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9 Gallon Nano, up and running/build


JoeGnallPA

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Well got all my equipment, and needed supplies...

 

As of last night 7:30pm est the tank is up and running..

 

11 pounds of assorted rock. 2 lbs dry base, 6 lbs of reef rock, and 3lb live rock.

 

10lbs Carib-Sea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink live sand..

 

Upgraded the stock pump to a 200gph and running just a square of poly filter right now. as well as a 50w ceramic heater. Temp is 76 degrees.

 

Using Red Sea Coral Pro salt, at 1.025

 

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Parameters 15 hours since tank was set up..

 

PH 8.1

Ammonia 0ppm

Nitrite 0ppm

Nitrate 0ppm

Calicum 480 ppm

KH 12dkh/214.8ppm

phospates .25ppm

 

Should I ghost feed, dose ammonia, or do a raw shrimp in a filter bag?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well I decided to rearrange the rock work, and add another 3 lbs of dry rock, during my cycle. As of 9/5/15 My tank was cycled, and wiping out 2ppm ammonia, and nitrites within 10 hours...

 

Did an 80% water change, got nitrates to 0ppm, rinsed my filter floss, and added a 20g unit of chemipure and I went shopping. I got 2 red legged hermits, 2 nassarius, and 2 other snails that I totally forget their name.. Figured go light on stocking, didn't get much of a bloom, will be getting more snails.. Also got a couple frags of Zoa's GSP, and Candy Cane. I got a bonus zoa on the GSP frag. Don't know what the zoa's are called. There is a local reefer that sells inexpensive frags, like 8 minutes away from me. Got to love craigslist...

 

Took all my testing today, let the tank just work 48 hours. And kinda impressed and happy with myself..

 

Temp 79 SG: 1.025

PH 8.3 Calcium 440ppm

Ammonia 0ppm KH 12dKH

Nitrite 0ppm Phosphates 0ppm

Nitrate 2ppm

 

Here's some pics from Saturday evening. After acclimating and coral dip. All corals were opened within 5 hours of being in the tank.. As of today, I already can tell the candy cane has gotten bigger, and notice a couple new heads on the zoas forming, and gsp mat is spreading..

 

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Well it's been a week since I have added my clean up crew. Water Parameters have been nice and stable as far as a new non-mature tank goes. I added my first fish on 9/11/15.. A Royal Gramma (i like them) and my GSP had spread over the frag rock it was on, so I decided to attempt my hand at fragging it, and placed 3 sections on the back wall, leaving the main still on the rock..

 

I also removed the Candy Cane Coral, and placed it on my live rock, and relocated the lone polyp that was on the GSP frag, over to the left side on my tower rock.

 

I have been doing a half gallon water change mid week, with a 1 to 1.5 gallon on sunday for a total of 2 gallons per week..

 

 

 

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Jax showing me who's boss... LOL

 

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  • 1 month later...

Well it's been a while.. Tank will be up and running 2 months on the 22nd of October. Here's a current FT Shot.

 

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Been very stable. 1 gallon weekly water changes. evap maybe 1/4 cup a day.

 

 

 

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Ok. So I kinda need some insight and help...

 

Been having a little issue with my tank..

 

 

ZOA's have been fading, not bleaching, but losing the vibrant colors. a monti cap is growing noticeably, but not coloring, and a meteor shower has browned, and white spots, but still full PE (bottom placement mediumish flow, 11ish inches from light.)

 

Galaxy Coral is doing good color wise, which is about 5" inches below the water, same with the montis, just other side of tank.

 

Zoa's have multiple new polyps growing, monti can actually notice day to day growth... candy cane is doing fine, as well as the yellow polyps, and the frogspawn I have at the bottom center of the tank...

 

Only 1 fish, a royal gramma, 5 hermits, 3 astrea snails, 2 nassarius snails, 1 zebra turbo snail

 

Feeding Schedule

 

a little bigger than a 1/8" square Reef Frenzy Nano, twice a day. and a 1/10 tsp reef roids, broadcast, and spot fed total on Tuesday and Friday water change on Saturday/Sunday depending on work

 

My params are:

 

Temp 79

SG 1.025

PH 7.8 (after full lights 8 hours)

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 20ppm (stable) can't seem to get it lower, not going to chase it just yet

calcium 420pp,

DKH 12

phos 0ppm

 

I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt, I do 1 to 1.2 gallons water change weekly.

 

I know ph can be considered low, but with in limits But if you look up CO2, there's a chart found searching my ph, and the high DKH, saying I have like 5.3 times normal pCO2 than NSW.. I have good surface agitation...

 

my filtration is filter floss, and a 20g unit of chemipure original.

 

 

 

My light is a fluval SEA 25k Nano....about 3-4ish inches from surface of water.

 

light is run night mode (blues) 6:30 am 8 am, light fully on 8 am to 7 or 8pm, then night till 9 or 10, then off the rest of the night.

 

 

I'm stumped. Is it the PH is too low, dropping too much at night time ( I need to monitor this) DKH too high, nitrates that big of a problem, or too much CO2, and should get a skimmer...

 

Had an rw4 in there, but flow was too much and pissing things off. right now back to a 160 gph with a duck bill aimed right up at surface, breaking it quite well.

 

SO do I need a new light setup, a skimmer, and upgrade pump back up to a 220ish-240ish and run a spin stream, keep the it and grab a smaller in tank pump....

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  • 3 weeks later...

Lost my monti, metero shower, a kenya tree, one zoa colony, and galaxy coral has seen better days, but seems to be bouncing back...

 

Sorry, thats a bummer.

 

I belive its because your nutrients are so low. Phosphates and Nitrates should be detectable; if your water is that clean theres simply nothing for the corals to "eat".

The DKH is very high as well, but thats typical of Red Sea Coral Pro

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Well since that first post with the specs Have had a huge problem. nitrates jumped to about 60, no phosphates. still 7.8ph all spec's the same, but HUGE algae outbreak. Turns out when I stopped using distilled water and went with supposed RO/DI water from a "friend" tested out fine at first. Then after problem occured, tested water. 5 Nitrates, 2.5 Phospates. So what I thought I was taking out with my weekly WC, I was replacing, and adding in top off.

 

Seems phosphates were getting used up by algae, providing a false negative, and dying off and spiking nitrates.. Adjusted photo period, ordering a new light with NO RED,

 

And for right now, switched over to premixed water from my LFS ph 8.1, dkh 8, nitrates 0 and phosphates 0...

 

To rule out any more phosphate and help combat the algae, running a Pura filtration pad, and about 1/2 cup RowaPhos in media rack I have been doing 2 gallon water changes ever 12-18 hours to evenly adjust and not to cause a spike in either direction.

 

once I have the algae under control, and levels stable I will the remove the RowaPhos, go back to my normal media for filtration, and adjust accordingly after everything settles.

 

Fish are fine and happy, no signs of stress Gave the rest of my corals about a 10 minute dip in a ReVive dip last night They were rather not too happy with me, and got worried, but this morning all seem to have improved drastically.

 

Frogspawn is a bit more active, and not so receded, and the galaxy although not at full PE, all the heads are puffy and fleshy, see polyps, and actually see some flesh actually extending to areas and heads of the white skeleton, and starting to regrow the dead heads

 

So I'm being hopeful, going slow, and not panicking....

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i have an 8g nano and i love it a lot.

it just turned one in september. some huge

learning curves though. i buy my water from

my LCS. not anything you want to mess with.

i'm too lazy to make my own for such a small weekly

amount. :)

 

sorry about this mess up. hope it stabalizes soon.

algae outbreak is the worst too.

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How do you like your gramma? Such colorful little guys. Does yours stay out or hide a lot? Mine were reclusive most of the time.

 

Man that sucks about your water source. Good thing you figured it out though, some people would not think to test their water source as quickly as you did. I am sure you will straighten it out. Algae sucks, but with different water and good water changes you'll be good in no time!

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Welp I got my tank somewhat stabilized. After changing water source, and a 5 gallon water change over 1.5 days Running 2 pieces of pura pad stacked, and rowaphos. Nitrates have dropped to 10, and still not reading phos.

 

Must of all the hair algae is gone, snails being more active. and found a ph problem.. my PH was dropping to below 7.4. added a power head in the display to break the surface even more, and have that stablized, but the increased flow (even with it turned all the way down) some corals aren't very happy.

 

SO, I have a Coralife Super Skimmer 65 ordered, and I have a new wonderful toy on the way as well.. I ordered a Tide Plus M nanbox, to replace this P.O.S Fluval Sea 25k light.

 

So hopefully with the addition of the skimmer if it does nothing else but add water volume and provide much better aeration, I'm ahead of the curve, and after acclimation with the nanobox, all of my lovely inhabitants shall be much happier.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well it's been a few since I posted. Got my phosphates under control, still battling Nitrates. Added a Coralife Super Skimmer 65 HOB.. Took a little finesse, muscle and super glue, but it works and fits.

 

Here's some new shots..

 

IMG_20151202_080221.jpgFT Shot, 12/2/15

 

 

IMG_20151202_080306.jpgRecovering Galaxy, doing quite well!

 

IMG_20151202_080406.jpgJill, Jax's new friend

 

IMG_20151127_202717.jpgChuck, my pom-pom crab

 

Message_1448721624006.jpgYes, it skims, and fits.. lol

 

 

Now just waiting on my nanobox tide plus m.. and get nitrates in check, and it's going to be great!

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