New IM 40L AIO build

[shwaynez]

Hi all! I’m very new to the hobby! I have experience with freshwater but this is my first saltwater tank! This site has been incredibly helpful in helping me set up a new tank, so thank you all!

Deets:
Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo 40L AIO
Stand: IM black APS stand
Lights: 2x Radion XR15 G6
Pumps: 2x MightyJet 538gph DC return pumps
Powerheads: Maxspect Jump 2K gyre (not set up yet), AI Nero 3
ATO: Tunze 3155 with 5gal IM reservoir
Filtration: IM filter sock in right chamber, Intank caddy with floss and seachem matrix in left chamber, TBS rubble rocks in smaller right chamber
Heater/fans: IM Helio 200W (2x100w) titanium
Rocks: about 50lbs Tampa Bay Saltwater base and premium rock (got the package)
Sand: Tampa Bay Saltwater sand
CUC: Tampa bay hermits and snails

Stocking: TBD, will likely be asking your input in the near future

As of now, the tank is currently is in week 3, cycling with the TBS rock package (which is awesome btw). Some orange sponges seem to be dying off unfortunately. I’m planning to make this a mixed reef tank and currently on the aquascaping stage. I’d like some input on the current design. I have a lot of rock (maybe got too much), but am trying to make two main islands (still trying to figure that out) with lots of caves and overhangs for different habitats. Please let me know what you think. I’m very open to any and all feedback and suggestions on how to make this tank look great and provide as ideal of an environment as possible for the creatures inside.

Photos incoming

Thanks again everyone!
Shwaynez

 

[shwaynez]

Photos, hopefully good enough quality!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank looks great!

 

[JoJosReef]

Welcome to R2R and welcome to the IM Nuvo 40L AIO club! Lots of others like @Blopple and @trophyhimbo have this tank. Looking forward to your build and sharing ideas and hacks for the 40L!

Great start with the TBS rock and sand. Doesn't get better than that. Sponges will come and go. I find that the gulf sponges that did the best were the white ball sponges that grow in the caves and overhangs of the aquascape, away from direct light. Black sponges seem to melt away and the red sponges and tunicates seem to come and go but eventually all gone. Hard to keep them going. Cup corals do fine long term. Love the aquascape. Keep an eye on that nem and see what it does (and check if it is really a nem or has a hard skeleton when retracted). Macros look great!

 

[7of9]

I really like your aqua scape as it is now. There’s lots of good nooks and crannies happening!

I did the TPS package years ago and loved it. Try not to stress too much about die off right now…some is inevitable, but it will all settle down and you’ll have a great foundation!

 

[shwaynez]

Thank you all for the positive feedback! Y’all have actually been some of the main build threads I’ve been following! Very cool to hear from you and to get the seal of approval! Thinking of maybe starting out very gradually introducing new livestock this week. Ideally one or two creatures. Maybe too early? Nitrates today are about 18 so I’ll have to do a water change or two prior. Trying to decide between starting with fish or corals, I’ve read both arguments, any ideas?

I reached out to TBS about the nem and they said it was a mangrove/ sponge anenome, I found an even bigger one on the top most rock on the left. It seems to be popping out of an old clam shell. Do you think it’s too close to the light? If so, is it possible to move? Sorry for all the questions! Lots of new life to help survive.

Also found this nudibranch (Id), several whelks, and gorilla crabs and put them on this 5gal unmentionables tank.

Thanks again y’all!

 

[JoJosReef]

You'll find more of those critters as you go along. Nothing to be too alarmed about. Want to see the real freak show, buy a red flashlight and check out the tank when all lights out!

With TBS rocks/sand there's no need to wait. Your tank is cycled and ready. I'd even venture that adding coral/nems/macros sooner rather than later helps you get to a nice level of stability--they take in nutrients that otherwise could go to nuisance algae. I would start with soft corals and LPS. Once your rocks and stabilizing some easy SPS is a good way to go. What corals do you like? I would save BTAs until you've got a good feeling about your tanks stability. But RFAs are easy starter nems and look great. Hellfire Corals has a major deal on RFA packs if you like nems--if I wasn't already so overstocked....

Fish are the same. TBS rock/sand = instantly ready reef. Just add what you want. Having more corals and macros already going will help with the added nutrients, though. Looks like you already have a head start with the macros. Botrycladia, Caulerpa, Gracilaria and something else I can't ID. Careful with the Caulerpa, because it can grow out of hand--best to have it in an accessible place for trimming. What kind of fish are you planning?

 

[Kellie in CA]

I have this tank and love it! If you haven’t already purchased all those powerheads, you may not need them. That will be a TON of flow.

 

[shwaynez]

You'll find more of those critters as you go along. Nothing to be too alarmed about. Want to see the real freak show, buy a red flashlight and check out the tank when all lights out!

With TBS rocks/sand there's no need to wait. Your tank is cycled and ready. I'd even venture that adding coral/nems/macros sooner rather than later helps you get to a nice level of stability--they take in nutrients that otherwise could go to nuisance algae. I would start with soft corals and LPS. Once your rocks and stabilizing some easy SPS is a good way to go. What corals do you like? I would save BTAs until you've got a good feeling about your tanks stability. But RFAs are easy starter nems and look great. Hellfire Corals has a major deal on RFA packs if you like nems--if I wasn't already so overstocked....

Fish are the same. TBS rock/sand = instantly ready reef. Just add what you want. Having more corals and macros already going will help with the added nutrients, though. Looks like you already have a head start with the macros. Botrycladia, Caulerpa, Gracilaria and something else I can't ID. Careful with the Caulerpa, because it can grow out of hand--best to have it in an accessible place for trimming. What kind of fish are you planning?

Thats good news! I have a large wishlist that I need to pair down probably to 5 fish max?, this list probably includes all the possible options….haha:

Fish list
Yellow watchman goby*
Flame goby
Rainford goby
Dracula shrimpgoby*
Tailspot blenny
Royal gramma*
Firefish*
Green chromis
Coral beauty*
Mandarin*
Clownfish*
Highfin perchlet*
Yellow assessor
Chalk bass/ swissguard or candy basslet*
fairy wrasse
Possum wrasse*
Flame hawkfish (probably too big/aggressive)


Corals/inverts- all of them!
Zoas
Xenia
Euphyllia
Duncans
Candy cane
Mushroom
Sinularia leather
Ricordea
Pineapple coral
Lord coral
Montiporas
Scolymia
Toadstool leather
Bubble corals
Lobophyllia
Green star polyps
Bubble tip anenome
Rock flower anenome

Pom Pom crab
cleaner shrimp
Pistol shrimp for a goby

 

[shwaynez]

I have this tank and love it! If you haven’t already purchased all those powerheads, you may not need them. That will be a TON of flow.

That’s a fair point! How would you recommend setting up powerheads/return pump positions? As well as speed?

 

[JoJosReef]

I have almost the same pump setup, sans the nero. I have the 2K gyre on one side and each return on a dual random flow generator. Flow is the hardest thing for me. On the sode opposite the gyre, I'd like a little more flow, but I doywant to blow over my other corals. An opposing gyre seemed like a good idea, but hard to not overdo it since one gyre is already a lot. The Nero might work opposing the gyre and deflect some flow downards in the middle where things tend to get unidirectional.

 

[shwaynez]

If I kept all the pumps, could running them at relatively random flow low speeds work? I was thinking something like this:

Gyre top left, power head bottom right ~1/3 of the way from the bottom towards the front, and toying with the idea of the return nozzles both split: one end pointing downish behind the rocks to help prevent dead spots and the others pointing forwardish.

 

[Blopple]

Welcome to the club!

Tank looks great, I'll be following along! Time to get some fish and coral in there!

 

[kevgib67]

Your off to a great start! Following.

 

[shwaynez]

Nitrates today are at about 20. Planning to add some corals and/or fish on Friday. Should I do a water change/vacuum some detritus, add chemipure, or let it ride?

Also some under the hood pics!

 

[Blopple]

Nitrates today are at about 20. Planning to add some corals and/or fish on Friday. Should I do a water change/vacuum some detritus, add chemipure, or let it ride?

Also some under the hood pics!

That controller board is a thing of beauty. I'm half tempted to copy you. I mounted some pegboard on the left side. While it saved a lot of space a lot of the controller screens are hard to see with the weird angle. Where did you get that?!

I'd let it ride. I'm far more concerned about bottoming out my nutrients and ending up with a dino issue than I am about algae. I'll let some of the more experienced folks chime in. Your dino risk should be lower with the TBS rock than with dry, though.

Make any decisions on fish? Clowns, Royal gramma, dracula/shrimp, possum wrasse have my vote. That's a pretty cryptic tank though aside from the clowns. A blenny of some kind would be cool. Thought about bangaii/PJ cardinals at all?

 

[JoJosReef]

Second what @Blopple said. Your TBS rocks come with a certain resistance to algae problems

[except for bubble algae which can care less about your "biodiversity"]

Still, you don't want to bottom out your Nitrates or Phosphates. I just got through a short run with prorocentrum dinos. Had high phosphates, but my nitrates were zeroed out. Water change wouldn't hurt, but I'd go light on the chemipure. It usually contains a mix of carbon + GFO and/or Purigen depending on the packette. I usually run carbon and then use a Phosphate binder as needed and lightly.

 

[shwaynez]

Appreciate the advice! I’ll likely do a small water change this weekend.

@Blopple For the controller board, I bought the adaptive reef controller board and a pair of 14inch full extension drawer slides and screwed them onto the shelf and bottom back supports of the controller board. If I could do it over I would get “over extension/travel” instead of full extension drawer slides as the back would be easier to reach. I also got another set of tension cams from innovative marine and put them on the top side of the shelf to keep it stable. Tired to organize the wires underneath as much as possible, and then threaded them through the center hole in the back. Left a good amount of slack in the wires so the drawer can be pulled out without too much wear on the wires and can somewhat work as a drip loop. Might be a better way to do this if it could lead to wear and tear with the wires if they are getting pulled over time?

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As far as fish: I do like the blennies and cardinal fish as well. Basslets also seem great. Might go to the LFS and see what inspiration strikes as well!

Also tried moving the rocks a little bit on the top left making 3ish humps. Wondering which looks better: before or after?

 

[JoJosReef]

I like the 3 humps! But might be confirmation bias since mine also has 3.

 

[shwaynez]

I like the 3 humps! But might be confirmation bias since mine also has 3.

Haha appreciate that! Also giving credit as I got inspiration for the slide out controller board from you!