Hello Reef 15 Gallon AIO

[johnacharles93]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[DragonWrasseFan]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

 

[johnacharles93]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest with you it’s A LOT of work. It seems to work pretty well, but I basically have to adjust it every single day. I was planning on seeing what alternative there are that can fit outside of a HOB skimmer.

I don’t have an ATO so my water level fluctuates, which I think plays a role in it needing constant adjustment.

I have nothing to compare it to though. It’s worth trying out for the cost. It does work well, but I don’t have the patience to adjust it so often.

 

[Foxy-88]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest with you it’s A LOT of work. It seems to work pretty well, but I basically have to adjust it every single day. I was planning on seeing what alternative there are that can fit outside of a HOB skimmer.

I don’t have an ATO so my water level fluctuates, which I think plays a role in it needing constant adjustment.

I have nothing to compare it to though. It’s worth trying out for the cost. It does work well, but I don’t have the patience to adjust it so often.

Using the same skimmer in my helloreef as well. Can confirm it does take some fine tuning. Very touchy it is but I have gotten it to start pulling skim mate so Im content with it

 

[johnacharles93]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest I've gone back and forth about 100x deciding if I should return it or not.

I have basically adjusted it every day (multiple times/day) in order to get it right. It takes a lot of fine tuning but it when it works it works really well.

I have a Sicce Shark in my 65 and I don't think it does1/2 of what this skims.

I'd say pull the trigger but pay attention to it.

This is my first time calibrating a skimmer so the problem very well could have been me.

Best of luck!

 

[Foxy-88]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest I've gone back and forth about 100x deciding if I should return it or not.

I have basically adjusted it every day (multiple times/day) in order to get it right. It takes a lot of fine tuning but it when it works it works really well.

I have a Sicce Shark in my 65 and I don't think it does1/2 of what this skims.

I'd say pull the trigger but pay attention to it.

This is my first time calibrating a skimmer so the problem very well could have been me.

Best of luck!

Flat out every skimmer is that way sometimes. I tried a skimmer on my first nano and ended up not using it because it never really worked and the micro bubbles were killing me. Have gone through many skimmers with multiple tanks of varying sizes. They all have there quirks honestly. But the smaller the tank the more of the pain honestly (like temp swings and salinty swings). I figured with a new nano id try a skimmer again but not above not using it and soley depending on a solid water change schedule. Everything happens faster in a nano for sure though

 

[johnacharles93]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest I've gone back and forth about 100x deciding if I should return it or not.

I have basically adjusted it every day (multiple times/day) in order to get it right. It takes a lot of fine tuning but it when it works it works really well.

I have a Sicce Shark in my 65 and I don't think it does1/2 of what this skims.

I'd say pull the trigger but pay attention to it.

This is my first time calibrating a skimmer so the problem very well could have been me.

Best of luck!

Flat out every skimmer is that way sometimes. I tried a skimmer on my first nano and ended up not using it because it never really worked and the micro bubbles were killing me. Have gone through many skimmers with multiple tanks of varying sizes. They all have there quirks honestly. But the smaller the tank the more of the pain honestly (like temp swings and salinty swings). I figured with a new nano id try a skimmer again but not above not using it and soley depending on a solid water change schedule. Everything happens faster in a nano for sure though

I amvery religious with my water changes, but I have 5 fish in the tank so I figured it would be a good idea to have a skimmer. It's currently sitting on my dresser in the bedroom.

If I buy a stand and move it to the living room, I am likely going to switch to a HOB.

 

[johnacharles93]

Added this wifi surge protector. I plan on integrating this with my Home Assistant.

Super useful during feeding and water changes.

 

[Foxy-88]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest I've gone back and forth about 100x deciding if I should return it or not.

I have basically adjusted it every day (multiple times/day) in order to get it right. It takes a lot of fine tuning but it when it works it works really well.

I have a Sicce Shark in my 65 and I don't think it does1/2 of what this skims.

I'd say pull the trigger but pay attention to it.

This is my first time calibrating a skimmer so the problem very well could have been me.

Best of luck!

Flat out every skimmer is that way sometimes. I tried a skimmer on my first nano and ended up not using it because it never really worked and the micro bubbles were killing me. Have gone through many skimmers with multiple tanks of varying sizes. They all have there quirks honestly. But the smaller the tank the more of the pain honestly (like temp swings and salinty swings). I figured with a new nano id try a skimmer again but not above not using it and soley depending on a solid water change schedule. Everything happens faster in a nano for sure though

I amvery religious with my water changes, but I have 5 fish in the tank so I figured it would be a good idea to have a skimmer. It's currently sitting on my dresser in the bedroom.

If I buy a stand and move it to the living room, I am likely going to switch to a HOB.

Not a bad ideas at all and the surge protector is great. Im thinking of extending my apex to control both my tanks but we will see

 

[johnacharles93]

Got the itch for a new tank. I am limited in space in my living room to go up to a bigger tank, so I decided I was going to build a nano tank in the bedroom.

My local fish store Matt's Corals had a sale on the Hello Reef 15 gallon AIO.

In order to streamline the cycling process I pulled some sand and live rock from my DT. Purchased some live rock from another reefer on marketplace, moved a bag of Marine Pure ceramic pellets into the tank, and 15 gallons of water from the DT into this tank.

Additionally, I have been adding Brightwell Microbacter7. Within the first two weeks, I added a pair of clownfish, and several frags of coral from my DT. This was my first time cutting coral, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have since added, a Bangai Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman Goby (RIP he jumped the tank last night when I forgot to put the lid back on the tank), and a firefish that I almost never see.

My equipment for now is:

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 return pump
FREESEA Aquarium Heater - 200W heater
Jebao SLW-5 wavemaker
IOAOI Nano Protein Skimmer
AI Prime HD 16 LED

How’s that protein skimmer working out? I have this exact same tank and was thinking about getting one. Im new to the hobby and this is my first tank.

To be honest I've gone back and forth about 100x deciding if I should return it or not.

I have basically adjusted it every day (multiple times/day) in order to get it right. It takes a lot of fine tuning but it when it works it works really well.

I have a Sicce Shark in my 65 and I don't think it does1/2 of what this skims.

I'd say pull the trigger but pay attention to it.

This is my first time calibrating a skimmer so the problem very well could have been me.

Best of luck!

Flat out every skimmer is that way sometimes. I tried a skimmer on my first nano and ended up not using it because it never really worked and the micro bubbles were killing me. Have gone through many skimmers with multiple tanks of varying sizes. They all have there quirks honestly. But the smaller the tank the more of the pain honestly (like temp swings and salinty swings). I figured with a new nano id try a skimmer again but not above not using it and soley depending on a solid water change schedule. Everything happens faster in a nano for sure though

I amvery religious with my water changes, but I have 5 fish in the tank so I figured it would be a good idea to have a skimmer. It's currently sitting on my dresser in the bedroom.

If I buy a stand and move it to the living room, I am likely going to switch to a HOB.

Not a bad ideas at all and the surge protector is great. Im thinking of extending my apex to control both my tanks but we will see

Thank you!

I actually plan on getting rid of my Apex. The trident doesn't work 99% of the time and I really only use it for a heater protection and for turning off pumps to feed/water change.

I plan on using home assistant to do all of that.

 

[Foxy-88]

I use mine for a lot of different things like auto water changes on my 90 and over flow protection along with mixing tank stuff as well. When i rebuild my 90 im going to try and make it do some crazy control thins for it but with how technology has been going you can really recreate it with just about anything now a days

 

[johnacharles93]

I use mine for a lot of different things like auto water changes on my 90 and over flow protection along with mixing tank stuff as well. When i rebuild my 90 im going to try and make it do some crazy control thins for it but with how technology has been going you can really recreate it with just about anything now a days

If I had storage space for water changes I'd use my Dos for that. It would make my life sooo much easier.

 

[Foxy-88]

Its nice. Honestly had an issue with mine but i think that was in part because its below my tank in my basement so it had a harder time pushing and you have to replace the heads more often. More than likely will end up using it for a 2 part setup and making a different awc that I can control better.
@johnacharles93

 

[johnacharles93]

Its nice. Honestly had an issue with mine but i think that was in part because its below my tank in my basement so it had a harder time pushing and you have to replace the heads more often. More than likely will end up using it for a 2 part setup and making a different awc that I can control better.
@johnacharles93

I use it for calcium and RedSeaAB+ at the moment.

It's so buggy and inconsistent. Once we move, I plan on setting up an awc no doubt

 

[Foxy-88]

Its definitely nice for that

 

[johnacharles93]

Here are some recent photos. No filter today! GSP is filling in nicely!

 

[TheNative192]

following along!

 

[johnacharles93]

following along!

Thank you!

 

[johnacharles93]

Livestock update: added a flame tail blenny. He’s not out much but adds some movement when he is!