Nuvo 38 build 2 years

[Screwhead25]

I wanted to post my current tank and show some photos of my setup. I will post some photos and try to comment where applicable, but feel free to ask questions about any "how's and whys". Everything has a reason...I have had this tank for about 2 years and it has gone from a simple "basic setup" to a "frankentank" with new bells and whistles.

At this point:
Nuvo 38
Dual spin streams
Aqua gadget skimmer
Media is Chemipure elite and Purigen
Jbj ATO controller paired with IM aqua gadget ATO pump
CPR HOB refugium and light (large) w/ chaeto and gracillaria
Jäger heater with finnex controller for fail safe
AI hydra w/ controller
Vortexes MP10wes plus 2 additional PH

Other fun equipment utilized...
Red Sea Ca, Mg, KH test kit
API reef test kit
Hannah meter PO3
Refractometer
BRS RODI (reef crystals)
Majano wand
Julian's thing
36 inch bamboo skewers (tons of uses)
And the usual reef junk...

Live Stock
2 ocellaris clowns
1 tricolored wrasse
1 mean damsel banished to refugium
Watchman goby and tiger pistol shrimp
1 blue tuxedo urchin
1 scarlet cleaner
1 fire shrimp
1 sexy shrimp
1 maxi anemone
1 large Long tentacled anemone
1 sea apple

About a dozen:
Nerites
Ceriths
Dwarf planaxis (should have got 100)
Dwarf ceriths
3 hermits
2 tiger conchs
1 large stomatella
8 nassarius

Corals off the top of my head...
Soft coral:
Zoas-pink, yellow polyps, oranges, blues, greens, etc..
Neon green Nepthea
Kenya tree
Anthelia weeds...

LPS:
Frogspawn
Purple maze brain
Duncan's
Diploblastrea (I think)
Meteor shower cyphastrea
Torch coral
Blastmusa coral

SPS:
Green Montipora digitata
Orange montipora digitata
Green montipora capricornis
Orange montipora capricornis
Pink birds nest
Birds of paradise birds nest
Screaming green birds nest
Orange guttatus birds nest
Cadmium pocillapora (looks green to me)
Blue ridge coral
Red planet acro
Tri-color valida
Sky blue echinata
Purple with purple tip acro
Garf bonsai
Mike paletta turquoise lavelli
PC rainbow acro
Blue voodoo acro
Stubers stag horn acro
Verde acro
Montipora spondages
Ora blue chalice
Yellow porites (finicky little b******s)

Photos if I did this right...

 

[Screwhead25]

Continued...

 

[Screwhead25]

Those photos where all taken with my iPad for growth references. Forgive the quality, especially near the top of the tank where the lights are more intense. Also these photos do not exactly reflect the tank currently. Many of these corals have grown or encrusted a bit more. Some where moved do to aggressive interactions...one final bit, my tank is not perfect and I have experienced some very annoying outbreaks and problems including: dinoflagellates, aggressive fish, lingering nitrates, diatoms, swarms of collonista snails (beyond any good), vermitids, and now a hopefully mortally wounded gorilla crab and a huge polyclad flatworm which evades all my efforts...my advice to all is never over react! Read read read, and form a plan of action reflective of the severity of the problem....and I could not find much info on Marine SAT when my tank cycled and had lingering HAir algae...it works!

 

[tattozabo88]

That's a awesome Nuvo setup I have one as well gave me some great ideas I like the hob refugium

 

[terrypercula]

Looks great! I'm running a HOB fuge on my 40 breeder. Do you feel the flow is to low on yours as well. I was thinking of adding a small power head in mine.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

[Moved]

 

[Screwhead25]

Well...the hob is not without its flaws. First as an AIO, this aquarium really was not designed to accept a hob. I went with the largest model that I could squeeze onto the tank. I had a problem with lingering nitrates and phosphates and wanted to have a good mass of macro(no algae problems, but The potential was there). Once you consider the sump area being behind the tank...then add the width of the hob, then the setup seems kinda far off the wall. Flow is another issue. Since the outflow is emptying into the far left chamber and into the media basket, I was forced to reduce the flow into the hob to about half. Otherwise the overflow into the pump chamber is so violent it pulls air down to the pump and I end up with micro bubbles in the display. Also the pump feeding the hob is located in the second chamber on the right...so too much water and the pump drains the chamber faster than the overflow can refill it...and I get micro bubbles in the fuge. Worried about that a bit, but I have great growth nonetheless. I actually had a power head in the fuge but it stayed clogged with loose chaeto and really only pushed the chaeto under the affluent overflow and out of good light...I removed it to no real detriment. For the fuge light it does get hot, but the only way to minimize light spilling into DT is to remove the brackets and lay it directly on the fuge. I think the heat gain is a wash with the added evaporation at the outflow. Look at the spec sheets for the Nuvos and the hob to determine where your hob pump and outflow will fall in the sump. Don't want either in the pump chamber...microbubbles! Got a free blue damsel to a good home around Houston. He is living in the fuge for now.