Last Chance Nano - IM 15 Fusion cube

frootbat · Sep 29, 2023

Before the pandemic in 2020 I tried nano reefs a couple of times and it never worked out for one reason or another. The itch never went away though, so now I am trying again one last time. If this goes as poorly as the others, I'll probably just sell the parts and go back to freshwater. I'm trying to keep this attempt as simple as possible to give myself better odds of success (I hope).

Tank: Innovative Marine Fusion 15.
Stand: Innovative Marine APS stand (my first mistake).
Lighting: Kessil A160we with Spectral X controller.
Pump: Stock for now, have a Sicce 1.0 on the way.
ATO: MT-Duetto2.
Filtration: none for the moment, I have an Intank media basket on the way where I'll put a small bag of MarinePure gems that are currently soaking in a bowl with saltwater and .25oz of Turbostart. Not sure I need anything else since there are no fish.
Heater: Neotherm 75w I had lying around.

Intended stocking: For now nothing, but a few zoas and maybe a toadstool leather in a couple weeks. In a few months I might get a tailspot blenny but this will be a fishless tank for awhile.

I got the tank yesterday, threw in about 10 pounds of Caribsea Ocean Direct sand and my rock. I bought an Aquarium Cycle Kit from AlgaeBarn and added .75 oz of Turbostart and a few drops of the Nitrocycle ammonia substitute. The directions called for 15ml of the Nitrocycle, but since I'm not adding fish in the foreseeable future I didn't see the need. Tested the water this morning and I'm already showing 0 ammonia and .25 nitrite, but the water is a bit on the cloudy side and smells less than pleasant. Hopefully the water and the smell will clear up soon. I went ahead and ordered some ecopods and phytoplankton from Algaebarn. They'll get here next week and I'll add the copepods and a few drops of phyto when the nitrite goes away.

Birdman Broham · Sep 29, 2023

It’s extremely important to be patient. You also need to have a QT tank setup preferable with copper. Make sure you QT all fish for a minimum of 30-60 days before entry. No matter what! Do not listen to your LFS when they said they have had it for months. Always quarantine no matter what. This will reduce the likely hood of getting ich

frootbat · Sep 29, 2023

A quick note about the Innovative Marine APS stand...

If I had it to do over again I would NOT buy it. It wasn't too hard to assemble, but the feet are just loose pieces of plastic with adhesive-backed rubber pads. This makes leveling the stand a huge PITA. I ended up sticking a pad of post-it notes under the front two pads to get it almost level and that's the best I could do. It's ridiculous that this stand costs over $300 and includes no mechanism for leveling when a Petco stand for $90 includes adjustable feet.

frootbat · Sep 29, 2023

Birdman Broham said:
It’s extremely important to be patient. You also need to have a QT tank setup preferable with copper. Make sure you QT all fish for a minimum of 30-60 days before entry. No matter what! Do not listen to your LFS when they said they have had it for months. Always quarantine no matter what. This will reduce the likely hood of getting ich

Understood, but I may never add fish. I'd be perfectly happy with just zoas and snails, at least for awhile. I've read a lot saying that zoas need fish to thrive, but I'd like to avoid fish if at all possible. Maybe phytoplankton or a tiny bit of liquid food for the zoas?

Birdman Broham · Sep 29, 2023

frootbat said:
Understood, but I may never add fish. I'd be perfectly happy with just zoas and snails, at least for awhile. I've read a lot saying that zoas need fish to thrive, but I'd like to avoid fish if at all possible. Maybe phytoplankton or a tiny bit of liquid food for the zoas?

Well you can try a coral only tank I have seen them done before. I have 0 knowledge how to get it where it needs to be. But; just get your water cycled. Buy a little 10 gallon tank and filter and heater. Should only cost around $50 and be very patient. Always quarantine your fish before throwing in the display

Mr. Roboto · Sep 29, 2023

frootbat said:
Understood, but I may never add fish. I'd be perfectly happy with just zoas and snails, at least for awhile. I've read a lot saying that zoas need fish to thrive, but I'd like to avoid fish if at all possible. Maybe phytoplankton or a tiny bit of liquid food for the zoas?

A little AB+, oyster eggs, reefroids... you don't need fish.

You should be okay and it will all go smooth if you stay on top of your water changes. It's going to feel like a chore until you get a system down.

Focus on that for the first few weeks when you finally hit the on button. Pick a day and make sure you stay on top of it. It might change a little, time/day, but it gets easier to do. Small tanks are going to need a lot of attention for a little while.

dschuffert · Sep 29, 2023

I have the same tank. I currently have some flower anemones, some sexy shrimp, and some tiny tuxedo urchins. It took me a while to get used to the nano-size tank. For me, an ATO really helped keep salinity stable.