Rather than make a different thread for each tank, I figured I would just do one. A little background on me: I've had my JBJ 12 gallon reef for 6 years through ups and downs, different waves of corals, salts, lights, and levels of diligence in care. Finally got it ironed out since COVID started and decided to set up the SPS nano reef that I had always wanted. Enter tank #2: a NUVO 10G that I picked up used from a very generous reefer locally. I figured I'd throw everything I learned in the last 6 years into this tank and make it sps only so I wouldn't be stuck in the "one of everything" that held back my previous tank from achieving the success that I wanted.
The gear:
Tank #1 - JBJ 12 Gallon established December 2014
Biotope- LPS
Lighting- AI Prime (OG version)
Flow- Sicce Synchra 251gph, Innovative Marine spin stream, Jebao SLW 10
Filtration- Filter floss, ceramic rings
Dosing- Kalkwasser, All-For-Reef
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 Guttata Goby
Corals: variety of LPS and SPS
Tank #2 - NUVO 10 Gallon established October 2020
Biotope- SPS
Lighting- x2 Kessil A80
Flow- Sicce Synchra 251gph, VCA RFG, x2 Jebao SDW (can't remember if 5 or 10 series)
Filtration- Filter floss, ceramic rings
Dosing- Kalkwasser, All-For-Reef
Fish: planning on adding a Flaming Prawn Goby, Red Rooster Waspfish, and Mandarin Dragonet
Corals: handful of Acropora, Montipora (all from BattleCorals), and a Duncanopsammia as an "indicator" coral
Goal Parameters:
dKH: 9.0
pH: 8.3+
Ca: 440
Mg: 1450
actual parameters:
12G
dKH: 11.4
pH: 8.3
Ca: 480
10G
dKH: 7.6 (sticks are pulling over 3dKH daily)
pH: 8.4+
Ca: 440
The tanks:
Some hard learned truths of reef keeping and philosophies for nano success and general enjoyment:
-Water flow is important, and difficult to achieve in a small, square shaped box. An auxiliary powerhead is a must for any nano reef as well as a return pump upgrade
-Corals don't mind nitrate and phosphate, and like being fed
-A colony of brown coral is more interesting than a brightly colored frag
-Brown corals are better than white corals. Overlighting the wrong spectrums is a very real problem, especially with fixtures that allow you to "customize" your spectrum. Red light will kill your corals. Corals don't need as much light as we like to give them. Most Acropora only need about 50 PAR to survive (according to Dana Riddle). Get a good spectrum setup and then leave it alone. I use the BRS recommended settings on my AI Prime (80% on Blues and UVs, 20% white and green, and 0-5% red).
-pH is the most important parameter. Corals will grow at 82 or 74 degrees, 550 or 340 Ca, 6 or 12 dKH. Corals will grow best at 8.3, and corals will not grow well under 8.0. Pathogenic bacteria populations thrive in low pH environments, not to mention your coral will not have as healthy of a slime coating at a low pH. Some corals, like Pocillopora, are capable of raising and lowering their internal pH, allowing them to do polyp bailout, but also making them resistant to ocean acidification by being able to build skeleton in high CO2 water. Consider the amount of energy this takes, and realize it could be put towards pure growth at a proper pH.
-An ATO is a necessity, and Kalkwasser is the way. My Kalkwasser strategy is to add a small amount to the top off to use it purely as a pH boost, and take care of the rest of the elemental demands with All-For-Reef.
-Multiple weak lights beat one strong spotlight. This doesn't really matter for LPS tanks, but branching corals will shade themselves out as they grow under a single point source light.
-A refugium will likely flop in a nano. If anyone has it figured out, please let me know what you're doing.
-A diffuser will greatly improve an AI Prime. At the risk of sounding like an ad, the diffuser from 3DReefing greatly improved my enjoyment of my reef by getting rid of the disco ball effect from the AI light. LED's of the future will look more like the ATI Straton than the Radion.
-Kessil is the king when it comes to point-source LED. As shown by BRS, Kessil has the widest blue spectrum of any LED on the market, and their designs are far superior when it comes to shimmer and aesthetics. For nano reefs, the A80 is dead silent since it is passively cooled. 10/10 for a desk setup. I use 2 to eliminate shadowing. I set the spectrum to 50% and intensity to 100%
-Amino acids are legit. I like Red Sea AB+. Corals are animals and they get hungry too.
-Test your water daily. Once you get a sense for your tank after a month or so, check Ca every week and Alk daily
-Do something for your tank every day, even if it's just cleaning the glass.
-The goal of the hobby is not always to replicate the ocean, but to appreciate the beauty and fragile nature of life in the oceans
More pics and updates to follow, so stay tuned!
The gear:
Tank #1 - JBJ 12 Gallon established December 2014
Biotope- LPS
Lighting- AI Prime (OG version)
Flow- Sicce Synchra 251gph, Innovative Marine spin stream, Jebao SLW 10
Filtration- Filter floss, ceramic rings
Dosing- Kalkwasser, All-For-Reef
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 Guttata Goby
Corals: variety of LPS and SPS
Tank #2 - NUVO 10 Gallon established October 2020
Biotope- SPS
Lighting- x2 Kessil A80
Flow- Sicce Synchra 251gph, VCA RFG, x2 Jebao SDW (can't remember if 5 or 10 series)
Filtration- Filter floss, ceramic rings
Dosing- Kalkwasser, All-For-Reef
Fish: planning on adding a Flaming Prawn Goby, Red Rooster Waspfish, and Mandarin Dragonet
Corals: handful of Acropora, Montipora (all from BattleCorals), and a Duncanopsammia as an "indicator" coral
Goal Parameters:
dKH: 9.0
pH: 8.3+
Ca: 440
Mg: 1450
actual parameters:
12G
dKH: 11.4
pH: 8.3
Ca: 480
10G
dKH: 7.6 (sticks are pulling over 3dKH daily)
pH: 8.4+
Ca: 440
The tanks:
Some hard learned truths of reef keeping and philosophies for nano success and general enjoyment:
-Water flow is important, and difficult to achieve in a small, square shaped box. An auxiliary powerhead is a must for any nano reef as well as a return pump upgrade
-Corals don't mind nitrate and phosphate, and like being fed
-A colony of brown coral is more interesting than a brightly colored frag
-Brown corals are better than white corals. Overlighting the wrong spectrums is a very real problem, especially with fixtures that allow you to "customize" your spectrum. Red light will kill your corals. Corals don't need as much light as we like to give them. Most Acropora only need about 50 PAR to survive (according to Dana Riddle). Get a good spectrum setup and then leave it alone. I use the BRS recommended settings on my AI Prime (80% on Blues and UVs, 20% white and green, and 0-5% red).
-pH is the most important parameter. Corals will grow at 82 or 74 degrees, 550 or 340 Ca, 6 or 12 dKH. Corals will grow best at 8.3, and corals will not grow well under 8.0. Pathogenic bacteria populations thrive in low pH environments, not to mention your coral will not have as healthy of a slime coating at a low pH. Some corals, like Pocillopora, are capable of raising and lowering their internal pH, allowing them to do polyp bailout, but also making them resistant to ocean acidification by being able to build skeleton in high CO2 water. Consider the amount of energy this takes, and realize it could be put towards pure growth at a proper pH.
-An ATO is a necessity, and Kalkwasser is the way. My Kalkwasser strategy is to add a small amount to the top off to use it purely as a pH boost, and take care of the rest of the elemental demands with All-For-Reef.
-Multiple weak lights beat one strong spotlight. This doesn't really matter for LPS tanks, but branching corals will shade themselves out as they grow under a single point source light.
-A refugium will likely flop in a nano. If anyone has it figured out, please let me know what you're doing.
-A diffuser will greatly improve an AI Prime. At the risk of sounding like an ad, the diffuser from 3DReefing greatly improved my enjoyment of my reef by getting rid of the disco ball effect from the AI light. LED's of the future will look more like the ATI Straton than the Radion.
-Kessil is the king when it comes to point-source LED. As shown by BRS, Kessil has the widest blue spectrum of any LED on the market, and their designs are far superior when it comes to shimmer and aesthetics. For nano reefs, the A80 is dead silent since it is passively cooled. 10/10 for a desk setup. I use 2 to eliminate shadowing. I set the spectrum to 50% and intensity to 100%
-Amino acids are legit. I like Red Sea AB+. Corals are animals and they get hungry too.
-Test your water daily. Once you get a sense for your tank after a month or so, check Ca every week and Alk daily
-Do something for your tank every day, even if it's just cleaning the glass.
-The goal of the hobby is not always to replicate the ocean, but to appreciate the beauty and fragile nature of life in the oceans
More pics and updates to follow, so stay tuned!
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