rdck99's 16g Nuvo Reef (Now w/NanoBox Duo + 1st SPS!)

[rdck99]

Looks good! I like the rock work. How are you liking the Tunze nano osmolator? I have one and I'm not 100% crazy about it. I feel like I have to unplug it and plug it again to get it going.

Or if it's not too late, maybe return it and go for this guy: Innovative Marine's HydroFill

 

Not sure when it comes out or how much it'll cost, but this looks nicer than the Tunze Osmolator Nano.

[eawonko]

Thanks! I like it now, however, my first week or two with it were a bit annoying. I was having the exact problem you're describing. I'd plug it in, it'd pump water for a bit, and then the pump would start clicking, as if the reservoir was empty. Sometimes I'd plug it in and it'd work great for a day or two, but then the clicking would resume. I contacted Tunze and they said it was an extremely rare problem, but that it sounded like the brain/control unit was malfunctioning. They sent me a new one and it's been working flawlessly since then. I haven't had to unplug/replug in over a month! I'd contact Tunze and see if they can maybe send you a new brain/control unit.

 

 

I've been slacking big time on contacting them. I've had it on my tank since February and haven't contacted Tunze yet. Idk why. I guess that's what I will be doing here in a few minutes. Thanks for letting me know. It gets reallly reallllllly annoying. Sometimes I turn it off so I don't have to listen to it "pulsing"

[rdck99]

• Skimmer Update: so my two clowns had been in the tank for over a week and the micro bubbles hadn't budged at all, so I again contacted Steve at IM. He still thinks my tank is too clean and the body of the skimmer isn't coated in enough slime, which is keeping the micro bubbles around. Everyone and their mother on these forums insist not stocking more than what I already have (2 clowns, goby, shrimp, CUC) in a 16g tank, so I'm somewhat torn on what I should do...add more fish/bioload and hope the micro bubbles decrease or keep things as they are and hope my real "break-in" point is somewhere in the future? Until then, I'm going to try wedging a bit of floss (wrapped and rubber-banded around the IM stock yellow media) in the main/sump area, between the back of the tank and the panel separating the tank from the sump, at the bottom of my 1/2" waterfall, beneath the skimmer's chamber. The hope is that the bubbles will spill over from the skimmer chamber, onto this floss, and break up before being spit back out into my tank. Fingers crossed! Here's a picture of my makeshift bubble-popper.

• DD H2Ocean Salt Mix: I've commented on this previously, but my freshly mixed salt water had quite a bit of brown residue in the mix bucket. It was also coating my pump (see picture below). This water was mixed about 5 days ago. I also tested the water and found about 0.5 ppm of ammonia. From what I read on these forums, the residue and even trace ammonia seems somewhat common, depending on your salt mix, but it's still a bit unnerving. Perhaps I'll try RSCP once I'm out of the DD H2Ocean? Anyone have any experience with these kinds of issues or suggestions?

• Corals: I added a yellow torch (4 heads), another zoa frag, another ricordea frag, a small acan, and a large toadstool. Again, better photos to come...as soon as I get these damn micro bubbles out of the way!

[RollaJase]

I get similar residue from using red sea coral pro salt. It isn't that dark though and it's only on my mixing pump, not on my mixing heater or bucket. I have a feeling it only sticks to certain types of plastic.

[rdck99]

• No more micro bubbles (see second bullet down) = photos from the DSLR!!!

Ocellaris Clowns:

Watermelon Zoas:

Yellow Ricordea:

Yellow Torch:

Acan:

• Skimmer Update: boy oh boy did the floss/yellow media/rubber band wedge work wonders. I woke up this morning and the tank was 98% crystal clear (see pic below) and micro bubble free! I now can't stop staring at my tank - this little mod yielded a night and day improvement, and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I may play with it a bit (maybe add a second wedge or raise/lower the existing wedge in the sump area) to see if I can knock out the remaining 2%, but I couldn't be happier. I also think I noticed a small snail in the skimmer body, which may keeping it too clean and not allowing the proper sludge build-up...next time I remove the cup, I'll try and get him out. All-in-all, I couldn't be happier...assuming it stays this way!

 

My skimmate also seems to look better, as my cup has more bubble overflow than before.

[Egginis]

Congrats on finally getting the skimmer to break in. I know the feeling of having those micro bubbles in the aquarium. It gets to the point where you just want to unplug the skimmer and try something new. The skimmate in the collection cup looks good, for what it is anyway. Coralline seems to be growing well. The aquarium is coming together nicely.

 

Have you considered adding spin streams. They really add excellent alternating flow and the corals love it. I know you have the mp10 but the spin streams just add that extra flow which make my corals open up beautifully. Most online retailers sell them for $30 or less. Just a thought and suggestion. It's and easy and quick modification without adding any extra power heads and wires to your aquarium.

 

[rdck99]

Congrats on finally getting the skimmer to break in. I know the feeling of having those micro bubbles in the aquarium. It gets to the point where you just want to unplug the skimmer and try something new. The skimmate in the collection cup looks good, for what it is anyway. Coralline seems to be growing well. The aquarium is coming together nicely. Have you considered adding spin streams. They really add excellent alternating flow and the corals love it. I know you have the mp10 but the spin streams just add that extra flow which make my corals open up beautifully. Most online retailers sell them for $30 or less. Just a thought and suggestion. It's and easy and quick modification without adding any extra power heads and wires to your aquarium.

I had read that the spin streams were somewhat noisy, so I've been avoiding them. But the tank is in a high traffic area and not where I sleep, so perhaps they're worth another look. I do like (and I'm sure the coral would too) the idea of alternating/circulating flow, and $30 is nothing.

 

I've also been toying with the idea of a DIY mesh lid (like BRS sells), because I'm getting tired of having to clean the glass lid every week. My only reservation is that I do have a cat, and even though he's never jumped on the stand, more or less the top of the tank, I fear that if he ever did make the jump, his feet/body would bust right through the mesh and I'd have a huge mess. Any thoughts on this?

[Jay Wee]

There U GO! No more micro bubbles! Congrats. Took awhile but well worth it.

[Egginis]

I have 2 spin streams on my Nuvo 24 and have no issues with noise. My aquarium is in the bedroom only 3 feet from where I sleep. The only noise I hear is the splashing of water when they are rotating towards the surface. It's quite relaxing actually. Spin streams will also splash water on your glass lid, so cleaning more frequently will be required.

 

A mesh lid could be a risky proposition with a cat around. How about a lid like you see over a reptile enclosure. It's like a metal mesh cover. You may be able to find one at your local pet store. I would only worry about possible rust or salt creep on it. You may be able to design one with metal that is rust resistant. Just a suggestion and thought.

 

[rdck99]

There U GO! No more micro bubbles! Congrats. Took awhile but well worth it.

 

I have 2 spin streams on my Nuvo 24 and have no issues with noise. My aquarium is in the bedroom only 3 feet from where I sleep. The only noise I hear is the splashing of water when they are rotating towards the surface. It's quite relaxing actually. Spin streams will also splash water on your glass lid, so cleaning more frequently will be required. A mesh lid could be a risky proposition with a cat around. How about a lid like you see over a reptile enclosure. It's like a metal mesh cover. You may be able to find one at your local pet store. I would only worry about possible rust or salt creep on it. You may be able to design one with metal that is rust resistant. Just a suggestion and thought.

Thanks y'all!

 

After further consulting with the lady, I've decided to keep the glass lid...at least for now. Our cat is just too unpredictable and the potential disaster that'd result isn't worth the risk.

[Egginis]

I agree with the decision, otherwise you may have had a bathing cat

[rdck99]

• New Fish: as the clowns live almost exclusively in the rear left corner, behind LR, my tank almost appears fishless at first glance. So, I wanted to get a fish that would be comfortable spending his time in the open water on the right side of my tank, and not hide. After getting feedback on these forums, I picked up a royal gramma on Friday. He immediately went into hiding in the LR on the left side of the tank - the opposite of where I wanted him to take up residence. Glass half full, he mustn't feel too crowded if he's ignoring the completely open end of the tank...though I'm sure he's probably not even aware of that yet. Today was the first time I saw him leave his nook - he came out and ate a bit of the mysis/pellet mixture I basted near his LR...so, that's good. I also understand they're pretty finicky acclimators, so his hiding in the LR is normal, but hopefully he gets used to his surroundings and becomes more of an active swimmer, because another hider just won't do!

Snail Infestation: I had 3-4 small (like barely visible small) snails that hitchiked in on the LR, but over the past couple of days the population has exploded - I counted 50 on the glass of my tank alone. They appear to be collonista snails. Not sure what I should do about them...so many white specks on the front of the glass is distracting.

Skimmer Collection Cup: it seems like every 7-10 days the cup decides to overflow. It'll be going along just fine for days, filling bit by bit, then all of a sudden - boom, it overflows for no reason (I'm sure there's a reason, but it's not obvious to me). Any ideas?

[Egginis]

Hi Chad,

 

 

1.Your Royal Gramma will come out with time. Even though my experience is that they hide more often than being out.

 

 

2. A sixline wrasse would most likely take care of those snails for you. Now here is a fish that will be out and about swimming freely all over the aquarium. They have great coloration and patterns and will pick of nuisance snails, flatworms, and bristle worms. Your aquarium might be a bit small for this fish and it will get very territorial after it becomes acclimated. Will most likely have to be your last fish added. Otherwise just manually remove as many of the snails as possible and keep your water quality high.

 

 

3. How is the water level in the back chambers? Is it stable? If it dips to low due to evaporation or you overfill the back chamber, it would cause the skimmer to overflow. Are you adding additional supplements or feeding extra every 7-10 days? A change in water parameters or increased phosphate can cause the skimmer to produce a ton more skimmate.

 

 

Hope this helps if I think of anything else I will be sure to let you know.

[Deleted User 4]

Well, mine is out all the time now so...hopefully yours does the same.

[Egginis]

Well, mine is out all the time now so...hopefully yours does the same.

 

Each fish is different. Mine probably hide a lot because it was in my 220 gallon with larger tangs and more aggressive fish. I'm sure it will be out in full view soon.

[Deleted User 4]

Each fish is different. Mine probably hide a lot because it was in my 220 gallon with larger tangs and more aggressive fish. I'm sure it will be out in full view soon.

 

Lolol I see. Mine is in a 8g with two other fishes.

[rdck99]

Hi Chad,

 

 

1.Your Royal Gramma will come out with time. Even though my experience is that they hide more often than being out.

 

 

2. A sixline wrasse would most likely take care of those snails for you. Now here is a fish that will be out and about swimming freely all over the aquarium. They have great coloration and patterns and will pick of nuisance snails, flatworms, and bristle worms. Your aquarium might be a bit small for this fish and it will get very territorial after it becomes acclimated. Will most likely have to be your last fish added. Otherwise just manually remove as many of the snails as possible and keep your water quality high.

 

 

3. How is the water level in the back chambers? Is it stable? If it dips to low due to evaporation or you overfill the back chamber, it would cause the skimmer to overflow. Are you adding additional supplements or feeding extra every 7-10 days? A change in water parameters or increased phosphate can cause the skimmer to produce a ton more skimmate.

 

 

Hope this helps if I think of anything else I will be sure to let you know.

 

Well, mine is out all the time now so...hopefully yours does the same.

I'm sure he'll warm up to the surroundings with time. Definitely not worrying about it at the moment. Though the TSB may still be a 5th and final addition

 

And thanks for the feedback. I too think a wrasse is too much for my tank, but they sure are purdy...and you know how much of a sucker I am for bright colors! I'll probably just deal with the snails for now, but we'll see.

 

I use the Tunze Nano Osmolator and as far as I can tell my water level is kept in constant check. The overflows really seem to come out of nowhere - never after feeding, water changes, livestock additions, etc., though it does seem to happy overnight most occasions, but I have to believe that's just a coincidence. I do not add any sort of supplement and my feeding routine is consistent. When it's overflowing, the cup usually fills with seemingly clean saltwater, not skimmate. Mysterious, I know.

[Deleted User 4]

I really love my royal gramma...the shape and body formation, the extra brightness in color variation and at last, the face is masculine like a seawater fox.

[rdck99]

Looks like my Clown has ich. Can anyone please verify?

 

As you can see from the photos posted a week ago, the clown was just fine and dandy and white-spot free but I began noticing these specks yesterday (I added the royal gramma Friday...perhaps it came from him?).

 

He's eating and behaving normally and all my other fish appear fine, but from what I've read on ich, that's all pretty irrelevant, correct?

 

So, what can I do? I don't have a QT tank and apparently that method involves keeping all the fish in QT for 6-8 weeks so the ich in the DT have time to die off. That's a pretty ridiculous/difficult treatment plan, plus I don't think I could ever catch my goby or gramma.

 

Any other ideas? The DT has 7 coral frags and assorted inverts.

 

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/23132-marine-ich-myths-facts.html

[Deleted User 4]

Does the royal gramma have any ick?? If it does...and or if you can't see the damn royal....then it might be the whole cause..

 

Sucks.

[Egginis]

Looks like my Clown has ich. Can anyone please verify?

 

As you can see from the photos posted a week ago, the clown was just fine and dandy and white-spot free but I began noticing these specks yesterday (I added the royal gramma Friday...perhaps it came from him?).

 

He's eating and behaving normally and all my other fish appear fine, but from what I've read on ich, that's all pretty irrelevant, correct?

 

So, what can I do? I don't have a QT tank and apparently that method involves keeping all the fish in QT for 6-8 weeks so the ich in the DT have time to die off. That's a pretty ridiculous/difficult treatment plan, plus I don't think I could ever catch my goby or gramma.

 

Any other ideas? The DT has 7 coral frags and assorted inverts.

 

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/23132-marine-ich-myths-facts.html

From the photo of the clown it appears to be ich. If left untreated almost every fish in your aquarium will get it. Even if the fish does not show signs, the parasite can be in its gills or under its scales. Some fish can escape it but most succumb to it. It only will get worse and worse without treatment.

 

The best but most labor intensive method is the quarantine tank. Treatment for 6 weeks with medication. (I agree with you that it will be too difficult to catch all your fish without destroying your aquarium scape at the same time.)

 

The method that I have used is hyposalinity. This method will disrupt the ich cycle and allow your fish time to recover. Only problem is that it is not recommended for a reef aquarium. Lowering the salinity will harm or kill your inverts and possibly corals. It also will have an effect on beneficial bacteria so more frequent water changes will be needed during the time you have lowered the salinity. If it were a fish only system than I would say go for it.

 

You could try running a uv sterilizer on your system which in theory will kill the free floating ich and assist in keeping it under control. Just like hyposalinity treatment, the uv is supposed to disrupt the ich's reproductive cycle.

 

You have some tough decisions to make. You may want to move your corals into another holding area and treat the main aquarium with hyposalinity for 4 to 6 weeks. Then add the coral back into the aquarium. Just a thought. Treating fish in a reef with ich is nearly impossible unless you actually remove the fish. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

[rdck99]

I went to PetCo yesterday and bought everything I needed for a QT (cost me about $70). On the way home, I stopped off at a LFS (one of the trustworthy ones) to pick up the cupramine and ended up meeting the owner for the first time. I explained my problem and my plan of attack for treatment, but I was essentially talked out of the QT. It's not that the owner and his employees disagreed that a QT would help, but they wholeheartedly disagreed that a QT was the best initial plan of attack. Here's their theory:

 

They suggested to first try Seachem's Metronidazole (I will initially try mixing it in with their food, but if no positive results after a few days, then I'll try removing the Chemi-Pure/Purigen and dosing the tank). They explained to me how long they've been in the hobby, the encounters they've had with ich, etc. and it was tough to disagree. Basically, they view ich as something nearly unavoidable to the hobby - not that you should see it on your fish every month or even year, but that eventually it pops regardless of the precautions. I was told a story about how a customer setting up a new reef tank had them QT his fish prior to purchase for 8 weeks, but two days after the fish were added to the tank, ich appeared...as it's stress-induced, there's no guarantee, and maybe there's even a way for it survive on something other than fish. None of the store employees operate at home QT tanks (they all rely on the store's quarantine methods, which seem elaborate), because they believe the stress involved in tearing a part tanks to catch and relocate fish, just to relocate them again a few weeks later is hurting the recover more than helping it.

 

They were the first to admit that depending who you ask, you may get different answers and results - their point was just to try the safer/easier/less stressful method first. From their experiences with ich, they feed Metro (even after the ich resides to keep the fishes immune system up) to heal the fish, and then do one of two things (each employee does it differently): 1) in some cases the fish builds up immunity and is able to fend the ich off long enough and it does't reoccur (they cited examples of having ich, the fish fighting off, and ich spots never returning) and/or 2) one employee pumps his tank water through a UV light, which while not killing the ich in the tank, the UV does alter the ich cells in a way that prevents reproduction - so, when fish fend them off and they can't reproduce, the tank is as close to eradicated as possible.

 

I understand that on nano-reef this is likely not to be the "proven" best method, but if there's one thing I've learned in this hobby, every question has many answers, depending on the expert asked. So, I will try the simpler methods that have worked for some local experts (I wanted to buy about $50 in Seachem products, but they talked me into the $8 Metro...why would they lie?), and if they fail, then maybe I'll look into a QT. I'll keep everyone updated.

 

P.S. the royal gramma is more visible now than he was over the weekend, and he definitely has spots as well...I'm thinking perhaps that's where the ich came from (and he was sitting in the LFS' copper treated waters for over 6 weeks!). Also, I changed out 2.5g yesterday and will change out 3g today to hopefully get nitrates as close to zero as possible, and keep the fishes environment sterile.

[Egginis]

I agree with the advice you got from your LFS. I have never used a quarantine tank and unfortunately have had ich in every aquarium I owned. My method has mainly been hypo salinity, strong uv treatment, and feeding medicated foods to my fish. I have had very positive results in the past but have lost several fish to this parasite as well. I just felt it would have done more harm than good to tear apart my reef and stress my fish more. I found that making sure my fish were compatible, offering enough hiding places, and keeping low stocking levels in my aquariums was key to combating ich. My aquariums have been ich free for over 3 years now, and all fish are healthy and happy.

 

 

If all else fails than a strong dose of medicine in a quarantine tank might do the trick. Keep us posted on your observations and best of luck.

[rdck99]

• Ich Update: I've added the metrodizanole to the mysis shrimp food and I've been feeding that over the past few days. I also removed the Chemi-Pure Elite and Purigen, as well as the IM stock media and have been dosing the tank with metrodizanole every couple of days. The black clown seems to be doing much better - no more spots (I know that doesn't mean the parasite is necessarily gone), he's again eating normally, and his swimming/behavior seems to be much more normal and less erratic. The royal gramma still has noticeable spots, but continues to eat healthy. The goby and orange clown continue to look/behave as normally as ever.
• Quarantine Tank: my plan has been to move fish to a QT if/when they stop eating. Even though I'm seeing improvements, I decided to be proactive and put together a QT now. Here's what I went with:
  • 10g tank w/blue LED's built into the lid. It came with a cheap HOB Whisper filter, thermometer, small heater, among other things ($40).
  • PetCo Zeolites and a filter bag to help with ammonia - I have this sitting behind the stock filter in the HOB ($8).
  • I also bought a new/larger net and a new siphon/tube ($20) to prevent cross-contamination if/when treatment begins.
  • Small pump attached to an air/bubble stone for oxygenation and surface agitation (I had this already)
  • A piece of week old filter floss from the DT to help get bacteria/biological filter going (I have this laying in the bottom of the HOB).
  • 4 pieces of old freshwater tank decorations for hiding places (I had these already too).
  • 5g of saltwater from DT, 3g of saltwater from LFS, and 2g of RO/DI - currently at a salinity of 1.020.
  • Dosing Seachem Stability since Friday and will introduce Seachem Cupramine if/when I need to move fish into the QT.

What sort of water change schedule should I do for the QT (how often and what percent to change-out)? Should my feeding schedule change? For those of you that use a QT, do you quarantine all new fish for 2-12 weeks with copper? Any other QT tips I should know about?

• Fish Living Space Questions: I'm convinced that the royal gramma I added a week ago either brought ich to my tank, or at least his addition to the tank stressed my black clown enough to contract ich. What drives me crazy is that both clowns live in the rear left corner of the tank, the goby lives under the left-most rock of the tank, and the royal gramma has taken up residence inside the left-most rock of the tank. If they're so stressed from being crowded, why not move to a different spot in the tank (I bought the royal gramma hoping he'd fill up the fish-less 2/3 of my tank)?! So, all that said, I know the fish may not be smart enough to understand all this, but in the future is there anything I can to ensure they take up residence more spread out? Or am I not giving the fish enough credit, meaning if they were stressed, they'd spread out on their own?
• Skimmer Collection Cup: same 'ol, same 'ol with the overflows. It will literally go days without producing even an inch of skimmate in the cup, then out of nowhere it'll overflow with clean saltwater. Again, it seems to happen about once every week or so and it doesn't seem to coincide with anything I'm doing to the tank (feeding, media change, metrodizanole, top-offs, etc.). Any ideas? It's been over a month that I've actually emptied the cup because of a normal filling of tea-like water/skimmate.

[rdck99]

• Ich Update: The clown continues to eat and improve (he was the one I was most worried about, as he had looked the worst), however, I found the RG floating this afternoon. Ammonia had spiked to around 2ppm and nitrates were over 20. I immediately did a 5g water change and nitrates are now below 10 and ammonia is around .5ppm. Will the bacteria in the tank convert the remaining ammonia or do I need to change more water - either way, it'll have to wait until tomorrow? And I absolutely do not plan on replacing the RG any time soon. I think it was his addition and either his poor choice of cramped LR housing and/or the ich he brought that triggered all my problems. I also added the chemi-pure elite and purigen back to the baskets.
• Torch Okay?: Take a look at the below picture of my torch...I noticed during cleaning that half was lighter and the other half darker. What's this mean? Something with the flow, lighting, or something else entirely? The MP10 is to the right of the torch and light is to the left and is not directly overhead. I decided to move it to the left and the somewhat open space between the two pieces of LR you can see in the picture...maybe that'll help?