SonRK's Coral Madness - Nuvo Fusion 30L

[SonRK]

Hey all

 

I decided the best way to keep up to date with the progress of my tank is to do one of those awesome blog like posts everyone else makes.

 

I just re-did my aquascape and it's almost the way I want it. I just need to modify it a bit more, like I want a higher point on my scape. Don't know if I want it on the left or right side. The rock second from the right looks a little bulky too...hmm

 

 

I opened up this tank back in April of 2014. Waited 2 months before adding fish, and waited even longer before adding my first coral frags. Talk about taking it slow, but I figure that's for the best. I am battling Cyano and GHA, but then again, who hasn't ? It's my first tank and I've learned a lot from this forum and RC.

 

FTS 2/25/2015

 

 

 

FTS 12/6/2014:

 

 

 

FTS 11/28:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to 11/28:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equipment:

 

 

 

IM Nuvo Fusion 30L

 

IM Nuvo Fusion 30L Stand

 

75 Watt Eheim Jager Heater

 

Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152 Auto Top Off

 

Maxspect 27" Razor 160w 16K LED Fixture

 

Innovative Marine Custom Caddy Media Baskets

Running Chemi Pure Elite + Purigen (Will replace with Chemi Pure Blue once it's exhausted)

 

Innovative Marine MiniMax All-In-One Media Reactor

Running BRS High Capacity GFO

 

Jebao RW-4

 

Jebao WP-10

 

 

 

 

Livestock:

As of 11/28:

 

 

 

 

2 Ocellaris Clownfish

Peppermint Shrimp

3 Hermit Crabs

Assorted snails from ReefCleaners

 

Unknown Zoas

Unknown Palys

Unknown Mushrooms

Unknown Favia/Acans?

Torch Coral

Acting all sexy : http://i.imgur.com/EFAlv2pl.jpg

 

Single Head Duncan Coral

 

I will be getting some more soon, and I'll be sure to write down from the seller what the brand names are supposedly.

 

 

[SonRK]

These are the pieces of live rock leftover after my re-aquascaping:

 

 

 

 

 

Kept them in a bucket of 78 degree saltwater with a powerhead to keep it alive for now. I'm going to add a Tailspot Blenny so this will be good for the QT, and I think I want to get a pico, so this would go in there or so.

[Island]

looking good!

[SonRK]

Added some new frags today

 

It was also the first time I glued a frag on to a rock fixture. It was a pain to hacksaw through the plug, I will be getting some bonecutters for the other 20ish frags I have lying on the sand.

 

 

Some blue Zoa that looked sexy

 

 

A Hammer Head Coral, that I will keep opposite side of the tank from the Torch Coral, it was puffier before,but the lighting on my tank is dimming for the night, so it seems to be retracting.

[TeamIM24]

It was also the first time I glued a frag on to a rock fixture. It was a pain to hacksaw through the plug, I will be getting some bonecutters for the other 20ish frags I have lying on the sand.

 

Do you have a dremel? They will go through the plug like a hot knife through butter.

[SonRK]

Do you have a dremel? They will go through the plug like a hot knife through butter.

 

 

I don't own a dremel ._., very lacking with the tools in my household.

[TeamIM24]

How much are bonecutters? Dremels are pretty cheap. You can likely pick one up today online in a CyberMonday deal.

[SonRK]

How much are bonecutters? Dremels are pretty cheap. You can likely pick one up today online in a CyberMonday deal.

 

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dremel-7300-N-5-4.8V-MiniMite-Cordless-Rotary-Tool/15173820

 

Would something like this suffice? I wouldn't know if that's the right tool

[TeamIM24]

That would do the trick most likely.

 

This one looks like a good buy.

 

http://www.amazon.com/WEN-2307-Variable-100-Piece-Accessories/dp/B00A8DXKXS/ref=sr_1_5?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1417481609&sr=1-5&keywords=dremel

 

[SonRK]

That would do the trick most likely.

 

This one looks like a good buy.

 

http://www.amazon.com/WEN-2307-Variable-100-Piece-Accessories/dp/B00A8DXKXS/ref=sr_1_5?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1417481609&sr=1-5&keywords=dremel

 

 

Thanks! I'll pick that one up.

 

 

I got impatient and used my chisel and hammer that I used to re-do my work to cut some plugs out. One poor frag went flying! I felt bad after that so I just stopped after that one.

 

 

 

Glued some Zoa's on a rock! Can't wait until they cover it

[TeamIM24]

Thanks! I'll pick that one up.

You are welcome. When I am trimming the plug stem I hold the plug with a pair of pliers so I don't nick a finger with the dremel. I am sure you will do this but make sure you wear safety goggles when using a dremel to cut the stem. It will spray stuff fine dust everywhere.

[Admonition]

Looks great! Congrats on your first tank

[SonRK]

Added a PLS-50 Elite Skimmer, and glued some of the frags to some areas that I wanted to. I also added a frogspawn frag!

 

Battling Cyano bacteria, and...green Cyano?

 

Didn't do the 3 days of darkness, probably wont. Hope that siphoning it, messing with flow, and Skimmer + GFO Reactor combo will take care of it.

 

The main post has been updated to reflect today's picture.

[Jay Wee]

GFO Reactor's gonna help for sure. I need to get the minimax reactor. I forgot to get it during black friday sale and now I refuse to pay full retail. Hahaha. *Banging head on the wall*

 

Anyways tanks looking good. Get more zoa frags and make that into a little Zoa mountain garden!

[Admonition]

I've been debating about adding that skimmer to my 30L too, I'm curious to see how you like it. Also, do you see a real effect running the GFO reactor? I've been thinking of one of those too

[SonRK]

I've been debating about adding that skimmer to my 30L too, I'm curious to see how you like it. Also, do you see a real effect running the GFO reactor? I've been thinking of one of those too

 

 

Here are my initial thoughts on both:

 

I was battling Green Hair Algae after some started growing at an accelerated rate and popping up all over my tank. I did an aquascape which let me scrub it off and put them back on the tank. I also added a GFO reactor at this point. The GHA started growing again, but now after approximately 3 weeks of running GFO, the GHA that has been growing started to turn white. I read online that this means the GHA is dying. Great success!

 

Cyano hasn't slowed down though. I have enough flow that I see the Cyano hairs go back and forth on top of the sand bed, so probably another nutrient issue. The skimmer took 48 hours to stop throwing micro-bubbles into the display (I ran the non-elite version for weeks and it never stopped, so this is good), but the skimmate still is very wet. Lightly tan liquid is what's coming out, so it's probably still breaking in. It's also annoying to properly adjust, so I don't know if I am pleased yet. I'll definitely update here if it finally starts giving me darker/thicker skimmate

[Admonition]

Yeah I've been battling cyano for about a month now -.-

[APLATN13]

Any updates?

[Admonition]

Which minimax reactor are you running, desktop or mid-sized? I can't decide which one to buy

[APLATN13]

 

Which minimax reactor are you running, desktop or mid-sized? I can't decide which one to buy

I bought desktop and modded it

[Admonition]

I bought desktop and modded it

Oh? What were your mods?

[StrainedSky]

Oh? What were your mods?

I assume he's talking about the mod I did. The bracket that comes with the Desktop reactors won't fit the glass thickness that's on the 30L. All you have to do is take a file and sand the bracket to widen it a bit then it will fit no problem.

[APLATN13]

I assume he's talking about the mod I did. The bracket that comes with the Desktop reactors won't fit the glass thickness that's on the 30L. All you have to do is take a file and sand the bracket to widen it a bit then it will fit no problem.

I broke off the tab that didn't have the screw and rewelded the tab back on. Poor quality control...tab wasn't fully welded.

[SonRK]

Hey all, updated the first post with the up to date shot.

 

 

Not much has been going on. I had added a Tailspot Blenny after 6 week quarrantine, but it died 2 weeks into the main tank. It was always splotchy and shy, but it ate. I was surprised it perished. I have a replacement one in a Quarantine alongside a Firefish, and this new one is more active, eats A LOT more than the old one, etc. Different fish store, so maybe their livestock is healthier.

 

I had lots of cyano in the picture, and it never went away. Even with twice a week water changes, and constant siphoning. I changed up the powerhead location and increased the flow. I did a 30 hour blackout, and it took out all the cyano from the sand, but there's plenty still on the rocks. GFO is changed every 2 weeks, so who knows. My nitrates and phosphates constantly read low, but that's because Cyano is eating it up probably?

 

I'm gonna test for Alkalinity/Calcium this weekend and put some bigger/harder to keep coral. I may even dose Chemiclean to get rid of the Cyano on the rocks soon....