IM Nuvo 40 Build

[itis]

After 13 years in the hobby mostly maintaining a 90gal remotely, I finally got the itch to have a small low maintenance reef tank on my own. The idea would be to do a mixed reef tank with hardy/colorful colors to stare at after a long day.

So in November of last year I bought a used IM Nuvo Fusion 40 and all kind of snowballed from there.

Stock list
Tank - Fusion 40
Sand - Hydra 32HD w/ 3D Reefing Light Diffuser
Return - Stock IM pump -> Sicce Silient 2.0
Return Nozzles - Lock line Circular Nozzles -> RFG Nozzles
Overflow Chamber 1 - Intank Return Caddy
Overflow Chamber 2 - Tunze 9001
Nero 3 wavemaker
Tunze 3155 ATO
BRS Carbon, GFO in media bags



Current FTS

 

[itis]

I flooded the tank Thanksgiving weekend with some pre-cycled marco rock. Tried a few tester corals on 12/07, then saw some frag pack sales and it kind of snowballed from there (12/26).

 

[itis]

Around Christmas week, the tank started to get into the ugly phase. I originally thought they were diatoms, but it ended up blooming into chrysophytes. Ended up picking up a CUC of astraea snails, dwarf certh snails and narcissus snails to help fight back with weekly 20% water changes

More Ugly phase

 

[itis]

Around mid January, I'm starting to win the chrysophyte battle

Most of the algae disappeared from the sand bed and it was mostly on the marco rock. While this was going on, I added some dry rock I had curing in a separate container for a few months. Now with the new rock I could finally get into some end game scape and get in so I can get these frags off the sand bed.
By February the tank starting to look pretty good. Just in time for another battle I'm currently fighting today.

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Way to stick it out with the fight, looks great!

 

[itis]

Way to stick it out with the fight, looks great!

Thanks! The ugly phase wasn't too bad all things considered.

 

[itis]

After 3 months from flooding the tank, I finally on decided to add some livestock: red firefish, royal gramma, and solon wrasse. Everything seemed fine for a week or two until I noticed the gramma flashing. I looked a little more closely and appeared that it had ich.

I tried going the ich management route but even with metroflex/fucus, added vitamins and uv treatment, but each fish succomed to the disease. I've been fallow for 11 weeks now and all future livestock will get going through a qt.

 

[itis]

Now to March, I had to rescue some mother colonies I've had in another tank. I've had these duncan colonies for 10+ years. Before I moved them to the 40gal, I spent at least an hr cutting back dead tissue and removing algae.

Also tried to revive a gorgonian colony I've had for 6+ years.

 

[itis]

A couple of update shots from April

 

[Visuals]

Nice set up! How are those RFG? Was thinking of switching the flatheads to those for mine. Also what size are they?

 

[itis]

Nice set up! How are those RFG? Was thinking of switching the flatheads to those for mine. Also what size are they?

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with the rfgs, got the 1/2". Solid turbulent flow and haven't had to do any maintenance on them since I got them 3 months ago.

 

[Toddah]

Looks really good, nice work, I'm a few months behind you so following your adventure for things to expect.

 

[Richard Newman]

Great looking tank! I also have an IM 40. Been setup for a little over two years now. My build thread has most of its progress... Been through some tough times recently. The phosphates got way out of wack and have taken some corals with them Hopefully they're under control now...sort of.

I recently picked up a nero 3 for the tank. I was running an IceCap 2K and it got moved and added on to in my new 75g build (check out here). (I also need to update that thread...)

How do you like the nero 3 in your tank, is it working well? What schedule / flow are you running?

Thanks and best of luck!
Richard

 

[AZReef13]

Well Come to the IM 40 Club...... Nice looking tank

 

[itis]

Just a little bit past the 1 year mark. Sorry for the lack of updates, but the tanks been on cruise control. Just trying to dial in my alk dosage.

 

[itis]

Great looking tank! I also have an IM 40. Been setup for a little over two years now. My build thread has most of its progress... Been through some tough times recently. The phosphates got way out of wack and have taken some corals with them Hopefully they're under control now...sort of.

I recently picked up a nero 3 for the tank. I was running an IceCap 2K and it got moved and added on to in my new 75g build (check out here). (I also need to update that thread...)

How do you like the nero 3 in your tank, is it working well? What schedule / flow are you running?

Thanks and best of luck!
Richard

The nero 3 been great. Needed to balance my flow so I ended up picking a 2nd Nero 3. I run them at 25-60% random flow.

 

[itis]

Couple up update shots from yesterday. Picked up a few frags for the new year.
Tanks running well. My nutrients bottomed out so been feeding a little more heavy. Starting to get a red hair alage turf issue but its something a mexican turbo snail can knock out.