First Time 25 Gal Peninsula Nano

[miso]

Thank you all for welcoming me into this community everyone has been so helpful and I have found so many useful resources here. I'm excited to embark on my first saltwater aquarium build and look forward to sharing updates with you all as time goes on. Currently, I plan to let the tank coast as I think it's in a good spot right now to watch it grow and focus on maintenance. I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments as well welcome to any advise on something I may have forgotten.


Tank:

• Water Box 25 Peninsula

Aquascape:

• 20 lbs. Live rock from LFS
• 5 lbs. Fresh ocean rock from LFS
• Two Little Fishies Aquastik epoxy

Heater:

• Fluval E100 heater

Stand:

• nate & Jeremiah Raven Oak Universal Stand

Sand:

• Caribsea Arag-Alive Substrates

Salt:

• Fritz Reef Pro Mix

Testing:

• Hannah Salinity Checker
• API SaltWater Master test Kit

Food:

• Spectrum Flakes and Pellets
• Frozen Brine and Mysis
• Reefroids accompanied with Polyp Booster

---

May 20: Complete Startsmart Bacteria added periodically cycling begins

---

May 27:

• Order from Reef Supplies arrived.
• Equipment added:
  • AI PRIME 16HD lighting fixture.
  • Flipper nano for glass cleaning.
• Livestock added:
  • 1 Ocellaris clown
  • 1 Ocellaris black clown
  • 1 Blue-legged hermit crab
  • 1 Nassarius snail
  • 1 Astrea snail

---

June 3rd:

• Additional corals added:
  • 1 Purple Rim Monti
  • 1 Red Montipora Digitata
  • Utter Chaos Zoas
  • Rasta Zoas
  • Orange Oxides Zoas
  • Sunny D Zoas
  • 1 Purple Tip Hammer
• Additional invertebrates added:
  • 1 Mexican Turbo snail
  • 1 Halloween hermit crab

June 12th:

• Livestock and coral additions from Fragbox:
  • 1 Yellow Watchman Goby
  • 1 Royal Gramma
  • 1 Pico de Gallo Favia
  • 1 Freebie Bling Bling Cyphastrea (Shoutout Fragbox)
• Equipment additions:
  • Dueatto ATO (Automatic Top-Off system)
  • Eheim fish feeder
  • Two Little Fishies magnet ring
• Upgrades:
  • VCA dual random flow generators for return pump nozzle

 

[1112-425XL]

Looking good!

 

[silent1mezzo]

Fragbox is fantastic. Ordered from them almost a decade ago before they had a store I think.

 

[X-37B]

Thank you all for welcoming me into this community everyone has been so helpful and I have found so many useful resources here. I'm excited to embark on my first saltwater aquarium build and look forward to sharing updates with you all as time goes on. Currently, I plan to let the tank coast as I think it's in a good spot right now to watch it grow and focus on maintenance. I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments as well welcome to any advise on something I may have forgotten.


Tank:

• Water Box 25 Peninsula

Aquascape:

• 20 lbs. Live rock from LFS
• 5 lbs. Fresh ocean rock from LFS
• Two Little Fishies Aquastik epoxy

Heater:

• Fluval E100 heater

Stand:

• nate & Jeremiah Raven Oak Universal Stand

Sand:

• Caribsea Arag-Alive Substrates

Salt:

• Fritz Reef Pro Mix

Testing:

• Hannah Salinity Checker
• API SaltWater Master test Kit

Food:

• Spectrum Flakes and Pellets
• Frozen Brine and Mysis
• Reefroids accompanied with Polyp Booster

---

May 20: Complete Startsmart Bacteria added periodically cycling begins

---

May 27:

• Order from Reef Supplies arrived.
• Equipment added:
  • AI PRIME 16HD lighting fixture.
  • Flipper nano for glass cleaning.
• Livestock added:
  • 1 Ocellaris clown
  • 1 Ocellaris black clown
  • 1 Blue-legged hermit crab
  • 1 Nassarius snail
  • 1 Astrea snail
    

---

June 3rd:

• Additional corals added:
  • 1 Purple Rim Monti
  • 1 Red Montipora Digitata
  • Utter Chaos Zoas
  • Rasta Zoas
  • Orange Oxides Zoas
  • Sunny D Zoas
  • 1 Purple Tip Hammer
• Additional invertebrates added:
  • 1 Mexican Turbo snail
  • 1 Halloween hermit crab
    

---

June 12th:

• Livestock and coral additions from Fragbox:
  • 1 Yellow Watchman Goby
  • 1 Royal Gramma
  • 1 Pico de Gallo Favia
  • 1 Freebie Bling Bling Cyphastrea (Shoutout Fragbox)
• Equipment additions:
  • Dueatto ATO (Automatic Top-Off system)
  • Eheim fish feeder
  • Two Little Fishies magnet ring
• Upgrades:
  • VCA dual random flow generators for return pump nozzle
    
    

Nice startup!
I like the 16hds. They are the leds that got me to switch all my systems to leds from halides.
I currently run 7 16's on 3 different systems.
I also have an new im15 that will run a 16.
What settings are you running for the 16?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

looks great

 

[miso]

Nice startup!
I like the 16hds. They are the leds that got me to switch all my systems to leds from halides.
I currently run 7 16's on 3 different systems.
I also have an new im15 that will run a 16.
What settings are you running for the 16?

I went with a modified Saxby setting I got from a AI group its the 12HR ABSaxby

 

[X-37B]

I went with a modified Saxby setting I got from a AI group its the 12HR ABSaxby

My settings are simple. Im only 1.5 years into leds vs halides.
Mostly sticks.
I dont understand moving the setting the up/down during the day vs being constant for peak output. I do know it works though.

 

[miso]

My settings are simple. Im only 1.5 years into leds vs halides.
Mostly sticks.
I dont understand moving the setting the up/down during the day vs being constant for peak output. I do know it works though.

I don't really get it either from what I understood its to mimic clouds going over I think, though consistency is key if it works why change it.

 

[miso]

 June 17th:

•   Purple Tip Hammer Added
• Golden Hammer Frag Added
• Green Hairy Mushroom added

 

[miso]

Glad to see the Royal Gamma finally out exploring.

 

[officialreefbros]

Looks good! Let us know how you like that profile! I recently swapped from the pennywise one in the group to a flat AB Spectrum

 

[miso]

After seeing lots of different videos and things online I'm thinking I made a mistake adding in the included plastic bio balls. I'm wanting to replace it with something a little more porous, but at the same time I've heard people say if you have a lot of live rock ( I have a lb per gallon ) you may not even need anything so looking for some opinions. Also still debating on actually purchasing a media tower, since I have a 3D printer my plan was to print a filter cup and just use filter floss instead of socks and replace it when needed accompanied with a bag of carbon in chamber two with either the new bio balls or nothing at all.

 

[miso]

Looks good! Let us know how you like that profile! I recently swapped from the pennywise one in the group to a flat AB Spectrum

This one is also made by Pennywise and using it over the deadlights since it was a closer match to what I was initially running, love the color it gives the tank and all my corals seems happy could maybe even go less white light in the evening. Light was adjusted to 10 inch above the water at his recommendation.

 

[Lebowski_]

I don't really get it either from what I understood its to mimic clouds going over I think, though consistency is key if it works why change it.

I’ve heard it also gives the LEDs a break and allows them to cool off. Not sure I buy it, though, considering it’s only a 10% or less drop in most cases.

 

[miso]

Here's a side-by-side of the Shade print files supplied by ERC I think it helps a little, but not sure if I'll keep it on. I found some acrylic that could world as a diffuser and be added to the shade but will be a side project once I get some matte PETG filament

 

[Alex’s_Mini_Reef]

I went with a modified Saxby setting I got from a AI group its the 12HR ABSaxby

What sort of Par are you getting out of it? Also did you lower the peak or leave it at 144

 

[miso]

What sort of Par are you getting out of it? Also did you lower the peak or leave it at 144

I left it as is, sorry for the late reply I haven't been around the site.

 

[miso]

Alright, I figured I should come back and post some updates about my tank and what has happened.


With great sadness, I have to admit that shortly after receiving the royal gramma, it came down with an infection which I believe was ich. It took a few days to finally get some medicine because both of my local fish stores said they couldn't sell me any medication due to bans in Canada.


I ended up sourcing Reef Rally and Polylab medic, but what I thought was ich may have been velvet, as by the time the medication had arrived, the gramma had passed away along with both clownfish. At this point, I was pretty upset with myself, but I still had two fish without any spots or signs, so I immediately started treating them. I followed a full month of treatment cycle, during which most of my hammers were not happy at all.


Fast-forward to the middle of August, both fish that were left have survived and are doing great. The treatment is done, and I am still keeping up with weekly water changes. At this point, I had almost sold everything out of fear of failing and losing the entire tank. But then I decided that the tank was finally maturing, and I had at least had medication on hand (the best I'm allowed to have, anyways, as far as I know).


I found a new local fish store that opened up in my city, which strictly sold only captive-bred fish. Since my two remaining fish were from Biota, I decided to only source from them. In August, I picked up 2 Black Storm Clownfish, which are still doing amazing, along with a court jester goby a couple of months later. My tank seems to be doing great now. Corals have been growing, and all my fish are hearty, healthy, and eating lots. I feel like I have learned a lot along the way. Now, I strictly feed PE pellets and PE frozen cubes.