IM 170 INT tank build

[DmitryB]

Well, it's going pretty well! I'm waiting for a Helio heater to come in so I can fit it into the back chamber, but for now BRS is holding the temp at 77.

Added live sand from Gulf Live Rock to IM 40 yesterday.

Readings are:

Salinity - 1.025
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Temp - 77

I may be ready for one or two tiny fish. My stocking plan for this tank will be:

2 Clownfish (with anemone; added second)
1 Royal Gramma (added 1st)
1 Exquisite Firefish (added 1st)
1 Mandarin Dragonet (Mandarin will be last and I'll add him in at least 6 months from now)

I think that's probably all for this tank. (It's 40 gallons total volume, but some of that is taken up by the back chambers, so the available tank area is smaller than 40.)

 

[fishface NJ]

Alright, long story short, spent hours aquascaping and kind of just gave up. This will have to do! (Unless you got some good ideas! This is all live rock except 2 pieces of LifeRock. The bottom half is a couple of large pieces and then smaller/rubble arranged beyond. Once I get some glue, I'll try to secure the upper half a little better.

Live sand coming from GLR later today. (25 lbs. Gonna be a deep sand bed! I ordered probably too much.)

Also installed Radions, which I need to figure out how to make them do what I want.

I think it looks awesome!!!!!

 

[DmitryB]

I think it looks awesome!!!!!

Some of that rock in the front bottom right is rubble I got from GLR and I'll get rid of that at some point into the 170. Just wanted to use it to now to seed the 40. So there'll be a bit more room.

Also, I really do also like Springeri Dottyback (aquacultured), but not sure if a) I can/should add another fish to this tank and b) if it's compatible with Firefish and Royal Gramma.

 

[DmitryB]

Got some gel glue from BRS and decided to reinforce the top half of the aquascape. Well, ended up removing the whole thing and re-doing it because once you take a piece off, the whole thing just makes no sense anymore. So - a new scape from the midway up.

Having trouble setting up my N-Fill ATO because I can't get the placement of the sensors right. Salinity is at 1.024. There's no livestock in the tank - can I just add a little bit of salt in there and let it mix until I'm at 1.025??

Did first parameter readings today since the tank was set up.

Salinity: 1.024 (Milwaukee digital)
pH: 8.2 (RedSea)
kH - 10.1 (Hana)
Nitrite: 0 (Hana and RedSea)
Ammonia: 0 (RedSea)
Nitrate: 30 (Nyos) and 15.2 (Hana.)

What's up with the difference between Nyos and Hana Nitrate testers?

 

[Project1004]

If necessary, I would add saltwater in a place of ATO until your salinity goes upto 1.027-1.025. 1.024 isn’t bad. I won’t put dry salt in display but I think it can be done.

As far as your test result being so far off btw the brand…. It maybe that your testing method is bit off…. I think first 10yrs of my reefing, I kinda winged it when testing which gave all sorts of ups and downs… Watch some good videos demonstrating proper way to do the givin testing and follow to the tee.

 

[DmitryB]

If necessary, I would add saltwater in a place of ATO until your salinity goes upto 1.027-1.025. 1.024 isn’t bad. I won’t put dry salt in display but I think it can be done.

As far as your test result being so far off btw the brand…. It maybe that your testing method is bit off…. I think first 10yrs of my reefing, I kinda winged it when testing which gave all sorts of ups and downs… Watch some good videos demonstrating proper way to do the givin testing and follow to the tee.

Good idea about turning off ATO and adding saltwater for a day or two.

You think I can add a coral in there? This will be a softies/LPS tank. I was thinking something swaying (a torch or something of the sort.)

BTW, I have not been running any filtration on it yet. It's just the return pump going right now.

 

[Project1004]

I think fish numbers are still low and can definitely add some more in a 40Gal. But you really want to go slow when adding fish. And always check if they eat dry/frozen or they will be hard to care for. But for corals, I think it’s been debunked and adding corals early on is recommended. To give more diversity of biome which are on corals tissue and such…. One caution I will give is the health of the tank it’s coming from. If it is healthy and no pest and alage, and seasoned. I would add some corals and even the water but in your case, you already have liverocks this won’t be that important. (But for whatever reason, the rocks looks like it’s sterile out of the bin and not really live with full of life’s). I would find healthy tanks to get the corals from them and not just any corals from unhealthy tanks. If the tank you are getting corals from has cyano or Dino, they will be easily overpopulated your tank causing issues.

There are many filtrations. Chemical, mechanical, biological…. You will eventually need to incorporate some of them to maintain your tank.

 

[DmitryB]

Thanks! I've got most of the filtration ready (just waiting for IM skimmers to be back in stock in a couple of months.) I have media reactor, socks, and UV sterilizer. I just haven't added them yet because I added some Brightwell stuff. In a day or two I'll start the filters.

I should be getting CUC next week.

With corals, there are no LFS anywhere near me. I was looking at a couple of things at Dr. Reef. They say theirs are quarantined.

The rocks are live. I got them from a closing LFS several weeks ago; have had them in a bucket since then. I've seen a tiny snail crawling up the glass. I see a transparent mushroom on a rock. Hopefully it's not an evil mushroom. Saw aiptasia on one rock and scrubbed it off with a metal brush, plus washed that part of rock with fresh water. Hopefully that killed it!

 

[Project1004]

CUC are the first livestock I’ve always introduced first. I tend to like snails better than crabs as they tend to live longer and get the whole surfaces grazed which is great for algae control. And they don’t fight for shells as you will need to give them empty shells to rehome etc. urchins are my favorite.

Sorry you don’t have any local stores and hobbyists -.-

I had aiptasia introduced into my tank 3 time so far early on when I started the tank. Each time they were find by looking in to the tank when lights are out and eradicated with kalk paste. There would be only 1-2 showing up within the first two week that passed my inspections. I gave up trying to fight the bristle warms and vermetid snails though.

When it comes to filtrations, lots of items do the same thing or will compete with one another.

I think less is better. But I come from ulns (ultra low nutrient system) era and I have hard time breaking my own habits. You have to find the ones that works for your system. Don’t keep adding filtrations on top of filtrations. Filter socks and or with skimmer and water change would be usually enough for a long time.

 

[DmitryB]

Yesterday started running filtration. Added the IM custom caddy into the left overflow chamber (fiber balls, GFO, carbon), and a Nuvo 11 watt UV sterilizer in the right overflow chamber. These two items are made to fit those chambers exactly, which means now my Helio temperature probe needs a new home. I'm concerned the center chamber (where return pump is) is the only place that won't be packed, but that also will house Helio heaters, and probe and heater in the same chamber makes no sense. Ugh.

I also changed the Radion lighting. Went with their AB+ preset, but lowered the Kelvin temperature from 20000K to 16000K because I don't love the super blue look. Interestingly the photo iPhone took is extremely blue and it does not look this blue in person. I love the blue moon light (and have it on all night, following the phases of the moon), but don't love the extreme blue in the daylight. It is also something that may need time to get used to.

The carbon cleared the water very nicely though! (I may have too much GFO in there. One baggie may have to come out). New pic with the new light scheme and clear water. Also found a shroom on a live rock. I hope it's not a nasty shroom!

 

[grillinwithdad]

Looking good! I'm also setting up a new IM 170INT. Cycling the tank now. Excited to see your build.

 

[DmitryB]

Looking good! I'm also setting up a new IM 170INT. Cycling the tank now. Excited to see your build.

It's probably another 6 weeks unless they manage sooner. Can't wait! But this 40 gallon is keeping me busy for now. I just bought a bunch of LPS and softie corals from Pieces of the Ocean, some of which will go into the big tank. So it's gotta hurry up!

 

[DmitryB]

Alrighty, the clean-up-crew is here. Red leg hermits, bumble bee snails, assorted clean-up snails, 1 brittle starfish, 2 coral banded shrimp that I hope don't fight and maybe even hook up. I put them on opposite sides of the tank, so they've got their own corners.

Since there are no fish yet in the tank to create detritus, should I throw some food in there to feed them?

 

[DmitryB]

Now floating a bunch of frags I got from Pieces of the Ocean during Father's Day sale.

Saw the brittle star come out, took a photo - and then saw an aiptasia in the pic as well. (Lower left corner)

 

[Laguna_Reefer]

Tank looks great. I like the rock work, it's unique with all the coral shapes. Question - why are you running GFO with no fish? I would be concerned that phosphate will sit at zero and lead to dinos.

 

[DmitryB]

Tank looks great. I like the rock work, it's unique with all the coral shapes. Question - why are you running GFO with no fish? I would be concerned that phosphate will sit at zero and lead to dinos.

Thank you! Though I just changed a bit of the scape when I got some coral frags in today. Opened up the upper space a bit.

With GFO, my Phosphates are 0.9, which I think is leaching from live rock I got from an LFS. So far the small packets in my media basket haven't done anything; the Phosphate number has not changed (using Hana checker.)

 

[DmitryB]

Today I added a bunch of LPS corals - this tank will be LPS and softies only. (I say that now!) Though I did accidentally (!) buy an SPS frag that will move to 170 in a few months.

Blue Tip Elegance Coral (large! the rest are frags) and Holy Crusader Branching Hammer.

Nuclear Favia, Jason Fox Limelight and Pink Diamond Bowerbanki (the red/pink is not being picked up by my iPhone), with 3 Zoas behind them (Fruitloops, Citrus Cooler, Blondie).

Wildflower (flower) anemone

There's also one Forest Fire Digitata (SPS that'll definitely move to 170 later on) and a Ultra Rock Flower Anemone that was laying sideways when I was taking these, though after lights went out (moonlight), it propped itself up.

Now the big decisions will be where do they all go! I think the Elegance wills tay in the front left corner, but where do the rest go!

 

[DmitryB]

I drilled holes in a few small pieces of live rock to put the coral frag plugs into, secured in there with BSR glue gel. Haven't done that gluing part, just prepared the rocks. I have to decide who gets what rock. Any suggestions on how big the rocks should be? I know Zoas will just take over whatever rock you put them on (that will require something larger so it's a decent size), but what bout the other stuff like a Torch?

Elegance has a large rock base, I assume that doesn't need a rock to be attached to. Can an Elegance be put on rock work? Would the rocks hurt its fleshy part when they expand? Does it have to be placed on sand only?

 

[DmitryB]

So at about 5am the lights went out! Good thing I had a fully charged backup battery. Return pump and the heater got plugged in and by the time power came back around noon, still had about 40% of the battery left. The lesson is: make sure you have some sort of backup!

Yesterday my brittle star dropped one of its arms. It's crawling around, so it seems fine. I left the arm in the tank thinking coral banded shrimp or hermits/snails would eat it, but nope, as of this morning it was still in there. I removed it. But now I wonder if that's why my Nitrite went up a little to 2.0. My PH dropped from 8.2 to 8.1, though I guess that's fine, right? Phosphates still unmoved at 0.9. (That's from Hana Ultra Low Range, so I guess it may be even higher than that? Hana just doesn't go up higher? this was also my first time measuring Magnesium.)

 

[DmitryB]

Sad to report my first casualty. The brittle star didn't make it. A couple of days ago it shed one of its arms, but kept moving around. Yesterday I saw a group of bumblebee snails all huddled munching at night. Got my flashlight and there was what was left of the star. RIP, you deserved better.