New Nano Reef

[seabass]

It's not unusual for RO water.  However, RO/DI should be nitrate free (as would distilled water).  It will be difficult to lower nitrate levels with water changes using source water that contains nitrate.  In the end, it will depend on the type of livestock you wish to keep, bio-load, export mechanisms, availability (and cost) of better water...

[Daniel91]

I didn’t get a chance to read through but 10 Nitrate is not bad at all.

Majority of softies and lps will thrive at this number - even some SPS

[seabass]

47 minutes ago, Daniel91 said:

I didn’t get a chance to read through but 10 Nitrate is not bad at all.

Majority of softies and lps will thrive at this number - even some SPS

That's new water, not tank water.  Water changes weren't bringing down nitrate as fast as anticipated, so we had him test his source water.  But I agree, if you could keep your tank at or around 10ppm, that would be sufficient for many hardy corals.  Of course, nitrate is just one nutrient.

[Daniel91]

24 minutes ago, seabass said:

That's new water, not tank water.  Water changes weren't bringing down nitrate as fast as anticipated, so we had him test his source water.  But I agree, if you could keep your tank at or around 10ppm, that would be sufficient for many hardy corals.  Of course, nitrate is just one nutrient.

Oh yeah, that definitely changes things. Please disregard! 

[Abhijit]

2 hours ago, seabass said:

It's not unusual for RO water.  However, RO/DI should be nitrate free (as would distilled water).  It will be difficult to lower nitrate levels with water changes using source water that contains nitrate.  In the end, it will depend on the type of livestock you wish to keep, bio-load, export mechanisms, availability (and cost) of better water..

@seabass I think I better start buying distilled/mineral water. I tested some mineral water today that had been boiled for like a minute or so. 0 Nitrates!! 

 

Mineral water costs about $1.74 per 6 gallons (roughly). And considering I change like 30% every week, so about 2-2.25 gallons roughly, if I compare the benefits versus costs, it hardly costs anything. Hell, I'll even boil those 2-3 gallons, cool it down and then mix salt. 

 

[seabass]

Normally you don't want to use mineral water.  It contains... minerals (and possibly other elements of undisclosed levels).  Your saltwater should contain the minerals that your tank needs.  Distilled water, on the other hand, should be pure water.

 

I'm not saying that your mineral water is better or worse than the RO water.  I'm pretty sure it would have a lower TDS.

[Naekuh]

Hey sorry ive been really busy with work and other stuff, as well as messing around with my tank. 

 

I think you really should get a RO+DI unit if you do not have it. If you already have a RO, you can add a DI unit it to directly with a splitter + valve, so you can keep your drinking water separate from the DI. 

 

The DI unit should take care of the nitrates, as its an ion exchange, and in the long run should save you money then having to purchase Distilled Water all the time. 

Its money well invested in the front end, which seriously pays for itself in the long run.  

 

If i remember correctly i think you said you were located in India..

A unit like this on a splitter with a valve...

https://www.amazon.in/Deionizer-Aquarium-Deionized-Diameter-adapters/dp/B07CF6Z91T/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1553726182&sr=8-10&keywords=RO+DI+Resin

It should be good for about 70-100 gallons or so.... Also seems like things in India are extremely expensive compared to the states.  I dont know if that unit is reusable tho, but this aquatic life one is.

https://www.amazon.in/Aquatic-Life-Cartridge-Changing-Sediment/dp/B01M1RQ0IU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1553726182&sr=8-2&keywords=RO+DI+Resin

You just need to unscrew the bottom, and you can fill it up with new resin, however i dont know how expensive the resin is located in your country, and Amazon.in is difficult to find stuff vs Amazon.com.  

If you can find it, this unit will last you way longer and is probably what most people in the hobby use:

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Stage-Deionization-System/dp/B073DHYWTF/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=aquatic+life+DI+filter&qid=1553726549&s=gateway&sr=8-11

 

Another way to control nitrates and phosphates, is to build a cheato reactor since your tank is small. 

Basically ur going to to use a reactor to house cheatomorpha macro algae, then wrap the reactor in a led strip.

Google it to find ideas and ways to DIY one. They are not too difficult to make, and parts for it should be readily available in your country, if not via Amazon. 

So something like this could be easily made into a cheato reactor with a Rio 180 pump to push water though it.

https://www.amazon.in/DD-Fluidised-Reactor-FMR-75/dp/B00CP0QU1G/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1553725263&sr=8-5&keywords=media+reactor

 

This should basically take care of excess phosphates and nitrates.

 

Or you can use a HOB like an Aquaclear, dump all the media from it, and throw macro algae in the housing with a light on top. 

But i have learned lately Aquaclears are all garbage after fluval bought them out.

They all make a nasty rattling noise you can hear from like 10 foot away which drives me crazy.  

 

[Abhijit]

@Naekuh @seabass My apologies gents, things have been crazy at work and I just couldn't find the time to respond. 

 

I checked with a few LFS, none of them sell RODI water. So my best bet is either mineral water or water from the water purifier. What do you guys recommend. 

 

I don't want to buy a RODI system just yet. Investing that kind of money on such a small reef doesn't make sense. And since I don't plan to keep SPS/LPS corals ever (those being illegal in India), I think the Nitrates I'm dealing with should be okay, if I just find a way to reduce them slightly maybe by doing what naekuh suggested. I might just buy a cheap HOB, throw macro algae with a small tiny light on top. 

 

What do you guys recommend? 

 

Also, I am about to change my salt, I'm out of Seachem Salinity I bought. Thinking of switching to Aquaforest Salt. They recommend it for fish and soft corals, which is what I plan to keep. I was originally gonna get their Probiotic Reef salt, but it doesn't make sense, since it's recommended for SPS, LPS & Clams. 

 

Thoughts? 

[Naekuh]

I hear really good things about Fritz RPM.

A lot of Youtubers rave on it. 

 

I do not hear a lot of good things about aquaforest salt.

Infact you can see the feedback from BRS here in regards to it:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-salt-aquaforest.html

 

I personally use Red Sea Pro, i like it because it dissolves fast clear.  It also has great feedback.

However if you like to dose your tank daily, i hear its a bit too aggressive, i do dose my tank biweekly, but i think i will soon go on a daily regime with a auto doser.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-sea-coral-pro-salt.html

 

When i run out of my Red Sea Pro, i will probably try Fritz RPM.  

 

I think Instant Ocean is probably even better then Aquaforest, and Instant Ocean is about as budget as you can get with salt.  

Infact if all your going do is keep softies, and fish, i would probably just go Instant Ocean.  

 

Water from purifier is probably RO water. However i after doing some research on your country and water, it seems mineral water is probably your best bet, and from a big company like Bisleri, Kinley and Aquafina.

Can you find Distilled? Try going to a supermarket and looking for it.  

 

But i think if you end up buying water every time you do a water change, it will become expensive in the long run. 

 

[seabass]

39 minutes ago, Naekuh said:

Can you find Distilled? Try going to a supermarket and looking for it.  But i think if you end up buying water every time you do a water change, it will become expensive in the long run. 

This^.

 

I'd use distilled water, or buy a RO/DI unit and make your own.   If you stick with this hobby, a RO/DI unit will eventually pay for itself (maybe within the first year) and end up saving you money in the end.  I started out using distilled but make my own water now.  Having water always available is convenient and gives me a lot of flexibility.

[Abhijit]

@Naekuh @seabass I searched for Distilled water on Amazon. Bloody expensive! I think I would rather invest in a RODI unit. 

 

Mineral water is cheap. I pay like $3 for 5 gallons. And that water will last me 15 days, considering I change 2.5 gallons a week. I think I'll go with that for the time being, while I save for the RODI unit. I'll buy Bisleri or Aquafina, it's easily available. 

 

Instant Ocean is very expensive here. The cheapest is Aquaforest, followed by Red Sea and then Seachem. 

 

If not AF, I was planning to buy this - Red sea salt 2kg https://www.amazon.in/dp/B000JG5ABO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nbiOCb2E4RWGW

 

What do you think? 

[Naekuh]

the blue bag is good too. 

I would get the red sea blue bag over aqua forest.

[Abhijit]

25 minutes ago, Naekuh said:

the blue bag is good too. 

I would get the red sea blue bag over aqua forest.

@Naekuh Super, then should I go ahead and order this? The one in the link I sent you?

[Naekuh]

yes i think its better then aquaforest's salt. 

 

according to a lot of people AF's salt is very inconsistent. 

[Abhijit]

1 hour ago, Naekuh said:

yes i think its better then aquaforest's salt. 

 

according to a lot of people AF's salt is very inconsistent. 

Perfect. Ordered the blue bag. Looks like it'll last me atleast 6 water changes.

[Abhijit]

@seabass @Naekuh @Clown79 My apologies gents, I have been completely off the grid. I had to travel on business and the last few days have been completely busy. 

 

Anyway, an update on my nano. I met a very old friend of mine last week. He was in the US for the last 10 years and has moved to India just recently. He kept corals during his stay in the US, and we spoke at length about how things are over there etc. Anyway, when I told him about my nano reef project, he came over and checked it out. Checked my parameters and said he knows someone who has extremely hardly Aquacultured corals that are raised in Indian waters. We went to that guy and his parameters were off the chart! His Nitrate hovers around 40ppm and despite that, his corals were flourishing! And I was bloody damn surprised. My friend told me it's because these corals are raised in such waters and can tolerate and even thrive in extreme conditions. 

 

So anyway, this friend-of-my-friend wanted to bump off his Zoas and flowerpot coral (I believe it's called goniopora), and he was giving it away so cheap. He said he was bored of it. 

 

My friend asked me to pick it up and see how it goes. So I took a leap of faith and picked both up, along with a false percula and after acclamatising them, added them to my tank last night. As I write this post, it's been about 12 hours that they are in my tank. The Zoas are doing decent, they've started opening up their polyps. The goniopora had started opening up last night after I added it, but has closed during the night. Hopefully it'll open up again today. 

 

Posting some pictures that I took right now. I'm not sure if it was a wise move to pick those corals up, but since that person's parameters were crazy and yet those corals were thriving, I took a chance. Success or disaster, only time will tell. 

[Naekuh]

Those look more like palys then zoa's. 

Becareful when touching them, they are also known to be highly toxic.  

 

As for the flowerpot coral, Goniopora, there are some species which are easy to keep, while others are near impossible.

They are one of the most hated on the list of corals you can buy with a petition long ago on black listing them as they were impossible to keep alive.

 

There are some species which are fairly hardy, but only time will tell if you got those.  

 

 

[Abhijit]

4 minutes ago, Naekuh said:

Those look more like palys then zoa's. 

Becareful when touching them, they are also known to be highly toxic.  

 

As for the flowerpot coral, Goniopora, there are some species which are easy to keep, while others are near impossible.

They are one of the most hated on the list of corals you can buy with a petition long ago on black listing them as they were impossible to keep alive.

 

There are some species which are fairly hardy, but only time will tell if you got those.  

 

 

@Naekuh - I always wear gloves when I handle the Zoas. The goniopora looked like this in my friends tank. 

 

Also, how do I know if a coral is dead? Does it change color? What's the indication? 

[Naekuh]

I think the gonipora should look like a golf ball with holes in it if its dead. 

But it can take some time for corals to get used to a new tank. 

 

As for zoa's and palys i hear they like the tank a little dirty so to speak. 

 

[seabass]

That's a beautiful goniopra.  I almost did a whole tank of them for the pico contest.

 

1 hour ago, Abhijit said:

 Also, how do I know if a coral is dead? Does it change color? What's the indication? 

Simple enough, lack of flesh.  But color can be an indicator of health, nutrient levels, and lighting.  Polyp extension can be another indicator of stress.  New corals often appear stressed from changing water parameters, lighting, transport, temperature changes, etc.  Hopefully they will adjust given favorable conditions.

[Abhijit]

21 hours ago, Naekuh said:

I think the gonipora should look like a golf ball with holes in it if its dead. 

But it can take some time for corals to get used to a new tank. 

 

As for zoa's and palys i hear they like the tank a little dirty so to speak. 

 

@Naekuh @seabass - update: the zoas/palys seem to be doing fab! They open up every morning when I turn the lights on. 

 

The clown is active, keeps swimming throughout the tank, I'm so glad I got him. But how do I feed him? The person who had him earlier fed him Marine S, which are sinking pellets. He's all over the place at full speed, so when I put Marine S pellets, he kinda swims past them and then they sink. I'm not sure if he swoops down and eats them though. 

 

The goniopora isn't doing well. I'm not sure whether I'm gonna be able to keep it alive. The polyps extended by a few mm the night I got it, ever since it's just been sitting there like a golf ball, doing nothing. Not sure whether it's dead. Here's a picture

[seabass]

9 minutes ago, Abhijit said:

But how do I feed him? The person who had him earlier fed him Marine S, which are sinking pellets. He's all over the place at full speed, so when I put Marine S pellets, he kinda swims past them and then they sink. I'm not sure if he swoops down and eats them though.

They usually won't eat anything off the bottom.  Recheck you ammonia level, when fish don't want to eat, That something you can check.  However, it's not that unusual for a new fish not to want to eat for a few days.  I like feeding a quality flake food (it tends to stay in the water column a little longer).  If you have frozen mysis shrimp available, that's a decent food that most fish love.

 

13 minutes ago, Abhijit said:

The goniopora isn't doing well.

I wouldn't consider them a great choice for beginners.  But I'm a little surprised how quickly it went downhill.  No sign of polyps, huh?

[Abhijit]

9 minutes ago, seabass said:

They usually won't eat anything off the bottom.  Recheck you ammonia level, when fish don't want to eat, That something you can check.  However, it's not that unusual for a new fish not to want to eat for a few days.  I like feeding a quality flake food (it tends to stay in the water column a little longer).  If you have frozen mysis shrimp available, that's a decent food that most fish love.

 

I wouldn't consider them a great choice for beginners.  But I'm a little surprised how quickly it went downhill.  No sign of polyps, huh?

@seabass Can I feed fresh market shrimps? Those are more easily available. At supermarkets here, they usually stock frozen shrimps, but I suppose fresh shrimp is better than frozen, yeah? 

 

Goniopora - no polyps whatsoever. Zilch! I was ready to accept failure when you guys said these are one of the most hardest corals to keep, but for it to happen so soon is disappointing. 

[seabass]

1 minute ago, Abhijit said:

Can I feed fresh market shrimps? Those are more easily available. At supermarkets here, they usually stock frozen shrimps, but I suppose fresh shrimp is better than frozen, yeah? 

Mysis shrimp are super tiny.  If you feed market shrimp instead, you'd need to cut it up super fine or run it through a food processor.  Do some research if you are considering making your own food.

[Abhijit]

3 minutes ago, seabass said:

Mysis shrimp are super tiny.  If you feed market shrimp instead, you'd need to cut it up super fine or run it through a food processor.  Do some research if you are considering making your own food.

@seabass I feed my FW fish market shrimps. I wash them, cut them up super fine and then feed it to them. I'm gonna try doing that with the clown.