Nuvo 20

[PR_nano]

Those are about twice as long as I need.

You can always cut them to size and tie with the supplies ziptie.

 

[PR_nano]

Small update, purchased the pH probe for the Apex and have been tracking it for a week now. In the apartment with windows closed pH barely makes it 7.8. If I open the windows it gets up to 7.95. So I decided to order some soda lime media for a C02 scrubber, hope to get pH in the 8~ range.

Also received a few pieces of branch rock.

 

[IC3NIN3]

sweet tank man!

 

[PR_nano]

Some hitchhikers on the reef:
Stomatella snail - breed in tank, have at least 50 of these snail in the tank
Bristle worm - first time seeing it on the sand, didn't knew it was that big
Spaghetti worm - have only seen him twice on the glass

Place an order of small Berghia Nudi to tackle the Aiptasia but currently on backorder. The Aiptasia is starting to irritate some of the Zoanthid.

 

[PR_nano]

Received the order of (4) nudibranch today. My gf took a quick picture of the cleaner shrimp showing interest on my hand and a micro brittle star on the glass.

Installed the c02 scrubber and saw a raise on the pH level. Also notice Firefish aggression towards the pink streaked wrasse, he is becoming territorial.

 

[Cnelson93]

I feel your pain on the ph, I too had to install a c02 scrubber to keep ph up on my nano. Newer apartment I live in is sealed well. Between a scrubber a small refugium I now see a 8.1-8.3 ph swings. I see you said you had a Fuge basket, are you using that as well with some chaeto?

 

[PR_nano]

I see you said you had a Fuge basket, are you using that as well with some chaeto?

Yeah, I'm running a small Fuge on the second chamber with the cheato max light. The first time the cheato died off but this second round it's growing. I believe that's where the Stomatella breed. The highest pH I seen is 8.09.

Do you run kalkwasser?

 

[Cnelson93]

Yeah, I'm running a small Fuge on the second chamber with the cheato max light. The first time the cheato died off but this second round it's growing. I believe that's where the Stomatella breed. The highest pH I seen is 8.09.

Do you run kalkwasser?

No sir, just a small Fuge with chaetomax light, skimmer with the scrubber on it, and keep my alk at 8.5 which might help buffer the ph a little bit.

nothing wrong with the 8.09 ph, still well within acceptable range, and if you don’t have any corals yet, it might go higher once you get some corals in there and growing. I dose ~15ml if esv b ionic 2 part daily which I attribute to part of that as well.

 

[PR_nano]

Decided to try out the Tropic Marin salt due to the high ALK on the Instant Ocean. It was mixing at 11.5.

Parameters this morning
Alk 8.4
Cal 405
Mg 1380
P03 30~ in between 20-40 on API ( Need to buy a better test kit but also more water change)
P04 .012

Also picked up a few zoa yesterday from @TopShelfAquatics flash sale 2 weeks ago.

 

[PR_nano]

Zoas started to expand but also stretch. I read this could be due to not enough light, need to research.

P04 bottom out again leading to the return of GHA. P03 still around 15~. Order additional CUC (2 trochus snail, 2 scarlet hermit, and 1 conch) The conch didn't make it.

Nudibranch are slowly working on aiptasia, cleaned one of the overran frags. Hoping they multiply since the aiptasia are increasing in numbers.

 

[PR_nano]

Small update - Thinking about taking the Cheato offline. I believe it's too efficient with only 2 fish and the reason my No3 bottom out and GHA re-appeared also battling bubble algae and possible diatoms. Po4 is at .03.

Still unsure about the 3rd fish, considering Yellow Watchman Goby and Pistol pair, Tanaka wrasse, Tailspot blenny, or Yellow Assessor, maybe 2 out of the 4 open to suggestions.

A few pics of the newer additions:
Inverts: Scarlet Hermit, Electric Hermit, Pitho Crab, Conch. Lost the Scarlet Shrimp
Corals: Purple Stylo, Hammer, and Zoas

 

[PR_nano]

Small update - Ordered a TDS reader (should have grab one earlier) and the last batch of water from the LFS was not good. Went to a different LFS, grab new water (0 TDS) and did a water change over the weekend. Plan to do another water change tonight and order the ATI-ICP water test, anyone has experience with it? Would you recommend it or any other ICP test? Not sure what may or not be in the water at this point .

The Purple Stylo opened a bit more which is good but need to move the hammer as it's not looking good.

Parameters:
Alk 7
Cal 450
NO3 2~
PO4 .046

 

[PR_nano]

Small update - Still battling what appears to be a massive diatom outbreak. Water changes now 2x per week and changing floss more frequent. Trying to see if I can borrow a microscope to positively ID.

Also picked a small Yellow Watchman Goby and a Candy Pistol Shrimp today. Still amazed at the size of the shrimp, it's so tiny hopefully it doesn't become a snack before pairing. Snapped a quick pic of the Purple Firefish. The Pink Streaked Wrasse doesn't like pictures.

 

[gallow3]

Small update - Still battling what appears to be a massive diatom outbreak. Water changes now 2x per week and changing floss more frequent. Trying to see if I can borrow a microscope to positively ID.

Also picked a small Yellow Watchman Goby and a Candy Pistol Shrimp today. Still amazed at the size of the shrimp, it's so tiny hopefully it doesn't become a snack before pairing. Snapped a quick pic of the Purple Firefish. The Pink Streaked Wrasse doesn't like pictures.

Can't wait to hear about YWG and Pistol Pairing. i got the YWG and Fiancee wants a shrimp. i liked the thought of the cleaner because of its usefulness to the fish, but it seems like the pairing is too neat to pass up.

 

[PR_nano]

It's been a while and I been dealing with a bunch of issues (link) in the reef. Even considering starting over but will try to tackle them and use this as a learning experience to see what works. Turns out what I thought was diatoms was actually DINO and the worst kind to eliminate.

Plan of action:
Started dosing bacteria microbacter7 (increase beneficial bacteria)
Completely remove Chaeto, been removing it slowly (increase nutrients)
Order and dose Vibrant (remove algae: Bubble, Bryopsis)
Send out water sample for ICP test (ordered ATI)
Still researching but looking into getting a peppermint shrimp, tuxedo urchin, and maybe an emerald crab

Here is a short video of Pitho crab eating or spreading bubble algae and YWG/Pistol living quarters expansion.

Can't wait to hear about YWG and Pistol Pairing.

It was great seen it. The first two nights the Yellow Watchman slept next to the Purple Firefish. I know it's a terrible picture since lights and room was dark but you can probably make out both heads next to each other. That was pretty cool.

 

[PR_nano]

The bad - Tank has been overrun by Aiptasia, Bubble algae and Dinos and feels like a losing battle. The environment can't be good for the fish and invertebrate. I'm currently dosing Vibrant for bubble, N03 for Dinos and added 4 Berghia nudi and Joe Juice for Aiptasia. I will give it a bit of time but started to think a reboot may be the best course of action.

The good - Picked a Halloween Urchin really cool to watch, thinking of picking 1 or 2 Peppermint shrimp next weekend, haven't seen the nudi in the last couple of nights. Clean the return section, the return pump, and spin stream were clog with junk.

The scare - Saw a claw of the Pistol shrimp on the sand bed and thought he pass as it appear to have some meat in it. Two days later he emerges from the cave. He's getting slightly bigger which is cool to see. Also, the YWG likes to swim way too close to the MP10, thinking about getting the foam or a cover for it.

 

[PR_nano]

It's been awhile since I made any updates to this thread. Still struggling but making small progress.

The good news found my fourth fish while grabbing some frozen food at the LFS: a tiny Possum wrasse. Completely eradicated the Aiptasia with a pair of peppermint shrimp which breed in tank twice. It was pretty cool to see them at least for a few minutes they lasted. I also clear the bubble algae using Vibrant, it took a while but definitely worked.

Not so good I read about Vibrant causing Cyano but always thought it was the red slime/mat. I'm dealing with what appears to be either Calothrix or Lyngbya both of which are a strand of Cyano and seems to be a PIA to remove. I have done some experiments on a few sample rocks and found 3% Peroxide work to some extend on it.

Received my first ICP test results which identified a few deficiencies. The biggest ones are Potassium was at half of the recommended level. I purchase a test kit and Kallium to start dosing it. Nitrate which I knew was low was indeed really low @ .1 PPM, started dosing and is up to 12PPM using NYOS, Iodine is also low, read mix reviews on dosing Iodine so need to do more research. Silicate is really high and not sure where it's coming from since the RO is at half the DT level but I read it's good to battle dinoflagellate since it will cause diatoms which will compete.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

That is such a sweet wrasse! Awesome.

 

[PR_nano]

That is such a sweet wrasse

Thanks, he sure is nice. Swims like a contortionist the way he twist and turn his body. The white lines glow under blue light. Luckily he's not shy as I read during my research maybe because he's so small and doesn't know better. He's the size of my scarlet hermit.

 

[Nick Steele]

That is awesome that he is out and about! I read they are quite shy until acclimated. Tank is looking nice!