Nuvo 20

PR_nano · Feb 1, 2021

Nick Steele said:
That is awesome that he is out and about!

Thanks, I also thought it will take awhile for him to come out and about. Does your Mandarin eat frozen or pellets?

The Tanaka will not touch pellets but does enjoy frozen mysis. I also added the Algagen Apocyclops (Apex copepods) which are all over the glass and I see him go after them. I might add some rubble where I had the refugium for them to safely reproduce.

Nick Steele · Feb 1, 2021

The mandarin will eat rods frozen every once in awhile but mainly he sticks to the rocks picking at pods all day and night.

Yeah my pods Reproduced in the back compartments of my tank where I have 2-3lbs of rocks on each side.

PR_nano · Jun 21, 2021

It's been a while since I have made any updates. Still hanging in there and changing directions. I decided to go softie for this build.

Good:

After all the up and down I'm mostly over the ugly phase. (GHA, Bubble Algae, Aiptasia in DT all gone)
Changed the spin streams for VCA Random Flow Generators and the Kessil light for AI
Measure PAR in a couple of spots but need to do a better light intensity mapping

Bad:

Have a handful of aiptasia on the back chamber. Ordered some long needle to inject w Joe Juice (I had some success with it in the display. Other option is to catch and dropped a peppermint back there, Jk but it did cross my mind).
Lost the White-line Possum (Freak accident and was pretty upset with myself about it) Would like to add another fish

Plan:

Order a few softie I been watching
Re-arrange the rocks and move/glue some of the frags
Remove about 1/4" to 1/2" of sand. I would like a bit less sand
Looking for a 4th fish and not sure if I want to add another Possum or something that will actively swim in the top 1/2 of the tank. Open to suggestion here.

Going on vacation soon so testing a few things and trying to avoid any last minute changes.

ATO is good for 2 and 1/2 weeks
Auto Feeder have an issue with pellets sinking. Order a new type which should be here later this week. Hope they work
Pulled the trigger on the Ecotech battery backup. Still need to set it up
Tackle the "Plan" items

Nick Steele · Jun 21, 2021

Sorry to hear about you wrasse!

Hope you have a good vacation! I just got back myself!

For the auto feeder have you thought about doing a feeding ring? It will keep food in the circle until fish eat it or it sinks.

Something like this would work or two little fishes sell one also.

PR_nano · Jun 22, 2021

Thanks, looking forward to the much needed vacation. Hope you had a good vacation.

I have one of those food rings but the fish aren't used to eating at the top. By the time the pellet slowly sink 1 by 1. The cuc or shrimp will get to them first. Maybe if I continue to use it they will swim to the top to eat.

Nick Steele · Jun 22, 2021

PR_nano said:
Thanks, looking forward to the much needed vacation. Hope you had a good vacation.

I have one of those food rings but the fish aren't used to eating at the top. By the time the pellet slowly sink 1 by 1. The cuc or shrimp will get to them first. Maybe if I continue to use it they will swim to the top to eat.

It was great!

Ah yeah fish are weird when it comes to new things haha.

PR_nano · Jul 13, 2021

Back from vacation and the tank behaved nice while I was out.

2 Astrea snails was the total loss, so not bad.

Nitrates went down a bit so I dose a bit to keep them at 5.

Order a few softies I been watching, picture below. Unfortunately there was one I was looking for that wasn't available at the time of the order. Need to figure out delivery date

and then take pictures of the actual corals to see how they compare to the sellers since they arent wysiwyg.

PR_nano · Jul 20, 2021

Received the new corals, they look healthy and some started to open and expand within hours of getting in the tank. Really happy with the purchase. They even sent a freebie. The only one I feel looks better in their picture is the Tonga Yellow. I knew is not as bright or Yellow as the Fiji version but the small frag was cut in a weird shape. I'm sure it will look better once it start growing. The Gorgonian while it has the polyps out hasn't really open them like their picture.

Need to figure out placement and start gluing them down.
Also need to work on the inside of the stand and cable management. I been pushing it off too long.

Nick Steele · Jul 20, 2021

Looking good!

Yellow corals are hard to really showcase but over time and proper nutrients should get more color.

PR_nano · Jul 20, 2021

Nick Steele said:
Looking good!

Yellow corals are hard to really showcase but over time and proper nutrients should get more color.

Thanks! I been reading that those 2 Yellow toadstool also love light and flow. So thinking to put it high and near turbulent flow.

revhtree · Jul 21, 2021

Beautiful reef! Love it!

PR_nano · Jul 21, 2021

revhtree said:
Beautiful reef! Love it!

Thanks Rev, great site and community.

PR_nano · Aug 6, 2021

Picked up a few more soft corals (Gorgonians, Sinularia, Zoas) from a local this past week. Tank is filling in nicely and still have a rack full of frags need to find final placement. Have some ideas but will need to move some stuff around.

Getting some visible Dino on sand again. Nitrates holding solid at 5ppm but Phosphate dropped to ~.01(3ppb). Dose this morning and will test again tomorrow morning to see the level.

Started to sketch possible layout for control board to finally clean the stand. Also considering doing a Phyto culture, still reading on it but like the idea of collecting my own.

Daniel@R2R · Aug 21, 2021

PR_nano said:
Picked up a few more soft corals (Gorgonians, Sinularia, Zoas) from a local this past week. Tank is filling in nicely and still have a rack full of frags need to find final placement. Have some ideas but will need to move some stuff around.

Getting some visible Dino on sand again. Nitrates holding solid at 5ppm but Phosphate dropped to ~.01(3ppb). Dose this morning and will test again tomorrow morning to see the level.

Started to sketch possible layout for control board to finally clean the stand. Also considering doing a Phyto culture, still reading on it but like the idea of collecting my own.

Looking good!

PR_nano · Oct 20, 2021

I been busy with work and haven't made any updates or dedicated time to do proper maintenance on the reef tank. No water changes or testing in weeks/months. The problem I noticed; zoas slowly shrink and melt away. Given the lack of husbandry it could be any number of things ranging from nutrients, trace elements, light, ect.

Since I'm off Friday the plan is:

Perform water change (mixing tonight)
Full parameter test (Alk, Ca, Mg, N03, P04)
Scrape back panel (remove detritus)
Clean return pump and wavemakers ()
Glue down more corals ()
Vacuum sand and remove some empty shells (might get a few more snails)

Picture of unkept tank below

PR_nano · Nov 7, 2021

Tank is doing pretty good. I did most of my previous to do list but still haven't glue down some of the corals.

Performed water change (~3g)
Full parameter test (Alk 9.6, Ca 450, Mg 1350, N03 1, P04 .03) Nitrates could be the cause for zoas shrinking
Scrape back panel (remove detritus) (x)
Clean return pump and wavemakers (x)
Vacuum sand and remove some empty shells (Added 2 trochus 5 astrea snails)

Took some pictures this morning as light were turning on. I did notice the left side corals appear to be leaning right towards the light. I do have another light I bought a few months back but haven't swap it since I didn't want to make changes as the tank mature. I will monitor corals and if they continue to lean I will definitely swap it. After nearly 6 months of barely any polyp extension the devils hand is starting to show polyp extension.

PR_nano · Nov 22, 2021

Picked up a green Rhodactis two weeks ago. Placed it on sand bed and caught one of the peppermint shrimp going to town on it (filaments out). Moved it to the frag rack while deciding on the next step. The reason, there is Kenya tree on the rack and the peppermints don't go to it at least that's what I think. Coral is looking better now and almost certain going to pick a shroom box in the meantime since yesterday I purchase a nice bounce on TSA sale that I couldn't pass.

PR_nano · Dec 6, 2021

Picked up two new mushrooms and a few yellow zoa's to add more color to the tank.

Missed the water change this weekend but clean the return pump and skimmer.
Tested N03 which is at 5ppm and P04 measured 0. Need to re-test as I lost some of the Regen while performing the test.

Found one big Aiptasia behind both mushrooms, wedge on the rock. Think I'm going to pull the rock out during water change to kill it outside the tank on Friday. All back chambers have a few Aiptasia but this one is the only one that I can see in the display. Might pick a few nudi to throw back there. I think the peppermint are keeping up with the display but lost one the other day.

Still need to glue some corals. I been saying the same since summer lol.

Saw a nice small cherub at the LFS but don't want to take the risk, at least not yet.