clean. I might have to steal that idea


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

WiseGuyPhil said:


> Thanks Joe.
> 
> 6500k spectrum should work just fine not sure what the growth would be but it will work. Here is what I bought:
> ................
> ...


Thanks a lot! I just ordered 2 of them. Much easier then to make my own blue/red light (like I did for the algae scrabber).


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Totally agree and for the price you cannot go wrong.



cica said:


> Thanks a lot! I just ordered 2 of them. Much easier then to make my own blue/red light (like I did for the algae scrabber).


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## canadianeh (Dec 26, 2016)

Beautiful and clean set up. I hope you don't mind if I model your set up or close to it in the future when I am back to the hobby. I want to get the same tank too. 

Do you have the video of setting up dosing with VOS water bottle?

Do the plumbing comes with red sea package? I don't have plumbing experience and am wondering how challenging is it.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm flattered 

Its a great tank you won't be disappointed and when your ready to by one send me a PM. I can get you a great deal on one.

I can probably make a video but it won't be for a bit as I am working on a few other projects 

If its urgent I can send you a list of everything needed and where to buy the parts.



canadianeh said:


> Beautiful and clean set up. I hope you don't mind if I model your set up or close to it in the future when I am back to the hobby. I want to get the same tank too.
> 
> Do you have the video of setting up dosing with VOS water bottle?
> 
> Do the plumbing comes with red sea package? I don't have plumbing experience and am wondering how challenging is it.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Awesome*

Phil it's great to be following your build .. love that u still have the passion for saltwater...


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks buddy! We have to get together soon with some of the old crew.

I certainly do. Hows your tank? Need to see some updates 



tom g said:


> Phil it's great to be following your build .. love that u still have the passion for saltwater...


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Photos*

Yes we have to get together ... I'll take some pics this week I finally removed all anemones.. and I am loving my new look


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Awesome to hear!! Can't wait to see them.



tom g said:


> Yes we have to get together ... I'll take some pics this week I finally removed all anemones.. and I am loving my new look


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

A well overdue FTS! So much going on right now so I apologize about the lack up updates. Tank is doing amazing! Cheato reactor doing its job, dosing has gone up quite a bit which is always a good thing and I have change my water changes to one large change once a month.


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

Looking killer. Looks even better in person. I totally forgot to get you.to show me your cheato reactor. I want to set one up.


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

mmatt said:


> Looking killer. Looks even better in person. I totally forgot to get you.to show me your cheato reactor. I want to set one up.


Oh crap. Come over when you can. I will show you the easiest way to do it.


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

I'll touch base when I have some time.


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## rburns24 (Jan 31, 2011)

-
Looking good, Phil .
-


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you Robert! Going to do an overhaul this week and change a few things.



rburns24 said:


> -
> Looking good, Phil .
> -


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice Tank Phil and it was nice to meet you last friday...


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Was great seeing you too Ash. Will have to get together soon for a frag swap 



Rookie2013 said:


> Nice Tank Phil and it was nice to meet you last friday...


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

WiseGuyPhil said:


> Was great seeing you too Ash. Will have to get together soon for a frag swap


Yeah sounds like a plan &#129322;

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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