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Frank's Nuvo 8 - One year old..


frankdr

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After about 4 months reading through the forum, I've decided to add a Nuvo 8 to my collection. I picked it up used for under $150. This tank is going on my bedside table. Here's the picture taken right after filling. Not much to see yet..

 

Tank:

  • Innovative Marine Nuvo 8

Lighting:

  • 2 of the stock 14k lights
  • Aquailluminations Nano with 1st gen controller

Pump:

  • Rio+ 800 (might need to be downgraded a little - the sand dunes are already building..)

Heater:

  • Tetra fixed temp
  • 75W Neotherm

Sand:

  • CaribSea Aragonite (~10lbs)

Rock:

  • BRS Reefsaver dry rock
  • Added a 'Paly island' live rock with about a dozen 'junk' palys

Filtration:

  • InTank Media basket (filter floss and Purigen)

 

 

Daytwo_zpsbee987f0.jpg

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natalia_la_loca

Following :D Nuvo 8s are the bestest.

 

I don't know if it's the best thing to do, but I didn't use anything but filter floss for the first month that I had mine set up, and nothing bad happened.

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Updated the photo in the first post (is that the way most people do it?)

 

Added some live rock and dropped a few shrimp in to get things cycling. Probably won't do too much for the next few weeks while it matures a bit.

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I was having water pushing through the clips and running down the outside of the glass, so I replaces the Rio+600 with a 180. I'm not getting any of that, and the sand isn't stirred up as much. I have a spare Koralia 240 I can also add for more flow... But since I'm cycling for the next 3 or 4 weeks, we'll see what happens.

 

I'll be out of town the next 3 weeks, so I'll have the wife do the top-offs and it will help me resist the urge to start dropping things in the tank early..

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  • 2 weeks later...

After two weeks on the road, I was anxious to see what's happening. I did my water tests and seeing zero Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. There were a few diatoms on the sand.

 

I added some leftover Mysis shrimp and hopefully that will get it to build up even more bacteria. I also added some new pieces of LR from my other system.

 

I also switched out the fixed temp heater with a 75W Neo-therm. I'm using the same heater on my 28G and have excellent results with it.

 

2weeks_zps17740735.jpg

 

I'm back on the road later today, so I'll see how things develop. Wife is doing the top-offs, but otherwise things are running just fine.

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Looks like some good cycling action. Water parameters look good and some light diatom 'dusting'

My LFS had a 50% off sale, so picked up some PJ Cardinals and a Banded Star for my other tank. Of course, I had to pick up *something* for the Nuvo.. I'm not sure if this tank is ready for fish, but I did pick up a nice piece of LR with some palys

 

4-6-2014-02_zps355cb8c3.jpg

 

Here's the new FTS

 

4-6-2014-01_zpsf9cf2887.jpg

 

 

It's another week on the road coming up, so I'll let things settle in a bit.

 

If I put some coral food in the tank, is it a good idea to add a snail or hermit to handle the leftovers?

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natalia_la_loca

If I put some coral food in the tank, is it a good idea to add a snail or hermit to handle the leftovers?

 

Maybe a little snail. I lost my hermit. Not sure what happened, but I suspect it starved. I've been feeding my Zs/Ps twice a week.

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Thanks Natalia - That sounds like a good plan. I'm going to add a little zooplankton and some BRS Reef Chili about once a week and see how that plays out.

 

I'm also going to add some Purigen in the media basket. I've just been running the filter floss for cycling.

 

I think my first two hermits I put in my other tank did the same. Probably too 'new' and nothing around to eat. I'm also going to take an Astrea Turbo snail from my 28G and let him spend some time in here. Kind of a 'snail vacation'..lol

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Adding a small CUC is never a bad idea, just not enough where they will starve. As far as adding things to help increase the cycle duration. I have used microbater7 with great results, establishes natural biological bacteria to new tanks. Just add a few drops everyday for about 2 weeks and then once a week and during water changes. Given you are on the road it might not be a good solution for you but worth while to look into.

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One more week - Added three Astraea snails, one from my other tank (it's his holiday vacation) and two from my LFS. Water paramaters are good and there's enough green algae to feed them, but not enough to be a problem.

 

Also added a Blue Leg Hermit and 2 Nassarius snails. If everything goes well, I might add the first fish later this week

 

When I got home Friday night, I did a night time check and found this guy. This rock had about 8 or 9 large worms and we picked off everything we saw - but apparently one made it. He's been reaching out and grabbing any food that hits the bottom near the rock.

 

Nuvo8-bristle04-13-2014_zps4a176955.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another week passed and some action to report..

 

It looks like a serpent star came along with the live rock. The odd thing is, it only has 3 arms and I haven't got a good look at the body but it looks like part of it might be 'missing' it's still alive and feeling around though..

 

I'm getting a little bit of cyano, which seems to be a common new-tank issue. I'll keep an eye on that.

 

But on the plus side, it looks like the purple coraline is starting to form on the dry rock. Let's hope that continues..

 

Still contemplating what/when to add for fish...

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With another week of good water parameters, I decided to add some livestock..

 

  1. Yellowbelly Damsel
  2. Caribbean Flower Anemone

 

The damsel is still hiding in the rocks, so no pictures yet. He'll come out for two or three seconds and dart back into his hiding place. The LFS says he was being a little bullied, so that helps explain it too..

 

The RFA was a little shy about leaving the LFS. He was well attached to some LR so we took the rock out the tank and hung it upside down until till he unattached himself. 40 minues of bungee-looking exercises later, he decided to let go .

 

So far he's stayed really close to where I left him and has worked himself into the shape of the rock. He's about 1.5" in diameter and doesn't have much color, except underneath where there are couple of purple dots.

 

rfa1_zps511cf4e2.jpg

 

rfa2_zps2e72cb0d.jpg

 

The single blue hermit crab seems to be happy too. He upgraded shells this afternoon

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My RFA is apparently a little piggie. He's downed 3 nice sized mysis in no time at all this morning.. I thought it was going to be a slow motion thing, but it sure wasn't.. I caught a pic with his mouth open. When he's not eating, it's almost impossible to see it.

RFA5_zps3c4935f5.jpg

I knew he was going to be healthy the way he was hanging onto the LR at the LFS. We were able to let him come loose on his own, which was good - we didn't have to handle him.

 

Here's the FTS - side view from my bed... Very relaxing

 

FTS-side4-28-2014-1_zpsd40deeab.jpg

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I love how snowy white your RFA is. As obsessed as I am with the ultra-colored RFAs yours is pretty striking for its lack of dark markings. With the barred tentacles, it makes her look like she is made out of lace. And yes, RFAs are piggies. Nice that yours is eating so vigarously so soon after being introduced to the tank!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting about the color. The rocks that he's in were white (mined dead rock) and are quickly getting darker, while the RFA stays white. The contrast is very nice and he seems to be changing (?) color slightly to be a little darker in the middle areas. Or maybe it's because he's getting fed better than at the LFS. I'll try to get a picture posted this week.

 

I added a second stock IM light to the tank (Thanks Mirya !!) and it really works well. I'm probably going to take a Dremel tool to the mounting so I can space the lights equally. The left-hand chamber bulkhead is in the way of getting the left side light far enough to the left to space everything perfectly (has to be perfect right ? ;) )

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I'm probably going to take a Dremel tool to the mounting so I can space the lights equally. The left-hand chamber bulkhead is in the way of getting the left side light far enough to the left to space everything perfectly (has to be perfect right ? ;) )

 

e2e5666917e3d6fda041c1281e55ff4d.jpg

 

I dremelled the mount for my Razor to get it perfectly centered as well...

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Look what followed me home from the LFS...

 

nem2-5-13-2014_zps72823b7f.jpg

 

The new guy hasn't eaten anything yet, but we'll give him some time to get used to his new home

 

He's buddied up with his neighbor (new one is on top) When I was feeding the first one, they touched each other and both of them jumped a little. lol

 

I captured a time lapse video of the new fellow getting his footing and settling in. What a good way to post a video? Photobucket? YouTube?

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and another of feeding time. New guy still isn't too excited about feeding. He's shifting around a little "getting comfortable" I believe

 

but as you can see, the older one is a happy eater.

 

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This is coming along nicely!

Thanks,

 

I was a fair bit worried today - before the light came on, I noticed the new nem looked like it was blowing a bubble.A few minutes after the lights came on, it was retracted. During feeding, I put a few pieces of Mysis close to its mouth and on some tentacles and eventually I saw one of the pieces of shrimp slowly being sucked inside.Makes me feel better

 

He's really looking full and relaxed tonight. Looks almost 50% larger than when he arrived. Hopefully that's a good sign as well.

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I took a peek in the tank about 4am and saw these long streamers of something coming from the mouth. Expelling food waste maybe?

 

nem1_zpsc579ef03.jpg

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Since then his feeding response is much better and he's opened up much fuller. I guess he really is 'releaved'..lol In fact - he's 'pushing' his neighbor so that their edges overlap, but neither seems to be bothered or is moving, so I guess they don't mind each other's company

 

I happened to noticed that the older one likes to close up late at night. Normal?

 

photo2_zpsb6a9b3f9.jpg

 

When he did close, I noticed he has these bright purple spots underneath (prettier than the face actually) Barely visible in the pic

p4_zps38a3a79f.jpg

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It does seem that if you have multiple RFAs, they will want to "snuggle" with each other. :)

 

Rolling up their faces at night is normal. Some of mine do it every night, some only occasionally. It's fun if you have one that likes to close up at night and you get to see it when the first light of morning hits it. They look like a flower blooming as they unfurl. I have to be up before dawn to see that because the ambient daylight in my apartment is enough to wake them up, even though my LEDs don't actually turn on until 10AM.

 

The purple spots (they can look pink in other color morphs) are suckers that they use to stick their oral disks down on the substrate/rock.

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