Red Sea Max Owners Club

[Hodge]

Reefmack,

The whisper filter I have are "medium" size. The filter frame fits across the width of the compartment just about right.

The Tunze I received had a magnet attachment. Unfortunately there is no adjustment like the older bracket style. The magnet portion attached to the skimmer is too low to be able to use on the heater glass divider ( it would end up way to low in the water). I had to attach to the glass wall next to the control panel. (had to discard the control panel splash cover to make it work). I'm going to fab a bracket so I can move it over to the heater side, then I could have my primary filtration ahead of the skimmer.

JB23,

If you use Photobucket, there is an option to limit size to fit message boards(forums etc). Once selected it resizes automatically each time.

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

JB23
I just went through the trials & errors of this process.... the forum recommends 'photobucket', but I discovered that my most used photo editor PICASA2(google) will ask if you if you want to resize an export file of a pix or pixs when you export it. I sent my file to my desktop file and tagged it 'as resized.'

I used the 480pixel setting (minimum res.) which gave me a file size of less than 45KB... (under 50KB) acceptable for upload to Reef Central. Hope this helps....

Merry Christmas,
Kent

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

JB23
I feel your pain... Went through it myself today!
If you have a gmail account, Download Picasa2. See my previous post about your problem. If not, use Reefmack's suggested sign up for photobucket. His reply to my same question appears a couple of pages back.

Yo! After midnight!!!!

Merry Christmas,
Kent

[reefsr4me]

Thanks for the replies about the RO/DI, I am sure of the 0 phosphates, as I tested the SW and the tap water with a 0. I too have decent water from the tap without the softner. I just see the $200+ that could be spent on corals rather than a RO/DI system. Any other feedback on the system or suggestions for low cost systems with low cost replacement cartridges would be excellent.

[Patio]

Has anyone moded the overflow gate so it actually over flows?

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

It's Christmas one hour ago and I am about to begin my RSM adventure...!

The RSM pedestal I constructed is 90% complete (see my photo gallery for details / I welcome all of your inquiries!)

What do you all recommend that I MUST DO IMMEDIATELY as I put my stock RSM together using the Red Sea Starter Kit?
1. Should I do a RSM stock skimmer mod NOW per all of your suggestions?
2. Should I add the 'Hydor Flo' outlets to the RSM stock pump outlets?
3. Should I add additional substrate like a dry, clean but coarser CaribSea?... over and and above the 22lbs. of Red Sea aragonite 'Reef Base'? I am going to use 5lbs. of dry base rock for support of my LR aquascape. I will add substrate around it for support.
4. My son-in-law sent me a Hydor Koralia #1.... Keep it, or trade up to a #2?
5. Use the stock media, or go with LR rubble and Purigen?

Anything else I should consider doing now but may have not thought of?
The Best to ALL of YOU FOR THE HOLIDAYS,
Kent

Kent

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

Originally posted by reefsr4me
Thanks for the replies about the RO/DI, I am sure of the 0 phosphates, as I tested the SW and the tap water with a 0. I too have decent water from the tap without the softner. I just see the $200+ that could be spent on corals rather than a RO/DI system. Any other feedback on the system or suggestions for low cost systems with low cost replacement cartridges would be excellent.

More $ on what we want in our RSM.... Less on the stuff
That's why I am researching the "value'' RO/DI's
KENT

[stephensturman]

merry chistmas everyone!

[Reefmack]

Hodge - I must have gotten too big a Whisper filter - mine have a blue bracket and are just too big.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Patio - most of us run the front tank level about 1/4 inch below the black rim so that the surface oils will get pulled through the back gate - if the tank is filled up to hide the black rim in front, that surface oil never really gets removed well. It's a design flaw in the RSM. I've often been tempted to put a "rim" of black plastic electrical tape below the rim but never have done that yet. Someone on a UK RSM forum modded one of the black wire covers to allow the gate to be raised higher, but I've never wanted to remove that right side wire cover:



>>>>>>>>>

JB23 - looks like you've already got a few pointers on reducing the size of pictures to use the gallery, or Photobucket to post pics. If you aren't clear on it just say so. NaCl+H2O Fish seems to have figured out Picasa and the gallery useage.

>>>>>>>>>>

reefsr4me - Maybe you just need to let the diatom algae run it's course till it exhausts whatever it's using as a food source. Cutting back on the light cycle to 6 hours helps - diatom thrives on light, and my tank use to get "browner" from morning to night.

>>>>>>>>>>

NaCl+H2O Fish - totally my own opinions (in parentheses) ..........

1. Should I do a RSM stock skimmer mod NOW per all of your suggestions? (If it were me I'd stay stock & see what happens - you may have gotten one of the skimmers that works well).

2. Should I add the 'Hydor Flo' outlets to the RSM stock pump outlets? (I like these - but they can be added at any time - up to you).

3. Should I add additional substrate like a dry, clean but coarser CaribSea?... over and and above the 22lbs. of Red Sea aragonite 'Reef Base'? I am going to use 5lbs. of dry base rock for support of my LR aquascape. I will add substrate around it for support. (If you get any sand sifter gobies, a coarser substrate may interfere with their "sifting". A coarser substrate may also give more places for excess food & detritis to be trapped? I'm not sure on what to tell you on this one.)

4. My son-in-law sent me a Hydor Koralia #1.... Keep it, or trade up to a #2? (I like the #1, never had the #2 - some like it some have thought it was a bit too much flow for things like mushrooms & other softies & some lps. In my own case I think the #2 would be too much for a lot of my corals.)

5. Use the stock media, or go with LR rubble and Purigen? (I started stock and switched to rubble & other media later - you'll eventually have to work in that dreaded pump compartment so you could always switch later on.)

Hopefully you'll get some other opinions!

Merry Christmas all, Happy holidays! (Trying to be politically correct LOL).

[Y-DesygnGuy]

No "PC" here.... MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!! I hope you have a fantastic day!!

[Reefmack]

Ohhhhh - for a minute I thought your PC (computer) was down, but how would you have posted? Duh - I'm not always the brightest bulb on the tree!

[donna53w]

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S !! !! EVERY ONE !

WISHING ALL OF YOU THE BRIGHTEST & BEST IN THE NEW YEAR!
Donna

[Reefmack]

Thanks all for the Christmas & holiday wishes! I hope you all have a safe one too!

[Patio]

Reefmack- I am forced to do the same with my water level but dont like the look.

So nobody has been tempted to cut out every other bar in the overflow? I will start thinking about doing some cutting.

Merry RedSeamas

[Reefmack]

Patio - if you remove those bars you'll increase the chance of small snails or even small fish getting in the back - could increase the chances of getting into a pump and messing up the impeller? Just a thought.

Funny on the Merry RedSeaMas

[Patio]

Reefmack- Maybe I can do something with egg crate or smaller for a grate. I just dont like the low level look. My skimmer would perform better if my tank actually had a real overflow.

Back to eating good food!

[Titans]

I got an IPOD!!! and Dr. Pepper pajamas!!! Merry Christmas everyone =)

[stephensturman]

one of my zoo frags wont open up all the way how do i fresh water dip? to see if there are any parasites?

[reefsr4me]

Originally posted by Reefmack
reefsr4me - Maybe you just need to let the diatom algae run it's course till it exhausts whatever it's using as a food source. Cutting back on the light cycle to 6 hours helps - diatom thrives on light, and my tank use to get "browner" from morning to night.

[/B]

I did cut it back to 8 hrs, which has slowed it down dramatically, but it still is growing. With water changes that may not be with pure water, I may be adding more food sources for the diatoms?

NaCl+H2O maybe when u r done with the research, you can be sure to post it. I am interested, but hate to spent the money.

[ncwaterboy]

I have read several pages of this thread but not the whole thing, has anyone posted a viable way of dealing with the micro bubbles? Thanks in advance

[NaCl+H2O Fish]

I have said before that all of us would not waste our time to be a part of this forum... except to share information with one another!

Reefsr4me - Be assured I will report on my RO/DI research and post it for all! The 'Mighty Mite' might be an answer for small production RSM owners.

I just received an email response from Gary at www.intmarinefish.com and have decided to go with them for cured LR. I will report back to you all and post photos.

Reefmack - As always you provide solid advice! I enjoy the way you think! No rush to modify the RSM unless it becomes a specific 'performance' issue... Would you please send a link for the Sturman position for the Kordia? Many Thanks!

Excited to FINALLY begin my RSM setup!!!

Kent

[Reefmack]

Titans - going to post any pics of you listening to the iPod in the Dr. Pepper PJs? LOL

Stephensturman - trying a search on dip in the zoanthid forum came up with several posts - this one looks good:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...&highlight=dip

reefsr4me - All I can say is that the R0/DI seemed to what it took to finally rid myself of the diatoms. Took a couple weeks of weekend water changes and using RO/DI for my topoff water. I can't guarantee it's what you need - all I can do is pass on my own experience. Or, hold off to get the word from NaCl+H2O Fish.

ncwaterboy - other than replacing or modding the skimmer, the easiest 1st things to do are cut the RSM black sponge down to an inch, keep the top pad cleaned at least every other day. Replacing the air valve alone has seemed to help some decrease the microbubbles. I guess a nice summary of the numerous things that gave some success would help, but there have been so many things tried that it's getting hard to remember them all. As the microbbubles can come from both the skimmer and from the powerhead pumps not being submerged deep enough, the first step is to try to identify the biggest source of the microbubbles.

NaCl+H2O Fish - you're workin me LOL! I had to scan back to page 26 to find a picture of the "Sturman Position". It's really just mounting the Koralia with the magnet inside the top of the powercenter compartment, rather than on the side of the tank:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...&pagenumber=26

Tired and stuffed like a turkey here tonight! I think the huge piece of my wife's peanut butter pie - with an Oreo crust and a later of fudge between that and the peanut butter/cream cheese filling is what did me in!

[Rue]

...well now...I am enjoying my Christmas RSM! My anemone clone was floating around the tank today...I nabbed it and stuffed it in a crevice (gently) fearing another intake incident...that caused a bit of excitement!

I wonder how many people in the world have gotten to see an anemone free-styling??? (Notice that I'm NOT asking how many people would want to )...

And for Xmas the household has ordered Cable and Hi-speed! Woo-hoo...if all goes well, another 3 weeks and we'll be up to speed...we also haven't had cable since 1990 so we'll be overloading on TV for a while until we get used to it again...

Other than that I got a leather desk chair (economy model, but still very nice) and a book on horse art through the ages...

My 12 year old got an iPod...and the others got clothes...

..and all are waiting for connections!!!

[martinphillip03]

ReefMack, Nice job running the thread. Noticed on RSMreefers, you have a fuge, How is that going. I did not realize you are running approx 250 watts of lights. How is that working out? And you are running an aquaclear? Why. How about some current pictures, front and back, of your setup.

Marty

Marty

[Reefmack]

Rue - Merry Christmas! Good to hear you wrangled the free-styling BTA twin before it did a side stroke into the gate! Hopefully it will stay put now! Woohooo on getting cable & high speed. Now I won't have to feel bad every time I post a picture. Enjoy the new chair!

martinphillip03 - Thanks. I try my best. The fuge is doing great - CPR Aquafuge - full of pods, tiny dusters, micro stars, snails, baby snails, and the chaeto needs pruning very soon. The lights are working great too - I think my corals are looking better and it seems like the zoas have been multiplying faster than before. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.