ChizerBunoi - 24G JBJ Nano Cube reef journal

[ChizerBunoi]

^^ Thank you for the nice comments.

Later in August, I added on a Aquaticlife 115 protein skimmer. This protein skimmer will fit in the first chamber with a little bit of wiggling. You can't use the suction cup holders and I do have it sitting on a piece of live rock rubble to prop it up to the proper height. You need to ensure that it is on the proper height in order to get the right color skimmate. In this picture, I did not have it adjusted properly and it was really watery. This is after one day of skimming. It took me several weeks before I found the sweet spot.

On a little nano tank like this, if you keep up with regular weekly water changes, you don't need a skimmer. However, I had plans to go away for vacation and wanted to skip my weekly changes to once every two weeks. As soon as I started using the protein skimmer, all my corals got healthier. I think my system was very nutrient rich. Also, I no longer get any type of algae on the glass. I used to have troubles where I have to scrap and clean the glass every 2 - 3 days. My opinion on protein skimmers has changed. I highly recommend them and if your not sure, give it a try.

This is where it will sit. I have it propped up so you can see exactly where. The top of the skimmer lid (black) sits right underneath the lip of the aquarium. Also, I keep my surface skimmer up all the way and make sure that my sump is filled to the very top line of chambers #2 and #3.

The tank is fully stocked right? Muhahah!

Chizer and Bunoi

 

[ChizerBunoi]

September Update

Torch coral has already grown two new heads.

Leather coral - This poor leather coral got stung by the green star polyps. It was so raggity, I pulled it out.

Purple plate coral - my favorite

Purple mushroom

2 Bubble tip anemones

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Open brain

See my new edition? How do you fit more corals into a nano?

I went to a local coral swap and got everything for $5 a frag. Pretty sweet deal since I haven't tried SPS corals much.

This is the Eshopps 12" frag rack with magnetic holder

Sun coral

I'll post October some other day. Cheers.

 

[joy13]

Your tank has matured nicely. We will be expecting an update in about a month or so again.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

^^ Thanks joy13.

October Update

Frogspawn

Purple Plate

Candy Cane

Purple Mushroom

Leather/Toadstool

Hammer

Open Brain

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Zoanthids

Green Star Polyps

Finally got rid of the frag rack.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Chizer and Bunoi - Still happy and having lots of babies. Although, I can't seem to take proper pictures of them lately.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Tank shots

Lol I think i'm so used to my planted tanks, I have a foreground of GSP happening here.

Stay tune for next month: "Out with the old"

"In with the new"

 

[Bige]

Nice pics! Where will you put the new skimmer?

 

[ChizerBunoi]

On the back.

 

[NyteGTI]

wow beautiful tank, in for more!

 

[ChizerBunoi]

NyteGTI - Thank you. Why not start up a journal on your nano?

Another look at the protein skimmer. This is a hang on the back skimmer. It is rated for 4 times more than the volume of my current 24 gallon nano.

Why install this? We'll I want experiment with monthly water changes to eventually no water changes at all. I need to get a good refugium setup first before this can happen though.

Before

After

 

[ChizerBunoi]

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Next time on the same bat channel

 

[Bige]

You are just jumping in with both feet aren't you. The only problem with over skimming is you will have to run it overly wet or overly dry. Looks like it is overly wet right now. Is that bad? I don't think so. Just keep in mind that the two part dosing has a learning curve. Start slow. And test a lot until dialed in. Good luck. Your tank looks great! BTW is that a 150 mh?

 

[Adio800]

How old is your tank!? It's gorgeous

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Bige - Thanks for the tip. I'm looking to have my tank on cruise control. I sure do think that it is time. Yes, that is the Viper 2 HQI 150watt that is sold by JBJ Nano Cube 24. I have a 20K Ushio bulb in there that is almost a year old. I think I'm going to try out the Phoenix 14K bulb next time.

Adio800 - Thanks for the feedback. It has been setup with the HQI for about 14 months now. Prior to this setup, the clowns and liverock were in a similar setup for the past 6 years with the power compact lid instead.

Dosing Pump Update - I decided to go with a dosing pump for two reasons. (1) To cruise control my tank. I only want to do water changes once every month and it will be 4 -5 gallons. (2) I don't enjoy dosing anything into my tank. I have a hard time keeping up with my planted tank so I decided to automate both of them.

I am also using the doser as an automatic top off (tap water - yes I have been very successful on Calgary tap water). I know it evaporates 1 cup each day so I broke it down to 24 doses per day.

Pump #1 - Zooplankton
Pump #2 - Phytoplankton
Pump #3 - ATO
Pump #4 - Proteins and amino acids
Pump #5 - Magnesium
Pump #6 - Alkalinity
Pump #7 - Calcium

The unit is attached to each other via a ps/2 cable.

It will be more organized than this.

Here is a shot of my reef keeper lite. I forgot to take a picture of it in the summer.

Currently, it controls the following:

Temperature

• Heater turns on if it gets too cold
• Heater turns off if it gets too hot
• Fan kicks on if it gets too hot
• HQI lights turns off if it gets too hot

Powerheads and Skimmer

• All turn off based on my schedule
• All turn off as per stand by mode for feeding

Next update, I plan on getting some Chaeto to add to my halimedia and will install a refugium light for chamber #2.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

We'll it has been a long time since I updated this journal. Actually, nobody ever comments or follows my journal so I don't bother.

A lot has happened over the past 4 months.

Nems are Evil
The BTA went on a rampage and killed off my green torch (-$55), duncans (-$25), purple plate (-$75) and a bunch of SPS frags. The BTA is now gone. My clowns never hosted it at all. I have a frogspawn and hammer in there as well and they choose to host the candy canes. sheesh.

Protein skimmer
The large Bubble Magus NAC5e HOB skimmer flooded on me twice. The first time it was because I had no ATO on the tank and the water level dropped too low. This caused too much air to get into the chamber and had everything pour out the top. I then started to use the drain hose as a precaution with a 5lbs bucket. The second time, I decided to give it a good cleaning and then when I went to plug it back in, I forgot to plug in the air intake hose where it meets the mesh wheel pump. This caused water to flood everywhere. This was the end of the skimmer. I purchased it for a future 90 gallon so its not completely wasted. Also, I realized how important a sump is so that was my next item on the list for the 90 gallon.


Nutrient levels
Before, I said that I was goign to go without any water changes from then on. I tested the water in my tank and my nutrient levels were high. Nitrates were about 20 ppm and phosphates were over 0.6 ppm. That was a really dumb idea and I think weekly 30% water changes work out well (24 gallon tank with only 15 gallons of water. I do 5 gallons each week).

In an attempt to bring it down, I removed all the media in the back chambers except for the following:

Chamber One - filter floss and coarse sponge (changed out on a weekly basis at water change). A bag with 4 heaping scoops of ROWAphos (changed out every 2 weeks).
Chamber Two - Digital Aquatics controller thermometer, glass thermometer, Aquatic Life 115 protein skimmer and another sponge (to prevent air bubbles from getting into the tank, this is also changed out on a weekly basis at water change).
Chamber Three - Eheim heater and Maxi-Jet 1200 return pump.

In addition, I decided to go with a Barebottom tank and started siphoning out all the sand with each water change. There was only 5lbs of live sand in there but it sure takes forever to siphon out. I have been very attracted to this system and think that it will work out best for me in the long haul. Nitrates are now less than 5ppm and phosphate is at 0.05ppm.


Dosing
Recently, I decided to take up on sugar dosing. I am currently dosing 1/8 tsp on a daily basis and will slowly increment it up. I'm hoping to be at 0 nitrate in the next month or so.

I had also purchased those Bubble Magus 7 pump dosers which ended up being a huge waste. With regular 30% water changes, there is no need to dose Calcium, Alkalinity or Magnesium.

Also, I stopped dosing food products because they didn't do anything really but contribute to my phosophates. As per my barebottom attempt, I have been religiously using a turkey baster on the live rock to get it clean of detritus. This happens on a daily basis and also feeds the corals at the same time.


Lesson learned, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID (KISS). We get so involed into new methodologies and gadgets that what you already have ends up working best anyways.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Okay, shutup and post some images already.

The two white spots are from my window.

This montipora is the fastest growing SPS in the tank.

This rock was filled with the brown zoas when I first got it, but the electric blue is taking over.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

I still have 2 x Koralia 1s on there. They are both located at the bottom corners of the tank. They were on a wave maker through my controller, but I think it's better having them on constantly.

The SPS corals take forever to grow. All of the frags started to encrust the base first, then they spread out and up.

You can see that everything is brown/green because of the nutrient issue. Only time will bring their colors back.

Boy am I having a bad day. I decided to rearrange my freezer to make room for all the food we purchased from the grocery store. Guess what was left out over night? A bag full of $80 worth of frozen fish food. Most of it was the big bundle packs of silversides, mysis, brine shrimp, etc..