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IM 15g Nuvo Cube

My nano 15g tank. Started Jan. 24, 2024.
My nano 15g tank. Started Jan. 24, 2024.

Aquarium Profile and Equipment

What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
Mixed Reef
Total Water Volume
11
When did you start this tank?
Jan 24, 2024
What is your aquarium made of?
Glass
Aquarium Length (inches)
15
Aquarium Width (inches)
15
Aquarium Height (inches)
15
Aquarium Overflow/Drain
All In One Tank
Aquarium Sump
NO Sump
Sump Water Volume
3
Aquarium Stand
My nightstand
Aquarium Controller
NO
Aquarium Controller Make and Model
None
Protein Skimmer
YES
Protein Skimmer Make and Model
IOAOI nano skimmer
Aquarium Reactors
  1. None
Return Pump
Innovative Marine DC return pump (170GPH)
What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
  1. Powerhead
  2. None
Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
I am only using the return pump as of now.

-Sicce Voyager Nano
-Innovative Marine DC return pump
Aquarium Lighting
  1. LED
Lighting Equipment List
-Orbit Marine Nano Clip on Aquarium LED light
Lighting PAR and Goals
None as of now.
Dosing Equipment
  1. Other
Dosing Equipment Detail
Water changes are good enough for now.
Auto Top Off or ATO
NO
Aquarium Heating and Cooling
  1. I am using a heater or heaters
Water Temperature
78
Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
-Oase Heat Up 50

Aquarium Water Chemistry and Parameters

pH Level
8
Specific Gravity
1.025
Nitrate or NO3
5-10ppm
Phosphate or PO4
0.03
Calcium
400
Alkalinity
10 dKH
Magnesium
1350
Salt Brand
Red Sea
Trace Element Dosing
None

Aquarium Natural and Mechanical Filtration

Substrate
Sand
Substrate Level
Deep
Live Rock
13
Live Rock Type
~8lbs of coralline painted rock

~5lbs of live rock from an established tank
Nutrient Export
  1. Protein Skimmer
Water Changes
YES
Water Change Details
About 20% every Sunday.

Aquarium Tank Inhabitants (fish, coral, invert etc.)

Fish List
  1. Dartfish
  2. Goby
Total Fish
2
Coral List
  1. Soft Coral
  2. Mushroom Coral
Total Corals
2
Invert List
  1. Crabs
Total Inverts
6
Livestock Detail
1 Firefish
1Clown Goby
6 red/blue leg hermits
Livestock Quarantine
  1. No Quarantine

Aquarium Nutrition (fish, coral, invert etc. feeding)

Fish Feeding Frequency
One Daily Feeding
Coral Feeding Frequency
Once weekly
Fish and Coral Feeding
  1. Pellet
  2. Frozen
Auto Feeder
Trips Only

Additional Aquarium Information

What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
Patience
Welcome to my Reef Showcase!

I plan to go get a few more corals tomorrow, and a new fish soon.

My tank has been running for just about a month and a half now, so it doesn't look great, but I have big plans for it!
 
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Welcome to my Reef Showcase!

I plan to go get a few more corals tomorrow, and a new fish soon.

My tank has been running for just about a month and a half now, so it doesn't look great, but I have big plans for it!
Excited to see what you do!

I’m seriously looking at this exact tank to move my two clowns and nems over from my main tank.

any updates or pics of what it looks like now?
 
Excited to see what you do!

I’m seriously looking at this exact tank to move my two clowns and nems over from my main tank.

any updates or pics of what it looks like now?
Yes, here is a picture from a few days ago!

20240406_143345.jpg
 
Alright, here's an update.

First off, my cleaner shrimp did unfortunately pass away. Not too sure why.

Both of my fish and my corals are all doing great, and my stylophora has polyps growing in on the fragged part, which is great!

I got a leptoseris frag, and a rock flower anemone.
 
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Very nice Walker! When I was looking at the vertical sides of your scape I thought some rfas would be perfect. I scrolled down and you had already purchased one. Great minds think alike! Looks great!
 
Very nice Walker! When I was looking at the vertical sides of your scape I thought some rfas would be perfect. I scrolled down and you had already purchased one. Great minds think alike! Looks great!
Haha, yes! I have no idea how to get it off the frag, but if it decides to move, maybe I can try to put it right in the front of the rockwork.
 
Haha, yes! I have no idea how to get it off the frag, but if it decides to move, maybe I can try to put it right in the front of the rockwork.
Post a picture of it on the frag. They do move around so it probably won’t stay on the frag for long. Mine seem to move weekly. Ah, perfect spot. Next week, dang it is behind the rock. Around and around it goes! :rolleyes:
 
Post a picture of it on the frag. They do move around so it probably won’t stay on the frag for long. Mine seem to move weekly. Ah, perfect spot. Next week, dang it is behind the rock. Around and around it goes! :rolleyes:
LOL. I hope mine doesn't do that. It's on a dead coral... lol.

20240425_204222.jpg
20240425_204208.jpg


Sorry for the bad pics. Also, is the mouth being open normal? I have heard that it's a bad sign, but when I look up RFAs they always look like this.
 
LOL. I hope mine doesn't do that. It's on a dead coral... lol.

20240425_204222.jpg
20240425_204208.jpg


Sorry for the bad pics. Also, is the mouth being open normal? I have heard that it's a bad sign, but when I look up RFAs they always look like this.
It is probably hungry, spot feed it mysis, great feeding response.
 
I think a torch would look great in there waving all over.
Yes, I 100% agree! I am waiting for my tank to mature just a bit more, then I will probably give it a shot!!
 
It is probably hungry, spot feed it mysis, great feeding response.
Thanks! I will do that tomorrow when I feed. And yes, the feeding response is super cool!
 
Any updates on how everything is doing Walker? I know your posting stuff on Smorgasbord, but it’s hard to keep up with the pages and pages of everything else- lol.

Plus, if you post here and tag some of the senior members on a difficult question, easier for you to keep track of responses.
 
Any updates on how everything is doing Walker? I know your posting stuff on Smorgasbord, but it’s hard to keep up with the pages and pages of everything else- lol.

Plus, if you post here and tag some of the senior members on a difficult question, easier for you to keep track of responses.
Yup!

I got a clownfish, but that's pretty much it.

Everything else is doing great!

Here is a picture of the tank with extremely dirty glass lol. The stains just keep coming back.

20240509_172709.jpg
 
Yup!

I got a clownfish, but that's pretty much it.

Everything else is doing great!

Here is a picture of the tank with extremely dirty glass lol. The stains just keep coming back.

20240509_172709.jpg
Yeah, those pesky new tank diatoms! But a good sign your tank is maturing. After you clean thoroughly, how many days before it comes back?

Also, lets see that clownfish!
 
Yeah, those pesky new tank diatoms! But a good sign your tank is maturing. After you clean thoroughly, how many days before it comes back?

Also, lets see that clownfish!
Not long at all. Just maybe over 24 hours. I don't mind it too much. When I first started the hobby, I had the mindset of seeing no frag plugs, and no algae. I wanted my tank to be perfect. Obviously I don't think that anymore lol.

It is so incredibly difficult to get good pictures of clownfish. So here is a very low quality and very short video.

 
It’s a great time to add some copepods! They will speed up getting rid of your diatoms, however diatoms are self limiting and will go away on their own.
 
It’s a great time to add some copepods! They will speed up getting rid of your diatoms, however diatoms are self limiting and will go away on their own.
Agree! I immediately added copepods after tank was done cycling. I fed Phyto daily. I basically didn’t deal with an overload of diatoms and barely the uglies for the first three months.

I used algae barn eco and/or galaxy pods depending on what they had on special. I also used their Ocean Magik Phyto. Very easy.

Now, there are quite a few other good vendors for pods/phytos and I have changed only because of shipping costs to Calif. but for just starting out and a low bioload, I would still use Algae barn.

I have continued to replenish copepod population on a bi-monthly basis. And I still feed Phyto daily as it competes against the ugly algae and feeds the copepods. I’m a big believer. While I did get GHA due to my own error and overfeeding, I never got dinos or cyano and I attribute that in part to copepods and Phyto.

Ok, getting off soapbox.

On the video of the clownfish, hard to tell but looked like white stuff on fins? Can you take still photo or take from the video?
 
It’s a great time to add some copepods! They will speed up getting rid of your diatoms, however diatoms are self limiting and will go away on their own.
Yup! I already added copepods from Algae Barn. They have helped tremendously.
Agree! I immediately added copepods after tank was done cycling. I fed Phyto daily. I basically didn’t deal with an overload of diatoms and barely the uglies for the first three months.

I used algae barn eco and/or galaxy pods depending on what they had on special. I also used their Ocean Magik Phyto. Very easy.

Now, there are quite a few other good vendors for pods/phytos and I have changed only because of shipping costs to Calif. but for just starting out and a low bioload, I would still use Algae barn.

I have continued to replenish copepod population on a bi-monthly basis. And I still feed Phyto daily as it competes against the ugly algae and feeds the copepods. I’m a big believer. While I did get GHA due to my own error and overfeeding, I never got dinos or cyano and I attribute that in part to copepods and Phyto.

Ok, getting off soapbox.

On the video of the clownfish, hard to tell but looked like white stuff on fins? Can you take still photo or take from the video?
Yeah, it's fin damage from the tailspot blenny who is nipping at him. But yes, there is white stiff on the fins and only the fins. I am not worried about disease as I have yet to find any white spots on the body, but I am definitely keeping my eye out.
 

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