FL-FL-FL Fillory's Reef - SPS Evo 13

Reef of Fillory

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Update 02/04/2021 - this tank turned into a 25g IM lagoon very quickly...

UPDATE 01/28/2021 - This tank was shut down, and I moved to FL. A "copycat" is being set up now. I will take some time to document and record on this first post the current status, and will link to the page applicable to the current tank.
Thanks for reading!
If interested in the original journey, I'll leave that below and in the following pages.
_______________________________________________________________

This EVO will be transferring over to a 55 gallon acrylic in November, 2018. Here is the link to that build thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fillorys-55.453454/page-2#post-5157687

Equipment List:

Fluval EVO 13.5 Gallon Nano tank
Odyssea 150w Metal Halide w/ Phoenix 14k DE bulb
2x MP10's
DIY chamber 1 media rack [filter floss, chaeto]
Chamber 1 refugium with Grow Light
Fluval Skimmer in Chamber 2
Sicce Syncra 1.0 Return pump
Hydrofill Titanium ATO
3x BRS 1.1ml/min dosing pumps [Alk, Calcium, empty]
Tunze Nano Care Magnet
Apex Classic

Livestock:

12 lbs Live Rock
Bubble Tip Anemone
2x Occelaris clownfish
Purple Firefish
Randall's Goby
White Pistol Shrimp
2x Emerald Crab
4x blue-leg hermits


Corals:

4 acan lords
9 types of zoas
Trumpet
Candycane
2 Acan enchinata
3 chalices
2 birdsnests
handful of IDK SPS
~ 4" Squamosa Clam


MH turns on around 10 am and off at 10 pm [12 hour photoperiod]

* Alkalinity dosed from 1:00 am - noon
* Calcium dosed from 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm


I started to get out of the hobby by selling off my 32 Gallon Biocube. Then I had the idea that 'I'll do a small tank, i'll leave it stock and let it manage itself with minimal input'.

So I sold my corals, sold my doser/controller/light/pumps/hannah checkers etc.

Then I bought a Fluval EVO 13.5 gallon nano tank. I moved over some rock from my 32 gallon, and filled it up with a new bag of CaribSea sand, and water from the Biocube.

I bought an Odyssea 150w Metal Halide fixture off of Ebay to replace my AI prime + T5 combo.

Of course, after selling off my previous corals [probably a good idea anyway, they were pretty large for the size of the EVO] I had to buy some corals. I got 6 corals from a local guy, and my wife won a free coral from a shop on the other side of the state. Shipping would be $35 for this free coral. So it only made sense to buy 9 more corals and get free shipping right? 10 more corals came in. Then there was a frag swap nearby... 12 corals later and the tank's starting to look like something... And then I got help from an awesome local reefer to fill in some gaps in my rockwork with some more SPS! 14 frags later, and i've got 40 frags in my tank, including one SPS that's dying, Bubbles the Bubble Tip and a Squamosa Clam!

Then I decided I needed a powerhead - so I bought a koralia nano 425 gph powerhead. Then I needed to upgrade the return pump, because the stock pumps always suck, right? I ordered a Sicce Syncra 1.0. But the syncra with the loc-line outputs isn't great, I have to also get a hydor random flow attachment. Well, i'm back to using the Loc-Line as the Hydor breached the surface when it spun and made too much noise. I'm now on to using Two Jebao SW-4's controlled by my Apex Classic.

Water changes can't keep up with ALK/CA demand forever right? So I also had to order some Calcium mix, soda ash and mixing jugs from BRS. I also needed kalkwasser to maintain the parameters day to day, so I bought some kalkwasser. Well, Kalkwasser on my small tank wasn't the best idea, so now i've got 3 BRS 1.1 ml/min dosers for my ALK/Calcium and ATO.

I've also purchased a Reefkeeper Lite with 2 PB4's, SL1 and Net module off of the forums here. Didn't stick with the ReefKeeper, instead I sold it and bought a used Apex classic brain from the forums here on R2R, bought a new EB8 and probes, and set up Fusion.

I got a black stand from IKEA which I set up with no shelf on the bottom two sections [to hold my ALK and Calcium containers], attached the dosing pumps to the back wall, set up two shelves for supplies [one for testing supplies, and the other for food and supplements], and cut one drawer in half to mount the Apex in.

I set up my Hydrofill ATO and set up a temporary ATO container made of a dog food container.

I had some scrap acrylic lying around and decided to DIY a media rack [with only a dremel might I add]. So i've got that in chamber one with filter floss on top, activated carbon underneath that and chaeto on the bottom. Turned chamber 2 into a refugium using a LED grow light off of Amazon and let the chaeto start growing.


I have something close to 14 lbs of rock in this tank.


It sits on an Ikea drawer stand which I modified to fit my equipment.


Here's bubbles [i'd like to say my nonexistent kid made up this name, but nope... it was me

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Bubbles doesn't look so happy now a days... This picture was when I first got Bubbles, now he's not as colorful, and is not bubbly... A name change may be in order...


I've replaced my original clowns with a pair of Ocelaris who immediately dove in to Bubbles. She didn't like all the attention at first, but now is happy as a clam. Speaking of clams... i've got a Squamosa who seems pretty darn happy!


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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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Looks good.

Thanks! Pulled rock (and water) out of the tank I was taking down. Now i've got to get something into it before the bacteria dies off!


I'm looking around at powerhead options, and i'm hoping to get an anemone or two into it. I'm wondering about the Jebao PP4 [which I had on my Biocube] for the controllability, or the Hydor 240/425 [slightly cheaper but not controllable].


I bought a small powerhead at the LFS, but it only had the suction cup on one side and I know from using Maxijets in my previous tanks that when those suction cups fail, they make a mess! So i'll be returning it.
 

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I grew up in Michigan what part do you hail from? I grew up in Otsego and Vicksburg. I lived in Grand Rapids for a couple of years. I miss it.
 

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I have 2 SW4s and 2 PP8s. I had a SW2, but it died. PP8s are great but bulky. They really push a lot of water in a wide flow. The SW4s are super small and great for their size, but are a bit small for the tank I have them on.

I have had a few problems. One SW2 completely died on me in a week. Motor shorted or something. Plug it into the box and the lights would go out, unplug or and the lights came back on. One PP8 required fixing the solder on the power connection inside the box, and I suspect I have the same issue with one of my SW4.

So out of 5 Jebao pumps
2/5 work fine
2/5 required minor repair
1/5 died in one week.

My suggestion, buy once cry once. Dont cheap out, get something that'll last.
 
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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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I have 2 SW4s and 2 PP8s. I had a SW2, but it died. PP8s are great but bulky. They really push a lot of water in a wide flow. The SW4s are super small and great for their size, but are a bit small for the tank I have them on.

I have had a few problems. One SW2 completely died on me in a week. Motor shorted or something. Plug it into the box and the lights would go out, unplug or and the lights came back on. One PP8 required fixing the solder on the power connection inside the box, and I suspect I have the same issue with one of my SW4.

So out of 5 Jebao pumps
2/5 work fine
2/5 required minor repair
1/5 died in one week.

My suggestion, buy once cry once. Dont cheap out, get something that'll last.
Ended up ordering a koralia 425 from Amazon just to get something in the tank, I appreciate the feedback on the jebaos though!
I added my first "new" additions today (aside from the snails and hermits from the old tank)



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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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I grew up in Michigan what part do you hail from? I grew up in Otsego and Vicksburg. I lived in Grand Rapids for a couple of years. I miss it.
From Jackson, but living in grand rapids now after graduating from Grand Valley, love the west side of the state.
 
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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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I went to cornerstone university for a year than joined the air force. The west side is fantastic. Travis city is a great place and Holland during tulip festival is amazing
Yeah Michigan is fantastic In the summer and fall, but winter sucks! Thank you for your service!
 
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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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The Koralia Manos are great pumps. I have a 565 in my frag tank for circulation. No waves, but it's SUPER quiet just running. I've heard they can be a little noisey when placed on a wavemaker.
Not sure if I'll ever pony up for an mp10 for a nano tank, but hoping the hydor will be good enough for a while. I had three of the 220gph nanos on a wavemaker in the biocube and they got noisy occasionally if they started the wrong way, but they weren't horribly loud.

I'm hoping that the stock lights will be enough for this bubble tip but if not, that's my key to talking the wife into "needing" an AI prime or a360 or something like that =)
 

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My vote is for an A160, but I'm addicted to that koolaid. I have 3 of them on 2 different tanks. The 360 will be overkill for that tank. Unless you plan on upgrading to a bigger tank, then get the 360. That's an awesome bubbletip, I'd love to see it under actinic light.
 
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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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My vote is for an A160, but I'm addicted to that koolaid. I have 3 of them on 2 different tanks. The 360 will be overkill for that tank. Unless you plan on upgrading to a bigger tank, then get the 360. That's an awesome bubbletip, I'd love to see it under actinic light.
I was going to take a picture of it under the blues, but it was just blue blur with my phone camera (s8+) it really is a nice looking one though.

I can never remember which model of light is for which size tank. Hoping to find a used one here on the forums from someone upgrading.

Big upgrade plans in the future, but I will continue this nano through even once I get a bigger tank set up. Might even bring it in to work, but that's dangerous as I'd just be watching it constantly and I'd never get any work done. =O
 
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Reef of Fillory

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The little bta moved to the underside of the arch at lights out last night. When I checked on it the tentacles were long instead of bubbled. When I checked this morning before lights on, it had decided to come around to the front side of the rock and it looks pretty well planted in.

The (assumably tank raised) clownfish have no clue that the anemone is even there. I can only hope that they will fall in love with the bta. I am already planning a couple more btas for down the road.
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Reef of Fillory

Reef of Fillory

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When I got home today the bta was out and inflated and mostly looking good (in the picture the bottom was kind of "flacid"?)

And then over the next 30 minutes it slowly retracted


Now it's got pretty Much all of its tentacles pulled inside and its pretty shriveled up.

I have not fed it since getting it, and it was fully inflated and out at the lfs and up until today.

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Bubbles is angry today



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Bubbles is working on her anger issues, but continues to internalize her feelings.


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Reef of Fillory

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I decided to buy an AI prime HD+ from BRS, it should be coming in the mail early next week. If anyone has a spare mounting arm for sale, let me know, they're out of stock everywhere.
 
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Reef of Fillory

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Bubbles has gotten through the beginning steps of Anger management and has come out with a great attitude.


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This chalice [hollywood stunner?] was flaking off of some of the rock after I sold off the big chunk to another local. - Freebie!

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Reef of Fillory

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Hello fellow Michigander. Nice little tank! I too have seriously considered adding a tank to my office desk at work. But I know I would stare at it all day instead of working... so I must refrain.

Ann Arbor's nice - did you make it to the frag swap? I wasn't able to make it unfortunately, but i'm going to be driving out to the Brownstown swap in April looking for some cheap/small frags to fill in my tank!

I'm still contemplating a 5 gallon @ work
 
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