As much as my other half and I do share a lot of ideas and work together on our tank builds, I'm going to focus for now on mine.
I will admit, I'm not a super fanatic but I certainly do enjoy even what I've accomplished and learned thus far. I'm far from an expert that's for sure and will never be one!
Previously ran:
Nuvo 20
I ran this tank for a year or so. Which is what this thread initially was set up, but then life got in the way.
I feel for my first tank this was actually a great step for re-entering the reefing world.
- Learned more about the cycling processes.
- Measuring levels : ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, Ph, Alk, Mag, Ca, etc. ( I never tested as frequent as recommended, it's sort of annoying! )
- Skimmers (Ghost Skimmer) and pumps
- Filtering, Carbon usage,
- Additional flow needs, powerheads
- Solid heaters (I'm a super fan of the Eheim personally)
- Balancing your sand /live rock with the water volume.
- Establishing the "beneficial bacteria" life.
- Differences in types of corals and their needs. Sometimes, it's hard to have LPS, SPS, Softies in same tank this small for sure
- The importance of my cleaning crews and having a variety.
- Loving the "all of it's living" perspective in such a small ecosystem.
Water changes we felt were the best way to replenish weekly. 10-20% / week seemed to really be the best.
Supplements actually seemed to throw one or another nutrient too far askew.
Changing filter socks at least 1x week, but always more often if extra contamination might have occurred.
I had the privilege (because you still learn through loss), or shall we say unfortunate experiences of losing quite a bit of coral and a few fish along the way. However I think this is an ongoing potential no matter the size of your tank!
- Challenges: (looking back on it from my current)
- No Refugium for better filtration, Pods, feeding balances creating quick spikes.
- Had a lot of trouble with emerald crabs, fighting conches, astrea snails.
- Limited filtration space, "sump" space. I found best results were to actually use 2 socks instead of just one with the stacker on the other side. I used an actual carbon bag instead as well.
- Cleaning the "sump" space. Design was tough and brushes were important!
- Zoas & SPS. I feel those were my top 2 that I just couldn't keep alive very successfully no matter what.
- Of course it's SMALL! and I always wanted more stuff.
- Successes:
- Mummy Eye Chalice, Mushroom Leather, Acans, Duncans I would say were my best pieces in this build.
- Had a lot of success with margarita snails (even had babies replenish), trochus snails, nassarius snails.
- Cleaner shrimp outgrew the tank !
- Cleaning wasn't too bad really overall.
I'm actually going to be turning this Nuvo 20 into a quarantine tank so it's still going to have a purpose in my "set ups"!
Here's the "previous" picture of the set up itself:
Newly running: (current)
Red Sea 170
I can't say too much yet on this tank set up. It's what I would say is "in development". We moved states! In doing so, we introduced the
- Disruption stress - the time it took to bag, pack and keep warm all items! Took longer than we wanted for sure.
- Long transport stress. (we used marine coolers packed with warmed towels). Went surprisingly well. But it was a 7.5-8 hour drive
- Then the LONG process of "acclimation" while trying to not lose too much heat or have their contamination be too much.
- "Cycles" or at least mini cycles in setting systems back up. We fully expected to lose a lot with this.
- Moving ALL my inhabitants from the Nuvo to the new Red Sea 170 (20 gallon to 40 gallon w/ sump design
I will say, dialing in this Red Sea 170 is STILL a challenge for me. The noise is crazy and even when I get it fixed, the next water change it seems to just get all messed up again.
This build was a "rush" build and I really did not add as much rock or design the structures like I truly wanted. This tank is basically a "transfer" tank before the ultimate goal is done.
Current hardware:
- Bubble Magus Curve 5 Skimmer
- Vortec MP10
- Hydor Pump 740 gph (will replace eventually)
- 1 carbon bag/ Purigen
- AI Twenty Six light
- Hang on back refugium w/ light. I tried Chaeto and it turned to mush! I haven't tried again yet. I have a new pump on it, a little better flow and right now just some bio balls (Marine Pure Bio Filter media).
- I want this established badly for pods and the benefits of chaeto.
- Can you have multiple kinds of macro algae in the same refugium? Is there benefit to different kinds or just better to have one type? Which type is best?
- Filter sock. I have both the felt and mesh. I truly feel like the felt does filter far better!
- Going to learn the DIY felt filter socks!
- DIY Lid, this came with the tank when we bought it, and I am going to be making a new tighter fitting lid soon!
Livestock:
Fish:
- Pair Black Photon Clowns
- Biota Mandarin
I just lost the black leopard wrasse. ~sigh~ I'm truly saddened.
I also lost my midas blenny shortly after our move, and a pearly jawfish who decided to find a way out of a tiny gap in my lid and to the floor the first night I had it!
Inverts:
- 2-3 red leg crabs
- 1 scarlet crab
- 1 halloween crab (I lost 2)
- 2 nassarius crabs
- 3 trochus snails
- 3 nerite snails
- 8 or so margarita snails
- 1 cleaner shrimp
Coral:
I don't know the names of all of them sorry! So pics will have to do!
- 2 mummy eye chalice
- 1 green mushroom leather
- 1 singulara leather?
- 1 duncan colony and 1 small (not sure it will live)
- 1 green hammer
- 1 gold tipped hammer
- 1 sunset montipora
- 1 green blastoma
- 1 red blastoma
- 4 different acan colonies
- 3 favia
- 4 different SPS (I'll post pics)
Goal to run in the next year or so:
This is what I'm working towards while running this Red Sea 170 to keep my current livestock happy in
90 gallon cube
40 gallon sump/refugium -DIY! (I can't find one I like to fit in my stand)
I have a pretty decent stand I've been refinishing myself.
Wavemaker
Eheim pump & heaters
Keep my AI twenty six, maybe get another
Current Red Sea 170 Build Pics. I took these quickly on a phone. Sorry for poor quality right now.
