Jump to content
Cultivated Reef

Nick's 10 Gallons of Patience - New Fish!


nickkohrn

Recommended Posts

Full-Tank Shots:

 

June 16th, 2016

20.jpg

June 10th, 2016
18.jpg

June 8th, 2016
17.jpg

May 26th, 2016
12.jpg


Equipment:

  • Tank: Innovative Marine NUVO Fusion (10g)
  • Automatic Top-Off: Tunze Osmolator nano 3152
  • Controller: Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Lite with temperature probe (upgrading to the new Neptune Apex)
  • Flow: Stock return pump, EcoTech Marine VorTech MP10wQD
  • Lighting: 18w Innovative Marine SKKYE Light (upgrading to Kessil a160w)
  • Heating: 50w Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm
  • Filtration: inTank Floss Holder with filter floss (upgrading to the Media Basket), ~7 pounds of Walt Smith's Project Reef Rock 2.1



The Journey:

Well, after an 8-year hiatus from the hobby, I decided to get back into it. For now, I am starting with a 10-gallon Innovative Marine NUVO Fusion. I plan on upgrading when my wife and I move to a more permanent residence. I love smaller tanks, and I would love to have a 25-gallon lagoon-style tank. But for now, 10 gallons will keep the wallet from getting hit quite as hard, and that will keep my wife a little happier!

I received my order from Marine Depot! It included a 10-gallon Innovative Marine NUVO Fusion tank with light (upgrading soon), Red Sea refractometer, EcoTech VorTech MP10wQD, API test kit, 50-watt Cobalt Neo-Therm heater, and a Tunze Osmolator nano 3152.

I set the tank up on a counter in the basement, so don't pay attention to the mess that is around it. The basement became our temporary storage unit!


I also received my Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Lite and my rock from Bulk Reef Supply, a SpectraPure 90-gallon-per-day RO/DI unit from a local reef shop, and my inTank Floss Holder. Since I wasn't sure about what kind of look the rock would give me without seeing it in person, I ordered a few types: Pukani, Tonga Branch, and Tonga Shelf.

2.jpg

I fell in love with the Tonga Branch and Tonga Shelf immediately. I was not a big fan of the shapes of the Pukani. I took a hacksaw and chisel to the big pieces of Pukani, but they never took on any shapes that I was happy with. I found out that it's not very easy to aquascape a 10-gallon cube-ish tank. I felt pretty limited.

So I started playing around and created an aquascape that I was pretty happy with. Since I love minimalism and negative space, I wanted something that would show off my corals, and give my future Pink-Streaked Wrasse some places to swim, yet feel secure. Here is what I created, with lots of superglue:

3.jpg

4.jpg

5.jpg

6.jpg

With this open structure, I was able to keep rock off of the back wall, which will make for easy cleaning and keep anything from stagnating behind it.

7.jpg

​I turned the lights on and liked what I saw.

9.jpg

10.jpg

I filled the tank with water and turned everything on to get the curing process started.

11.jpg

I checked on my tank two days later and noticed that the water was cloudy enough that I could see the flow pattern in the water.

12.jpg

I'm assuming a bacterial bloom? I haven't added anything to the tank to get things moving more quickly. I plan on taking this build slowly. I'll give my water a test tomorrow and see what the levels are telling me.

Do you think it would be beneficial to add some of the Pukani rock to one of the back chambers since the rock is so porous? I'm assuming it would be helpful to have as much filtration as possible in a small tank like this, but that's also tanking up water space that could help keep other parameters a little more stable in this small tank. I would really appreciate your feedback!

Link to comment
  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Welcome back to the hobby! I think the scape you came up with looks really cool. I've never seen one like this before, it's like a bunch of terraced rice paddies. It should work well for keeping corals from getting shaded, too.

 

I wouldn't think you'd be getting a bacterial bloom this early just from rock and water in the tank. But I seem to remember hearing reports that the BRS Pukani dry rock takes a long time to cure, so you might want to google for that.

 

In my opinion, extra rock in the back can be helpful as long as it's placed in a way that will let you get detritus off of it periodically. But it really depends on your filtration plan. In my IM10, I have floss, carbon, and GFO in the first chamber, and a skimmer in the second. So I've got no place to put extra rock. But if you're going skimmerless you could put all the rock in the second chamber.

Link to comment

Welcome back to the hobby! I think the scape you came up with looks really cool. I've never seen one like this before, it's like a bunch of terraced rice paddies. It should work well for keeping corals from getting shaded, too.

 

I wouldn't think you'd be getting a bacterial bloom this early just from rock and water in the tank. But I seem to remember hearing reports that the BRS Pukani dry rock takes a long time to cure, so you might want to google for that.

 

In my opinion, extra rock in the back can be helpful as long as it's placed in a way that will let you get detritus off of it periodically. But it really depends on your filtration plan. In my IM10, I have floss, carbon, and GFO in the first chamber, and a skimmer in the second. So I've got no place to put extra rock. But if you're going skimmerless you could put all the rock in the second chamber.

Thanks for the welcoming!

 

I was also doubtful about it being a bacterial bloom, so maybe I'll throw in some carbon tomorrow and see if it clears up.

 

I did read that the Pukani requires quite a bit of extensive curing, but seeing as I have to save up for some more equipment I'll have plenty of time to let it cure.

 

However, I will likely get a skimmer instead rather than deal with the buildup of detritus in the back chambers from having rock back there. Since the chambers are small I would rather not make cleaning them out any more challenging.

 

As for my aquascape, thanks for the compliment! I was definitely looking forward to something that would allow for placement of corals that would keep the shading minimized. I have decided that I want to focus mainly on SPS this time around, so it should allow for things to fill in and add a look that will potentially allow the tank to feel deeper than it is.

Link to comment

Good luck, I'll be following along!

 

There's a thread for IM10 owners here on N-R with some good information.

 

The only thing I don't like about my IM10 is how small the back chambers are, it limits the skimmer options. Pretty much the only one that fits is the IM desktop ghost.

Link to comment

Well, it looks like my rock has started the curing process. I tested the water tonight and my readings are as follows:

 

pH: 7.8

Ammonia: 1.0

Nitrite: 0.0

Nitrate: 0.0

 

I have my MP10 up to about 50% so that I can get as much circulation through the tank as possible. I have also been testing out Reef Crest mode to see where the detritus will tend to settle. It seems to settle at the left-rear of the tank, which is nice because you don't see it very easily when viewing the tank head-on.

 

Now it's time to save up for my lighting and hopefully I will be able to add a clean-up-crew in the next month or so. I'll more-than-likely be ordering from Reef Cleaners and requesting a crew for a bare-bottom tank.

 

I'm really glad that I have other things to keep me occupied at the moment. However, once I get this tank past the break-in period, I am certain that they will take the back seat! :lol:

Link to comment

Since I have decided to go as slowly with this build as needed to create a healthy system, I have decided to put my lighting purchase on hold for another month while my rock cures and I begin the cycle.

I've decided to order a VorTech Battery Back-up next week. I have an MP10, so it will be able to run for 3 days in the event of a power outage.

 

I'm also going to pick up a power inverter for my vehicle to run a heater in the event of a power outage. That will be fine while I'm living at my mother-in-law's house, but I'm not sure what I can do when my wife and I move, which will likely be into an apartment. I definitely need to come up with a solution for temperature control since neither running an extension cord from my car to my tank nor a generator will likely be feasible. If you have any working temperature backup plans, I would very much appreciate your advice

Link to comment

Since I have decided to go as slowly with this build as needed to create a healthy system, I have decided to put my lighting purchase on hold for another month while my rock cures and I begin the cycle.

I've decided to order a VorTech Battery Back-up next week. I have an MP10, so it will be able to run for 3 days in the event of a power outage.

 

I'm also going to pick up a power inverter for my vehicle to run a heater in the event of a power outage. That will be fine while I'm living at my mother-in-law's house, but I'm not sure what I can do when my wife and I move, which will likely be into an apartment. I definitely need to come up with a solution for temperature control since neither running an extension cord from my car to my tank nor a generator will likely be feasible. If you have any working temperature backup plans, I would very much appreciate your advice

Hmmm, only you can decide what the likelihood of an extended power outage is where you live, and whether the expense of having multiple batteries is worth the potential loss in your tank.

 

My gut reaction is that if there's a six day power outage at my house, I've got way bigger problems than the corals dying in my tank. But maybe not...I've been fortunate in that my local grid is shared with the city hospital and town hall. So power outages at my place, even during a historically bad hurricane, have been limited to less than a day or two over the past 15 years. Plus I have gas heat, so I don't lose heat even during a power outage. So I've always had the luxury of not worrying about it very much. :)

 

Given the limitations you'll have living in an apartment, I'd say one battery backup for the MP10 is enough. But that's just me.

Link to comment

Hmmm, only you can decide what the likelihood of an extended power outage is where you live, and whether the expense of having multiple batteries is worth the potential loss in your tank.

 

My gut reaction is that if there's a six day power outage at my house, I've got way bigger problems than the corals dying in my tank. But maybe not...I've been fortunate in that my local grid is shared with the city hospital and town hall. So power outages at my place, even during a historically bad hurricane, have been limited to less than a day or two over the past 15 years. Plus I have gas heat, so I don't lose heat even during a power outage. So I've always had the luxury of not worrying about it very much. :)

 

Given the limitations you'll have living in an apartment, I'd say one battery backup for the MP10 is enough. But that's just me.

Thanks for your insight!

 

Yeah, I feel that one will suffice. I don't honk we have had any outages that have been more than a few hours long. I guess everything in this hobby can be overthought since everything is so delicate.

 

I'm also considering a different type of rock. After thinking about it, the Tonga rock isn't very porous, and the inner pore structure is way less vast than others. I have been eyeing the Walt Smith's Reef Rock 2.1, but I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for it.

 

Since I intend to focus mainly on SPS, I want as much natural filtration as I can get without the tank looking cramped. I've always been very disciplined with water changes, but the rock plays a huge factor.

 

Any recommendations?

Link to comment

Thanks for your insight!

 

Yeah, I feel that one will suffice. I don't honk we have had any outages that have been more than a few hours long. I guess everything in this hobby can be overthought since everything is so delicate.

 

I'm also considering a different type of rock. After thinking about it, the Tonga rock isn't very porous, and the inner pore structure is way less vast than others. I have been eyeing the Walt Smith's Reef Rock 2.1, but I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for it.

 

Since I intend to focus mainly on SPS, I want as much natural filtration as I can get without the tank looking cramped. I've always been very disciplined with water changes, but the rock plays a huge factor.

 

Any recommendations?

For dry rock, Reefcleaners has a great reputation.

 

For live rock, either Gulf Live Rock or KP Aquatics. I've used Reefcleaners once, and KPA twice now and been very happy with both.

 

But it's really a matter of taste. The rock you have looks really cool and you built a really nice scape with it. You just aren't going to get as much natural bacterial filtration rom it, but that can be compensated for with other methods.

Link to comment

For dry rock, Reefcleaners has a great reputation.

 

For live rock, either Gulf Live Rock or KP Aquatics. I've used Reefcleaners once, and KPA twice now and been very happy with both.

 

But it's really a matter of taste. The rock you have looks really cool and you built a really nice scape with it. You just aren't going to get as much natural bacterial filtration rom it, but that can be compensated for with other methods.

 

 

I was watching a BRS video about a product that has a vast surface area for filtration. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/marinepure-ceramic-biomedia-2-cubes.html

 

My only concern with supplementing my current aquascape with something else is that I will be losing more water volume. If I can get some rock that is more porous than the Tonga, then I shouldn't need to add anything extra for surface area.

 

I didn't realize how difficult it would be to aquascape a 10-gallon tank. :rolleyes:

Link to comment

Well, I placed an order with BRS for the 22-pound box of Walt Smith's Project Reef Rock 2.1! I love that it's aquacultured and there's a variety of shapes. Also, the facts that it's already purple and the coating helps reduce algae from getting a foothold on the rock made it an easy buy. It also won't have to cure, so I'll only have to go through the cycling process.

 

I ordered 22 pounds so that I have options with how I create a nice aquascape. Also, the extra will come in handy when I decide to upgrade tanks!

Link to comment

A couple of goodies came today!

 

13.jpg

 

I received my 22 pounds, which will come in handy for when I upgrade tanks!

 

The rock is nice, and it's pretty dang light in my hands. Some of the pieces were awkwardly shaped, but I will be able to figure something out when I move up in tank-size. I also started the cycling process with Red Sea's Reef Mature Pro kit, so the tank should be livestock-ready in three weeks!

 

14.jpg

 

15.jpg

 

16.jpg

 

Here is the aquascape that I ended up with:

 

17.jpg

 

I am still going bare-bottom because it's pretty easy to suck up detritus and it also helps to see the flow pattern more easily when the debris is blowing around on the bottom of the tank.

 

I love pillared aquascapes, but I wanted to have some sort of cave for my future Pygmy Wrasse to hide in. Since I'm going bare-bottom, I will definitely be feeding a little extra for the wrasse because it won't have the sand to pick pods out of.

 

I am ordering an EcoTech Battery Back-Up for my VorTech and a Kessil a160we on Friday, and I am off of work next week, so I will have something to keep me busy!

Link to comment

Well, I decided that my previous aquascape was way too big for the tank. It filled the tank quite generously, which would make it look overcrowded when corals start to grow out. So here is the new look, which I really like. It is true to the pillared look that I wanted in the first place:

 

18.jpg

 

Also, I placed an order at BRS for some goodies!

 

19.png

 

I really want to get this tank up and running with most of the equipment that I intend to have (except for the new Apex since it's not out yet) before adding any livestock.

 

The only thing that I am missing, other than the Apex, is a skimmer. I am thinking about the Ghost, but it seems that many people have issues with either noise, microbubbles, or not getting it to produce skimmate efficiently. I guess I will be doing a lot more of researching in the next couple of weeks! :rolleyes:

Link to comment

Well, I ended up ordering an EcoTech Radion XR15w Pro and RMS. They both turned out to be faulty. The Radion has a hardware issue, and one of the RMS' holes are too large for the screw to stay in, which causes it to keep falling out of the bracket.

 

Looks like I'll be making a call to EcoTech when they open today. What a bummer.

Link to comment

I called customer service and I was walked through a setup process that seems to have worked thus far. The light comes on in half of an hour, so I will keep an eye on it to make certain that the issue does not persist.

 

Also, the representative that I spoke to asked me to send a video of the screw and mount so that we can proceed with the next actions.

 

EcoTech's customer support during my initial call was fantastic. Here's to a quick fix!

Link to comment

I found another aquascape that I really like, sooooo I did some rearranging once again. :rolleyes:

 

20.jpg

 

I have three ledges that I can put some SPS on, and I think that it will look really nice when grown in. Also, it has a nice flow pattern so that I can crank up the flow and keep detritus suspended and then caught in the floss beyond the overflow.

 

Here is a closeup:

21.jpg

 

And here is a shot of the back of the tank:

22.jpg

 

I wanted to keep it open to allow a fish to swim around, me to clean the back of the tank and glass, and it really helps with the flow pattern.

 

My next purchase will definitely be the EcoTech Battery Back-Up. Our power went out today because of a small storm. I don't want to risk an extended outage without any life support for the tank.

 

I surely can't wait to get some life in there though!

Link to comment

Can't wait to see what you do with.

Thanks! I added a bottle of Instant Ocean Bio-Spira yesterday, and now my ammonia is reading 0. Nitrites are around 2, and nitrates are around 160. As soon as my nitrites are down I will do a 100% water change and then should be ready to add a fish.

 

I don't want to add a clean-up-crew yet because I have not had any algae start whatsoever. I think that using the dry rock that I did helped because there was no die-off and boatload of phosphates. Even running with lights on since the tank was set up I haven't had the first sign of algae.

 

I may end up getting a fish before I get a battery back-up for my VorTech. I donate plasma at the BioLife that I work at, so my wife agreed to let me have this tank if I use my donation money for it. We are currently doing Dave Ramsey's financial plan, so our budget is very purposed. Since I get $70/week for donating, I'll be able to get my battery back-up in less than a month. I actually love that I am spending only my donation money on the tank because it forces me to go slowly.

Link to comment

I'm struggling with deciding on what fish I would like to keep. I want only one fish, but I feel pretty limited.

As I want SPS, I don't want any gobies that will perch on them. Since I run bare-bottom, I can't have anything that requires sand for burrowing or finding food. Since I have a pillared aquascape I only have a couple smaller hiding places within the rock, but that's about it. Since I have relatively ample swimming space for a 10-gallon, I want a swimmer. I thought about a clown, but they require bigger tanks. I'd love to find a fish that I can keep for its lifespan rather than have to trade, sell, or give away when it grows bigger. Also, I would love to be able to keep my tank lidless, if possible, so firefish are questionable. I can deal with a lid, but my preference is lidless.

With all of those constraints, does anyone have ANY ideas for a fish that my tank is suitable for?

I am also curious about how strict everyone is to the tank-size recommendations because I see many 10-gallon IM tanks with clownfish in them.

I didn't realize that choosing a fish would be so difficult, but I want to be very picky and purposeful with this tank. I guess I have some time to do more research because I don't want to put any livestock into this tank until I have my VorTech Battery Back-Up in place, which will be three weeks from now.

Link to comment

Check the fish I have in my IM10, I have two clowns, two green banded gobies, a pink streaked wrasse, and, until recently, a tail spot blenny. That's a heavy bioload but I run a skimmer and all of them are good with sps. The clowns are out all the time. The PSW hid a lot at first but he's out all the time now.

Link to comment

Check the fish I have in my IM10, I have two clowns, two green banded gobies, a pink streaked wrasse, and, until recently, a tail spot blenny. That's a heavy bioload but I run a skimmer and all of them are good with sps. The clowns are out all the time. The PSW hid a lot at first but he's out all the time now.

 

 

Thanks, teeny!

 

I was also thinking about a Pink Streaked Wrasse. I do love wrasses, but I'm worried that I don't have enough hiding room for it to acclimate well enough. Maybe I can add a couple of smaller PVC segments into the tank for hiding during acclimation.

 

I love watching wrasses swim. They seem to just glide with ease.

 

That was easy, teeny. You settled me on a PSW, which I was already eyeing, but maybe I just needed a push! :lol:

Link to comment

Looks like my cycle is complete. Now, it's time for coral! :haha:

 

I am heading to Columbus, OH tomorrow afternoon (1.5 hours away) for an appointment, and there are plenty of shops there that carry coral. None of my LFSs carry corals, so I will probably be bringing back my first frag of SPS for this tank. I have decided to go fishless until I move to a larger tank, so I am going to take it slowly and see how it goes over the next few weeks.

 

Does any have any recommendations for what my first SPS coral should be? I understand that Acropora and Montipora are more difficult than others, such as Seriatopora, Pocillopora, and Stylophora. I really enjoy the look of Seriatopora, and I read that it is a decent beginner SPS.

 

I am definitely open to opinions!

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions


×
×
  • Create New...