Reefing Reefer

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After a moving disaster in March, I'm ready to make progress with my Evo Nano Reed.

Update: Shortly after I lost all my fish/corals in my move, I started from scrap! I gave the Evo a thorough freshwater bath and scrub. This time around, I wanted to do things a little bit differently, the biggest being more rock. I had an arch and some caves in my previous setup, which didn't leave much real estate for me to put corals - even harder when I thought about placement with light/flow. I also wanted to make a deeper sand bed and overall better biological filtration. I've been cycling the tank for 3 months and just added my first two corals and two crabs for clean up.

Not much has changed on the equipment - I added a Reef Glass protein skimmer. In addition, I had to purchase an AI Prime tank arm to allow the skimmer and light to fit on the 2nd chamber. Also on order, clean chaeto algae that I will be running in chamber 1 w/ an IM refugium light. There were many opinions on running refugium before skimmer and visa versa, but this was the only way I could keep my intank chamber 1 basket running the filter floss. Well, there goes my rant, enjoy the pic, and I look forward to posting the progress.

Specs:
Tank - Fluval Evo 13.5 w/ Kraken Reef cover
Light - AI Prime 16 HD
Wavemaker - AI Prime Nero 3 w/ reef dudes visors

Chamber 1: Intank media baster w/ filter floss, clean chaeto & seachem matrix.
Chamber 2: Reef Glass Protein Skimmer - powered by a Fluval Q.5 air pump
Chamber 3: Cobalt Neo-Therm 50W heater, Eheim Compacton 1000 return pump, Tunza Nano Osmalotor ATO

tempImageOgIS1N.jpg


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Not_Eeyore

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Very nice! How loud is the Fluval Q.5 air pump over time? I have tried several pumps but they all seem to get louder after a couple months unless I hang them.
 
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Very nice! How loud is the Fluval Q.5 air pump over time? I have tried several pumps but they all seem to get louder after a couple months unless I hang them.
So far so good, I have it on my computer desk and I do not feel any of the vibrations and it doesn’t make too much noise. I like the hanging idea - I haven’t seen this, but I might look into doing it. Thanks for the comments - Cheers!
 
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Update: Refugium is 100% set up - let's see how this works with a nano aquarium :)

I added blue and red airline tubing for the reef glass nano skimmer.

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r98

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Update: Refugium is 100% set up - let's see how this works with a nano aquarium :)

I added blue and red airline tubing for the reef glass nano skimmer.

tempImageEdEf4e.jpg
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What refugium light are you running? I’m currently looking at adding a refugium to my evo and debating which chamber to put it in. Currently I have a chamber media basket in chamber 2 but this is hard to access, with nothing in chamber 1 as the protein skimmer is pointless after so long… I’m either going to purchase another media basket for chamber 1 and set up my refugium in chamber 2, or just simply include the refugium in chamber 1
 
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tempImageEdEf4e.jpg
What refugium light are you running? I’m currently looking at adding a refugium to my evo and debating which chamber to put it in. Currently I have a chamber media basket in chamber 2 but this is hard to access, with nothing in chamber 1 as the protein skimmer is pointless after so long… I’m either going to purchase another media basket for chamber 1 and set up my refugium in chamber 2, or just simply include the refugium in chamber 1
I am running the IM chaetomax. There’s a lot of debate over skimmer before refugium, but I wouldn’t be able to add a skimmer in chamber 1 without losing the filter floss. I’ve tried skimmer in chamber 1 (twice), and it did absolutely nothing for me. Chamber 2 seems to be working much better.
 

r98

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I am running the IM chaetomax. There’s a lot of debate over skimmer before refugium, but I wouldn’t be able to add a skimmer in chamber 1 without losing the filter floss. I’ve tried skimmer in chamber 1 (twice), and it did absolutely nothing for me. Chamber 2 seems to be working much better.
What are your thoughts on it and where did you purchase?

I definitely feel that a skimmer is worth while towards the start of running the tank but yeah they certainly do end up doing nothing which is what I have found as well.
Thanks for your input! I have decided to go for refugium in chamber 2 and move my media incl filter floss to chamber 1 so more water initially flows through.

Are you just using cheato in your refuge?
 
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What are your thoughts on it and where did you purchase?

I definitely feel that a skimmer is worth while towards the start of running the tank but yeah they certainly do end up doing nothing which is what I have found as well.
Thanks for your input! I have decided to go for refugium in chamber 2 and move my media incl filter floss to chamber 1 so more water initially flows through.

Are you just using cheato in your refuge?
Right now I don’t have enough coral/livestock in the system that is really going to make the skimmer work, but it will be broken in by the time I start adding corals/fish. More to come when I have actual nutrient export that is needed.

the refugium is going it’s job, ran it 24/7 the first 2 days and I noticed the hair algae on the backwall of my tank started to disappear. Nitrates are at 0.03 and phosphates at 0.02

I purchased my refugium setup @ algaebarn (chatoemax algae, copepod, IM fuge light), bioballs @ saltwateraquarium, and the media basket @ intank.
 

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Cool tank and thanks for sharing!
 

r98

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Right now I don’t have enough coral/livestock in the system that is really going to make the skimmer work, but it will be broken in by the time I start adding corals/fish. More to come when I have actual nutrient export that is needed.

the refugium is going it’s job, ran it 24/7 the first 2 days and I noticed the hair algae on the backwall of my tank started to disappear. Nitrates are at 0.03 and phosphates at 0.02

I purchased my refugium setup @ algaebarn (chatoemax algae, copepod, IM fuge light), bioballs @ saltwateraquarium, and the media basket @ intank.
Thanks for sharing. Great setup mate
 
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Reefing Reefer

Reefing Reefer

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What are your thoughts on it and where did you purchase?

I definitely feel that a skimmer is worth while towards the start of running the tank but yeah they certainly do end up doing nothing which is what I have found as well.
Thanks for your input! I have decided to go for refugium in chamber 2 and move my media incl filter floss to chamber 1 so more water initially flows through.

Are you just using cheato in your refuge?
Wanted to give you an update on the refugium setup.

A couple of weeks ago I had a severe hair algae outbreak - not sure what caused this, my parameters didn't spike in any way. I decided to do a blackout period since I was going on vacation for the week. I did a large water change and turned off my AI Prime. I left the refugium light and skimmer running, the thought was to deprive algae of the display of light and nutrients, and the refugium and skimmer will do their work.

Well, it did just that. I have zero algae in my main display (it was all over my glass, back wall, rocks, and sand). I am lucky that the tank is in my office, so depriving it of light was easier than if it were to be set up in a living room or near any windows. The reef glass aquarium also did an amazing job at skimming - attached pictures, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much waste was collected, both in the body of the skimmer and collection cup.

Anyways, hope this helps you in some way.

Cheers.
 

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A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 70 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

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  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

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  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

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