IM Fusion 10 build SPS dominate nd my return to reefing after over a decade

[ATMABQ505]

FTS 1/25/17

 

Recent additions

eFlux Wave Pump Kit

IM MiniMax Desktop Reactor (PhosGuard/MatrixCarbon)

Frog Skin Acro

Yellow Staghorn Acro

Pink Mili

Blueberry Mili (possibly still need to id)

Hurlock Dragon Acro

Chili Pepper Monti

Scarlet Monti

Yellow Spumosa Monti

x1 Arrow Crab

 

 

Hello all,

 

I am very excited to be making my return here with this community. I have been away from the hobby for a very long time. I was talking with one of my friends last week and the topic of aquariums came up. This is not the first time in the last three months I have engaged in discussions about my past in the hobby. This conversation for some reason sparked something and I asked her if she would have given me her number if I used "Hey girl do you want to go back to my place to see my crabs?" She said we wouldn't have made it to the house lol. I almost let her leave a toothbrush at the house but then came to my senses.

 

I have been away from the hobby for a little over ten years and had always wanted to build a nano sps tank as that has always been my preference. So I started doing some searching with the Google machine and after reading some amazing posts in this community especially El Fab's Pico post I had my eyes on a Fluval Evo. Then I started making some calls locally as I am in a different state then my previous years in the hobby and found a common product locally. One LFS said they would be able to order it for me the others had just not heard of it but had Innovative Marine products. After a few hours of contemplation I decided to go visit the store that offered to order it to see what other offerings they had. The fact that the owner offered to order a product instead of pushing what he had made an impression on me. During the visit he and I spent about 45 minutes talking about history as he started much later then I did in the hobby. Luckily I have been dealing with LED's in my previous profession since 1998 so we got to talk a good deal about them. During this discussion there had not been a single product push our attempt to pawn me off. Of course phone call and questions from his staff came up while he was handling those I was shopping in my mind as he gained a customer for life.

 

I ended up leaving the store with my new:

Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion 10

Kessel A160WE with mount

 

He gave me

Some live rock rubble

Salt

and a pouch of chemi-pure blue to try out after cycle

 

I found about 200lbs. of old live rock I brought with me for some reason during my move 8 years ago. I didn't bring anything else and for the life of me I have no idea why or why not. Needless to say I have spent the last 48 hours playing with rocks instead of fireworks lol.

 

Livestock:

Frog Skin Acro

Bonsai Acro

Yellow Staghorn Acro

Pink Mili

Blueberry Mili (possibly still need to id)

Hurlock Dragon Acro

Red Plating Monti

Yellow Plating Monti

Seasons Greetings Monti

Sunset Monti

Scarlet Monti

Yellow Spumosa Monti

Pulsing Xenia (background cover)

Green Star Polyp (shag carpet)

x4 Nerite Snails

x5 Blue Leg Hermit CCrab

x1 Emerald Crab

x1 Arrow Crab

 

 

Gear:

IM Fusion 10

Kessil A160WE

AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro

Spin Stream

Aqueon AQ1200 return pump

Cobalt 50w heater

Hydor-900

eFlux Wave Pump Kit

IM MiniMax Desktop Reactor (PhosGuard/MatrixCarbon)

 

Plan:

Bare bottom Polyp coral carpet with some stonies here and there with a few inverts.

All of the upgrades from obeythefro's post.

Props to the fro man and all that contributed to the improvement of this tiny delight.

[reefhound]

awesome, welcome back!

[ATMABQ505]

awesome, welcome back!

Thank you!

[HOTWATER]

Welcome! Glad you have a good person running your LFS, seems like a true hobbyist and has a love for what we all love here.

Your off to a good start with the equipment purchased.

[ATMABQ505]

No new news cycle has started going to be patient with this one and it will be awhile.

[ATMABQ505]

It looks like we are in business another week and I should be adding a few inverts.

SG 1.023

PH 8

ALK 10

CALCIUM 440

AMMONIA 0

NITRITE 0

NITRATE 0

 

I have not yet had an algae bloom yet but note have the light running.

 

Numbers from July 5:

SG 1.022

PH 8.2

ALK 18

CALCIUM 540

AMMONIA 3

NITRITE 5

NITRATE 40

[tsinc]

Great start! How are you liking the upgraded pump/spin stream? Are you running the pump at full speed? I'm curious about upgrading my pump and adding a spin stream instead of buying a powerhead. Thanks

[ATMABQ505]

I am running the pump at about 3/4 power. I am seeing micro bubbles now and then I am going to pull the pump to make sure noting is obstructing the intake.

 

The pair is nice getting great surface movement and much better flow all around.

I am running the pump at about 3/4 power. I am seeing micro bubbles now and then I am going to pull the pump to make sure noting is obstructing the intake.

 

The pair is nice getting great surface movement and much better flow all around.

[ATMABQ505]

Looks like we have lift off! Little tiny spec of diatom algae. Exactly 4 weeks to the day I brought the tank home.

 

[ATMABQ505]

Some updates now that I have setup imgur.

 

Upgrades and install

 

 

 

[Tmr8188]

Some updates now that I have setup imgur.

 

Upgrades and install

 

 

 

Fancy. I love my smart ato micro. The kessil is one of my favorite lights on a tank this size.

[ATMABQ505]

Fancy. I love my smart ato micro. The kessil is one of my favorite lights on a tank this size.

Thank you! The ATO is a must have for a tank this size for sure. I really like the Kessil because it doesn't give that rainbow shimmer.

[Tmr8188]

Thank you! The ATO is a must have for a tank this size for sure. I really like the Kessil because it doesn't give that rainbow shimmer.

Oh the disco ball? Yeah I had it when I ran a radion with the rms mount. Just looked atrocious. It never quite looked as good as the kessil either. Imo the nicest looking led out there. I even got the freshwater one for my pico ada tank.

[ATMABQ505]

Some surface movement action with the Spin Stream and Aqueon AQ1200.

 

 

 

[ATMABQ505]

Update

I haven't been able to do much to the tank due to medical issues.

 

I did pick up an IM Custom Caddy. I am running Purfiltrum and Matrix Carbon in the caddy.

 

[ATMABQ505]

Bare Bottom is a lot more work then I anticipated. I have added the stock return in to the display. This is helping control where the debris settles. It is an uphill battle to keep it clean I think the name if the tank will miss be referred to as the Snail Poop Cube.

 

I have added some livestock a Zoanthid frag and an Emerald Crab.

 

 

[ATMABQ505]

I thought I had lost one of the 2 Emerald Crabs over the weekend. I found what I thought was a carcass Saturday.This morning I was running late and saw another supposed carcass. Get home from work and to my surprise there is the larger of the two that I thought had perished.

 

I then inspected the carcass that had appeared today. No guts and I got that "LIGHT BULB" feeling. "They have molted you dumbass" I completely forgot as my previous tank was large enough where I never saw the molts.

 

Happy day to still have zero fatalities three months in. The Zoanthid looking happier with the move I made.

 

 

 

[Vwcrackerjack]

Nice tank! I'm debating downsizing to the 20 myself.

[ATMABQ505]

Thank you! I am loving the size of this tank. The 20 would have given some nice flexibility for sure.

 

I'm taking this one real slow.

[ATMABQ505]

I have been itching to get some new corals and today http://www.tidalgardens.com/ had a live stream sale. I think I pulled some nice pieces. Let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

 

Picked up the Star Polyp to cover the bare bottom

[ATMABQ505]

I was doing some nocturnal searching a few nights ago and found some worms I had not seen before. Hours and hours of searching the Internet did not get any solid answers. While watching the tank I began to find about 5 of the worm.

 

After speaking with the owner of my LFS we figured out it is possible a polychaete worm. Sure enough after looking that up I found a picture from a research group. Now I am no longer worried about the little guys.

 

[ATMABQ505]

FTS 11/13/16

 

 

Added a Hydor 900 for the Acro''s

[ATMABQ505]

I received the corals from Tidal Gardens.I must say I will absolutely order from them again. The packaging was great.

 

Sunset Monti

 

Red Plating Monti

 

Bonsai Acro

I caught the Emerald Crab eating this guy so I started feeding Seaweed.

 

Forest Green Acro

 

In 2 weeks this Zoa has grown 7 polyps.

Green Star Polyp.

[ATMABQ505]

It has been a bit since I have checked in. Updates I removed the caddy and added the IM MiniMax Desktop Reactor running (PhosGuard/MatrixCarbon). I also added eFlux Wave Pump Kit with the 660 powerhead. I am going to be grabbing a second powerhead for that system. Also added some more corals and an Arrow Crab.

 

Pics are from 1/25/17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must say I can't get enough of the shimmer this Kessil throws.