No Lobsters Allowed 20g Reef Build!

[TerribleLobster]

Build Thread!

 

Start Date: 7/31/2019

Most Recent Pic: (10/5) 

 

Hardware:

Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo 20 AIO

Filters: 1 Media caddy, 1 200 micron filter sock, 15 lbs dry rock, 18 lbs live sand

Heating: 150 W heater

Cooling: AC Infinity AXIAL 1225 Fan - Amazon

Temp Controller: Neptune Apex Classic

ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155

RODI Unit: Liquagen 4 stage (tds of city water is around 45 originally)

Lighting: 1 Kessil a160 Blue with mounting arm

Lighting Controller: Kessil A series spectral controller

Return Pump: Stock ~250 gph

Testing: API nitrite, API Ammonia and API Phospate, Refractometer, American Marine PH Monitor and probe, Inkbird Temperature probe, Hanna Checker Alk, Salifert Ca, Salifert Mg

Flow Pump: Mp10

 

 

Livestock:

Fish: 1 Clownfish, 1 Orchid Dottyback (deceased - jumped out of the tank the first day), 1 warpaint clown goby

Corals:

Softies: 1 rhodactis mushroom, 1 neon green toadstool leather,1 ricordea florida mushroom (orange), Utter Chaos Zoa, LA Lakers Zoa

LPS: 1 Aussie elegance coral, 1 Blastomussa Wellsi

SPS: 1 red montipora cap

Inverts: Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone, Fire Shrimp, 1 astrea snail, 1 trochus snail, 1 narcissus snail, 1 tuxedo urchin

 

Maintenance: 

-25% weekly water changeover

-feed a variety of foods 

-Add a bit of phyto (not sure how helpful this actually is, probably will not purchase again)

-I track expenses, all test results, and wants/needs for the tank in a spreadsheet which has been very helpful

 

I would love any feedback and suggestions.

 

Picture Appendix

First time adding water shot:

 

 

 

Diary:

Update 1: Tank Startup - Used dry rock and live sand, in a previous tank I had gotten aptasia and it was a nightmare so I endeavored to keep this tank as pest free as possible. I have really liked the dry rock so far. I got dry rock with a nice purple finish and was able to cement it into a cool arch. I used the NYOS reef cement and it was a nightmare to mix though it did work in the end after much frustration. I originally wasn't planning on using a temperature controller but stumbled onto one for free and holy cow is this thing nice. 100% worth the 40 bucks it would have cost if I bought it. I used dr tim's one and only for cycling + ammonium chloride and was pleased. It wasn't instant, my tank still took about 20 days to cycle, but I could very clearly see the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates changing as I tested. 

I added my first fish (clownfish) after a month and then added a piece of macro algae a week after. When I added the macro algae, it may have brought a pest because my fish started losing scales near his gills. I freshwater dipped him and treated the tank with prazi pro, thinking it could be flukes. He has been great ever since and the tank has been happy.

 

[TerribleLobster]

Update 2: I went to a Coral Farmers Market recently and picked up a few goodies. I want to see how a variety of corals will do in my tank so I got a Blastomussa Wellsi as well as two different kinds of Zoas. I probably will not add anymore coral for a while until I see the ones in the tank now start to thrive.

 

I recently purchased a Hanna Checker for Alk and will be using Salifert test kits for testing Ca and Mg. I want to dial in where I'm at and get a handle on how levels change over time before adding anything else.

 

The tank had some diatoms form. The sand is a bit browner now and there is some on the rockwork as well. I reduced the amount of time the light was on each day. I was at 12 hours which was way too much. I may reduce a bit further from 9 hours down to 8. I have a gradual ramp up throughout the day currently and keep the spectrum mostly blue.

 

The salinity and temperature have been extremely stable and Nitrates are remaining low week over week. Everything in the tank looks like it is doing well so far. I added a Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone! I absolutely love anemones and a friend gave me a good price on a small one (1 Inch diameter foot.) It has been a bit brown the first few days, hoping it colors up nicely after it gets over the shock of moving. My clown has not hosted it yet. The zoas are just doing ok, they dont appear to be fully open or as vibrant as I imagined they would be. I'm leaving them near the sand bed for now. They are open, but don't look as vibrant as at the store.

 

I added an orchid dottyback, but he jumped out of the tank the first night 😞. I will need to get a lid if I want to keep any fish that are in danger of jumping.

[j.falk]

9 hours ago, TerribleLobster said:

I will need to get a lid if I want to keep any fish that are in danger of jumping.

All fish can jump if spooked.

[WV Reefer]

9 hours ago, TerribleLobster said:

Build Thread!

 

Start Date: 7/31/2019

Most Recent Pic: (8/29) (updating soon with new picture once I get my phone filters)

.

 

Hardware:

Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo 20 AIO

Filters: 1 Media caddy, 1 200 micron filter sock, 15 lbs dry rock, 18 lbs live sand

Heating: 150 W heater

Cooling: AC Infinity AXIAL 1225 Fan - Amazon

Temp Controller: Inkbird controller

ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155

RODI Unit: Liquagen 4 stage (tds of city water is around 45 originally)

Lighting: 1 Kessil a160 Blue with mounting arm

Lighting Controller: Kessil A series spectral controller

Return Pump: Stock ~250 gph

Testing: API nitrite, API Ammonia and API Phospate, Refractometer, American Marine PH Monitor and probe, Inkbird Temperature probe, Hanna Checker Alk, Salifert Ca, Salifert Mg

 

Possible additions: I want to add an MP10, but have been looking for a good deal on Craigslist. I may add an algae scrubber, they seem pretty hype. Dosing pumps may be needed once I dial in my corals needs.

 

Livestock:

Fish: 1 Clownfish, 1 Orchid Dottyback (deceased - jumped out of the tank the first day) 

Corals:

Softies: 1 rhodactis mushroom, 1 neon green toadstool leather,1 ricordea florida mushroom (orange), Utter Chaos Zoa, LA Lakers Zoa

LPS: 1 Aussie elegance coral, 1 Blastomussa Wellsi

SPS: 1 red montipora cap

Inverts: Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone, Fire Shrimp, 1 astrea snail, 1 trochus snail, 1 narcissus snail

 

Maintenance: 

-25% weekly water changeover

-feed a variety of foods 

-Add a bit of phyto (not sure how helpful this actually is, probably will not purchase again)

-I track expenses, all test results, and wants/needs for the tank in a spreadsheet which has been very helpful

 

I would love any feedback and suggestions.

 

Open Questions:

I have an old SeaClone 100 Skimmer that I haven't set up yet on the tank. I've heard they are pretty useless. Any point in adding this to the tank? It is just lying around. I only reason I could see adding it is for additional oxygenation of the water.

 

Picture Appendix

First time adding water shot:

 

 

 

Diary:

Update 1: Tank Startup - Used dry rock and live sand, in a previous tank I had gotten aptasia and it was a nightmare so I endeavored to keep this tank as pest free as possible. I have really liked the dry rock so far. I got dry rock with a nice purple finish and was able to cement it into a cool arch. I used the NYOS reef cement and it was a nightmare to mix though it did work in the end after much frustration. I originally wasn't planning on using a temperature controller but stumbled onto one for free and holy cow is this thing nice. 100% worth the 40 bucks it would have cost if I bought it. I used dr tim's one and only for cycling + ammonium chloride and was pleased. It wasn't instant, my tank still took about 20 days to cycle, but I could very clearly see the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates changing as I tested. 

I added my first fish (clownfish) after a month and then added a piece of macro algae a week after. When I added the macro algae, it may have brought a pest because my fish started losing scales near his gills. I freshwater dipped him and treated the tank with prazi pro, thinking it could be flukes. He has been great ever since and the tank has been happy.

 

 

I like the archway.  😊

[TerribleLobster]

1 hour ago, j.falk said:

All fish can jump if spooked.

True, I haven't had any issues with the clownfish yet luckily.

[j.falk]

1 hour ago, TerribleLobster said:

True, I haven't had any issues with the clownfish yet luckily.

My very first Ocellaris clownfish jumped out of the tank.  I found it the next morning all dried up on the carpet.

[TerribleLobster]

Well I have added some new tech to the tank. I got a great deal on an Apex Classic from a local reefer and have just set that up to monitor my aquarium full time. I haven't switch over yet from my old energy bar to the Apex bar but will soon. I'm really digging the temperature and pH graphs. Im starting to measure my calcium, alk, and mg now with better quality test kits (Hanna and salifert). I'm currently at 470 ppm cal, 7.0 alk, 1290 Mg. I'm going to continue to monitor to see how it moves. The alk level seems a bit low though. This was an hour or two after a water change.

 

I also picked up an mp10 and am waiting for my anemone guard to get it on the tank. It puts out a lot of flow so I will probably run it on lagoon mode at 30%. 

[TerribleLobster]

Got the Apex up and running after picking it up cheap on Craigslist! It's super nice, I got a new pH probe and calibrated it. Watching the temperature and pH in real time is fun and really illuminating. 

Where should I put my Mp10? Feel free to offer a different location from what I have pictured below!

Bonus pic of the anemone and Urchin :)

[TerribleLobster]

Saw my first good hitchhiker today. A little chiton on the glass.

[TerribleLobster]

I noticed a few strands of what I thought was bryopsis. I dosed fluconozole and that stuff destroyed the bryopsis in days. Everything else in the tank is looking healthy.