Orcus Varuna's 29 Gallon Nano-Reef

[Orcus Varuna]

I hope you guys come to enjoy this thread! I started the tank in February and it is really starting to come along nicely. It is a sumpless system that I started with dry rock and a single seeder piece of live. After the demoralizing algae outbreaks that were/are plaguing my tank (from starting with dry rock), I can safely say I will never do that again. Also, after reading many other threads on RC I think I am the only one that likes not having a sump and running a canister filter (Please do not tell me its the canister causing my algae woes as I am a maintenance freak and am running enough phosguard to kill the chaeto in my HOB fuge. Also, I am reading within my hanna checker's margin of error for 0 phosphorous) on a reef tank, but I digress. See below for pictures & my stock/equipment list. I hope this thread takes off!



EQUIPMENT



Lighting: Hydra 52HD & AI Prime HD (currently off for service. I am using 2 old trulumen pro strips until it returns from repair)

Filtration: AC70 (w/ Oceanbox Design overflow box) , Fluval 206 & eShopps PSK-75H skimmer

Fuge: Finnex HOB Refugium lit by a Marineland LED

Circulation: 2 Jebao PP-4 (will be 1 PP-4 and 1 MP10 when MP10 returns from service...)

Heater: Cobalt Neotherm 150

ATO: Smart ATO Micro



STOCK LIST FISH



1 Photon Clown (Amphiprion Percula x Amp. Ocellaris)

1 True Percula (Amphiprion Percula)

1 Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon Okinawae)

1 Algae Blenny (Salarias Fasciatus)

1 Reef Chromis (Chromis Veridis)



STOCK LIST INVERTS



1 Rainbow BTA (Entacmaea Quadricolor)

1 Tridacna Maxima Clam

1 Scarlett Cleaner Shrimp

1 Peppermint Shrimp

Misc. Snails (Trochus, Nerite, Tonga Nassarius, Cerith)

1 Tonga Conch

Multiple Hermits (Red Leg, Scarlett, Thin Stripped, Electric Blue)

1 Tuxedo Urchin

1 Caribbean Serpent Seastar



STOCK LIST CORAL



1 Tubbs Montipora Stellata

1 Reverse Sunset Montipora

1 Jedi Mind Trick Montipora

Misc. Zooanthids/Palythoa (Darth Maul, Owl Eye, Black Cherry, Nuclear, Sponge Bob, Joker, Fire & Ice and a few unnamed)

Misc. Mushrooms (Earth Fire, Barney Roadkill, Ricordea Florida (multiple colormorphs)

GSP

Pom Pom Xenia

Blue Polyps

1 Gold Leptastrea

1 Purple Leptastrea

1 Metallic Green Frogspawn

1 Purple Aussie Branching Hammer








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[Orcus Varuna]

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[Fuel Doodle]

Cool tank! I love nems. I bought one, got a second for cheap and it split. Went to a frag swap and had to have the orange one. Now I have 4... Lol. I'm in the middle of upgrading so soon it won't look so crammed.


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[Fuel Doodle]

Front shot as well just for fun


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[Orcus Varuna]

That's a beautiful cube! I love the GSP on the back wall (gsp is secretly one of my favorite corals) and those nems are very nice! Do your ocellaris host them? My Photon & True Perc have shown no interest at all.

[Fuel Doodle]

My clowns used to host my old nems. Then one hot summer 2 years ago the nems shriveled up and died. After that I tossed my Power compact standard hood out and got myself the small kessil. I added 2 more nems 9 months after the death of the first one, and the clowns couldn't have cared less. Just recently I added the orange nem, and they absolutely love it XD guess some clowns are just weird like that.


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[Orcus Varuna]

It has been awhile since I updated but the tank is really starting to turn the corner. Since the last post I have put a nice dent in my turf algae with some pruning, the addition of an urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) and adding a quart of Marine Pure Spheres. Also, I had a scare with my nem when my cat unplugged his spotlight and he stretched up and almost got sucked in to my Jebao PP4. I promptly ordered a used MP10 on ebay (got a great deal I only paid a little over $100 for an MP10wES!!!!) and put the foam guards on them. I hope you enjoy the pictures!




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[Scurvy Dawg]

Originally Posted by Orcus Varuna

It has been awhile since I updated but the tank is really starting to turn the corner. Since the last post I have put a nice dent in my turf algae with some pruning, the addition of an urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) and adding a quart of Marine Pure Spheres. Also, I had a scare with my nem when my cat unplugged his spotlight and he stretched up and almost got sucked in to my Jebao PP4. I promptly ordered a used MP10 on ebay (got a great deal I only paid a little over $100 for an MP10wES!!!!) and put the foam guards on them. I hope you enjoy the pictures!




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Hey Orcus, if you don't mind me asking. Why in your original post did you say that your algae problems come from the use of dry rock? Are you getting phosphates leaching out of the rock?

[Orcus Varuna]

Originally Posted by Scurvy Dawg

Hey Orcus, if you don't mind me asking. Why in your original post did you say that your algae problems come from the use of dry rock? Are you getting phosphates leaching out of the rock?

Yes no doubt its the only possible source remaining as I have addressed all others. I don't feed heavily, do weekly water changes, clean equipment weekly, skim very wet, RODI water tests for 0 phosphorous with hanna ULR checker and tank water tests very low. Also, I am running double the recommended amount of phosguard changing out one bag every week with my water change and my macro barely grows at all because the water is so nutrient poor. Initially running the system like this led the turf algae to explode but with constant pruning I am beginning to make head way. The turf remaining is looking quite haggard and is loosing its grip on the rock. Also, the spots my urchin mows to clean rock is growing back in with Coraline not turf which is awesome!

I also am convinced I exacerbated my issue first by not pre treating the rock with acid and 2nd I seeded it with a piece of live rock from my lfs providing fuel for whoever dormant algae spores the piece of live rock contained. If I ever start a tank with dry rock again I will definitely acid wash, cook it and go with all dry rock.

I almost forgot, another clue its the dry rock is 2 pieces of slate, the seed rock and my marine pure spheres are not currently and never have grown a single strand of algae.


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[Orcus Varuna]

Well here is an update. I am really beginning to get ahold of the algae issue I am gonna add some more algae eaters here in the next couple of days to hopefully finish it off!!! Also, I decided to finish my apex system and ordered the PM2, 2nd temp probe, conductivity probe (which is pretty much the coolest thing ever), WXM and a new energy bar. I probably should have bought the full system straight from the beginning but it was so much easier to justify piece by piece haha. I hope you all enjoy the updated pics!!!!!


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[Orcus Varuna]

O I also forgot the tank is 8 months old tomorrow!!!!!!!


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[Orcus Varuna]

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