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H20's Nano-Reef AquaPod 24


H20

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been reading your thread today when i've had time. very detailed. Its looking real great so far

 

any ideas on what your future fish will be?

 

Not quite sure right now. I would like an active fish that is out and about alot. My first thought it a Clownfish, as they are pretty funny to watch, but for some reason, a part of me wants to shy away from getting one, as they seem so common since the Nemo movie. I might still get one of those, as my daughter would love it.

 

Other than that, I haven't really decided. I don't even have a short list yet.....ha

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I did a major tank cleaning last night. Didn't like the way my sand looked, and I didn't like the 'snow' particles flying around in the water, that wouldn't seem to filter out. Instead of my usual weekly 10% water change, I decided to do a 20% change. And I also adjusted the Koralia Nano and the Y lcolines to blow a little differently, and that seemed to help the 'junk' get to the filter grates better.

 

Also, I had been using a 'small' size gravel siphon as my water siphon, but it always seemed to pull water out faster than I wanted, not allowing me to clean as well as I would like. I stopped at a LFS and bought a 'mini' sized gravel siphon. This is the smallest they make I believe. After using it, I can honestly say this was a great decision. It allowed me to stick it down in the rear chambers and clean the settled junk on the bottom back there, and also pulled out water slowly enough to clean everything really well. I also took an idea from someone else here on the forums, and used a rubber band to attach my turkey baster to the gravel vac. That way, as I blew stuff off the rock, it was immediately sucked up. That helped alot!

 

Also, my sand that had looked so white and nice when I first started to tank, was looking kinda cruddy after being in the tank over a month. I have never vacuumed my sand, and you will find varying opinions on this topic on the forums. Some folks say never vacuum it, other say it is good to lightly vacuum. Anyways, I decided to vacuum it, regardless of the consequences. I was not happy with the look of it at all. So, I took the mini gravel vac/siphon, and started kinda punching it down into the sand a little. It would suck up a huge chunk of sand, but my sand is heavy and course enough not to be sucked up to the hose, so it fell back out. But it did get all the dirt and junk from out of the sand, which seemed to be alot. The sand that feel back out of the vac into a little pile, immediately looked more white. So, as I was happy with the way that it looked, I went about vacuuming the rest of the sand that I could get to. I did not go way deep into the bed, only about a 1/4 inch or so. After I was through, the sand really looked better, and white again.

 

As I went to pour out the old dirty water, I searched the bucket bottom for life. I found about 8 amphipods that I used an eyedropper to suck up and put back into the tank. Other than that, it was just dirt at the bottom of the bucket. Like I said, my sand is coarse and heavy, 1-2mm Reef grade aragonite. There was none in the bottom of the bucket, so the little mini vac did a good job of getting what I needed it to. I guess it was just dirt and gunk off the rocks that had accumulated on top of my sand over the last month or so.

 

I did make a couple of noob mistakes though. Like straying too far from the bucket while siphoning ,and letting the end of the hose pull out of the bucket and start spraying water all over the carpet. That took awhile to try to absorb and clean up, and I left a fan blowing on the carpet all night. Then, after I had gotten it cleaned up, I was putting the new water into the tank and spilled it onto the carpet.......ha. It was not my night. But I got it all cleaned up and dry.

 

I left all 6 grates on the rear wall open, with both blue sponges in the back, to help in filtering out the water after that major cleaning. When I came up to look at the tank this morning, it looked like a new tank. Sand was all white and clean, and the water had cleared itself of the snow. Looks pretty good right now..... :D

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Cleaning Update:

 

 

After doing a good tank cleaning a couple of days ago, I was still not 100% happy with the blue sponges in the back. They are hard to get out, and when I try to take them out, the sponge fibers snag on the grates upon removal, making a snow of blue particles all in the tank. Plus, you have to kinda squeeze them at the top to get it out from under the lip of the rim, which always releases gunk back into the tank. I have not figured out a good way to do this yet. I see alot of people ditch the sponges for filter floss, and I need to give that more of a go, my first attempt at using floss (polyester pillow stuffing) wasn't too great. I couldn't figure out how much to use, and still get good flow, but enough to filter, without the water getting around it in spots.

 

Anyways, as I was messing with this, it released blue sponge bits and gunk all back into the aquarium. Two days after I did a good water change and tank cleaning, the water was filthy again. I was getting very frustrated with the sponges, and the debris that I couldn't seem to filter out of the water.

 

A trip to Petco to see if I could figure out any solutions was in order. AS I was looking around, I saw a blue filter pad, the type that I guess you can lay down in the bottom of an aquarium for undergravel filters or something. It was in a long sheet, rolled up into a plastic bag.

 

pad.jpg

 

I bought one of these, as it was the same length from top to bottom as my rear chamber in my tank. I rolled it up to equal the width of the sponge, and it slid nicely into the back chamber, behind the grates. I am going to give this a whirl for a few days and see how that works.

 

Also, I wanted something to filter my water better after water changes, and to occasionally polish the water. I found a H.O.T. Magnum canister filter that can easily hang on the side of the tank, for "as needed" use. It was on sale, so I picked that up. They are about $50 online. It is nice because there are no hoses or tubing. There is a plastic input port, and a separate output head, that go into the water when you hang it on your tank. Very easy to 'plug and play'. (says 250 g.p.h. flow) It is also nice in the fact that it comes with two separate media filters. One micron filter, which I used, and is pictured below, and also comes with a filter that holds carbon granules, and also came with a jar of carbon. I used the Micron filter as I wanted to just filter out particles.

 

I decided to try to really stir things up, in hopes of getting at the root of my 'snow' problem. I think it all stems from my lack of cleaning/rinsing my pre-cured live rock when I got it. If I could have done it over again, I would have let the rock soak in a couple of buckets of saltwater for a couple of hours, then vigorously shook them underwater in the buckets, to get any dirt/sludge off of them before putting them in the tank.

 

So, I got my trusty turkey baster out, and started blowing off the rocks like no tomorrow. There was dirt and gunk flying out of holes, out of nook and crannies, when I did this for a minute or so, the tank was so cloudy, I almost couldn't see the rock. Then I turned on the H.O.T Magnum. I could see it instantly sucking up the water, and blowing the clean water back into the tank. Occasionally as it was running, I would lightly blow off the tops of the rock with the turkey baster, to agitate anything that might have settled. Doing this, I ran the Magnum for about 2 hours, and it made the water crystal clear. I kept it running till I could baste the rocks, and not see any debris flying up.

 

After the water looked clean and clear, I removed the Magnum and cleaned and dried it.

 

H.O.T Magnum at work, you can see how it had cleared up the water (before I turned it on, it was so cloudy from my vigorous basting, that you almost couldn't see the rocks):

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The filter after I did the water cleaning:

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Box:

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The HOT Magnum worked really well for what I wanted to do, and I am going to use it weekly after my water changes to clean the water up. I am sure my Tail Spot Blenny did not like all that going on, and the zoas closed up, but hopefully, that will be one of the few times that I ever have to stir things up that bad. This morning, the zoas were all opened up and looked good, and everything appears to be fine. Thumbs up on the HOT Magnum, and I will report back later on how the rolled up filter pad does in the rear chamber.

 

Edited to add: After my lights finally came on today, I was better able to see things. I can honestly say that my rock, water, and tank, has never looked as good and as clear as it does now, other than the first day that I started the tank. Guess my tank really needed this cleaning overhaul with the Magnum.

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Wonderful thread. I have been considering buying an AIO for a while now and I think this thread might be one of the reasons I give it a try. Keep posting, you're great to read.

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Wonderful thread. I have been considering buying an AIO for a while now and I think this thread might be one of the reasons I give it a try. Keep posting, you're great to read.

I agree...great to read and very informative! :bowdown:

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How are you liking the Koralia Nano? Did it add any noticeable heat? I would like to see how you reposistioned it. I have the same setup with the 1200 and am looking for some more flow. I am also trying to figure a good filter method and would like to hear how your idea is going. Nice Tank! Mine is 2 days old.

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Thanks for the kind words everyone.

 

 

To Balgie:

The Koralia Nano seems to be great. I have not seen any noticeable heat increase. I don't have alot of corals that need alot of flow yet, but the benefit for me was: I wanted a stream of flow in front of, and behind my rocks. this was accomplished with the Y Loc-lines return from the MJ1200. The Koralia Nano is pointed at the surface right now to give me some surface agitation. I don't know if my tank really needs extra flow at this stage, but it is allowing me to do what I want to do. And the diatoms seemed to have lessened since I added it. I am not seeing much anymore, maybe just have to run the mag-float across the glass a couple of times a week.

 

The rolled/folded up filter pad seems to be working really well in the rear chamber. I pulled it out once this week to clean, and it came out much easier than the blue sponges. I currently have the top 4 grates open on the rear wall, but am rigging up something to hold a cut-down smaller piece at the top of the wall, where I can just have the top grate open to surface skim.

 

Here are a few pics of what I am building to try:

 

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All parts are held together by plastic zip-ties.

 

Full credit for this idea must be given from where I got it, to another nano-reefer Cobra9898. I got this idea from his tank thread.

 

Here is a pic from Cobra9898 and the end desired result.

 

fIlter.jpg

 

I feel that more floss need to be used than is pictured above. Needs to be thicker so the water can flow down onto it.

 

He has filter floss in his (pictured above), but I am going to cut my blue filter pad into thirds, and use one of the 1/3 sections on top, sitting on the eggcrate shelf, just behind the top grate. This should make things even easier to change. And the whole eggcrate unit, slides easily into and out of the back rear chamber. I am going to add it this weekend when I do a water change and see how it goes.

 

 

I will try to get a new pic of my Koralia Nano posted soon, as well as the finished result of the filter shelf project.

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Where can you buy that eggcrate stuff?

 

 

You can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot in the 'Lighting Section'. I believe it is called 'light diffuser' and it usually comes in a big sheet of something like 3' x 5' for about $10.

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Cool that he does that!

 

I take it you were feeding with one hand, trying to take a pic with the other? Doesn't sound easy--I'd probably have dropped the camera in the tank!

 

Naturally your cam chose to focus on the LR in the background...why can't they make a cam smart enough to "know" that what you want in focus is that large thing in the center of your composition?

 

--D

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your tank is comming along real good, I like your H.O.T Magnum idea, im thinking of doing the same, as i did the same noob mistake of not properly cleaning my LR. I wonder if you can still do this type of cleaning with a fully stocked tank without upsetting your fish?

 

Also, i cant take full credit with the eggcrate/filerfloss, it was also an insiration from another nano reefer.

 

As for your camera issues, i beleave most digital cameras have a macro function(usually denoted with a flower icon) if you use this function, all you need to do is hold your green button down half way(this focuses the image) the press it all the way down to take the pic .

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your tank is coming along real good, I like your H.O.T Magnum idea, im thinking of doing the same, as i did the same noob mistake of not properly cleaning my LR. I wonder if you can still do this type of cleaning with a fully stocked tank without upsetting your fish?

 

Also, i cant take full credit with the eggcrate/filerfloss, it was also an inspiration from another nano reefer.

 

As for your camera issues, i believe most digital cameras have a macro function(usually denoted with a flower icon) if you use this function, all you need to do is hold your green button down half way(this focuses the image) the press it all the way down to take the pic .

 

The sad part was, is that I had it in macro mode.......ha My camera is great for taking normal pictures, but its macro mode is VERY lacking. 'c est ma' gave me a good tip of shooting though a magnifying glass, and that has worked pretty well, but I will probably be looking for a camera with better macro functions down the road.

 

As for the HOT Magnum, I love it. I think that when you do your weekly water changes, you can baste your rocks pretty good, and the fish will be ok. They may not be happy for a few minutes, but the Magnum cleans it up pretty quick.

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Here is a pic of the finished product in action. I added 1/3 of the rolled up blue filter pad on top of the eggcrate shelf. I do not know how well it will work at this point, but I will try it. The full length rolled up blue filter pad that I had slid in the back chamber last week, seemed to work really well, as I kept 4 filter grates open. The current setup with the eggcrate shelf only has the top grate open for surface skimming. I will post later on how it works out.

 

 

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I have several updates to add, so I will try to break them down over several posts.

 

Update #1: How to Catch a Predator (isn't that the MSNBC show? ha)

 

 

I hated to do it, but I had to catch my Emerald Crab to get rid of him. I found him nipping at my corals, and he may have been the culprit in the demise of one of them. He was probably just being his innocent self, being a good guy and pulling algea off my zoa rock, but some buds came off and floated away. Also, one of the new corals I added had been damaged in shipping, but I tried to save it, but the next morning, it was a goner, and the crab was lurking nearby. (story and pics on that to follow)

 

There have been several nights over the past week or so, where i watched the Emerald under the LED moonlights, and saw him on top of my live rock, and thought how now would be the perfect time to catch him. But, the softie in me couldn't do it, as he was the first addition to my tank, and it made me kinda sad. But, after I saw him being a negative influence on my coral, he had to go. Its kinda like having a family dog, and you all love him, but if he bites one of your children, he has to leave.

 

Anyways, a couple of nights ago, I saw him back on top on the rock, and thinking this was the perfect time, I acted quickly and opened the lid, stuck my hand in, and trapped him in a little hole that goes through both sides of the rock. I used one finger to poke him through to the other side, and when he came out, I lightly pressed down on his back to hold him onto the rock. I then got him between my fingers and tried to pull him off. Those guys are strong! He was latched onto the rock with his legs, and I about pulled the big rock up with him trying to get him off. Not wanting to hurt him, I grabbed a screwdriver lying nearby and slid it under him, between him and the rock. A slight leverage and he came off easily. I was a little nervous as I lifted him out to put him into a bucket, as the whole time, I knew any second I was going to get a big pinch from his claws. But he was nice and let me remove him peacefully.

 

I put him into a bucket of saltwater until I could decide what to do with him, as the LFS's were now closed for the day. I ended up putting him into a ziploc baggie filled with tankwater and let him float in the tank overnight. Next morning, he was still alive and kicking, so I took him to my LFS and got half my money back for him. It was a sad ordeal, but had to be done.

 

Also, one other thing that I did not like about the Emerald, is that although they do a great job at picking the rocks and keeping them clean, they make an awful mess of the water. They pick stuff off the rock, get a mouthful to eat of what they want, then spew a small explosion of 'snow' out into the tank. Not helpful in keeping water crystal clear........ ;) I hope that he finds a good home, he was a cool little guy....

 

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Update #2: How to take better pictures

 

With my little Koday Easyshare camera, taking Macro closeup shots of things in my tank has not been the easiest (even in the macro mode setting) on the camera. After trying a hint from 'c est ma' on the boards, I tried shooting through a magnifying glass. That helped alot and did help me to get some good shots, but I wanted more. After considering going and getting a better, more expensive camera, I did some research and talked to a couple of people on the boards. (thanks to 'spyrule' for helping me out here).

 

Instead of going and spending a fortune on a new camera, I got on Ebay and found a few tools to help me with my current Kodak Easyshare.

 

I found that my camera accepts a lens adapter, so I picked up a brand new one off Ebay that fit my camera. And it was only $9. Yay! Then I also picked up off Ebay a brand new macro lens set that fit my lens adapter. The set has four lenses, +1, +2, +4, and macro +10 lenses, all for only $19. Yay again.

 

So, for about $30, I got what I wanted. Saves money for more livestock for the tank...... :P

 

Lens Adapter:

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4 Lenses in the macro lens kit (+1, +2, +4, and +10 lenses):

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All of them threaded together for good close shots:

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This should enable me to take some better macros shots of my corals and such...... I still am going to have to learn to adjust the settings (white balance, etc) to get better pics, this is especially hard under the blue actinic lights, but I will toy with it and find out what works best.

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Update #3: Adding some new corals

 

I have been taking things slow, and will continue to do so. I like to add only one or two things at a time, watch my tank react, and learn as I go. I feel I have been relatively patient with my tank since I started. But with everything stable for awhile, I decided to add a couple of new corals.

 

I decided to go with LiveAquaria.com, as I have had success with them in the past, and they have a good guarantee. Their website is great, easy to navigate, and very informative info on each item. I have liked them, so decided to try them again. For those that have not used them in the past, I have included a few pictures.

 

Box as it comes by FedEx overnight:

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Styrofoam cooler inside:

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Inside Box:

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Bags of Coral (they put black wrap on the bags to keep the light out. I did not use a flash here for the corals sake):

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Their guarantee (14 days on livestock, 30 days on aquacultured livestock):

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Coral pictures in next post.............

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Update #4: The Corals

 

I am trying out my new macro lenses for the first time. I have a little tripod that I can use, but for time sake, and testing purposes, I just snapped a few pics holding the camera in my shaky hand... :D

 

In the future, I hope to use a tripod, use better lighting, better camera settings, etc, but this is just a quick test with everything in 'Auto' mode on the camera.

 

 

1st new coral = Deep pink Palys:

mpinkpalys.jpg

 

 

2nd new coral = A tiny Acan frag:

m2acan.jpg

macanclose.jpg

 

3rd new coral = Purple Passion Tree (Neospongodes):

 

A quick story on this one before the pics. This one came in to me from LiveAquaria damaged. The little tree was torn off its base and in little bits and pieces in the bag, almost too small to pick up with your fingers. I called LiveAquaria and told them, and they were great. Gave me an immediate refund on it. Kudos to them!

I grabbed the biggest piece that I could find of it in the bag, and tried using Superglue Gel to hold it on the rock base. It held in place, left overnight in the tank, only to find it in pieces again the next morning, with the Emerald Crab sitting nearby it. (Part of the reason he is gone, along with a few other reasons). I glued another small portion of it to the rock, and I will see if it can survive and grow. I can see why these things would get damaged in shipping, they are tiny and very soft. Here is a pic of it now, we'll see if it makes it:

 

mpassiontree.jpg

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And a pic of what it is supposed to look like:

ppt.jpg

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of other pics of my two already existing corals with my new camera lens:

SuperColored Zoas:

mzoas.jpg

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Closeup shot of a head on my Trumpet Coral:

mtrump.jpg

 

 

My pictures will get better in time, this was just thrown together for a quick update. :)

 

 

New Front Tank Shot: (not much going on yet, but I am plodding along slowly but surely on purpose, to learn as I go)

 

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Very nice. I like your progress. Im trying to follow in your footsetps. Just brought home AP42 with MH. I think I will post my progress aswell. I am wondering if these things come with a filter? I just see the power head and the two pieces of blue sponge along with media balls. Thank you

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Very nice. I like your progress. Im trying to follow in your footsetps. Just brought home AP42 with MH. I think I will post my progress aswell. I am wondering if these things come with a filter? I just see the power head and the two pieces of blue sponge along with media balls. Thank you

 

Thanks, I am sure you will enjoy your AP, I know I have. But the sad part of this hobby (disease) is that I am already thinking about my next bigger, better tank down the road...ha Not anytime soon, but it is in the back of ones mind

 

 

As far as the filter goes, basically the powerhead in the back sucks water into the back chambers by just sitting on the bottom back there, and running. It sucks water into it, and blows the water back into the tank through the hose attached to it, and to the top of the back wall. Since the water is being blown out into the front tank, naturally, the water has to get into the rear chambers somehow, and it gets pulled in by pressure, through those grates on the back wall, and through the blue sponges. the blue sponges will act as your 'filter'.

 

By the way, if you have live rock in your tank, you should take the media balls and ceramic rings out of the back. They can act as nitrates traps and are not needed as long as you have live rock. They are mostly used for a 'fish only' tank. I believe the AquaPod manual even says that somewhere in it. Good luck, I would like to see the progress of your tank!

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Great updates H2O. Sorry about your emerald. As we talked about, some have great luck with them, others have the kind of luck you and I have had. Oh well plenty of other cool critters to consider.

You are doing a great job keep it up.

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Hey H2O nice tank, i've just finish reading through your thread and everything looks great. Can't wait for my tank to finish cycling ><. I love that HOT Magnum filter idea after wc, i think imma steal that idea too =p.

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