Gene's JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium
Updates and Blogs for 2022

12/24/2022 - This moring replaced my filter sock and cleaned my aquarium grass which i do once a week. Will do a 3 gallon water cnge sometime today.

Also replenished my RO water/Kalkwasser mix container which was almost empty. For every 9463ml (40 Cups) of RO water, I add 2 TSP of Kalkwasser mix. I dose my reef aquarium 4 times at night at 59ml RO water/Kalkwasser mix starting at 12am, then at 1:00am, then at 2:00am and the last dose at 3:00am for a total of 236ml for the entire night. This does two things for me; it replaces the evaporated water which happens every day and the added Kalkwasser helps maintain my PH levels at or around 8.0 and also helps maintain my Alkalinity levers between 9.3 – 9.9

I’ve always had an issue maintaining a high PH level until I started dosing my reef aquarium with Kalkwasser. Without the Kalkwasser, my PH was always between 7.5 – 7.7 which is too low. Will do a YouTube video on this subject in the new year.

12/16/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock and did a three gallon water change.

• Temperature: 76.9
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.9
• Magnesium: 1410 (Using New Hanna Test Kit, See Notes below)

Notes: As you know by the two YouTube video’s I did on the all new Hanna Magnesium checker in which the new checker was giving me high readings all over the place. So I decided to do some tests by reducing the Reagent A to try to get close to my last ICP test results which were 1405 ppm. So I did 2 test by reducing the Reagent A and finally got reading between 1410 and 1395. That’s more like it! Will have a YouTube video on these new finding after Christmas when I have more time. Just been working long hours and have been sick on top of everything.

12/9/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock and did a three gallon water change.

• Temperature: 77.3
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026

Since it is the holiday season and I’m working some long hours. Going to slow down or stop making any new YouTube videos until the first of the new year.

12/2/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock and did a three gallon water change.

• Temperature: 77.1
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026

11/29/2022 - My ICP test results. Dont understand why my Phosphates are at 0? not using any GFO or Carbon.

• Calcium: 442 ppm
• Magnesium 1405 ppm
• Patassium: 424 ppm
• Phosphates: 0 ppb (Not Good)
• Iodine: 1.157 ppb (Low compared to last results)

11/30/2022 - Send out a water sample for a ICP test to compare numbers. Just want to know if my Magnesium is still very low compared to my last test results. Last ICP test result was 1306, which is low.

11/26/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock and did a three gallon water change.

• Temperature: 76.8
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.2

11/18/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock.

• Temperature: 77.1
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.3
• Magnesium: 1410 (Used Salifert test kit)

11/9/2022 - Just got my ICP test results today and my Magnesium was at 1306 ppm. Why is mt new Hanna Magnesium checker tells me that my MAG is at 1510.

• Calcium: 452 ppm
• Magnesium 1306 ppm (Low)
• Patassium: 407 ppm
• Phosphates: 54.70 ppb
• Iodine: 8.139 ppb

11/7/2022 - Did a two gallon water change.

11/04/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock. Magnesium tested using Hanna new Mag Check (H1783) with the new updated reagents.

• Temperature: 77.8
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.8
• Magnesium: 1510 (Read Notes Below from 10/28/2022)

10/28/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and this week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock.

• Temperature: 71.1
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.7
• Magnesium: 1540 (Notes Below)

Notes: Bought the new Hanna Magnesium checker and wasn’t expecting my Magnesium to be at 1540 ppm, was expecting it to be around 1358 since that’s what my last ICP test came back at on 9/8/2022. Tested using the new Hanna Check (H1783) with the new updated reagents. Just not sure if this new Hanna tester is correct or not. Also tested my newly mixed saltwater (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix) and it came back at 1580, should be around 1370-1390. Will send out a water sample tomorrow for a ICP test to compare numbers.
Did a full YouTube revew on this all new Hanna checker.

10/22/2022 - Jake Adams Death, I woke up this morning to find out that Jake Adams, the Reef Builders managing editor has passed away. I found out about his death because I was looking to see if Jake posted any new videos on any of his YouTube channels (Reef Therapy and Reef Builders). I did not know him personally, but I was a great follower of his on YouTube for all the knowledge he gave me about the reefing hobby, and he inspired me to create my own YouTube channel (Artistic Reefs). The reefing hobby will not be the same with his passing but his passion for this great hobby will continue. Rest in peace Jake!

10/19/2022 - Found a Hermit Crab claw on the sand bed today. After doing some research, Hermit Crabs on occasion lose their legs (including their claws), but they often grow back during subsequent molts; the process of shedding its exoskeleton as it grows larger. Loss of legs may be a consequence of stress caused by various factors, including tank conditions, or fighting. If I had to take a guess, I bet that the Hermit Crab had an encounter with my Blue Tang, especially if the Hermit Crab got to close to the Tangs sleeping area. My Hermit Crab is still alive and moving like normal. Will do a short video on this in the coming days. Will keep everyone updated since this is the first time having a Hermit Crab.

10/17/2022 - Today, tested my nano reef tank levels. I usually test my levels on Saturday, but every once in a while, ill do a random test to make sure thing are ok. PH is where I like it, but my Alkalinity is slowly rising but it’s within safe levels. Just dont want it to rise to fast.

• Temperature: 78.1
• PH: 8.1
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.8

10/15/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and this week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock.

• Temperature: 78.6
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.5

10/8/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and this week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Also replaced my filter sock.

• Temperature: 78.1
• PH: 7.8 (A little low this week)
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.2

10/7/2022 - Added 3 Nassarius Snails and 1 hermit crab as a clean up crew. Will add some Trochus or Turbo snails at a later date.

9/29/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and this week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 77.9
• PH: 8.1
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.9

My two Mocha Clowns and my Yellow Belly Blue Tank are doing great. I feed them soft pellets several times a day and green seaweed once a week. When it comes to feeding time, they can be quite aggressive especially the larger Clown fish. Would love to add a Cleaner wrasses to this nano reef aquarium but im afraid that the other fish would bully it around.

9/26/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.2
• PH: 8.1
• Salinity: 1.026

9/17/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and changed the filter sock. I always change my filter sock every Wednesday and Saturday. This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 79.4
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.0

9/8/2022 - Received back my water test results from ICP to see how I am progressing in reducing those Iodine levels and I’m happy to say my Iodine levels are back to very low levels (4.036 ppb), Phosphates are at 47.23 ppb. My Iodine levels are too low now so I’m going to slowly raise my Iodine levels back up by reintroducing the green seaweed again but will only give my fish only one peace of seaweed every week. Will again send out a water sample to ICP in about a month or so to see what those Iodine levels are at from reintroducing the green seaweed again.

9/3/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and changed the filter sock. While doing a water change, im going to try to get some bubble algae I see in my nano aquarium. The bubble algae are most concentrated by my zoa’s.

Finally finished on my overdue cable management in my aquarium cabinet and will shown in an upcoming YouTube video once finished. Dont see any Red Cyano on the sand bed anymore. This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.7
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.6

8/27/2022 - Did post a new YouTube video on my Iodine scare I had in my nano reef aquarium. I go into detail how I found out about it and the steps I took to take care of the issue. Happy to say my nano aquarium is in recovery mode. Torch corals are slowly regaining their color, but this will take some time. Just don’t know if there will be any long term negitive affects on my Torch coral health and coloration going forward.
YouTube Video (Nano Aquarium Update - Iodine Scare): https://youtu.be/i7b0gR3q_6Y

8/26/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and changed the filter sock. Started on some overdue cable management in my aquarium cabinet and will be shown in an upcoming YouTube video. This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 79
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.6

8/20/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.8
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.7

8/18/2022 - Still seeing a little of the Red Cyano on the bottom area’s of my front and sides of the glass, but don’t see any on the back glass or sand were most of the Red Cyano was showing up before using the Chemi-clean. I do have my power head on and pointed at the back panel to help with water flow and to reduce any dead spots back there. Will probable adjust one of my return nozzels downwards towards the front bottom of the glass to help with water flow and help reduce any Red Cyano there.

8/16/2022 - Happy to say my nano aquarium is looking very clean of algae and corals are looking very good. Color even on my torch's are coming back and there even extending their tentacles out more. So my plan from the very beginning is paying off.

8/10/2022 - When it rains, it pours. Dosed my aquarium with Chemi-clean to treat my Red Cyano I started to get. Did the treatment for 48 hours as instructed on the box and aerated the tank with an air stone to add oxygen since this stuff strips the oxygen from the water. After 48 hours I replaced my filter sock, replaced my Chemi-Pure Elite filter media and did a 4 gallon water change. After doing all this and the deep cleaning of my entire aquarium I did several weeks ago. Im happy to say my Iodine levels are way down based on how all my corals are look and the green algae is under control. Even my Torch corals are getting there color back.
I will send out my water again for testing in another few weeks to see what my Iodine levels really are. I have to admit this Iodine issue was a real scare for me but I did take my time in resolving the issues ive been having in my nano aquarium. (green algae, than with high levels of Iodine and then a small Red Cyano outbreak). The green algae outbreak was definitely related to the high levels of Iodine. So it’s fair to say I learned a lot about this hobby in the past month or so, but I’m definitely in recovery mode.

8/7/2022 - Did a three gallon water change and changed the filter sock.

This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 79
• PH: 8.1
• Salinity: 1.026

8/6/2022 - Went to the Aquashella Aquarium Show in Dallas Texas. Will post video in a few weeks. YouTube Video from the show: https://youtu.be/6ir6ImavRSA
While at the show, did by a red Acan coral.

7/28/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 77.9
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.6

Also did a 3 gallon water change and replaced the filter sock which was pretty dirty. After adding the Activated Carbon to the filtration on 7/26 and doing water changes much more frequently, my Iodine levels seam like there coming down because I see a difference in my Torch Coral color and there extending their tentacles more. It will take some time for their color to come back but it seams like there in recovery mode.

7/26/2022 - Added a filter bag of activated carbon to help reduce my Iodine levels. Activated Carbon is a great way in reduce Iodine levels if to high in your aquarium. But watch on how much you use because Activated Carbon can also strip trace elements from your water. I’m using much more Activated Carbon than normal because I need to reduce my Iodine levels as quickly as possible. Will reduce the Activated Carbon usage in about two weeks and will also restart dosing my aquarium All-For-Reef to add trace elements again. Will also send out another water sample to ICP to see how I am progressing in reducing those Iodine levels. Iodine naturally dissipates over time but since there at such high levels in my aquarium, I needed to do some drastic steps before things got totally out of control.

7/25/2022 - Just got back my ICP test results back today and found out that my Iodine level is extremely high at 120.758 ppb. The iodine level is so high that it could affect the health of the fish or maybe even kill them. It even could be the main factor why my Torch corals aren’t doing well.

After doing some research on how I could be getting such high levels in my nano aquarium. I came to realize that it’s coming from the green seaweed I’ve been feeding my fish every day with. Green seaweed naturally has very high levels of Iodine in it, which I didn’t know.

So im going to stop feeding my fish the green seaweed for a while and just feed them soft pellets. Also going to do a 3 gallon water change to help reduce the levels of the Iodine and do another water change later in the week. All other levels from the ICP test were pretty good and will share those results within a few weeks. Will keep everyone posted.

7/23/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.2
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.5

7/22/2022 - As you know, I have been dealing with algae (Green) in my nano aquarium in a big way. So today I decided I would take out all the rocks and give them a good scrubbing with saltwater. Under blue light, the algae looks brown in color, but under natural white light. The algae is green in color.

The amount of green algae I brushed off was amazing to say the least, not alone smelly. If it smells that bad on the outside of your aquarium, imagine what it’s doing to the health inside your aquarium.

By cleaning the rock, I wanted to make sure the algae wasn’t sucking all the nutrients from the aquarium, resulting in poor coral or fish health. To much algae can also starve your aquarium of oxygen if you’re not careful. Plus wanted to make sure it wasn’t smothering growth of good algae, like coralline algae.

My Torch corals still don’t look healthy and hoping by doing the above will help in their health. Time will tell if I did the right thing and will keep everyone posted.

Also did another water change (3 gallons) to help with any algae particles in the water column. I think im going to start doing 3 gallon water changes each week instead of 2 gallons to help keep things in balance and algae under control.

7/21/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. Salinity (1.026) testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker.

7/19/2022 - Today I mailed out a water sample to ICP, looking forward to the test results to see if I have any kind of deficiency in trace elements or any kind of imbalance in water chemistry. Should have results sometime next week. Will share those results once I get them.

7/16/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.3

Did my normal glass cleaning of algae today and changed out my filter sock for a new one which I do every Wednesday and Saturday.

7/9/2022 - Did a 3 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. Salinity (1.026) testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker. Also replaced my filter sock which I do twice a week.

Been having issues with my Torches for the past few weeks. Torches just haven’t been opening up very much. Just to rule out things, I decided to dip them in a bath of Brightwell Aquatics Koral MD for ten minutes just to make sure they dont have any unwanted pests on them. Also placed them in a different location in the aquarium just to rule out a potential lighting issue. When I first got my two Green Toadstools, I placed them were the torches were and had to move them to another location because they didn’t like the direct light even though I have my blues set at 45% and whites at 10%.

Replaced my single return nozzle and made it into a dual nozzle for better flow direction in my nano aquarium. The fittings I used are from Loc-Line using 1/2" modular hose segments and they work perfectly with the existing 1/2” JBJ return pluming. Will be doing a video on this in the coming weeks, so look for it.

7/7/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Calcium at 440 is the highest it’s been since I’ve had this aquarium. Going to reduce my All-For-Reef from 3 ml to 1.5 ml to see if I can get that Calcium number down just a bit to (410-420) without affecting my PH and Alkalinity.

• Temperature: 78.3
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.3
• Calcium: 440

7/2/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. Salinity (1.026) testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker. Also cleaned up my rear filtration chambers and wiped down my heater to get rid of any algae that may be building up. Keeping your heater clean will help in the performance of your heater.

7/2/2022 - This week’s test levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.5

6/30/2022 - Please check out our YouTube channel. Will be trying to post a new video every week for everyone.

6/28/2022 - Finally received my Chemi Pure Elite filter media to hopefully help with my algae issue I’ve been dealing with ever since I added fish to my saltwater nano aquarium. Within 24 hours of added it, I’ve seen a dramatic change in water clarity and hopefully will reduce the algae buildup on my rocks and sand over time. Will keep everyone updated on this.

6/25/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. Salinity (1.026) testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker.

6/25/2022 - If I haven’t mentioned before, been dosing my JBJ nano aquarium daily with 3ml of All-For-Reef for trace elements, Magnesium and Calcium since 3/25/2022 and all my coral seam to be doing well.

Been also dosing Kalkwasser by adding it to my top-off water. I add 1/2 tsp to 2.8 gallons of RO water, much less than what is recommended on the directions. Been using the Kalkwasser to help with PH levels which has been very hard for me to maintain above 7.9 .

6/25/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. Don’t normally test for Nitrate and Nitrite, but I have both test kits. So, I might as well use them from time to time just to make sure everything is in check. Nitrate, Nitrite and Calcium test kits are from Salifer and Salinity, Alkalinity and PH test kits are from Hanna.

• Temperature: 77.3
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.4
• Nitrite: 0
• Nitrate: 0

6/24/2022 - Still dealing with algae issues but much more manageable since I’ve been doing weekly water changes of 2 or 3 gallons. I did order Boyd Enterprises “Chemi Pure Elite” filter media to help with my algae issue by reducing any elevated phosphates that I may have in my saltwater nano aquarium. Elevated phosphates will always cause algae issues until your phosphates are under control. Will do a review on this product and will let everyone know how this works.

6/18/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.2
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.2

6/18/2022 - Did a 3 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. These are the ratio's I used to get to 1.026 Salinity. Salinity testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker.

For a 3 gallon water change

• 25 lbs (3 gallons RO water)
• 15.8 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix)

For a 2 gallon water change

• 16.5 lbs (2 gallons RO water)
• 10.3 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix)

For a 1 gallon water change

• 8 lbs (1 gallon of RO water)
• 5.3 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix

6/12/2022 - Please check out our YouTube channel. Will be trying to post a new video every week.

6/10/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. For some reason i got behind on my water changes, not good. Like to do a 2 gallon water change every two weeks. Also added 5 TBPS of GFO to my filter sock and replaced my Activated Carbon. I try to replace my Activated Carbon every two months to help keep my nano aquarium sparkling clear.

• Marineland: Black Diamond Premium Activated Carbon
• BRS: GFO - Granular Ferric Oxide

6/10/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 77.8
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.9

6/10/2022 - Since i got behind on my water changes, i'm dealing again with algae buildup on my glass and some on the sand in a big way.

5/25/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 77.4
• PH: 7.7
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.6

5/21/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. These are the ratio's I used to get to 1.026 Salinity. Salinity testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker and a Refractometer.

• 16.5 lbs (2 gallons RO water)
• 10.3 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix)

5/20/2022 - Just posted a video titled "Filter sock removal from my JBJ Nano aquarium".

5/20/2022 - Our new YouTube channel is here.

5/14/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.6
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.025

5/12/2022 - Posted a video titled "Feeding my Fish - Two Little Fishies Green Seaweed".

5/11/2022 - Posting a video titled "Feeding Corals - JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium".

5/11/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 77.7
• Salinity: 1.025

5/6/2022 - Posted a video titled "JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium".

5/6/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium.

• Temperature: 78.4
• PH: 7.7
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.1
  

5/6/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today using Red Sea Pro Salt mix. These are the ratio's I used to get to 1.026 Salinity. Salinity testing was performed using a Hanna Salinity checker and a Refractometer.

• 16.5 lbs (2 gallons RO water)
• 10.3 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix)

For a 1 gallon water change

• 8 lbs (1 gallon of RO water)
• 5.3 oz (Red Sea Pro Salt Mix)

5/4/2022 - Received my test results back from ICP-Analysis. My Calcium was 413 ppm, Magnesium 1335 ppm, Potassium 402 ppm and Phosphates were at 9.46 ppb which was to high and needs to come down. Will bring down Phosphates with more water changes and adding GFO to my filter sock. Here are my ICP test results if your interested in looking at them.

4/29/2022 - Just posted a new video on our Youbute channel about my Torch Coral splitting.

4/28/2022 - Mailed out a water sample to ICP and should have results in a few weeks. This was my last ICP results from 2/26/2022.

4/28/2022 - This week’s levels for my JBJ Nano Reef Aquarium. For some reason Alkalinity came down this week?

• Temperature: 77.6
• PH: 8.0
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 8.3

4/23/2022 - These 4 tests I do once a week to make sure my parameters are good. PH is the only parameters that I have a hard time keeping in check, goal 8.0 - 8.3 .

• Temperature: 77.7
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.026
• Alkalinity: 9.0

4/17/2022 - I think it’s fair to say most of you that have a nano saltwater aquarium have some kind of filter sock for filtration. The big debate is regarding if you should clean filter socks or replace them. For me, I replace my filter sock twice a week with a new one. I don’t believe in cleaning filter socks especially if you’re cleaning them in your washing machine with bleach or just socking your dirty filter socks in bleach. My main concern is removing all that bleach from the filter sock before placing it back into your nano aquarium. Bleach can harm your fish and coral if not totally removed from the filter sock. For less than $4.00 per filter sock, I think my fish and coral deserve to have a healthy environment. What do you think?

4/16/2022 - Noticed a little more algae buildup on the glass ever since I added fish to my nano reef aquarium. So I did a 2 gallon water change on 4/14/2022, changed out the old carbon for some new carbon, replaced the filter sock which I do twice a week and added some GFO into my filter sock.

GFO, which stands for Granular Ferric Oxide, the purpose of GFO is to inhibit algae growth by removing phosphates from the aquarium. Maintaining low phosphate levels will help prevent algae outbreaks and control algae growth. I don’t test for phosphates but want to make sure it’s in check since I now have fish in my nano aquarium. When I did a ICP test back on 2/26/2022, my phosphates were at 0 ppm. Will be interesting to see what my levels are now?

4/15/2022 - Did my weekly water test on my JBJ Nano reef aquarium today. These 4 tests I do once a week to make sure my parameters are good. PH is the only parameter that I have a hard time keeping in check, goal 8.0 - 8.3 . PH defiantly goes down after a 2 gallon water change for some reason, not sure why? Im using Red Sea Pro salt mix which has a consistent PH of 8.2 when I finish mixing it. These are my results.

• Temperature: 77.7
• PH: 7.8
• Salinity: 1.025
• Alkalinity: 9.2

4/14/2022 - Just published a review on the Two Little Fishies Veggie Clip.

4/14/2022 - Noticed that my Salinity was at 1.024 for the first time, so I’m going to do a 2 gallon water change and have the new saltwater at a Salinity of 1.028. Hopefully that will get me back to a Salinity level of 1.025. After doing a saltwater change, I re-tested for Salinity and it was back to 1.025. Will be re-adjusting my RO water dosing measurement per day to make sure my Salinity stays at 1.025 . RO water Dosing measurement per day were at 473ml, changed to 373ml per day. Hopefully that does the trick!

4/13/2022 - The Yellow Belly Blue Tang I bought on 4/2/2022 is doing great but he isn’t eating the soft pellets that my clownfish are eating. So, I bought some Green Seaweed from Two Little Fishies to see if he will go for that. Even though he isn’t eating the soft pellets, he is going to town on grazing the algae in my nano aquarium, so he is eating.

4/8/2022 - Just published our Artistic Reefs Facebook page today which has been in the works for a while now. Please follow and hit that like button to support our page. Will be posting great content on a regular basis and will do our best to answer all your questions, Happy Reefing.

4/8/2022 - Did a 2 gallon water change today. Last time I did a water change was on 3/19/2022, so almost 3 weeks since my last water change. As always, I weighed out my RO water to 16.5 (2 gallons). My packing scale only weighs things in 0.5 increments, so that’s why I stated 16.5 for 2 gallons of RO water (16.68lbs). I measured out my Red Sea Pro salt mix to 9.46 oz which gives me a salinity reading of 1.025 . Mixed everything for 30 minutes until all the salt was dissolved in my 5 gallon bucket. Pretty state forward and was finished with everything in 1 hour, including clean-up. Did a quick test of the newly mixed saltwater before putting it into my nano aquarium and salinity was at 1.025, PH at 8.3 and temperature was at 74.8 which was a little low.

• 2 Gallons of RO water (16.5lbs)
  9.46 ounces of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix

4/7/2022 - Thought I would do a few water tests before did a small water change on my JBJ Nano reef aquarium. These are the results.

• Temperature: 77.3
• PH: 8.0
• Nitrite: 0
• Nitrate: 0
• Salinity: 1.025
• Alkalinity: 9.3
• Calcium: 440

4/2/2022 - Added a very small Yellow Belly Blue Tang. The Blue Tank is about 1" in size and has great color. He is defiantly going to town on the algae on the back panel of my JBJ nano aquarium. The colors (Blue, Black and Yellow) of this tang are very deep but he doesn’t have a yellow belly yet since he’s just a small youngster.

4/2/2022 - Did a few water tests on my JBJ Nano reef aquarium and these are my results. I try to test my water parameters once a week just to make sure everything is where I want it. PH is still a little low but i'm getting there.

• Temperature: 77.3
• PH: 7.9
• Salinity: 1.025
• Alkalinity: 9.3

3/27/2022 - Added two Mocha Clown fish today from my local aquarium store. The clown fish are small in size, about 1.50” and have great color. I am feeding them Ultra Marine Soft Clownfish Medium Pellets from Fauna Marin.

3/25/2022 - Well, I finally did it and bought a dosing pump to help with water evaporation by using the pump to replenish the nano aquarium with fresh RO water/Kalkwasser mix and also for using it for dosing “All for Reef”. Ended up picking this dosing pump because I’m already using their Red Sea REEFLED 50 LED Light which uses there REEFBEET APP. The APP works well and is easy to use once installed on your smart phone or tablet. Will provide a detailed review of this product once I get it installed and working.

3/24/2022 - Started to dose my nano aquarium with BRS Kalkwasser. There’s two main reason I started to use this product; First to help raise my Alkalinity and second is to raise my PH above 7.7 . I could never get my alkalinity to go above 7.9 while just using “All for Reef”. So, I thought I would give this a try and it seems to be working. I finally have my Alkalinity at 9.7 and my PH is now at 8.0 for the first time.

Mixed 1 tsp of Kalkwasser in with my RO top off water (1 gallon) while following the mixing directions on the package. Very easy to mix and dissolves quickly, it’s normal to have a slurry at the bottom of the mix once you let sit for a day, just make sure you only dose your aquarium with the clear solution of Kalkwasser.

Once I get my PH to about 8.1 or 8.2, I will then start mixing a radio of ½ tsp of Kalkwasser to 1 gallon of RO top off water to help stabilize my PH number. Will continue to dose my nano aquarium with “All for Reef” for all the trace elements it provides. Will keep everyone updated as I use the Kalkwasser.

3/19/2022 - As I perversely mentioned before on March 2. I will be mixing my own saltwater for my Nano aquarium for better quality and consistency. I'm using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and I must say it’s easy to mix and the quality of the salt is good. The salt mix dissolves quickly and is ready to put into my nano aquarium in about 40 minutes.

I’m using my unused JBJ nano return pump for mixing my saltwater in a 5 gallon plastic container that I bought from Walmart. The Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix is totally dissolved in less than 20 minutes and ready to put into my nano aquarium in about 40 minutes time. Before putting in my aquarium, I test the water for temperature, Salinity and PH. The newly mixed saltwater has a PH reading of 8.2 and I make sure that the salinity is at 1.025 .

Yesterday I mixed 3 gallons of the Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix. I weigh out the water to 25lbs (25.02) and added 14.2 ounces of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix to get 1.025 salinity. Im weighing out the water to achieve a more consistent result every time I mix the saltwater. I’m also writing down the data to hopefully make it easier for other nano reefers with mixing your own aquarium saltwater. At this time, these are my mixing radios and will update them as I do more batches of salt mix. (Mixing radios updated on 3/19/2022)

• 2 Gallons of RO water (16.7lbs) or 16.68lbs
  9.46 ounces of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix
• 3 Gallons of RO water (25lbs) or 25.02lbs
  14.2 ounces of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix

3/5/2022 - I finally purchased a PH tester which was way over do. Ended up buying the Hanna H198107 pHep Tester from Amazon and did my very first water test today which read 7.7 . Product reviews on this tester had mixed reviews but already use several Hanna products like there Salinity and Alkalinity testers with no issues, so I was willing to give this tester a try. This tester is made in Romania and is factory tested before shipping. The tester came in a clear hard case with everything needed for calibration.

Since this was my first PH test for this Nano aquarium, I was very surprised to see my levels at 7.7, was expecting to see levels much lower for some reason. Need to get that number up and will accomplish that by mixing my own saltwater using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt mix. Will give you guys an update on the PH in about 4 weeks.

3/2/2022 - As mentioned below on 3/1/2022, I will be mixing my own saltwater from now on. The salt mix I will be using is Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and the main reason for choosing this mix over other brands is because I really like Red Sea products and to help stabilize and be more consistent with Alkalinity and PH levels without adding additional additives all the time. Will give you guys an update on mixing radio’s and how the mixing goes.

3/1/2022 - As you all know, I purchase per-mixed saltwater from my local aquarium store with no issues with Salinity always pegged at 1.025 ppt. The other day I bought some new saltwater and found some rocks at the bottom of the container. This is the second time I’ve seen these little rocks in my saltwater. The first time I didn’t think anything of it, but this time I decided to test the water more than I do. Each time I buy new saltwater, I test the water for temperature and Salinity (1.025 ppt) before putting in my aquarium. This time I also tested for Alkalinity, and it was at 5.5, which is way to low to put in my nano aquarium. So, between the Alkalinity being so low and these rocks im finding in the saltwater. I decided to start mixing my own saltwater, so this way I have more control over Alkalinity levels and the overall quality of the saltwater.

As to the little rocks im finding in the saltwater, im not sure what they are. I know there brownish (Rusty) in color and very hard. My first thought was old salt/Calcium buildup that turned color from age but not sure at this point. Any Idea's?

2/26/2022 - Finally received my test results back from ICP-Analysis. One thing I learned from this test it doesn’t include PH or Alkalinity. Was hoping it would include that so I could compare result with my testing. My Calcium was 427 ppm, Magnesium was 1385 ppm and Potassium was 442 ppm which I was happy about. Here are my ICP test results if your interested in looking at them and to see what's included in the test results.

One thing of concern was my Molybdenum which was at 31.89 ppm, it should be about 10 ppm or lower. So, I will do a water change and hopefully the Poly Filter from Poly-Bio-Marine Inc will also help with some of the high levels.

My Cobalt, Chromium, Iodine, Manganese and Zinc were all at very low levels or nonexistent, so I ordered MicroE Elements from Aquaforest which contains most of these metals.

2/22/2022 - Bad News! The other clown fish died from Brooklynella, also known as Clownfish. Will do a good water change and will wait about 6 weeks before putting any clown fish back into this aquarium. I ordered a product call Poly Filter from Poly-Bio-Marine Inc. It can absorb contaminants and medication found in the water. This product will also change color to let you know what type of contaminate it removed from the water. Poly-Filter will not remove calcium, magnesium, strontium, barium or alkalinity supplements. Poly-Filter will not remove trace elements included in marine salt mixtures. Will let you know how this product works.

2/19/2022 - Bad news! Lost a clown fish to Brooklynella, also known as Clownfish Disease. Both clown fish were doing great the first day I bought them, the second day no issues with great color. Then on the third day is when I started to see a white mucus coming off one of the clown fish, color of the skin was whitish in color and the gills were slightly bulging. Everything happened very fast without notice, so I gave the clown fish a freshwater bath for 5 minutes and the clown fish did fine after putting him back in the tank. On the fourth day (Saturday), ended up dipping both clown fish in ParaGuard from Seachem. It was recommended by the aquarium store I bought the clown fish from.

ParaGuard is an alternative to Formilin, which is a very strong medication for this type of disease. Used ParaGuard as directed but the stress from the medication was to much for the clown fish and it passed away on 2/19/2022. The other clown fish is doing fine but he showed early signs he had it to before putting him in the dip. So im hoping the dip helped him with this disease.

Brooklynella, also known as Clownfish Disease is much more prevalent in wild caught clown fish compared to captive bread specimens. So the next time Im ready to buy more clown fish for my nano aquarium it will be captive bread, but will wait about 6 weeks before buying any more fish as long as the other clown fish has a full recovery.

2/16/2022 - Did turn off my power head because I thought there was too much water movement in the aquarium for the clown fish. They were getting whipped around pretty good, so I turn it off for now. Corals seem to be getting plenty of water movement from the rear sump pump. Just trying to keep a balance of water flow that makes everyone happy.

2/16/2022 - Just added two Clown Fish and one Hammer coral to my aquarium. I love the color of this hammer coral which has greenish hammers on the ends. The clown fish are very small in size, about 1.25” in size and have great color. Pictures can be found here.

2/10/2022 - Will be sending out a sample of my aquarium saltwater to ICP-Analysis for analysis. Will update everyone on the results once I get them. Will be interesting in what my water parameters are since I only test for Salinity, Alkalinity, Calcium and Temperature. Will also tell me how accurate my testing has been. PH will be one parameter I will be interest in since I don’t test for that.

2/6/2022 - I noticed while using Seachem Reef Fusion 2 to raise my alkalinity it left a film in the back sump area were there isn’t much water movement. It was a thick film (Slime) on top of the water and once noticed, I stirred the water up and that cleared everything up. There’s not much water agitation in the rear sump area resulting in the slime build-up. I did dose the Seachem Reef Fusion 2 in front of the power head to dispense everything really good but some managed to enter the rear sump area resulting in the slime build-up. So, keep that in mind while using this product.

2/3/2022 - While using Tropic Marin All-For-Reef to raise my alkalinity, I noticed it wasn’t raising the alkalinity anymore in my nano aquarium for some reason. So, I used Seachem Reef Fusion 2 to raise the alkalinity and that did the trick. I dosed the tank with 3ml of Seachem Reef Fusion 2 and it raise the alkalinity by 2 dkH. I think the reason why the Tropic Marin All-For-Reef wasn’t raising the alkalinity anymore is because I haven’t done a water change in a while. Just got behind on water changes because my family got COVID and busy doing other things.

2/1/2022 - Disclaimer: By no means am I getting sponsored or paid by JBJ aquariums for this information on this website. All Information provide on this website is strictly my opinion only and not influenced by any company or aquarium manufacture. Reviews regarding products on this website are strictly my opinion only. Happy reefing!

1/31/2022 - I know I mentioned the difficulty I had connecting to the Red Sea REEFLED 50 LED Light and the MOES Smart WiFi Digital Temperature Controller when first using their APP's. I noticed once your accounts are setup for each device, I found it very easy to install and connect using other devices like the new Android tablet I bought. Connecting was a breeze because my accounts were already setup on each device’s networks (In the Cloud). Just remember the password you used to set up your account for each device and connecting will go smoothly.