Alain's IM NUVO Fusion 30L - PHASE 2 BEGINS ON PG3

[Alain]

Great pic!

 

Thanks Juz! Hue is a bit off the more I look at it.. Corrected it from shooting under blues!

[Alain]

WARNING: The following (very long) post may make some forum members cringe. (Don't worry, there's a good ending, I promise)

 

Can't believe it's been such a long time since I've posted. Forgive me, N-R.

 

Well it's been a while.. Here's my last posted FTS just to recap:

 

 

Wasn't too shabby for my first marine tank.. I had grown my coral collection and everything was THRIVING! I even had full extensions on my little pink birds-nest frag Justin gave me. I added a Valentini puffer and things were going pretty nicely for a while..

 

 

Then... Laziness got the better of me. Water changes started happening once a fortnight rather than once a week. With every fortnightly water change, I just stopped paying attention to the finer details and just changed water for the sake of changing water. My phosphates built up, algae and cyano were flourishing due to the phosphates from the kicked-up substrate.

 

I was constantly out of time to get RO from the LFS, thus my SG was all over the place. At one point, I even used filtered tap water and Seachem Prime just to make sure my pumps would not run dry.

 

Corals faded and died. My live rock didn't look so alive anymore. I even noticed a lack of night time hitchhikers from the rock.

 

So.. Here it is in its current form (This is AFTER a water change)

 

 

SIGH. I KNOW.

 

All corals - basically dead. The leather pops up every now and then but it's algae central right now.

 

My small orange starfish has mysteriously disappeared. I honestly think it was dying and got slowly absorbed by the brittle stars which still thrive in the nooks of the LR.

 

However, ocellaris pair are doing well and getting big and fat, bi-colour blenny is also quite active, and to my surprise my big blue starfish Patrick Star has survived for almost a YEAR in my tank!!!!!

 

The Valentini puffer is great tank mates to the other fish has FOR SURE eaten my peppermint and ghost shrimp, as well as eliminated a good portion of my snails. Looks like I will need to up my filtering system to compensate for lack of CUC/inverts.

 

Glass is SO SO dirty. I will need to get the big scrubbing guns out for this one. Especially that horrid back wall. Not to mention, the AIO sump area has also had some algae growth where the light has spilled over. Pesky to say the least. There's also massive salt creep back there due to the fluctuating levels caused by abandonment when evaporating. I'm afraid to scrape it in for it to get pumped into the main display area.

 

DOUBLE SIGH. HOW DID I LET IT GET THIS BAD?!

 

The good part is this - I now know the error of my ways. I've made a few recent investments to ensure that I can get this tank back to top health, and not only to get it where it was, but to also make it better than I had originally planned. I'm going back to the drawing board.

 

First, back to basics. I purchased an in-line RO/DI unit (from eBay!) for my home to eliminate any excuse that I couldn't go to the LFS to get my vital fluids. The local unit shipped from QLD to SYD in a matter of days and I was filling my water containers up with sweet sweet RO.

 

I bought a big 20kg tub of this...

 

 

... Continuum Halcyon Marine Reef Salt to safeguard from running out of fresh salt water. From all accounts I hear it's a pretty good salt mix, although am happy to hear any suggestions when I go for a next batch!

 

And to treat myself for setting myself back on the path of good tank husbandry, I forked out for these babies..

 

 

... a pair of inTank media baskets!! Awwww yessssss. They're so bloody sexy. I even got a little Swedish Fish lolly in the package, cute!

 

 

New filter media to come, then time to overhaul!!!! New rocks? New sediment? How to scrub the gunk off the walls real good? CAN I RECOVER? HELP.

 

Also, please share stories of your tank abandonments? Make me feel better?

 

[RIP Sebastian]

WARNING: The following (very long) post may make some forum members cringe. (Don't worry, there's a good ending, I promise)

 

Can't believe it's been such a long time since I've posted. Forgive me, N-R.

 

Well it's been a while.. Here's my last posted FTS just to recap:

 

 

Wasn't too shabby for my first marine tank.. I had grown my coral collection and everything was THRIVING! I even had full extensions on my little pink birds-nest frag Justin gave me. I added a Valentini puffer and things were going pretty nicely for a while..

 

 

Then... Laziness got the better of me. Water changes started happening once a fortnight rather than once a week. With every fortnightly water change, I just stopped paying attention to the finer details and just changed water for the sake of changing water. My phosphates built up, algae and cyano were flourishing due to the phosphates from the kicked-up substrate.

 

I was constantly out of time to get RO from the LFS, thus my SG was all over the place. At one point, I even used filtered tap water and Seachem Prime just to make sure my pumps would not run dry.

 

Corals faded and died. My live rock didn't look so alive anymore. I even noticed a lack of night time hitchhikers from the rock.

 

So.. Here it is in its current form (This is AFTER a water change)

 

 

SIGH. I KNOW.

 

All corals - basically dead. The leather pops up every now and then but it's algae central right now.

 

My small orange starfish has mysteriously disappeared. I honestly think it was dying and got slowly absorbed by the brittle stars which still thrive in the nooks of the LR.

 

However, ocellaris pair are doing well and getting big and fat, bi-colour blenny is also quite active, and to my surprise my big blue starfish Patrick Star has survived for almost a YEAR in my tank!!!!!

 

The Valentini puffer is great tank mates to the other fish has FOR SURE eaten my peppermint and ghost shrimp, as well as eliminated a good portion of my snails. Looks like I will need to up my filtering system to compensate for lack of CUC/inverts.

 

Glass is SO SO dirty. I will need to get the big scrubbing guns out for this one. Especially that horrid back wall. Not to mention, the AIO sump area has also had some algae growth where the light has spilled over. Pesky to say the least. There's also massive salt creep back there due to the fluctuating levels caused by abandonment when evaporating. I'm afraid to scrape it in for it to get pumped into the main display area.

 

DOUBLE SIGH. HOW DID I LET IT GET THIS BAD?!

 

The good part is this - I now know the error of my ways. I've made a few recent investments to ensure that I can get this tank back to top health, and not only to get it where it was, but to also make it better than I had originally planned. I'm going back to the drawing board.

 

First, back to basics. I purchased an in-line RO/DI unit (from eBay!) for my home to eliminate any excuse that I couldn't go to the LFS to get my vital fluids. The local unit shipped from QLD to SYD in a matter of days and I was filling my water containers up with sweet sweet RO.

 

I bought a big 20kg tub of this...

 

 

... Continuum Halcyon Marine Reef Salt to safeguard from running out of fresh salt water. From all accounts I hear it's a pretty good salt mix, although am happy to hear any suggestions when I go for a next batch!

 

And to treat myself for setting myself back on the path of good tank husbandry, I forked out for these babies..

 

 

... a pair of inTank media baskets!! Awwww yessssss. They're so bloody sexy. I even got a little Swedish Fish lolly in the package, cute!

 

 

New filter media to come, then time to overhaul!!!! New rocks? New sediment? How to scrub the gunk off the walls real good? CAN I RECOVER? HELP.

 

Also, please share stories of your tank abandonments? Make me feel better?

 

 

Hi there,

 

I, too, have a 30l. One thing I'm going to suggest is that you use a sponge on the false wall. It is acrylic and scratches easily. You can recover. A good thing to do is to put a reminder on your phone or computer for maintenance.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Nick

[Alain]

Thanks! Definitely have kicked myself into gear to make the process foolproof for myself. You're right a simple phone reminder goes such a long way.

[RollaJase]

Sorry about the issues Alain. I was in the same situation twice in my 30G cube. It sucks but these situations make us better reefers .

[Alain]

Sorry about the issues Alain. I was in the same situation twice in my 30G cube. It sucks but these situations make us better reefers .

 

Mr RollaJase! Great to hear from you again!

 

Yeah, I really do hope it makes me better. Sad to see your 30G torn down, but damn your 55G looks spectacular!!!

 

Can't wait to get it back in a shape where I can stabilise and restock!

[RollaJase]

 

Mr RollaJase! Great to hear from you again!

 

Yeah, I really do hope it makes me better. Sad to see your 30G torn down, but damn your 55G looks spectacular!!!

 

Can't wait to get it back in a shape where I can stabilise and restock!

A failure is just an opportunity to learn something new my friend, I'm sure you will do fine . It was definitely a shame to tear down the 30G but the 55 is a whole new adventure and while i have had some issues I am loving it so far.

 

Can't wait to see how you build this back up .

[Alain]

A failure is just an opportunity to learn something new my friend, I'm sure you will do fine . It was definitely a shame to tear down the 30G but the 55 is a whole new adventure and while i have had some issues I am loving it so far.

 

Can't wait to see how you build this back up .

 

Thanks mate! I'll be tuned in to your 55G too I need to get back into the rhythm before I go big like you!!

[teenyreef]

Best of luck with renewing the tank! I think you're taking the right approach. I've learned that if something in the routine is difficult or inconvenient, in the long run it just won't get done. So being able to make your own water should really help. I think you'll be surprised how quickly things will turn around!

[Alain]

Best of luck with renewing the tank! I think you're taking the right approach. I've learned that if something in the routine is difficult or inconvenient, in the long run it just won't get done. So being able to make your own water should really help. I think you'll be surprised how quickly things will turn around!

 

Thanks! Really reassuring I'm hoping it turns around pretty soon, looking at old photos of my tank makes me feel SO guilty!! haha

[Kyl]

Yeah an RO/DI system is pretty much the #1 best buy (ATO being a close second). Hope you can get the tank rocking back to normal soon.

[Alain]

Yeah an RO/DI system is pretty much the #1 best buy (ATO being a close second). Hope you can get the tank rocking back to normal soon.

 

I put off getting an RO/DI for so long, but now I can't imagine not having clean water so accessible! Definitely a must-buy.

[RollaJase]

 

I put off getting an RO/DI for so long, but now I can't imagine not having clean water so accessible! Definitely a must-buy.

I've put it off also, but mainly because I have been told I can't use one by my father. Still living at home sucks, having rain water as our only source of water sucks even more (when owning a reef tank). Our rainwater has a TDS of about 40 so I stopped water changes, used to be as low as 8-10TDS. With the super low pricing of a 4 stage RODI unit its kind of a no brainer to pick one up. I've had one in my eBay watch list for over 12 months now, for only $130 with cartridges.

[Alain]

I've put it off also, but mainly because I have been told I can't use one by my father. Still living at home sucks, having rain water as our only source of water sucks even more (when owning a reef tank). Our rainwater has a TDS of about 40 so I stopped water changes, used to be as low as 8-10TDS. With the super low pricing of a 4 stage RODI unit its kind of a no brainer to pick one up. I've had one in my eBay watch list for over 12 months now, for only $130 with cartridges.

 

I bought the 'PRO-4-D' from waterfilterfactory on eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/122007340869?). Cheap, and free quick shipping!

 

I haven't been able to mount it anywhere but having it and running the garden tap adapter is so easy and the unit goes under the laundry sink when I'm not using it.

 

Totally worth it! Why won't your dad let you use one?

[RollaJase]

 

I bought the 'PRO-4-D' from waterfilterfactory on eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/122007340869?). Cheap, and free quick shipping!

 

I haven't been able to mount it anywhere but having it and running the garden tap adapter is so easy and the unit goes under the laundry sink when I'm not using it.

 

Totally worth it! Why won't your dad let you use one?

That is exactly the one I have been looking at but with the tinted filter chambers, not the white polycarb ones. Pretty damn good value if you ask me. He won't let me get one mainly due to the waste it produces. Depending on the water pressure you can get an 8:1 waste to water ratio worst case. Throwing away 8 liters of water just to get 1 liter of RO is just too much for him to stomach.

[Alain]

That is exactly the one I have been looking at but with the tinted filter chambers, not the white polycarb ones. Pretty damn good value if you ask me. He won't let me get one mainly due to the waste it produces. Depending on the water pressure you can get an 8:1 waste to water ratio worst case. Throwing away 8 liters of water just to get 1 liter of RO is just too much for him to stomach.

 

Ah yes, I assume you aren't linked to a water main line? Supply of rainwater would be AWESOME for a freshwater tank though..

[RollaJase]

 

Ah yes, I assume you aren't linked to a water main line? Supply of rainwater would be AWESOME for a freshwater tank though..

Nope, no mains water where I am unfortunately. I think I may just resort to buying natural sea water from my LFS to do some water changes for the foreseeable future. I do 30L at a time and that only costs me $7 to buy when I need it. It was pretty god when I had a fresh water tank though, some extra organics in the water helped feed the plants.

[Alain]

Nope, no mains water where I am unfortunately. I think I may just resort to buying natural sea water from my LFS to do some water changes for the foreseeable future. I do 30L at a time and that only costs me $7 to buy when I need it. It was pretty god when I had a fresh water tank though, some extra organics in the water helped feed the plants.

 

Where in NSW are you located? 7$ a change vs 8:1 water waste is a very interesting weigh-up!

[RollaJase]

 

Where in NSW are you located? 7$ a change vs 8:1 water waste is a very interesting weigh-up!

Nah, I'm located in SA mate. The natural sea water is pretty cheap though. I did the math and at $14 a month it only costs about $170 a year in water changes. A bucket of Red Sea Blue Bucket (22KG) is $120 and doesn't last me 12 months. I had another chat with Dad about an RODI unit, he said I should just get one and be done with it but I feel guilty about wasting the water. He seems to think that it won't be so bad as our TDS is only 40, not 400-600 like mains water. At 40 TDS though, it is easily manageable so I think I'll hold off for now unless things start to really get bad.

[Alain]

Good news. Tank is *mostly* clean. When I started taking out the live rock and sucked out most of the substrate, things got murky - quickly. Inevitably I missed a few spots on the scrub, but otherwise, I'm reclaiming my tank!!

 

Bad news. Bi-colour blenny flipped out and jumped the tank when everything was being moved and removed. Put him (and his tankmates) in a container with heater until I was done cleaning but he was very, very stressed after the ordeal. He was skiddish when I reintroduced them to the tank and then later died.

 

 

More bad news. As I was removing my old filter media stack to make way for the inTank media baskets, I had an old filter bag of carbon and biopellets burst, dispersing everything into the water column. Luckily it happened after the fish were out of the tank, and I've siphoned out what I can.

 

Currently the tank is bare, with some remaining substrate which will soon be replaced by sand.

 

Looking to cook out the rest of my live rock while I get the tank cleaned and the PO4 and algae under control.

 

[Alain]

I couldn't wait! New live rock and substrate is in! White sand ROCKS!

 

 

I will finesse rock placement later but so far I am very happy with the results so far!

 

I am toying with the idea of going FOWLR, but open to suggestions of what corals to add to a 'scape like the one I've set up?

[spectra]

Looks good just set one of these up for my wife. Will be checking in to see what you end up doing.

[RollaJase]

Nice scape, will look great once it fills in with coral .

[Alain]

Again, was impatient... These just went in about half an hour ago!

 

 

2 x Hammers, an Acan piece and some palm tree coral.. none of them have really opened yet! Just had to share haha

 

And the addiction continues!

[pappadumplingz]

Where did you get them from?