Rate a noob’s nano tank

[JayFish4004]

First time reefer - finally got some iphone lenses to offset the 20k lights, so sharing a quick vid. Would love any advice or feedback on the tank - ideas welcome!

Tank is a 4 month old Red Sea Max Nano with Tunze ATO, Trigger Systems reservoir, Tunze wavemaker, InkBird + Eheim heater, ReefLED 50 light, Clearview Pisces Exo lid.

Stock includes my beloved friend Limón the Citron Goby, Flagtail Goby Pistol Shrimp bonded pair, Cleaner Shrimp, Hammer coral, Frogspawn coral, Blastomussa coral, duncan coral, Corky Finger Gorgonian, Candelabra Gorgonian, Flowerpot coral.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.024
Ph: 8.22
Alk: 9.7
Nitrates: 14ppm

My Duncan comes out but displays little growth, and thinking my gorgs could benefit from some feedings. Any advice on feeding these guys without causing algae and nitrate issues?

Red Sea Max Nano

youtube.com

 

[blaxsun]

Looks great! Nice, clean - organized. Good rockscaping and your corals look good. Kudos!

 

[RC51]

First time reefer - finally got some iphone lenses to offset the 20k lights, so sharing a quick vid. Would love any advice or feedback on the tank - ideas welcome!

Tank is a 4 month old Red Sea Max Nano with Tunze ATO, Trigger Systems reservoir, Tunze wavemaker, InkBird + Eheim heater, ReefLED 50 light, Clearview Pisces Exo lid.

Stock includes my beloved friend Limón the Citron Goby, Flagtail Goby Pistol Shrimp bonded pair, Cleaner Shrimp, Hammer coral, Frogspawn coral, Blastomussa coral, duncan coral, Corky Finger Gorgonian, Candelabra Gorgonian, Flowerpot coral.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.024
Ph: 8.22
Alk: 9.7
Nitrates: 14ppm

My Duncan comes out but displays little growth, and thinking my gorgs could benefit from some feedings. Any advice on feeding these guys without causing algae and nitrate issues?

Red Sea Max Nano

youtube.com

Nice! I love the color pop in the corals! What light are you using?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Very nice! Keep on keeping on!!!

 

[NickSc]

Looks good!

 

[elorablue]

Looking good!
no need to feed the Gorgs they look great already.

 

[JayFish4004]

Looks great! Nice, clean - organized. Good rockscaping and your corals look good. Kudos!

Thanks! Having a lot of fun and watching every YouTube video possible haha

 

[JayFish4004]

Looking good!
no need to feed the Gorgs they look great already.

Thanks! The gorgs are possibly my favorite - when I got em I figured theyd just be an accent piece but they grow on you. Super cool species

 

[JayFish4004]

Nice! I love the color pop in the corals! What light are you using?

Thx! Using a Red Sea ReefLED 50 (came with the Nano). Still struggling a bit on getting the light dialed in.. is it too much? Is it not enough? Such a pain getting through that haha

 

[blaxsun]

Thx! Using a Red Sea ReefLED 50 (came with the Nano). Still struggling a bit on getting the light dialed in.. is it too much? Is it not enough? Such a pain getting through that haha

From the looks of the corals your lighting looks to be good. The only real way to verify it would be to rent or borrow a PAR meter to tell for sure, but I'm inclined to think it's probably spot on (or very close).

 

[JayFish4004]

From the looks of the corals your lighting looks to be good. The only real way to verify it would be to rent or borrow a PAR meter to tell for sure, but I'm inclined to think it's probably spot on (or very close).

Kinda fun to pop an update on this thread as I was looking through my history. Much has changed in the 8 months since the last post. Lost some fish, a couple corals, but overall in great shape. Slow and steady has got me here, and it’s been quite a fun journey so far.


My current stock list old and new:

Purple/Green Hammer coral (died - bad specimen from LiveAquaria)
Duncan coral (still going strong)
Blastomussa coral (still going strong)
Gorgonian candelabra (still going strong)
Gorgonian corky (still going strong)
Citron goby (lost him but have another)
Flagtail Pink Bar Goby (one of the pair jumped)
Cleaner shrimp (died
Trochus/Cerith/Nessarius snails
Couple hermit crabs

New:
Green torch
Gold torch
Purple torch
Green hammer
Purple/green hammer (seen better days)
Green blasto
Bali slimer
Monti digitata
Birdsnest
A 2nd duncan (duncan one almost didnt make it)
Purple firefish goby
Neon goby
Blue Mandarin pair
Threadfin cardinal pair
Barnacle blenny pair
Tuxedo urchin

 

[JayFish4004]

Kinda fun to pop an update on this thread as I was looking through my history. Much has changed in the 8 months since the last post. Lost some fish, a couple corals, but overall in great shape. Slow and steady has got me here, and it’s been quite a fun journey so far.


My current stock list old and new:

Purple/Green Hammer coral (died - bad specimen from LiveAquaria)
Duncan coral (still going strong)
Blastomussa coral (still going strong)
Gorgonian candelabra (still going strong)
Gorgonian corky (still going strong)
Citron goby (lost him but have another)
Flagtail Pink Bar Goby (one of the pair jumped)
Cleaner shrimp (died
Trochus/Cerith/Nessarius snails
Couple hermit crabs

New:
Green torch
Gold torch
Purple torch
Green hammer
Purple/green hammer (seen better days)
Green blasto
Bali slimer
Monti digitata
Birdsnest
A 2nd duncan (duncan one almost didnt make it)
Purple firefish goby
Neon goby
Blue Mandarin pair
Threadfin cardinal pair
Barnacle blenny pair
Tuxedo urchin

A lot has happened since last update - my phosphates went haywire after starting to feed with TDO pellets, and I lost the three torches as a result of bringing them back down. Lesson learned - I use Rowaphos to keep phosphates at bay and I have given up on torch corals. Not sure why but I just cant keep them alive.

My current stock list:

Lucky charm hammer
Red hammer
Duncan
Anacropora
Monti
Green birdsnest
Purple birdsnest
Gorgonian candelabra
Gorgonian corky
Frogspawn
2 encrusting monti frags
2 Biota mandarin gobies
2 Biota court jester gobies
Citron goby
Biota Link’s goby
Biota Starry goby
2 bluestreak cardinals
2 Biota hairfin gobies
Biota Pipefish
Neon goby
Pinkbar goby with pistol shrimp
Tuxedo urchin
Fighting conch
3 feather dusters
Trochus/Cerith/Nessarius snails
Couple hermit crabs

 

[hexcolor reef]

Thx! Using a Red Sea ReefLED 50 (came with the Nano). Still struggling a bit on getting the light dialed in.. is it too much? Is it not enough? Such a pain getting through that haha

Best light you could have. Red Sea out did them selves with this line up of lights. The shimmer and color pop this light give corals are insane. The 160s and the 50 best lighting I’ve ever seen

 

[JayFish4004]

Best light you could have. Red Sea out did them selves with this line up of lights. The shimmer and color pop this light give corals are insane

Agree - I absolutely adore everything about this tank. Haven’t had to replace any parts - clean all pumps every 6 months or so. The Max Nano is worth every penny now after having it 2+ years.

 

[JayFish4004]

Best light you could have. Red Sea out did them selves with this line up of lights. The shimmer and color pop this light give corals are insane. The 160s and the 50 best lighting I’ve ever seen

Keeping this thread alive! Crazy that this Red Sea Max Nano is now nearly 3 years old. In an absolute flow state - all coral and fish are healthy, growing, happy. Its a good place to be and can definitely feel like an impossible place to get to on this journey. I have found balance to be the key to this hobby - dont force what doesn’t belong.

Have since fallen in love with @Biota_Marine and cant stop buying their amazing gobies and small fish.

Coral stock list:
Anacropora
Birdsnest (2)
Duncan
Frogspawn
Gorgonian (2)
Hammer (2)
Montipora
Ricordea

Fish stock list:
Cardinal - bluestreak
Fighting conch
Emerald crab
Hermit crab
Citron goby
Court jester goby (2)
Hairfin goby (2)
Links goby
Neon goby
Pinkbar goby
Starry goby
Upside down goby (2)
Mandarinfish (2)
Bluestripe pipefish
Cleaner shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Pistol shrimp
Trochus snails
Nesarius snails
Bumblebee snails
Tuxedo urchin


Here is video of tank today: