Neverrain's "First Tank Journal" - Nuvo 16

[neverrain]

Believe it or not, I haven't really seen any hitchhikers aside from macro algae and this weird grass stuff that doesn't seem to grow (makes me think that it isn't hair algae. I have yet to see anything move within my tank .

 

And thanks for the welcome!

[nicholc2]

You'll see them eventually. Once the cycle is done, they'll start coming out to play.

[neverrain]

You'll see them eventually. Once the cycle is done, they'll start coming out to play.

 

That's good to know. I can't wait =)

 

Adding a water update:

 

s.g.: 1.026

PH: 7.9

Ammonia: near 0? Been the same color all week now, but the color doesn't match the card =(

Nitrites: 5.0

Nitrates: under 5.0

Temp: 77

 

I'm also starting to get purple coraline spots on a bunch of the rocks. I'll take some pictures once my battery charges for my camera.

[neverrain]

Adding a couple or my coraline pics =)

 

 

I also have this brown hair looking stuff growing on one of my rocks (the coraline has made an appearance on every rock but this one. I can't seem to get a good picture of it because it's so small and light brown. I'm inclined to think that it isn't hair algae though because I've read that hair algae thrives in high nitrite water, which mine is, and this grass hasn't changed at all all week with nitrites spiking right now during the curing. I guess time will tell on that one.

[neverrain]

Adding today's water readings:

 

s.g.: 1.026

PH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 5.0

Nitrates: 10.0 (going up)

Temp: 78f

[neverrain]

More water updates, yay!

 

s.g.: 1.026

PH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 5.0

Nitrates: 20

Temp: 78

[TristanC]

Loving the write up so far! You definitely have a knack for making it interesting for the reader. I would highly, highly recommend getting an ato unit, i personally have the tunze nano osmolator and its working like a charm. Salinity will be perfectly stable, and you never have to worry about topping off everyday.

[nhart608]

Nice write up on starting your tank. Best of luck on your reefing adventures.

 

I also live in an apartment and for the longest time felt the same as you, that I wouldn't be able to get an RODI unit because I didn't want to mess with the plumbing, etc. But I found that most RODI units give you an option to buy a faucet mount for the input hose. I set the unit up on the bathroom counter (sometimes I just put the whole thing in the bathtub), and in about 30 seconds you can unscrew your faucet aerator, put the washer on the unit connector and screw it on the faucet. The 5 gallon RODI collection bucket goes in the bathtub (just in case I don't hear my timer go off and the collector bucket overflows) and the bad water just goes down the bathtub drain. All in all it's about 5 minutes of set up/tear down once every two weeks. My 75gal/day unit makes 10 gallons in about 3 hours. It's very easy!

 

This is the unit I have, but I'm sure there are many other good one's out there.

 

http://purelyh2o.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=47&category_id=65&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64

[neverrain]

Loving the write up so far! You definitely have a knack for making it interesting for the reader. I would highly, highly recommend getting an ato unit, i personally have the tunze nano osmolator and its working like a charm. Salinity will be perfectly stable, and you never have to worry about topping off everyday.

 

I thought about something like that, but they all seem somewhat expensive for this specific juncture in time. It will be on my mind in the long run, but I think I am starting to get a rhythm with it where is stays between 1.025 and 1.026.

 

Nice write up on starting your tank. Best of luck on your reefing adventures.

 

I also live in an apartment and for the longest time felt the same as you, that I wouldn't be able to get an RODI unit because I didn't want to mess with the plumbing, etc. But I found that most RODI units give you an option to buy a faucet mount for the input hose. I set the unit up on the bathroom counter (sometimes I just put the whole thing in the bathtub), and in about 30 seconds you can unscrew your faucet aerator, put the washer on the unit connector and screw it on the faucet. The 5 gallon RODI collection bucket goes in the bathtub (just in case I don't hear my timer go off and the collector bucket overflows) and the bad water just goes down the bathtub drain. All in all it's about 5 minutes of set up/tear down once every two weeks. My 75gal/day unit makes 10 gallons in about 3 hours. It's very easy!

 

This is the unit I have, but I'm sure there are many other good one's out there.

 

http://purelyh2o.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=47&category_id=65&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64

 

Did this kit come with they things needed to use a faucet?

 

Also adding today's water readings:

 

s.g.: 1.025

PH: 7.9

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 5.0

Nitrates: 20

Temp: 78f

[diverseyboats]

Looks like we're almost at the same place... Only mine is in IM8 with Tampa Bay rock. Echoing what Tristan said, I have a baby Tunze with a pump in a 2gal container of RO/DI. Great thing. Two weeks in with a cycle almost done and my salinity levels have remained constant. I'd say over the course of the 2 weeks it's "used" about a gal and a half of RO/DI... a great little unit. If you're looking for a real simple and portable RO/DI unit, take a look at this one :

 

https://www.afwfilters.com/portable-ro-systems/mikro-gamma-3-stage-portable-ro-uv-sterilization-system-with-75-gpd-membrane-592.html

 

It's no speed demon... Takes a few hours to fill a 2Gal jug, but turns 300 TDS into very close to zero. I threw a outdoor hose type Y-adaptor where my washing machine is and it's as clean as could be.

[Grom]

Very interesting write up,thanks for sharing your build with us.

Your "cool crystalline" thing is similar to to one I received on a piece of live rock from gulf live rock,it started out white then turned brown.I haven't done any research on it so i'm not sure what it is.

 

[TristanC]

^ That one looks like a favia of some kind.

[Grom]

^ That one looks like a favia of some kind.

I agree.Ive just never seen one that color before.

Just wondering,dose liveaquaria get their live rock from the gulf of Mexico?

[neverrain]

I agree.Ive just never seen one that color before.

Just wondering,dose liveaquaria get their live rock from the gulf of Mexico?

 

I posted mine on the Identify forum and someone told me it was a coral skeleton. I don't think mine has really changed at all since it went into the tank. Would be cool if it did grow into Favia,

 

I ordered the Fiji Premium rock, which according to their website is flown in from Fiji.

[nhart608]

 

Did this kit come with they things needed to use a faucet?

Yes, you can order various add-ons. Just choose "faucet" in the "supply type" dropdown and they make sure that is the attachment type at the end of the red supply line. It came with an extra nylon adapter to use depending on your faucet's threading. I had to screw the adapter ring to the main connector because once I remove the aerator from the faucet, the threading is inside threading. But only had to do this once and the adapter ring just stays screwed into the main attachment. As I mentioned, now I just pop the included washer on top of the ring and hand tighten it to the faucet. No leaks even at 65 psi.

 

 

[neverrain]

Today's water readings:

 

s.g.: 1.026

PH: 7.9

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 5.0

Nitrates: 10

Temp: 78f

 

It's weird that the nitrates are going down but the nitrites have stayed exactly the same for the last week.

 

And thanks nhart, I'm considering that thing now actually. I only have one bottle of water left, which means I need to make a decision.

[neverrain]

OMG Updates! Sorry I haven't posted in a bit, but I have been somewhat busy. But I have pictures, along with some changes. Hopefully, I will still be wanted =)

 

First. I redid my aquascape. I wasn't happy with it prior, but I am now at about 95% certainty.

 

 

Second, as you can see in the pic above, I obtained an extra set of the Skkye Lights that come with the tank, so I am currently using 3 (will likely sell the 4th).

 

 

Third. More IM stuffs! I ordered and installed a set of SpinStreams:

 

 

Fourth, I installed a powerhead in the tank to help with water movement. It's a Koralia 425 (iirc), picked up from my LFS. It uses that magnet thing on the outside, which is nice for installation. Also part of the reason I changed the scape a bit. Needed room for this thing:

 

 

I have been testing my water daily, I just haven't been writing it down everyday because there wasn't really much of a change aside from minor fluctuations in Nitrates. Nitrates were holding strong at over 5ppm+. But things changed yesterday. Nitrites suddenly dropped a bunch (so much so that I actually tested it again). Today my readings are as follows:

 

s.g.: 1.026

PH: 7.9

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: .50

Nitrates: 0

Temp: 78f

 

So it appears that my tank is nearing the end of cycling. Obviously I will be giving it another week past 0 readings before I put anything living into it, but I am dying to get my cleanup crew into it. I'm starting to notice algae, and what I thought was hair algae. Although, now that I think about it, I wonder if it was dirty filter floss, somehow making it's way back into my tank. It was on the top of a rock, brown in color, but blew away immediately with a turkey baster. My guess is hair algae would have stuck itself to the rock? I am noticing yellow/brown spots appear on my rock and sand as well. I stirred the sand a bit to disperse them, but they are still on my rock. Guess I'll have to wait and see what appears.

 

Lastly, I will be updating my first post with the most current pic and my tank specs, much like every other tank post here. Just seems right so people don't need to sift through posts for info.

[neverrain]

Adding a quick update!

 

Tank has it's first zero readings of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate! My cleanup crew has been ordered from ReefCleaners. I will be receiving the following:

 

8 Dwarf Ceriths
4 Nassarius
5 Florida Ceriths
4 Nerites

Can't wait to start looking for fish!

[neverrain]

Updates!

 

The CUC has been in the tank for a little over a week now and they are doing a pretty good job. I wish they would clean more algae off the glass, but for the most part they get a good amount of it. Since my tank has been stable for the last week, I decided it was time for fish.

 

So my girlfriend and I went down to the LFS (the one I like) the other day to buy our first fish! We spent over an hour looking at fish and found a few we really liked.

 

1. Maroon Clown - The thing was tiny, hyperactive, and super cute. Unfortunately, they get huge, aggressive, and sound like a pain in the ass in the long run. If I had a bigger tank, I would buy one for sure.

 

2. Six Line Wrasse - Gorgeous fish. Unfortunately also super aggressive and I want a more peaceful tank. I'd rather not wake up in the morning and wonder if one of my fish will be dead or injured today. Again, maybe if I had a bigger tank in the future.

 

So after deciding against the above two, the girl at the LFS helped talk me out of them, we purchased these cute little guys:

 

 

A Firefish and Royal Gramma. They have each had their own personalities the last couple days (I will explain further). Until today, I wasn't able to get a pic of them together.

 

After acclimating them and putting them in the tank (fish really do not like nets), the firefish was out in the open and seemed perfectly fine from the second it hit the tank. It had no problem with me approaching the tank. He was eating from day 1. Sometimes, when it gets surprised it nose dives into the rock into places I didn't even realize had space. It eats with no problem and it's cute watching it pick food out of the water and chew it.

 

The Royal Gramma took a little bit of time. When I was acclimating them it would swim on it's side. Whenever the firefish got close to it in the bucket (I acclimated them together as they came out of the same tank and same water) it would open it's mouth wide and try to bite the firefish. When the Gramma hit the water it immediately went to the back corner of the tank behind the rock and played dead for most of the first day and did not eat. Day 2, it hid inside the main cave in the tank behind rocks and stayed mostly hidden. Occasionally, it would poke it's little head from behind the rock to watch whenever I came close. It barely ate on day 2. Today, it seems much more comfortable with my presence and has been swimming around the tank whenever I'm not in the room (I'll sneak around the corner and watch them where they can't see me). When I did my water testing this morning, he didn't hide as bad but watched me the whole time. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable with me as the days pass. I'm hoping tonight he will eat more as I see him picking at things in the water and spitting them out. He just seemed a bit nervous, but seems to be opening up slowly. Overall, I'm happy with them. They add color to the tank and are both peaceful fish. After observing them for a couple days, I find it funny that they watch us intently, exactly like (and I hate to make the reference) Finding Nemo.

 

On the down side, I have noticed a couple springs of this in my tank:

 

 

I'm 99% sure this is bryopsis. =(

 

I pulled out the sprigs and they grew back within two days. I have left them alone since and they have gotten larger. After pouring through treatment options, I have ordered a gallon bottle on Kent M and a Mg test kit (Salifert - No more API for me, I think once it's gone I will reorder Salifert individually. Just not happy with color matching on the API kit). I REALLY want to treat this naturally, but my options are few and not guaranteed. A turbo snail is just too big, and I don't want a slug in my tank. Either way, both options only treat the problem, not the root. I also don't want to tear my tank down to treat it. I'll start treatment next week after a I do a 2 gallon water change, to set a bi-weekly cycle of ~15% water changes. Hopefully that will rid this problem. Unfortunately, it pushes back my other plan of adding a certain invert to my tank:

 

 

Once that goes in, I think that will be it for livestock. I'm guessing two fish and a shrimp will be the max for my tank at 16 gallon (~12 gallon actual water volume). Then I will look into coral.

 

Thanks for reading! I will post more fish pics once they open up enough to get close with a camera or when I start the Kent M treatment.

[Gramophone]

I'd keep an eye on the Royal Gramma if you add any fish later. They can be pretty territorial.

 

Great start. I bet you can't wait to add coral.

[rdck99]

Fun read. Any updates?