From 800 gallon reef early 2000s to now 15 gall column nano reef

[Sosa]

 

hi all !  I just got back into reefing after 16yrs away from reefing! My last tank was a 800 gallon reef with 2 250 w iwaski halides and compaq flos.  i know  old school light setup does anyone still use halides? I still have a ica cap ballast ! And a bulb!   100 gal refuge sump. This setup was about mid 2000s i had a full on reef .sold everything got out of the reef scene. Back then the net was just starting and most of the info was trial and error talking to old school reefers.etc. 

 

Wow i cant believe all this new tech. Led lighting.  Wavemakers. Cheap Dosers Everything has improved not everything i see heaters are still crap.  And corals are so expensive now wow $50 for a mushroom just 1 lol. Designer clown fish ! Wow  I use to pay $5 for 3 mushrooms.   Now im back!  this time a 15 gall  tall. I also started a fluval flex 9 gal reef as well the flex is more of a obervation tank for  livestock  for the 15gal.  who know s i might make it into a soft coral tank. I know  the 15 gal tall  tank. Is not ideal. Now theres cubes starfire glass etc.  hey it was a deal at petco !  Now a days  ita pretty easy to setup a saltwater tank back in the day it was a struggle . 

 

I will be posting my progress on 15 gallon tall  any advice or tips much appreciated. 

 

my current setup

15 gall column aqueon and aqueon stand

aqueon hood  led light. 

bio filtration 12lbs of live rock .3lbs of figi 2lbs of forida and dry rock

carib sea live sand 

crushed coral med

mechanical filtration aqueon hang on the back filter carbon and cartridge filtet- this will be replaced by a refuge hang on the back

50w aqueon heater (not enough watts)

hydor koralia wave pump 240gph

I used rainwater and instant ocean salt   the rainwater and rock cycling my tank faster .?

aquascape designed by Gayzel Deserva

started the tank cycle feb22 2019. 

1st 5gal  instant ocean rodi  water change march 5th

1 week in i added 5 blue legged hermits crabs.  2 days later added 1 emerald crab.  Tank cycled good still cycling.  

added 1st fish on 3/4/19 green chromis  so far chromis is doing well  eating no hard breathing.  

i added some cheeto algae directly in the tank today. 

my parameters

76 degrees- my heater issue

1 024 sal

8.4 ph 

i havent tested for nitr or phos im doing it by eye. I did have a small alge out break less light and my cleanup crew took care of the car algae. 

current livestock day 13 of cycle

1 green chromis so far so good 

1 emerald crab

4 blue legged hermit crabs one died due to fighting for a shell .my bad 

 

future live stock

cleaner shrimp

clown

small blue tang.i know i know ... 

 

Currently have a Iq3 skimmer on order.  

future upgrades.

refugium hang on .i really like the cleartides refuge with built in reactor.

kessel light? Will be upgrading lighting

Doser for kalk topoff 

New heater 75w any suggestions? Need a small footprint to fit in the fuge. 

 

Thanks for checking out my post! 

 

[Tigahboy]

Welcome back to the hobby!  Pretty exciting times to be in the hobby with all of the advancements in equipment and tech for our reef tanks (but yes, heaters still suck).  Coral can be pretty expensive now (Google "jawbreaker mushroom" when you have a chance), but at least you only have to fill 15 gallons worth?  🙂

[Firefish15]

Welcome back!

 

This heater has been doing an excellent job for me. Fits in my AquaClear 70 HOB refugium. Hasn't varied from the setpoint by more than a degree.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cobalt-Aquatics-31003-Neo-Therm-Heater-x/dp/B008AGWZOK

[Sosa]

Thanks Tigahboy .yeah true. 15 gal only lol

[Sosa]

2 hours ago, Firefish15 said:

Welcome back!

 

This heater has been doing an excellent job for me. Fits in my AquaClear 70 HOB refugium. Hasn't varied from the setpoint by more than a degree.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cobalt-Aquatics-31003-Neo-Therm-Heater-x/dp/B008AGWZOK

Yes I’ve been looking at that heater it’s going be my next purchase thanks eBay has them a littles less

[seabass]

6 hours ago, Sosa said:

small blue tang.i know i know ... 

Please don't.  But welcome to Nano-Reef.com.  The tank looks nice.

[Sosa]

16 hours ago, seabass said:

Please don't.  But welcome to Nano-Reef.com.  The tank looks nice.

Ok i will seriously reconsider. Seabass

I ended up ordering a china 100w heater small one . It was cheap we ll see how it works out.   The 50watt aqueon struggles esp with no heat in the house.

 

Day 14 . Chromis still doing well . Eating and active!  Today i purchased a zoanid colony from petco for $20 the girl threw in a extra small zoa about 6 so 16 zoa for $21 not bad .people are selling 1 zoa for $10 craziness.  I placed the smaller zoa colony in my 9 fluval flex. Yes i did dip both zoa s in bayer dip.  So far so good all the zoas opened up.  

 

My next purchase the kessel nano $129  my dilemma is the aqueon hood. I will have to modify the hood for the kessel light and i will probsly place eggrate on the inner top of the tank in case any mishaps from mounting the kessel. I know alot of people would just take off the hood.  It dont look right with out the hood.  Any advice for mounting the kessel i know it comes with a brqcket for under the hood.  Thanks for the time. 

[Jeff Hood]

Welcome.  We are very similar.  I had a 600 gallon reef I started in 2001.  It crashed in 2004 due to an AC failure that cooked my beautiful tank. Tons of SPS and soft corals.   I used Metal Halides 4 x 400 watt plus VHO actinic bulbs.  Grew corals awesome.  

 

Now that tank is an African Cichlid tank that I just re did.  Long story. 

 

Now like you I have two tanks.  A high tech nano and low tech tank that’s my dirty experiment.  So far high tech is winning but in it for the long haul. 

 

To be honest , I’m really enjoying the nano tanks quite a bit.  You can really get up close to the corals and fish and see the small stuff that would get overlooked in a giant tank. 

[Sosa]

5 hours ago, Jeff Hood said:

Welcome.  We are very similar.  I had a 600 gallon reef I started in 2001.  It crashed in 2004 due to an AC failure that cooked my beautiful tank. Tons of SPS and soft corals.   I used Metal Halides 4 x 400 watt plus VHO actinic bulbs.  Grew corals awesome.  

 

Now that tank is an African Cichlid tank that I just re did.  Long story. 

 

Now like you I have two tanks.  A high tech nano and low tech tank that’s my dirty experiment.  So far high tech is winning but in it for the long haul. 

 

To be honest , I’m really enjoying the nano tanks quite a bit.  You can really get up close to the corals and fish and see the small stuff that would get overlooked in a giant tank. 

Hi Jeff  crazy ac fail.  my 800 gal tank just got to be a chore didnt enjoy it.  Your right about the nano tanks it really enjoyable a smaller scale.  Good to be back in the hobby

[Sosa]

Update day 16! Chromis doing great. Upgraded my light to the aquanight 30a led.  Perfect for the aqueon hood which got modded!  Added a green zoa frag!  The tank is doing good ! My next upgrade is refugium and ato top off .

[Firefish15]

I've got the same light. It's been working well so far. I've got it on 50% power for blues and 40% for whites. I've got 2 zoa colonies, a blue-spotted mushroom, a green sinularia, and a ricordea mushroom.

[Sosa]

On 3/9/2019 at 8:30 PM, Firefish15 said:

I've got the same light. It's been working well so far. I've got it on 50% power for blues and 40% for whites. I've got 2 zoa colonies, a blue-spotted mushroom, a green sinularia, and a ricordea mushroom.

Cool im still working on the light settings . I go all blue in the am then increase both throught thre day and decreae at the end. Itw a learning curve right now i like the light. The corals like the led too  i got my green zoas on the bottom and a small colony towards thr top of the tank both zoas are doing well!  The pic is mostly all blue light 

[Sosa]

On 3/9/2019 at 8:30 PM, Firefish15 said:

I've got the same light. It's been working well so far. I've got it on 50% power for blues and 40% for whites. I've got 2 zoa colonies, a blue-spotted mushroom, a green sinularia, and a ricordea 

[Sosa]

Ive turned down the led brightness.  Its a learning curve on the leds.   Pic of my fluval flex.