Lucas's 20g nano - Page 12

Babydaull · 09/20/2016, 10:06 AM

I did the first of many water changes last night. I will be doing a bunch of small water changes for a little bit just to get the system adjusted to the new salt mixture. With everything being set up for salt making this will help with weekly water changes. My anemone has been looking like crap lately and my corals are not opening as much and this is because my nitrates are through the roof. By the end of this process I will be doing weekly 2-3 gallon water changes. Hopefully in the next month or so, we will see a great change to my tank.

Babydaull · 09/22/2016, 09:54 AM

Here is a picture of the new bicolor hammer coral I got over the weekend. I bought with four heads and I got a nice deal on it!

Babydaull · 09/22/2016, 09:58 AM

Water changes are going nicely. At one gallon a day, it takes like 5-10 minutes to do it. I wouldnt stay the corals are looking better but they are still opening and closing every day so that's a good sign.

ssick92 · 09/22/2016, 12:15 PM

I LOVE the B-Ionic salt. It mixes almost instantly (can be used 20min after mixing) as opposed to to having to wait 12+ hours after mixing to put in the tank. It is slightly more expensive, but you get the exact same parameters every time.

I switched a couple years ago during one of my previous tanks and will never go back to anything else. If you can splurge the extra few bucks, your tank will love you for it.

Babydaull · 09/22/2016, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssick92

I LOVE the B-Ionic salt. It mixes almost instantly (can be used 20min after mixing) as opposed to to having to wait 12+ hours after mixing to put in the tank. It is slightly more expensive, but you get the exact same parameters every time.

I switched a couple years ago during one of my previous tanks and will never go back to anything else. If you can splurge the extra few bucks, your tank will love you for it.

alright I have too check that out!

ReefWreak · 09/22/2016, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssick92

I LOVE the B-Ionic salt. It mixes almost instantly (can be used 20min after mixing) as opposed to to having to wait 12+ hours after mixing to put in the tank. It is slightly more expensive, but you get the exact same parameters every time.

I switched a couple years ago during one of my previous tanks and will never go back to anything else. If you can splurge the extra few bucks, your tank will love you for it.

Yeah, I've switched to B-Ionic 2 part for similar reasons, from the BRS 2 part. Just much easier to deal with, more concentrated, though a bit more expensive as well. B-Ionic make solid products.

Babydaull · 09/22/2016, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Yeah, I've switched to B-Ionic 2 part for similar reasons, from the BRS 2 part. Just much easier to deal with, more concentrated, though a bit more expensive as well. B-Ionic make solid products.

until my coral loads increases I probably wont even have to use 2-part with the coral pro salt.

Babydaull · 09/24/2016, 10:35 AM

I am now a huge believer in water changes, never again will I neglect water changes. I've been doing one gallon water changes for the past five nights just too acclimate my system to a new salt and the changes are crazy! I had two acans I thought had died because I could see their skeleton. Over the past 5 days they are inflating and look great. Pretty much all of my euphillia corals are open and the tank looks great!

Babydaull · 09/25/2016, 10:28 AM

I've had this acan for awhile and when I first got it, it did amazing and even grew two more heads but then I got busy and stopped doing water changes, the two new heads died and the other two started shrinking. I pretty much doomed the acan dead because I could see its skeleton. but after 5 days of water changes and probably correcting my nitrates I saw this last night!

It doesn't look amazing or back to normal but its actually inflated and I hope this is a good sign that it is on the road to recovery.

Babydaull · 09/25/2016, 10:34 AM

My new bi colored hammer is doing great! the color has returned to my pink tipped torch coral, and above the torch coral is the florida recordia mushroom that is doing really well.

Other corals in that picture, the one on the bottom right is suppose to be a Duncan. I bought it closed which I found out was a really bad idea because it has been the tank 4 weeks and hasn't opened once. too the left of my bicolored hammer is a new Miami hurricane frag I got!

Babydaull · 09/25/2016, 10:36 AM

Here is a current FTS!

Babydaull · 09/26/2016, 04:25 PM

Updated shot of the rescue torch I got awhile back. This coral has come a long way and looks really good!

Babydaull · 09/27/2016, 11:56 PM

My clownfish pair in their green bubble tip anemone! I love this relationship between the clownfish and anemones!

Babydaull · 09/28/2016, 12:01 AM

I have no clue if this will work or if the quality is great but here is a video I got of my clownfish and their anemone tonight!

Babydaull · 09/28/2016, 09:57 AM

Should I have my salinity close to 1.024 than 1.026?

ReefWreak · 09/28/2016, 12:36 PM

Either will be fine. If you want to be prepared, I guess you could leave it at 1.024 in case you ever need to not top off for a while, it'll give you more headroom that way before you need a top off.

ssick92 · 09/28/2016, 02:11 PM

Glad the water changes are helping bring back some life. Is there even any tissue left on the duncan? Looks like it could just be a dead skeleton at this point... Hard to tell from the pictures.

Babydaull · 09/29/2016, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssick92

Glad the water changes are helping bring back some life. Is there even any tissue left on the duncan? Looks like it could just be a dead skeleton at this point... Hard to tell from the pictures.

This is the most I've ever seen it open. It does this every night usually when the lights start dimming down.

RcManChild · 09/30/2016, 12:06 AM

I myself just got a 20 gallon Nuvo, tank is awesome.
I am now 1.5 weeks into cycling the tank...
I'll start a different thread and we can compare.

Babydaull · 09/30/2016, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RcManChild

I myself just got a 20 gallon Nuvo, tank is awesome.
I am now 1.5 weeks into cycling the tank...
I'll start a different thread and we can compare.

Awesome man! Yeah between everyone commenting and stuff that I've posted you should have a lot of answers to the questions I had when I started my tank!
Feel free to ask any questions as you go through cycling and afterwards!
Good luck!

Babydaull · 10/03/2016, 09:01 AM

So this weekend was very interesting. This is such a beginner thing to do. the hand to the forehead kind of thing haha. All my corals seemed like they were just being blasted by flow in the tank and it actually made it really hard to place corals in the tank. Then it finally hit me. I have a LPS dominant tank. Most LPS prefer medium flow. I know every coral is different but the average flow is medium for LPS. So when placing coral I was thinking more along the lines of where is there medium flow in my tank which "spots" don't get that much flow and this is how I was placing my corals. And then it hit me. I have a 425 gph pump, 240 gph pump and a 211 gph return pump. So this was 876 gallons per hour for my tank. So 43 time turn over. I laughed so hard when I figured this out. I turned off the 425 model, so now I have a 240 pump and the 211 return pump. The tank had a huge change. The coralsl don't look like they are being blasted. They are inflating more and even my fish are acting different. My flame tail blenny which I NEVER see is actually out and swimming and chilling in places he has never chilled in before. Such a newbie thing to do, at least I made the realization tho

Babydaull · 10/03/2016, 01:14 PM

Now that I think I have my nitrates in line what seems to be the best nitrate test kit out? What do you guys like to use?

ReefWreak · 10/03/2016, 03:18 PM

Most of the main brands are fine. I like the API because it's simple, and basically becomes yellow = good, red = bad. But Salifert are always good.

Babydaull · 10/03/2016, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Most of the main brands are fine. I like the API because it's simple, and basically becomes yellow = good, red = bad. But Salifert are always good.

Alright I'll have to order one of those, any recommendations on a ro/di system?

ssick92 · 10/03/2016, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babydaull

Alright I'll have to order one of those, any recommendations on a ro/di system?

I would recommend the Salifert nitrate kit as it will be a lot more precise than the API kit and give you better insight into your tank's stability and parameters.

And for the RO/DI I always recommend either the BRS, Marine Depot, or SpectraPure systems depending on what your budget is.

SpectraPure is the most expensive, but generally regarded as the best, BRS is probably the most popular, but then Marine Depot came out with the Kleanwater systems to compete with BRS. I went with the Kleanwater 100gpd Advanced system because it gets slightly more gpd than BRS for the same price, and you get 15% off all replacement filters. Whatever system you get you want to make sure it comes with an inlet pressure gauge and dual TDS meter so you can guarantee your water is 0 TDS.

09/20/2016, 10:06 AM	#276
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	The start of a better looking tank I did the first of many water changes last night. I will be doing a bunch of small water changes for a little bit just to get the system adjusted to the new salt mixture. With everything being set up for salt making this will help with weekly water changes. My anemone has been looking like crap lately and my corals are not opening as much and this is because my nitrates are through the roof. By the end of this process I will be doing weekly 2-3 gallon water changes. Hopefully in the next month or so, we will see a great change to my tank.

09/22/2016, 09:54 AM	#277
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	New coral Here is a picture of the new bicolor hammer coral I got over the weekend. I bought with four heads and I got a nice deal on it!

09/22/2016, 09:58 AM	#278
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Maintence Water changes are going nicely. At one gallon a day, it takes like 5-10 minutes to do it. I wouldnt stay the corals are looking better but they are still opening and closing every day so that's a good sign.

09/22/2016, 12:15 PM	#279
ssick92 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: San Clemente, CA Posts: 911	I LOVE the B-Ionic salt. It mixes almost instantly (can be used 20min after mixing) as opposed to to having to wait 12+ hours after mixing to put in the tank. It is slightly more expensive, but you get the exact same parameters every time. I switched a couple years ago during one of my previous tanks and will never go back to anything else. If you can splurge the extra few bucks, your tank will love you for it. __________________ John IM Nuvo 10g Mixed Reef Nano \| Kessil A160we \| Mp10QD \| Osmolator Nano

09/24/2016, 10:35 AM	#283
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Blown away I am now a huge believer in water changes, never again will I neglect water changes. I've been doing one gallon water changes for the past five nights just too acclimate my system to a new salt and the changes are crazy! I had two acans I thought had died because I could see their skeleton. Over the past 5 days they are inflating and look great. Pretty much all of my euphillia corals are open and the tank looks great!

09/25/2016, 10:28 AM	#284
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	effects of water changes I've had this acan for awhile and when I first got it, it did amazing and even grew two more heads but then I got busy and stopped doing water changes, the two new heads died and the other two started shrinking. I pretty much doomed the acan dead because I could see its skeleton. but after 5 days of water changes and probably correcting my nitrates I saw this last night! It doesn't look amazing or back to normal but its actually inflated and I hope this is a good sign that it is on the road to recovery.

09/25/2016, 10:34 AM	#285
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	things that are going well My new bi colored hammer is doing great! the color has returned to my pink tipped torch coral, and above the torch coral is the florida recordia mushroom that is doing really well. Other corals in that picture, the one on the bottom right is suppose to be a Duncan. I bought it closed which I found out was a really bad idea because it has been the tank 4 weeks and hasn't opened once. too the left of my bicolored hammer is a new Miami hurricane frag I got!

09/25/2016, 10:36 AM	#286
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	4.5 months Here is a current FTS!

09/26/2016, 04:25 PM	#287
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Torch Updated shot of the rescue torch I got awhile back. This coral has come a long way and looks really good!

09/27/2016, 11:56 PM	#288
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Probably my favorite thing about my tank My clownfish pair in their green bubble tip anemone! I love this relationship between the clownfish and anemones!

09/28/2016, 12:01 AM	#289
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	anemone video I have no clue if this will work or if the quality is great but here is a video I got of my clownfish and their anemone tonight!

09/28/2016, 09:57 AM	#290
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Should I have my salinity close to 1.024 than 1.026?

09/28/2016, 12:36 PM	#291
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	Either will be fine. If you want to be prepared, I guess you could leave it at 1.024 in case you ever need to not top off for a while, it'll give you more headroom that way before you need a top off.

09/28/2016, 02:11 PM	#292
ssick92 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: San Clemente, CA Posts: 911	Glad the water changes are helping bring back some life. Is there even any tissue left on the duncan? Looks like it could just be a dead skeleton at this point... Hard to tell from the pictures. __________________ John IM Nuvo 10g Mixed Reef Nano \| Kessil A160we \| Mp10QD \| Osmolator Nano

09/30/2016, 12:06 AM	#294
RcManChild Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 75	I myself just got a 20 gallon Nuvo, tank is awesome. I am now 1.5 weeks into cycling the tank... I'll start a different thread and we can compare.

10/03/2016, 09:01 AM	#296
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Flow So this weekend was very interesting. This is such a beginner thing to do. the hand to the forehead kind of thing haha. All my corals seemed like they were just being blasted by flow in the tank and it actually made it really hard to place corals in the tank. Then it finally hit me. I have a LPS dominant tank. Most LPS prefer medium flow. I know every coral is different but the average flow is medium for LPS. So when placing coral I was thinking more along the lines of where is there medium flow in my tank which "spots" don't get that much flow and this is how I was placing my corals. And then it hit me. I have a 425 gph pump, 240 gph pump and a 211 gph return pump. So this was 876 gallons per hour for my tank. So 43 time turn over. I laughed so hard when I figured this out. I turned off the 425 model, so now I have a 240 pump and the 211 return pump. The tank had a huge change. The coralsl don't look like they are being blasted. They are inflating more and even my fish are acting different. My flame tail blenny which I NEVER see is actually out and swimming and chilling in places he has never chilled in before. Such a newbie thing to do, at least I made the realization tho

10/03/2016, 01:14 PM	#297
Babydaull Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 465	Nitrate test Now that I think I have my nitrates in line what seems to be the best nitrate test kit out? What do you guys like to use?

10/03/2016, 03:18 PM	#298
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	Most of the main brands are fine. I like the API because it's simple, and basically becomes yellow = good, red = bad. But Salifert are always good.