15gal SPS dominated nano

powers2001 · Apr 13, 2016

What do you keep in the AquaFuge?

jaydogg76 · Apr 13, 2016

@SCMatt any updates on your dosing?

SCMatt said:
I'm using an Eshopps PSK-75H HOB, cheap and easy but it's constantly pulling stuff out. As far as dosing, let me get back to you. I'm currently dialing it back in, growing corals increase the intake especially in a small tank so I have to get my numbers right again.

As far as tips for tanks this small, slow and steady wins the race. Really haven't found it overly difficult myself, just everything consistent and steady. Keep your hands out of the tank as much as you can and just let it grow wild. Oh and back the Radion white channels off some, those things are BRIGHT!

@

SCMatt · Apr 13, 2016

ParkerB said:
Any updates

Not much of one! Still going steady, nothing really new or shocking to report. Have thought about changing my skimmer to a more efficient quality one. Eshopps works but it will sometimes just lose the foam head out of the blue and I basically have to almost prime the thing again to get it working. Bottom tube around the pump is leaking slow drops too so figure it may be about time. I wish the update was more exciting.

powers2001 said:
What do you keep in the AquaFuge?

Nothing at the moment, really just using it as a box to hide my heater, skimmer intake/return, probes, etc. Tried growing chaeto but wasn't having much sucess at all, even lit just didn't have growth and slowly withered away. Very well chaeto, I'll do without. So it's a box of water really. Semi HOB filter style. Other than hiding my equipment it's just basically pushing more water for me in the tank. Again, wish my setup was more exciting for everyone LOL.

jaydogg76 said:
@SCMatt any updates on your dosing?

Yes and no. I can't give you numbers, because they don't exist currently. I haven't added a single drop of anything in the tank since I posted that, so a bit more than a month. Surprising right? Just been doing some water changes. It's slower growth for sure, but it hasn't really stopped growth completely. Corals are happy, it's still growing so I'm happy. I do want to get back to dosing two part but this is my busy season at work which threw me off to begin with. Wasn't the best time to go tweaking things when many days I never got home in time to even see the tank with the lights on. After the next 2 weeks or so it should slow down so I'll get back to doing it correctly hopefully, but for now it's chugging along without dosing!

Here are some photos taken an hour or so ago today. Quick and dirty, handheld so they may look a bit shaky. The red on my red planet is coming back pretty good as seen below. Cleaned off some frags from my rack, sent a bunch I just didn't care enough to put on my rocks or my duplicates like that big chunk of Slimer back home with my brother who is getting his tank going.

And just for anyone who is lazy, here is the tank shot from Feb (top) next to today's (bottom). Can see growth on a good number of the corals.

SCMatt · Apr 29, 2016

Just a little look back here at some coral growth.

Retina blaster, I've lost some overall green on the body but the tips are still bright green and the body color seems to be coming back. Growing great, one of the best growers in my tank.
Sept 2014

Nov 2015

Feb 2016

April 2016

I THINK this is Needles in a Haystack. Not sure, have two similar. Either way, great growth.
July 2014

April 2016

Green Slimer, started with a single 1-2" stick.
Sept 2014

April 2016. Keep in mind I fragged a 2-3" branch off of this pre pic.

CC Oakland A's
April 2014

April 2016 (top back wall)

jaydogg76 · Apr 29, 2016

So all you have been doing is water changes

SCMatt said:
Just a little look back here at some coral growth.

Retina blaster, I've lost some overall green on the body but the tips are still bright green and the body color seems to be coming back. Growing great, one of the best growers in my tank.
Sept 2014

Nov 2015

Feb 2016

April 2016

I THINK this is Needles in a Haystack. Not sure, have two similar. Either way, great growth.
July 2014

April 2016

Green Slimer, started with a single 1-2" stick.
Sept 2014

April 2016. Keep in mind I fragged a 2-3" branch off of this pre pic.

CC Oakland A's
April 2014

April 2016 (top back wall)

SCMatt · Apr 29, 2016

For about the last month or so yes, was dosing up to that point. Going to start dosing again after my work schedule lightens up and I can dial it in again.

JPSika08 · Apr 29, 2016

Amazing tank! congratulations.

bowen1022 · May 2, 2016

Hi I just have a quick question! How much two part are you dosing daily? And what are your CA/ALK levels normally?

revhtree · May 3, 2016

Awesome reef bro!

brad65ford · May 4, 2016

SCmatt awesome tank and work, i too am a BB reefer and enjoy it at times even though i do try sand I always come back to BB.What type of rock do you have, just wondering it it was live rock from the ocean or something else. Also how high is your light above the water surface? Thanks in advanced!

Second Shot · May 4, 2016

Awesome tank. I have a hard enough time keeping 24 gallons stable enough. 15 would be tough.

RONBATTLE · May 4, 2016

SCMatt said:
Just wanted to share my 15 (really 14.6ish gallon) gallon tank. Just been trying to keep my hands out of the tank and let it grow.

Outline:

Tank: PicO Aquariums 15x15" low iron cube

Filtration: Small Aquafuge 2 HOB Refugium

Heater: Cobalt Neotherm 50W

Water movement: Vortech MP10

Skimmer: Eshopps PSK-75H

ATO: Tunze Nano ATO

Lighting: Radion XR15w Pro

Substrate: Bare bottom

Fish: 2 Onyx Clowns

Coral: SPS dominate, very few LPS and some Polyps

Creatures: None of note

Current FTS:

Extremely humble beginnings.

Early photos, newer photos as the thread progresses.

Hawkins

Red Planet

Rainbow Table

One of my 2 Pink Lemonade frags

Oakland A's

Birds of Paradise

Angels and Demons

Jedi Mind Trick

Retina Blaster

Cali Tort

THAT IS VERY NICE LOOKING, BEEN WANTING TO THE SAME THING, I HAVE THE SAME LIGHT..WHAT SETTING AND INTENSITY LEVEL DO YOU USE

SCMatt · May 8, 2016

bowen1022 said:
Hi I just have a quick question! How much two part are you dosing daily? And what are your CA/ALK levels normally?

Not dosing two part at the moment, and levels are in the 420ish alk 8 type levels....honestly don't check them as often as I should. Sounds corny but I let the reef speak to me. If you have kept the tank long enough you know when something is off. Again, not the best method and not something I would always recommend, but I just don't test that often. Which is one reason I haven't dosed lately.

revhtree said:
Awesome reef bro!

Thanks!!

brad65ford said:
SCmatt awesome tank and work, i too am a BB reefer and enjoy it at times even though i do try sand I always come back to BB.What type of rock do you have, just wondering it it was live rock from the ocean or something else. Also how high is your light above the water surface? Thanks in advanced!

Thanks! It was live rock going in. LFS live rock, not sure where it originally came from. I think next tank, or next upgrade will be dead/base rock to start. I fought a lot of pests to start like aptasia and algae, still have some algaes that originally came from the rock. Also the rock came with Zoanthids/polyps already on it....cool to start, but pain in the butt when you are looking for a place to mount more sticks. You can't mount over them because they just slime up and shed anything you cover them with. And it's a pretty large mat to scrape off. I've cleared a few spots and left the rest but if doing it again I'd get clean rocks.

The light is 7" off the top of the tank and 8" off the water line.

Second Shot said:
Awesome tank. I have a hard enough time keeping 24 gallons stable enough. 15 would be tough.

Thanks! I've had pretty good luck with it so far apart from me putting freshwater in on a water change by mistake about 2 years ago. Really haven't found it that difficult at all. A big key this go round for me I think is just keeping my hands out of it as much as I can.

RONBATTLE said:
THAT IS VERY NICE LOOKING, BEEN WANTING TO THE SAME THING, I HAVE THE SAME LIGHT..WHAT SETTING AND INTENSITY LEVEL DO YOU USE

Here is an updated graph of my lights and the settings for each point on the timeline. Been using these settings for the last month. Bumped up intensity, lowered red and green channels a bit.

RONBATTLE · May 8, 2016

SCMatt said:
Not dosing two part at the moment, and levels are in the 420ish alk 8 type levels....honestly don't check them as often as I should. Sounds corny but I let the reef speak to me. If you have kept the tank long enough you know when something is off. Again, not the best method and not something I would always recommend, but I just don't test that often. Which is one reason I haven't dosed lately.

Thanks!!

Thanks! It was live rock going in. LFS live rock, not sure where it originally came from. I think next tank, or next upgrade will be dead/base rock to start. I fought a lot of pests to start like aptasia and algae, still have some algaes that originally came from the rock. Also the rock came with Zoanthids/polyps already on it....cool to start, but pain in the butt when you are looking for a place to mount more sticks. You can't mount over them because they just slime up and shed anything you cover them with. And it's a pretty large mat to scrape off. I've cleared a few spots and left the rest but if doing it again I'd get clean rocks.

The light is 7" off the top of the tank and 8" off the water line.

Thanks! I've had pretty good luck with it so far apart from me putting freshwater in on a water change by mistake about 2 years ago. Really haven't found it that difficult at all. A big key this go round for me I think is just keeping my hands out of it as much as I can.

Here is an updated graph of my lights and the settings for each point on the timeline. Been using these settings for the last month. Bumped up intensity, lowered red and green channels a bit.

THANKS FOR RESPONDING, I HAVE NOT QUITE FOUND THE SWEET SPOT YET...I WILL GIVE THIS ONE A SHOT, I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP...FROM THE WOODS IN MISSISSIPPI

RONBATTLE · May 8, 2016

SCMatt said:
Not dosing two part at the moment, and levels are in the 420ish alk 8 type levels....honestly don't check them as often as I should. Sounds corny but I let the reef speak to me. If you have kept the tank long enough you know when something is off. Again, not the best method and not something I would always recommend, but I just don't test that often. Which is one reason I haven't dosed lately.

Thanks!!

Thanks! It was live rock going in. LFS live rock, not sure where it originally came from. I think next tank, or next upgrade will be dead/base rock to start. I fought a lot of pests to start like aptasia and algae, still have some algaes that originally came from the rock. Also the rock came with Zoanthids/polyps already on it....cool to start, but pain in the butt when you are looking for a place to mount more sticks. You can't mount over them because they just slime up and shed anything you cover them with. And it's a pretty large mat to scrape off. I've cleared a few spots and left the rest but if doing it again I'd get clean rocks.

The light is 7" off the top of the tank and 8" off the water line.

Thanks! I've had pretty good luck with it so far apart from me putting freshwater in on a water change by mistake about 2 years ago. Really haven't found it that difficult at all. A big key this go round for me I think is just keeping my hands out of it as much as I can.

Here is an updated graph of my lights and the settings for each point on the timeline. Been using these settings for the last month. Bumped up intensity, lowered red and green channels a bit.

SCMatt · Jun 13, 2016

New FTS from today. Need to top it up but won't have RO water on hand until tomorrow. Still not dosing, simple WCs. Keep it simple right? More out of laziness currently I'd say though....still doing quite well though! Kind of a quick dirty shot, have my HOB on the tank on the left just to clear it up after a WC and stiring things up and still have the screen net on top...not very photogenic but it's about whats in the tank right?? Sometimes I still surprise myself how well a 15gal full of SPS is doing. So many people said it couldn't be done or would be incredibly tough.