Fluval spec 3 build log

[Wafflecopter]

Hey everybody I just wanted to make this thread to keep a nice log of my spec 3 pico reef so I have something to compare and look back on as I grow in this hobby. Ill start with the equipment.

Tank: fluval spec 3

Heater: tetra ht10

Light: Lumhi Asta 20

Pump: 158gph harbor freight pump

Filter: stock sponge with two bags of chemipure blue

Rock: 4 lbs live rock from lfs

Sand: 1 inch caribsea ocean direct live sand.

Salt mix: redsea coral pro black bucket.

 

Thats it for equipment and now for livestock.

Radioactive dragon eye zoas

Green hammer coral 1 head

Neon green sinularia

1 emerald crab.

 

My maintenance schedule consists of planned once a week 1 gallon water change though i test in the middle of the week and right before a water change and if levels look a little higher to me than they should i up it to a 2 gallon change. My nitrates stay under detectable levels by my test kit which is the api reef master kit. My phosphates however stay between 0.5 and 1. Not sure why though. Possibly coming from rock? I keep my calcium at 440 only through water changes. Tank has been running post cycle for about a month. The first corals added were my rad zoas which i made a thread about them before. They are now very healthy and even growing new polyps already. About two weeks later I got my hammer coral which is my LPS. Last weekend I got the sinularia as an impulse buy (only $10) when going for the emerald crab. So far everything appears to be healthy and thriving though my hammer has had that patch in the middle where the color is gone since i bought him and on 2 occasions noticed brown string coming from the center. (Not brown jelly disease). If you notice any problems i dont let me know. Otherwise i hope to keep growing in this hobby. Im currently piecing together a 30 gallon for the future.

[Lorekeeper]

Looking good!

 

New tanks will have high phosphate (usually), but .5 PPM is crazy high! I'm surprised you aren't getting algae left and right. Sure you're doing the test correctly?

[Wafflecopter]

I think so. Its an api test kit and ive heard people say they arent accurate. The weird part is there isnt algae anywhere in there. Im gonna take a water sample in to my lfs and see what they show. Its just odd to me that my nitrates are undetectable and my phosphates are that high. I had just done a 2 gallon water change a few days prior to testing. The levels never seem to go over that though and even immediately following any water chanfe my phosphates stay there so im thinking it has to be something wrong with the test wether its me doing it wrong or the test is inacurate.

[Lorekeeper]

API isn't accurate for much of anything other than Ammonia and Nitrite, IME. Even their PH tends to be a bit wonky.

 

I use a Red Sea test kit, and a lot of people really love Salifert. Honestly, you can probably get by with the API kit, and just add on a few individual kits from Red Sea or Salifert and be fine. I don't even test all that often anymore. The big ones to have are, of course, NItrate, Phosphate, PH, and whatever reef minerals you're keeping track of.

[Wafflecopter]

Ive heard alot of good things about the salifert kits. Im getting ready to make a big order on BRS so ill add them to the list.

[land shark]

I am using that light as well. I was curious if you have it on full power. I want to lower the intensity but I also want to be able to switch quickly to all blue. Unfortunately the only way to  switch from blue to normal is to set it to blue only and run the light at full power via the 'full power' button. At least to my knowledge anyway. Just not sure if it will burn corals at full power on a pico. Also if you do have it on full that hammer may be expelling zooxanthellae as it adjust to the high lighting. Tanks looking good otherwise.

[Wafflecopter]

21 minutes ago, land shark said:

I am using that light as well. I was curious if you have it on full power. I want to lower the intensity but I also want to be able to switch quickly to all blue. Unfortunately the only way to  switch from blue to normal is to set it to blue only and run the light at full power via the 'full power' button. At least to my knowledge anyway. Just not sure if it will burn corals at full power on a pico. Also if you do have it on full that hammer may be expelling zooxanthellae as it adjust to the high lighting. Tanks looking good otherwise.

I cant remember what my settings are at the moment. When i get home ill check and let you know but im pretty sure theyre not on max.

[Wafflecopter]

1 hour ago, Wafflecopter said:

I cant remember what my settings are at the moment. When i get home ill check and let you know but im pretty sure theyre not on max.

Channels 1 3 and 4 are max and channel 2 is 1 click above min

[land shark]

On 4/30/2018 at 8:12 PM, Wafflecopter said:

Channels 1 3 and 4 are max and channel 2 is 1 click above min

Thanks for the info. I'm still waiting on my tank to cycle. I'll be following along. 

[feixjai]

Nice to see other members with the same lighting. 

 

Mine is over a 6 gallon Imagitarium though. May need to get another one for more spread. 

[Wafflecopter]

On 5/3/2018 at 12:04 AM, feixjai said:

Nice to see other members with the same lighting. 

 

Mine is over a 6 gallon Imagitarium though. May need to get another one for more spread. 

I switched the lense out and it seems to have a nice spread. From what I'm seeing raising the light up and centering it should give a nice spread in the middle to lower section of the tank. Im very happy eith the light so far and the corals dont seem to complain either. Nice size fixture in relation to the tank imo.

[Brian1313]

how happy are you with the asta light?  I am thinking of ordering it for the same tank.  Does it clip on the back without modifying the lid?

[Wafflecopter]

On 5/22/2018 at 12:42 PM, Brian1313 said:

how happy are you with the asta light?  I am thinking of ordering it for the same tank.  Does it clip on the back without modifying the lid?

So far im loving it as are the corals. I didnt have to modify anything it just clipped in. I did have to offset it to the side because of the back divider but it worked fine and ive had no problems.