Rob's 10g Nuvo SPS Build

[intricate_reefer]

This is going to serve as the build thread for my Innovative Marine 10g Nuvo. I have had this tank for a bit and had it set up two different times as a nano frag tank. This last time around it wasn't successful and corals just didn't do well. I think part of the reason is I didn't have any rock for biological filtration but I did have some marine pure spheres in the back. I have heard Marine Pure can possibly leach aluminum so maybe that was the issue, who knows as I didn't do an ICP test though.

This is my second tank, I have an IM 30L that is all LPS and zoas that I have been pretty successful with so far. With that tank being only 13" tall it is hard to get the right par to keep LPS and SPS together. So I got the idea to set this tank up as an SPS tank. I really don't have a whole lot of experience with SPS and have heard it can be especially difficult to keep them in a nano but I am up for the challenge. Any help or tips from my fellow reefers here on Reef2Reef would be greatly appreciated. If any of you guys have a SPS nano please post a link in my thread.

My current gear list

Innovative Marine Nuvo 10g
Ai Prime HD with diffuser (I may remove the diffuser for more par if needed)
Mame Designs Glass Skimmer
Kamoer X1 Doser
Kps Wavemaker
Smart Micro ATO
Apex Jr
Sicce 1.0 return with RFG Nozzle
Filter Floss holder with poly-fil
Neo-therm 50w heater


This is the aquascape I came up with the other day. I ended up just using super glue to attach the little ledges on, it seemed strong, I hope it holds. I will probably have to be careful when glueing frags to them though. Since I have rock now I decided to remove the Marine Pure. Now to wait for the cycle, I dosed ammonia and am waiting for some Fritz Turbo Start 900 to come in Monday. I am also waiting for the KPS wavemaker I bought on sale for Black Friday.

This is my 30L LPS tank, I started it January 2019

 

[Reef.]

Really like the scape, will be following this, my plan is all LPS but you might get me into SPS!

 

[TriggersAmuck]

It is always challenging creating a sense of space and scale in a smaller nano's aquascape, and you seem to have achieved that nicely! Following along....

 

[Xdub4314]

If you are doing predominantly branching corals you are going to run out of room quickly, unless you keep just little nubs. The rock is very tall and the corals at the top wont have a lot of room to grow up so instead they will shade out the corals below them. Just my 2 cents

 

[intricate_reefer]

Really like the scape, will be following this, my plan is all LPS but you might get me into SPS!

Thank you, LPS are great and definitely my favorite but maybe that will change. I’m just ready to try something different .

It is always challenging creating a sense of space and scale in a smaller nano's aquascape, and you seem to have achieved that nicely! Following along....

Thanks I really like how it turned out for the most part. Am a little worried it’s to much rock and too tall like Xdud4314 commented though.

If you are doing predominantly branching corals you are going to run out of room quickly, unless you keep just little nubs. The rock is very tall and the corals at the top wont have a lot of room to grow up so instead they will shade out the corals below them. Just my 2 cents

That’s what I was kinda afraid of. My plan is going to be colorful high end acros. I was kinda counting on have to prune them and trying to play bonsai because the tank is so small. Maybe it might not be a bad idea to get my rock back out and see if there is anyway I can make the scape a little shorter.

 

[intricate_reefer]

After playing with the rest of the rock I had last night I just couldn’t come up with a different scape a liked. The only other thing I could think of is taking this one out and trimming a little off the bottom. I have maybe about an inch or so I could use a dermal to cut off these little legs. I don’t know if I should as it’s kinda nice that it’s raised so detritus doesn’t build up down there. The fritz zyme 9 came in today. I thought I had ordered the turbo start 900 but apparently I didn’t. It’s suppose to be the same bacteria just not as concentrated. I want to figure out what to do with the scape before I add it. Would you guys keep it as is or trim it down that extra inch or so?

 

[Reef.]

How much rock can you afford to lose? Could you add some media in the back to make up for the loss?

If there is a way to chop the top piece off?

 

[intricate_reefer]

How much rock can you afford to lose? Could you add some media in the back to make up for the loss?

If there is a way to chop the top piece off?

Thanks for the reply. Yea I could take the top piece off, it’s actually glued on. It wouldn’t really give me as much space for corals though but would give me a lot more height. I do have some Seachem matrix I could put in the back to make up for some of the loss. I want to stay away from the marine pure this time.

This is where the two pieces are glued. I could maybe break it apart and see if I could add just a little more to it but not as much as it is now.

 

[Reef.]

That is exactly the piece I think if removed would give you what you are after, don’t forget it’s a small tank so you won’t be adding a load of different corals, you would want the few you have to have growing room.

I’m using Siporax in my reef, not read any bad reviews on it.

 

[hotdrop]

Yeah it’s a small tank you want as much flat space as possible, the ability to remove rocks and avoid any pockets or holes where food might collect

 

[intricate_reefer]

That is exactly the piece I think if removed would give you what you are after, don’t forget it’s a small tank so you won’t be adding a load of different corals, you would want the few you have to have growing room.

I’m using Siporax in my reef, not read any bad reviews on it.

I’ve heard good things about that Siporax, I’ll have to look into it.

The other thing I have to consider is the par the corals will be getting. If I take that piece off the scape I will be about 6 inches under the water. According to these par numbers from BRS I would only be getting a max of 220 right under the light at the highest point with my Ai prime and I heard you want to shoot for 250-350 for sps. Now they are factoring with a 8” mounting height and since my tank is only about 12” x 12” I could probably lower it a bit for a little more par.

I’m also concerned if I give them more height to grow won’t by the time they get that tall they will just be growing into each other and need to be trimmed anyway. With how it is now it just seems like I’ll have more room to spread things out. I think I’m going to go with the chopping a little off the bottom and go from there for now

 

[intricate_reefer]

Tonight I ended up modifying the scape. At first my plan was to cut the little feet off the bottom but decided to take some off the top instead. I started out by using a cheap harbor freight dremal type tool but it was working well, too weak and the diamond cut off wheel was to small. So I just wound up taking a hacksaw to the top. It didn’t really do much but probably got an extra 2 inches of height now. I don’t know how I feel about it being flat as opposed to before. Hopefully it will work out well.

I added the bacteria after I finished with the rock, I hope the cycle goes quick and doesn’t take any longer than a couple weeks. I would really like to get some fish in there ASAP. I need help deciding though. Thinking I could go with a pair of clowns or maybe a possum wrasse and tail spot blenny. Any other suggestions for stocking?

 

[Reef.]

When you start adding the coral if the flat top still bothers you, you could easily buy a small amount of rock rubble and add that in the gaps.

As for fish, I’ll be interested what gets suggested, are you going for 2 or 3?
I’m definitely going for a pair of clowns and a yet undecided 3rd.

 

[intricate_reefer]

When you start adding the coral if the flat top still bothers you, you could easily buy a small amount of rock rubble and add that in the gaps.

As for fish, I’ll be interested what gets suggested, are you going for 2 or 3?
I’m definitely going for a pair of clowns and a yet undecided 3rd.

Yea that’s always an option, kinda regret messing with it but I’ll probably be happier in the long run with the extra growth height. Most likely just two if I go with the pair of clowns as they get pretty big for this small tank. If I go with the wrasse and blenny I could probably get away with adding something like a pair of small gobies along with them. What size tank are you working on? Do you have a build thread?

The KPS Wavemaker came in today. Dead silent but the app isn’t the most user friendly, I think I have it figured out now. Suppose to go up to 1000gph but to me it doesn’t seem that strong on 100%. I guess it’s hard to really tell until you get corals in there. Really love how small and compact it is. I think it’s going to work out well.

 

[Reef.]

I’m working on a Nuvo 14, I’ve got a thread going but not got it wet yet, hopefully in about a week I should get going.

 

[TheWB]

Tonight I ended up modifying the scape. At first my plan was to cut the little feet off the bottom but decided to take some off the top instead. I started out by using a cheap harbor freight dremal type tool but it was working well, too weak and the diamond cut off wheel was to small. So I just wound up taking a hacksaw to the top. It didn’t really do much but probably got an extra 2 inches of height now. I don’t know how I feel about it being flat as opposed to before. Hopefully it will work out well.

I added the bacteria after I finished with the rock, I hope the cycle goes quick and doesn’t take any longer than a couple weeks. I would really like to get some fish in there ASAP. I need help deciding though. Thinking I could go with a pair of clowns or maybe a possum wrasse and tail spot blenny. Any other suggestions for stocking?

Once you get a couple frags on there you won’t notice. If you go with clowns look at sustainable aquatics stuby occs. They should stay smaller.