Owners Thread: Innovative Marine Fusion 40

[choss]

I'm interested if you guys/gals could give me a list of your livestock in your tank. No clean up crew or corals. Just fish, inverts, clams etc. Again this is the smallest tank I've ever had so I want to make sure not to overload, but I do want some livestock. I don't mind (and am religious about) weekly water changes, sometimes 2. So I can go a little heavy on the bio-load. Right now I have two snowflake clowns.

Considering I had a disaster this week which caused me to lose my two clowns, I will give you a list of what I wil keep.

Tailspot blenny - he's in the tank now.

To be added:
2 clowns (will be added when all is stable and I feel confident that I've dealt with my issue and of course after QT period).
One shrimp w. various hermits (one Halloween hermit for sure - I have about 6 in my CUC as it stands).
One or two clams.
One six line wrasse or mandarin (only if I can find one that is eating frozen plus I have a 3 gallon refugium hanging off the back where I'm hoping to grow pods safely for a steady supply of food).
Maybe a clown goby or similar small fish

Things will change I'm sure as my tank settles in. Its about 4 months running - things were perfect for a while, I started adding stock cautiously and had my first major setback last week. Just go slow (and don't add stuff before going away - I made that mistake twice) :headwalls:

 

[choss]

I will not get sucked into a pic of my rats nest.
I will not get sucked into a pic of my rats nest.
I will not get sucked into a pic of my rats nest.

It's like Beetlejuice. If I say it three times it will happen.

LOL. When it's being installed, do it right and tie wrap everything neatly. Hang your modules neatly. Route your AC neatly.
Six months later, you won't do it. A year later, you won't do it.
Trust me. Once you close that door, it will not get done...ever.

On a somber note, I am pretty sure Frank is gone. Either he passed and was eaten by cuc, or he jumped and the beagle ate him off the floor.
Either way, he's gone. RIP funny fish....

My rats nest is sitting next to the tank. I told myself that I would clean it up when I picked up a label maker & built my cabinet to hide the stuff. Well neither has happened although I started the cabinet build last night so we're underway.

<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Tank%20shots/P5030261_zpsbidwljsw.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Tank%20shots/P5030261_zpsbidwljsw.jpg" border="0" alt="More wire mess photo P5030261_zpsbidwljsw.jpg"/></a>

 

[bizacon]

1 snowflake clown
1 Wyoming clown.....they have paired
1 purple firefish
1 Canary Wrasse
1 cleaner shrimp

I'm interested if you guys/gals could give me a list of your livestock in your tank. No clean up crew or corals. Just fish, inverts, clams etc. Again this is the smallest tank I've ever had so I want to make sure not to overload, but I do want some livestock. I don't mind (and am religious about) weekly water changes, sometimes 2. So I can go a little heavy on the bio-load. Right now I have two snowflake clowns.

 

[joshuasanders]

I found the photo of my inspiration to organize under the tank!

Any suggestions for improving such a setup?

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/78579170@N07/13890773790" title="IMG_2709 by MuttleyDN, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/13890773790_0423b23661_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_2709"></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/78579170@N07/14077841024" title="IMG_2710 by MuttleyDN, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/14077841024_b9746159e2_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_2710"></a>

 

[StrategicReef]

One six line wrasse or mandarin (only if I can find one that is eating frozen plus I have a 3 gallon refugium hanging off the back where I'm hoping to grow pods safely for a steady supply of food).
Maybe a clown goby or similar small fish

Can I see a pic this refugium, which size did you get?
I am considering getting the small, but on the side.

 

[Reduck]

I found the photo of my inspiration to organize under the tank!

Any suggestions for improving such a setup?

Only thing to make that better would be slide out rails so the whole board could slide in and out for maintenence tasks. Or hinged so you can get to the back.
Also lerusso designs makes a very cool bezel for the apex display. You could route it in pretty easily, if you wanted it to be visible.
http://www.lerussodesigns.com/NEPTUNE-SYSTEM-APEX-DISPLAY-BEZEL-LRD-APX-001.htm

 

[joshuasanders]

Only thing to make that better would be slide out rails so the whole board could slide in and out for maintenence tasks. Or hinged so you can get to the back.

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I plan on hinging mine with the wires on the other side of the false back. I am afraid of the necessary slack were the wall to slide (something would get caught or pinched), with hinges, I can just push the requisite slack all in the back out of sight . . .

 

[Reduck]

I plan on hinging mine with the wires on the other side of the false back. I am afraid of the necessary slack were the wall to slide (something would get caught or pinched), with hinges, I can just push the requisite slack all in the back out of sight . . .

Only other idea I have for you is to get those Velcro wire ties. Cutting and replacing the permanent ones gets to be a pita.

 

[bizacon]

This gets me thinking...I am going to drain my tank and sell my livestock, just just focus on my cabinet and wires .

Reduck where are the pics of the new tank?

 

[Reduck]

This gets me thinking...I am going to drain my tank and sell my livestock, just just focus on my cabinet and wires .

Reduck where are the pics of the new tank?

In the blog section...
And in my garage, and living room, etc....waiting on a stupid pad..

 

[reeffer1983]

I run the 9004 in the 1st chamber to the left and it works perfectly. I have no film - never had it. The skimmer is all the way up against the lip in the chamber if that helps. Water flows perfectly into it from the overflow. I'm still running a media basket in the chamber on the right (with a filter block and chemipure blue). I am testing one spinstream right now but the results with the stock returns was fine as well. Spin stream does a nice job aggitating the surface.

Are you using the stock pump? How high is your water level? Mine is just about 2" from the top of the glass. The reason I ask is I recently tested an Eheim pump and it was pushing less water. The level in main tank dropped a bit. I will be switching to the Sicce pump in the next few days thanks to Reduck who traded me for my Eheim.

Id say I'm about an inch and a half from the top on the tank as far as water level. I ditched the stock pump on day two, for the Sicce 2.0 which I LOVE. I can only hear it if I put my ear against the glass. more flow as well. Also the Spin Streams aren't bad, I went with 2, decent surface agitation. I moved my MP10 a bit closer to the top as well and that has seemed to help, along with the wet skimming.

 

[reeffer1983]

I have a couple OC clowns. And a maxima clam. And a very small yellow tang.
The tang should not be in this tank though. I got him knowing my upgrade was in a very short while. A pair of peppermint shrimp, and a harlequin shrimp.
There my be a few hermits creeping around too..

I also had a sailfin blennie, and a diamond watchman goby. Not at the same time though and they are both gone...

I really want a little yellow tang....but I know its just not fair......I def want the pistol shrimp and watchman goby. I already have the 2 snowflake clowns. Id like to have a cleaner shrimp. Would a 6 line be appropriate? I would like maybe a clam or 2 as well.

 

[reeffer1983]

Im all over the place on these forums looking for someone to help me out.... I need a healthy scraping of coralline algae. I'll Paypal for the shipping. I need to seed this dead fiji rock from BRS. IF you, or anyone that you know can get me some quality scraping PLEASE PM me or let me know. Thanks all

 

[bizacon]

Go to a lfs and find a snail with some coralline, that will seed it. Doesn't take a whole lot at all.. Just takes time

Im all over the place on these forums looking for someone to help me out.... I need a healthy scraping of coralline algae. I'll Paypal for the shipping. I need to seed this dead fiji rock from BRS. IF you, or anyone that you know can get me some quality scraping PLEASE PM me or let me know. Thanks all

 

[reeffer1983]

Go to a lfs and find a snail with some coralline, that will seed it. Doesn't take a whole lot at all.. Just takes time

I have ONE piece of live rock with coralline. Some of the CUC has it. I got a scraping from my LFS. Then again its only been 3 weeks. you'd think after 11 years I'd have the patience. It's just that its my first time with dead rock and honestly I hate it. I wont once it gets seeded but right now, I do. I'm dosing B Ionic so hopefully that will get thinks moving. Keeping the Calcium around 500, and alk is 20

 

[Reduck]

I have ONE piece of live rock with coralline. Some of the CUC has it. I got a scraping from my LFS. Then again its only been 3 weeks. you'd think after 11 years I'd have the patience. It's just that its my first time with dead rock and honestly I hate it. I wont once it gets seeded but right now, I do. I'm dosing B Ionic so hopefully that will get thinks moving. Keeping the Calcium around 500, and alk is 20

Your alk is at 20??? That has to be a typo right? Please say yes?
200ppm is still on the high side..Of 11dkh which is ok..
Give the tank lots of light. It'll grow.

 

[joshuasanders]

Only other idea I have for you is to get those Velcro wire ties. Cutting and replacing the permanent ones gets to be a pita.

Learned that lesson many moons ago . . . thank you for the reminder!

 

[bizacon]

You are set then. You have already seeded the rock and now you just have to wait it out. I used the aquamaxx dry rock and had to weight a good time. You have any thing in the tank? CA and Alk are a little steep. I had the most growth of coralline around 450 CA and 9 Alk.

I am learning patience too. A good quality to have, my students teach me it

I have ONE piece of live rock with coralline. Some of the CUC has it. I got a scraping from my LFS. Then again its only been 3 weeks. you'd think after 11 years I'd have the patience. It's just that its my first time with dead rock and honestly I hate it. I wont once it gets seeded but right now, I do. I'm dosing B Ionic so hopefully that will get thinks moving. Keeping the Calcium around 500, and alk is 20

 

[choss]

Can I see a pic this refugium, which size did you get?
I am considering getting the small, but on the side.

Yep - here is a pic from set up (pre water in tank). Its the CPR Aquafuge small.

<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/euipment%20and%20unboxing/IMG_3588_zps5cjyq9hd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/euipment%20and%20unboxing/IMG_3588_zps5cjyq9hd.jpg" border="0" alt="Aquafuge refugium small size photo IMG_3588_zps5cjyq9hd.jpg"/></a>

A few notes - it fits nicely off the back but I had 5-6" to spare. But this way it doesn't interfere with the cover. It is fed with the stock pump (included) from chamber #4 (left to right) and flows back into chamber #2. The trickle from the return can be a bit noisy and I'm still working through the best way to deal with this. I currently have it dribbling onto a small plate with drilled holes but this may be causing some air bubles in the main tank (which are tiny and don't bother me).

I have a few inches of sand, a few pieces of rubble, and chaeto grwoing back there. I use the JBJ refugium light (magnet version) and keep it on when the main light goes off.

I also like that the fuge gives my Kessil a few extra inches in height. The only real cons here are that if I want to get into the main chamber to reach the pump, it is easiest to take the fuge off. So that is one reason I haven't swapped out the Licce pump this week. Need some time to organize that whole process.

I can take a few more pics of it in action if that helps.

 

[choss]

Id say I'm about an inch and a half from the top on the tank as far as water level. I ditched the stock pump on day two, for the Sicce 2.0 which I LOVE. I can only hear it if I put my ear against the glass. more flow as well. Also the Spin Streams aren't bad, I went with 2, decent surface agitation. I moved my MP10 a bit closer to the top as well and that has seemed to help, along with the wet skimming.

Yeah about to make the change to that pump. I just have to find some time as I have to deal with taking my refugium off the back to get it in. I keep my MP10 slightly higher as well but may add a second in the future. My biggest concern about adding the second is that my RBTA will move and its in a sweet location right now.