Nick’s 20G Nuvo Fusion

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Nick Steele

Nick Steele

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Let the power head run overnight on 20% and it was much clearer within an hr or two and by morning I’d say it’s about 90% clear now with just a slight haze that carbon should take care off after I add the salt and sand later.
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Nick Steele

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After a day my new tank is setting at the following water parameters

Salinity 1.026
PH 8
Alk 12.1
Calc 470
Mag 1320

Alk is a little high for my liking but everything else seems to be good!

So I went ahead and added my live sand tonight. Displaced maybe 1 gallon of water but I had some evap from the past two days so only little left that might go down the drain. Tanks still cloudy at about 2 hrs in. Hopefully by morning I’ll be able to get a nice picture before work!

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What salt mix did you use? Mine mixes at 12 dkh for alk.
 
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Nick Steele

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I went with Seachem vibrant. Alk range is 3-4 meg but have read it’s usually on the lower end. I was hoping for around 9ish. But I guess I can do 12 if it stays constant.
 

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I went with Seachem vibrant. Alk range is 3-4 meg but have read it’s usually on the lower end. I was hoping for around 9ish. But I guess I can do 12 if it stays constant.
As your corals grow, that will drop. Depending on what kind of corals you grow, that could be perfect or too high. Zoas love that level but sps and chalices and other things like it closer to 7-8. I shoot for around 8.5-9, even though my salt mixes at 12. unless I do a massive water change, I still need to add alk to keep it up.
 
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Nick Steele

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Tank was slightly cloudy this morning but I believe it was due to the dry rock and not the sand. Forgot to take a pic but here is one from a few moments ago.

I just threw in some carbon when I got home so it should be clear soon!

Scheduled lights
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All lights 100%
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With the mandarin I just can’t help it I want to try them. If worse comes to worse my buddy with a 160G will take him off my hands.
So anyone with more knowledge, please correct me. You're going to run into a few issues I think. One, as someone has already mentioned Mandarins are extremely finicky eaters. Even ones that they say are "raised on frozen" or you've seen eat frozen might come to your tank and just say "Nope, done with that" and decide they don't want it anymore. Two, the reason they "require" such large tanks is that eat quite a bit and you're going to be feeding a lot, if you can't get it to eat prepared/frozen. Those high levels of nutrients you're going to end up with are going to make keeping your tank looking good a real pain in the butt. High nutrients reeks all sorts of havoc. The alternative to frozen/prepared is the other reason people use large tanks for them, they feed on small sea bugs basically that usually live on rockwork, in refugiums etc. A small tank simply doesn't have the space to keep a healthy population alive to feed a mandarin.

Now, you could give it to your friend if it doesn't eat. Is your friends tank capable of supporting it? 160g is plenty big if it has a healthy copepod population. If not, it's just going to meet the same fate. I guess it just comes down to your views on what a fishkeepers responsibilities to the creatures they keeps. Some people are willing to do the "try it outs" and if a fish happens to not make, lesson learned. Others aren't and wouldn't do something with a low chance of success. I've loved mandarins since I first saw them, always a bucket list fish. I haven't had a setup where I feel comfortable risking it, at least for me. Just a personal thing, there's no right or wrong everyone has their own feelings.

That being said, you should do what you want to do, its the only way we learn. It's your box of water and you can do anything you'd like with it. Congrats on the beautiful tank and best of luck! Don't know if it's your first tank but if it is, welcome to the hobby! Just a warning, once you're in you're never leaving!
 

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looking good !!
i have the same tank.. its been set up since march

what are you planning to keep?
 
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So anyone with more knowledge, please correct me. You're going to run into a few issues I think. One, as someone has already mentioned Mandarins are extremely finicky eaters. Even ones that they say are "raised on frozen" or you've seen eat frozen might come to your tank and just say "Nope, done with that" and decide they don't want it anymore. Two, the reason they "require" such large tanks is that eat quite a bit and you're going to be feeding a lot, if you can't get it to eat prepared/frozen. Those high levels of nutrients you're going to end up with are going to make keeping your tank looking good a real pain in the butt. High nutrients reeks all sorts of havoc. The alternative to frozen/prepared is the other reason people use large tanks for them, they feed on small sea bugs basically that usually live on rockwork, in refugiums etc. A small tank simply doesn't have the space to keep a healthy population alive to feed a mandarin.

Now, you could give it to your friend if it doesn't eat. Is your friends tank capable of supporting it? 160g is plenty big if it has a healthy copepod population. If not, it's just going to meet the same fate. I guess it just comes down to your views on what a fishkeepers responsibilities to the creatures they keeps. Some people are willing to do the "try it outs" and if a fish happens to not make, lesson learned. Others aren't and wouldn't do something with a low chance of success. I've loved mandarins since I first saw them, always a bucket list fish. I haven't had a setup where I feel comfortable risking it, at least for me. Just a personal thing, there's no right or wrong everyone has their own feelings.

That being said, you should do what you want to do, its the only way we learn. It's your box of water and you can do anything you'd like with it. Congrats on the beautiful tank and best of luck! Don't know if it's your first tank but if it is, welcome to the hobby! Just a warning, once you're in you're never leaving!


I appreciate all the information regarding the mandarin!

I plan on spot feeding it 3 times a day. When I get him he will be eating dry feed for at least 2-3 months before going into my tank. I see them (baby mandarins) once a week and currently still on live food but are being conditioned to dry. I’m willing to try it but friends tank is suitable for it if I can’t sustain it (which I think I should be able to).

looking good !!
i have the same tank.. its been set up since march

what are you planning to keep?
what do you currently have in your tank?

I plan
2 clowns
1 green spot mandarin
1 possum wrasse

And that’s it I believe still toying with a couple azure damsels or maybe a yellow assessor or cleaner goby
 
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Nick Steele

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This week I will be picking up my first coral frags from a buddy. Some Xenia and a frogspawn as far as I know but possibly more.
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I need to get some kind of filter for my phone pictures don’t do justice lol

First fish next week most likely starting with two baby clowns
 
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Added some Xenia last night. They didn’t look to happy in the flow of my tank so I turned it down and they are out but still blowing around. I’ll leave them be for a few days and decide if I want to leave them there or not. They go all over it’s just not blown like the way in the picture
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Hoping to pick out two baby clownfish next week sometime to add to the tank as well.
 
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Finally got the door added to the stand tonight able to finally hide my ato bucket and wires. No inside cabinet shots due to shoty cable management that I hope to fix in the next few weeks.
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Xenia is still blowing in the current but I did notice it pulsing the other day so it must be happy!!

Tomorrow I’m bringing home two baby clownfish to start stocking the tank will post pictures of them tomorrow!
 
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The tank is looking good, what type of clown are you getting?

I received two black ice clowns today. Bigger than I want but still beautiful and I’m very happy. They are acclimating at the moment but I’ll post some pics of them in tank once they go in and settle.
 
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