Nuvo 20 - My Kitchen Tank

Stewgene

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Hi Reefers.

Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer.
Figured after my little introduction / hello post, I'd do up a nice little build thread to follow.
This site has become so therapeutic for me, especially during covid - so why not contribute?
I've read and re-read so many nice builds over the years that I figured I'd do one myself.
I've never written one so please bear with me and my nonsense.
This isn't a new build per se, she's been up and running for 4 months now. So a diary of sorts. But would love any input, thoughts...etc.

Its late on a holiday Monday - kids and wife are asleep, whiskey is poured, let's go.
This will also be good practice for my new tank which hopefully arrives in about a month - lots to talk about that one for sure.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm the worst with pictures. Hell - I've only just recently purchased an actual smartphone and photography is definitely not my strong suit. That being said - I don't have any true progress / day one shots so here goes.

Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo 20
This tank is great.I've always liked the simplicity in aio's and this guy is awesome. Fit the bill for the small counter space which it needed to fill. My son's / our guppy tank (12X12X12 acrylic) sat there for about a year. We loved having the extra light and we all know that those little freshwater tanks are just gateway drugs into salt. Thought about the peninsula, but opted for the three viewable sides. I've also loved dealing with their customer service (broken skimmer pump), clear glass, clean silicone, good tank in my mind.

Month Number 1
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Filtration:
It was a no-brainer to replace the sock and custom caddy for Intank's baskets. I've used Stevie T's stuff before and have nothing but praise for them. As I'm sure you all know. And nano socks...well...
Left to Right
- Intank filter media basket - Pinky floss / Chemi Pure Nano Packs X2 / Marine Pur balls, small ones
- Intank Fuge Basket - Chaeto (cut bi monthly) / Innovative Marine fuge light
- Tunze 3155 ATO sensors / Stock Mighty Jet Pump (jus have a gut feeling that it's going to go anyday) / heater
- IM Desktop skimmer - it worked(ish) / fits like a glove of course / pump toast at 6 weeks - replacement on the way soon.
- Intank filter media basket - Pinky floss / Chemi Pure Nano Packs X2 / Marine Pur balls, small ones


ATO Sensor. I split the optical eye and float. Takes up more space, but dang is it sensitive in a nano. Just putting my hand in the tank set it off so had to.

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The king.

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Chaeto love. Can't remember ever having a tank without a fuge.
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Wanted the neotherm for its form factor - sold out - next best thing I guess.

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Lighting : Ecotech Radion G5 Pro
I just had to have it. I've been drooling over radions since G2. And the RMS mount is just nice and clean. Original idea was Kessil 360X, but not sure I can do that shimmer in the kitchen. I'm debating switching because I may use this guy for my new build. But who knows.




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Flow: AI Nero 3
Just a great little nano pump. Easy app, small size. MP10 just seems like overkill for this. Been reading up on Gyres. Anyone out there using a gyre for a 20 / nano? Thinking about them for the next build.


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Cabinet / Wishing for a sump:

- IM ATO Reservoir. Great design, love the drawer. Simple timer for fuge light. UPS, only for the return pump. Estimated run time for the IM mighty jet is 4 hours. Cross fingers. Bottles are just rodi water for rinsing, calcium test kit. If iI dose, i'll use these. Glass over plastic / acrylic for liquids for me any day. Plus the gin that came in them is delicious.

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Non control control board.

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Live stock coming up.
Thanks for reading.
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Lighting Schedule / intensity:

One of the things new to me with this build is the lighting. I think? I have the right spectrum / intensity... but then I don't. I try my hardest to never mess around with the settings, but dang does Mobius / led apps make it easy.

Any radion XR15 users out there for a smaller tank? - What are you guys running your lights at?

I start with AB+, but realize that it's just too dang blue and have to raise my whites. I'm sitting around 45% intensity and a 50% schedule. 10 hours a day with that groovy moonlight for a couple of hours.

Would love to see what you guys are rocking. Thanks.


Livestock: Fish

I love fish. The only reason I would ever build a large tank (500 + Gallons) would be for fish. I've never owned a yellow tang!??!!
Would love nothing more than to have a fowlr one day.
Hundreds of tangs.
Anthias as far as the eye could see.
Schools, schools of fish I tell ya.
Feeding frenzies everyday!
Nori by the pounds!
I would invite the neighbours, scuba dive in it, sleep next to it.
It would be glorious.
Then I think about doing a water change on a 500 gallon tank and i sit back down and look at my nano.

My little davinci clown pair. They fought a bit at the start, but are nice and friendly now. Definitely a nice pair. I've never spent so much dang money on clowns before, so these better make it into my children's inheritance.
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Oh I love me a fire goby. I was hard set on going with a Helfrichi (baller tank here) but I saw this little guy at one of my lfs' and just had to bring her home. I've owned a few over the years. Thankfully have a tight fitting lid this time.

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Feisty at times too.
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Future fish.
This pandemic blows. We here in Toronto are quite shut down (shops that is) and going to an lfs just isn't in the cards. And with no quarantine tank set up I just can't take the risk without seeing the fish first.

Thoughts on the next fish?
I figure I can go with 1 more guy. 2 if i pushed it. I am a religious water changer.
Bangaai?
Tail spot Blenny?
Clown Goby?

Thoughts?

Clean up Crew

Don't have too many pics of these guys, but do have a fair amount. I've always loved cuc. Whow doesn't love seeing little crabbies scurry around the tank? Nassarius snails are a must.
Currently in tank:
- 5 nassarius (had 6, but danged if one of those hermits killed her for her shell)
- 2 blue legged, 2 red legged (these lazy bums don't do anything)
- 3 trochus
- 5 / 6 nerites. busy buggers.


More to come.... Thanks for reading.
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Maintenance, day to day routine:

I love doing water changes - really. Something about making ro water, lugging buckets, makes me feel connected to the tank. I've been reading up on auto water change setups and not sure I'd be able to do that. I applaud the great minds that invented them, and the crafty buggers that implement them in their systems, but for me, a good ol' Sunday water change is just part of reef keeping.

Granted this is a 20 gallon, but even back in the day with my 60's, 90's, freshwater big boys.... and helping friends with theirs, I always liked a good water change.

- 3-4 gallon weekly water change - Red Sea Coral Pro (nice clean mixing salt), small pump / heater - sg 1.026
- top up ato water
- clean glass. Tunze magnet (best one for me), manual scrubbie.
- floss gets changed twice a week
- Chemi pure alternating sides monthly
- check chaeto
- scrape and siphon back chambers
- mini gravel siphon
- razor blade back wall, sides...etc. Not a fan of coraline on back wall.
microfiber / polish front glass.
- stare and look at my fresh new tank for as long as my kids allow.

Feeding:

If it isn't the water changes, it's the feeding that I love. That we all love I'm assuming. The best time for our little guys. Its my 5-10 minute alone time with my tank. The kids are usually already getting to bed and I get just that little bit of time with the tank.
Every 6-7 days or so I feed heavy. Reef roids, polyp booster..... lps pellets. Just demolish the tank with food. Like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the tank. I like to think that the fish and corals are just beside themselves with joy, or they're saying stoop!! , We're full dangit. Water change day is always after buffet day.

I'm a big fan of mixing food / diets. I have for the menu about a dozen different foods for the tank. These dang corals and fish eat better than me most days. I don't mind dry. Frozen for sure, but sometimes it's just nice to sprinkle some pellets and go.

I usually make up a little batch (2 cubes of something) 99% of the time with selcon and it lasts around 36 hours. With only 3 small fish its hard to even use an entire cube. And I'm not cutting frozen fish food.

On the menu tonight - a delectable medley of pe mysis, brine and selcon with just a dash of reef roids. Pipette for those finicky eaters in the back.
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No one should have a reef tank without a couple of these designated beakers for your day to day.
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More to come.... love this.
Thanks for reading.
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Frag rack:
I've never owned one but danged if I can't live without one now. What a great invention. I got a little frag happy at one of my lfs' a couple weeks ago as you can see. I'm never putting frags in a tank without a little time on the rack first for some observation and planning beforehand. And when I have another frag happy day at the lfs, I'll have a limit to how many i can buy. This rack has 8 holes.

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Corals:
Just a few. Will try and keep this thread fresh with pics.

Utter chaos - becoming one of my fav zoas.
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Gotta have rastas.
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Another fav - bebb's colouring up nicely in the last couple weeks.
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Love me some Digis.
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I mean come on... who doesn't love gonis. Obsessed with them as of late.
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New build is a shallow lagoon style just so i can look at these stunners from the top.
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Sometimes I like the cheaper frags better. $30 for this little guy.
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Wife loves torches.
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Forget the name of this guy, but love montis.
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Acan love.
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Think that's it for tonight.
Hope you all have a great day / night.

Thanks for reading guys.
Stay safe.
Talk soon.
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Update time. June 7 / 2021

Hope everyone is having a nice night.

Sad news first - Fire goby jumped. Even with the netting/cover, she found her way into the filter floss (media chamber).
Always hard to lose a fish. I haven't had a fish jump on me in about 20 years. Always tough.
RIP, little fella.

Not sure if it was just the vibe - but everything started to look a little drab the next week or so. I tested for ammonia, thinking that her death impacted it. Probably left dead for about 24 hours. Nothing. Nitrate 3-5ppm.
I ordered a phosphate Hanna checker - boom! 0.9!

More considerable water changes for the next few weeks. Seems to help as well.

My desktop skimmer replacement pump arrived. I can't speak higher of Innovative Marine's customer service. Top-notch all the way! Let's just hope that this pump doesn't burn out in 6 weeks as the last one did.

SPS are browning out a little (setosa, golden rod, monti cap) digis and a few montis looking good. LPS still rocking, zoas being zoas.

Goni just being glorious.

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Picked up an Orphek Lens kit and been playing around with it today. Loving it.

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Also upped the lighting percentage on the Radion. Think its been ok so far.
What's everyone running their's at?
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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I've always loved a tail spot blenny.
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Forgot how much they loved just hanging out, bugging the zoas. Love this little guy.

Sometimes the nicest sps are the cheapest. Lovely little slimer frag. I've never owned one. Love it. I've read that these are the ideal starter acro? Am I right?

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Ok.
Stay safe everyone.
The new build is sooooo close.
Stay tuned for my 40 X 24 X 16 shallow lagoon build by Miracles.
Tank and stand should arrive in about a week.
Most of the equipment is ordered and here.

But the sump.....ohhh the sump.
I didn't anticipate it being such a headache.
Will tell you all about it soon.
Have a great night.
 

Nick Steele

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Tanks looking good!!!

Curious if you had any tips on goni’s/alveopora I can’t seem to get mine to open up much at all.

I love the Orphek lens kit too make pictures more lifelike for sure! Also love my tailspot although he is reclusive for the most part.

Oddly enough I had a slimmer frag that I killed very easily with Dino’s while I had a pink lemonade frag survive so I don’t know about ideal but that is what most say.
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Tanks looking good!!!

Curious if you had any tips on goni’s/alveopora I can’t seem to get mine to open up much at all.

I love the Orphek lens kit too make pictures more lifelike for sure! Also love my tailspot although he is reclusive for the most part.

Oddly enough I had a slimmer frag that I killed very easily with Dino’s while I had a pink lemonade frag survive so I don’t know about ideal but that is what most say.

Thanks for the reply.

I don't do too much for the gonis. I do feed about 2-3 times a week. Mix of reef roids, selcon soaked mysis/brine. Roids mainly though, lightly dusted over. Medium ish flow. These are along the bottom to middle section of a radion lit tank (40% ish intensity). Never ever miss a water change has been my thing all these years.

Yah. Tough hobby. Starting with the easy for now though. Easy meaning cheap.

Take it easy.
 

freezie

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I thought I was a masochist for loving to work on my tank as much as I love watching it. Nice to know I’m not crazy. Beautiful tank. Well written posts. Can’t wait for the shallow tank build
 
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Stewgene

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I thought I was a masochist for loving to work on my tank as much as I love watching it. Nice to know I’m not crazy. Beautiful tank. Well written posts. Can’t wait for the shallow tank build
You and me both, you and me both my friend.
All part of the journey and process. It goes hand in hand for me. Can't have that relaxing view without lugging a bucket or cleaning a skimmer cup. Automation is great, but nothing like getting some grit on your hands. Gotta be connected to your tank.
Stay safe
 
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Stewgene

Stewgene

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Looking good. Sorry to hear about your Fire goby, I had my Yasha jump right into my return pump chamber. Somehow, the little guy survived until a few days later :(
wow, lucky fish. Ya, hate thinking that he was just there flopping around the floss with me just walking around the house. Tough hobby sometimes.
 

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