Getting back into hobby with Nuvo Fusion 10g

Actually the cycle is quicker because there isn't the die-off that comes from liverock in my limited experience and quite a bit of reading. I did buy a pod culture and green water after the cycle to kick off some microverts. They'll also come naturally with your corals too of course.

This isn't true. When using dry rock, the bacteria needs to grow and build great enough numbers to convert all the ammonia that would be created in the tank. Using live rock shortcuts this process because the bacteria is already in large enough numbers in the rock. The amount of die-off is negligible unless the rock stays out of water for like 2+ hours.

If you can get live rock from a quality source, I would go this route over dry rock (but that is just my opinion). Everyone always talks about the "pests" that come on live rock, but nobody ever brings up the fact that live rock introduces many beneficial hitchhikers (bristleworms, feather dusters, sponges, etc.).

I used 100% live rock from an established in my tank (8lbs) and didn't even register a cycle.
 
Out of curiousity, have you done a dry rock cycle? Understand how ammonia dosing works? The bacteria reproduces much faster than you might believe, but your experiences differ from mine and that is ok.

Beneficial but not necessary hitchhikers, some of which will come via frags and coral introduction anyway. Is it worth the possible pests, unwanted algae, and unknowns with live rock out of the gate? That is for each of us to decide with every new build.
 
Did some shopping around, haven't found anything that I like for a stand, probably going to break down and get the one that is on sale on marinedepot.

I've done some browsing at a store near me that carries a variety of tank raised clowns, going to see about getting some in the color variations I like. Looking at either gladiator or black ice snowflake.
 
This isn't true. When using dry rock, the bacteria needs to grow and build great enough numbers to convert all the ammonia that would be created in the tank. Using live rock shortcuts this process because the bacteria is already in large enough numbers in the rock. The amount of die-off is negligible unless the rock stays out of water for like 2+ hours.

If you can get live rock from a quality source, I would go this route over dry rock (but that is just my opinion). Everyone always talks about the "pests" that come on live rock, but nobody ever brings up the fact that live rock introduces many beneficial hitchhikers (bristleworms, feather dusters, sponges, etc.).

I used 100% live rock from an established in my tank (8lbs) and didn't even register a cycle.

I'm currently cycling my 10 gallon nano with uncured gulf live rock. Had a couple of sponges and barnacles die on me giving an ammonia spike, but it's been a week and a half and my levels are starting to drop. No more dead stuff and the LIFE is amazing. Copepods, amphipods, snails, a hermit, tunicates, feather duster worms, encrusting sponges, macro algae, spionid worms, limpets, different colors of corraline, and baby cup corals. I also got a harmless little sea slug that has been eating pods, a pistol shrimp that I've only heard, and one or two TINY gorilla crabs that I'll trap out eventually and throw in my fuge. And that's just all I can see with my eyes. The microbial biodiversity must be insane.

Perhaps you could cycle with dead rock and then add a few pounds of live to populate the tank. I can see why you'd want to go the dead route, but good live rock will add so much more to your tank. Just my two cents :rollface:
 
That was my original plan professor sweat. A base of dry rock to do aquascaping the way I'd like and a few smaller pieces of live rock to seed the tank with.
 
I have the Nuvo 20

I got the ghost mate protein skimmer and am just using the sock for filtration. Where should this Media rack go??.. I am not fully understand the purpose and necessity of it..
 
I have the Nuvo 20

I got the ghost mate protein skimmer and am just using the sock for filtration. Where should this Media rack go??.. I am not fully understand the purpose and necessity of it..

The media basket goes in the 1st chamber (where your overflow is). In the IM 20 I think you actually have 2 of these chambers. It is a method of directing your water through a variety of filtration media.

Typically the first layer will be filter floss to physically remove any detritus and prevent it from being suspended in the water column. After the filter floss is where people diverge on what they put in the media baskets. I run mine with chemi-pure elite, then purigen. I run the chemi-pure elite for carbon/gfo, and then the purigen is a resin based filter media that absorbs organics before they can break down and pollute the water.
 
I have the Nuvo 20

I got the ghost mate protein skimmer and am just using the sock for filtration. Where should this Media rack go??.. I am not fully understand the purpose and necessity of it..

The media basket goes in the 1st chamber (where your overflow is). In the IM 20 I think you actually have 2 of these chambers. It is a method of directing your water through a variety of filtration media.

Typically the first layer will be filter floss to physically remove any detritus and prevent it from being suspended in the water column. After the filter floss is where people diverge on what they put in the media baskets. I run mine with chemi-pure elite, then purigen. I run the chemi-pure elite for carbon/gfo, and then the purigen is a resin based filter media that absorbs organics before they can break down and pollute the water.
 
I'm currently cycling my 10 gallon nano with uncured gulf live rock. Had a couple of sponges and barnacles die on me giving an ammonia spike, but it's been a week and a half and my levels are starting to drop. No more dead stuff and the LIFE is amazing. Copepods, amphipods, snails, a hermit, tunicates, feather duster worms, encrusting sponges, macro algae, spionid worms, limpets, different colors of corraline, and baby cup corals. I also got a harmless little sea slug that has been eating pods, a pistol shrimp that I've only heard, and one or two TINY gorilla crabs that I'll trap out eventually and throw in my fuge. And that's just all I can see with my eyes. The microbial biodiversity must be insane.

Perhaps you could cycle with dead rock and then add a few pounds of live to populate the tank. I can see why you'd want to go the dead route, but good live rock will add so much more to your tank. Just my two cents :rollface:

Just watch for that "pistol shrimp" it may end up being a mantis shrimp instead
 
I know I haven't updated this thread in a long time, for that I apologize, however as I said I was slowly getting everything together. I have most of my needed supplies to finally get the tank up and running. All I am waiting on is my stand which arrives in the mail tomorrow! Super excited :rollface:

Today I finished aquascaping my dry rock into what I wanted as a base:

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All the rocks are held together and to the plastic base using Oceans Wonders epoxy putty for those wondering.

My LFS has vats of live rock so I will have to go hunting for some good pieces that will fit into the rock work, I'm hoping to add some sort of hiding spot towards the rear right so I'll be looking for rocks to add that effect.

After the stand comes tomorrow I'll put it together. Once stand is set to go I'll get water in with the arag-alive and everything running on the tank.

The excitement is building.

How long should I run the tank with just the base rock and arag-alive? Do I need to add anything to get the bacteria on the arag-alive to start working?
 
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Added the live rock. May have gotten a bit more than intended, but I can always take some out later for aquascaping and as I add corals.

Also added on a vortech powerhead. Last piece of equipment to get up and running is the ATO.

Will get the ATO up and running soon as well as doing fishless cycle for the next two weeks with Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride solution. Once the tests are good after that I will add some livestock!

I'll also update with pictures once the water clears up some more, still a bit cloudy/bubbly.

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Thoughts on livestock:

Contemplating a pistol shrimp/goby combo, they were really fun to watch in my last tank and having them in here would be nice.

I am still thinking of going with a cool colored pair of clownfish. I really like the snowflake/black ice or gladiator colorations of clowns.

If I do get clowns, what is everyone's opinions on anemones for them?
Are they too much trouble?
Will they push out all the corals and grow too big?
Am I better off just getting a LPS coral that will act the same way for the clowns?

Mandarin Dragonettes used to be pretty much impossible to keep but my LFS has a few that are eating frozen mysis. Are they possible to keep if that is the case?
 
After my first day of dosing Dr. Tims I was measuring:
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrate
0 Nitrite

I had my chemical filtration (chemipure and purigen) still in the tank and I think it was doing too good of a job. So I pulled it out. Sure enough after dosing again and re-measuring after 24 hours:
.25 Ammonia
0-0.1 Nitrite
2 Nitrate

Looks like tank is cycling, will continue to dose dr.tim's each day and monitor levels.
 
Looks good! I would advise against the mandarin. Even ones eating prepared foods still need live food. Frozen is a supplement only really.
 
Update on parameters:
Salinty: steady 1.025
Temp: 80
pH: 7.68
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0.75
Nitrate: 25

pH seems to be on the low end, possibly due to the bacteria using up a lot of the oxygen?

nitrite and nitrate have gone up, will let the system go without dosing for a day and check again levels tomorrow.
 
Here's after about a day with no dosing:

Temp: 79
pH: 8.19
Ammonia: 0.20? Its lighter than .25 but not white
Nitrite: 0.75
Nitrate: 50
 
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