Nick's Nano Drop Off Build!

[UnderwaterGamer]

After 2 years away from the hobby, I've decided to jump back in! Now I know this isn't some monster build, but nanos have always had a small place in my heart! I've decided to go with a 20 Gallon Nuvo Concept Peninsula tank, it offers a very unique style, while also being a nano AIO build! Prepare for the photo dump of setting it up!

Day 1: When the packages with the tank and stand arrived!

Day 2: After Setting up everything in place!

Day 6: Setting up some of the equipment and adding the rock and sand!

Day 8: Added the first bit of saltwater and started the cycle!

Day 10: Worked on Cable management and added my ATO!

Day 17: Where the tank is currently standing! Day 9 of the cycle!

Equipment list:
Tank: 20 Nuvo Concept Penninsula
Stand: Innovative Marine 50 Lagoon APS Stand
Light: Kessil A360X Tuna Blue with WiFi Dongle
Light Mount: Kessil A-Series Mounting Arm
Heater: Helio PTC 100W Smart Heater
ATO: JBJ Dual Sensor Nano Auto Top Off
Wave Pump: IM Wavelink 1500 GPH Desktop AIO Powerhead
Rock: CarribSea Liferock shapes from BRS
Sand: CarribSea Fiji Pink Arag-Alive Reef Sand
RODI Unit: BRS 4 Stage 100 GPD

I hope you enjoy the build as much as I do, I'm looking forward to flooding this tank with softies and LPS, and eventually dip my toes into SPS for the first time! As for the fish stocking in this tank... I've always had a community tank but I'm going oddball with this one! I've decided I want to have my own little water dog.. a Wartskin Frogfish! It'll be a couple months before I can get one, and it will be a challenge for me to find one.. but that's my goal right now! If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to follow the build, I'd love the company!

 

[LegendaryCG]

Rock scape is great! Here’s mine for my drop off- my maroon clown has decided where I want corals isn’t necessarily where she wants them.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Great project!... have a blast each step of the way, as you obviously are.

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Rock scape is great! Here’s mine for my drop off- my maroon clown has decided where I want corals isn’t necessarily where she wants them.

Thank you! I was going back and forth between the Panorama and Peninsula for like a month and couldn't decide between the two! Personally I'm a sucker for peninsula tanks, but this small filter chamber is a pain to fit everything into! I really like your rock scape too btw!

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Great project!... have a blast each step of the way, as you obviously are.

Thanks! one of my big regrets from my first time in the hobby was not taking pictures of my tank/ progress too often, that will change this time around!

 

[Sigmund]

Think I have the same tank. Here is mine

 

[Sigmund]

Updated pic

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Updated pic

Looks awesome! I love that branching Duncan at the top! How long has your tank been up and running?

 

[Sigmund]

That pic was probably 2 months in. Looks a little different now. Big Duncan is in another tank as it was growing so fast, will send another pic, about 8 months now.

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

That pic was probably 2 months in. Looks a little different now. Big Duncan is in another tank as it was growing so fast, will send another pic, about 8 months now.

That’s a good problem to have!

 

[Zach B]

Very nice! I really like these tanks, hope to have one some day

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Very nice! I really these tanks, hope to have one some day

Thanks! They are pricey for a 20 gallon but it’s a very unique way to have a nano tank!

 

[Sigmund]

That pic was probably 2 months in. Looks a little different now. Big Duncan is in another tank as it was growing so fast, will send another pic, about 8 months now.

Updated pic from today

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Looks great! That orange Setosa (I think) looks ******!

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Been awhile since I updated this thread! So for anyone who cares, enjoy my photo dump!

I experienced the ugly side of the hobby and was bombarded with green hair algae… battled it for about 2 months and was extremely demotivated when nothing wiped it out..

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

After those couple months, I went to Reefapalooza New York, and man that re-ignited my desire to really nip this algae in the butt to try and get a attractive tank again! After about 2-3 weeks of EXTREME manual removal and bringing in my GFO partner in crime, I was finally able to get ahead of it and start seeing results! Another week or so went by, and BAM I was actually at a point where I was proud of my tank again

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Another month or so went by and there was no comeback for the algae.. so now I felt confident to actually start buying corals again! And then there it was… World Wide Corals 14th Anniversary Sale! Decided to splurge a little and get some new corals! And now, a week after adding the new corals to the tank, everything still healthy, I present the current view of my little baby! Bowser even came to the front for the picture!

 

[JumboShrimp]

Great to hear about your progress on battling algae. Probably like you, I have read a ton of things here on R2R. My latest "It can't hurt" tactic (that I read here) was dosing Hydrogen Peroxide 10 nights in a row after lights-out; and bottled bacteria 10 days in a row (lights on). It really seemed to break up the algae and 'crude' and get me way ahead of the curve on what was a bad problem in my 20-gallon softie tank. Best wishes!

 

[UnderwaterGamer]

Great to hear about your progress on battling algae. Probably like you, I have read a ton of things here on R2R. My latest "It can't hurt" tactic (that I read here) was dosing Hydrogen Peroxide 10 nights in a row after lights-out; and bottled bacteria 10 days in a row (lights on). It really seemed to break up the algae and 'crude' and get me way ahead of the curve on what was a bad problem in my 20-gallon softie tank. Best wishes!

I’d be suuuper nervous dosing that! Have any affects or losses with the corals? Other issue is I thought about dosing things like Vibrant, but I couldn’t find any guarantees that it wouldn’t affect my Wartskin Angler which is a scaleless fish

 

[JumboShrimp]

All my softies (mostly leathers) are fine; Ironically the only think that didn't like it all that well was the hard-to-kill Pulsing Xenia (lol). Like many, many others, I have a Love/Hate relationship with Vibrant; sometimes I'll just 'spike' the dank with it (like a drink-- Ha!) But I have never known it to be harsh on fish.