Owlshead19's Wishful IM Fusion 20

[Twantyniner]

Bummer about the AI Prime HD. I haven't seen too many of these tanks using the a160we. I am thinking of a light upgrade at some point and will definitely be paying attention to how your tank responds.

[owlshead19]

Bummer about the AI Prime HD. I haven't seen too many of these tanks using the a160we. I am thinking of a light upgrade at some point and will definitely be paying attention to how your tank responds.

 

Thanks I'll keep updating when there is something of interest to report. I've been getting a lot of "disco ball" with the AI Prime which I didn't really care for. I'm hoping that won't be an issue with the Kessil.

 

I'm going to get my brother (my technical whiz) to come take a look at the Prime and try to get things working for me before I return it as defective. The problem may be user error. It's always nice to have a spare light around in case of an emergency.

 

I'll admit - the two simple controls on the Kessil seem very attractive after all the problems I've had with the AI Prime.

[owlshead19]

Tank updates -

 

Added a Jebao PP-4 wavemaker

My new Kessil arrived yesterday but it's still in the box

Have done two 5 gal water changes

Still dosing Microbacter7

 

Sad news - because I made the noob mistake of adding too much too soon - I lost my goldline goby the very next day after adding - the day I added him he came out and ate and the next day I noticed something on the powerhead and when i pulled it off all I had was a skeleton.

 

My two corals started looking very very unhappy - the duncan receded almost entirely into its skeleton and the sinularia slumped over and the polyps retracted. It started looking a little brown.

 

I did the water changes - kept dosing the bacteria and started adding some Prime.

 

Happy to say that the corals are looking much better - the duncan looks happier than ever and the sinularia - while the polyps still haven't extended - has perked up and isn't slumped over any more and back to being very green.

 

I've also alternated feeding a micro small pellet (very very small amount) and a tiny bit of nano Reef Frenzy every other day.

 

The two hermits have seemed happy all along.

 

I'll post some new pics this evening and some test results.

 

I feel lucky to have dodged a major bullet.

[owlshead19]

Pictures as promised -

 

FTS -

 

Recovering Duncan

 

Recovering Sinularia -

[owlshead19]

FTS Update -

 

I've added a couple more corals - a small Acan and a zoa (picked out by my hubby)

 

And the original corals are happier than ever -

Or at least happier than they were -

 

However - I found this - I think it's aiptasia -

 

I'm still thinking about fish - so far not really good luck with my LFS which used to have great fish. I'm setting up a quarantine tank next week and adding some marine pure and when that's cycled I'm getting a pair of clowns from Sustainable Aquatics which I think i'll just keep quarantined for a while. I've tried both a Neon Goldline Goby and a Banggai Cardinal - and neither have lasted even 1 full day. Goby just disappeared and reappeared as a skeleton - cardinal had trouble swimming from the get-go and then later started swimming upside down and then I removed it from the tank.

[owlshead19]

Updates!!!!

 

Added a couple new corals - from WWC in Orlando - I'll post pics when I get home - they are both chalice varieties - one is blue with orange mouths surrounded with green and the other is solid orange/gold color.

 

Had a scary scary event happen yesterday. Returned home from work and found a note on my desk that said to check my top off. I looked at it - the tank was topped off - thought maybe the water was low - opened it up and found my husband had refilled the ATO reservoir with salt water. I kinda freaked out and called him and yelled at him (I called back later and apologized when I realized the salinity wasn't really affected by any noticeable amount.) He felt really bad because he was worried about the life in the tank. He's a keeper!

 

Fix for this - used a nice BIG permanent marker and wrote - RO WATER ONLY on both the lid and the 3 gallon food grade bucket I use for my ATO.

 

Another big event - ordered two SA clowns from The Coral Reef - a misbar black and a snowflake. My husband is going to be disappointed (he wanted blaze orange) but it's my tank and I'll do what I like. They are due to arrive on September 13th.

 

My tank has been going for about 6 weeks now and all signs point to happy life - I'm seeing pods, starting to see some diatoms although my two hermits are having a blast cleaning up the rocks and sand. The corals seem very happy with the Kessil (I'm very very happy with it also!) they are fully expanding every day and everything looks at least as good (in the case of the duncan - better) than when I bought them.

 

I'm trying to decide where I want this tank to go as far as corals - I may move the sinularia and the green zoa's to my pico when I get it up and running. I plan on having a lot of color in this tank.

[owlshead19]

Ok - Photo dump as promised:

 

Kessil is on now -

 

FTS -

 

New corals from WWC -

 

On this the white spot is a pod on the glass (sorry)

 

Corals on the left -

 

The zoas the hubby picked out - I thought they were just green

 

I'm getting some diatoms on the rocks now - so I may take advantage of the sale from Reef Cleaners and pick up the clean up crew.

 

[Twantyniner]

Looking good! Love that shimmer. I would get others opinions on a clean up crew. I got the reef cleaners 16 high (I think, has been a long time) without hermits and it seems ok but the nerite snails are giving me huge headaches. They keep laying eggs on the rocks that are hard to remove. The fact that they are breeding means they must be consuming a lot I guess. To me they seem to just hang out at the waterline. I added a mexican turbo snail and the dwarf ceriths don't seem to survive very well in my tank.

[owlshead19]

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday! Big day for the tank - I have some corals coming from World Wide Corals in Orlando - I picked up a Bubble Gum Cyphastrea coral and a WWC "money shot" montipora (bright lime green.) Somehow I also managed to get a Copperhead Cyphastrea which I thought for sure I'd be outbid on.

 

The tank has been going for about 7 weeks now and been cycled for about 4. I have two small red legged hermits and 3 very small nassarius snails. I've still not had any diatoms on the sand but have had a bit on the live rock.

 

I also have my two clowns coming. I'm excited to be seeing some movement in the tank soon.

 

On a side note - I ordered a controller for my Kessil. It seems like a better option than putting it on a timer.

[owlshead19]

Just realized it's been a long time without any updates.

 

Soooo - I've added the IM Desktop skimmer - it's on the louder side but no micro bubbles. My two clowns are healthy and happy - I'll add some photos when I get home. I've placed some of the frags into what I hope will be good spots on the rocks. I've been using the acclimation mode on my lights but my zoas seem unhappy with the slightly lowered amount of light - they are still on the sandbed.

 

I keep waiting for the first big problem to show up - algae, cyano, something. So far some diatoms and that's about it.

[owlshead19]

Some cell phone pics I took today - sorry the photos aren't better - I have bad eyesight (I've had to have retina surgery on both my eyes) and honestly until I download the photos I can't see the details.

 

The usual FTS

 

And I love my clowns - they aren't ultra high end but they are cute and frisky

 

 

 

I also have a love affair with my tiny little duncan

[Reef Queso]

Is that the duncan that was only one head 4 weeks ago?

[owlshead19]

Yes it's the same one. I was really worried about it for a bit - it had almost completely retracted into the skeleton for about a week and then when it came back out it got really happy. I think it had one baby head and the main head when I got it - but now it has the small heads all around the main one.

 

edit - I do feed the corals - I think it's called Reef Chili from BRS a couple times a week.

[JLynn]

So is that one little Kessil providing enough light for the whole tank? I've been thinking about getting one when I get my own Fusion 20, but I was worried that the aquarium might a bit too big an area for the Kessil to sufficiently cover.

[Cencalfishguy56]

So is that one little Kessil providing enough light for the whole tank? I've been thinking about getting one when I get my own Fusion 20, but I was worried that the aquarium might a bit too big an area for the Kessil to sufficiently cover.

it should be enough, they cover a max spread of 24" and the nuvo 20 is exactly 24" I believe

[owlshead19]

So is that one little Kessil providing enough light for the whole tank? I've been thinking about getting one when I get my own Fusion 20, but I was worried that the aquarium might a bit too big an area for the Kessil to sufficiently cover.

 

Yes and no - it's providing ample light for the corals but there isn't even light over the entire tank. I think the spread of the Prime HD+ covered a bit more and I prefer the color options of the Prime. I'm thinking of getting a second Kessil - not because I really need it - but because I am thinking of getting the 30 long next year when I move and will certainly need the extra spread then.

[JLynn]

 

Yes and no - it's providing ample light for the corals but there isn't even light over the entire tank. I think the spread of the Prime HD+ covered a bit more and I prefer the color options of the Prime. I'm thinking of getting a second Kessil - not because I really need it - but because I am thinking of getting the 30 long next year when I move and will certainly need the extra spread then.

Thanks for the feedback.