shoonjai's C-Vue 26: We have life! Just added my first fish.

[shoonjai]

Current FTS 7/11/18

Little babies on the left! Wymoing White and DaVinci clowns.

 

6/26/18

 

My name is shoonjai. I am a long-time lurker, but this is my first real tank. What I mean by that is this is the first saltwater tank that I am setting up where I am actually in the position to be able to maintain and care for a reef. I've had a couple tanks in the past, but those were all setup at times where I couldn't care for the tank as I should've, and they all ended...well. Not so spectacularly. If there are two things that I can take away from my past trials, those are that 1) Patience is key and 2) This is an expensive hobby.

 

I've been researching and learning as much as possible, and I finally decided to pull the trigger. I was really set on an IM25 lagoon, but decided last minute that I'd give the Cobalt line a shot. I normally wouldn't go with a product that had little to no reviews or posts about it, but after seeing one in person I thought that being the guinea pig was worth a shot. I also got the tank "on sale" from my LFS, so that also played a role in my decision. I went ahead and decided to take home a Cobalt C-Vue 26 gallon AIO. The mitered corners really did it for me, and my black silicone edges are also much cleaner than some earlier releases that I had read about online.

 

My plan for this tank is to start off with decent equipment from the get-go, unlike my past tanks. As for corals, I plan to keep mainly zoas and LPS. Zoas are responsible for piquing my interest in the hobby, and they'll always (for now!) be my favorite. I've never really been much of an SPS guy, but I'm not opposed to adding some into the mix later on down the line. For the most part though, my tank will be zoa and LPS dominant 6/15/18 - my mind has changed already! I've recently fallen in love with rock nems, so I'll just say this tank will have a little bit of everything, and a pair of clowns is also a must for me. I'm thinking some sort of clown that has a lot of white in it like a frostbite or snowflake. I also want a shrimp and goby pair, but the specifics have yet to be decided. This time next year, maybe I'll even have a clam - who knows?

 

I'm going to take my time with this tank. I have everything I need to get started, except for my RO/DI system. I am still trying to decide on which one I want, but I think I'm going to go with the BRS 5 stage 150gpd water saver premium plus. My reasoning behind this unit is that I A) want the least amount of waste water possible and B) have a slight chlorine smell to my city tap-water, so I figured 5 stage was the way to go. My tank is currently undergoing a leak test/ato test, and I plan to start cycling once my RO/DI unit arrives. In the meantime I will be messing with my rocks trying to get an aquascape that I am 100% satisfied with. I want to make sure it's the right one! Once I finalize my scape and install my RO/DI, I have Dr. Tim's and Bio-Spira waiting to go...

 

For now, I will leave you with my tank and equipment specs, as well as with a couple very exciting (🤣😁) pictures . This thread is mainly for me to keep a log of the major changes to my new tank, but if you guys and gals want to follow along that would be great as well. I will be sure to keep this updated, and please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. They are all welcomed and much appreciated.

 

Display: Cobalt C-Vue 26 AIO
Lighting: AI Prime HD (second coming soon)

Heater: Cobalt Neo-Therm 75w
Circulation: Jebao RW-4, Vortech MP10wQD & Stock CVP-265 Return Pump w/ IM Spin Stream Nozzle (return pump upgrade recommendations?)
Filtration: Filter Sock x2, ROX 0.8 Carbon, Purigen
Top Off: Tunze Nano Osmolator 3152 
Rocks: 20lbs BRS Reef Saver
Sand: 20lbs CaribSea Fiji Pink

Salt: Instant Ocean Reef Crystals

 

Will run tank with lights off and use only filter socks during cycle.

 

 

 

[Type-H20]

Looks like a nice tank and stand.  Did it come as a package?  I’ve seen their smaller tanks and they seem like quality setups.

[shoonjai]

20 minutes ago, Type-H20 said:

Looks like a nice tank and stand.  Did it come as a package?  I’ve seen their smaller tanks and they seem like quality setups.

 

Yeah I got the tank and stand as a package. Just added an IM leveling mat to be on the safe side and I was good to go! Really like the soft closing hinges on the stand 

[shoonjai]

So I found a deal on an MP10 that I couldn't pass up! The Jebao will be replaced before the tank has even begun! Lol. It'll be listed for sale once I hit 15 posts...

[shoonjai]

A couple of updates. The MP10 that I purchased was sent to me with a non-working controller, so luckily I was refunded my money. I decided to just pick up a new MP10wqd from my LFS and my Jebao is currently pending to a another member from the forum.

 

Rinsed my sand a total of 12 times after getting my rocks setup and that drastically reduced any cloudiness. I may remove a little bit of sand later on down the road, still deicing on that. Remove some, or just move some towards the back, I'm not sure yet.

 

I got the tank filled, added a bottle of Bio-Spira, and added some Dr. Tim's ammonia to get it to ~2ppm, and now I'll let nature take its course and patiently wait.

 

Rockscape:

 

We have water! Minimal cloudiness:

 

Couple hours later and how the tank looks currently:

 

 

[shoonjai]

Uneventful update:

 

Tank has been cycling for 1 week now. Ammonia has dropped to 0 over that time, nitrites are around 2ppm, and nitrates are around 20ppm.

 

MP10 has been working wonderfully. I've never owned one before this tank, and I'm really enjoying it.

 

Spin stream quieted down significantly after running in saltwater for a couple days. Still thinking about upgrading the return pump. Suggestions?

[Christopher Marks]

Congrats on your new system @shoonjai, it looks great! These new Cobalt tanks are very sleek.

 

What RO/DI system did you decide to go with?

[A Little Blue]

Varios-2 on the pricey side or Jebao2000 on the cheap side. 

[shoonjai]

11 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

Congrats on your new system @shoonjai, it looks great! These new Cobalt tanks are very sleek.

 

What RO/DI system did you decide to go with?

Thanks! And I still haven't actually made a final decision on the RO/DI yet. When I purchased my tank from my LFS who I trust and always has their tanks and livestock in great shape I was supplied with 25 gallons of saltwater and 10 gallons of RO/DI to get things started. Planning on making that purchase within the next week or so though!

 

I think I'm going to go with a BRS unit, now I'm just trying to decide between 4 or 5 stage. I want the unit to include a pressure gauge, TDS meter(s), and manual membrane flush kit. I'm also trying to decide if I'm going to go for the water saver upgrade as well...

 

10 minutes ago, A Little Blue said:

Varios-2 on the pricey side or Jebao2000 on the cheap side. 

I just checked both of these pumps out. That varios-2 looks awesome! I didn't even know these types of pumps were coming with controllers and everything now. Guess I've been out of the loop!

[A Little Blue]

6 minutes ago, shoonjai said:

Thanks! And I still haven't actually made a final decision on the RO/DI yet. When I purchased my tank from my LFS who I trust and always has their tanks and livestock in great shape I was supplied with 25 gallons of saltwater and 10 gallons of RO/DI to get things started. Planning on making that purchase within the next week or so though!

 

I think I'm going to go with a BRS unit, now I'm just trying to decide between 4 or 5 stage. I want the unit to include a pressure gauge, TDS meter(s), and manual membrane flush kit. I'm also trying to decide if I'm going to go for the water saver upgrade as well...

 

I just checked both of these pumps out. That varios-2 looks awesome! I didn't even know these types of pumps were coming with controllers and everything now. Guess I've been out of the loop!

Easy to fine-tune flow rate and easy 1push feeding mode. Got Jebao but I really want varios. 

[StevieT]

Got a C-Vue 18G and 26G in earlier this week 🙂

[shoonjai]

1 hour ago, StevieT said:

Got a C-Vue 18G and 26G in earlier this week 🙂

Are you planning on making media baskets for them? I'd be all over them if so! Even told the owner of my LFS I wanted to go with IM because of the availability of media baskets before I settled on the Cobalt

[1891Bro]

2 hours ago, StevieT said:

Got a C-Vue 18G and 26G in earlier this week 🙂

 

36 minutes ago, shoonjai said:

Are you planning on making media baskets for them? I'd be all over them if so! Even told the owner of my LFS I wanted to go with IM because of the availability of media baskets before I settled on the Cobalt

Beta testers get a discount......?

[StevieT]

16 hours ago, shoonjai said:

Are you planning on making media baskets for them? I'd be all over them if so! Even told the owner of my LFS I wanted to go with IM because of the availability of media baskets before I settled on the Cobalt

We are, they finally became popular enough to make the wet water thing happen.  We already have a floss holder that fits perfectly so no redesign needed there.  There is a media basket that works well, but it needs an eggcrate base or something to bring it up about an inch to function at it's best.  It's an option if you didn't want to wait.

 

Equipment choices are a smart factor when picking out a tank. 

16 hours ago, 1891Bro said:

 

Beta testers get a discount......?

Beta testers get a GFY sticker

[A Little Blue]

4 hours ago, StevieT said:

Equipment choices are a smart factor when picking out a tank. 

That’s what I like about Cobalt series. 

[shoonjai]

5 hours ago, StevieT said:

We are, they finally became popular enough to make the wet water thing happen.  We already have a floss holder that fits perfectly so no redesign needed there.  There is a media basket that works well, but it needs an eggcrate base or something to bring it up about an inch to function at it's best.  It's an option if you didn't want to wait.

 

Definitely excited for this and will be patiently waiting for updates!

[StevieT]

45 minutes ago, shoonjai said:

Definitely excited for this and will be patiently waiting for updates!

Thanks. We will get an email list up soon. The floss holders are up on the site as well as new categories added for the C-VUE series. 

[shoonjai]

I've been monitoring my water daily (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) but yesterday was the first day I didn't check due to mandatory OT at work. Checked today and my nitrite is now at 0 as well.

 

So I dosed ammonia back to ~2ppm. We'll see if it zeros out within the next 24-48 hours as it should! If it does I'll do a large water change and let it keep running while I take my time finding the perfect pair of clowns.

 

Today marks day 10 of the cycle (11 now that it's past midnight). Realistically, I plan to have a pair of clowns in the tank closer to the 4-6 week mark...

[shoonjai]

Good news! After the ~2ppm ammonia redose, it was down to 1ppm after 12 hours, ~.25-.50ppm after 24 hours, and 0ppm after about 40 hours. Did a small 5 gallon water change today to get rid of the rest of the saltwater I had and will be doing a larger one tomorrow.

[shoonjai]

Update for today:

 

I did a ~95% water change today including all the water from the back chambers and cleaned my filter socks. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all back to 0.

 

Should I dose more ammonia and/or bacteria just to be sure? Or would that be unnecessary? I originally purchased 2 bottles of bacteria (different brands) just in case so I still have one if needed.

 

[shoonjai]

Time for an update! As tomorrow the tank turns 1 month!

 

I finally decided on my RODI which came in a little over a week ago. I ended up going with Spectrapure and ordered the CSPDI 4-stage 90gpd. I figured with this size tank, the amount of waste water isn't too much of a concern so I ditched the idea of going with the water saver upgrade. I also really like that this unit came with the .5 micron prefilters rather than 1 or 5 like some of the others.  Figured that would be more than sufficient for the slight chlorine smell of my tap water as long as I replace the filters as needed.

 

Now the part that I was really happy with. This unit was supposed to be the standard system with dual TDS meter, pressure gauge, and that's it. No extras. But to my surprise when I opened the box, the unit I was sent included a triple TDS meter, auto-shut off, float valve, and manual membrane flush kit. Those were all things I wanted but decided not to spend the extra money for. So it was quite a pleasant surprise to me when the unit I received had them all.

 

Now the part I wasn't happy with. This unit works great, but apparently my input pressure is only around 38-40psi, so it looks like I'll be purchasing a booster pump...

 

 

So now that I had my own RODI, I dosed ammonia again last week as the tank was still sitting empty. The ammonia was processed within 24 hours and I did a 95% water change yesterday. This morning around 11:30am Fedex knocked on my door with a box that said "Live Tropical Fish". My first additions to the tank have arrived!

 

I would like to give a shout out to forum sponsor @Cultivated Reef for the adorable new clownfish that I received. I decided on a Wyoming White and a DaVinci. I got both in their small size as I wanted them as small as possible to watch them grow. I placed my order early Monday with a request for them to arrive today, and I received an email shortly afterwards confirming everything was good to go. I also received another email with tracking info once the little guys were shipped. Cultivated Reef did a great job packing and shipping these guys and they seem extremely healthy. Their colors look great and they've been exploring the tank all day.

 

Within 5 minutes of being in the tank they got together and haven't left each other's side since. Seems as if they've already decided on pairing up! I love them already. Couldn't have asked for better! I highly recommend Cultivated Reef and wouldn't hesitate to purchase from them again.

 

 

Now, I did things a little bit backwards compared to what I've done in the past. Normally a CUC is the first thing I put in the tank. I let my tank cycle for just shy of 4 weeks with no light, so there have been no visual signs of any algae at all. I figured if I were to have gotten a CUC they would've died due to having no food. So now that I have my pair of clowns and I've officially turned my lights on, I expect some algae in the near future. I'm going to place an order with Reef Cleaners for a delivery mid next week.

 

Today is the first day of lights on in the tank, and since there are only a pair of clowns right now I have acclimation mode turned on with everything dialed back 50%. I'm using BRStv's AB+ settings and really enjoy the look so far. We'll see once I get some coral in there and turn the intensity back up.

[Daniel91]

You’ve earned yourself a follow - like the rockscape and future plans! When I upgrade in a year (my first 10gal is currently cycling) i’ll steal some ideas here haha.

[shoonjai]

13 minutes ago, Daniel91 said:

You’ve earned yourself a follow - like the rockscape and future plans! When I upgrade in a year (my first 10gal is currently cycling) i’ll steal some ideas here haha.

Much appreciated! Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help haha. I'm thinking about removing a little bit of sand, I think it may expose some of the lower rock work a little better and just look better overall. We'll see though!

[shoonjai]

So I got home from work tonight and noticed that my overflows are significantly quieter than they have been over the past month. My first thought was that my return pump was going bad and not pumping as strong. Then I took a closer look.

 

Today was day 2 with the lights on, and the slime coating is starting to develop on things in my tank, such as on the teeth of the overflow. I've attributed to this being the factor in why my overflows have quieted down so much. Is this correct? Can the slime coating really quiet down overflows by that much?

 

After observing the tank more, and after taking the return pump out and cleaning it just in case, I noticed that visually, the flow from the return pump coming out of my spinstream appears to be the same as before when my overflows were loud. It's just...my tank is SO much quieter. I don't know what else to attribute it to...

[specore]

Nice start.  Look forward to following your progress.