SpideyBry's 30g Shallow Reef

[spideybry]

Build update - Upgrade 2/7/21

There has been ups and downs and a lot of planning tweaking and making sure things work how I'd like, but the tank is up and running and things are settling down.

I actually found a used IM20, which I then drove about and hour and a half to get (it was a good deal) get it home, washed out, set it on a table, and turn around for a second.... and welll..........

Used Tank

Spoiler: NSFL TANK BROKEN DEC12.

It happened as soon as I turned around, shouldn't have placed it on that table. Stuff happens.

Anyway, that led me to spite buy a brand new IM20.

Brand New IM20 and New Stand - Dec 22.

For the new tank, I decided to use a EShopps PF-Nano HOB which fit perfectly in the 2nd chamber.

I also converted the pump that came with the IM20 to just come out of one hole on the back, and the other hole is from my sump.

The rough layout:

The redone plumbing after getting it swapped in:

Here's a little video breakdown of what it looks like:

Sump:

What the back chambers look like:

Side view of the frag tank:

FTS 2/7/21:

Some random shots:

Next Steps:
Things are going fairly well at the moment. Next steps involve adding some more plumbing so that the reactors are plumbed inline with my return pump. That should free up some space in the sump. I also hate how fast my filter socks are getting clogged. Removing the sock is a minor inconvenience but it is okay I guess.

I haven't tested the tank at all since 12/27/21. Things seem to be running good and I've since added doing 5g water changes on the system bi-weekly. The only additive I am running currently is Reef AB+ and Tropic Marin All for Reef. I should test at some point.

The frag tank needs some more flow, but aside from that it is running alright. The light I purchased needed a diffuser since the reflectors were different making it more intense. I will be 3d printing something to hold the diffuser in place. I also need to test the PAR on the frag tank and see where the numbers are.

 

[Staindsoul]

Bummer on the tank crash.

Those macros are gorgeous. Your photography skills help out as well!

 

[spideybry]

Bummer on the tank crash.

Those macros are gorgeous. Your photography skills help out as well!

Thanks. The tank hurt my ego more than anything else - but hey, at least something good came from it and Innovative Marine had a sale going on lol. Good timing I guess smh.

Here are a few more macros

 

[Sitthanon]

Thanks most of the zoas are looking great tho as of right now lol.

Fresh zoa pic glued on a 3d printed plug in white light -

Top down with just blues -

how well do the zoa grow on the 3d printed frag plug?

 

[spideybry]

how well do the zoa grow on the 3d printed frag plug?

I would say as well as any other surface (though I don't like acrylic plugs for the same reason as the 3d printed plugs).

Personally, I don't like 3d printed plugs because they're essentially a soft plastic, breaking them apart is a pain - especially when you plan on further fragging them. Acrylic plugs are just too hard to break because they're hard.

I tried fragging these a while back and lost a couple heads (sometime in January). I don't have other pics of them, but the ones on the bottom left in the 6/24 pic are on a 3d printed plug and have been growing fine (just slow).

 

[spideybry]

UPDATE 2024

Been a while since I've posted on here, lately just have been posting to my Instagram page.

The system has gone through a few changes and it is finally getting it's footing and hitting its stride. Main changes I feel like I've shifted back to more SPS/zoas more than anything else.

I've added a few piece of equipment, now I have T5s along with my Noopsyches, also have a KH Director from GHL.

In terms of filtration, I am skimmerless/sockless/fugeless. Occasionally I will run a sock to toss in some carbon but that's pretty much. I am dosing AFR and that's pretty much it aside from feeding.

Here's a few shots of where the system is currently.

FTS and random photos from March 2024: