Nano Reef

Gourami Swami

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Has been one month since tank transfer, here's a video from tonight

baby misbar clownfish and a scarlet cleaner shrimp both just came out of quarantine. loving the activity they add to the tank so far. Larger upgrade to keep more fish, and for this guy as he grows, is inevitable.
 

Gourami Swami

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Seems like your fish are doing well. However generally for salt water you cycle your tank for 6 months to stabilize pH, especially if keeping inverts.

Too much surface movement as well.
Everything in this tank was transferred from another tank, total time the system has been running is about 6 months. I wouldn't say 6 months is really necessary though in my opinion, especially when using live rock.
And I don't believe there is too much surface movement, though the jebao is a bit large for the tank. Angling it at the surface deflects the flow from the corals a bit. I do have the jebao on the lowest setting, supposedly 132gph, and then another 50gph pump in the filter, so total 182 gph. The math works out to 27.5x turnover on my tank. The higher flow has many benefits in a reef tank, from gas exchange, to keeping dust off the rocks (so I don't have to turkey-baste the rocks much).
 
Water flow would be more beneficial in a larger tank. Yes, coral reefs do naturally experience large amounts of water flow, but in a nano tank with nano fish I feel they should have a place where they're not always being bounced around.

As for the cycling, if growing anemones any reef aquarist will tell you to cycle for 6 months. I don't know why but it has always worked better than 2 or 3 months for me. I've heard many others have had the same experience. Anyway, if it's working for you, great. Just would recommend doing 6 months in the future.
 

PYRU

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Everything in this tank was transferred from another tank, total time the system has been running is about 6 months. I wouldn't say 6 months is really necessary though in my opinion, especially when using live rock.
And I don't believe there is too much surface movement, though the jebao is a bit large for the tank. Angling it at the surface deflects the flow from the corals a bit. I do have the jebao on the lowest setting, supposedly 132gph, and then another 50gph pump in the filter, so total 182 gph. The math works out to 27.5x turnover on my tank. The higher flow has many benefits in a reef tank, from gas exchange, to keeping dust off the rocks (so I don't have to turkey-baste the rocks much).
I think your flow is fine. Your corals look like they like it. Shrimp is doing good. All is well.

The problem I see is the sw kudzu. Xenia grows so ridiculously fast.
 

PYRU

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Beautiful setup by the way. I'm trying to finish closing on a house and then it's into sw again for me as well
 

Gourami Swami

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Water flow would be more beneficial in a larger tank. Yes, coral reefs do naturally experience large amounts of water flow, but in a nano tank with nano fish I feel they should have a place where they're not always being bounced around.

As for the cycling, if growing anemones any reef aquarist will tell you to cycle for 6 months. I don't know why but it has always worked better than 2 or 3 months for me. I've heard many others have had the same experience. Anyway, if it's working for you, great. Just would recommend doing 6 months in the future.
Thanks, but I'm not growing anenomes in this tank, and a shorter cycle seems to have worked well for me. And as for the flow, the clownfish sleeps in the rocks, the flow is only super high at the top and front of the glass. In the video, the clownfish is looking for food since I had just dropped some flakes in, so he's pacing in the fastest part of the current.

I think your flow is fine. Your corals look like they like it. Shrimp is doing good. All is well.

The problem I see is the sw kudzu. Xenia grows so ridiculously fast.
Beautiful setup by the way. I'm trying to finish closing on a house and then it's into sw again for me as well
Thanks man, yeah the Xenia has gone a bit crazy even with me snipping stems and giving them away pretty often. I love the way it looks when it's overgrown like this, especially now the longest tentacles wrap around the whole backside of the rock. But, it is shading my hammers pretty badly. I think it's time for another big trim.
And sounds like a project, cant wait to see your setup when the time comes!
 
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