Driving Range IM Fushion Mini 40 Build

[BrianPoni]

Hello all, first a quick back story of my reef keeping background.
Back in college I kept a few tanks that were FOWLR with a basic Marineland HOB and fluorescent lights. Two years ago I decided to take the plunge again and start a 20g long mixed reef. Wanted to keep it kinda cheap and upgrade to nicer as my experience grew with the expectations to start another nano.
My 20g runs with
1. AquaClear 50 with filter pad and either carbon or phosbon depending on the mood.
2. AquaClear 70 that I rigged to have bio media on the bottom and a bunch of chaeto up top. Light on top of lid is a basic $8 grow light and aluminum cover from Home Depot. Works amazing btw!!! Chaeto grows like crazy.
3. AquaC Remora Nano Protein Skimmer
4. NanoBox Duo M light

Bunch of zoas, acans, chalices, and one rock that had a WD, Tweety Bird, and a few other Jason Fox acros. Pair of black clowns and a tail spot blenny, and recently a coral banded shrimp.
Tank has become very over run with Vermatids, some aptasia(have Berghia in there now too). But enough Vermatids that I’ve decided to start my new nano, they really started to stunt the growth of everything, especially the zoas!!!
My arco rock has been given to my LFS for safe keeping or sale, few jawbreakers on it too. I have an amazing relationship with them and frag them my nicer named zoas as a thank you for helping me out all the time.

On to the new build.
Please feel free to respond with recommendations, questions, concerns as I will attempt to keep this as up to date as possible. Enough on this first post, second will include pictures of where we stand at the moment.

 

[BrianPoni]

New Tank
IM Fushion Mini 40

Stand
Custom Built, very basic as you will see below and will progressive become nice as time fill and place the tank approaches.

Dry Rock
40lb box of the purple live dry rock from Caribsea.

Heater
Cobalt 150watt

Lighting
NanoBox reef hybrid/retro.
Sending my unit back to Dave for him to build a new set up with 4 arrays and 2 t5 bulbs for maximum power and coverage for all types of corals.

BIO-Spira starter bacteria

 

[BrianPoni]

My next step is creating the aquascape. Below are pictures of the first two designs. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think.
I am planning on creating a true mixed reef with zoas, shrooms, lps (Acans, chalices, favities or similar), acros (mostly Tenuis, maybe a nice milli or two but mostly those that won’t grow tall for a long time) and a monti cap. I will build and post a few more designs before boring holes and finalizing the scape with tubing and cement.

 

[TheWB]

Looks good so far. I like what your doing with the scape.

 

[BrianPoni]

Update.
Going with the second scape. Going to provide plenty of ledges, high areas(tenuis), mid for other acro, and lots of low for my shrooms, zoas, chalices, montis. Going to rap a cap along the right pillar about 1/3 of the way up from the sand. Drilled 1” holes into a few of the rocks to add acrylic tubing for support. Rocks are now basking in a 10 gallon trash can with heater and flow to get some bacteria growing.
Pics are where the stand progress current sits. Next is adding flat sides and molding the top and bottom. Bottom shelf is loose still and will most likely drill a design out for ATO reservoir.
ATO recommendations for this tank please, looking to buy a few remaining pieces of gear within the next week.

 

[BadPanda]

Looks really nice. I'm really digging the stand. I too came from a 20gal and ended up with the 40 recently. I would ditch the stock socks it comes with and replace it with either an InTank floss holder or the media caddy. The socks are good for about three days and then needs to be cleaned. Good luck on your build.

 

[BrianPoni]

Update 6/28/19
So the tank is now wet. Changed the scape a bit. Still waiting on the hybrid LED T5 lighting from NanoBox Reef. Deciding wether or not I want to add some reefbrite stripes.
I decided on the Innovative Marine Nuvo Skim Midsize as my protein skimmer.
For flow I choose the Icecap 1k gyre. Yet to be installed.
The rock has been brewing in a 10 gallon tub for the past 2 months, fed every so often with 2 full doses of Instant Ocean Bio Spira.
The water used to fill came from my LFS current system. A bit risky as I’m crossing my fingers there weren’t to many hitch hiking larva in the water.
It’s been filled for 3 days now and my first round of limited testing shows, (api basic kit),
ph - 8ish
Ammonia - nothing detectable
Nitrite - nothing detectable
Nitrate - 10ppm ish
My LFS keeps their salinity about 30ppm and I prefer my tanks to run at a more natural 35ppm, so I am topping off with more of their salt water to slowly raise it to my desired levels.

 

[BrianPoni]

Update 8/12/19 - Part 1
Progress has been made and made quickly.
Part 1 will consist of all updated equipment now in use.
Tank - IM Fushion Mini 40
Light - Nano Box Reef Custom LED / ATI t5
4 LED arrays across with 2 T5 true blue 24”
(can’t say enough good things about how amazing this light looks and performs)
Skimmer - NUVOSkim DC Protein Skimmer Midsize AQUA Gadget - IM
Middle right chamber
(Still unsure how I feel, odd skimmate production, but nutrients are low and combined use with NoPox is producing great test results)
Media Basket(s) - inTank media baskets. Left outside - Using filter floss, changed every 2-3 days depending on feeding load/type. Carbon packet for AquaClear 50 placed in middle chamber.
Left middle - inTank fuge basket. Small amount of cheato placed inside. Almost no growth after a few weeks. Custom glow light being fabricated to sit just above the basket.
Right outside - inTank Floss Holder
Heater - Cobalt Neo-Therm 150 Watt
(Best heater in the industry)
Wave Maker/Gyre Flow - IceCap 1k Gyre Flow Pump. Forward/Reverse setting with 4 second intervals both directions at 40% max.
(Love everything about this gyre so far)
AUTO TOP OFF - Tunze Osmolator 3155. Seems to be working ok. The optical sensor is allowing the water to fill to high. But I’ve heard it works better after a few days when a small biofilm is present.

 

[BrianPoni]

Update 8/12/19 - Part 2
Livestock
Fish - 2 Black Ocellaris Clown Fish, 1 - Blue Spotted Goby
Invertebrates - Pistol Shrimp
Clean Up Crew - 5 Nassarius Snails, 5 Cerith Snails, 5 Trochus Snails
Corals
Zoas (Small Frags on Frag Rack) - Bob Marley’s, Utter Chaos, Rainbow Incinerators, Twizzlers, Blue Hornets, Pink Zippers
Shrooms - OG Bounce, Jawbreaker, Unknown - Teal/Light Blue Body with Jawbreaker Orange Vesicles (better photos to come)
Monti Caps - Basic Orange/Red, Green w/ Blue Polyps

 

[BrianPoni]

Update 8/15/19
Livestock Coral Pictures