IM Nuvo 30l build thread

[james Shawn bleacher]

So on Day 4 of water and frozen shrimp. Measured Ammonia on Day 2 and was getting roughly .15 so interested to see what I get tonight. Taking reading every other day for now. I do have some ammonia coming in since I decided really don't want rotten shrimp odor but will leave the shrimp in until that get here on Thursday. My AutoAQUA ato/awc is working great as a ATO havent the need to run it as a AWC yet since well since I just started, lol.

I do have the water a little to high but I order for 15 bucks a plastic piece to go on the overflow to allow the water to be a little higher. That should be here on Thursday also so I will install that and drain some of the water out to get it perfect.

I do have some Dr. Tim's one and only but was going to wait till I have ammonia reading of 2 before putting that in so the bacateria actually have something to eat.

Other then that one day at a time nice and slow.


Here are the fish I think I am going to get for the tank let me know what you all think.

2 bonded clowns
1 goby and pistol shrimp bonded
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Radial Filefish, Captive-Bred ORA®

That is my limit in this tank for fish. I know the filefish can be hit or miss with coral so he is the only one concerned with.

 

[Hallowhead]

So on Day 4 of water and frozen shrimp. Measured Ammonia on Day 2 and was getting roughly .15 so interested to see what I get tonight. Taking reading every other day for now. I do have some ammonia coming in since I decided really don't want rotten shrimp odor but will leave the shrimp in until that get here on Thursday. My AutoAQUA ato/awc is working great as a ATO havent the need to run it as a AWC yet since well since I just started, lol.

I do have the water a little to high but I order for 15 bucks a plastic piece to go on the overflow to allow the water to be a little higher. That should be here on Thursday also so I will install that and drain some of the water out to get it perfect.

I do have some Dr. Tim's one and only but was going to wait till I have ammonia reading of 2 before putting that in so the bacateria actually have something to eat.

Other then that one day at a time nice and slow.


Here are the fish I think I am going to get for the tank let me know what you all think.

2 bonded clowns
1 goby and pistol shrimp bonded
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Radial Filefish, Captive-Bred ORA®

That is my limit in this tank for fish. I know the filefish can be hit or miss with coral so he is the only one concerned with.

Careful with that pistol shrimp goby combo - they're sometimes terror

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

Well have gone from 4 plus ppm ammonia and nitrites to 0 on each and 50 on nitrates. Just did a 50 percent water change and added 1/2 teaspoon dr tim ammonia which brought it back up to 2ppm so we will see if it is zero tomorrow.

Getting excited

 

[Tihsho]

Did you use the auto water change feature? I'd be interested to see how you set that up. I was looking into that for my 30 long.

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

I didnt yet I was going to wait till I had everything cycled and then set it up to do about 3/4 gallons a day.

The Cato works awesome so will see

 

[Tihsho]

I'm running the Smart ATO Micro and have them on other systems and it's been super reliable. The auto water change feature though caught my eye. I couldn't figure out where to place the drain pump though. Can't place it in the rear and expect a large water change, and can't place it in the tank without being an eyesore. Unless the drain pump gets put into the tank, protected from substrate, right before a water change.

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

I'm running the Smart ATO Micro and have them on other systems and it's been super reliable. The auto water change feature though caught my eye. I couldn't figure out where to place the drain pump though. Can't place it in the rear and expect a large water change, and can't place it in the tank without being an eyesore. Unless the drain pump gets put into the tank, protected from substrate, right before a water change.

Since I only plan on doing 3/4 gallons I believe in the back should work. Again i only plan on doing 5 gallon a week which is about 13% + of total volume so should be good

 

[Tihsho]

Since we technically have 5 chambers, the largest one in the rear probably doesn't even have a whole gallon in it even with the return pumps off.

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

Since we technically have 5 chambers, the largest one in the rear probably doesn't even have a whole gallon in it even with the return pumps off.

Will be close but since I only plan on doing it when I am home i could just move pump from back to front then return when done.

 

[Tihsho]

That's what I was thinking. Does the ATO/AWC system allow you to completely automate it? You can set the volume to extract and the volume to fill as long as there is a place to drain the old water to and a source of fresh salt water to pump in?

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

That's what I was thinking. Does the ATO/AWC system allow you to completely automate it? You can set the volume to extract and the volume to fill as long as there is a place to drain the old water to and a source of fresh salt water to pump in?

Yes it can be totally auto.

I have three 5 gallon jugs that fit in bottom of APS Stand use one as rodi water for ato, one for saltwater, and one for waste water

 

[Tihsho]

You sir may have just convinced me to automate this system... On one side of the all where my tank is is the utility room I've converted to a fish room that I have my RO/DI unit, RO/DI storage tank, Brute mixing bin and a drain... If I route the hoses right I won't have to roll out the brute anymore to pump water from it to the tank I just drained...

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

You sir may have just convinced me to automate this system... On one side of the all where my tank is is the utility room I've converted to a fish room that I have my RO/DI unit, RO/DI storage tank, Brute mixing bin and a drain... If I route the hoses right I won't have to roll out the brute anymore to pump water from it to the tank I just drained...

They are small pumps but read you can add bigger ones if it is 2 far away.

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

Ok added 2ppm ammonia last night and are now down to 0 zero ammonia and zero nitrites.

Have about 30 nitrates so plan on doing a big water change.

Does this mean I am ready for fish? Or should I wait longer?

 

[Tihsho]

Doesn't hurt to do one more day of ammonia to make sure it goes back down.

 

[james Shawn bleacher]

So added fish last week.

2 clowns and an engineer goby.

The clowns are small and are eating great as is the goby.

The goby went and dug a nice cave under center rock (rock was put down on glass then sand added). He is funny when he picks his head out to eat.

As far as food rotating frozen mysis, pellets and blackworms.


Then this weekend got 3 snails (one didnt make it) and 3 hermits.

All looking good fish are happy and eating like pigs.

 

[Tihsho]

Just be sure to keep n eye on the engineer goby. They get HUGE. Getting him out will be one heck of a task.

 

[New&no clue]

How’s your tank going? I just recently started cycling mine and I’m doing something similar to you