Airedale.Reef's IM Fusion 30 Long

[Crawford_T]

I feel you on “wife approved”. I’m hoping I can convince her to let me upgrade to a 40 cube in the next few years. 

[Airedale.Reef]

8 hours ago, anizato said:

Nice tank! Looks like the Kessil worked out well. At first I was wondering if you could've used one of the 360's but you have no dead spots here. Kessil is always a good choice.

 

Hey Anizato - I appreciate you reading through the tank journal. Setting up the tank has been fun and documenting the process has been equally rewarding. Yes, I have run Kessil's on previous tanks and have always had success. Solid brand, good customer service, I have had success growing corals, and I simply enjoy the shimmer. The tank is 36" across so two lights work out great. I considered two 360's and figured that would be overkill with with depth of the tank, and the ap9x was a more than I wanted to pay for this set up. 

 

8 hours ago, anizato said:

That scape is very interesting. All branches, it's feels like a secluded part of the reef, you know? Like it's not the 'main' reef, more like pieces that floated off to the side and coral started to grow there... I don't know just my imagination LOL

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Aquascaping is always one of my favorite parts of any reef tank, and for this tank I wanted to "branch off" and create something that was different than what I have done in the past.  (Rock walls, two islands etc.) Tideline reef rock really grabbed my attention, and I am quite pleased with the end result. Coral placement might be a bit trouble some, but I am up for the challenge. 

 

8 hours ago, anizato said:

It's funny how we, who have wive's, have to deal with the same runarounds and stonewalls 😄  I sometimes wonder how our houses would look like if we were single. I weould probably have to swim to my bed 😁 or float on my tank to sleep🤣

Let's be real, we would be a mess without our spouses! Fact.  

 

8 hours ago, anizato said:

So what test kits have you been using? What have you been testing for? 

I use Hanna instruments for most of my testing! Getting an exact reading is such a game changer, compared to making decisions based on color hues. I mainly test for Nitrate, Phosphate, Alkalinity and Calcium.

 

[Airedale.Reef]

11 hours ago, anizato said:

So what is inside that nice stand you've got going on there? Was that thing there before the tank? Did your wife help you pick it out? What's its story? And when are you going to show us under the skirt?

I am actually surprised this is the first time my stand has been brought up haha. As you know the IM Fusion 30L was discontinued. I wanted this particular tank and managed to find a used one in my area. I purchased the tank and stand together, and well it is what it is. It is definitely used, and has that old school look and feel. Clearly a blast from the past, but It works for now.  

 

Here is my attempt at cable management. I have the Inkbird, Vortech, and Kessil controller mounted to the door, and  the rest of the cables are zip tied and plugged into a surge protector with individual switches. I am also Using a 5g Petco bucket as my ATO reservoir. 

[Airedale.Reef]

6 hours ago, ml86743 said:

The more I see your tank the more I like the look of the two kessils.   How you think they would do with SPS? I can’t remember if I asked that before, apologies if I did haha 

The depth of the tank is only 13", and I have the lights sitting at 7" above the water line. I think with the intensity up, they could successfully grow SPS, although I have never tried. This tank will predominately be LPS and some mushrooms, but If I am brave enough I may dabble in the sticks. 

I do know other folks have had success with SPS and Kessils. The biggest complaint I've read is the shadowing with one single unit, however you can negate this with an additional light. 

[Airedale.Reef]

Good news! The tank has completed its initial cycle, and the biological filtration is up and running! Passed the 24 hr test, and no nitrite reading.  After a large water change, I was also able to get NO3 to a more manageable level of 16.5ppm as well. 

 

As of this evening, the tank has been seeded with Tigger Pods and a few snails/hermits. 

 

The path forward at this point will be slow going for me. I have a few upcoming trips planned which will really allow me to give the tank some additional time to build before I add any fish or coral. 

 

And the wait continues....

[Crawford_T]

6 minutes ago, Airedale.Reef said:

Good news! The tank has completed its initial cycle, and the biological filtration is up and running! Passed the 24 hr test, and no nitrite reading.  After a large water change, I was also able to get NO3 to a more manageable level of 16.5ppm as well. 

 

As of this evening, the tank has been seeded with Tigger Pods and a few snails/hermits. 

 

The path forward at this point will be slow going for me. I have a few upcoming trips planned which will really allow me to give the tank some additional time to build before I add any fish or coral. 

 

And the wait continues....

Excellent. What are your initial livestock plans?

[Airedale.Reef]

17 hours ago, Crawford_T said:

Excellent. What are your initial livestock plans?

Not planning to add anything else until at least June.  I know I will be looking for a pair of Fire Shrimp as well as a pair of Clowns. If I had to narrow it down, I am really debating between Orange Snowflakes,  and DaVinci Ocellaris. 

 

[Kev1n]

On 5/13/2024 at 4:19 AM, Airedale.Reef said:

The path forward at this point will be slow going for me. 

I think this is the best way to go and whilst a successful aquarium is never guaranteed, I think a slow pace provides a better chance of success.

[Crawford_T]

17 hours ago, Airedale.Reef said:

Not planning to add anything else until at least June.  I know I will be looking for a pair of Fire Shrimp as well as a pair of Clowns. If I had to narrow it down, I am really debating between Orange Snowflakes,  and DaVinci Ocellaris. 

 

I say go DaVinci, super nice looking. Or do one of each! 

[Airedale.Reef]

8 hours ago, Crawford_T said:

I say go DaVinci, super nice looking. Or do one of each! 

Agreed - I really like the variation of orange and white. I have only seen them online, and would prefer to buy locally. We have few LFS in the area, so it may just take a weekend to visit them all and see what is available at that time. Not opposed to buying online though. 

[Airedale.Reef]

10 hours ago, KevMax said:

I think this is the best way to go and whilst a successful aquarium is never guaranteed, I think a slow pace provides a better chance of success.

Agreed! Essentially these upcoming trips will allow/force me to be patient as the tank goes through its process. 

[anizato]

1 hour ago, Airedale.Reef said:

Agreed - I really like the variation of orange and white. I have only seen them online, and would prefer to buy locally. We have few LFS in the area, so it may just take a weekend to visit them all and see what is available at that time. Not opposed to buying online though. 

you can have your LFS place an order through ORA or some other aquacultured/quarantine fish company. ORA has a massive clownfish selection, they are al captive-bred and quarantined.

[Crawford_T]

I’ve ordered from live aquaria and had good results, our current clowns are both ORA and were purchased locally. 

[Airedale.Reef]

1 Month Update 

 

It's been a roughly four weeks since the tank has been wet, and while there haven't been any significant changes, I thought I'd share a few updates over the past weeks. I’ve received a few new pieces of equipment to enhance the tank's functionality and decided to turn on the lights! ☀️

 

Additional Equipment: 

1. I went ahead and ordered an IceCap K1 Protein Skimmer. I haven't installed it, but will do so in the coming days.  

2. I replaced the stock return nozzles with VCA Random Flow Generators for optimal water movement. I like the randomness, think it offers a more pleasing aesthetic to the tank, and most importantly, pushes water to the opposite end of the mp10. 

3. My LFS happened to have a box of used SW equipment from someone breaking down their tank. I was able to acquire 4x, 1.5L dosing reservoirs from Marine Color for $10. I will most likely be in the market for a dosing system in the future lol. 

 

Lighting:

The tank has been running without lights. This was a deliberate choice to help manage algae growth and give the tank a stable start. I am running out of patience here, so I plan to start an acclimation light cycle moving forward. Light on vs off pictures below. 

 

Livestock Plans:

I have a few trips planned in the upcoming weeks, and intend to add livestock a couple of days after returning. 

 

Overall, everything is progressing as planned. I'm looking forward to the next phase of adding livestock and seeing the tank come to life.

[Kev1n]

Looks great. Even better with some light. That undulation in the sand on the left side is really nice.

 

I think that it is wise to delay stocking until after your trip. I did exactly the same with my recent trip to France.

[geekreef_05]

Dude. Nice! I like how the sandbed has settled with water flow curvature. 

 

Fantastic with lights on. 

 

Looking forward to seeing the how this develops!

[Crawford_T]

Awesome! Glad to see this one getting closer to livestock. You weren’t kidding about that Mp10 flow in 13” of water, sand says it all. What % did you end up with? 

[Airedale.Reef]

6 hours ago, KevMax said:

Looks great. Even better with some light. That undulation in the sand on the left side is really nice.

 

I think that it is wise to delay stocking until after your trip. I did exactly the same with my recent trip to France.

Many thanks! Yes, the MP10 is certainly doing its job creating waves. It was a bit of a nightmare dialing the flow with the finer sand pieces trying to settle. The smooth sand waves add a bit of character to the tank, and that is something  I can appreciate, although the initial goal was a uniform sand bed. 

 

Although I would like to show off some coral pieces now, it just made sense to delay a few extra weeks. Definitely more to look forward to after the blues of vacation/holiday coming to an end. 

[Airedale.Reef]

3 hours ago, geekreef_05 said:

Dude. Nice! I like how the sandbed has settled with water flow curvature. 

 

Fantastic with lights on. 

 

Looking forward to seeing the how this develops!

Cheers, thank you! I am glad you like it! I wasn't expecting such a dynamic swing, but pleased with the natural pattern. Hoping to see that same flow reflect in the upcoming torch and other euphyllia! 

[Airedale.Reef]

2 hours ago, Crawford_T said:

Awesome! Glad to see this one getting closer to livestock. You weren’t kidding about that Mp10 flow in 13” of water, sand says it all. What % did you end up with? 

You and me both! I have really enjoyed watching everyone else add fish and coral, and have been living vicariously while I keep my patience in check. 

 

The MP10 is such a beast of a powerhead! As you know, I originally had it placed near back wall, but the flow patterns there were too wild reflecting off the branching rock. I moved it closer to the font glass and have seen much better results. Granted, all of this may change once coral get added to the tank lol, but for now this is what I am running. (40% max on Lagoon and Nutrient Transport) 

 

 

 

[Airedale.Reef]

Quick Parameter check to begin the week. I imagine another water change at the end of the end of the week will level out some of the these numbers...Outside of magnesium, temp and salinity all numbers could use a bump in the right direction, but leaving as is for now. 

 

Nitrate: 13.4ppm 

Phospate: .09ppm 

Alk: 7.6dKH 

Mag: 1350 

Calcium: 500

Salinity: 1.026 

Temp: 78°

 

In other news, I couldn't help myself and picked up a Halloween hermit this morning! 😮

 

 

[Kev1n]

That hermit sure has some space to roam around in. 😀

[Crawford_T]

After I added my Hammer Coral I had to bump the MP10 down, right now I’m at 20% reef crest but I may play around with other modes. Short Pulse seems to net good results with LPS but I need to research more. 
 

Levels are looking good. I hate to admit that I actually haven’t tested Mag, Cal or Alk yet…. 

[anizato]

On the MP10 I personally use Reef Crest, but in the second mode. Some modes have two 'sets'.. Once you select the Reef Crest, click on the middle button, and it will flash the 2nd and 3rd lights on the board (as opposed to the 1st and 2nd lights), that means you have activated the second 'set' within the mode. Torches and anemones love this setting. 

 

MP10 are unbelievable. I have had mine since 2014. Never failed. Great money spent. It would be nice if they could go a little less than their minimum, because I can never run it at more than 30%. 30% in the 10gal is full strength in here, So it is always at the minimum. I ramped it up for fun before adding livestock... 🤪almost made a mess but it was cool to see what the pump is capable of 😁

 

 

[Airedale.Reef]

5 hours ago, Kev1n said:

That hermit sure has some space to roam around in. 😀

Indeed! He is laying some nice tracks along the sandbed, dragging its cone shell along : )