Stock Nuvo 15 for sps? Does it need upgrades?

[mrnewberry]

I am looking to get back into the hobby and the Nuvo 15 looks nice.  I am not planning on focusing on sps but will want to have some.  Will the tank as it comes from the factory work for that with just the addition of an appropriate light?  Or will I need to upgrade the pump etc.?

[ml86743]

I would say upgrading the light and adding a powerhead would be crucial.  In my experience, the biggest factor when keeping SPS is having consistent control over ALK, Mg, and Ca.  I could not achieve this in the past - probably due to negligence and a misunderstanding of what is neccesary.  I currently run a dosing pump with my apex and I think that this has helped tremendously.  Underestimating flow is also a big mistake IME.  I'm sure to give my SPS a HEALTHY amount of water movement and I think it is one of the main reasons I am having a little bit of success now.  

 

Having said that, keeping easier pieces like montis, stylophora, birdsnest, and some hardy acros can defiantly be achieved with a minimalist approach.  Don't let me scare you away because I have seen tanks that manually dose and use very simple practices and have beautiful SPS tanks.  You do not need all the bells and whistles 🙂 

 

The minijets that come with the IM tanks are great, I still have mine.  The only modification I made was adding an RFG nozzle instead of the stock one.  It turns the tank over really nicely and honestly, depending on the species you keep you could get away with just that.  You can find some nice powerheads that'll do the job for relatively cheap as a nice addition.  

 

 

[mrnewberry]

1 hour ago, ml86743 said:

I would say upgrading the light and adding a powerhead would be crucial.  In my experience, the biggest factor when keeping SPS is having consistent control over ALK, Mg, and Ca.  I could not achieve this in the past - probably due to negligence and a misunderstanding of what is neccesary.  I currently run a dosing pump with my apex and I think that this has helped tremendously.  Underestimating flow is also a big mistake IME.  I'm sure to give my SPS a HEALTHY amount of water movement and I think it is one of the main reasons I am having a little bit of success now.  

 

Having said that, keeping easier pieces like montis, stylophora, birdsnest, and some hardy acros can defiantly be achieved with a minimalist approach.  Don't let me scare you away because I have seen tanks that manually dose and use very simple practices and have beautiful SPS tanks.  You do not need all the bells and whistles 🙂 

 

The minijets that come with the IM tanks are great, I still have mine.  The only modification I made was adding an RFG nozzle instead of the stock one.  It turns the tank over really nicely and honestly, depending on the species you keep you could get away with just that.  You can find some nice powerheads that'll do the job for relatively cheap as a nice addition.  

 

 

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.  I haven’t ordered anything yet so I have a bit of time to think about all of it.  I am trying to keep it simple. But, know that some things may be necessary.  Flow is definitely important.

[PootiNe]

Definitely agree on having a wavemaker. I have a Hygger mini wavemaker in a Landen 10-gallon AIO and it provides great flow. For ALK/Ca/Mg supplement I would highly recommend Tropic Marin All-for-reef; a low flow rate dosing pump would allow for precise dosing and keep ALK stable.

 

I use a slightly modified Nanobox Duo at ~80% to light the tank, but anything around the same output (~60W I think?) should support acros just fine!

[mrnewberry]

14 hours ago, PootiNe said:

Definitely agree on having a wavemaker. I have a Hygger mini wavemaker in a Landen 10-gallon AIO and it provides great flow. For ALK/Ca/Mg supplement I would highly recommend Tropic Marin All-for-reef; a low flow rate dosing pump would allow for precise dosing and keep ALK stable.

 

I use a slightly modified Nanobox Duo at ~80% to light the tank, but anything around the same output (~60W I think?) should support acros just fine!

Thanks for your input!  I will definitely be researching wave makers.

[TheKleinReef]

14 hours ago, PootiNe said:

For ALK/Ca/Mg supplement I would highly recommend Tropic Marin All-for-reef

I wouldn't unless your bacterial stability is quite predictable and rock solid. AFR was a factor in my last crash and now i don't trust it. I stopped dosing it but alk continued to increase for 3 weeks from 7.5 to nearly 12.

 

If you do go the AFR route, do not use it to correct your parameters, only use it to maintain them.

19 hours ago, ml86743 said:

Underestimating flow is also a big mistake IME. 

1000% this. nero 3 would be a good option. I love the neros I have.

[mrnewberry]

6 hours ago, TheKleinReef said:

I wouldn't unless your bacterial stability is quite predictable and rock solid. AFR was a factor in my last crash and now i don't trust it. I stopped dosing it but alk continued to increase for 3 weeks from 7.5 to nearly 12.

 

If you do go the AFR route, do not use it to correct your parameters, only use it to maintain them.

1000% this. nero 3 would be a good option. I love the neros I have.

Thanks.  I’m not against having an extra power head in there.  Probably more of a budget model though.

[geekreef_05]

On 1/24/2024 at 12:21 PM, mrnewberry said:

I am looking to get back into the hobby and the Nuvo 15 looks nice.  I am not planning on focusing on sps but will want to have some.  Will the tank as it comes from the factory work for that with just the addition of an appropriate light?  Or will I need to upgrade the pump etc.?

 

 

The answer here is basically that an aquarium is one part of what you will end up needing to keep sps in a nano.

 

I would suggest starting your journey by taking a set up in the aquarium to a waterbox or redsea all in one. They have light packages, matching stands, etc.

 

Either way, in addtion to the tank kit of your choice you will need: 

Capable lights

1-2 wavemakers/powerheads 

Auto top off and reservoir

2 to 4 dosing pumps for Calk, Mg, etc

Skimmer

Heater, thermometer

And you might want to consider uv and ozone to be new and hip with the latest awesome. 

 

Hope that helps.

 

[PootiNe]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:56 AM, TheKleinReef said:

I wouldn't unless your bacterial stability is quite predictable and rock solid. AFR was a factor in my last crash and now i don't trust it. I stopped dosing it but alk continued to increase for 3 weeks from 7.5 to nearly 12.

 

If you do go the AFR route, do not use it to correct your parameters, only use it to maintain them.

Sorry to hear about the bad experience with AFR. Strange that it had such a long-term impact; I've typically seen ALK rise within a day. Perhaps that's something I need to keep an eye on from now on. How much were you dosing per day?

 

I agree it's best combined with frequent water changes to maintain the optimal parameters.

[mcarroll]

On 1/24/2024 at 12:21 PM, mrnewberry said:

Will the tank as it comes from the factory work for that with just the addition of an appropriate light?  Or will I need to upgrade the pump etc.?

The answer is highly dependent on what you're going to do with it.  

 

If you have really specific ideas for the tank, then you may have to add more flow to make some of them happen – upgrading the return pump or adding a powerhead, etc.  

 

But if you are more flexible or the budget demands it, or whatever, there are corals (eg mushrooms) that will be fine in the default setup.

 

If you wanted to consider a plain tank + protein skimmer (rather than the AIO back chamber), that would be my only alternate suggestion.  For example, a Reef Casa Zen 15 + Tunze 9001 skimmer for around $200 OR + Tunze Reefpack 100 (skimmer+filter), for a bit more.  Either way you'd get a bit more tank space back vs AIO...and that would be a good thing.  Still may need to add a powerhead depending on your plans.

[mrnewberry]

On 1/27/2024 at 3:33 PM, mcarroll said:

The answer is highly dependent on what you're going to do with it.  

 

If you have really specific ideas for the tank, then you may have to add more flow to make some of them happen – upgrading the return pump or adding a powerhead, etc.  

 

But if you are more flexible or the budget demands it, or whatever, there are corals (eg mushrooms) that will be fine in the default setup.

 

If you wanted to consider a plain tank + protein skimmer (rather than the AIO back chamber), that would be my only alternate suggestion.  For example, a Reef Casa Zen 15 + Tunze 9001 skimmer for around $200 OR + Tunze Reefpack 100 (skimmer+filter), for a bit more.  Either way you'd get a bit more tank space back vs AIO...and that would be a good thing.  Still may need to add a powerhead depending on your plans.

Thanks.  I ended up getting a second hand 24 gallon AIO it does not have a skimmer but originally did so there is room for one eventually if I end up needing one.  It came with a power head so I may be good on flow.  And, I ordered a Nicrew 100 to take care of the lighting.  Hopefully I am set if not I suppose I will have to make adjustments on down the road as needed.

[braaap]

On 1/25/2024 at 8:56 AM, TheKleinReef said:

I wouldn't unless your bacterial stability is quite predictable and rock solid. AFR was a factor in my last crash and now i don't trust it. I stopped dosing it but alk continued to increase for 3 weeks from 7.5 to nearly 12.

 

If you do go the AFR route, do not use it to correct your parameters, only use it to maintain them.

 

 

This is so true. I don't understand why people like AFR. It isn't calculated. It isn't controllable. It is just a bottle of solution to toss in your tank and hope the best. It is less work than 2 part but far more unpredictable. I believe it is a fad that will eventually go away. I'll use 2 part until I can't buy the material to make it. Which will likely never happen.