Gator's new Nuvo 50 tank

[Zoaeasy]

I added some aragonite and a few pounds of cured live rock to start things off. ATO is up and running. Not runnng the skimmer for now. Apex is hooked up and powering everything. I have a few questions if someone could help with one or more of them:

1) will the apex radion module control the radion fixture as well as a reef link?
2) if no to the above, will one reef link control multiple vortech pumps and a radion fixture?
3) is there a way to view/control the reef link from the apex fusion dashboard?
4) is it still acceptable practice to dose kalkwasser with ATO water (using a power head in reservoir for mixing)?
5) I would like to use fewer than 1 to 1.5 pounds of live rock per gallon - something on the order of 0.75 pounds per gallon - bioload will be a couple of small clowns and maybe one other small fish, a shrimp or two, and some snails and hermits. For coral, I'm thinking mostly LPS and softies, with maybe a few acro sticks up higher. Are there any other reefers having success with lower than typical amounts of live rock?
6) I'd like to keep a shallow sand bed this time - I am convinced from my experience that deep sand beds trap nutrients and lead to algae blooms eventually. I would like to go bare bottom but I don't like the look. Is anyone aware of any dangers with a shallow sand bed (1 to 1.5 inches)?

Any help or guidance re the above would be greatly appreciated!!!

I run a Nuvo 30l with a small amount rock but added Marinepure balls in the return compartment . These have enormous surface area and weighs nothing. I use s small power head in the return to keep detritus from accumulating.This picture is just the startup I added 2 quarts and can probably add more.

 

[Gator1970]

Thanks, WDKegge - solid advice! Great idea about the blocks or bio balls - this tank has two overflow chambers that would be perfect for these types of media - I guess I could put it in a mesh bag for easy removal, and rinse out in tank water during changes.

For the Ca and alk I used to use b-ionic - maybe it would be better to get a dosing pump and run it off the apex.

 

[Gator1970]

I run a Nuvo 30l with a small amount rock but added Marinepure balls in the return compartment . These have enormous surface area and weighs nothing. I use s small power head in the return to keep detritus from accumulating.This picture is just the startup I added 2 quarts and can probably add more.

Thanks Zoaeasy - those look pretty slick. For cleaning I suppose you can just pull the balls out and rinse with tank water every once in a while?

 

[Zoaeasy]

Thanks Zoaeasy - those look pretty slick. For cleaning I suppose you can just pull the balls out and rinse with tank water every once in a while?

Yes I do run them in a filter bag in my 36 's sump . They are super porous and rinses easily. I would like to see if anyone has a comparison with the equivalent Marinepure / rock capacity.

 

[Gator1970]

Yes I do run them in a filter bag in my 36 's sump . They are super porous and rinses easily. I would like to see if anyone has a comparison with the equivalent Marinepure / rock capacity.

I just read an old thread on reef central which claimed 2 quarts of marine pure can treat a 200 gallon - surely they can't mean 2 quarts is as effective at filtration as 200 plus pounds of live rock?

 

[Zoaeasy]

2quarts is a pretty small amount I think it is optimistic.

 

[Gator1970]

2quarts is a pretty small amount I think it is optimistic.

I tend to agree, unless the marine pure is exponentially more porous than the average live rock it is hard to believe. Surface area there is no comparison, how deeply aerobic activity takes place, and where it transitions to anaerobic might be the difference. I think I will try a quart or so of the marine pure in the return chamber and 25 to 30 pounds of rock, with a thin sand bed.

 

[Gator1970]

Well, I added 14 more pounds of cured live rock, bringing the total to 27 pounds - will work on the scape on the weekend. This works out to slightly more than 0.5 pounds per gallon of system volume. I also purchased 1.9 L of the marine pure balls, which I will run in a tray in one overflow, and leave the filter sock in the other. From what I've researched this _should_ be enough to make up for the 25 to 50 more pounds a traditional Berlin setup would require. Now I just have to play the waiting game for a month or two, maybe throw some old fish food in there to help make sure the cycle is well established and complete. I am going to leave the skimmer off for now.

 

[Gator1970]

Here is the marine pure loaded into one of those acrylic trays they sell for these tanks. All but 4 or 5 balls of the 2 quarts fit in this tray, the leftovers I dropped in the adjacent chamber.

 

[Gator1970]

I decided to go with the reeflink for control of the lights and vortech. Will try to set up this weekend.

 

[Gator1970]

I set up the reeflink - it was very smooth and easy - not like some of the horror stories I read when it first came out! One minor irritation is that the app for apple devices only seems to support iPhones, not iPads. You can use it on an iPad but it doesn't switch to iPad screen dimensions, so you see ridiculously large buttos, etc - minor complaint. I'm trying to figure out how to set the schedules, etc.

 

[Gator1970]

I'm starting to dial in on the rock scape - I like the two island kind of look. I would like to have some smaller trailing pieces of rock coming away from the main features, so I might sacrifice a larger piece and break it up for this purpose. Once I'm finished with the rock I might add a little more aragonite.

This is the article I'm using for inspiration: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/311811-tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes/

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Welcome to R2R, glad to have you here!

Sandra

 

[Gator1970]

Thanks very much, Sandra! I'm delighted to have found such a pleasant & knowledgeable forum to be a part of.

 

[esolo16]

I do not know if you figured it out yet, but the two times on your Apex means you have the wrong timezone set. I had the same problem when I initially set mine up. I am guessing you are on the west coast and it is set to EST.

 

[Gator1970]

I do not know if you figured it out yet, but the two times on your Apex means you have the wrong timezone set. I had the same problem when I initially set mine up. I am guessing you are on the west coast and it is set to EST.

Hi esolo16, I'm not sure what happened, but it seems to have sorted itself out somehow, and is now showing the one correct local time. I was fooling around with the time zone settings on the actual controller, and may have fixed the problem unwittingly, lol...

 

[Gator1970]

Ordered one of these - should get it next week sometime. I am going to use it for two part dosing, but not sure what to use the third channel for - any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm going to try to set my apex up to turn the unit off if ph spikes - does this sound like a good idea?

Obviously I won't have the unit actually dosing until there are corals in the tank, but I do want to get it all set up. Also, since I don't have a sump can I keep the pump in the cabinet and route the discharge hoses out back and into the tank? I'm concerned that left over liquid in the tubes might tend to gum up things after a while.

Any advice regarding dosing pumps & set up advice would be greatly appreciated. I've never used one in the past.

 

[Gator1970]

Looks like diatoms have started up.

 

[Reefaddict305]

Congrats on the tank, looks beautiful I'm currently setting up the same tank myself. Also for the third channel you can always dose magnesium to go with your cal & alk. Any new updates?

 

[Gator1970]

Hi Reefaddict305 - thanks for the kind words. They are really well designed and constructed tanks. Good suggestion for the third channel - magnesium seems to be the logical choice! No new updates, but I seem to be suffering from a trending decline in pH (down to low of 7.95 from low of 8.09) - I might fire on the skimmer to try and lower the CO2 levels of the water.....