Nic's ADA 60F Shallow

[Nic]

Please excuse the mess. My next big project is building a stand and organizing all of my equipment. I did, however, want to show how well the Pax Bellum algae reactor is doing. In the span of just under three weeks, my small ball of Chaeto has at least tripled if not quadrupled in size. 

 

[J-Ranko]

On 4/9/2017 at 5:41 PM, Nic said:

 

You should give them a shout. Ask for Holly. She actually gave me a couple of large sized frags of both to choose from. The other Oregon Tort is smaller but still much larger than the standard frag and the other Miyagi was similar sized. 

 

Well, I went the opposite direction. I got one of their cheaper Oregon tort frag on sale for a much smaller size.  I was gonna ask Holly for a larger frag but then I chickened out and didn't want to risk such a large, expensive and delicate acro in my tank.  Now it's gonna take me years to grow out my frag to the same size as yours.  Maybe when I retire decades from now I'll have a colony.  

 

Looking forward to you new additions next month.  Those are some really nice-sized colonies!

[Nic]

FTS 04/14/2017

 

[Rehype]

On 4/6/2017 at 10:47 AM, Nic said:

 

That's actually a really good idea for cleaning the reactor. Do you have any images of your quick disconnect set up on your most recent thread?

 

Well I just upgraded to the "E" version which can accept the quick disconnects that Pax Bellum designs. I just posted a pic of it in my thread. But im sure you could just use the Eheim Double tap disconnects for your setup.

 

Tank looks great BTW.

[Nic]

3 hours ago, Rehype said:

 

Well I just upgraded to the "E" version which can accept the quick disconnects that Pax Bellum designs. I just posted a pic of it in my thread. But im sure you could just use the Eheim Double tap disconnects for your setup.

 

Tank looks great BTW.

 

Thanks Hype. Tank had some growing pains initially. Bought a Fromia star right before I left for a trip to Dallas and unfortunately it melted while I was gone and semi nuked the tank. I lost a Red Planet colony and ORA Frogskin frag but got everything under control once I got back. Other than a little bit of cyano, everything seems to have settled in over the last couple of weeks since. 

 

I saw the new reactor in your tank thread; that reactor looks like it can do some serious work. I'll check out the Eheim Doubletap disconnects. I'm giving the reactor another week before I prune the Chaeto but man does that stuff grow like crazy in that reactor! Definitely a solid investment. 

[Nic]

11 hours ago, J-Ranko said:

 

Well, I went the opposite direction. I got one of their cheaper Oregon tort frag on sale for a much smaller size.  I was gonna ask Holly for a larger frag but then I chickened out and didn't want to risk such a large, expensive and delicate acro in my tank.  Now it's gonna take me years to grow out my frag to the same size as yours.  Maybe when I retire decades from now I'll have a colony.  

 

Looking forward to you new additions next month.  Those are some really nice-sized colonies!

 

So you still ended up getting the Oregon Tort frag from Cultivated Reef? That blue is something else man! 

 

Im actually getting the strawberry lemonade and strawberry shortcake colonies halved into smaller colonies. If you're interested in buying either of the other halves I can get you in touch with the folks.

 

I think we both know you want to bite the bullet and get a couple of colonies ?

[Christopher Marks]

Those Eheim Double Tap quick release valves look like a pretty good solution to retrofit, I was just checking it out. There appears to be two sizes but the smaller 0.50 inch/0.65in is probably best, though you might have to change one side of the line tubing to make it fit: http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_Double_Tap_Quick_Release_0.50_inch_0.65in_Canister_Filter-Eheim-EH4004412-FIFRCF-vi.html.

[Nic]

FTS 04/15/17

 

Maxe a few small additions yesterday when I made the mistake of stopping at the LFS in town. Additions include:

 

Small Duncan frag

Assorted Zoanthids

Three head frag of Ultra Acans

 

[Nic]

FTS 04/17/17

 

 

Everything in the tank is doing wonderfully! I added a small frag of Blastos, a three headed Ultra Acan frag, and a four headed Duncan frag a couple of days ago. Each has been removed from their respective frag plugs and placed in an appropriate spot in the tank. All of my Acro frags continue to defy my initial expectations and are settling in without a hitch, although the Oregon Tort frag has lost a bit of its vibrant blue color within the body of the coral but doesn't appear to be a reason for worry. 

 

I mentioned a few posts back that I am planning a custom made stand for the entire system. I believe I've gotten most of the specifics laid out and will begin building the stand in the next month or so and, in the process, gathering up the remaining equipment I need to complete the build. My good friend and former roommate both from my time in Iraq and while I lived in Elizabeth City, North Carolina fancies himself a woodworker and to this credit, he's actually quite skilled. He'll be assisting me with the fabrication of the stand. The stand will be based on NanoTopia's 80L Zeovit tank:

 

 

The bottom shelf will hold my old CadLight 45 gallon's sump, which will be incorporated into the existing ADA 60F. I will drill the 60F and add a Glass Holes Nano Overflow Box Complete Kit, using an EcoTech Marine Vectra M1 DC controllable pump for the return. I want to continue utilizing a closed loop system in addition to the sump and overflow, mainly for the benefit of the SPS, as this will continue to remain an SPS dominant system. For the closed loop, three holes will be drilled in the bottom of the 60F (in the case that the bottom is tempered, the holes will be drilled along the bottom of the back side of the glass). One hole will be capped off with an overflow screen for outflow and the other two will have short pvc pipes attached with loc line outflow attachments to move water through the rock work. The pump will, again, be an EcoTech Marine Vectra M1 DC controllable pump. Both the sump return pump and the closed loop vectras will likely be run at or near the lowest setting given that it maxes out at 2000 GPH. I will continue to utilize the Pax Bellum algae reactor by plumbing it directly into the closed loop system. 

 

I have a Zeovit reactor that was planned for use with my old CadLights 45 shallow and am interested in eventually using it with the 60F, however, I am not sure they're that will work with the algae reactor. Any suggestions are very welcome from any of you folks. 

 

I recently spoke with Dave Fason at NanoBox regarding a new light. As I've mentioned, the AI Hydra 52 in currently running is the older model version of the light and I am currently unable to control it, meaning I am unable to control the individual spectrums or even set up the light to ramp up and ramp down at the beginning and end of each day. I have settled on using a 24" ATI Sunpower T5 light retrofitted to contain two NanoBox LED arrays and two T5 bulbs. I settled on this for the efficiency and intensity of LEDs and the color, coolness and shadow penetrating aspects of T5s for SPS. I'm very much looking forward to automating and controlling the individual spectrums with this new light, solving the issues I presently have. 

 

Thats the plan for for finishing up the tank over the course of the summer. I will continue to add corals, having developed a list of SPS that I will continue to purchase. Please let me know how y'all feel about these additions and provide any tips or suggestions you'd like. Much of this is still in the earlier stages of planning. I will be working on some drawings and renderings of the stand in the next couple of months and actual construction will likely begin in June depending on my schedule and if I will be attending Vermont Law School pursuing a masters in environmental law and policy during the summers between regular law school down here in North Carolina. 

[J-Ranko]

LED + T5 is the best of both worlds, though the most expensive.  I'm not sure about Zeovit + algae reactor.  They're more likely to compete for the nutrients and may not perform well when used in conjunction (zeovit might starve the algae, or the algae could limit bacterial growth in the reactor). They're really alternate methods for nutrient control.  Personally, I'd go with algae reactor for lower maintenance and no additives involved. 

 

 

[Nic]

12 minutes ago, J-Ranko said:

LED + T5 is the best of both worlds, though the most expensive.  I'm not sure about Zeovit + algae reactor.  They're more likely to compete for the nutrients and may not perform well when used in conjunction (zeovit might starve the algae, or the algae could limit bacterial growth in the reactor). They're really alternate methods for nutrient control.  Personally, I'd go with algae reactor for lower maintenance and no additives involved. 

 

 

 

Thats what I've heard about the LED T5 combo and from what I've seen it looks to be the best. 

 

Regardi the Zeovit and algae reactor, that's what my gut told me as well. Thought I would mention it to see if perhaps my gut instincts were astray but I didn't think so. I agree with you, however; the Zeovit method gets stunning results but it is both arduous and just a single mistake can render the whole tank fallow, so I'm tending to lean toward your assessment. I think the algae reactor is ultimately the best (and safest) option. 

[Nic]

Does this look like STN to you folks? It hasn't moved much since I discovered it yesterday. Any recommendations for how to deal with it?

 

 

closer view

 

 

[Nic]

I mentioned a few posts back that my Oregon tort appeared to be slowly browning. It's the only SPS that appears to be doing so. In light of that I decided to go ahead and change out my PhosGuard in the canister filter even though my phosphate tests were returning a 0.0 ppm result.  There is still a bit of lingering algae and the cyano has never completely disappeared so I figured it worth a shot.

 

In the process of doing so, I discovered that the flow coming from the canister filter into the algae reactor and finally into the tank was practically nothing. I only discovered this because once I reconnected the canister filter and turned it back on, my Welso, which had been sitting comfortably in front of the outflow, started skittering across the bottom of the tank. It appears the flow from the canister filter was somehow kinked, which may explain the browning of the tort and the lingering cyano on that side of the tank. (Low flow)

 

We'll see how thing improve over the coming days. Hopefully this will bring resolution to the somewhat lingering minor issues I've been experiencing. It better, considering I dumped about two gallons of water onto the carpet trying to get the hoses off the canister. Thank God my fiancée is on a business trip to Minnesota. ??

[Nic]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/help-my-sps-are-paling-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/#post-2401666

Did some research on the browning and paling issue I'm having with my Oregon tort and I'm beginning to lean toward the notion that I have an issue with LACK of phosphates and nitrates due to the algae reactor. I'm not positive this is the issue, but all of my tests are returning 0.0 ppm values for both and the tort continues to brown out in some areas and is looking pale in others. The algae reactor came with several bottles of different nutrients to dose that would help grow the chaeto. I never used any of it, as the chaeto took off on its own, however, I believe I will go ahead and dose some of these, as well as begin feeding my clowns heavily to see if this makes any difference to the SPS coloration. Let me know if y'all have any opinion regarding this situation. 

[J-Ranko]

What test kits are you using?  Hanna checker has low-range test kits for phosphates and nitrates, though I only use the phosphorus test.  I'm not sure you could aggressively strip nutrients from the water the way bacterial-driven methods like Zeovit compared to an algae reactor, so I'd try to rule out other factors first, like lighting, or inaccurate test results on nitrates, phosphates and alkalinity.  

[Nic]

11 hours ago, J-Ranko said:

What test kits are you using?  Hanna checker has low-range test kits for phosphates and nitrates, though I only use the phosphorus test.  I'm not sure you could aggressively strip nutrients from the water the way bacterial-driven methods like Zeovit compared to an algae reactor, so I'd try to rule out other factors first, like lighting, or inaccurate test results on nitrates, phosphates and alkalinity.  

 

I might do the Triton Water Test to verify my test results. I'm using the API Test Kit, which I've read can vary wildly on some tests.

[Nic]

Ran my tests again and everything continues to check out. My tests were as follows:

 

Nitrates: 0.0 ppm

Phosphates: 0.0 ppm

Alkalinity: 9 dkh 

 

This appears to be STN from the base up and moving ever so slowly. Not all of my acros are effected. The ones highest up toward the light and closest to the MP10 all appear fine, even brightly colored, while the ones furthest from the MP10 and/or farthest from the light are showing the problem. The ONLY common denominator is that where I am seeing STN in each Acro and the Stylo are areas that are completely shaded from the light. In the respect, I turned the light up a bit and moved my Shortcake colony close to the MP10 and the Stylo colony closer to the output for the canister while spinning the base section that appears to be either bleaching or STN'ing toward the light. Hopefully this solves the issue. 

[Nic]

FTS 04/23/17

Everyone is a wee bit pissed at the moment and the tank is a little cloudy, as I had just finished scraping algae off the glass throughout the entire tank. 

 

Still experienicng the STN on the Bali Shortcake colony and the Stylophora colony but it doesn't appear to have progressed. I'm guessing the changes in position relative to the light and flow have likely helped to solve the issue but I'll continue to keep them under a watchful eye. 

 

 

Slightly closer shot

 

 

And introducing George, the three month old comatose Llewelyn Setter. 

 

 

[Nic]

On 4/14/2017 at 0:09 PM, Christopher Marks said:

Those Eheim Double Tap quick release valves look like a pretty good solution to retrofit, I was just checking it out. There appears to be two sizes but the smaller 0.50 inch/0.65in is probably best, though you might have to change one side of the line tubing to make it fit: http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_Double_Tap_Quick_Release_0.50_inch_0.65in_Canister_Filter-Eheim-EH4004412-FIFRCF-vi.html.

 

Thanks Christopher! I'll check this out and will likely be purchasing them!

[Type-H20]

Beautiful tank.  Had to check the dimensions of an ADA 60F, because I'm not familiar with ADA sizes - awsome dimensions, looks way bigger than it is.  Love the proportions.  I may have missed it, but what light are you running?

[Nic]

4 hours ago, Type-H20 said:

Beautiful tank.  Had to check the dimensions of an ADA 60F, because I'm not familiar with ADA sizes - awsome dimensions, looks way bigger than it is.  Love the proportions.  I may have missed it, but what light are you running?

 

Thanks Type! Unfortunately my photography skills are nonexistent. My fiancée owns a fairly nice digital DSLR camera and I'm going to start trying my hand at some macro shots with better white balance. 

 

I love the little ADA 60F. The size is very deceiving in the photographs and certainly looks much larger than it actually is. It only holds 8.5 gallons but the footprint is perfect for a nano. I previously had a CadLights 45 Shallow tank and have since fallen in love with the shallow dimensioned tanks. 

 

I'm currently running a first generation AI Hydra 52 but I don't have the ability to control the spectrums and have to use the default settings. I'm planning a retrofitted NanoBox LED/T5 fixture towards the end of August so I can manage to control things a bit more and show off the Acro colonies I currently have and ones that are being planned as additions towards the fall. Thanks again for visiting and commenting! 

[Nic]

Caught some cool night time shots of the Welso with feeder tentacles fully extended and "SPS Alley"

 

 

(Left to right) Bali Shortcake colony, Forest Fire Montipora digitata, "Rainbow" Acropora tortuosa, Mini colony of "Oregon" Acropora tortuosa, and on the bottom a closed up four headed frag of Duncans and closed up Zoanthid polyps.

 

Aussie Ultra Acans 

 

 

Welso again

 

 

Awesome PE on "Bali Shortcake" Acropora latistella (The colony seems to like this spot beneath the light and next to the MP10 much better than its previous spot on the other side of the tank. The small section that's experiencing STN hasn't progressed since moving it so I'm holding out hope it will, in the least, halt any further progression and at best begin to heal)

 

 

More great PE on Bali Shortcake frag

 

 

"Miyagi" Acropora tortuosa

 

 

The Oregon tort is still brown/pale in sections but, again, after adjusting the angle of the rock relative to the MP10 it hasn't gotten any worse and I'm hoping it will begin to color up again. If anyone has any further suggestions, I'm all ears. ??

 

[Nic]

May FTS 05/02/17

 

 

Right Side

 

 

Left Side

 

 

Unfortunately, as you can see, the STN on a couple of Acro pieces has continued unabated. The Bali Shortcake colony has lost approximately 1/3 of its tissue on the bottom portion and a couple of other Acro frags have similar losses. The only common denominator appears to be that I am only experiencing STN on Acro colonies and frags that came from the same vendor. The Miyagi tort and Oregon tort are both doing fine and even looking quite good and both came from a different vendor than the Acro pieces experiencing STN.

 

Beyond that, everything is going well in the tank and I am quite satisfied! My LPS are looking great and growing like weeds, the fish are out and about moving around the tank all day and the Emerald Crab is no longer shy. Other than the STN issues, everything else appears stable and happy and I have very little to complain about. The Oregon and Miyagi torts are even beginning to show some encrustation onto the frag plugs, which, besides making me giddy with joy also somewhat confounds me given that the other Acro pieces from the different vendor are STN'ing. But oh well, there's only so much one can do, right?

 

ive toyed with the idea of removing the frags and colony that are STN'ing just in case it's some sort of communicable illness but I'm still, for the moment, holding out hope that the pieces will stabilize. As of now, I've decided to keep any pieces that still have more than 1/2 of the original tissue remaining. Once anything goes beyond that, I will decide whether to frag the remaining love tissue or just pitch it into the trash.

[Nic]

FTS 05/03/17

 

 

And I'm very happy to see actual evidence that removing the GFO from the canister filter and continuing to stay timely on my regular water changes has allowed the Stylophora colony to make a comeback. Solid re growth has begun to cover the area of the base that was showing signs of STN and/or the STN has simply stopped and what I'm seeing is the  white Coral skeleton that was exposed turning brown and no further expansion of the STN. Either way I view it as a success.

 

[Lula_Mae]

Nice tank!  The 60F has such lovely dimensions, I was looking at it myself a while back.  And George is too cute!  Hope your SPS starts recovering, it'd be a shame to lose such nice pieces!