Chuy’s Budget Noob Tank

[barretojesse93]

Hello everyone. Just thought I’d share my tank journey with you. I’m going to share everything and not sugar coat it. Tell me whatever you want. Compliments, advice, questions and good ol’ $#!T talking is always encouraged.

Tank: Aqua Japan ~15 gal
Light: 2 current marine 18” bars (1 has dim LED’s other is new as of ~ a month ago)
10 hours run time
Blue 100 white 80 red 20 green 20
Return pump: cheap pump came with tank
Flow: Jebao SOW-4
Fiji cube HOB refugium with a white grow light for it (currently set at 50% flow and 2 hours on at night)
ATO: tunze 3155 with 3.5 gal res

Salinity: 1.025
Alk: 9
C: 410
Nitrates: non existent
Phosphate: non existent

Will test again today and see if I’m finally getting any

Was running an oversized bag (35 gallon) chemi pure blue as media and I was robbing my coral of nitrates and phosphates. Im sure you pros will be able to see that
Been doing 5 gallon W/C every 2 weeks for a few months now


Fish:
Clown
Dragon face pipe fish
Lawnmower blenny (just added 1/24/24)
Hector goby (just added (1/24/24)
Neon blue goby

Cherry/blood shrimp

CUC:
6 red leg hermits
2 turbo snails


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[barretojesse93]

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[Jimbo327]

I used to run a JBJ 6 gal AIO. And it was fun. I got to learn a lot about taking care of a reef, and also the limits of size.

In my experience, keeping a smaller tank is actually harder than a big tank because the less margin of error and more difficult to keep stable. But keeping on top of that water change will be the key.

I think I learned a lot about reefing from owning a nano. You really have to think what to put into the tank as real estate is limited. If there is any advice, it is probably I would look into a higher quality light if you intend to keep SPS.

Keep going. You will learn so much about what you like and what you don't like, and when you upgrade sometime down the road...you'll know what to do.

 

[barretojesse93]

I used to run a JBJ 6 gal AIO. And it was fun. I got to learn a lot about taking care of a reef, and also the limits of size.

In my experience, keeping a smaller tank is actually harder than a big tank because the less margin of error and more difficult to keep stable. But keeping on top of that water change will be the key.

I think I learned a lot about reefing from owning a nano. You really have to think what to put into the tank as real estate is limited. If there is any advice, it is probably I would look into a higher quality light if you intend to keep SPS.

Keep going. You will learn so much about what you like and what you don't like, and when you upgrade sometime down the road...you'll know what to do.

My plan is to upgrade to a 20-25 gal lagoon style. I really like the sleekness to the bar lights so after the tank is upgraded, I will invest into getting Ai blades or might just sacrifice the look for power and get something like hydras or radions for SPS, but that is all later.

After all that I will start a new thread that doesn’t include “budget” in the title lol

My lady is making a big deal over wanting anything bigger than this tiny tank I currently have lol

You are definitely right on the learning a lot with this tank tho. I just learned that no phosphates and no nitrates Is actually bad lol. lost a few coral because of it, all lack color, and some are still on the verge of death. I’m hoping my grim reaper zoa single polyp is saved because I paid $50 for that SOB lol


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[Sold4JC]

It's a great looking tank. It looks really clean and healthy.

 

[barretojesse93]

It's a great looking tank. It looks really clean and healthy.

Thank you! Not going to lie, I was an alcoholic up until about 5 months ago. What helped me stay distracted was giving my tank the attention it’s been neglected of. I started scrubbing rocks Ike twice a week and manually picking off hair algae and am finally on track to getting my tank where I need it to be. What do you dose for alk? I’m using an old bottle of seachem I had


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[Sold4JC]

I've been dosing ATI Essential Pro for 3 years. I think Tropic Marine All For Reef would be a great solution for your tank. It's one solution and will cover your major and minor elements.

 

[barretojesse93]

I've been dosing ATI Essential Pro for 3 years. I think Tropic Marine All For Reef would be a great solution for your tank. It's one solution and will cover your major and minor elements.

I swear I just ordered it last night lol I should be getting it tomorrow. I also ordered a bucket of coral pro salt so I’m gonna be switching salts. I’ve been using io reef crystals


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[five.five-six]

I use IO, been using it for many years. I am a cheep batard but I’m old enough to know better than to cheep out on things that matter. I would spend 2-4X on salt if I saw a reason but I don’t YMMV

 

[barretojesse93]

I use IO, been using it for many years. I am a cheep batard but I’m old enough to know better than to cheep out on things that matter. I would spend 2-4X on salt if I saw a reason but I don’t YMMV

Damn it. Maybe I should just stick with it then. I’m a cheap Effer as well but I’m here thinking you get what you pay for with the salt and all that.
In your opinion, what should I spend better money on?


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[barretojesse93]

2/10/24:

Lawnmower blenny lasted about a week - died
Dragon face pipe fish lasted me a couple months but then suddenly started acting funny for 2 days and then died

Unfortunately due to not testing my parameters as I should have been, 2 fish died.

Found out my calcium was at 360
Started dosing calcium from a couple years old bottle I had
Added a little alk, also from a few years old bottle
All shot up from 9 to 11
Im thinking the alk change was a shock to my pipe fish? Idk what else it could have been as I add a bottle of pods every month.

After removing the chemi pure blue I have started noticing more color in my coral! All around with better poppy extension and everything.

I now run my refugium for 12 hours as my only source of nutrient control at night

Also added carbon in a bag


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[five.five-six]

In your opinion, what should I spend better money on?

hookers and blow.










I don’t know everything. I could be completely wrong about the salt. There may be some salt. that helps a lot with some thing or another. If I saw a real value in buying a different salt I would, but I don’t.


if you don’t have an RODI system, I would probably get one. With a 15 gallon tank you probably don’t use that much water but I don’t know where to get a reliable supply of quality water, other than my own RODI. My 225 gallon system uses a lot of water. I evaporate your entire tank every week.

I have two systems. Reverse osmosis only the kitchen. Makes best coffee in the whole world. And then a much larger RODI in the garage where I make the tank water.


In my opinion, good deionized water is more important than the brand of salt you use.

 

[Tangerine Speedo]

I use Tropic Marin Bio-Actif salt. Mixes clean. It is basically TM Pro Reef with their Reef actif added. Which is a seaweed based carbon dosing. The thing is once it mixes up you have to use it right away. For me that is a good thing, it keeps me from being lazy with my water changes. The salt I used prior was Neo Marine. In truth any salt will work. Initial cost is usually a factor, but there is also other costs which include consistency, testing and cleaning sludge out of your mixing station. Also many salts vary in alk/cal/mag. You should pick a salt that matches the parameters you want to keep and hopefully the salt will constantly match those claimed.

 

[Tangerine Speedo]

You need to do a couple gallon water change every week or do a daily AWC. (which is best for small tanks) On a small tank things happen very quickly.

 

[barretojesse93]

hookers and blow.










I don’t know everything. I could be completely wrong about the salt. There may be some salt. that helps a lot with some thing or another. If I saw a real value in buying a different salt I would, but I don’t.


if you don’t have an RODI system, I would probably get one. With a 15 gallon tank you probably don’t use that much water but I don’t know where to get a reliable supply of quality water, other than my own RODI. My 225 gallon system uses a lot of water. I evaporate your entire tank every week.

I have two systems. Reverse osmosis only the kitchen. Makes best coffee in the whole world. And then a much larger RODI in the garage where I make the tank water.


In my opinion, good deionized water is more important than the brand of salt you use.

Hahaha those days are over for me I had a good run tho. Money does go to some good wax tho


I’m trying to have some acros at some point so I figure that switching to that salt would call for me to dose less?
I have a 6 stage but I have to replace every stage lol so I been buying my fresh from Bob’s tropical fish in east LA.


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[barretojesse93]

You need to do a couple gallon water change every week or do a daily AWC. (which is best for small tanks) On a small tank things happen very quickly.

What’s a AWC?


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[Tangerine Speedo]

What’s a AWC?


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Auto water changes. Basically you get 2 dosers, one puts in fresh saltwater and the other takes it out. That way there is not a lot of swings which you can get if you do it once a week.

 

[barretojesse93]

Auto water changes. Basically you get 2 dosers, one puts in fresh saltwater and the other takes it out. That way there is not a lot of swings which you can get if you do it once a week.

Wow I feel so dumb. I knew Wc was acronym for water change but I could not figure out the A for

Even with an awc, I would still need to do a normal WC right? Or do I just never need to do a WC again after that?


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[Tangerine Speedo]

Wow I feel so dumb. I knew Wc was acronym for water change but I could not figure out the A for

Even with an awc, I would still need to do a normal WC right? Or do I just never need to do a WC again after that?


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No, if you are using a AWC system in place you would only have to to a water change if you had an issue, lets say something died and you had a nutrient spike. Other than that you would just have to keep your new saltwater container filled and your waste water container emptied. As easy as this sounds, it isn’t. There is a bit of prep work to be done and monitoring, it may take a bit of trial and error to get right. But it is the best for a small tank.

 

[barretojesse93]

3-7-24 update:
I have a pretty bad GHA outbreak. I have bought 2 lawnmower blennies and both have died on me in a week or less lol thinking of buying that Hannah nitrate tester cus I think I’m color blind or something my tests have shown zero for phos and nitrates so I been running back on my refugium lighting and flow schedule to find the G spot.
Some coral have better polyp extension than others. Some have better coloration than others. I been struggling to make everything happy but I seem to have finally made everything happy after doing a 10 gal water change so we will see what happens with some time now
Been dosing all for reef 5ml a day to keep my alk at 10 and my calcium at 440

Yes I am going to get in there and scrub and scrape algae off by hand I’ve been busy moving which is why It’s gotten this bad


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