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TeenyReef's 10g Fusion - ATO Disaster


teenyreef

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I got the live rock from KP Aquatics in Florida. Lots of good reviews here on Nano-Reef. I've ordered other things from them and always been pleased. They call it "Miami Oolite". Very light and porous, and it's almost completely encrusted in coraline and/or other encrusting growth.

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JDH - Looks like he put a Hydor smart level on there in the pics on page 1?

 

Hey teeny - Did you place that ATO switch in the third chamber? (from what I can tell)

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So jealous! I wonder if they school?

Not sure yet, but I don't think so. So far 3 are hanging out together and getting along on the back wall. It's a big one and two smaller ones. A second big one joined the group and the two dominants had words :lol:. The outsider ran away with his tail between his legs (if he had legs of course) LOL.
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On the ATO, yes, I put a Hydor Smart ATO in the third chamber. The problem is that when the MP10 really gets cranking, the level in that chamber rises. Then it goes back down again when the MP10 slows down. The level actually goes up and down by about an inch.

 

Since the sensor is thermal, it needs a minute or two to register a change in water level, so I'm not sure it's going to work. I tried it for a day or two in chamber 1 but of course the level there doesn't change enough to kick in when it needs to. So I've got it back in chamber 3 as of tonight. I turned the MP10 down a little so that level isn't going up and down as much. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

I suspect this would be fine with a traditional level sensor using a float valve. You could just put it deep enough that it only kicks in when the water level gets really low, and it wouldn't care about the level going up. You could then use a secondary sensor for overflow detection.

 

If I can't make this work I think I'll get a Tunze.

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Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are all still 0. Wondering is this soft cycle thing is really working? Be patient...

 

In other news, I ordered a Nanobox Mini Tide last night. :naughtydance: Speaking of being patient...



Looking great. I got one of these tanks too

Tanks! Love your Three Amigos!

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I am thinking of doing a Hydor in the 3rd chamber as well. Do you think that A. a Koralia 425 would be enough flow in a tank this size, and B. whether or not that would take care of the water level changes in the 3rd chamber too?

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I turned the MP10 down a little bit. It's now running on 4 or 5 instead of 6. The water level in the chamber doesn't surge up and down now, and the Hydor sensor is working properly in chamber 3.

 

If I didn't already have the Hydor, I'd definitely use a mechanical sensor in this chamber, though. I wouldn't recommend a thermal sensor with a potential for the water level to change so rapidly. A mechanical float would work fine, and I think a pressure sensor would probably be fine too since they both react to changes in water levels much more quickly.



I am thinking of doing a Hydor in the 3rd chamber as well. Do you think that A. a Koralia 425 would be enough flow in a tank this size, and B. whether or not that would take care of the water level changes in the 3rd chamber too?

I wouldn't recommend the Hydor ATO (see above). I haven't used the Koralia so I can say for sure, but my MP10 has more than enough flow even when set at 40%, so I think the Koralia would provide plenty of flow.

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following! great choice on the nanobox tide =)

Thanks! The pictures you've taken of your tank are one of the reasons I got one for my 4g CAD Lights. Now I have to have one for this tank, of course. I just wish I could get my white balance to look as good as yours - it looks great in your pictures :wub:

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So ammonia/nitrite/nitrate are still at zero, although I didn't measure phosphates today. However, there's obviously something going on in the tank because there's a light coating of cyano on the sand and on some of the rocks now.

 

I never thought I'd be so excited to see cyano :haha:

This is actually pretty similar to what I see on my small tank. The only time I've ever measured a detectable amount of nitrates or phosphate it was a sure sign of impending catastrophe. Instead, I can rely on the presence or absence of cyano to tell me whether there's a problem with nutrient exports.

 

The skimmer is finally starting to produce some larger bubbles after running for six days, although there's no skimmate yet. I'm sure the slow breakin is mostly due to the limited organics in the tank. The live rock I got from KP Aquatics was in great shape with no die off (other than a couple crabs that didn't make the trip), so it looks like everything stayed alive instead of dying off and producing lots of ammonia.

 

I made a five gallon water change today and switched out the filter floss, carbon, and GFO.

 

Finally I ordered my cleanup crew from John at Reefcleaners tonight. He sent me a discount coupon earlier tonight. How did he know my cyano started growing today? He's really good :bowdown:

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Cyano also grows in low flow areas. It used to always grow in one corner of my tank when it first started till I adjusted my powerhead and have never seen it since.

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Cyano also grows in low flow areas. It used to always grow in one corner of my tank when it first started till I adjusted my powerhead and have never seen it since.

 

Yes, in my tanks, when it shows up it's always in the low flow areas. But it always goes away in a week or two once things get balanced out. In this case, I think it's a good indication that the cycle is progressing.

 

Nice!!

 

Thanks! Love your tank, especially the Firefish :)

Tank looking good.

 

Thanks - even though it's in the Ugly Duckling stage, it's funny how interesting rocks with a little bit of Coraline and macroalgae can be :happy:

 

The growth in your tank is awesome. I'm especially fascinated by your green stylo. I've got a frag that's very similar in my 4g CAD Lights. Only it was sold at the LFS as a birdsnest...the more mine grows the more I'm convinced it's stylo, though.

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@Spider: if you check page one of this thread. I've got pics of the inTank caddy near the top, and of my home made fuge light a little further down. If you want other pictures let me know and I'll post more.

 

The caddy is the one that StevieT lists for IM8/16 on the inTank site. If you check his description he explains that it also fits the Fusion 10/20.

 

:welcome: to the IM Fusion 10 club! Let me know when you get a build thread started so I can follow along.

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The tanks back in the corner so it's hard to get a clear shot of the fuge light actually on the tank. This one was taken from above and just behind the tank. I attached it to the tank with a 1" strip of velcro on each corner of the light box. Man, I realllllly need to clean up those cables back there :mellow:

 

15229090403_f5deaab751_z.jpg

 

This one is from the side:

15661392540_0873319a20_z.jpg

 

PS: I used a razor blade scraper to scrape off the vinyl cover from the back.

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Some updated pictures now that there's some visible change in the tank. Lots of algae, can't wait for the CUC to arrive. I think I will invest in a Mithrax crab too.

 

15848802305_49a09414a9_b.jpg

 

15226506534_68bea663fa_b.jpg

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Yes, in my tanks, when it shows up it's always in the low flow areas. But it always goes away in a week or two once things get balanced out. In this case, I think it's a good indication that the cycle is progressing.

 

 

 

Thanks! Love your tank, especially the Firefish :)

 

 

Thanks - even though it's in the Ugly Duckling stage, it's funny how interesting rocks with a little bit of Coraline and macroalgae can be :happy:

 

 

The growth in your tank is awesome. I'm especially fascinated by your green stylo. I've got a frag that's very similar in my 4g CAD Lights. Only it was sold at the LFS as a birdsnest...the more mine grows the more I'm convinced it's stylo, though.

 

Thanks! Ya the green stylo is a growing machine aggressive too. It started sending out stingers and beat up on both neighbors- Ponape birdsnest and purple stylo . I finally had to snap off a few tips to give a little more room. Started another mini colony on the side- we'll see how they do

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