Starting over from scratch - Mipster's IM 25 lagoon

[mipster]

So the start of this tank build is a bit bitter sweet.

 

I have always loved the IM 25, the dimensions are just so lovely and it fits on my existing stand and it's only 5 gallons more in volume then my original IM 20 but it is somehow so much more impactful. 

 

The bitter part of this build is that it comes off the total tank crash following over feeding from my auto feeder while on a 2 week vacation. I lost all my fish and coral babies. Total heartbreak.

 

 

 

 

But we are going to look to the positive side and be excited for this new journey. I learned so much the first time around, that I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

 

So, here's the rundown:

 

Equipment and Specifications

• Tank: IM 25 Lagoon AIO
• Lighting: AI prime X 2
• Wavemaker: nero 3 wave maker
• Return Pump: Stock pumps at the moment - the IM 25 came with 2 returns plumbed separated instead of the Y fitting which I much prefer
• Return nozzles: custom 3D printed RFGs printed by my husband - love that his hobby helps mine!
• Heater: Cobalt Neotherm 
• Temperature controller: Inkbird controller 
• Skimmer: Bubble Magnus Mini Q - worked great on my old tank, won't need it online for a little bit
• Filtration: IM custom caddys with filter floss. Will also likely add a chaeto fuge in the back with the grow light I already have but won't need yet
• Filter Media:Will eventually add Chemipure blue but not needed yet
• Lid: Bought the IM lid - and gotta say, these are way nicer then they used to be. 

 

Rock and Sand

• Amount and Type of Rock: ~15lbs dry rock
• Amount and Type of Sand: CaribSea Argonite

 

Fish (hopefully eventually maybe)

2 clowns (added last ideally)

1 pink steaked wrasse (they are finally commonly available here in Canada!) 

1 midas blenny (Maybe - I love them, such fun personalities but someone made me doubt it was appropriate size even though it's on Igreen's guide)

 

Water, Parameters, and Dosing

• Salt Mix: Aquaforest
• Dosing: F1 Kamoer pump Dosing All for Reef (if and when I need it)
• Top Off Method: Auto Aqua - been going steady for 4 years

 

Corals wishlist

• Softies: long tentacle toadstool, green fuzzy kenya tree, Lobophytum, Zoas, mushrooms, cabbage leather
• LPS: one showcase acanthophylia, hammers/frogspawn, acans, maybe a really cool chalice
• But mostly softies cause they have my heart.

 

I don't want to over complicate anything but I am excited to get this going again.

 

But of course, I have to wait for the cycle. I'm doing a fishless cycle with some fritz starter and ammonia. 

 

I really hate this part.... 

 

But we're on the way! What do you guys think of my scape? I had to resist the urge to build too high cause I know how high the corals can grow lol 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rhetoric]

Sorry to hear about your tank crash.

 

The new tank is off to a hot start!  I like the scape and profile of it.

 

Welcome back.

[Staticmoves]

very nice!

[mipster]

8 hours ago, Rhetoric said:

Sorry to hear about your tank crash.

 

The new tank is off to a hot start!  I like the scape and profile of it.

 

Welcome back.

Thanks so much!! Glad to be back.

 

Honestly for the past year I had been itching for an upgrade so maybe I wished to the universe a little too hard for it to have come about this way but there you go.

 

1 hour ago, Staticmoves said:

very nice!

THANKS!

 

I was looking at all my test kits thinking ok, it's been a little bit since I added water, let's check things out.

 

WELL it's been a LONG time since I've tested anything so all my kits are many years expired lol

 

So I guess it's time to do some shopping. Boring shopping but shopping none the less lol 

 

What are y'all's favourite test system? I used to be partial to the Red Sea kits but I've had those, Nyos, Salifert and I have a Hanna buried somewhere for Alk testing. 

[Staticmoves]

11 minutes ago, mipster said:

What are y'all's favourite test system?

Currently myself

-Alk: hannah

-Po4: hannah

-No3: salifert

-Mag: hannah

-Calc: red sea

[mipster]

49 minutes ago, Staticmoves said:

Currently myself

-Alk: hannah

-Po4: hannah

-No3: salifert

-Mag: hannah

-Calc: red sea

I find it so interesting that people always use such a wide range of brands for test kits. I don't know a single person who is like "All my test kits are X".

 

I also just noticed you're in my neck of the woods @Staticmoves! Who's you're fave GTA LFS?

[Rhetoric]

Might sound crazy but I only have 2 home test kits.

 

I test Alk with Hanna and Phos with Hanna.

 

My LFS has the API tester that that costs $5. 

 

Its on the way home from work and gives me an excuse to talk "shop".

 

This week's test results:

 

 

[Staticmoves]

9 minutes ago, mipster said:

Who's you're fave GTA LFS?

I have ordered from Fragbox online, great service.

Candy Corals is on the way home from work kinda, so I've been in there a few times, and it makes me want to spend money, very clean shop and great selection.

[mipster]

41 minutes ago, Staticmoves said:

I have ordered from Fragbox online, great service.

Candy Corals is on the way home from work kinda, so I've been in there a few times, and it makes me want to spend money, very clean shop and great selection.

Two of my faves - other one i shop from alot is GTA reef. Guy runs it out of his home basement but he often has a ton of goodies for great prices. 

[mipster]

I've been looking into aquarium controllers, I haven't really thought about it in a long time cause I always felt it just wasn't worth it for my lil tank but with my recent situation, I can't help but wondering what might have happened if I had monitoring on my system.

 

Of course, I know there are people out there who LOVE their apex systems but for me, I never loved the system. Honestly not sure I can put my finger on exactly why that was the case so please don't ask lol 

 

I remember when the Coralview Hydros came out and it seemed very interesting at the time but I was still in my lil world on "I don't NEED one".

 

Well I've gone down the rabbit hole and gotta say, they have seemingly come a very long way since the first one got released. 

 

It's interesting to see people talking about how if they weren't so embedded and stuck in the apex ecosystem, they'd switch. Of course, there will always be diehard fans of their preferred system but having such an outside perspective is very interesting.

 

I think I might add a hydros controller to my christmas list this year!

 

Only question is, which one lol There are so many different controller options to customize things to your specific needs, it's like a fun puzzle.

 

I'm leaning towards the Hydros Launch as a good starting place or the HYDROS Control X4 Pro Pack with XP8 Energy Bar. Basically need to figure out how many of what kind of plug outlets I need lol

 

Any hydros users out there? What are you running?

[Tamberav]

I am sorry about the loss of your tank and clowns.

 

I use this very crude auto feeder, as you can put a portion for each day in it but it maxes out at 14 days (if you only did once a day feeding).

 

It is like a mechanical clock that makes it turn and it so simple that I can't imagine it could fail and dump in too much, I think that would be impossible. It I suppose could quit working entirely though.

 

They have some fancier versions but I went with this one since it seems pretty impossible to dump too much food in. My only gripe is that it should be like $10 because its so simple. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Fish-Mate-F14-Aquarium-Feeder/dp/B000YK5W18?crid=1BHJU3BFADLAH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vaA4_rjMFZYCSrrmDyz8k1eeHWNIOyCaM70komwhpk2ag1UVyHyM4l6YagL8kw9ywpXhYcv17cMG6C8fskYHQcVKBnKet6BjCYabIASFU-jBaSdo1eGMPV2PkcKZXF-RKGwtKuxzMeC-JvDI2pfjWW4m53hDIxaIoTUEcq5OIY3fQ8qOmHsiaydzcyB8TWWRBRNzj3Nm3bthjxxo4RTQHQzvUnbsSrtg-zqrwNfvK5YC-QP6iPKn12YxAQyAMqtrSLalWdUw1Bj8_6J0bwq7bVnevODYIFYNa-hmQ_a5a_U.TFtU91GF02QHnZis-UjcuqjgCQvHzCr947MqWKhnhIc&dib_tag=se&keywords=fish+feeder&qid=1731214974&sprefix=fish+feede%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-30

 

 

I also recommend a cheap wifi camera to point at the tank when you leave town. I think I paid about $20 for one. 

[mipster]

12 hours ago, Tamberav said:

I use this very crude auto feeder, as you can put a portion for each day in it but it maxes out at 14 days (if you only did once a day feeding).

 

It is like a mechanical clock that makes it turn and it so simple that I can't imagine it could fail and dump in too much, I think that would be impossible. It I suppose could quit working entirely though.

 

This is an interesting feeder, it would be rare that I would ever be away for more then 14 days. I'll have to look into it for Christmas!

 

I tested the water today. It's funny because I KNOW that the cycle takes time but there was still a piece of me that was like, "It is totally going to be at least half way through".

 

But of course, we're still early days lol 

 

 

I'm trying to sell my IM 20 and it's funny the people who reach out on facebook marketplace. No Mr. Random from the internet, I will not take $50 for this. Go away!

 

I did have someone offer a trade of corals for the tank which would be great since I need corals but I still have a long way to go cycling so that's kinda annoying. I'm not willing to give them the tank without getting something back right away. 

 

I try to have faith in humans but you never know with the internet. 

 

The waiting game continues I suppose.

[mipster]

Ohhhhhh boy - I did a thing.

 

I went all in on something but I'm SO EXCITED! 

 

I'lll show y'all when it gets here!

[mitten_reef]

On 11/11/2024 at 4:19 PM, mipster said:

Ohhhhhh boy - I did a thing.

 

I went all in on something but I'm SO EXCITED! 

 

I'lll show y'all when it gets here!

😂

[mipster]

So, I've officially joined the space age!

 

I've added the @CoralVue Aquarium Products Hydros system to my tank!

 

I've got the Hydro Launch and an XP8 set up with PH, Salinity, Temp and Water Level Sensor. Those are powering a heater, ATO pump, and all my pumps, lights and returns. 

 

I've even wired up lighting in my cabinet and once the additional cable I need gets here, I'll have a door sensor so the light will automatically turn on and off as I open the door. 

 

This thing is honestly so cool and I know I'm just starting to scratch the surface of what it can do but I'm really enjoying learning all about it. It is very straight forward to set up with zero coding. It's all simple drop downs. 

 

I did hit a couple stumble spots in set up where I wasn't 100% but they Hydros support team were INCREDIBLE and usually got back to me in less then an hour if it was within their service hours. 

 

Eventually I would like to get the Maven when it's released. That is Hydros' testing unit which will test Nitrates, Phosphates, Mag, Calc and Alk. It will be so interesting to see how it goes once it's out. I saw they delayed the rollout from the end of November to a new date that is yet to be determined. Honestly, I'd rather a delay and they get it right then rush to market and it be horrible. 

 

I still need to do some cable management, I want to get this all cleaned up and tidy but already this is WAY better then before. 

 

 

 

 

As for the wet part of the tank, things are just chilling, cycling along. I'm still very happy with my scape!

 

I'll test again this weekend, see where things are at.

 

Hopefully there's some movement. I want to add fishies and corals so badly! 

 

My fave retailers have had some great sales and really beautiful selections and I just have to sit and wait. It sucks 😢

 

[mipster]

We're making progress!

 

Considering Nitrates were zero and Ammonia was a 2 last week, we've made a pretty big jump to 10 Nitrates and about 0.2 Ammonia. 

 

Hopefully that means just one more week or so and I can get things moving. 

 

[mipster]

So I made a mistake and was looking at my local LFSs online stock and one of them... damn they had some STUNNING corals available, some I've never really seen before. 

 

I tested my tank again, cause it's totally realistic that it would have just totally finished cycling in 1 day right?

 

Well, no, of course not lol 

 

But this is where it pays to have local buddies in the hobby. I've put in an order and my friend is going to hold onto the corals and take care of them for me till my tank is ready 🙂 

 

Who wants a sneak peak at what I got??

 

[Fnard]

lol. Impulse buys are always fun. At least you have a plan for them in place rather than throwing caution to the wind and going for it. Good luck with whatever you got. Post those picts already.

How's the Hydro treating you? I am currently running an Apex Classic, which is great, but I'm concerned about the age and if I want to expand. May start looking into a new controller.

[mipster]

 

19 minutes ago, Fnard said:

Post those picts already.

Ok, here are a few of the things I ordered, but I'll save some for when they're in the tank once things cycle.

 

 

 

 

All softies, a lot of the tank will be softies, they are some of my faves. I love the movement.

 

But there will be some LPS too eventually. 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Fnard said:

 

How's the Hydro treating you? I am currently running an Apex Classic, which is great, but I'm concerned about the age and if I want to expand. May start looking into a new controller.

I am really enjoying the hydros. It's super customizable, there are 8 million different combos with all the different controllers. I like that each part has its own brain and can take over running the tank if other brains go down for some reason.

 

Set up was super easy, any issues was totally because I didn't actually open their instruction manuals lol 

 

I also like that if I run out of ports, I can just add on an additional controller to get more.

 

There's part of me that wants to get another smaller controller so I can have certain sensors running off two separate brains for redundancy purposes. 

 

My goal is to make it as fool proof as I possibly can. Of course, there is always the chance of human error or something but I want to minimize possible issues as much as I can.

 

With Neptune, I never liked that you had to code in your programs (on hydros it's simple drop down menus and let's say you're adding a temp sensor, as soon as you choose that from the drop down, there are pre-set base settings that are already in line with standard processes. Of course you can tweak these to your personal preferences super easily).

 

I also didn't like with Neptune there was just the single hub and if something went wrong with that, you were SOL. 

 

I have the Launch and an extra XP8 controller bar but this video what what sold me on my decision in the end.
 

 

[Fnard]

Those are some nice softies. I like them as well, especially with some gorgonians. Good luck with them. Just watch that leather, they do like to spread.

 

I hear you about the apex programming. But there is a pretty big and established community for them. But still I am wanting something else, I'll have to look more into the Hydro if I start getting the itch for something new.

[mipster]

14 hours ago, Fnard said:

Those are some nice softies. I like them as well, especially with some gorgonians. Good luck with them. Just watch that leather, they do like to spread.

 

Ohhh I know, my old tank was just stuffed with them because of that but i love it so I don't mind lol 

 

14 hours ago, Fnard said:

I hear you about the apex programming. But there is a pretty big and established community for them. But still I am wanting something else, I'll have to look more into the Hydro if I start getting the itch for something new.

Ya, I know there is a ton of information online on how to program them but why should I have to go look for the right answer rather then have the system recommend it for me?

 

Standard reef keeping habits and practices are fairly standard, a right salinity, temp, ph. A proper way for an ATO to work, etc. It just makes sense for a system to automatically make these things easy for the user but from everything I can tell, Neptune doesn't really do that. I don't get it. It made the Hydros just make sense to me.

 

And I've been very happy with that decision. There is more I can do with it that I haven't set up yet but there's time for that. It's still early. 

 

Another thing I think is super smart about Hydros is that they are going to established companies for some of their add on equipment. For example, their ATO is made by Auto Aqua which has been tried and true for ages. Their dosing pump is Kamoer so it's not like they are trying to make everything from scratch. There is also pretty good compatibility with different wave makers. Not with my Nero 3 but that's ok lol

 

[mipster]

No more Ammonia!!!

 

 

Still Nitrites hanging out but I love seeing progress.

 

There's also a very light dusting of diatoms on the rocks and sand that just started today so we're getting really really close!

 

Maybe my original prediction for the end of the week isn't too far off. 

 

Only time will tell. 

 

I've got my aquarium guy all set to grab my first fishy and clean up crew once everything levels out. Just waiting to say go!

[ReefGoat]

I love my hydros. Glad you’re enjoying yours as well. I ended up going with it because they’re a local company to me and I absolutely detested my Apex when I had it. I have the Minnow and the X2. I’m kind of hobbling right now though because I cheaped out and instead of buying the XP8 like I should’ve. I got the WIFI power bars. Well after a couple months of use I can’t even get them to connect to my WIFI anymore. They worked fine at first. But now they don’t. Right now my system is dumbed down and the only thing connected is my ATO. 
 

I’m just making do until Christmas. My parents and wife are getting me the XP8 lol. I’m so ready to hook everything back up and get my Minnow calibrated and start running ESV 2 part. 

[Fnard]

10 hours ago, mipster said:

No more Ammonia!!!

 

 

Still Nitrites hanging out but I love seeing progress.

 

There's also a very light dusting of diatoms on the rocks and sand that just started today so we're getting really really close!

 

Maybe my original prediction for the end of the week isn't too far off. 

 

Only time will tell. 

 

I've got my aquarium guy all set to grab my first fishy and clean up crew once everything levels out. Just waiting to say go!

Yup certainly doesn't look like it'll be long now. As I'm sure you're aware, patience is key at the beginning. I may have missed it, but what fish were getting at first?

[mipster]

11 hours ago, Fnard said:

Yup certainly doesn't look like it'll be long now. As I'm sure you're aware, patience is key at the beginning. I may have missed it, but what fish were getting at first?

Patience is THE HARDEST part of the reefing hobby and you won't ever convince me otherwise lol But I'm going to try to be a good girl.

 

For first fish, I'm not 100% sure yet. My tentative fish list is Midas Blenny, pair of clowns of some pattern and a pink steaked wrasse. But I'm not sure how hardy the wrasse and blenny are and am a little nervous adding them to such a new system once cycled. I've never had either but always wanted them. I will continue to consult the internet and my local fish guy. 

 

But I refuse to add the clowns first cause they can be jerks if they get the chance to stake their turf first. 

 

It will also depend on what's available as well. My fish guy had the wrasses in stock but they move quickly so they are all gone. They have plenty of blennies though.

 

What do you think people of nano-reef?

 

 

12 hours ago, ReefGoat said:

 

I’m just making do until Christmas. My parents and wife are getting me the XP8 lol. I’m so ready to hook everything back up and get my Minnow calibrated and start running ESV 2 part. 

Christmas is only a month away!!! Soon there will be joy and reefing toys lol