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Cultivated Reef

Another Fluval spec V


Chris333

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Fluval Spec V 5 gallon, back wall painted black

small bulkhead holes filled

In Tank surface skimmer

mini jet 606

Hydor rotating water deflector

DIY media rack

Current USA Orbit Marine LED light 18-24"

50W visi therm stealth heater

auto top off with aqua lift pump and about 12g storage

 

10lb Gulf live rock Premium Decorative

6lb Caribsea arag-alive Hawaiian black sand

 

 

Finnex 1.1gallon HOB refugium

Marineland 11" LED

2lb live rock rubble

some sand

 

 

 

So I decided to start up a salt tank again with a spec V I had. I sealed up to 2 slits in the back and built a rack:

20141018_204441.jpg

 

I also swapped out the pump for a mini jet 606 and used a Hydor rotating water deflector. I tested it all with tap water. Today my sand and RODI unit came in the mail. I got Caribsea arag-alive Hawaiian black sand and this RODI unit:

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-value-water-saver-plus-ro-di-system-150gpd.html

 

The filter is working good. Their built in meter and one I have both say it is 0ppm TDS. My tap water going in is about 315ppm TDS. I put about 7lbs of the sand in the tank then poured in the saltwater that was mixed with Red Sea coral pro salt. Now when I check the TDS in the tank I get 930ppm!

 

Is this normal? It must be from the sand. The sand and water are all that is in the tank with the pump running and filter floss only. What am I doing wrong here?

 

Thanks

Chris

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The tds of the saltwater will be very high because you have dissolved stuff in it. As long as the rodi water is 0 you are fine and good luck

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Ah thanks. I guess it could also be the dissolved salt...duh.

 

What are the thoughts on sand depth on a tank this small. I'm at about .75inches right now, but have extra if needed.I

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After having my Spec V running 1/2 to 1 inch of sand, I found it to be too much of a pain to keep clean.

 

My next pico is going to have just enough sand to cover the bottom - maybe 1/4 inch. Sandeep recommeded this in his thead to make it easier to clean and collect less waste.

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Figured I'd show a tank shot. Even if it is empty...

 

20141023_040525.jpg

 

There is about 3/4" of sand. Temp is at 78 and salt is at 1.025.

 

Tomorrow I have 10lbs of premium deco live rock coming from Gulf Live Rock:

http://www.gulfliverock.com/premium-decorative-rock.html

 

Since there is nothing in the tank I plan to just place the rock right into the tank and give it a few weeks for any pests to work their way out. Is there anything I should be doing to this rock beforehand? I want to keep as much life as possible, but also don't want to kick myself for not taking care of anything I'm missing.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Also I have a 18-24" Current USA Orbit Marine LED light on the way.

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Looks great man! I was in the same position as you about a month ago, and everything is working out for me so far as well. The orbit marine LED is a pretty sick light! Loving the ramp features and the two channel adjustments you can do. It's not very bright, but we have a shallow tank so i'd give sps a try one day. Thinking about picking up a Branching Acropora sps to see how it performs under the light.

 

How does your rotating deflector work with the mini-jet 606? I have the same pump and was considering picking up the defector as well.. Easy to attach to the nozzle? One thing i'll also recommend to you is to get yourself a refractometer, those little plastic pieces of garbage you get at your lfs are widely inaccurate, and the last thing you want is wrong salinity..

 

Feel free to check out my link in my sig to follow my tank progress, might give you some insight as well.

 

Welcome and good luck!

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Rock is here:

20141023_142505.jpg

20141023_142512.jpg

 

I have questions about the green discs and red branches. Are those algaes that will keep growning. Should I get rid of them?

 

In the tank. No scape, just getting them wet:

20141023_145241.jpg

 

I'm also worried about these orange spots. I've read they are sponges and will spread fast, is that true?

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There were 2 crabs and a shrimp I found that didn't make it, but a snail did and some worms.

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How does your rotating deflector work with the mini-jet 606? I have the same pump and was considering picking up the defector as well.. Easy to attach to the nozzle?

It attached easy with a small piece of tubing. When I put the live rock in all the silt must of jammed up the rotator. I gave it a quick rinse to get it going again.

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So chugging along...

 

With the live rock in there I've been doing ~20% water changes every day. After a few days I changed the floss and added Chemipure Elite along with Pureigen. It is very difficult to do anything with this tank without cleaning water up all over the table. My lights came in and now it seems this coral on the live rock lived:

IMG_5320.JPG

The small fingers pop out during the day and retract if I bump the tank. Search reveals it is Oculina sp.

 

Also getting some fungus on one sponge. Rearranged the rocks, not sure if they will stay this way or not:

IMG_5322.JPG

 

On the way is a Finnex 1 gallon hang on box for a fuge. I'm thinking the stock Spec pump will work on this. Any ideas on a cheap 12" LED fuge light?

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One more thing. I have a Two Little Fishies nanomag and in less than a week it started rusting : (
I think someone else had this rust and it screwed up their tank and bleached their corals

 

With the rockscape aim for more caves instead do a pile. I like the 2 piles but make them separate and maybe put an arch right in the top

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Just posting this to keep track. Shortly after a 25% water change.

 

pH 8.2

Ammonia 2.0ppm

Nitrite 2.0ppm

Nitrate 40ppm

 

There where a lot of dead worms that I blew out of the rocks. Plus some sponge die off.

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Funny that before I bought the Nanomag all I found were post telling how great it was. Now I search with the word "rust" and find tons of people with the same problem...

 

Just ordered a Vertex mag

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-cleaner-mag-simplex-27dbb28ea03fd64ae84f717f6dfac59c.html

 

I had the same mag on my Spec V. Actually still have it in a box of spare parts, and I have the Vertex Duplex for both the 40B and the new 6 gallon bookshelf.

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I had the same issue with the nanomag and my tank is still recovering... (rust = poor quality = unhappy/bleached corals) Just beware. Keep it out of the tank and away from salt when not in use. Thats my advice.

 

Anyway welcome to the Spec V club :) I will for sure be following this thread! Love the black sand, I was on the fence about black sand in my spec and wish I would have gone that route. Can't wait to see how this thing turns out!

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Diatoms! <_<

 

Guess I will try to keep the lights off for a few days. Ordered a 5.5 gallon clean up crew from Reef Cleaners.

 

 

LOL maybe I'll leave the lights on 24/7 instead. I love searching for answers...

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Diatoms! <_<

 

Guess I will try to keep the lights off for a few days. Ordered a 5.5 gallon clean up crew from Reef Cleaners.

 

 

LOL maybe I'll leave the lights on 24/7 instead. I love searching for answers...

Keep the lights the same and the diatoms will starve themselves out

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So got the Finnex HOB box today for my fuge, it holds 1.1 gallons.

IMG_5329.JPG

 

I thought I ordered the one with the air pump everyone says sucks. Planned to use the stock Fluval pump, but when I opened the box there was a small powerhead inside. 40gph and the same size as the Fluval pump so I'm using it. I shortened up both intake pipes to hug the pump as close to the back wall as possible. The pipe going into the box is drilled like a "rain bar".

IMG_5332.JPG

 

Not sure I like how much room the pump takes up, but oh well. Maybe I can place something on it later...

The box has 2 separators. I put about 1/2" of my sand and a few small pieces of rock.

IMG_5334.JPG

 

For the light I got a Marineland 11" LED bar. It is slim and matches my main tank light.

IMG_5335.JPG

 

On the way is a 1/2 liter of copepods, and some chaeto and caulerpa.

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that HOB fuge is cool idea. the display is hard enough to work with due to being so long and narrow so having the fuge allows for more rock, media, or what ever else you want.

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Thanks. I hope it works out. The LFS had some rock so I bought 1-2 lbs for the fuge:

IMG_5338.JPG

 

And I trimmed the top cover to fit:

IMG_5342.JPG

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Another hitchhiker

IMG_5345.JPG

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Hi what did you use to cover the side of the glass where the HOB is? Is it paint or something else. I am very new still doing research...;) Thanks and you spec is coming along great.

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