NakiFantaki's Nuvo 20 first time reef tank

NakiFantaki · Dec 9, 2016

Thanks for the advice. I am not running a skimmer on this tank and I don't plan too.. since it is a smaller tank I'm hoping that healthy water changes will be enough. Im also running a carbon sponge and a phosphate sponge in the media basket right now. I also have some chemi-pure blue that I plan to run next and I im planning to pick up some phosguard soon as well.
My phosphates right now are between 0.1 and 0.25 and my nitrates as of last night were about 15. I plan to do a water change tomorrow and try to get them to around 5.

NakiFantaki · Dec 9, 2016

Also planning to grab a few more snails tomorrow.. I have read that these margarita snails are not the best due to them being cold water snails. They seem to be eating up the small amount of diatoms I do have though. I am going to try get some trochus or nerite or nassaruis or cerith snails this time around..

I have also decided on my next livestock I think... I want a cleaner shrimp and a midas blenny.

NakiFantaki · Dec 12, 2016

Just a quick tank update. I picked up a small frag of GSP on Friday evening and it seems to be doing well. Got it set up on an isolated rock to help control its growth. It took about 12 hours for the polyps to extend.. its a little more brown then I would like but I'm hoping it gets more green as it becomes more developed in the tank. That night I was talking to my wife and I guess I mentioned that I wanted a skunk cleaner shrimp... (honestly, I tell her I want a lot of stuff lol) Sunday afternoon while I was at work I asked her to swing by my LFS and pick up some water because I was planning to do a water change that evening... well I can home and she had bought me a cleaner shrimp!!!! And 2 cerith snails! (She's a keeper!) However I really didn't want to add anything else for a little bit and I hadn't done as much reading and research on these shrimp so I was kinda unprepared. I went ahead and floated him for 20 min and then drop acclimated him for about 90 minutes... in he went and he seems to be doing great! I love him and he has so much personality!!! My clowns don't see to care to use his cleaning services though.. lol

I went ahead with my 25% water change and things have been pretty decent. My nitrates are still a bit high at 10-15ppm after the water change and I'm nlt 100% how to lower it. Other water parameters are in check. Ammonia and nitrite are a solid ZERO and Ph is holding right at 8.0. Salinity isn 1.025. Phosphates are between 0.1 - 0.25. Temp stay between 78-79.

Enough talk.. here's some pictures!

NakiFantaki · Dec 21, 2016

Been a while since I've updated..
I did a water test today and everything looks pretty good.. still sitting at about 20 nitrates and I can't seem to get it down much even with the water changes I have been doing. Not sure what to do next.
All my livestock looks happy and eat like pigs.. so I guess that's good. Lol.
I ordered an AI Prime HD and a gooseneck mount, along with an alk and calcium test kit.. hoping it gets here by Saturday! (Don't let me down UPS!)
I had a bad case of the new tank uglies the last 2 weeks - the diatoms were BAD.. but it seems to clearing up. Now I'm just dealing with real cloudy water... I'm guessing it's from the diatom die off but im not 100% sure.
I'm really confused as to what to be running as far as media goes.. there is 2 slots in the back of this tank for media.. right now I have a filter sock in one of them and in the other I am using the stock caddy that has a carbon sponge, a phosphate sponge and a filter sponge. I don't ever really see any gunk in the filter sponge though.. my filter sock is gross and I plan to buy a new one in a few days.
I am also gunna that jabeo wavemaker that I love and I added a small 425gph hydor nano.. flow is something that confused me as well.. I have the wavemaker mounted to the left side of the tank and have it pointed at the front glass and the hydor I have on right side blowing across the back of my rocks.. it doesn't seem right.. maybe someone can take a look at the picture and see if they can tell me any better ideas on where to place these powerheads?

Other then that... I plan to get some more snails and maybe a Midas blenny this week.. maybe a zooanthid frag as well!

Happy holidays guys!

NakiFantaki · Dec 29, 2016

Just a little update:

Got my new light in yesterday. I went with the AI Prime HD and I really love it! Still playing it with and getting it dialed in but so far my fish and my GSP seems to like it. I downloaded a light schedule from an AI users facebook group and so far so good. I also picked up a Midas Blenny a few days ago and I love that little guy. The first few days he was hiding out and had a big color change - he looked every brown but he is back to his normal yellow/orange color.
I also took some advice from some folks on here and hung a bag of chemi-pure blue in one of the back chambers and the water cleared up within 24 hours. I also noticed I have a HUGE pod population and I never added any pods so I'm not sure where they came from.. But hey I'm not complaining.

I picked up a KH and a Ca test and I have NO idea how to read the tests... They are the Salifert tests and i am so confused.

I will post a pic of the tank tonight when I get home.

NakiFantaki · Dec 30, 2016

Just some pics

Also! My amazing wife surprised me with 2 zoa frags tonight! I have no idea which ones there are though.. once they open up fully and get happy I'm sure I'll bug someone for an ID.

NakiFantaki · Dec 30, 2016

Oh yea.. forgot to post my last water tests.
Ph 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrates 30 (doing a water change soon)
Kh 8.8
Calcium 380

I realize my calcium is low.. anyway way to increase it?

Daniel@R2R · Dec 30, 2016

Good looking scape. You can dose calcium.

NakiFantaki · Dec 30, 2016

What is the best way to dose calcium?

NakiFantaki · Jan 6, 2017

Just a quick tank update.

My tank is DIRTY! The uglies are in full swing! At least I'm hoping it's the uglies. Lol. Rocks and sand bed are covered in brown dusty algae and the water just feels slimey. All water parameters are in normal range though. Corals are happy and the 2 clowns seem happy. Snails and other inverts are good. My Midas Blenny on the other hand... seems okay.. has been eating but I have seen him scratching on a rock. No visible spots on his body, no cloudy eyes, not swimming into the flow of my powerhead.. the scratching just worries me. I'm hoping he is just irritated because of if all the algae in the tank. I will keep a close eye on him and hope this stage of the tank passes soon.

Planning a water change this weekend.

How long does this ugly phase last?

NakiFantaki · Jan 6, 2017

ZachP · Jan 6, 2017

I'm in the same boat as you with the diatoms and algae bloom. My tank looks like crap but everything is still happy. I would just keep an eye on the blenny and make sure you don't see sores and he's still eating.

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 6, 2017

NakiFantaki said:

how diverse is your snail crew?

NakiFantaki · Jan 6, 2017

Let's see... 2 turbos... one of them is GIANT! I have 3 margaritas, 1 cerith, 2 Nassarius, and I have 2 hermits.

NakiFantaki · Jan 7, 2017

Should I be getting more or different snails?

ZachP · Jan 8, 2017

I would say to slowly add more a couple at a time. But also those turbos should eat a lot. I don't have turbos but in my nuvo 20 I have 1 nerite, 6 cerith, and 5 astrea

NakiFantaki · Jan 8, 2017

Will do. I was worried about putting too many and then them not having enough food to munch on. I will try to get a few more this weekend. Maybe some astrea's

Thanks for the advice. How's your tank doing?

ZachP · Jan 8, 2017

NakiFantaki said:
Will do. I was worried about putting too many and then them not having enough food to munch on. I will try to get a few more this weekend. Maybe some astrea's

Thanks for the advice. How's your tank doing?

Your your right, be careful not to add too many especially with the turbos but a couple might help. My tanks doing really good except some ugly algae on the sand and a little on the rocks. Fish and corals are doing good though