Planning a controlled 20gal AIO, need help!

[BHFP]

Hey all - very new to R2R and hope I'm posting in the right place. If not, let me know! I am technical by nature and work from home so the notion of a controller is very appealing.

The goal:
Create the most streamlined and smooth experience for reef keeping (as possible lol) with controllers and reduce the manual aspects of reef keeping as much as possible. I travel for work occasionally. With two little ones, time is precious and I'm eager to "set it" but never "forget it" if that makes sense.

So far:
I just started my cycle on Sunday and am eager to realize the dream of a small reef! I have a decent amount of live rock, 20lb live sand and some bio media in the caddy + TSA live bio media (1 rock).
I dosed with ammonia and microbacter XLM as well as Fritz 9 and will be supplementing with Dr. Tim's when it arrives this weekend. Purchased 20 gal salt water from LFS and 5 gal fresh for ATO reservoir (5 gal bucket.)

What I have currently:
IM fusion pro 20 AIO + APS stand
Tunze Osmolator 3 ATO
IM 50 wat heater and temp (in Amazon return window)
Manual thermo (not in use)
IM protein skimmer (not in use)
Fluval ammonia test kit, refractometer (planning to go salifert or right into controller testing)

My goals:
- technology enabled piece of mind (eventual addition of leak detector, if prudent)
- do not stock tank (maybe beyond a fish or two) without having complete automated infrastructure in place, realizing some params won't need to be controlled until corals are introduced...
- automated level checks (pH, salinity and on big five ideally, dKH, NO3, PO4, Ca, Mg) once ammonia in check
- reduction in water changes if possible (will review plumbing with wife in future haha)
- make it easy for others to help when I'm traveling (auto fish feeder could be in future when fam travels)
- using as simple a method as possible to maintain levels (thinking Marin All For Reef to start) unless I am so successful that dosing requirement and specificity goes up
- add light after 3-4 months once tank and some fish are established, then coral! Thinking Radion xr15 gen 6, Hydra 32 unless I can "get by" with an AI Prime 16HD.

Options:
- looking at a few local options, living in Orlando there are many! Including retail and second hand.
- Thinking Coralvue Hydros due to extensibility and user friendliness. Someone is selling the X4 pro and XP8 for $500 and there are various Apex offerings second hand. Fortunately, I am relatively close to World Wide Coral and Top Shelf Aquatics and I saw TSA uses Apex.

Questions:
- Given my current setup and future plans, does it make sense to opt for hydros? The idea of the input 0-10v for increased usability while I'm out of town seems excellent.
- If going used, does something like the x10, or X4 plus another module make sense or does reefing wisdom waiting for the Launch + Maven make sense? Or the X10 + Minnow? Seems like a smart power option is going to be helpful and I believe the Launch would be able to meet the present needs.
- should I pick up a second heater for redundancy or return IM 50w to amazon and get a IM 100w with 2 elements from LFS?
- I picked up the Tunze Osmolator 3 before realizing our situation really calls for a controller... did I "mess up" by not going with a hydros or equivalent "native" ATO for a controller - be it apex or hydros?
- am I missing anything else?

Note:
I took some marine bio classes in undergrad many years ago and don't mind manually checking levels. I'm very wary of keeping reagents around (secured off course) toddlers and infants... so I figure the convenience is key, may be an element of safety as well(?) and I'm willing to pay for it at this stage. I realize there will be challenges but after experiencing human error last night checking ammonia and pH (busy with kid stuff after dinner last night, typical parent stuff) I figure I'll take and pay for efficiencies where I can so we can focus on enjoyment and troubleshooting the real stuff when it inevitably presents.

Thanks in advance for your help and insight!

 

[BHFP]

Not sure if cross posting is an option, but feel free to let me know if this belongs somewhere else or is more appropriate in another forum!

 

[Hooz]

Ok... So I am in a similar boat, albeit the tank is smaller. I'm doing a controller system on a 12g SPS tank, and I've finally decided on the Hydros system. Actually, I'm setting up 2 tanks currently, and I've decided to use the same Hydros "base" on both.

My plan is to use the Launch and Minnow on the 12g. Here's what I plan to accomplish...

pH and Salinity monitoring - Salinity is less important to me, but the functionality is there, so why not.

AWC and ATO - Using 3 of the small Drive Port pumps and 2 optical level sensors.

Heater Control - Using a Hydros temp probe and one AC outlet on the Launch

Skimmer Control (Off/On) - Making a 12v to 5v stepdown (Buck) convertor to use the 4th Drive Port to drive a MiniQ skimmer and save an AC outlet on the Launch

Dosing - All for Reef and Aminos are all I plan on automating, at least to start. Using the Minnow, of course.

I'll also be using the 0-10v for some stand features (lights, etc) and an external "Feed Mode" button.

Adding a secondary wifi power power module would give more AC outlets for things like an autofeeder, etc. Obviously, the Maven is an addon option too.

I really wish I could use the Hydros to control the wave and return pumps on this tank, but the (tiny) pumps I plan on using aren't supported by the WaveEngine, and have no 0-10v control option either.

My larger tank setup will also be a Launch doing all the same things, but I also got a WaveEngine v2 to control my gyres and return pump, and I'll be running more dosers... Probably multiple Minnows. I'm thinking a Maven is in the future for the big tank as well. We'll see.

My heater plans for both tanks are to rely on quality heaters and let them self regulate to the set temp, then use the Hydros temp sensor and switched AC outlet as the failsafe. If the heater gets stuck on, the Hydros will cut the power. If it fails to come on, I'll get a notification and be able to take some action. Total heater size should be 3-5w per gallon, FWIW.

As to your questions on lighting... I have SEVERAL Primes and Hydras, and here are my thoughts... On your tank, I would run a pair of Primes instead of a single Hydra, every time. You get the same total light output, but with 2 lights you can space them apart more to get better coverage on a 24" long tank. THAT BEING SAID, it also depends on how you plan on mounting them. I'm a nano AiO tank guy, and nothing kills back chamber real estate more than light mounts. Prime mounts take up less room, but the spacing could be problematic with probes, skimmer, etc in the back chambers. A lot of people don't take light mounting solutions into account when choosing what light to get. Plan accordingly.

You also didn't say what sort of coral you'd like to keep, but I'd always rather have "too much" light and turn them down then try to add more later when I realize I don't have enough.

 

[BHFP]

Hi Hooz, thanks for the reply! I was able to find a FANTASTIC bundle on the X4 Pro and XP8 bundle along with many additional sensors, testers and pieces of equipment that will help get me off to a great start. I was able to grab an XR15 g5 blue (sans mount) and after seeing your recommendation realize just how true that caveat is about real estate in the back for the mount. With most of the sensors already set up in the Hydros app, my urge to do cable management (once set on locations) will likely confirm the singular light makes sense. Maybe a confirmation bias?

Only hangup with setup so far is that protein skimmer sensor always reads/senses WET despite it being dry. I think it may need a vinegar bath or something because the plastic housing is a bit hazy. I saw it's OOS on BRS but hopefully I can fix it!

Will update with pics after a run to Top Shelf Aquatics... hopefully this weekend!

 

[PR_nano]

Fellow Orlando reefer with a Nuvo 20. I run an Apex on the tank. Automation does make life easier and allows for more time to enjoy (observe) the reef. I do enjoy some of the manual aspect like water testing, dosing and maintenance sand vacuum/water change it’s a small tank after all.

Do as much research as you can on what you would like to keep on your system that way you get the right equipment.

Like Hooz mentioned real estate on the back chamber is limited so plan your equipment accordingly.

 

[n2585722]

Hi Hooz, thanks for the reply! I was able to find a FANTASTIC bundle on the X4 Pro and XP8 bundle along with many additional sensors, testers and pieces of equipment that will help get me off to a great start. I was able to grab an XR15 g5 blue (sans mount) and after seeing your recommendation realize just how true that caveat is about real estate in the back for the mount. With most of the sensors already set up in the Hydros app, my urge to do cable management (once set on locations) will likely confirm the singular light makes sense. Maybe a confirmation bias?

Only hangup with setup so far is that protein skimmer sensor always reads/senses WET despite it being dry. I think it may need a vinegar bath or something because the plastic housing is a bit hazy. I saw it's OOS on BRS but hopefully I can fix it!

Will update with pics after a run to Top Shelf Aquatics... hopefully this weekend!

Also if a leak occurs where the cable enters the sensor it will cause the sensor to go bad. It is a optical sensor so if it is clean on optic surfaces it should work as long as the is no electronic issue with it.

 

[BHFP]

Ok... So I am in a similar boat, albeit the tank is smaller. I'm doing a controller system on a 12g SPS tank, and I've finally decided on the Hydros system. Actually, I'm setting up 2 tanks currently, and I've decided to use the same Hydros "base" on both.

My plan is to use the Launch and Minnow on the 12g. Here's what I plan to accomplish...

pH and Salinity monitoring - Salinity is less important to me, but the functionality is there, so why not.

AWC and ATO - Using 3 of the small Drive Port pumps and 2 optical level sensors.

Heater Control - Using a Hydros temp probe and one AC outlet on the Launch

Skimmer Control (Off/On) - Making a 12v to 5v stepdown (Buck) convertor to use the 4th Drive Port to drive a MiniQ skimmer and save an AC outlet on the Launch

Dosing - All for Reef and Aminos are all I plan on automating, at least to start. Using the Minnow, of course.

I'll also be using the 0-10v for some stand features (lights, etc) and an external "Feed Mode" button.

Adding a secondary wifi power power module would give more AC outlets for things like an autofeeder, etc. Obviously, the Maven is an addon option too.

I really wish I could use the Hydros to control the wave and return pumps on this tank, but the (tiny) pumps I plan on using aren't supported by the WaveEngine, and have no 0-10v control option either.

My larger tank setup will also be a Launch doing all the same things, but I also got a WaveEngine v2 to control my gyres and return pump, and I'll be running more dosers... Probably multiple Minnows. I'm thinking a Maven is in the future for the big tank as well. We'll see.

My heater plans for both tanks are to rely on quality heaters and let them self regulate to the set temp, then use the Hydros temp sensor and switched AC outlet as the failsafe. If the heater gets stuck on, the Hydros will cut the power. If it fails to come on, I'll get a notification and be able to take some action. Total heater size should be 3-5w per gallon, FWIW.

As to your questions on lighting... I have SEVERAL Primes and Hydras, and here are my thoughts... On your tank, I would run a pair of Primes instead of a single Hydra, every time. You get the same total light output, but with 2 lights you can space them apart more to get better coverage on a 24" long tank. THAT BEING SAID, it also depends on how you plan on mounting them. I'm a nano AiO tank guy, and nothing kills back chamber real estate more than light mounts. Prime mounts take up less room, but the spacing could be problematic with probes, skimmer, etc in the back chambers. A lot of people don't take light mounting solutions into account when choosing what light to get. Plan accordingly.

You also didn't say what sort of coral you'd like to keep, but I'd always rather have "too much" light and turn them down then try to add more later when I realize I don't have enough.

This is super helpful! I plan to do more research on corals soon to inform next steps.

I was informed by another LFS that 50W heater should be sufficient given rock and other media.

Does the 2-3W per gal account for total tank volume or an estimate of water in the system? I like the idea and am doing the same currently with using the XP8 to cut power in the event of a runaway heater.

 

[BHFP]

Fellow Orlando reefer with a Nuvo 20. I run an Apex on the tank. Automation does make life easier and allows for more time to enjoy (observe) the reef. I do enjoy some of the manual aspect like water testing, dosing and maintenance sand vacuum/water change it’s a small tank after all.

Do as much research as you can on what you would like to keep on your system that way you get the right equipment.

Like Hooz mentioned real estate on the back chamber is limited so plan your equipment accordingly.

Absolutely! Light is up and looks great. I am now planning for livestock and evaluating flow controls etc.

Any particular gems or resources for research? I’ve learned I need to be selective for sources.

Interested in minimizing aggression and keeping bioload reasonable while optimizing color of coral. I’d love to have anemone, clownfish, maybe a wrasse and LPS to begin plus cleanup crew and a blenny.

 

[n2585722]

This is super helpful! I plan to do more research on corals soon to inform next steps.

I was informed by another LFS that 50W heater should be sufficient given rock and other media.

Does the 2-3W per gal account for total tank volume or an estimate of water in the system? I like the idea and am doing the same currently with using the XP8 to cut power in the event of a runaway heater.

I use 2 50w heaters in my 42 gallon tank on two separate XP8 outlets. I set the thermostats in the heaters about 3 degrees higher than what the Hydros is set for. One of the heaters is set .1 degrees below the other for turn on and both are set the same for turn off. Since the Hydros normally controls the heaters I have the power range set from 45 to 55 watts for each output so if it goes out of that range I will get an alert for that. For the size of your tank you could probably use 2 25 watt heaters instead of the one 50 watt.

 

[Hooz]

I use 3-5w as the baseline for heaters. If you stay at the lower end of that, based on the STATED VOLUME of an AiO tank, you should be fine for the actual water volume.

My Nuvo 10 only holds an actual 7g of water. My Nuvo 30L holds 21g of actual water.

 

[PR_nano]

Any particular gems or resources for research? I’ve learned I need to be selective for sources.

I went with peaceful fish currently only have 2. You could look up peaceful fish for 20 gallon reef in google or YouTube as a starting point once you find one that you like you can further research that particular fish and compatibility with others you like.

There an old thread someone in this forum created for compatibility you can take a look at to give you some ideas too.

There is vast knowledge base in this forum, search or ask and you can get feedback from members.

Thread 'Fish Compatibility Chart'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-compatibility-chart.775708/

Good luck with your reef journey. Get a build thread going it’s nice to document your progress and get feedback that way.