FTS March, 2020:
Hey Reefers!
Super excited to be sharing my new build here at Reef2Reef. I’m a long-time follower of this community and have been a saltwater and reef hobbyist for over 30 years. With family, life, and career, I have been waiting for the right time to start a new tank build. My last tank was way back in 2005, with a JBJ NanoCube 12dx, from NanoTuners. Here’s a pic of 12 gallons of Softy Glory, all that it was:
Fast forward to 2018. I’ve been fighting the reef bug for 3 years, and I just couldn’t shake it. Work relocated me and the fam to the great state of Minnesota, and I visited some of the LFS’s in the area. I was immediately hooked. I knew I had to have a tank. My supporting wife says, “You work so hard, you deserve this!” That’s all I needed to hear. So, what does a recovering reefer 13 years sober do? Scour the forums, learn what’s hot ‘n not, and then shoot on over to BRS and pickup a car full of reefing gear. BRS is 20 minutes from my house, and that’s just too darn convenient.
Enough with the backstory blah blah, here’s my build:
Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion 20
Stand: Bush Furniture computer armoire matching my office furniture
Lights:(2) Aqua Illumination AI Prime HDs with rigid mounts, running BRS AB+ spectrum Reef Breeders 24” Photon V2+ running modded AB+ spectrum
Return Pump: Innovative Marine MightyJet AIO Pump 538gph
Heater: Cobalt 75w NeoTherm
Control: Ink Bird ITC-308
ATO: AutoAqua AWC Auto Water Changer Plus ATO
ATO Reservoir: Innovative Marine 5 Gallon Hydrofill
Flow: (2) EcoTech Marine Vortech MP10WQD paired in Tidal Swell Mode (TSM)
Filtration: (2) InTank Media Baskets, filter pads, bag of MarinePure Gems and MarinePure spheres
Nutrient Export:AquaMaxx Media Reactor converted into DIY Cheato reactor and Cheato Removed summer 2019
Testing: Hanna, Red Sea, Salifert
Dosing:
(2) Jebao DP4 Dosers
BRS Soda Ash
BRS Calcium Chloride
BRS Magnesium
GLA KN03
GLA K2S04
Quantum Bio-Enhance
Quantum Bio-Kalium
Quantum Bio-Metals
Quantum Bio-Enhance
Fish & Invertebrates:
Two Black Ocellaris Clowns - "Ace & Gary"
Three Gold Ring Cowries
20 Banded Trochus Snails
SPS Corals:
Green Spongodes Montipora
Bubble Gum Digitata Montipora
Tubbs Stellata Montipora
Red Encrusting Montipora
Red Setosa
Green Birdsnest
Teal Blue Stag
Palmer’s Blue Millepora
Yellow Tip Acropora
Tri Color Valida
Nana Acropora
Blue Tenuis
Green Sarmentosa Acropora
Unknown Acropora
LPS Corals:
Duncan
Orange Crush Echinata
Dragon Soul Favia
Ice Blue Leptastrea
Honeycomb Leptastrea
Bizzarro Cyphastrea
Pink Goniopora
Ultron Favia
Wolverine Favia
Zoas:
Nuclear Green Dragon Eyes
Rastas
Halle Berry
Black Hornets
Red Hornets
Eagle Eye
Armor of the Gods
Everlasting Gobstoppers
Sunny D
Blond Blue Eye
Agent Orange
Rainbow Infusion
History:
The tank was assembled over Christmas, 2018. Water was added 01/01/2019, all gear tested and configured. Water was brought to temp (78F), specific gravity set at 35ppt. Live rock was added 01/03/2019, and the tank was fishless cycled with Dr Tim’s One and Only and ammonium chloride. The cycle finished in two weeks, which I attribute to the rock and the bottled bacteria. Once the tank could process 2ppm of ammonia in 24 hours, it was time for a 75% water change. Nitrates were floating around 50ppm at this point, so I was happy to oblige. Knowing I was a day or so from adding my first occupants to the tank fueled the water change excitement.
Future:
My plan moving forward is patience. There are lessons I learned on my own, and from those who post here. My hope is to avoid failures, mistakes, or overlooking something obvious. I’m targeting mostly SPS in this build, but I’m sure Acans and Zoas will work their way into the tank along this journey.
Current water parameters: 03-09-2020
Temp: 77.8F
Specific Gravity: 35ppt
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Phosphate: .06ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0 DKH
Calcium: 425ppm
Magnesium: 1325ppm
FTS February, 2019:
FTS January, 2019:
Setup:
Live rock added and start of cycle:
AquaMaxx Chaeto Reactor:
Water Station & RODI:
There’s a lot I’ve learned from this community. I want to start by saying thank you, seriously. Without your commitment to this hobby, and sharing information or lessons learned, there would not be this database of knowledge one can so easily tap into to build their vision of a perfect reef.
Until next time!
Hey Reefers!
Super excited to be sharing my new build here at Reef2Reef. I’m a long-time follower of this community and have been a saltwater and reef hobbyist for over 30 years. With family, life, and career, I have been waiting for the right time to start a new tank build. My last tank was way back in 2005, with a JBJ NanoCube 12dx, from NanoTuners. Here’s a pic of 12 gallons of Softy Glory, all that it was:
Fast forward to 2018. I’ve been fighting the reef bug for 3 years, and I just couldn’t shake it. Work relocated me and the fam to the great state of Minnesota, and I visited some of the LFS’s in the area. I was immediately hooked. I knew I had to have a tank. My supporting wife says, “You work so hard, you deserve this!” That’s all I needed to hear. So, what does a recovering reefer 13 years sober do? Scour the forums, learn what’s hot ‘n not, and then shoot on over to BRS and pickup a car full of reefing gear. BRS is 20 minutes from my house, and that’s just too darn convenient.
Enough with the backstory blah blah, here’s my build:
Tank: Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion 20
Stand: Bush Furniture computer armoire matching my office furniture
Lights:
Return Pump: Innovative Marine MightyJet AIO Pump 538gph
Heater: Cobalt 75w NeoTherm
Control: Ink Bird ITC-308
ATO: AutoAqua AWC Auto Water Changer Plus ATO
ATO Reservoir: Innovative Marine 5 Gallon Hydrofill
Flow: (2) EcoTech Marine Vortech MP10WQD paired in Tidal Swell Mode (TSM)
Filtration: (2) InTank Media Baskets, filter pads, bag of MarinePure Gems and MarinePure spheres
Nutrient Export:
Testing: Hanna, Red Sea, Salifert
Dosing:
(2) Jebao DP4 Dosers
BRS Soda Ash
BRS Calcium Chloride
BRS Magnesium
GLA KN03
GLA K2S04
Quantum Bio-Enhance
Quantum Bio-Kalium
Quantum Bio-Metals
Quantum Bio-Enhance
Fish & Invertebrates:
Two Black Ocellaris Clowns - "Ace & Gary"
Three Gold Ring Cowries
20 Banded Trochus Snails
SPS Corals:
Green Spongodes Montipora
Bubble Gum Digitata Montipora
Tubbs Stellata Montipora
Red Encrusting Montipora
Red Setosa
Green Birdsnest
Teal Blue Stag
Palmer’s Blue Millepora
Yellow Tip Acropora
Tri Color Valida
Nana Acropora
Blue Tenuis
Green Sarmentosa Acropora
Unknown Acropora
LPS Corals:
Duncan
Orange Crush Echinata
Dragon Soul Favia
Ice Blue Leptastrea
Honeycomb Leptastrea
Bizzarro Cyphastrea
Pink Goniopora
Ultron Favia
Wolverine Favia
Zoas:
Nuclear Green Dragon Eyes
Rastas
Halle Berry
Black Hornets
Red Hornets
Eagle Eye
Armor of the Gods
Everlasting Gobstoppers
Sunny D
Blond Blue Eye
Agent Orange
Rainbow Infusion
History:
The tank was assembled over Christmas, 2018. Water was added 01/01/2019, all gear tested and configured. Water was brought to temp (78F), specific gravity set at 35ppt. Live rock was added 01/03/2019, and the tank was fishless cycled with Dr Tim’s One and Only and ammonium chloride. The cycle finished in two weeks, which I attribute to the rock and the bottled bacteria. Once the tank could process 2ppm of ammonia in 24 hours, it was time for a 75% water change. Nitrates were floating around 50ppm at this point, so I was happy to oblige. Knowing I was a day or so from adding my first occupants to the tank fueled the water change excitement.
Future:
My plan moving forward is patience. There are lessons I learned on my own, and from those who post here. My hope is to avoid failures, mistakes, or overlooking something obvious. I’m targeting mostly SPS in this build, but I’m sure Acans and Zoas will work their way into the tank along this journey.
Current water parameters: 03-09-2020
Temp: 77.8F
Specific Gravity: 35ppt
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Phosphate: .06ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0 DKH
Calcium: 425ppm
Magnesium: 1325ppm
FTS February, 2019:
FTS January, 2019:
Setup:
Live rock added and start of cycle:
AquaMaxx Chaeto Reactor:
Water Station & RODI:
There’s a lot I’ve learned from this community. I want to start by saying thank you, seriously. Without your commitment to this hobby, and sharing information or lessons learned, there would not be this database of knowledge one can so easily tap into to build their vision of a perfect reef.
Until next time!
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