Setting up the Reefer 350

Red Sea Reefer 350 Setup

The tank came in pretty fast. Two days later and it was ready for pickup.  I went to the Exotic Aquarium after work to pick it up on Friday.  I took it home and attempted to get it set up.  Here are the two boxes.

Pros

1. An almost complete system ( needs lighting, pump, skimmer, heater)
2. Modern Design
3. Black plastic covering the black glue on the bottom seam of the tank for extra protection to the seam
4. The stand came with instructions to assemble
5. Painted front doors
6. Black cushion padding for the display tank and sump glued(stickered) onto the stand.
7. Air circulation vent at the bottom of the front door
8. The plumbing was well thought out. Everything fit together nicely. No leaks.
9. Filter media right before return pump to trap bubbles.

Cons

1. ATO sump is very small (3 gallons). A 5-10 gallon tank would have been able to fit on top of the sump for a larger ATO.
2. Filter bags are 200 microns ( would be better at 100 microns but then it’s my preference)
3. The black plastic screw covers did not fit in certain holes to cover the screw.
4. Particle board laminates for 90% of the stand. Real wood would have been better.
5. The stand is heavy when assembled. Way heavier than real wood.
6. Tank and stand with water is well over 1k lbs. Not suitable for the second floor.
7. A sump light will be seen through the crack between the two front doors.
8. No display tank cover to reduce evaporation

Enough with the pros and cons… It’s unboxing time.  Red Sea put a lot of thought into packaging this tank.   Within the display tank was the top-off tank and the sump and everything was wrapped with foam support/protection.   Each tank packaging was also well put together.

The next was the fun day.  I spend about 2 hours assembling the cabinet together.  Let’s just say I’m glad this stand came with instructions!

Finally, the stand is coming together.

Before setting the tank on top, I had to level off the stand.  I used a standard leveler from Lowes and used wood shims to elevate the tank as needed.

Finally, it’s leveled!  Wood shims were cut to size and stacked under the tank stand to elevate it.

Now it’s time to put the tank on top and set up the pipings.

Here’s the tank with the sump installed.

Now with the lights on.  I’m playing with the settings.

Here’s a picture of the inside seam.  I wish I didn’t turn the blue up so high but anyways theirs a plastic piece that runs along the bottom of the tank on top of the black silicon.  I’m guessing it’s there to protect the black glue since Red Sea likes to put a bit extra glue to ensure its long-lasting hold.  The fitment and quality of this tank are superior.

So far I’m waiting on the RO/DI for water to fill up the tank. As I wait, I’ll list a breakdown of the cost so far. (All brand new)

Red Sea Reefer 350 $1300
Fiji Live Rocks $223.33 (68lbs)
Jebao DC3000 Return pump $77 Jebao DCS-3000 845GPH Submersible Pump with Controller
Simplicity 240 DC Skimmer $200 Simplicity 240DC Protein Skimmer for Saltwater Aquariums
Digital 300w Heater $37.79
Maxspect Gyre xf230 $250 Maxspect XF350 Gyre Pump and Controller Package Wavemaker (now the xf350 version)
Maxspect 300w Razor $540   New version on the light Maxspect Razor X 300w LED Lighting Fixture
Seachem Reef Salt and Live Aroganite Sand (40lb) $83.13

Total Spent so far $2711.25

Boy, this hobby is starting to add up. All of this is just to get the tank up and running. There’s no livestock yet. I hope it will be worth it in a month or two.

My next post will be about the rocks, pumps, and skimmer.

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