Boomer's IM 20G Nano

[boomeraudio]

Sad news - Shrimp has gone missing and I think it has died. CUC likely consumed it. Corals are receding and the dino's won't seem to go away. I can't figure it out. Nitrates 6-8ppm, Phosphates .08 ppm. All other parameters seem strong.

I'm simply at a loss at this point. Very frustrated. At least my clownies are still doing well. Feels like I shouldn't be experiencing these things after a year and a half but the tank simply isn't cooperating. Extremely close to a break down and sell off...

 

[Danroo]

Sad news - Shrimp has gone missing and I think it has died. CUC likely consumed it. Corals are receding and the dino's won't seem to go away. I can't figure it out. Nitrates 6-8ppm, Phosphates .08 ppm. All other parameters seem strong.

I'm simply at a loss at this point. Very frustrated. At least my clownies are still doing well. Feels like I shouldn't be experiencing these things after a year and a half but the tank simply isn't cooperating. Extremely close to a break down and sell off...

I feel genuinely bad for even asking but I feel like asking if you were able to do every solution there is. Were you able to seed coralline algae or not cause I was also confused with blue and green with coralline.

What research i did explained to me you need coralline to outcompete other algae's For example mine is growing slower, but only speeds up a little with water changes that's the interesting part cause I know my tank has required amount of mag, cal, and dkh.

The other thing would be are you running a UV sterilizer, i might have missed your posts on these and would apologize if so.

 

[Aqua Man]

With nitrates and phosphates higher and not close to 0 at all, a UV sterilizer

Is the UV in your display or in a back compartment? Way Better results when in the display.

I saw someone mention a rip clean. I’ve done one, it does help.

 

[boomeraudio]

I feel genuinely bad for even asking but I feel like asking if you were able to do every solution there is. Were you able to seed coralline algae or not cause I was also confused with blue and green with coralline.

What research i did explained to me you need coralline to outcompete other algae's For example mine is growing slower, but only speeds up a little with water changes that's the interesting part cause I know my tank has required amount of mag, cal, and dkh.

The other thing would be are you running a UV sterilizer, i might have missed your posts on these and would apologize if so.

Man I’ve done nearly everything. Might do a rip clean next.

 

[boomeraudio]

Is the UV in your display or in a back compartment? Way Better results when in the display.

I saw someone mention a rip clean. I’ve done one, it does help.

It’s in one of the back chambers of the Nuvo. I might have to do a rip clean :/.

 

[Nick Steele]

Sorry to hear about your shrimp!

Before you sell things do a rip clean it will greatly expand your vision on the hobby. You should plan to take 5-6 hours to do it just so your not pressured on time. Also make sure you have enough water on hand to complete it. I think I used about 30-35 gallons when I did mine. And even though I have gotten rid of my Dino’s I will probably do a rip clean once a year or so on my tank as right after is when the tank looked extremely happy and clean.

 

[boomeraudio]

Checking in 8/1/21

Most of my corals have died off unfortunately. Dino battle is real! Starting to see signs of coralline on the rock though which is good (dry rock turning ALIVEEE).

Slowly removing some sand along with Dino growth and have started heavily dosing live phyto daily.

I’m thinking of adding bio balls (Marine pure attached pic) after soaking them in microbacter7 for 24 hours to the tank. Thoughts on this?

Finally, while I’ve taken some losses, I’m sticking with it. Fish are alive and well. Going to keep on going!

 

[Aqua Man]

I’m thinking of adding bio balls (Marine pure attached pic) after soaking them in microbacter7 for 24 hours to the tank. Thoughts on this?

IMO not needed. They will just add more work/maintenance from getting clogged up with detritus. Have also read reports of the marine pure leaching metals.

Finally, while I’ve taken some losses, I’m sticking with it. Fish are alive and well. Going to keep on going!

Welcome to reefing!! Good to hear you’re going to keep at at!

 

[boomeraudio]

IMO not needed. They will just add more work/maintenance from getting clogged up with detritus. Have also read reports of the marine pure leaching metals.

Welcome to reefing!! Good to hear you’re going to keep at at!

Interesting about the metals. I have them soaking before I saw your response. Just vacuumed a ton of detritus out of the back chambers from the dry rock when I started the tank. Cleaned everything top to bottom. Did a 5 gallon water change and dosed nitrate and phyto directly after so I don’t bottom out.

If this doesn’t work, I’m going to pull out the sand bed I think. Can’t get any worse than it is and now that I’ve accepted everything as it is, I’m willing to keep going and trying new things.

 

[Aqua Man]

Interesting about the metals. I have them soaking before I saw your response.

Aluminum is the metal and the jury is still out if that’s a bad thing for coral. I was thinking of Tin.

If this doesn’t work, I’m going to pull out the sand bed I think.

IMO, removing the sand will help defeat the Dino. Less places for them to hang out. Bare bottom is hard at first, the look mostly. Once coralline covers the bottom, it’s much better! 2 of my 3 tanks are bare bottom. I’m trying real hard to like the sand in the one! Couple months ago I moved that tank and replaced the whole sand bed to a coarser and easier to vacuum sand. Tank didn’t miss a beat!

 

[boomeraudio]

Aluminum is the metal and the jury is still out if that’s a bad thing for coral. I was thinking of Tin.

IMO, removing the sand will help defeat the Dino. Less places for them to hang out. Bare bottom is hard at first, the look mostly. Once coralline covers the bottom, it’s much better! 2 of my 3 tanks are bare bottom. I’m trying real hard to like the sand in the one! Couple months ago I moved that tank and replaced the whole sand bed to a coarser and easier to vacuum sand. Tank didn’t miss a beat!

Yeah the jury is out for bare bottom. One BRS vid says that the sand is good for the bio culture of the tank. Makes sense. But the dinos are all over it.

Any tips on how to remove it? Gravel vacuum isn’t pulling much at all and way more water.

 

[Nick Steele]

Yeah the jury is out for bare bottom. One BRS vid says that the sand is good for the bio culture of the tank. Makes sense. But the dinos are all over it.

Any tips on how to remove it? Gravel vacuum isn’t pulling much at all and way more water.

Tbh if you don’t have much coral and you want to remove the sandbed I say take everything out and do a rip clean like you have been thinking about. It will help reset the tank and hopefully remove all Dino’s.

While sand is good for biodiversity if you have enough rock (which I think you do) it will do all the work you need.

 

[boomeraudio]

Tbh if you don’t have much coral and you want to remove the sandbed I say take everything out and do a rip clean like you have been thinking about. It will help reset the tank and hopefully remove all Dino’s.

While sand is good for biodiversity if you have enough rock (which I think you do) it will do all the work you need.

Yeah I just don’t have enough water. I’ll have to make it. Doesn’t that start the cycle all over again? Would keeping old water be an issue?

 

[Nick Steele]

Yeah I just don’t have enough water. I’ll have to make it. Doesn’t that start the cycle all over again? Would keeping old water be an issue?

Your rock has enough bacteria to not have to cycle again. You can scrub it all you like and you’ll not cause the tank to recycle. Honestly my corals looked the best the couple days following my rip clean.

You want to use 100% new water. Dino’s can be suspended in the water column so why take the chance.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

If your removing sand and corals are mostly dead, then a reset would IMO involves physical remove of any much of nuisance algae/dinos as possible. Scrub the rocks, clean the tank, don't reuse any water. Surviving corals i might set aside in their own temporary tanks with heat, flow, and existing tank water. Then once the reset is done, match salinity, temp, and alk and just transfer over. I'd add a whole bunch of hardy corals at that time as well, an algae refugium, and dose live phyto. I just move my 20 gallon nano into 50 gallon lagoon.

I washed the existing sand with tap water, added some more sand (total amount of sand is less than 3/4 inch), algae refugium, and loaded the new tank new corals and fish, dosed microbacter clean and live phyto from reef nutrition, copepods from reef nutrition, and feed well. I had about 3 or 4 days on nuisance algae/dinos.

This is the 50 gallon (old 20 gallon live stock plus a lot more) that is about a month old maybe now, SPS and clams doing well.

Issues i have had was a few days of ugly... I just added more a ton of phyto and more microbacter clean and fed so that nitrates were around 5-15ppm. Phosphates have been all over the place, from 0.00ppm to 0.28. At 0.00ppm is when the dinos/nusiance algae popped up.

I will say that the tangs much any other algae, so a small tang for a little while would be a worth while addition IMO too. Most of mine will be going in the 200 gallon that is almost ready to get wet... so just make sure you have the ability to rehome or get a bigger tank if you get a tang that grows large.

In sum, I think instant tanks and just get things going a lot more quickly than have been preached in past is the best approach. I find little reason to wait to add at least hardy corals. For fish, just make sure the tank has cycled, or in your case don't kill the bacteria on your rocks (just scrub the rocks in saltwater, no bleach, etc.).

Actually, take it for whatever my opinion is worth, but i think waiting to add at least hardy corals just sets up a situation where dinos and nuisance algae can take hold -------------->>>>>> If you want reef tank--just install a reef tank IMO.

The caveat being that acropora can be sensitive to instant tanks and although i did it, i would not recommend it. An instant tank is still going through changes--just rapidly because of the all of the critters and diversity added a once--and acro's are sensitive to any change, depending on the strain and if wild or aqua cultured IMO.

Leathers, zoos, mushrooms, GSP, Xenia, gorgonians, and a few LPS are all candidates for instant additions IMO. SPS you could try too--digitata and montis after a couple months or so if things look good.

 

[boomeraudio]

If your removing sand and corals are mostly dead, then a reset would IMO involves physical remove of any much of nuisance algae/dinos as possible. Scrub the rocks, clean the tank, don't reuse any water. Surviving corals i might set aside in their own temporary tanks with heat, flow, and existing tank water. Then once the reset is done, match salinity, temp, and alk and just transfer over. I'd add a whole bunch of hardy corals at that time as well, an algae refugium, and dose live phyto. I just move my 20 gallon nano into 50 gallon lagoon.

I washed the existing sand with tap water, added some more sand (total amount of sand is less than 3/4 inch), algae refugium, and loaded the new tank new corals and fish, dosed microbacter clean and live phyto from reef nutrition, copepods from reef nutrition, and feed well. I had about 3 or 4 days on nuisance algae/dinos.

This is the 50 gallon (old 20 gallon live stock plus a lot more) that is about a month old maybe now, SPS and clams doing well.

Issues i have had was a few days of ugly... I just added more a ton of phyto and more microbacter clean and fed so that nitrates were around 5-15ppm. Phosphates have been all over the place, from 0.00ppm to 0.28. At 0.00ppm is when the dinos/nusiance algae popped up.

I will say that the tangs much any other algae, so a small tang for a little while would be a worth while addition IMO too. Most of mine will be going in the 200 gallon that is almost ready to get wet... so just make sure you have the ability to rehome or get a bigger tank if you get a tang that grows large.

In sum, I think instant tanks and just get things going a lot more quickly than have been preached in past is the best approach. I find little reason to wait to add at least hardy corals. For fish, just make sure the tank has cycled, or in your case don't kill the bacteria on your rocks (just scrub the rocks in saltwater, no bleach, etc.).

Actually, take it for whatever my opinion is worth, but i think waiting to add at least hardy corals just sets up a situation where dinos and nuisance algae can take hold -------------->>>>>> If you want reef tank--just install a reef tank IMO.

The caveat being that acropora can be sensitive to instant tanks and although i did it, i would not recommend it. An instant tank is still going through changes--just rapidly because of the all of the critters and diversity added a once--and acro's are sensitive to any change, depending on the strain and if wild or aqua cultured IMO.

Leathers, zoos, mushrooms, GSP, Xenia, gorgonians, and a few LPS are all candidates for instant additions IMO. SPS you could try too--digitata and montis after a couple months or so if things look good.

Both you and @Nick Steele recommend some level of a reset. Gonna do it. Make up about 20-30 gals of water and do it. I don’t know that I have a large enough container to heat w one heater ha ha. I’ll figure it out though. Going bare bottom.

I’ve been dosing phyto like a maniac. Bought it from a guy here on R2R. It’s awesome. Just added the bio spheres too after soaking in Microbacter7 overnight.

I won’t have time for another week or so but will keep you posted and as always, appreciate all of the advice. I’ll have to find some softies and hearty coral to add right away too ..

As far as a tang, would love one but was thinking maybe spotted tail blenny too for algae, thoughts?

 

[Nick Steele]

I find my tailspot blenny really loves to chew on algae throughout the day. He’s cute too.

I also believe a good cuc is important in a nano tank. I want to rehome my hermits and go strictly snails soon. I find trochus and cerith snails the best!

 

[Aqua Man]

Any tips on how to remove it? Gravel vacuum isn’t pulling much at all and way more water.

Prep work : 4-5, 5 gallon buckets. Have your needed salt water mixed up a day or 2 ahead. My preference is at least 2 days before a water change. Storage totes or a 20 gal brute are great containers for mixing up large batches of salt. Going to take a few hrs start to finish for the cleaning.

Rip clean day: BEFORE disturbing anything in the tank, rocks/sand, take out 4 gallons into one of the buckets. This will be for your fish, later. The idea is to keep the water for the fish as clean as possible.

Next bucket: Remove More water from tank without disturbing sand/rocks. This bucket is for rock/coral. If you can catch the fish, now is ok or wait until water is lower.

Half way there! At this point there are couple choices depending on how much new water is going to be replaced. 1, continue to drain tank without disturbing rocks/sand to keep water clean for rinsing and scrubbing. Good idea regardless
2 , if the plan is to change out almost all of the water and the fish have been caught, it’s ok to lift out the rocks now.

Finish draining tank as low as possible. Sand is tedious to remove. A little plastic shovel that kids use to play in the sand is ideal!! If not then a cup or whatever is handy! Or if you have a shop Vac, I’d use that! It works great for the last bit of water and sand.

It’s nice to have new clean saltwater for a final rinse of rocks after scrubbing in the old tank water. If you have any questions, we are here to help!

I also believe a good cuc is important in a nano tank. I want to rehome my hermits and go strictly snails soon. I find trochus and cerith snails the best!

Good CUC is important in any tank! With a Nano we just don’t need a dozen snails. My 20 has 2 Astrea and 1 trochus.

 

[Aqua Man]

Yeah the jury is out for bare bottom.

Bare bottom for the last 6 years.

 

[happyhourhero]

Phyto feeds dinos FYI. I recommend holding off until you beat the dinos. I’m not fully caught up on your thread but will give most of it a read. Dinos suck.