Sunday Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Hi everyone and welcome to my tank's journal! **Project Presentation** Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by corals. Long story short, the aim of this tank will be to maintain SPS corals along with a few specimens of LPS. I am not yet too sure about the fish population as I want to limit excessive bioload. **Equipements** Tank - The "infamous" Nuvo Fusion 10Lighthing - Maxspect RSX Nano 50W (I am in love with it 😍) DC pump - MightyJet DC Desktop w/ RFG from VCAHeating - EHEIM 50 WattsATO/AWC – AUTOAQUA Touch Kit Homemade R/O water using ATI Absolute Ocean "Liquid" Salt 7lbs Dry rock, bare bottom **Maintenance** I am planning on doing small, daily WC using the AUTOAQUA AWC function to export nutrients and maintain water parameters. In the sump I will probably use filter floss and Purigen. The tank has been running for 10 days now and is still cycling. Here's a picture for you guys : 2 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 Hi everyone! I am struggling a bit with the cycling of my tank... It's been running for three weeks now and here are the parameters i have been getting: The thing is I have trouble reading my Salifert Ammonia test, for instance today i get something like that: I am reading around 0.15 here...but I am not even sure...and i have been getting this exact same result for the past 2 weeks... But according to the NO2 and NO3 test results I should not have any ammonia in the tank anymore... Maybe it's worth mentioning i got some diatoms at the end of week 1 which went away and no GHA took its place. I haven't ghost fed the tank, I used dry rock + blue sponge which has been previously held in the refugium of a larger tank (it was basically full of bacteria, micro and macro fauna when I placed it in the tank on day 1). So should I consider ammonia to be 0? Is the cycle complete? Thanks guys! 🤗 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Those dang Salifert tests... what the heck color is that anyway? 🤔 One way to test if your tank is cycled is to intentionally load it with ammonia and see how long it takes for the tank to convert that ammonia into nitrate. The best way to do this is to use a supplement such as Dr. Tim's to add a known quantity of ammonia to your tank and chart the amount of time it takes to reduce that ammonia down to zero. You could also just throw a piece of shrimp or something in there to get the ammonia levels up, and then remove it and see how long it takes your readings to drop back down. If the system can process a decent amount of ammonia (I'd say ~2ppm or so) within 24 hours I would say it is probably cycled. 1 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 On 5/5/2019 at 6:11 AM, billygoat said: Those dang Salifert tests... what the heck color is that anyway? 🤔 Literally what I've been wondering for a month lol I decided to switch to Red Sea Ammonia Test and wasn't disappointed - it's way easier to read the results! And thus as I was expecting, 0 ammonia in the tank. I ghost fed and nothing significant happened so everything's good! So, small update on the tank! 😀 I received from VCA my RFG which is not retailed here in France - at least for the IM tanks, a shame bc i paid more for shipping than the actual product 😪. I feel like the flow is way better than with the Spin Stream Nozzle (which was making a terrible noise even after 2 weeks breaking in...). I also switched my salt, now using ATI absolute ocean, which is basically liquid salt. And then the exciting stuff 🤗- I added my first corals, 2 small acans frags. They've been opening up slowly since thursday, feeding them helped i guess 😂. I am not going to add any fish yet as I want to focus on coral maintenance first. Next step - adding some SPS frags. Cheers 😎 2 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted May 26, 2019 Author Share Posted May 26, 2019 Sunday's sunday update! 😁 Some quick shots of the recently added corals! Eventually everything should grow big and strong! Can't wait! Have a nice Sunday! 😋 EDIT: got some troubles with uploading images 🤨 apparently solved 👍 5 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 Hey! So today I was observing my torch coral and I've noticed that some of its tips are kind of branching - is that common for an euphyllia glabrescens? Also I was wondering, do you think it's getting enough flow? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment
SURVEYMAN46123 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Flow looks good. My torches would have tentacles that would do that when I kept them. Nothing to worry about. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
pokerdobe Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Torches sometimes have random growths on tentacles. No worries. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Quick Update! Modified the scape, here's a FTS! Acans looking happy My little experiment - A very small acan frag that detached during shipping which already grew a new mouth! I am considering adding a Nemateleotris Helfrichi in the weeks to come! Cheers! 2 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Awe start to this tank I love the Acan's !!! How are you liking the maxspect ?! I had no idea they even made those !!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 Thanks!!! I am in love with Acans ahah! I really like the maxspect even though i feel like they could give some more functionalities to make it competitive against the AI prime HD. For instance there's no wifi controlling (you have to pay an additionnal $80...whereas it already costs $290...). Also if you want to have no light bleeding on the side of a tank such as the IM 10, the light has to be close to the water which can be a deterrent for some people (I rarely put my hands in the tank so that's ok for me). This is a soft called Hervé Reef Tools, developed by a French reefer, which helps you find the most appropriate lighting for your tank. Using 65% of the maxspect power is enough to provide strong light for my corals both on surface and at the bottom of the tank. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 Kewl...I used to draft diagrams like this for folks by hand with Omnigraffle (or similar drawing tool). (Even Kewler if I could read the interface. :D) Where'd you hear about this? PM me if anyone wants a diagram like this who can't sprechen like me....as long as it's not 50 people I'll do it for free...just need your tank dimensions and what lights you have. Give me specs on the lights if it's DIY or stats are otherwise not public. (If it's 50 of you, BTW, I'm going to have to start a business first. 😄 ) 2 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 On 5/4/2019 at 7:09 AM, Sunday said: The thing is I have trouble reading my Salifert Ammonia test Run a parallel test at the same time but use store bought distilled water as the sample and compare you tank test with the distilled test as your reference for ZERO. If they match, you'll know. If there's more color in the tank test, you should be able to tell. From the chart you posted it looks like the cycle should be done, but see what you get on the parallel tests. You just need a second vial...use one from an old kit if you have to. It would be ideal for comparison if it was the same size/shape vial. 2 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 46 minutes ago, mcarroll said: Kewl...I used to draft diagrams like this for folks by hand with Omnigraffle (or similar drawing tool). (Even Kewler if I could read the interface. :D) Where'd you hear about this? PM me if anyone wants a diagram like this who can't sprechen like me....as long as it's not 50 people I'll do it for free...just need your tank dimensions and what lights you have. Give me specs on the lights if it's DIY or stats are otherwise not public. (If it's 50 of you, BTW, I'm going to have to start a business first. 😄 ) I am also on a French reefing forum (bc i am French and sometimes it's easier to understand stuff however litteraly no one owns IM tanks overhere so it's good to also be on this forum) and this guy has been developing a lot of tools. This is all the things you can do with his program if you're interested. https://www.rudyv.be/Aquarium/RVRT/RVRT.php Honestly the guy is a genius....and the software is free to use... extremely useful to build LED fixture. I suggest you use google translator to translate the whole page. It gives a pretty accurate translation. 2 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 (edited) I can tell it's good from the pics! I know he must have spent a lot of time developing it! Edited July 3, 2019 by mcarroll Corrected....said the opposite of what I meant....guh. 1 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 I am a simple man - I see sexy acans, I just buy 😬😬 Pink Panther Red Eye FTS Just have to let it grow.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 If you want those Acan's to grow nice and fat and super fast,this what I fed mine. 2-3 times a week,head head would get fed a mixture of: ReefRoids,LPS Max,Red Sea Amino's A & B,SPS Max and Mysis if I had any. Turn the pumps off wait for water movement to stop then feed each polyp. I promise it works and you will get amazing growth. When I started gut loading them,within a week they started popping babies weekly. Good flow also makes them super super happy. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 4 hours ago, Reefkid88 said: If you want those Acan's to grow nice and fat and super fast,this what I fed mine. 2-3 times a week,head head would get fed a mixture of: ReefRoids,LPS Max,Red Sea Amino's A & B,SPS Max and Mysis if I had any. Turn the pumps off wait for water movement to stop then feed each polyp. I promise it works and you will get amazing growth. When I started gut loading them,within a week they started popping babies weekly. Good flow also makes them super super happy. Thanks for the advice!! very nice acan collection! I am definelty going to feed them more intensively (i was doing it only once in a fortnight)! Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 That was a small selection of all my Acan's,I sold everything and slowly building my tank supplies up to start everything again. But yes,very frequent feedings and good flow,low-medium light will do them a lot of justice. Quote Link to comment
Sunday Posted August 19, 2019 Author Share Posted August 19, 2019 I have just set up a pod refugium with some chaeto in the back chamber, we'll see how it goes! My orange acan growing a new mouth... a green mouth 😅🙃 2 Quote Link to comment
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