A New Blank Slate - UNS 45SA

[gnatster]

MTS creeps into your home, one 2 tanks at a time. This one is a UNS 45SA. I don't have firm plans for it yet, but I have some ideas. All the bits have finally arrived. Today is a "where will this fit and let's see how it runs next to the sink in case there is an issue" day.

I have some ideas of where I may want to go. Hillstream Loach / Goby with epiphytes is one direction. Submersed Buce growout idea is floating around in my head, too. Once I figure it out, I'll start a journal that will probably be updated a lot at first, then languish until I get Art's automated reminder email to post.

Hardware
UNS 45SA AIO /w Lid and Intake Screen
Hygger Submersible Heater 50 Watt
FZone Solo Series Nano LED
N-Fill Smart ATO

The ATO has a funny story. I'm using the Tunze Osmolater 3 Nano on the 6 and 10-gallon tanks, but the sensor is large, out of scale for this smaller tank. Plus, the green light is obnoxious at night. A BRS video on the N-Fill Smart ATO popped into my feed. For 70 bucks, I'd give it a try. The ATO arrived with 2 power plugs, no pump. Called BRS, who have real live people in their offices in Minnesota that you can speak to, amazing, I know. The agent had a good laugh. Earlier in the day, they had a caller with 2 pumps, no power plug. They said they'd ship another, keep the one I have. A few days later, an email letting me know it was back-ordered arrived. A quick call to the helpful BRS folks informed that it would be about 2 weeks before a new shipment would arrive. In the meantime, I went on the N-Fill site and saw they had them in stock, with free shipping and 10% signup for email discount. Asked BRS for a refund; the money was back in my account before I hung up. Ordered the ATO from N-Fill and wrote with my tale of woo, asking to purchase a pump. They sent a link to the hidden spare parts page and ordered a pump, $20 shipped. Wrote them back and asked that they make it one shipment. Their support wrote me back, apologizing for the missing pump and refunded the pump price. To be clear, I did tell them that BRS let me keep, at no charge, the unit with all the bits, sans pump. They even sent it with 2-day shipping.

The Blank Slate


A cramped AIO section.

 

[JayP]

I think that Fzone Solo light might be the best product Fzone sells. Love it on my UNS 30C.

 

[NC AL]

MTS creeps into your home, one 2 tanks at a time.

A few years ago I said I will never be that guy.
Now I have currently 5 running tanks at home and 1 at work…

To be fair, one is a temporary quarantine tank that will be broken down next week.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Let the AIO tank takeover commence!

 

[gnatster]

I think that Fzone Solo light might be the best product Fzone sells. Love it on my UNS 30C.

Now that I've had all of about an hour of playing with the light, I'm going to fix its most glaring issue, the ease of knocking out of position on the easy-to-swivel pole. My landlord/neighbor is a metal shop. I'm going to have them drill and tap the mount for a grub screw.

I tried it over my 30A AIO Cube. When placed in the middle rear, it's too long, and angling it looks awkward. I'm thinking a Tuna Sun A80 on that eventually, love the shimmer.

 

[gnatster]

That was quick, the shop drilled and tapped the mount today. For those interested, we used an M4 x 0.7 4mm nylon tipped grubscrew. This mod will keep it from spinning on the pole. The clamp is cast aluminium.

 

[gnatster]

Oh no, last night the light worked fine. Today, only the Red LEDs work.

For those wondering, the clamp was removed before being drilled and tapped.

 

[gnatster]

Fixed, sorta.

Wrote FZone support. They replied with a list of questions. Purchase date, app version, lamp serial number, and a video of the issue. Went to video the problem, the lamp would not come on. Pressing reset did not get the usual 3 flashes. It's dead. Since I purchased it on April 1 from Amazon, I did a return/replacement. New light delivered, modded clamp swapped, old one dropped at local Amazon return point. All good now.

 

[gnatster]

Set up the tank today in the same manner as the past two, much to my surprise and delight, have gone very well.
APT Start
UNS ControBase
UNS ControSoil Black (Fine)
Added a layer of lava rock.
Dosing PO4

Will add the squeezings from the 60S prefilter after Sunday's water change.

Dark start for a few weeks, then some babysitter plants.

We'll see from there.

Cloudyness is from the APT Start added flavor packet.

 

[lid15]

I have this same tank and feel like I haven't seen many journals for them, so I'm quite happy to have stumbled across yours. Looking forward to following along.