Tim’s IM 14g Peninsula

[woodyarmadillo]

I guess it’s a little late since it has been a couple months since I started but I want to document my progress. I started this build, my first reef build in early February after a few successful years with a planted freshwater tank.

Equipment
IM 14 Nuvo Fusion
AI Prime 16HD
Nero 3
IM Helio Heater
Tunze nano ATO

Day 1 - started cycle, dry rock, wet Arag alive pink Fiji with Dr Tim’s bacteria and ammonia. After 10 days, my ammonia level has spiked to 1.5 ppm and has dropped back down to 0. I added a pair of clowns on day 11 and added filter sock back in.

I started adding coral after about 3 weeks and have already started stocking pretty heavy. I have invested a lot in quality tests and equipment and I’m being very thorough with my testing. Salifert and Hannah tests mostly, Milwaukee Refrac. I’ve rented a par meter and know my par levels and have a plan. I’m running the BRS AB+ light settings but I modified them to fit my needs in keeping my light levels safe for softies and LPS but hopefully acceptable for a few SPS. I’m getting about 250 par on top of the rock work and 175-75 in most other areas which should keep everything happy. I’m sure I will have hiccups starting this fast but I will work through them. Added CUC of 5 hermits, 10 snails, and a couple porcelain crabs because I like them about 1 month in.

2 Months later -

Using Media tower in back with filter floss and carbon, installed spin stream Random Flow Generator. No dosing yet. Using reef crystals.

Current parameters -
NO3 - 11.7
Phosphates - .043
Calcium - 480
Magnesium - 1350
DKH - 9.9
PH 8.0
Sal 1.026

Current st:
Bonded Clownfish pair
5 blue leg hermits
3 porcelain crabs
5 dwarf Trochus snails
2 dwarf Cerith
3 nassarius snails
1 Tiger Conch

Corals:
Pulsing Xenia
GSP
Daisy Cloves
2 Ricordia Mushrooms
2 Duncans
2 Micromussa Lords
6 small zoa colonies
Hammer
Cloudberries Chalice
2 Favias
1 Turbinaria

More corals on the way next week. Adding a couple of torches, more mushrooms, some Gonis, cloves, and some SPS - a couple of Montis, smooth skin acros, and a couple Tenuis. Hoping to do okay with par 250-300 on top of rock. I know the SPS is going to be a challenge in a young tank but they were picked up very cheap or free in the SBB sale. Going to do my best.


7/9/23 updated pics

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Love the aquascape design, can't wait to see the new coral in the tank!!!

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Some updated pics of the tank. This thing filled up fast!
Current parameters:

sal 1.0265
PH 8.0
DKH 9.3
Mag 1400
Calcium 480
Magnesium 1400
Phosphates .06
NO3 12.2

 

[Troylee]

Some updated pics of the tank. This thing filled up fast!
Current parameters:

sal 1.0265
PH 8.0
DKH 9.3
Mag 1400
Calcium 480
Magnesium 1400
Phosphates .06
NO3 12.2

Nice! Looks great!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Some updated pics of the tank. This thing filled up fast!
Current parameters:

sal 1.0265
PH 8.0
DKH 9.3
Mag 1400
Calcium 480
Magnesium 1400
Phosphates .06
NO3 12.2

Love the new coral!!

 

[woodyarmadillo]

I don’t know anything about how well the products work yet, but I just ordered some pods from Dinkins and the customer service has been exceptional. Helpful, Fast, goodies, hand written card even. Wow. Just wanted to pass it on.

 

[Lebowski_]

What a nice tank

 

[woodyarmadillo]

What a nice tank

Thanks it’s a beginner grab bag tank I’d say lol. Just trying to put things that look cool to me in there. My goal is to have an organized looking rock that’s covered with coral with open space around it. I’ll figure it out eventually lol. Don’t know how long it will take before I move to a bigger tank.

 

[NeedAReef]

looks great to me! Keep going and keep posting!

 

[Lebowski_]

Thanks it’s a beginner grab bag tank I’d say lol. Just trying to put things that look cool to me in there. My goal is to have an organized looking rock that’s covered with coral with open space around it. I’ll figure it out eventually lol. Don’t know how long it will take before I move to a bigger tank.

I really like what you did with your rock. I’ve overstocked mine with rock, mostly because that’s how I learned a decade ago, but I’m starting to think it’s not a requirement like it used to be.

Its hard not to daydream about upgrading eh? Haha

 

[woodyarmadillo]

I really like what you did with your rock. I’ve overstocked mine with rock, mostly because that’s how I learned a decade ago, but I’m starting to think it’s not a requirement like it used to be.

Its hard not to daydream about upgrading eh? Haha

Yeah to be fair, I have been adding rock as I go but I think I’m done now. Needed good spots for Zoa garden, didn’t want my invasive GSP and Xenia close to the main stuff then added Gonis and couldn’t find a good spot so they got their own rock. Then one of the Gonis didn’t like the others so he’s got his own rock now lol. There’s different challenges in small spaces and big spaces. I want to have ALOT of coral but don’t want it to look messy, kind of tricky.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

I like the scape and coral placement. They look happy too. Aesthetically pleasing.

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Added a few more mushrooms to this rock from SBB

 

[woodyarmadillo]

SBB Torches!

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Having some issues lately. My hammer has been looking kind of stringy, I think I may have been hitting it with too much flow so I’ve backed off. My zoas have about half of the polyps open most of the time and have hair algae growing on them. The original Tenuis I got has lost its color and polyps retracted. Bumping lights back up. I knew it would be challenging in such a young tank, but I’m going to keep trying. I am also starting to find some Cyanobacteria in spots but I am cleaning it as I find it. I am feeling conflicted because I believe that more flow and less light is the best thing for cyano and algae growth but I have a lot of coral that doesn’t like high flow it seems. My powerhead is placed in an area now where it’s mostly just indirectly hitting the SPS with medium flow and then I have an RFG hitting everything.

My clowns got sick overnight. It appeared to be an ammonia poisoning caused by a few snails getting killed by hermits. Hermits are gone. 2 big water changes and ammonia is under control, clowns are breathing heavily, they wouldn’t eat for about 2 weeks but are starting to eat again. They seem like they are coming around. So I’ve lowered flow, increased lighting, added more snails. Going to work on removing hair algae tomorrow. Watching my nutrients, my phosphate seems to stay pretty low like .006 to .01 and my nitrates creep up but never get any higher than about 14 in between my weekly water changes. I added an in tank back lit refugium to help with nutrient export long term. Going to to try to clean excess algae tomorrow and then leave tank alone for a bit.

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Updated photos. Dipped the hammer that has been struggling and one of my zoa colonies yesterday in lugols. Cleaned up some hair algae. My 2 original Tenuis look pretty poor, new SPS looking okay though. Got them in about 300 par on the top of rock work. Had to move a few mushrooms, that 24k torch is really stretching out and already stinging one of the mushrooms.

Hoping hammer recovers, Zoas start opening more and Tenuis makes a recovery. Adding a few more pieces in a couple weeks and then I’m done adding stuff. This tank is already stocked very heavy.

Current parameters
Sal 1.0265
PH 8.0
DKH 8.8
Mag 1320
Calcium 480
Phos .021
NO3 8.4

 

[woodyarmadillo]

After about 2.5 weeks fish seem to finally back to close to 100% health. They look a lot happier and are eating like crazy again. Feeling a lot better now for sure. Got a few coral health issues, but have to be proud of where I’m at and take a step back to enjoy it. Never going to have every little thing going perfectly. I tend to immediately focus on what’s wrong and don’t spend enough time enjoying it.

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Updated photos. Started using coral snow to get some of the daily algae under control. Seems to be making a big difference already! Thanks @billyocean for the recommendation. Main issue currently is the hammer acting sad. Started dosing magnesium today, going to try to get it up and maintain at 1400+

current parameters

sal 1.026
PH 8.0
DKH 8.7
Mag 1320
Cal 470
Phos .12
NO3 7.5

 

[Salty2021]

Your numbers look good. My tank the nitrates got high. The test kits work wonders

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Your numbers look good. My tank the nitrates got high. The test kits work wonders

Thanks. Yeah discussing with some others, though my mag isn’t in the low range increasing mag a bit may help the hammer recover. Just trying it.