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rdck99's 16g Nuvo Reef (Now w/NanoBox Duo + 1st SPS!)


rdck99

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FTS 8/2/15:

thumb_IMG_2598_1024_zpsnoy7gliu.jpg

 

Video/Tank Tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7STtGFd5cs

 

I had several freshwater tanks growing up and over the past year or so, the itch has returned. So, now that I'm a responsible adult, I figured I ought to try saltwater. I did as much online reading and video watching as possible (and continue to do so), and I'm now off and running.

 

Equipment:

  • IM 16 gallon Nuvo, Black
  • Retired - IM Desktop Protein Skimmer (here's a link to My Setup/Battle with the IM Skimmer)
  • Retired - IM Desktop MiniMax Reactor (here's a link to My Experiences with the IM MiniMax Reactor)
  • BRS 2-Part Dosing System
  • Eheim Jager 75W Heater (keep tank at 79F)
  • Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite + 2nd Power Bar
  • Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152
  • Cobalt MJ1200 return pump, using IM Spin Stream Nozzles.
  • Vortech MP10 on ReefCrest, set around 30% power.

Filtration:

  • x1 InTank filter basket, with Floss (top), Purigen (middle), and Chemi-Pure Elite (bottom)
  • x1 IM stock filter basket with Floss (top)
  • 12 lbs of Cured Live Rock (Premium Aquatics' Premium Fiji; wish I would have bought the nano size)
  • 19 lbs of Caribsea Arag-Alive Special Grade Live Sand
  • InTank Fuge Baseket w/Chaeto

Maintenance/Additional Dosing:

  • 1 ml of Seachem Iodide per week
  • 3 gallon water change every 7-10 days using Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix
  • Filter floss swapped out with water changes
  • Replace Chemi-Pure Elite and Purigen every 3 months
  • Here's a link with my experience in Cleaning the Rear Sump Area.

Lighting:

  • NanoBox Duo with Bluefish Controller, running 9am-11pm (5.5 hours on highest setting - 37% power on whites, 90% on blues)
  • JBJ Nano Glo LED for fuge, running 11pm - 7am

Livestock (quarantining fish, drip acclimate with the IM AccuDrip, and CoralRX):

  • Fish: 1 black/white and 1 orange/white ocellaris clownfish, 1 tail spot blenny
  • Inverts: 1 rock flower anemone, 1 Candy Pistol Shrimp, 1 green-legged hermit, bristle worms and starfish (hitchhikers), 1 Nerite, and 1 Trochus.
  • Coral: 1 yellow ricordea, various zoas (rastas, watermelon, bam bams, la lakers, orange/brown, and green/orange), GSP, brown torch, toadstool leather mushroom, metallic green frogspawn, duncans, red mushrooms and green pocillopora.

Livestock Photo Updates:

Miscellaneous:

  • BRS 4 Stage RO/DI 75GPD with pressure gauge and float valve
  • Marineland Maxi-Jet 400 Powerhead (for saltwater mixing)
  • 50W Heater (for saltwater mixing)
  • API Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit + Salifert NO3/PO4/KH/Ca/Mg Tests
  • Refractometer
  • TDS Meter
  • 24" Kent Marine ProScraper II
  • Turkey Baster
  • Eheim Tongs
  • Small Mag-Float
  • 10g QT tank using Seachem Cupramine and Prazipro

My Cycle: didn't experience an ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate spike - at least none that I was actually able to measure and verify. I saw a slight diatom bloom and a bit of brown algae after 31 days, at which point I added my CUC. 27 days after my CUC, I added my first fish - a yasha/pistol shrimp pair.

 

Feeding: New Spectrum Thera-A 0.5mm pellets daily, Hikari frozen mysis 1-2 times per week (baste into coral, anemone and shrimp's den), Cobalt Aquatics Spirulina flakes weekly, and algae flakes on Two Little Fishies clip two times per week.

 

Regrets/Pest Battles: should have QT'd all my fish and/or not added the RG; if I did it again, I would have either bought Premium Aquatics' nano-sized LR or bought dry rock and chiseled my own scape; wish I had less LS (I added all 22 lbs, but probably only needed around 15 lbs).

History:

 

5/17/13 (tank gets wet):

e27e591a-38d9-437e-9c89-daf644e3bb0c_zps

6/23/13 (aquascape change and skimmer added):

e0e099d1-1cab-4a98-8ac9-8189106dddb8_zps

8/25/13 (corals added, fish in QT):

ac0bc3ab-64a4-49ce-a7d6-b6f0a095bfe1_zps

12/1/13 (fish back in DT, wrasse added):

IMG_1444_zps12626980.jpg

6/29/14 (coral growth, firefish added)

IMG_1879_zps9041718a.jpg

7/21/14 (new coral and aquascape)

IMG_1973_zpsc6642590.jpg

FTS 1/13/15 (first SPS, first anemone and NanoBox Duo):

IMG_2198_zpsbb632bb9.jpg

  • Like 3
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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a few updates on my shopping list that I wanted to share...

  • I planned on buying everything from Marine Depot, but after shopping around at BRS, I saved about $50 by using them on some items. The IM Desktop Skimmer was on sale, their refractometer was cheaper, etc.
  • As my research into everyone's Nano tanks grew, I couldn't resist buying two more pieces of equipment that weren't originally planned...a MP10 and the Tunze Osmolator Nano.
  • I chose the special grade Caribsea Arag-Alive sand over the finer sands, and I also chose Premium Aquatics for my Live Rock, instead of Sealife, Inc.
  • The stand is from Amazon, but sold by Petco. I'm definitely happy with the look and size of it, but I had to alter a few of the pieces to get everything to fit just right.
  • I also decided to get one InTank media basket and couldn't be happier with it. It will fit so much more nicely in my tank's chambers (see picture comparison below). It's still tough to tell, but the InTank basket is quite a bit wider and fits perfect. The stock basket isn't snug in the chamber at all, so water would could filter through untreated. P.S. I had a very good customer service experience with InTank - thank you.

IMG_0497_zps3c32abe0.jpg

 

I think this nearly completes my shopping, save for the livestock and food, but I'm also eyeing the InTank fuge basket, an Eheim Auto-Feeder, a battery backup of some sort, and of course, new lighting down the road...maybe a Kessil A150? Lordy, the hobby is indeed a slippery slope, and I've barely began!

 

I had read a few reviews on the RKL controller being difficult to setup, but after downloading the manual, I thought it was a breeze. Even though my tank isn't flowing yet, my controller is setup to maintain a temperature of 79 F and will also power on/off my white/day LEDs.

 

Unfortunately, the IM Nuvo tank pedestal was busted when it arrived from BRS. Their customer service was great, as was Steve at IM, and they're sending me a new pedestal this week. Once the pedestal arrives, I will order the rock. After the rock arrives, I will buy water from my LFS (I will still mix up my own water for water changes), and add the LR/LS to start the cycle. My filters and skimmer will not be present during the cycle period.

 

One question I'll pose...I left a voice message for Tunze last week, but after reading the manual and some internet browsing, I'm still not sure I understand where the sensor should be mounted and where the water line should be maintained? Any insight? Also, my ATO water reservoir holds about 3 gallons and I've read that you want to be careful how much you store in the reservoir, compared to what would cause your tank to overflow. Seems we a bit of catch-22...we want as much water as possible in the tank (for tank health) and reservoir (for less maintenance), yet the two seem at odds with one another. Any rule of thumb here?

 

And I'll leave you with a very preliminary shot of the tank (absent pedestal)/stand, with the blue/moon LEDs on.

IMG_0495_zps15be064d.jpg

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Not much going on yet, but thanks! I, like so many on these forums, can't even wait for rock and sand to stare at!

 

The stand was purchased on Amazon, but is distributed through Petco: here's a link.

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Cool tank I like these! I hope you have good luck with the mp10.. I just got a brand new one and it sounded like a dirtbike. I must say good customer service though, they are mailing me a new on at the moment.

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Thanks everyone!

 

x3thelast - I read your thread before taking the dive. Very nice Nuvo setup!

 

I setup my MP10 and ATO and thought I'd share a couple thoughts...first, the Tunze Nano Osmolator manual calls for the outlet hose (black hose) to be placed over the outlet feed of the pump...unless there's some sort of trick that I'm missing, that would be next to impossible. The provided hose is nowhere near large enough to squeeze around the white outlet of the pump. So, I inserted the hose into the outlet.

 

 

IMG_0533_zps96665f0e.jpg

 

Also, considering the MP10 is black, with a black cable, I thought it'd be nice if the little square cord tie-down pads had a black adhesive underside, as opposed to white...kind of stands out. Minor gripe, I know. Water, LR, and LS will be going in this weekend and we'll see if I'm dealing with a dirtbike or Vespa.

 

IMG_0528_zps76138fb7.jpg

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I have a few updates on my shopping list that I wanted to share...

  • I planned on buying everything from Marine Depot, but after shopping around at BRS, I saved about $50 by using them on some items. The IM Desktop Skimmer was on sale, their refractometer was cheaper, etc.
  • As my research into everyone's Nano tanks grew, I couldn't resist buying two more pieces of equipment that weren't originally planned...a MP10 and the Tunze Osmolator Nano.
  • I chose the special grade Caribsea Arag-Alive sand over the finer sands, and I also chose Premium Aquatics for my Live Rock, instead of Sealife, Inc.
  • The stand is from Amazon, but sold by Petco. I'm definitely happy with the look and size of it, but I had to alter a few of the pieces to get everything to fit just right.
  • I also decided to get one InTank media basket and couldn't be happier with it. It will fit so much more nicely in my tank's chambers (see picture comparison below). It's still tough to tell, but the InTank basket is quite a bit wider and fits perfect. The stock basket isn't snug in the chamber at all, so water would could filter through untreated. P.S. I had a very good customer service experience with InTank - thank you.

IMG_0497_zps3c32abe0.jpg

 

I think this nearly completes my shopping, save for the livestock and food, but I'm also eyeing the InTank fuge basket, an Eheim Auto-Feeder, a battery backup of some sort, and of course, new lighting down the road...maybe a Kessil A150? Lordy, the hobby is indeed a slippery slope, and I've barely began!

 

I had read a few reviews on the RKL controller being difficult to setup, but after downloading the manual, I thought it was a breeze. Even though my tank isn't flowing yet, my controller is setup to maintain a temperature of 79 F and will also power on/off my white/day LEDs.

 

Unfortunately, the IM Nuvo tank pedestal was busted when it arrived from BRS. Their customer service was great, as was Steve at IM, and they're sending me a new pedestal this week. Once the pedestal arrives, I will order the rock. After the rock arrives, I will buy water from my LFS (I will still mix up my own water for water changes), and add the LR/LS to start the cycle. My filters and skimmer will not be present during the cycle period.

 

One question I'll pose...I left a voice message for Tunze last week, but after reading the manual and some internet browsing, I'm still not sure I understand where the sensor should be mounted and where the water line should be maintained? Any insight? Also, my ATO water reservoir holds about 3 gallons and I've read that you want to be careful how much you store in the reservoir, compared to what would cause your tank to overflow. Seems we a bit of catch-22...we want as much water as possible in the tank (for tank health) and reservoir (for less maintenance), yet the two seem at odds with one another. Any rule of thumb here?

 

And I'll leave you with a very preliminary shot of the tank (absent pedestal)/stand, with the blue/moon LEDs on.

IMG_0495_zps15be064d.jpg

 

Wow the IM media basket literally looks like shit beside the STevie T Magic.

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LR, LS, and water is in the tank! Here are a few comments/questions from my experiences...

  • The LR came in from Premium Aquatics and I really like the look of it. I'm not good at identifying the various things that are growing on the rock, but I'll try to post some macro pictures later. The paper towels that the LR was wrapped in were still damp and there was zero odor from the box, so I believe die-off was minimal (plus, the LR was cured, which helps).

a5c69058-c485-454f-aaa0-6812c721539f_zps

  • Aquascaping is tough! I had explained my planned aquascape in hopes that they'd choose the LR accordingly, but I received six generic/grapefruit sized pieces nonetheless. I was still able to create the aquascape I had hoped to, but I'm not sure how much I like it. From the front, it looks cramped to me, but when I view the tank from the top, I feel there's plenty of room for fishies to swim. Needless to say, I chose not to glue any of my rock, so I can rearrange when/if necessary. What do you all think of the scape?

97b19fde-bbdf-4d4f-a0fd-27b759a71a62_zps

  • I put the LS in first, then the LR, and used a pump to add the water in last. I rinsed the LR, but chose not to rinse the LS (the Caribsea instructions said not to). The water was cloudy for about 4-5 hours, but that's not bad. On average, the sand bed is about 2-2.5" deep, but I think it looks way deeper. All 22 lbs of LS were used and I'd say I used about 19 lbs of LR - the picture below is the LR that I had leftover (I ordered 20 lbs total). Should I add this rubble to the tank's sump area...any other ideas for it?

3f534e7a-38ab-4a0b-bbe0-735cf0196903_zps

  • The only hitchhiker I'm aware of so far is this little worm/centipede-like creature here. He's about 3" long. I don't have him in my tank at the moment, but will gladly add him, if he's deemed friendly. Should I add this guy to my tank?

4927bf1f-19dc-444f-9065-cff0f76ad6f8_zps

  • In the end, I only used 11-12 gallons of water...this surprised me quite a bit. I knew I'd use fewer than 16 gallons, but I didn't know it'd be that little.
  • My MP10 has a little hum, but after some slight adjusting, it's certainly no dirtbike. And it passed the wife's "is this too noisy" test, so I'd say that's a win. I have it set on Reef Crest at around 60%.
  • Couple parameter notes...I have my heater set to about 80 F and the tank has been hovering just under 78 F. I may crank it up another notch or so. The salinity of the water from my LFS (using Instant Ocean salt) was around 1.021, but I hope to mix my water change water to more around 1.025.
  • I'm too nervous to turn my ATO on, so I'm hoping for some guidance/reassurance. What's a good water line for this tank? Is it wise to have the ATO sensor aligned so that it fills my tank with only about an inch or so to spare or is that cutting it too close?
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I just breezed through your post.. but heres my 2 cents. That worm is a Bristle worm dont touch it the spines are like little fiber glass shards. They are ok for the tank you probably have many many more. I have tons and tons from large to small gray to red. Im not sure about the rock in the back. I was told that the water level should be about 1 inch down in the pump chamber for the "waterfall" effect. LOOKS GREAT THO! like the scape

  • Like 1
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LR, LS, and water is in the tank! Here are a few comments/questions from my experiences...

  • The LR came in from Premium Aquatics and I really like the look of it. I'm not good at identifying the various things that are growing on the rock, but I'll try to post some macro pictures later. The paper towels that the LR was wrapped in were still damp and there was zero odor from the box, so I believe die-off was minimal (plus, the LR was cured, which helps).

a5c69058-c485-454f-aaa0-6812c721539f_zps

  • Aquascaping is tough! I had explained my planned aquascape in hopes that they'd choose the LR accordingly, but I received six generic/grapefruit sized pieces nonetheless. I was still able to create the aquascape I had hoped to, but I'm not sure how much I like it. From the front, it looks cramped to me, but when I view the tank from the top, I feel there's plenty of room for fishies to swim. Needless to say, I chose not to glue any of my rock, so I can rearrange when/if necessary. What do you all think of the scape?

97b19fde-bbdf-4d4f-a0fd-27b759a71a62_zps

  • I put the LS in first, then the LR, and used a pump to add the water in last. I rinsed the LR, but chose not to rinse the LS (the Caribsea instructions said not to). The water was cloudy for about 4-5 hours, but that's not bad. On average, the sand bed is about 2-2.5" deep, but I think it looks way deeper. All 22 lbs of LS were used and I'd say I used about 19 lbs of LR - the picture below is the LR that I had leftover (I ordered 20 lbs total). Should I add this rubble to the tank's sump area...any other ideas for it?

3f534e7a-38ab-4a0b-bbe0-735cf0196903_zps

  • The only hitchhiker I'm aware of so far is this little worm/centipede-like creature here. He's about 3" long. I don't have him in my tank at the moment, but will gladly add him, if he's deemed friendly. Should I add this guy to my tank?

4927bf1f-19dc-444f-9065-cff0f76ad6f8_zps

  • In the end, I only used 11-12 gallons of water...this surprised me quite a bit. I knew I'd use fewer than 16 gallons, but I didn't know it'd be that little.
  • My MP10 has a little hum, but after some slight adjusting, it's certainly no dirtbike. And it passed the wife's "is this too noisy" test, so I'd say that's a win. I have it set on Reef Crest at around 60%.
  • Couple parameter notes...I have my heater set to about 80 F and the tank has been hovering just under 78 F. I may crank it up another notch or so. The salinity of the water from my LFS (using Instant Ocean salt) was around 1.021, but I hope to mix my water change water to more around 1.025.
  • I'm too nervous to turn my ATO on, so I'm hoping for some guidance/reassurance. What's a good water line for this tank? Is it wise to have the ATO sensor aligned so that it fills my tank with only about an inch or so to spare or is that cutting it too close?

 

 

you can turn your sand up more if you like. i suggest not having the rocks lean up on the false wall to provide proper circulation in the tank and to not have any dead spots for algae to cyano to grow. I run my mp10 on the 4th to last LED dot (75%).

 

also 78 is a perfect temp for the tank. gives you some room for when it gets really hot in the summer. so keep it between 78-79F.

 

good luck

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Super CatPig

 

  • The only hitchhiker I'm aware of so far is this little worm/centipede-like creature here. He's about 3" long. I don't have him in my tank at the moment, but will gladly add him, if he's deemed friendly. Should I add this guy to my tank?

 

  • Couple parameter notes...I have my heater set to about 80 F and the tank has been hovering just under 78 F. I may crank it up another notch or so. The salinity of the water from my LFS (using Instant Ocean salt) was around 1.021, but I hope to mix my water change water to more around 1.025.

 

  • I'm too nervous to turn my ATO on, so I'm hoping for some guidance/reassurance. What's a good water line for this tank? Is it wise to have the ATO sensor aligned so that it fills my tank with only about an inch or so to spare or is that cutting it too close?

 

I don't have or know anything about that tank model but my ATO sensor is about 1.5 to 2 inches below the rim of my tank in the back.. In the front I'm about 1 inch from the rim. You might just have to play with the position of it. I do have the Tunze ATO you are using and my black outlet hose looks exactly the way you did yours. The nice thing about that sensor is it has a float switch as well and I don't know if its right or not but i keep my 5 gal reservoir half to a quarter full. Something to note when you hook up that ATO it will run water for a few seconds no matter what LOL. That used to drive me nuts when I would be messing with plugs and cords and such and turn it off and on a few times on accident.

 

All the bristel worms I had just ate sand and dead things from what I could ever tell. I hear really big ones can become problematic but I wouldnt worry about him.

 

Are you in St. Louis? I used to get water from my LFS - it was usually 1.025 but sometimes it would be a bit low.. I suspect it depended on who was mixing it that day. :unsure:

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you can turn your sand up more if you like. i suggest not having the rocks lean up on the false wall to provide proper circulation in the tank and to not have any dead spots for algae to cyano to grow. I run my mp10 on the 4th to last LED dot (75%).

 

also 78 is a perfect temp for the tank. gives you some room for when it gets really hot in the summer. so keep it between 78-79F.

 

good luck

Thanks for the response! I think I will play with the sand a bit more. Currently, no rocks are leaning on the wall, though it's close in a couple spots. I think I'm going to angle the two stock pump nozzles into the rear corners slightly, as those seem to be the only locations not getting much impact from the MP10.

 

I don't have or know anything about that tank model but my ATO sensor is about 1.5 to 2 inches below the rim of my tank in the back.. In the front I'm about 1 inch from the rim. You might just have to play with the position of it. I do have the Tunze ATO you are using and my black outlet hose looks exactly the way you did yours. The nice thing about that sensor is it has a float switch as well and I don't know if its right or not but i keep my 5 gal reservoir half to a quarter full. Something to note when you hook up that ATO it will run water for a few seconds no matter what LOL. That used to drive me nuts when I would be messing with plugs and cords and such and turn it off and on a few times on accident.

 

All the bristel worms I had just ate sand and dead things from what I could ever tell. I hear really big ones can become problematic but I wouldnt worry about him.

 

Are you in St. Louis? I used to get water from my LFS - it was usually 1.025 but sometimes it would be a bit low.. I suspect it depended on who was mixing it that day. :unsure:

That's good information on the Tunze ATO - THANK YOU! I think I'll let the water level dip a bit more, then I'll turn the ATO on and play around a bit.

 

So, this looks to be a bristel worm? I guess that's one vote for introducing him into the tank!

 

I am in St. Louis. I'm closest to Seascape off Lindbergh, but the water was bought from Gateway Aquatics (really cool place for corals)s.

 

Any other thoughts on the worm or what do do with my rubble?

 

Also, I had a small clam-looking shell attached to one of the rocks. The mouth had what looked to be black dirt coming out, so I assumed it was dead. However, this morning, it was nowhere to be found, so I guess it relocated? Now I'm kicking myself for not snapping a photo :(

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Super CatPig

Awesome! I'm in St. Louis Hills so I go to those places a lot. Seascape usually has some really nice stuff. I go there from time to time but it's not really priced for someone like me. I prefer Gateway Aquatics for livestock they've got a huge variety of coral and a ton of frags. :)

 

Interesting about the bivalve clammy thing. Perhaps he moved to a better spot. Not sure about the brown stuff. Maybe he was expelling some kind of waste or he was upset from shipment. All that aside, where there is one, there may be more. ;) you never know where you might find something.

 

I wouldn't add the rubble to back of your tank. I have been told (though I have never tried it) that live rock in the back can become a big hard to reach detrius trap over time. Also not really important but I just realized you have the nano sensor so mines a bit different but pretty similar since it's made bye the same company, you just have a smaller one with a single sensor instead of a double. I think our pumps are exactly the same though.

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I just breezed through your post.. but heres my 2 cents. That worm is a Bristle worm dont touch it the spines are like little fiber glass shards. They are ok for the tank you probably have many many more. I have tons and tons from large to small gray to red. Im not sure about the rock in the back. I was told that the water level should be about 1 inch down in the pump chamber for the "waterfall" effect. LOOKS GREAT THO! like the scape

Somehow I missed this response entirely but thank you. The worm was in my rubble bucket and I haven't been able to find him, so I guess it wasn't meant to be!

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Some new hitchhiker findings...any help on identification would be great!

 

Is this aiptasia? If so, I'll use the boiling water technique.

IMG_0576_zps8edfada0.jpg

 

Found another clam-like fella. His shell and the live rock are literally one...weird. Anytime I'm in the tank, his little mouth tightens.

IMG_0582_zps35bc289e.jpg

 

Any idea what this green slime stuff is? I have it in several spots...

IMG_0585_zps4604ca9c.jpg

 

I also have a few of these small red coral sticks here and there. Any ideas?

IMG_0586_zpsbcc7692e.jpg

 

Lots of this hair on one piece of live rock...from the pictures I've seen, it doesn't look like hair algae...any ideas?

IMG_0587_zps496507c3.jpg

 

Zoa fossil?

IMG_0583_zps32764ad5.jpg

 

Dead zoas?

IMG_0572_zps41110a3d.jpg

 

The rock with probably the most purple and green color...

IMG_0573_zpsc4616ad8.jpg

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Super CatPig

The first pic looks like a small feather duster of some sort. Good for the tank. :) Hard to see the green slime looking stuff but my guess is bubble algae. Not sure fromt he pic of the white fuzzy stuff they look kinda like micro feather dusters from here.. it almost looks sponge like or my eyes are playing tricks on me.. Oh maybe Foraminiferans! I had to look up how to splell that. LOL. The red sticks look almost like vermatid snail holes. The dead coral skeletons look like a dead LPS of some sort I'm guessing favia. You'd probably get better IDs from the identification forum though I'm not the toolest shed in the crayon box. Or try looking in here it's my favorite!!

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The first pic looks like a small feather duster of some sort. Good for the tank. :) Hard to see the green slime looking stuff but my guess is bubble algae. Not sure fromt he pic of the white fuzzy stuff they look kinda like micro feather dusters from here.. it almost looks sponge like or my eyes are playing tricks on me.. Oh maybe Foraminiferans! I had to look up how to splell that. LOL. The red sticks look almost like vermatid snail holes. The dead coral skeletons look like a dead LPS of some sort I'm guessing favia. You'd probably get better IDs from the identification forum though I'm not the toolest shed in the crayon box. Or try looking in here it's my favorite!!

Much appreciated...again! I think you hit the nail on the head on several of those. Glad you're following :)

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Bubble Algae: After reading a few threads, I think I've decided to leave the bubble algae alone...for now. I've spotted it in 3-4 different places (extremely small clusters), but unless I see it begin to spread, I'm going to hold off on disturbing it or attempting to suck it up with a baster. If all goes according to plan, I'll add an emerald crab in a few weeks and voila! We shall see. Let me know if any disagrees?

 

Parameters/Cycle: Six days in and the tank is still reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 0 nitrates. pH is around 8.0.

 

Salinity: I calibrate my refractometer before each use, however, the readings seem unusual. As I mentioned previously, the salinity of the water used to fill the tank (from LFS) was around 1.021. I haven't topped off my tank at all in the past six days, as I had filled my tank more than what IM recommends (see below), yet my salinity still read 1.021 today...seems after six days of evaporation, that should have gone up some?

 

Water Line: To elaborate on my battle with finding the correct location for my ATO and setting the appropriate water line...I ended up calling Steve at IM and he explained that he keeps the water line about 1/2" - 1" below the middle chamber/return pump walls in the back of the tank. Click on the link below and refer to the second diagram down that shows the back of the tank...the space that measures 10.51" is the chamber I'm talking about - the water level should be about 1/2" - 1" below those two walls, so it creates a "waterfall" effect as the water flows through the filter chambers on each side and spills into the middle. The way the filter chambers are structured, maintaining this water level still allows the display portion of the tank to have a water line about 1" or so from the top.

 

http://innovative-marine.com/nuvo-aquarium/specs/nano-16-spec-sheet.pdf

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I'd tackle the algae now while its small. For bubble algae you want to pull the balls off the rock with tweezers without rupturing the balls. Otherwise you can remove the rock and scrub the algae off with a toothbrush or spray it with a peroxide and water mix. Emerald crabs will help clear it up but they can cause other issues. I'm apposed to adding a critter to your tank specifically to get rid of a pest (Peppermint shrimp and aiptasia for example). Just make sure you really want an emerald crab before you decide to add one to try and fix an issue, these things can come back to bite you.

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Bubble Algae: After reading a few threads, I think I've decided to leave the bubble algae alone...for now. I've spotted it in 3-4 different places (extremely small clusters), but unless I see it begin to spread, I'm going to hold off on disturbing it or attempting to suck it up with a baster. If all goes according to plan, I'll add an emerald crab in a few weeks and voila! We shall see. Let me know if any disagrees?

 

Parameters/Cycle: Six days in and the tank is still reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 0 nitrates. pH is around 8.0.

 

Salinity: I calibrate my refractometer before each use, however, the readings seem unusual. As I mentioned previously, the salinity of the water used to fill the tank (from LFS) was around 1.021. I haven't topped off my tank at all in the past six days, as I had filled my tank more than what IM recommends (see below), yet my salinity still read 1.021 today...seems after six days of evaporation, that should have gone up some?

 

Water Line: To elaborate on my battle with finding the correct location for my ATO and setting the appropriate water line...I ended up calling Steve at IM and he explained that he keeps the water line about 1/2" - 1" below the middle chamber/return pump walls in the back of the tank. Click on the link below and refer to the second diagram down that shows the back of the tank...the space that measures 10.51" is the chamber I'm talking about - the water level should be about 1/2" - 1" below those two walls, so it creates a "waterfall" effect as the water flows through the filter chambers on each side and spills into the middle. The way the filter chambers are structured, maintaining this water level still allows the display portion of the tank to have a water line about 1" or so from the top.

 

http://innovative-marine.com/nuvo-aquarium/specs/nano-16-spec-sheet.pdf

Regarding your Salinity.....I have added RO top off for some time before it raises the salinity. I believe after 6 days that is normal with salt creep etc... If you add saltwater to top off it will go up.. that seems low for a reef tank IMO you should get it up to 1.026 if you are adding coral they will love it.

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