Macreef's Nuvo 20 Mixed Reef

[Macreefs]

Well after a year with my fist tank I feel confident enough to go ahead and post my build. Although I have spent countless hours researching and pouring myself into this tank, I consider myself lucky to have the amount of success that I've had so far.

This tank was started December 19th 2019 and has held me together during a year that we all will never forget. I use HW Marine Mix Reefer and I cycled the tank with Reefsaver, Aragalive Special Grade, Bio-Spira and a pair of juvenile clownfish. The aquascape was rushed as I was so excited to begin the journey and later was broken down to be a bit to be more asthetic. I will make separate posts for each "phase" of the tank.

Day One.

 

[AviR]

Cool start

 

[Macreefs]

A month or so in I decided to go with a Red sea Reefled 50 to light the tank and added a few cheap test coral which would eventually end up being a crowd favorite around my house. It was also around this time I decided to bring a k1 nano skimmer online and I have to say it worked awesome during the time I used it.

 

[Macreefs]

Cool start

Thanks so much! More to come

 

[Macreefs]

The beginning

 

[Macreefs]

Needless to say at this point I was already in love with the hobby and ready for more. Around month 3 I added a Yasha Goby and Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp and added a Tunze Osmolator ATO. In month five I made my first big mistake... A damsel. May 18th, month 5

 

[Macreefs]

Shortly after adding my 4th fish and having had success with all my coral I began to expand my collection and add a mp10. June 2019

 

[Jonify]

Careful with that light :) It's pretty great, but I've had to reduce it to about 60% on an 18X18X18 nano because all my coral was like "HA! NOPE. NO." with the default settings. Anytime I've tried to go above 60% they have been like "HAHAHAHA no, still no good. Back down please."

 

[Macreefs]

Fast forward to August and I continue to expand my coral and then I notice a Vacant cave. The Goby and shrimp both had disappeared. Understanding this is normal behavior I did not panic and continued on.

 

[Macreefs]

Careful with that light :) It's pretty great, but I've had to reduce it to about 60% on an 18X18X18 nano because all my coral was like "HA! NOPE. NO." with the default settings. Anytime I've tried to go above 60% they have been like "HAHAHAHA no, still no good. Back down please."

Haha I love these lights honestly. They have really produced a great tank! Almost done catching up to current.

 

[Macreefs]

Jump to October and things are talking taking shape but still no Goby to be seen. It was at this point I accepted that I have suffered the first fish mortality and it was a huge disappointment. And how do most of us handle loss? Get a new fish.. Enter the geometric pygmy hawkfish!

 

[Macreefs]

Immediately upon entering the tank the Damsel went after the Hawkfish and I realized the likely reason for the goby's dissaperance. I wrangled the Damsel which was an adventure to say the least. At this point I took my skimmer offline as my No3 and Po4 bottomed out and I was hit with the dreaded Dinos. I managed to beat them with a Aqua Shield UV which I now run 24/7.

 

[Macreefs]

I wanted to start getting into some higher end sps and knew I wanted a second light so I threw a second reefled 50, start dosing 1 part and picked up a 4th fish the orchid dottyback.

 

[Macreefs]

So I think that brings us up to today and the tank looks amazing. I am dealing with another bout of dinos due to low nutrients but they are not severe or affecting coral health. I am about to add pods and begin downing phytoplankton to see if that will know the back along side heavy feeding. Final gear run down in post to follow.

 

[Macreefs]

Nuvo 20
Back chamber left to right.
-Caddy with chemipure blue nano and floss
-Empty
-Osmolator and Mightyjet return
-Cobalt neotherm 75watt
-Aqua Shield UV

Dosing
-Kamoer X1 PRO dosing All for Reef

Flow
-Mp10
-Spinstreams

Lighting
-2x Redsea Reefled 50

Livestock
-Clown pair
-Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish
-Orchid Dottyback
-Various CUC

 

[hikermike]

I have a yellow headed goby that disappeared 3 weeks after I got him. A year later I found him when I broke down my tank to move from 20 to 29 gals. (My coral/landscaping was growing taller and I realized some of my fish like free swimming space so I got a tank that was a little taller...need more lights of course)

 

[Macreefs]

I will continue to update this thread with future changes and my ongoing battle against dinos. I hope you all enjoy and we can discuss the hobby! Please ask question, I'd love to answer them!

 

[hikermike]

Your tank's looking good!

 

[Macbalacano]

very nice progress!

 

[Macreefs]

I have a yellow headed goby that disappeared 3 weeks after I got him. A year later I found him when I broke down my tank to move from 20 to 29 gals. (My coral/landscaping was growing taller and I realized some of my fish like free swimming space so I got a tank that was a little taller...need more lights of course)

If that happend in my tank I would be so shocked! It is strange because the shrimp would always snap in the night and when they disappeared the snapping also stopped. So I'm not getting my hopes up...lol