Aquatop 40g Recife ECO AIO(1st Saltwater Tank)

[JL15219]

I put in my cuc before i put in any fish.
this is what I currently have
3 Mexican turbo
1 pyramid snail (forgot name)
2 Nasirus snails
1 peppermint shrimp
About 6 hermits. (Started with 12.
2 porcelain crabs.

Oh really? What did they eat in the mean time? Did you feed them anything? It was suggested to me to add about half the stock I plan to keep then add CUC then the other half just so they have food and what not.

 

[longbeachjw]

Oh really? What did they eat in the mean time? Did you feed them anything? It was suggested to me to add about half the stock I plan to keep then add CUC then the other half just so they have food and what not.

i started with 30lbs of live rock and I would drop a couple pellets in there from time to time. Lots for them to eat.

 

[JL15219]

i started with 30lbs of live rock and I would drop a couple pellets in there from time to time. Lots for them to eat.

Oh yeah I started with dry rocks....thats why.....how is your tank going are you still planning on upgrading?

 

[longbeachjw]

Oh yeah I started with dry rocks....thats why.....how is your tank going are you still planning on upgrading?

yes. I’m on the list for a reef ready 90 the minute it comes in at my lfs. Might be a while though. I figure it will probably be about 6 months when I have everything gathered to start it.
I’m still adding stuff though. Just added back our watchman goby (long story. Had a disease outbreak 2 months ago )
Added a gbta that the clowns love.
I’m only adding **** that I can transfer to new tank. Not making any more equipment investments that will work strictly with this tank.
Continue to learn with this tank. Got all my testing equipment. Learning how to read/parameters parasites/hitchhikers. Been experimenting with some chemicals.
Making some mistakes. I’ll be ready for my new tank.

I’ll post a video in my thread. I got a good stock of corals now. Probably about 15 Corals and 4 fish. I concentrating on strategic coral placement keeping a vision for new tank.

 

[JL15219]

yes. I’m on the list for a reef ready 90 the minute it comes in at my lfs. Might be a while though. I figure it will probably be about 6 months when I have everything gathered to start it.
I’m still adding stuff though. Just added back our watchman goby (long story. Had a disease outbreak 2 months ago )
Added a gbta that the clowns love.
I’m only adding **** that I can transfer to new tank. Not making any more equipment investments that will work strictly with this tank.
Continue to learn with this tank. Got all my testing equipment. Learning how to read/parameters parasites/hitchhikers. Been experimenting with some chemicals.
Making some mistakes. I’ll be ready for my new tank.

I’ll post a video in my thread. I got a good stock of corals now. Probably about 15 Corals and 4 fish. I concentrating on strategic coral placement keeping a vision for new tank.

Wow that sounds awesome long time to wait though lol....I'll go check out the video once you post it

 

[CrimsonTide]

How's the tank coming?

 

[JL15219]

How's the tank coming?

It's going good actually just started getting a little bit of diatoms on the rock and sand. I have actually added a few fish and 2 corals since my last update. Besides the 2 clowns....I have added a Orchid Dottyback and Banggai cardinal. I added a zoa and a clove polyp but clove polyp hasn't opened up unfortunately since I got it on Wednesday....don't know if I was too rough when I was swishing it around in the coral dip. I was also able to get 4 nassarius snails, 3 peppermint shrimp, and 2 blue leg hermits but I rarely see them, actually I don't the nassarius snails as often either

 

[CrimsonTide]

My nassarius only come out when I fed my fish or corals. I think they come out at night some when I am sleeping but I rarely see mine either. But its a good thing it means nothing is dead. If the clove polyp doesn't look dead then it may be it doesn't like where you've put it. You might want to try to move it to somewhere with different flow or lighting. But when you do move it leave it there for a day or two to really find out if it likes where you've put it. Also I find some corals hate coral dips more than others. I got some Astrea and trochus snails when I had diatoms and they ate it right up. If its on the sand cerith will usually eat it there. But it should also clear its self up theoretically. Just might take a little longer.

 

[JL15219]

My nassarius only come out when I fed my fish or corals. I think they come out at night some when I am sleeping but I rarely see mine either. But its a good thing it means nothing is dead. If the clove polyp doesn't look dead then it may be it doesn't like where you've put it. You might want to try to move it to somewhere with different flow or lighting. But when you do move it leave it there for a day or two to really find out if it likes where you've put it. Also I find some corals hate coral dips more than others. I got some Astrea and trochus snails when I had diatoms and they ate it right up. If its on the sand cerith will usually eat it there. But it should also clear its self up theoretically. Just might take a little longer.

When I first got the nassarius they would come out every time I feed the fish but I really don't see them anymore more just one that's always on the glass. How would I know if the clove polyp is dead? It's been 4 days going on 5....how many Astrea and Cerith did you get? I wanted Trochus but my lfs didn't have any

 

[CrimsonTide]

Well its a soft coral so it would probably be melting away. Take a pic sometime and post it. Also make sure none of the crabs or fish are bothering it. But I would think they would come out unless they're being bothered or flow. I'm not sure they care much about lighting. Pretty adaptable.

 

[JL15219]

Well its a soft coral so it would probably be melting away. Take a pic sometime and post it. Also make sure none of the crabs or fish are bothering it. But I would think they would come out unless they're being bothered or flow. I'm not sure they care much about lighting. Pretty adaptable.

Yeah I really haven't seen any fish bother it but the hermits not sure haven't even seen them since I added them. I will try to get a pic tomorrow of it. They are right next to the zoas they seem okay so if they are okay the flow shouldnt be too much right?

 

[CrimsonTide]

Yeah I really haven't seen any fish bother it but the hermits not sure haven't even seen them since I added them. I will try to get a pic tomorrow of it. They are right next to the zoas they seem okay so if they are okay the flow shouldnt be too much right?

Everything is different so take a pic and also maybe move it somewhere else and see what happens.

 

[JL15219]

Everything is different so take a pic and also maybe move it somewhere else and see what happens.

Okay I will try that tomorrow then...

 

[JumboShrimp]

I never heard of an “Aquatop” tank before— even though my LFS has had one 3 feet from the front door forever. Long story short, I really took the time to ‘notice it’ yesterday for the first time. I was very impressed. They had the 24-gallon and stand for $399.00, with a $50-off fish credit. It became a no-brainer for the quality, and I came home with an impulse buy... not like I need a 5th tank. Lol. Congrats on your 40-gallon. (And like you, I’m up in the air about setting up the skimmer; we’ll see.)

 

[JL15219]

I never heard of an “Aquatop” tank before— even though my LFS has had one 3 feet from the front door forever. Long story short, I really took the time to ‘notice it’ yesterday for the first time. I was very impressed. They had the 24-gallon and stand for $399.00, with a $50-off fish credit. It became a no-brainer for the quality, and I came home with an impulse buy... not like I need a 5th tank. Lol. Congrats on your 40-gallon. (And like you, I’m up in the air about setting up the skimmer; we’ll see.)

Lol that's how I ended up with mine. I ended up using the skimmer that it came with and I guess it does work okay I do get some light brown water in it....I also upgraded the pump the one it came with just didn't seem to be doing the job or I don't it was. It is basically the same one that the 24 gallon has. But now it seems like more water is getting pushed out than is being sucked in if that makes sense. Before the water in all the chamber was a lot higher, and the water in chamber 2 and 3 were the same level. Don't know if it's supposed to be like that or if it is supposed to be cascading down like it is now never had an AIO. Are you planning to do a build thread for it?

 

[JumboShrimp]

I don’t think so— I was painting the inside of my second 150-gallon stand tonight— the project is many months behind. (That’s what my build thread is about.)

 

[JL15219]

I don’t think so— I was painting the inside of my second 150-gallon stand tonight— the project is many months behind. (That’s what my build thread is about.)

Gotcha I guess that happens when you have 5 tanks lol...is the 24 gallon your 1st AIO?

 

[JumboShrimp]

No, I have had LifeGuard Aquatics 7-gallon (slant nose) tanks (very cool), a 16-gallon BioCube, and currently a very nice 20-gallon Innovative Marine AIO. I’ll be excited to set up the Aquatop though.

 

[JL15219]

No, I have had LifeGuard Aquatics 7-gallon (slant nose) tanks (very cool), a 16-gallon BioCube, and currently a very nice 20-gallon Innovative Marine AIO. I’ll be excited to set up the Aquatop though.

Well since you have more experience than me with an AIO... how should the water level be in each chamber? Should there be a big difference between the water level? I upgraded the pump to Jebao/Jecod DCS-2000 Nano DC

 

[JumboShrimp]

I suppose it could vary by aquarium brand— how the baffles are arranged, but my general experience that the principle “water seeks its own level” applies to the back chamber, too. Water level usually is even across the back, and if one part starts to get noticeably lower, that’s where evaporation loss is first showing itself in your tank.