Idisc's 24G Aquapod

[idisc]

Well I know that I started the 20L SPS Reef build, but I was able to get my hands on another AIO tank instead.

Tank Build:
- 24G Aquapod
- 165watt Full Spec Chinese LED Box
- 21lbs Live Rock
- 1" Live Sand (Est 20#)
- Jebao RW-8 (Yes Super Overkill)
- JBJ ATO with Aqualifter pump with 3g bowfront RO/DI holding tank
- 200watt Heater

First I was skeptical about getting this tank after a bunch of research. The back compartments were setup in a way that the entire tank would lose water at the same time from evaporation. Solution was to modify the overflow to level out the display.

In return this also created a true overflow from the display to the back end of the tank. While the two chambers in the back were also poorly designed I have been able to correct the flow to my liking. Still have some modifications to do, but for now all is working.

Current Mods & Changes:

- Removed Lid + Lights
- Upgraded the return to a Maxijet 1200
- Blocked the overflow slots with plexi to create a true overflow
- Running Floss & Chemi-pure Elite in chamber one.

"Possible" Upcoming Mods & Changes:

- Installing either a Protein Skimmer or InTank Media Basket in Chamber One.
- Modify the false wall between the back chambers for more water volume.
- Installing Bio pellet Reactor

Current Fish Stock & Plans:

- 2x Clowns (From my 72G)
- Mandarin Goby (Once I find one eating frozen)

Inverts & CUC:

- 1x Cleaner Shrimp
- 1x Peppermint Shrimp
- 2x Coral Banded Sea Star
- 5x Turbos
- 2x Zombie Snails
- Handful of Hermits

I am very interested in hearing stocking ideas. All I know for sure right now is that I am keeping my clowns. I decided not to add any of my RBTA as they are just to large and the tank is not big enough. I first started this tank with the mindset of just chalice corals and sps. Once I began stocking it the tank filled out nicely with all my other corals.

I am still going to be mainly focusing SPS corals, but for now this is what we are working with.

Corals:

- Huge Green Button Coral
- Orange Plate with purple tentacles
- 4 Head Bi-Color Frogspawn
- 2 Head Toxic Green Hammer
- Purple Torch
- Small Green Birds Nest Frag
- Green Poci
- Decent Size Red Monti (Grew from small frag)
- 10+ Head Duncan
- Paly Garden on the left (Mowie Wowie, Hornets, Nuclear, Money ect..)
- Zoa Garden on the right (Bunch of idk the names lol)
- Green Slimer Frag
- Lava Arco Frag
- Multi Multi Colored Lobo
- Bubble Gum Chalice Frag
- Peach Zombie Chalice
- Few Other Chalice I forget the names
- Kryptonite Chalice
- 6 Head Red Acan (Not sure he's making the switch)
- War Coral Frag
- Maze Brain Frag (Not sure he's making the switch)

There were some others, but I sold them.

As far as dosing is concerned I am dosing Fusion Part 1 & 2 & Mag. I am switching to B-Ionic once these run out. I will be purchasing a Jebao DP-4 Dosing Unit tomorrow and a Reek Keeper Unit also. I am going to be doing 5 gallon water changes weekly which is roughly 20%. I also currently use Reef Crystals and will be switching to "Salinity" once this is gone.

Tank Parameters:

- Salinity 1.026
- Temp 78.5
- Alk 8
- Calc 440
- Mag 1350-1380

Please comment and let me know your thoughts and concerns. Will update as much as possible. Enough will all this text. Here are some pictures

 

[idisc]

 

[idisc]

 

[idisc]

 

[idisc]

Trying to use different filters to show the true colors of the corals...bad camera phone lol - Also the plate coral is to the left of the huge button coral. Needs to be moved lol

 

[BattleAthletics]

Nice! Do you have one of those intank media baskets?

 

[idisc]

No, but I am thinking about getting one for chamber one. Gonna use that or a Skimmer. Undecided.

 

[BattleAthletics]

I bought one they're sweet, I just don't have an aquapod anymore but it fits nicely back there, and with an aqua c remora nano it wild fit perfectly.

 

[idisc]

The remora and the basket both fit in there together ( same chamber) if that is the case, I will be doing that.

 

[BattleAthletics]

Basket will take up almost all the space on the overflow, skimmer was on the left side of mine when I had one.

 

[idisc]

Oh in the return section? I figure 20% WC might be better than a skimmer, but I want to keep a lot of Sps and a skimmer would help

 

[pelphrey]

How do you like that light?

 

[idisc]

They are great. I know some people rag of them bc there not radions...but for 100$ you can't beat it. Very powerful, sleak looking and great growth. I don't even feed corals. No need with these. You get a 5$ timer for sunset / sunrise and your golden

 

[idisc]

Figured I would post a few pictures after the tank has been running for a few days. All the levels seem great and all has opened nice. Even the acans have come around and started looking much better. Still not completely open, but on there way.

See there is a nice plate in there somewhere lol.

Paly garden

Acans making a come back

 

[idisc]

Ducans getting used to flow and opening. Little shot of zoa garden

Shot on my tryee sunset monti

Paly garden continued / purple torch

Green Slimer looking good

Some of the KZ products I dose daily

 

[BattleAthletics]

Second nicest aquapod I've ever seen, have you seen Jacob nanos old aquapod?

 

[idisc]

No, do you have a link?

 

[BattleAthletics]

Check your messages

 

[idisc]

I been searching for a good protein skimmer to use, but after a good amount of research I have decided to not use one for now. I am going to be using the InTank media basket with floss on top, chemi-pure elite hanging from shelf 2 and then purigen pouch on shelf 2.

This should allow for a good amount of filtration on top of 20% weekly wc's. I'm trying to use the least amount of equipment as possible and achieve similar results. This will hopefully remove the need for carbon / gfo reactor and skimmer.

I still plan to add a bio-pellet reactor in the future based upon my nitrate / phosphate readings. I am currently keeping the water level in the back of the tank pretty low until I get in the media basket. This was just a precaution against ATO overflow.

I am currently searching for a "sleeker" looking heater or smaller one overall to remove it from the display. This 200watt I'm sure is overkill and very long. I am also looking to find a RKL to monitor my levels better.

I am also going to be adding a few more KZ products into my daily dosing. ZEOstart, ZEOfood and ZEObak

 

[idisc]

Little Update:

Well recently I have moved and this was not expected. Although the move went good and everything survived, the hardest part was putting the tank back together. I attempted to look at past pictures, but it was not easy. I think that the tank came out looking even better than before.

I did my first 20% WC this week and the readings were the following just before:

- NitrAte: 5
- Phos: Undetectable
- Salinity 1.026
- Temp: Stay Between 78.1 - 78.8
- Alk 8 - I just noticed I wrote my starting Alk at 8, but it was 10. Goal is "9"
- Calc 420
- Mag 1350

From this understanding it seems that my tank is losing about .25ml of Alk & Calc each day. After my 20% WC my levels evened out to 9Alk, 460Calc which I am fine with. I am still going to dose to keep my levels as stable as possible.

Over this time I have also added a few additions to the tank:

Chalice's: Widow Maker (2.5" across with deep red and purple), Rainbow (Small, but looks amazing), Hollywood Stunner

Acros: Lemonade Frag, Fuzzy Frag (Red w/ Yellow Polyps), Lava Frag (Red w/ Orange Polyps, Tri-Color Bali Frag, 2x unknown colonies (Ones purple with green tips / poylps and one is very yellow with a 2nd stalk with branches that looks blue with purple polyps.

Monti: Seasons Greeting

Palys: Rose Nebulas

Fish: Yellow Headed Jaw Fish - I saw him and just fell in love. I wanted the blue spotted jaw fish, but for $130 I chose more corals lol.

Here are a few pictures of the tank. I will try and get some of the individual pieces tonight or tomorrow. Just letting everyone settle in.

This is the view from laying down in bed.

Do you like the aquascape better than before?

Close up of the sps and the widowmaker chalice.