jythong's IM Fusion Micro 30L

[jythong]

Introduction

I would like to share the setup of my new tank and the equipment I got for it, especially since some other reefers might want to get a similar tank. I decided to combine both my small tanks into a bigger 30 Gallon Innovative Marine. The reason why I chose the IM 30L is because of it's length. This allows for more corals to be displayed compared to a taller tank, which I felt made display of corals more difficult.

Had been reefing for 8 years (kept a variety of creatures from seahorses to SPS and LPS and various fish) and was initially with a JBJ 25G for about 4 years before it was smashed by a falling oil painting. Most of the inhabitants were transported first to a Dymax 10 Litres (the rest adopted by a good friend). Later on an Ocean Free 34L tank was added and I was running these two tanks side by side under a Maxpect Razor 160W 16000K, without chiller and skimmer, for years. Only fan and nocturnal aircon as these tanks were in my bedroom.It was a mixed reef of SPS, LPS, clams and one Naoko wrasse and two Griessingeri gobies.

Day 1 (6 July 2015)

The 30 Gallon tank was filled with a mix of NSW from Iwarna and Red Sea Coral Pro salt/distilled water. Live sand Caribsea West Carribean Reef 20lbs was also added, together with some sand and water from my prexisting tanks to accelerate the cycling.

I replaced the stock pump with an Eheim Compact 1000 (up to 1000L/hr) because the stock pump was a bit too noisy for a bedroom.

I also hooked up a new Hailea Chiller HS28A 1/10 HP to reduce to 25C.

I also fitted a spin-stream to create an variable direction of flow but it was again too noisy for a bedroom.

Using Rowaphos and Rowacarbon for phosphate reduction and mechanical filtration.

Day 6

The contents of the two prexisting tanks were transferred directly.

It took a few hours. I had to rigorously remove all traces of red mushrooms and pumping xenias that spread like weeds over my tank. The golden cloves were also extensive in growth and needed to be trimmed to avoid invasion in the new tank. The luminous green star polyps were also rather invasive but I was too exhausted then to trim them...

I continued to use the old Jebao WP 10 as wave-maker.

Fish:

Cirrhilabrus naokoae (Naoko wrasse)

A pair of Discordipinna griessingeri (Griessingeri gobies)

Day 12

Added

Paracheilinus angulatus (Angular flasher wrasse)

Cirrhilabrus exquisitus (Exquisite wrasse, unsure of origin, possibly female due to duller colours)

Gramma loreto (Royal gramma)

Some coral frags from LCK.

Bought live pods from the LFS, including Reef Nutrition Tigger Pods from Iwarna, to populate the tank for the Griessingeri gobies (they need no feeding all these years, just live pods from the tank, I think).

Day 13 (18 July 2015)

Added protein skimmer Tunze Comline 9004, which was able to fit into the first compartment, rather tight though. Over the next few days it produced some degree of tea coloured "gunk" but still somewhat watery. Will need to wait for a while for it to "break in". Due to the noise generated, it was switched off at night.

Having started protein skimming, I added Biopellets for nitrate export.

Bought some chaetos and used a Dymax light to light them. I hope this will help with nitrate export and also act as a refugum for pods.

Day 15 (20 July 2015)

Bought one Pseudanthias squamipinnis (blue-eyed anthias) which was feeding actively but it was found dead the next day, unfortunately.

Some recent images of my tank:

Will update later on with more images and livestock additions.

Please note that the addition of livestock to the new tank were mostly transfers from my old tank, hence the cycling time was very much shortened. This statement was provided to prevent any misunderstanding, just in case you did not read through the whole thread

[Admiraltian]

Very well planned set up. Looking fwd to ur future updates.

[Bunster]

very nice scaping JY.... looking forward to more updates

[SimonLSB]

Nice tank Jy.. Can I have a look on how u setup your refugium..?

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[titustitus]

Nice setup bro! Was thinking of getting the fusion nano 20! What is ur tank on? A cabinet?

[jythong]

Nice tank Jy.. Can I have a look on how u setup your refugium..?

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Quiet simple. Just put some chaeto into the chamber and the other half onto the media tray that came with the tank and set them under a simple light. I am not so certain if the light is strong enough and I will need to evaluate its effectiveness over the next few weeks. Alternatively can use a customized nano fuge light by jbj or IM. But you will need to peel open the back of tank to let the light pas through.

[jythong]

Nice setup bro! Was thinking of getting the fusion nano 20! What is ur tank on? A cabinet?

Should just get a 30gallon as there won't be enough space.

It is on my study table in my bedroom. I like to look at my tank whole night long

[Zhi Long Oh]

Keep the updates coming!!

[jythong]

Week 4

Generally the system is stable. The Eheim Compact 1000 may not be adequate for this tank, and I may change it back to the stock pump or use two separate pumps for the two outlets.

The Tunze 9004 Comline is working well and producing lots of tea-coloured "gunk". Initially it was placed too low in the tank resulting in faulty skimming. At the optimal level, it operates smoothly. I am not sure if I need an auto top up later on.

I may change my Jebao WP8 to WP 15 for better flow and wave.

I am looking to upgrade my lights to a longer one that can light up the entire length adequately.

I have added two more fish, with aim of this being a wrasse tank.

Cirrhilabrus lineatus (Lineatus wrasse)

Anampses femininus (Femininus wrasse)

Both wrasses were feeding in the sellers' tanks. Femininus was an impulse buy, a decision that I later regretted when I realized that long-term survival in captivity was reportedly poor.

Lineatus was somewhat large for my tank.

Femininus

Despite feeding eagerly on mysis, I noticed that the femininus tended to spit out much of what was taken in, then reingesting them before spitting the mysis out again. I estimated that it only really ingested at most 20% of the mysis. This might have accounted for high mortality rate in tanks reported by aquarists.

I immediately sought to remedy this situation by trying out a variety of diets:

Dr G's Copepods Max- Consumed them first day but largely ignored them or spit them out

Dr G's Dewormer Frozen Fish Food- Ignores it or spits it out. Other wrasses did not seem to like this medicated stuff too.

Hikari Frozen Mysis- Spits out most and eventually ingested at most 20%

Dr G's Gut Loaded Mysis- Same as Hikai but I thought it was better accepted

Chopped frozen prawn- Spits out most and eventually ingested at most 20%

So now still trying. This is worsened by it still inhabiting a different timezone, likely Australian time. It wakes up early to feed but by late afternoon it buries itself in the sand and was not seen again till the next day. This is worrying as this means I only get to feed it once a day, which may not be adequate.

I am keeping the temperature at 24C.

Due to the large amounts of frozen food used and wasted, there has been diatom and other algae growth. Hope that the femininus wrasse can feed more efficently soon...and hopefully survive.

Any advice from other reefers who have tried this finicky fish?

[timmy]

nice tank, I have a Tunze 9004 in my RSM250, and for it to continuously operating at optimal level you will need to maintain the water level either by adding fresh water daily or have a Auto Top up operating.

Tunze 9004 is a good little machine

Keep it up bro , way to go!!!

[Patrick]

Nice tank. Read that the cloves, Gsp and mushies grew well. Can share your maintenance routine, do you add supplements, trace elements, or just water change?

[jythong]

[jythong]

nice tank, I have a Tunze 9004 in my RSM250, and for it to continuously operating at optimal level you will need to maintain the water level either by adding fresh water daily or have a Auto Top up operating.

Tunze 9004 is a good little machine

Keep it up bro , way to go!!!

Thanks.

Yes the Tunze will need a fairly specific water level for optimal function.

Just did some water changes, washed the skimmer and when I reinstalled it, everything seemed to have "reset" and I need to readjust everything again.

[jythong]

Nice tank. Read that the cloves, Gsp and mushies grew well. Can share your maintenance routine, do you add supplements, trace elements, or just water change?

These were growing very rapidly in the previous two tanks. I can't really advice on any specifics though, except that the one in which the mushrooms and GSP spread like wildfire was in a skimmerless, fan cooled tank hence possibly has lots of nutrients due to feeding of the naoko wrasse. I read that mushrooms do well in water that has slghtly higher nitrates,

The one with golden cloves was in a mixed sps/lps tank , also no skimmer or chiller, but no feeding of fish except for supersuns. Growth was more controlled there.

The usual Part A,B , Mg, Iodine, weekly water change.

Even in my current new tank I still have to weed out any remaining traces of the mushrooms.

Oh yes, I was also plagued by xenias previously. They initially look cute, with their gently pumping action, but then when they start to spread I had to weed them out. They still appear on and off on my zoas, clams etc.