Teenyreef's IM40 Not-So-Teeny Tank - August FTS

[teenyreef]

After seeing the rock in person I just don't think I would ever use dry again, and you're to blame.

Excellent!

A couple months ago, I noticed the pump for the ATO in the IM10 tank was running a little slow. Now that it's on the IM40, it has to pump about eight inches higher, and it just wasn't doing it. I tried moving the ATO reservoir up a little to reduce the head on the pump, but after working for a few days, it stopped pumping even that high.

 

I made sure there wasn't anything cloggin up the pump - nope, nothing vivible. And it's a sealed unit, so it can't be disassembled for cleaning. Fortunately, it turns out you can get replacement Tunze ATO pumps from BRS for $21, so I stopped messing around with it and ordered a new one. It should arrive tomorrow.

[teenyreef]

It's starting to look like the tank is already cycled at this point. Since I put the live rock straight into the water in the tubs, and kept them there for several days, there doesn't seem to have been much die off at all.

 

I've been checking parameters for the last four or five days. There's been no ammonia, nitrates have held steady at 0.5, and phosphates are at .02.

 

I'll probably start dosing some Microbacter 7 just to be on the safe side, and I'll add a little ammonia just to make sure it spikes and then goes away.

 

It will time to get the clean up crew soon!

[teenyreef]

New page - time for pictures

 

I thought this little sponge was kind of cute. Well, for a sponge.

 

20160608-untitled-005-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

More detailed pictures of the rock scape. I really took these just so I can have some hope of reassembling the scape if it ever falls apart before I get it glued up.

 

Left side (you can see the little sponge near the top, all the way on the left, towards the back of the rock):

 

20160608-untitled-008-Edit-2.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Right side:

 

20160608-untitled-011-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[jack1978]

Looks good.....FTS?

[teenyreef]

Looks good.....FTS?

Thanks, Jack! Here's the one from the last page. This thread seems to be moving fast and it's hard to find stuff

 

2016-06-07 IM40 Wide Angle FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The view from the couch (when the water was still cloudy):

 

2016-06-07 IM40 FRS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[jack1978]

Thanks, Jack! Here's the one from the last page. This thread seems to be moving fast and it's hard to find stuff

 

2016-06-07 IM40 Wide Angle FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The view from the couch (when the water was still cloudy):

 

2016-06-07 IM40 FRS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

You know, I kinda have the same view from my couch....looking through two panes of glass. It makes it look like you have twice the landscaping and corals :^ )

Sometimes I like it, and other times it annoys me :^ )

 

Your setup is looking nice!

[Pjanssen]

love this scape!

[jimbonds]

Looks great!

[Sharbuckle]

To be quite honest. I liked the first scape. Haha. Second one looks great too. Big fan of open space

[gena]

Looking sweet .

[FlowerMama]

I love the hole in the rock there. I don't know how I missed it.

[teenyreef]

I got the replacement pump for my old Tunze ATO from BRS tonight. I took the opportunity while the old pump was out to clean out the ATO container. I also took the opportunity to spill water all over in the process

 

You can just imagine my reaction when the new pump worked just as poorly as the old one.

 

After pulling everything apart and pulling the ATO line out from behind the tank just to make sure it wasn't kinked, I FINALLY remembered that there's a flow adjustment knob inside the controller, and that I had it set all the down on "nano" from when I had it on the IM10 tank.

 

I bumped it up to about 40% and it works great now! Oh well, at least I have a spare pump if I ever need one.

[teenyreef]

You know, I kinda have the same view from my couch....looking through two panes of glass. It makes it look like you have twice the landscaping and corals :^ )

Sometimes I like it, and other times it annoys me :^ )

 

Your setup is looking nice!

Thanks, Jack! I agree, I've been trying to make the scape look good from the couch, as well as from the front. Like you said, sometimes it turns out good, sometimes not.

love this scape!

Looks great!

Looking sweet .

Thanks, everyone!

To be quite honest. I liked the first scape. Haha. Second one looks great too. Big fan of open space

I was OK with the first scape, but the more I looked at it the less happy I was. The real test of time for any scape, though, is what it looks like when the corals start to grow in and you can even see the rocks any more.

I love the hole in the rock there. I don't know how I missed it.

Thanks! I'm hoping to offer lots of hiding places for fish.

[HarryPotter]

I got the replacement pump for my old Tunze ATO from BRS tonight. I took the opportunity while the old pump was out to clean out the ATO container. I also took the opportunity to spill water all over in the process

 

You can just imagine my reaction when the new pump worked just as poorly as the old one.

 

After pulling everything apart and pulling the ATO line out from behind the tank just to make sure it wasn't kinked, I FINALLY remembered that there's a flow adjustment knob inside the controller, and that I had it set all the down on "nano" from when I had it on the IM10 tank.

 

I bumped it up to about 40% and it works great now! Oh well, at least I have a spare pump if I ever need one.

A flow adjustment knob? On the Tunze osmulator? Never heard of it!

 

Always good to have a backup

[teenyreef]

A flow adjustment knob? On the Tunze osmulator? Never heard of it!

 

Always good to have a backup

It's buried in the manual, along with a few other options. You have to unscrew the back for the control box to access the circuit board. Not exactly a user-friendly design, which is part of the reason I totally forgot about it!

[teenyreef]

The MP40 is working out great for flow. I'm running it at 50% and it is completely silent.

 

On the other hand, I may need to do some careful coral placement to keep the sand in place

 

20160609-untitled-002-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[FlowerMama]

Stick a bta in the bare corner? A condy or something? a chalice to spread ?

[Bowen1022]

When does your NB Wide come in? I want to seeee

[dropped]

I got the replacement pump for my old Tunze ATO from BRS tonight. I took the opportunity while the old pump was out to clean out the ATO container. I also took the opportunity to spill water all over in the process

 

You can just imagine my reaction when the new pump worked just as poorly as the old one.

 

After pulling everything apart and pulling the ATO line out from behind the tank just to make sure it wasn't kinked, I FINALLY remembered that there's a flow adjustment knob inside the controller, and that I had it set all the down on "nano" from when I had it on the IM10 tank.

 

I bumped it up to about 40% and it works great now! Oh well, at least I have a spare pump if I ever need one.

Thank you!!! ive been struggling with this myself!

[holy carp]

You know, I kinda have the same view from my couch....looking through two panes of glass. It makes it look like you have twice the landscaping and corals.

Looks great! And now if you hang a mirror on the wall, you'd have even more viewing angles from the couch.

[Pjanssen]

Looks great! And now if you hang a mirror on the wall, you'd have even more viewing angles from the couch.

 

what a great idea

[teenyreef]

Stick a bta in the bare corner? A condy or something? a chalice to spread ?

Exactly! I was thinking about something LPS that likes a lot of flow. Or maybe an island of vice zoas that need high flow. But someting is going to need to be there to help baffle the flow.

 

Or, maybe I'll move the MP40 to the right side of the tank, so that it's blowing on the tops of the rocks. There will be lots of SPS there so it would be a great spot for high flow. The only down side with that plan is the MP40 will block the view from the side a little bit.

Thank you!!! ive been struggling with this myself!

I was kicking myself for forgetting it! It was a huge problem when I first set it up on the IM10, because the Tunze ATO runs for thirty seconds when it starts up. And at full blast, that put enough RODI water in the tank to raise the level in the back chamber by well over an inch.

[Kyl]

I wanted to try a new dosing tube / probe holder, so I got the new IM Custom Cradle, in the XL size. It looked pretty good in the pictures, and it holds up to four dosing lines, four probes, and an ATO line. Here's a picture of it:

 

20160607_014224.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

- The killer for me is that the dosing holders are just round slots cut in the back of the cradle, relying on friction fit. So unless your dosing tubes are the exact size that fits tightly in the slots, then they're always slipping out. Like in my case.

 

 

I had to put small zip ties around the bottom of my dosing lines to keep them in the vertex probe holder (bought the wrong one accidentally, doesn't fit apex temp probe). I actually ordered this IM one for my larger 65 gallon that I'm slowly getting together, and thought that the dosing tubes were part of the press fit too..

 

Kind of what I'm finding with IM accessories. Mostly good, but they cheap out / just flat out have one piece of a unit that doesn't make sense.

[teenyreef]

 

I had to put small zip ties around the bottom of my dosing lines to keep them in the vertex probe holder (bought the wrong one accidentally, doesn't fit apex temp probe). I actually ordered this IM one for my larger 65 gallon that I'm slowly getting together, and thought that the dosing tubes were part of the press fit too..

 

Kind of what I'm finding with IM accessories. Mostly good, but they cheap out / just flat out have one piece of a unit that doesn't make sense.

That's a good idea, using zip ties to make the tube thicker. Like you said, the downside of the Vertex is you have to buy separate holders for the dosing tubes and the probes, since they are different sizes.

 

I think the IM holder would work better for me if I used thicker dosing tubes, but I just use airline tubing.

[teenyreef]

I installed the Vertex probe and dosing tube holders. I think they look good, and the hold everything securely. I only have a couple minor complaints - my Apex temperature probe is too big for the probe holder, and the dosing tube holder only holds three tubes. That's because the Vertex doser only has three pumps, unlike most of the rest of the world

 

Since I'm getting ready to add a third BRS doser, I put the ATO tube in the probe holder. I used Kyl's idea of putting a zip tie on the tube to make it thicker, and it works fine in the probe holder now.

 

20160610-untitled-010.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

I also set off a snail bomb, courtesy of Reefcleaners. It's nice to see things moving around in the tank

 

2016-06-10 IM40 FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

 

Also, I got the shipping notice from Nanobox for the wide quad light!

 

Unfortunately, I'm going on a work trip next week, so I won't be home when it gets here. And I go on vacation for a week right after that, so I may not have time to get it hooked up for a couple weeks.