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Nuvo 30L Build - (Is my tank magic? Because its making money disappear..)


Michael_Price

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RIP Sebastian

FTS? Looks nice. Are you keeping an eye on Cal, Alk, and Mag with that clam? Make sure you are. You really shouldn't have added any anemones until the tank is 6+ months old, even if your tank is cycled. Tanks can go through nitrate swings until they are a year old. Keep an eye on your nitrates. Also, that "frogspawn" you have is an Octospawn. :)

 

Nick

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Michael_Price

FTS? Looks nice. Are you keeping an eye on Cal, Alk, and Mag with that clam? Make sure you are. You really shouldn't have added any anemones until the tank is 6+ months old, even if your tank is cycled. Tanks can go through nitrate swings until they are a year old. Keep an eye on your nitrates. Also, that "frogspawn" you have is an Octospawn. :)

 

Nick

Very good to know on the octospawn! The guy I got it from didn't know much about it other then it was outgrowing his tank so he was selling frags with 5 heads for $10 to get them out, quick grower I'm guessing? Only had it a month and little heads are sprouting out of the base on two of them now.

 

I'll try to get a new full tank shot soon ?

 

And yeah after I got the anemones and did some research (that I should have done first) I found out they are not very hardy. So my fingers are crossed and hopefully they make it through the next few months of possible tank swings. So far they are ok. I just need to stick with my water changes and not get lazy!

 

And I am watching my mag, cal, and alk levels. I am dosing to keep my alk up also. The cal, and mag seem to stay steady with regular water changes. No problems there yet ?

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RIP Sebastian

Very good to know on the octospawn! The guy I got it from didn't know much about it other then it was outgrowing his tank so he was selling frags with 5 heads for $10 to get them out, quick grower I'm guessing? Only had it a month and little heads are sprouting out of the base on two of them now.

 

I'll try to get a new full tank shot soon

 

And yeah after I got the anemones and did some research (that I should have done first) I found out they are not very hardy. So my fingers are crossed and hopefully they make it through the next few months of possible tank swings. So far they are ok. I just need to stick with my water changes and not get lazy!

 

And I am watching my mag, cal, and alk levels. I am dosing to keep my alk up also. The cal, and mag seem to stay steady with regular water changes. No problems there yet

 

Ok. Great! Just making sure.

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Michael_Price

So today I got around to Tank Setup Pictures, and of some new corals. I'll make this post about my build, and next some Coral Close ups!

 

 

So here we have my 30L Tank setup in my living room next to the TV. Fits in well, I'm after a sleek modern look so it will blend in well. and I think I've done a good job doing so! B)
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In the back right chamber I have my Tunze Skimmer running, its been a great skimmer and is incredibly silent. I have no complaints. On on the return baffle side after the skimmer I have some medium sized left over Live Rock just for some extra natural filtration. Thinking of adding a small light to have a Mini Fuge back there. Thoughts?

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On the back left chamber I have the Filter sock, and to the right of that I have my Heater, and ATO line.

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Better close up of the back. I also took out the screen from the cover, and cut out a hole in it (as you can see) and painted it black. The white was putting glare back up on my wall so bright it kept the living room far to bright. so that made it a lot less distracting. And I cut the whole in it as I felt it was cutting back light. Thinking of just replacing it with regular screen.
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Im kinda OCD about wires. So I have them all neatly tied up and running down together. I have my ATO Water on the bottom left. Thinking of getting a Black Square Fiberglass Reservoir that looks a bit more sleek in the living room later on. But for now, this gets the job done!
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Under the tank, on the top left I keep all my test kits, Magnets for glass cleaning, and misc items. And on the bottom basket I keep hand towels and what not handy for maintenance. But when I pull on the bottom one..
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As you can see on the bottom left, I keep my power strip behind it.
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I got this on Amazon, and it has Switched outlets. So glad I got it, Makes water changes wayyyy easier.

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And on the upper right cubby I have my Light Timer, and Power Head control.
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Overall, I am very happy with how this setup has turned out, Im loving my tank! When my friends and family come over they are in Awe. I also find myself sitting in front of it just staring along with my wife :)

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Michael_Price

Now for some new coral Close Ups! Its hard for me to believe that these pictures came from my tank! :o It really is a whole other world in there.

 

Man When I first put this clam in my tank and it opened I was pretty happy!
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But when I looked straight down into it and saw this I couldn't believe it. Very Happy with this guy!
(Wish it looked this good from every viewing angle)
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Got a few more Straight Down Shots (Sorry for the Light Glare off the water)
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And here are some of my favorite night shots.

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  • Like 4
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Sweet tank! I will be upgrading to Orbit Pro from the base model in a couple weeks. Have you done any PAR readings on it?

 

Also, are you able to notice the red or green LEDs banding in the water? (meaning you can see the red and green areas of the tank) or is the coverage pretty even?

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Awesome :) are you running any media in the sock ? About to start my 30 soon just figuring out some minor stuff . That light almost makes me want to sell my Kessil 160s lol

Really think I'm gonna sell my kessils lol I like the sleekness of that light and it seems it doesn't have any issues with coral . My lights are on the neck things and they literally light up my whole living room . Guna have to start a thread now lol -_- lol

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Michael_Price

Looks nice!

Love the night fts!

Thanks! B)

 

 

Sweet tank! I will be upgrading to Orbit Pro from the base model in a couple weeks. Have you done any PAR readings on it?

 

Also, are you able to notice the red or green LEDs banding in the water? (meaning you can see the red and green areas of the tank) or is the coverage pretty even?

I love the light, I keep my whites around 30% intensity and blue at 100% and it's fine and my corals are growing. I do not have the equipment to read the PAR levels myself. I wish I could, their website only has a "PAR Range" and say it can handle SPS. And I'm sure it can as I bleached some coral by mistake when I had it at 100% white for a week (I was busy with work and when I got home it was off so I didn't catch it) but on my day off I noticed I cooked my first green zoas I had on the top of a rock. That's why you don't see that frag in my recent pictures :unsure:

And as far as the coverage, I have not noticed any dead spots for red, green, or blue. I do have all my live rock in the middle of the tank, so it's all pretty much right under the light. However my GSP on the black glass still glows green with no problem and my red Rosetip Nem is in the back of the tank with no dead spots in light. So coverage is pretty solid

 

Awesome :) are you running any media in the sock ? About to start my 30 soon just figuring out some minor stuff . That light almost makes me want to sell my Kessil 160s lolReally think I'm gonna sell my kessils lol I like the sleekness of that light and it seems it doesn't have any issues with coral . My lights are on the neck things and they literally light up my whole living room . Guna have to start a thread now lol -_- lol

Not running any media in the tank right now, so far the water parameters have been solid with weekly water changes. However, I am thinking of adding a small media reactor to help keep the water Chrystal Clear. Any tips on how to do so on a nano tank efficiently anyone?

 

And I know what you mean. I almost got kessils myself, but I would have needed two. And I was not a fan of the hang over look. They look silly to me. and that's a lot of money for something I don't want to look at! And since it's in my living room I wanted something sleek, low profile, with a modern look. This light is perfect for that!

 

I wish I could keep the cover off the tank! it looks better to me that way at least, But I came home to two dry snails on the floor after work one day. So I put it back on after that :mellow:

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RIP Sebastian

I have the IM Midsize reactor in the second chamber from the left. I have a 2:1 Carbon/GFO ratio. With the clam, I suggest you don't run the GFO in a reactor (it has been linked to pinched mantle disease), but from what I've read it should be okay in a bag.

 

Sorry to hear about the snails. Half of the time I come home and they're above my standard water line!

 

I'll add you to the index later tonight. I can't right now.

 

How much of an impact has your clam had cal/alk wise?

 

Nick

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Michael_Price

I have the IM Midsize reactor in the second chamber from the left. I have a 2:1 Carbon/GFO ratio. With the clam, I suggest you don't run the GFO in a reactor (it has been linked to pinched mantle disease), but from what I've read it should be okay in a bag.

 

Sorry to hear about the snails. Half of the time I come home and they're above my standard water line!

 

I'll add you to the index later tonight. I can't right now.

 

How much of an impact has your clam had cal/alk wise?

 

Nick

 

So far, I have not noticed much of an impact, but its a small clam only about 3inchs in size. My cal/alk levels are staying pretty consistent. My Cal stays around 420 - 430, regular water changes keep it in check. I do have to dose to keep my Alk up, I have the Cal additive as well, but so far I have not had to dose for it. As it gets bigger I'm sure it will start eating it up more.

 

Since my tank is still new I do weekly water changes, and the water from my LFS has good additives in it. As it matures more I might switch to twice a month water changes and maybe dosing will be more necessary then.

 

How much was the Media Reactor you added? Notice a significant difference?

 

 

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RIP Sebastian

 

So far, I have not noticed much of an impact, but its a small clam only about 3inchs in size. My cal/alk levels are staying pretty consistent. My Cal stays around 420 - 430, regular water changes keep it in check. I do have to dose to keep my Alk up, I have the Cal additive as well, but so far I have not had to dose for it. As it gets bigger I'm sure it will start eating it up more.

 

Since my tank is still new I do weekly water changes, and the water from my LFS has good additives in it. As it matures more I might switch to twice a month water changes and maybe dosing will be more necessary then.

 

How much was the Media Reactor you added? Notice a significant difference?

 

 

 

I bought the media reactor "used"- already purchased but unopened. I never ran the tank without it. Here it is on BRS: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/minimax-midsize-all-in-one-media-reactor-innovative-marine.html

 

120 bucks. I can definitely tell when the media should be changed, so I would imagine that you'll notice a difference if/when you buy it. Another option is to buy this:http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-deluxe1.htmland keep it under the stand.

 

 

Nick

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Michael_Price

I bought the media reactor "used"- already purchased but unopened. I never ran the tank without it. Here it is on BRS: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/minimax-midsize-all-in-one-media-reactor-innovative-marine.html

 

120 bucks. I can definitely tell when the media should be changed, so I would imagine that you'll notice a difference if/when you buy it. Another option is to buy this:http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-deluxe1.htmland keep it under the stand.

 

 

Nick

Good to know! I might have to look into getting one, plenty of room the the back chambers to add some more filtration options.

 

What are you using for a stand? I'm still looking for a stand for mine but can't make up my mind. I really like that. It looks like the bookcases from Target.

It looks like a Book shelf, because it practically is lol. I can't remember where I got it, it might have been target! As I mentioned earlier, I was after a sleek modern look. And this got the job done! Once I get a sleek black box for the ATO Water Resivor I'll be set on aesthetics. This small tank is just under 300lbs full of water and live rock, just make sure whatever stand you go with can handle that. I did change the bottom up a bit to spread the weight more evenly, can't tell in the pictures but I put thin strips of wood along the front and back of the bottom to make it sit flush in the floor. I didn't want any spots that could hover or gap over the Floor.
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ok so I have a few more questions lol I have my 30L sitting empty as of now. For media are you just running the filter socks? I ordered 20 pds of dry rock and will use 10 of live. I just need to order a protein skimmer and a mp10 then I can start the cycle.

 

your tank looks amazing :)

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I've been following this thread for a few days now and this is almost EXACTLY what I'm looking get. I only want to keep softies and some LPS. Could the 24" Orbit Marine Pro sustain softies & LPS even though the tank is 30"?

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The edges will be shadows. So low light coral there will work. I have that light on a 20L also 30" The tank is only 4 months old. The zoas, mushrooms, toadstool, frogspawn are all growing not at crazy rate but that's ok with me. A monti-cap was growing a bit faster than the rest but got covered with algae. I have gone back to one of the pre-programed schedule which is only 60% intense for 6 hours. And reduced feeding almost gone. This is my 1st LED so I have nothing to compare it to. I wish you much success with your tank.

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Michael_Price

ok so I have a few more questions lol I have my 30L sitting empty as of now. For media are you just running the filter socks? I ordered 20 pds of dry rock and will use 10 of live. I just need to order a protein skimmer and a mp10 then I can start the cycle.

 

your tank looks amazing :)

 

 

Thanks! I have one Filter Sock on the left side, and the Skimmer on right side. (I just change out the socks once a week since it comes with two and clean it so I always have one ready to go) I also have some random peices of live rock in the rear right baffle chamber after the skimmer just for a natural area for beneficial bacteria to grow. and nothing in the main middle chamber besides the return pump. So far its all running great as you can see!

 

The edges will be shadows. So low light coral there will work. I have that light on a 20L also 30" The tank is only 4 months old. The zoas, mushrooms, toadstool, frogspawn are all growing not at crazy rate but that's ok with me. A monti-cap was growing a bit faster than the rest but got covered with algae. I have gone back to one of the pre-programed schedule which is only 60% intense for 6 hours. And reduced feeding almost gone. This is my 1st LED so I have nothing to compare it to. I wish you much success with your tank.

 

Yes, the algae can get overwhelming.. I keep my White lights around 30% and my coral still grows fine. once my tank is more mature in another 4 - 8 months I'll slowly Ramp them up so I can keep some SPS corals up high, but right now it will just give me a horrible algae bloom disaster, and who wants to deal with that? :lol: I already have to pick the algae out of my zoas every once in a while <_<

 

I've been following this thread for a few days now and this is almost EXACTLY what I'm looking get. I only want to keep softies and some LPS. Could the 24" Orbit Marine Pro sustain softies & LPS even though the tank is 30"?

 

Hmmm the light could work, but I would recommend putting most your coral under the light, and smaller stuff like mushrooms that don't need much on the sides of the tank. Or even set up your live rock in a way that its under the light and leaves swimming space on the sides. Its up to you really, (It would only leave a 3 inch gap on each side of the tank so I think you would be fine with a 24 inch on a 30 inch tank) this light will support LPS and Softies no problem, as you can see. B)

 

Ill get some more pictures for you all soon! Got a lot of Visa gift cards for Christmas, making a visit to this Fish Store tomorrow for a few more things :D

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  • 3 weeks later...
Michael_Price

Dude your 30L looks really nice. I really like the 3 island look. Probably going to copy you on my brand new 30l.

 

 

 

Thanks! I really need to make some updates, My layout is still the same, but I have new livestock, and more coral in the tank now. I have also set up a 5 Gal sump system (Solely for the Purpose of extra water volume so I can have a few more fish in my display, no extra filters, or media of any kind) So far this tank has been perfect! I put it on a new custom stand I spent a week building, and it is one of the centerpieces of my home when friends and family visit. I'll post some updates pictures soon.

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