HeavyShev
New Member
Hello, I’m about seven weeks in. I started with rock that was seeded from a trusted aquarium. Right now I only have a few frags, a damsel, a fire shrimp, two scarlet hermit crabs, and two small snails. I had a very minor ugly phase, but it was gone in a day, so I think things are on the right track. My biggest struggle has been water changes — I still need to get better at them since I threw off some parameters last time. I just added a Bubble Magus Mini Q skimmer because my nitrates were running a little high.
I also wanted to share a spreadsheet I built in Excel to track my parameters. I’m a little obsessed with testing daily
. The sheet tracks averages, changes, and highlights parameters in green when they’re in range. I lost my first month of data when I accidentally deleted it (thought it was autosaving), but I backfilled from memory as best I could. I attached a picture of the sheet — if anyone wants a copy, let me know and I’ll email it over. You can even set your own parameter ranges on the “parameters” page and the formulas update automatically.
I feel like I might have too much rock since I’m running bare-bottom, but I figured it would give me more surface area. Either way, if I can get things to grow and look good, I’ll probably upgrade down the line. Let me know what you think about the setup so far — no need to hold back, I want the honest feedback.
-Shev
I also wanted to share a spreadsheet I built in Excel to track my parameters. I’m a little obsessed with testing daily
. The sheet tracks averages, changes, and highlights parameters in green when they’re in range. I lost my first month of data when I accidentally deleted it (thought it was autosaving), but I backfilled from memory as best I could. I attached a picture of the sheet — if anyone wants a copy, let me know and I’ll email it over. You can even set your own parameter ranges on the “parameters” page and the formulas update automatically.I feel like I might have too much rock since I’m running bare-bottom, but I figured it would give me more surface area. Either way, if I can get things to grow and look good, I’ll probably upgrade down the line. Let me know what you think about the setup so far — no need to hold back, I want the honest feedback.
-Shev
Tank & Core Setup
- Lifegard Aquatics Full-View angled-front glass tank ( 9 gal display, ~16″ x 8–11″ footprint)
- Custom ABS bottom plate
- Bare-bottom (no sand)
Filtration & Flow
- Custom filter caddy (Matrix, carbon, filter floss, etc.)
- MightyJet Mini 266 GPH return pump
- AI Nero 3 nano powerhead (custom daily flow schedule)
- Bubble Magus MiniQ skimmer (recent addition)
Lighting & Heating
- Reef Flare Pro S Blue LED light (controlled via Smart Reef app)
- Helio PTC heater
- Reef Casa Nova light for small chaeto refugium in back chamber (copepods added, along with Phyto dosing)
ATO & Other Systems
- ESEET Nano AF200 Auto Top Off system
- Water Storage in stand
