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Randy's 12G Fluval Edge Build

RandyC

Supporting Member
Hi All! Thought I'd start up my tank journal and share it with all of you. I would have started this from the get go, but I just joined BAR a few weeks ago. This is my first SW tank and first tank in a long while 20+ years if you count managing my parents' FW tank as mine.

Probably against most people's advice, I decided to go with the 12G Fluval Edge because I really like the clean look of it. It has a lot going against it - small 5" x 7" access hole for maintenance, potential issues with oxygen exchange, limited options for filtration/overflow/sump without significant modification (losing the clean look), and lighting issues. But heck, I like a challenge.

Tank Started
: May 3, 2016
Tank Cycle Time: 2 weeks

Equipment List
  • 2 Hydor Koralia Nano 240
  • 1 Hydor Smart Wave Circulation Pump Controller
  • 1 Colbalt Aquatics Neo-Therm 75-Watt
  • 1 Ultrabrite 36-Watt Full Spectrum Cree LED light
  • 1 Fluval Aqua Clear 30 (Used for chaeto fuge & 3 Chemipure blue nano bags)
  • 1 hacked up 3W 21-LED strip light from original Fluval Edge light for chaeto

Water/Salt/Aquascape
  • BRS 6 Stage Universal Plus RO/DI System
  • 14-15 lbs of Indonesian live rock from Aquarium Concepts
  • 11-12 lbs of CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand
  • Instant Ocean Reef Crystals

FTS after LR addition on May 8, 2016.
20160508%20-%20Reef%20Tank%20Live%20Rock%20Addition.jpg


Tank as of Aug 29, 2016
20160829%20-%20Reef%20Tank%20FTS.jpg


20160829%20-%20Reef%20Tank%20Full%20Top%20View.jpg


20160829%20-%20Reef%20Tank%20Top%20Left%20View.jpg


20160829%20-%20Reef%20Tank%20Top%20Right%20View.jpg


Video of tank

Livestock
  • 2 Ocellaris clown (Neptune Aquatics)
  • 2 Scarlett skunk cleaner shrimp - bullies when it comes to food if you ask me (Aquatic Collection)

Cleanup Crew
  • 3 Banded trochus snails (Neptune Aquatics) - I think there are babies too, counted 7 so far - too small at the moment to be sure though
  • 3 Cerith snails (Neptune Aquatics)
  • 2 Astera snails (Aqautic Collection)
  • 3 Nassarius snails (Aqautic Collection)
  • 1 Blue tuxedo urchin (Aqautic Collection)

Coral (I have an admitted addiction issue with euphyllia)
  • Aussie gold torch (Aquatic Collection)
  • Dark purple with yellow tipped torch (Aquatic Collection)
  • Metallic green torch (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Dark green with dark purple tipped hammer (Aquatic Collection)
  • Gold hammer (California Reef)
  • Green tipped hammer (California Reef)
  • Green with light purple tipped frogspawn (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Duncan bushy-type (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Metallic green candy cane (frag swap)
  • Rasta zoa (frag swap)
  • Eagle eye zoa (frag swap)
  • Vamp in drag zoa (frag swap)
  • Green mushroom (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Light blue favia (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Mystic sunset montipora (Neptune Aquatics)
  • Brown poseidon montipora (frag swap)
(except for the frag swap coral, most, if not all, have been in the tank for at least 6 weeks)

Tank Params
  • Temp: 78F
  • Salinity: 1.024
  • pH: 8.0-8.1
  • NH3: 0
  • NO2: 0
  • NO3: 0
  • PO3: 0
  • Ca: 480-500 (a little high, but it's always been like this)
  • Alk: 8 dKH
  • Mg: 1480-1500
(I do have some algae growing, so I'm assuming nutrients are getting sucked up before I can get a measurement)

Food

  • New Life Spectrum (0.5mm & 1mm) pellets
  • BRS Reef Chili
  • San Francisco Bay Mysis Shrimp

Maintenance
  • Weekly 15-20% water change
  • Every other week: suction substrate / turkey baste live rock

Livestock Loses
So far, I've have been one lucky dude. The death count is at one - the first rasta zoas I got after the tank cycled died due to zoa pox (tried furan-2 dip, but that failed). This occurred about 6 weeks after the tank was started. I swore off zoas until the frag swap came up and I picked up all the zoas I have living in the tank now.

Lessons Learned so far
  • Absolutely, epoxy, super glue or use acrylic rods to secure aquascape in this tank. You WILL knock things over eventually because of the small opening. I finally learned my lesson after the second rock formation collapse.
  • Don't put too much live rock in this tank and use something more porous (e.g. pukani) so you can use less rock. While I haven't lost my love of the look of this tank, it is a PITA to maneuver in sometimes because I have too much rock in there. Or if you have a need for more rock, stack up towards the back of tank.
  • Diligent maintenance is required especially in a fully stocked nano/pico. I fully fear a system crash if I don't do a weekly water change (sometimes twice a week).
  • Lighting and flow matter - yes, I read this. and then read it again. but it's an entirely different thing to experience it.
  • If you're not dosing, at least a weekly water change is an absolute must in a fully stocked reef tank. This tank sucks up the Alk like no other.
  • Pointing circulation pumps AT the small opening (surface) is a requirement for this tank to avoid pH swings in a fully stocked tank. The HOB was sufficient when there wasn't much in the tank, but as load increased, I saw the pH swing wider. Without it, I was seeing swings to 7.6-8.1. With it pointing at the opening, I pretty much stay in the 8.0-8.1 range.
  • While I haven't had any huge losses or crashes thus far, in retrospect I should have stocked slower. Who knows, this can still come and bite my behind.
  • I need a less heavy hand when it comes to food. While I haven't had a crazy outbreak, I have more algae than I'd prefer.
  • the verdict is still out on the chaeto fuge....I've only had it in the tank for about 2 weeks.
  • If I did it again, I would probably build my own DIY LED into the Edge tank hood. While the Ultrabrite light I have functions well, there are some design differences I would prefer.
  • And the most important lesson: I need a bigger tank. I like and stocked too much coral in this tank I think. I'm planning on upgrading to a Red Sea Reefer 250 soon. It remains to be seen if this tank will survive that upgrade.
 
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Looks like you've got everything handled. The tank looks great. As long as you understand the difficulties with the tank you can overcome them. It just may take more effort.
 
Update on the tank. Had a small outbreak of green cyano on the substrate last week. Trying to feed less and cut back on the lights a tad this week and it looks like that is working. Or maybe it's the fuge with chaeto as I definitely have growth there, maybe 50% more now than 2 weeks ago.

Added a new addition: Indo Gold Torch (with teal tips) from Aquatic Collection.

indo_gold_torch_20160913_0976.jpg


indo_gold_torch_20160913_0988.jpg


Excited that the zoas I got from the frag swap are not dying like my first attempt with rastas 6 months ago and they're actually growing! Already have 2 new heads and 1 bud on the Vamp in Drag zoa and on the rasta 1 new polyp and 2 buds forming. Thanks yippee & denzil!

But more importantly, I committed to a Red Sea Reefer 250! :) I'll be starting a new tank journal on this beast in a short while as parts have already been coming in.
 
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