20gallon long tranformed into a 48gallon cube! Soon two cubes = 120g

[thatmanMIKEson]

So I started a build thread for this tank, because I guess I'm going all out on this mini reef tank! Its in the front room, I've got a few things for it, and a AI prime 16hd coming next week.

Any and all pointers and tips welcome pls advise, thanks all

 

[lapin]

Nice
Keep us posted

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

The Ai prime 16 came in today, its absolutely beautiful, from the fixture to the prest lighting it starts with!

I am thinking about not messing with the settings on this light and just let the factory color settings go for a while, its a very nice color for the eyes!

I can see this 20 gallon long is going to require 2 AI primes to really balance out light, I can dial them back a bit I assume with 2.

I'm really enjoying this tank to mess around with, I've had a 20g tall before but this 20L is a cool look, im liking the nano, we will se right.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So there's so much equipment in the tank, now I'm building a sump.

Not sure if I should put socks, i think it might be sockless no media just equipment and return pump. Its a 12"x12"x12" cube glass aquarium.

Any suggestions about the sump?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So it took a little while, its 2x the work with 2 tanks this one is so quick to maintain tho I like it.
now with the sump I can tell it just got easier, I may downsize the main pump from a sicce 3.0 to a 2.0 or something in dc, its dailed way down and I cut more weirs in the overflow but still probably only getting 100gph somewhere around that its not much, the pump is way oversized but better than the hob's.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I got the sump finished up with all the equipment installed, and hooked up redsea 2 head dosing pump w/AFR on a 5.5L resivor, it should last at least a year b4 refill :). I love the sump it was never the plan, it was supposed to be a very simple set up just fish and water. But I blame reef2reef!

 

[Stain]

Nice set up, love 20 longs. They definitly need a sump though. I have another 20 long under mine for my sump.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Nice set up, love 20 longs. They definitly need a sump though. I have another 20 long under mine for my sump.

I'm liking the 20L if I knew better I would have done some planning. A 20 sump would be nice with it. I only get maybe another 4.5 gallons of water volume with the sump i made, but I was limited by the stand space.

Plus one for 20L's

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I placed a couple montiporas and the Kenya tree was on the rock i didn't want it there but now its getting bigger im going to cut it down soon, I have another monti frag for the top, and a few favias and a cans. Im running the all for reef currently. So far I like the AFR powder but the separation of elements.

Tank is doing good so far, since the sump install there's no looking back!
Alk8.5-8.8
Cal420
Mag1350_1400
N1.0 P.01

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

One last picture before it transferred into the 48...the 20 was great hard to keep stable, and just a little to small for me and my skills/time

I just got a Fiji 48g ext shallow to replace it and add some size, the 20 was a good tank but overall I should have planned better, now I know what I want out of 2 systems, and I believe the time investment will be better spent with this new set up.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Wow im enjoying this new tank I just officially unplugged the 20L and moved over all the rock and live stock.

Im building the control/ electrical cabinet as I go, its a smaller version of my 120 cabinet. Its climate controlled also and will house every plug and power brick hopefully.

Also I have the rock spread out for now and will be working on setting them up in the next week or so, everything is settling in together, the one thing I couldn't stand in the 20L was ...............the sand oh no!! I use to have sand back in the early 2000's and thought I'd like to have it back, but its a nightmare for me, so just like my 120 I have a solid black abs soon to be covered in algaes and corals, i cant control the nutrients or flow with sand anymore im just bb4life I think.

I have a couple test montiporas and a few zoas, a psammocora and a chalice, all opened up in 10 min or so and have been open for 24hrs. I feel like this tank and filtration system is going to be such a better way to invest my time. Im excited take a look!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Clowns love all the new room they have! 2 pincushion urchins from the 120 to gobble up some green algae b4 I give them away. They are bulls in my China shop, I cant take the knock overs anymore.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I finished up the electrical/ control cabinet its small for sure but perfect for the space.

View attachment 2550092

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I've now got the rock in decent position set up for coral placement it looks a little odd i like the side view, and that tank move may have encouraged some diatoms or some sort of brown powdery algae, idk im not worried but a few months of upkeep this tank will be rocking steady!
1.026s.g
8.1dkh
.03 p04
4.3 n03
430 calcium
1250-1300mag

I was using AFR on the 20L but im switching over to soda ash 2 part from brs like my 120. The AFR was troublesome for me but im not against it, more than likely user error!

Here's the rock work thanks for looking!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

A couple more front and side shots, rock work Changed a little bare with me.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Also just installed the new skimmer and gfo/gac reactor I like to have them on the system. I have an external ato resivor coming for outside the cabinet, and dosing resivors coming for 2 part for the inside.

Skimmer is perfect for the fiji cube 15 sump im glad I didn’t go any bigger, its tight on space in it.

I'm getting another brs titanium heater to replace the glass on in there now .
Thats about it for this weekend, thanks for looking!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

just installed Aqua 15w advantage 2000+ HOB sterilizer from the manifold on the return pump. I am in the process of making acrylic shields for the AI primes (they are at eye/couch level ) I have some test pieces over them now getting height ideas.

Also got the remote ato resivor installed, and the 2 part dosing installed I've been off the AFR since I put in the k.p rock I have been dosing 2 part by hand on occasion all coral but the xenias were removed before the k.p rock was installed so alkalinity demand had slowed way down to where I was only dosing brs 2 part a few times a week. Since set up of the 48g its just been a few water changes.

The electrical cabinet is almost full I have one available plug i will have to cut in a bigger receptacle idk why I put a single gang. So far Its going good I have a few algaes maybe a little diatom or something popping up, thats a big reason for the uv but i wanted one anyway, I have the pentair I need to install on the 120 but im on this new project :) and that tank is in idle doing great, im not ready to cut up the plumbing .

Thank you all for reading and
take a look thank you!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Here's the new trigger 10g ato resivor, and location.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I've got a few more frags from the 120 in here to start pulling alk/cal, so far this tank is doing good.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Tank is shifting, its starting to use alk/cal im able to dose .5ml a day staying at 8.3dkh. I like this tank its going to be awesome, I feel like the uv sterilizer is helping...maybe ...no pest algae but #'s are great ([email protected] [email protected]) there's pink spots starting on the abs bottom, it should take off now with dosing!