10g Nano Tank Journey/Documentary

[instantaquatics]

Hello! This is my "diary" for my 10 gallon nano aquarium. I used to write this down, but I decided to let it go public and document it online. Anyways, I forgot to update for about 2 months so I'll try my best to update it when I can, preferably weekly or bi-weekly.

October 11th 2018 Entry
To start off the tank, I used some cycled media I had growing in my old filter on my 29 gallon tank. Then I added water, a heater, and live crushed coral (10lbs). I put the filter (aquaclear 20) and light (finnex planted+ 24/7 SE 20") on.

October 13th 2018 Entry
The water is all clear, in fact very clear. In the bag of the substrate came a little water clearer, so maybe that helped (bio-magnifier). My heater adjusts itself, and the filter is quiet. I'm currently running (in my filter) sponge for mechanical filtration on the bottom, then a bag of carbon over the sponge for chemical filtration, then ceramic rings for biological filtration on top of the carbon. No water is bypassing in the filter which is a good sign. Tomorrow I'll be adding live rock and a skunk cleaner shrimp.

October 16th 2018 Entry
I planned on adding a skunk cleaner shrimp, but I ended up getting 10 hermit crabs and 2lbs of live rock (not much I know, but keep reading...). It c carried pods and a feather duster, along with coraline algae (real reef rock is the brand. It ended up not being coraline, but purple paint. Disappointed.) Yesterday, I dumped in my suffering montipora capricornis without acclimation or RX treatment. I took a picture of yesterday and today, and I already notice visible recovery.

 

[TheEngineer]

Thanks for sharing. Post some progress pictures too. It’s nice to see where things started and how they’re coming along.

 

[instantaquatics]

Thanks for sharing. Post some progress pictures too. It’s nice to see where things started and how they’re coming along.

Can't find an amazing before picture.

Picture with the light you can see above the tank is current. Before picture was taken October 14th, 2018.

 

[instantaquatics]

January 19th 2019 Entry
Lowered light down to 60% power. Light settings are still at 90% blues and 10% whites. This change was made because blow pop zoanthid colony not opening, most likely due to the extreme change in light intensity.

 

[instantaquatics]

February 13th 2019 Entry
Tank has been hit by massive amounts of diatoms on glass. Very hard to scrape off so I'm hoping they'll just pass on by. Most likely due to new light

 

[instantaquatics]

February 15th 2019 Entry
Top down of tank after general scraping, still needs more scraped off! Zoanthid colonies are doing amazing. I found some blue clove polyps on the colony (had this zoa colony for months, never saw it before). I'm a bit conflicted about them.

I ID'd my zoas as blow pop!

 

[instantaquatics]

Thanks for sharing. Post some progress pictures too. It’s nice to see where things started and how they’re coming along.

Found a better "before" picture.

 

[instantaquatics]

February 28th 2019 Entry
Got in a new little green mushroom. About the size of a penny. It's pretty neat looking!

 

[instantaquatics]

April 3rd 2019 Entry
Just fed my shroom and zoas some reef roids. Will do weekly feeding. Excited to see how they turn out.

 

[instantaquatics]

July 6th 2019 Entry.
Definitely has been a while since I have made an update. My tank has now become stable.

Parameters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Alk 11.8
Mag 1280
Calc 450

My next step is a phosphate kit. I keep forgetting to feed my reef roids... anyway, my zoanthids completely filled in. I switched my heater.

 

[instantaquatics]

July 7th 2019 Entry
Clownfish are now my number 1 enemy and most hated fish.

 

[instantaquatics]

July 27th 2019 Entry.
Did a ~3 gallon water change today. First in a long time. My shroom is splitting so that's awesome (2 mouths)! Finally something new in the tank haha. My zoanthids have been a bit odd lately which is why I did the water change and gave everything reef roids. Going to the LFS today, may pick up some stuff

 

[Mykawl]

Really cool looking tank love all the caves and hiding spots, I’m also looking into phosphate control and which test kit to buy, let me know what you end up getting! So far leaning towards Hanna ULR

 

[instantaquatics]

Really cool looking tank love all the caves and hiding spots, I’m also looking into phosphate control and which test kit to buy, let me know what you end up getting! So far leaning towards Hanna ULR

Well if I ever see any algae issues I'll be sure to get a phosphate kit if a water change doesn't solve it. So far, nothing but normal glass algae after a few weeks.

 

[instantaquatics]

July 30th 2019 Entry.
Everything good must come to an end. Unforfunately I have to say that this little tank is being shut down... and I'm getting a much larger tank for my clownfish! journey!