IM Abyss Peninsula Build

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Hello everyone, I'm finally getting back into the hobby with a nano reef build geared toward an SPS-heavy mixed reef. Eventually I want to be able to keep the toughest of reef inhabitants that can fit in a 20 gallon aquarium. I should've posted the progression from the start but here is the first update of the tank, ready for the first sessile addition! I'm taking my time with this but will hopefully keep you guys posted on a regular basis.
For now, here are my specs:

Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo Concept Abyss Peninsula (20 Gallon)

Stand: Simple stand I built myself without cabinet inside (shouldacouldawoulda)

Lighting: 2 AI Prime HDs running AB+ at 100% (need to tweak before corals go in; coralline in shock)

Filtration: Other than DIY filter floss media sock I made out of the filter sock that came with it and occasional carbon, completely biological!
I put in a baffle in the second chamber for a refugium; to eventually keep a deep sand bed (miracle mud) or some bio media. Right now it just has some chaeto in it, being lit by a 9 watt LED grow bulb I was using on my girl and I's mini cactus garden.

Flow: Jebao RW-4 full power on "Else" mode, Hydor Koralia 240, and stock return pump

Thermal: Neotherm 100W and Petzilla aquarium "chiller" controlled by Inkbird controller at 80F

ATO: XPAqua Duetto

Salt: Just switched from Reef Crystals to Red Sea Coral Pro. We will see how it does for now.

Additives: None yet. Planning for vinegar and kalk in ATO until dosing is necessary, then I will switch to 2-part

I also have two QTs: one small 2 gallon coral quarantine and and a 5 gallon fish quarantine (and actually currently being used to save my clown from a protozoan infection!)

Right now I just have a brittle star, a nerite snail and two nassarius snails, as well as a single clown

Here is the tank as of now:

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Nice, tank twins! Go check out my Miniature Menagerie in my signature.

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Nice, tank twins! Go check out my Miniature Menagerie in my signature.

Thanks! I see you went with a cabinet style stand. I wish I would've but I also want to show that an AIO is more than sufficient to grow SPS.

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

View of the refugium

 

[JustinSmi86]

Very nice! Someday I want to try a smaller capacity.

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Very nice! Someday I want to try a smaller capacity.

I had a 10 gallon nano reef a long time ago with 2xT5s and HOB everything and was able to grow everything up to montis with just water changes. Never tried acros. My original plan was to attempt a 5 gallon pico sps tank without an auto water changer but Than from Tidal Gardens talked me out of it so went with this tank.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Good luck with the SPS, should be a killer tank. I love your refugium and fan set up.

I kept mine simple with rock flowers and ricordea so I wouldn't have to dose or do much maintenance, just water changes. I have my other tank I get to do that fancy stuff on.

 

[Saltyfox]

Rad tank! How did you get that baffle siliconed for you fuge? It looks TIGHT!

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Rad tank! How did you get that baffle siliconed for you fuge? It looks TIGHT!

Thanks! I just bought a piece of acrylic on amazon, cut it to size, and used some aqueon silicone on it. It didn't need to hold much weight, just enough to give me the option for a true refugium and not just an algae scrubber in the future. Can't believe how many pods make it past the return pump. Literally 15-30 various species of plankton on any pane of glass at any time and it's only been about a month since I added the chaeto!

 

[Saltyfox]

Very nice I will likely do something similar!

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Some close-ups of the rock work. Sorry for the crap images, I will have to wait another few months till I graduate and can afford a proper camera.

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Here is the fish quarantine, with the surviving clown of the pair being treated for a protozoan infection. Will begin hyposalinity treatment in another week.

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

Here is the coral quarantine. Will add a single nerite in the future to keep the rock tidy. Once I have more bioload than a single angry pest xenia that survived the soft cycle, of course! (Angry due to the 23 watt laser beam blasting it off the rock, hehe)

 

[PlantsBirdsAndFish]

*update: just swapped out the crap photos for better ones taken through the coral lens*

I finally have corals in the tank!
Here are what I picked up at the LFS:

-Dragon's Soul Favia
-Red Halo Micromussa Lordhowensis

-Mystic Sunset Montipora

-Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone