Nano Build - DBS 21 gallon reef ready

[esshoes]

Hello,

After a too-long hiatus of 3 years, I'm finally starting up another tank. I went with a reef-ready Deep Blue Sea 21 gallon tank this time around - 20x20x12. I had a lot of hardware left over from my last build, and purchased some new things for this one, as well.

This is actually my first build with a sump; my other tanks were AIO's, but I like the idea of a more stable tank with the added water volume, and the added benefit of a cleaner look of the display tank. I know I have a long way to go, but I'm very excited to get this tank up and running, and hopefully housing some nice sps, acans, and a couple fish soon!

My old tank in its heyday:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8378/8576362524_74db4cba0b_k.jpg


New Setup:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2813/33073608322_fbdca9abe3_k.jpg
Don't mind the bulk of wires - they will be moved and mounted behind the stand - needed to make sure everything still worked first!


https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3792/33073608132_3b6d5cb598_k.jpg


Tank - Deep Blue Sea reef-ready 21 gallon tank
Stand - JBJ 28 Gallon stand (IIRC)
Light - AI Prime HD
Sump - Eshopps Cube Nano Refugium
Pump -
Heater - Eheim Jager 100W
Powerhead - MP10
Skimmer - Aquatic Wildlife 115 skimmer
ReefKeeper Lite w/ pH and temp probes, ATO via SL1

I bought Bahamas Oolite Live sand and "live water" to help speed up the process of getting the tank up and going.

After remembering some little details the hard way (like not to put the ATO tubing into the water in the sump unless you want a lot of water on the floor, plugging in the ATO pump to an 8 amp plug on the PC4 so it doesn't stay on from residual, etc), I think I'm on my way.

I had to get a Two Little Fishes ball valve to turn the flow down on the return pump, and now that that's installed, the sand isn't blowing around everywhere, which is good. I need to find and bake my old rock, and seed with a new live rock. I'm going to try and give things a while to settle in, as my hope is to keep maintenance needed to a minimum. I'll eventually get a doser to help with that. I plan on running carbon, Chemipure Elite, and a phosphate reducer in the filter sock, chaeto in the fuge, and kalk in the ATO water.

I'm also very impressed with the light so far - it's easily programmed via Wi-Fi, and can be adjusted from anywhere, at any time; and it supplies more than enough light for a tank my size.


I'll do my best to keep this thread updated as I go along, but I wanted to say "hi" again, and look forward to sharing this journey with you (and learning more from this group, as well)!

Ben

[fastest302]

Nice setup can't wait to see the progress.. I recently started a 20g long

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[esshoes]

Thanks Mike. Do you have a build thread?

[fastest302]

Thanks Mike. Do you have a build thread?
I do on here and on *********

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[fastest302]

I updated the post if you wanted to check it out

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[esshoes]

Finally made it to the LFS to get some live and dry rock. Forget how expensive live rock was! Really too bad I lost the pieces I had in my old tank - they were perfectly sized for a small tank. We'll see how many times I need to change everything around before I'm happy with it - hopefully not much!

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/33255321965_2fdffd91af_b.jpg

[Tweaked]

Have never seen the 21. Cool tank size for sure! Look good

[esshoes]

Thank you - it took a bit of time to find one this size (I had my last acrylic tank made to 20x12x12) so I could use my old stand, but it worked out nicely. I'm very excited to get everything stable and start adding two fish and some sps and acans!

[esshoes]

Have an algae bloom starting! Getting closer.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/33481125655_b2010c7454_b.jpg

Next up is a fuge light and a macro algae for the fuge, along with some tisbe pods into the fuge and DT so that when I get a mandarin she has plenty to eat.

[fastest302]

Looking good

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[Tweaked]

Walts 2.0 rock in there?

[esshoes]

Thanks Mike.

Tweaked, I'm actually not sure what kind it is; I just know it's aquacultured. Got it from Krystal Clear in Auburn, along with the dry rock. Haven't really seen any life on the live rock, but things are moving along regardless.

[Tweaked]

Thanks Mike.

Tweaked, I'm actually not sure what kind it is; I just know it's aquacultured. Got it from Krystal Clear in Auburn, along with the dry rock. Haven't really seen any life on the live rock, but things are moving along regardless.

I used the Walts 2.0 for my nano build and seeded it with a small rock from my big system. Great rock and never saw any leaching or algae, and didn't have to stare at white rock for months this time. Keep us posted, looking good sir

[esshoes]

I went back to the lfs this past weekend, figuring I'd get a fuge light and poke around a bit. I also found out that my purple-colored rock was sold as Fiji handcrafted 2.1. I brought a water sample just to see where ammonia and nitrite were at. Turns out I was in the clear for starting a clean up crew; looks like the live sand, water, and half the live rock did speed things up. Got 5 small nassarius snails, along with some caulerpa, to start. It's exciting to see some life in the tank again!

I did have a bit of a scare regarding caulerpa and the huge hassle it can cause if it gets to the DT or goes sexual, so I'm going to be closely monitoring growth and cutting back when necessary, and ensuring it doesn't make its way to the DT.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2928/33409487411_cc0426158a_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/576/33532779686_9c71c05d42_b.jpg

[Tweaked]

Makes sense as the Walts 2.1 is his dry purple rock.

[esshoes]

That's good information to know, appreciate it man

[esshoes]

Algae is gone from the sandbed, the 5 snails are still alive and well, and the caulerpa is growing well in the sump. Next step seems to be adding a fish and perhaps a frag. Not a ton of pods in the system yet, so I'll definitely be adding some tisbe pods before I add a mandarin. Struggling with whether I should put a wrasse in a tank this size again. I had a clown fairy wrasse in my last tank that I absolutely loved, and didn't see any issues with the size constraints, but it's hard to know for sure, I guess. It's either that or a pair of small active fish that aren't clowns. Any ideas?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3897/32783472374_a2a9621ef4_b.jpg


Also found some old pictures of my last tank - makes me anxious to get back to that state (and beyond it this time around)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3870/33585348096_cbaee0ecd0_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3864/32783551664_2549d40f2d_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3867/32783555004_63505aacec_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2843/33469657042_5b1fe4749b_z.jpg

[davered00ss]

Thanks Mike.

Tweaked, I'm actually not sure what kind it is; I just know it's aquacultured. Got it from Krystal Clear in Auburn, along with the dry rock. Haven't really seen any life on the live rock, but things are moving along regardless.

I'm kind of in your area, Canterbury CT. I'll have to check that place out. I have been getting everything at Wet Pets in Vernon. Auburn is a little closer for me. right up 395.

Dave

[esshoes]

Dave, I went there tonight and they're a bit low on fish and corals. I'd suggest maybe waiting a week or two to check it out - they said they have a couple big shipments coming each of the next two weeks

[davered00ss]

Thanks, I can't really do anything until Tuesday anyway. I'm on call for work and need to be close to work in Norwich.

[esshoes]

Got some pods this weekend in anticipation of adding a mandarin when there's enough to sustain her. Also got an orchid dottyback and a clownfish as the first two fish in the new tank. Both acclimated nicely and the dottyback in particular seems right at home. She found a hole in one of the rocks that she likes to rest in. My 3 year old names the dottyback Bunny and the clownfish White :)

I know it's not much yet, but I'm excited to start adding a few nice sps frags, to hopefully grow out into mini colonies.


https://vimeo.com/210163695

[fastest302]

Looks great so far .. love the dottyback

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[esshoes]

Thanks Mike I'm excited she's zooming around and not just hiding ha

[fastest302]

Thanks Mike I'm excited she's zooming around and not just hiding ha
Your lucky lol my.royal gramma loves to hide

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[esshoes]

I got a montipora spongodes about two weeks ago as a test coral. It was pretty bleached but it's slowly regaining it's color. Polyps are out all day and night.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2912/33356549763_cd4d122f40_k.jpg

I also did my first water change about three weeks ago, using tropic Marin pro salt. It's what I used on my previous tank, and the parameters are very good at 1.025 sg.

I did get an outbreak of algae about two days ago; it shortly followed a carbon change and trimming of my caulerpa. I'm wondering if I stirred up some nasties from the caulerpa, as I was by no means delicate in removing it. I'm going to test parameters again tonight or tomorrow. I've been testing all a few times a week and testing all, mag, calc, and phosphates weekly. Hopefully the bloom subsides soon.

Both fish are still doing very well, and I'm seeing an increasing number of pods; hopefully I will be able to add a mandarin soon.

[esshoes]

Everything is going pretty smoothly. Trying to take things slowly, make small changes one at a time, etc. The montipora spongodes is coloring up nicely, and I'm starting to get some coraline growing on the rocks and back corner. Now just need to save up some money for some nice sps frags! I've been using tropic Marin pro salt during bi-weekly water changes, and am one dose into prodibio nano. No ill effects so far, and the water does seem clearer. Algae buildup on the glass has certainly slowed.

https://vimeo.com/219602453

[esshoes]

https://vimeo.com/261571538

The tank has survived a power outage scare where the temperature was below 63 degrees. Somehow everything made it. One of my sps is still nursing itself back to health, but given the circumstances I got very lucky.

I am fighting a majano outbreak, which I have something for but haven't started using it yet.