cloakerpoked
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So...Here is the goal...
25 Gallon Nano Build
- Cube Build
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cloakerpoked
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That was my 60 gallon cube that I had set up 10 years ago (WHAT?!?!?!) It's gone...a casualty of life changes (good ones for me professionally and whatever...bad because they killed the momentum of my best tank ever).
Now I have a 25(ish) gallon tank (20x20x16) that I'm setting up. I'd like it to look similar in aquascaping and such. I miss my old cube, it was absolutely my best tank that I ever set up, but we moved South and I started a new career, and I've just never gotten back in at the level that I left.
I am putting it on a side table that we have. I jumped up and down on it a few times, and it felt solid. Using the 8lb per gallon rule for tanks, I figure that means that it will hold no problemo. As you can see in the second picture, I used a scrap deck board (1.25x5.5) to brace the center, especially since the tank doesn't make it all the way to the corners. There is already a brace running perpendicular to it (although nowhere near as strong). I also cut the drawer and slid the back up.
Now I have a 25(ish) gallon tank (20x20x16) that I'm setting up. I'd like it to look similar in aquascaping and such. I miss my old cube, it was absolutely my best tank that I ever set up, but we moved South and I started a new career, and I've just never gotten back in at the level that I left.
I am putting it on a side table that we have. I jumped up and down on it a few times, and it felt solid. Using the 8lb per gallon rule for tanks, I figure that means that it will hold no problemo. As you can see in the second picture, I used a scrap deck board (1.25x5.5) to brace the center, especially since the tank doesn't make it all the way to the corners. There is already a brace running perpendicular to it (although nowhere near as strong). I also cut the drawer and slid the back up.
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cloakerpoked
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The goal with this tank since it is rimless is to go with cleaner lines. I'm also hoping to document it here, hopefully so that I'll keep up with my maintenance. I've had a 40 breeder for the last 6 years (upgraded to a 65), but honestly haven't done a water change in about 6 months because it is too big for my time schedule. I'm going to transfer the fish and surviving corals over, and start this sytem virtually new otherwise.
I have a Blizzard Clown female that's about 7 years old, a six-line wrasse (hopefully won't be a jumper), bangaii cardinalfish, pygmy angelfish (so far been nice to all my corals), a serpent star, a bunch of snails, and a yellow clown goby. Some SPS has been hanging in there (pociliporra mostly) and a few LPS as well will also make the trip. Most of the rock won't, because it has hair and bubble algae on it, so I'll be starting with a lot of dry rock. I'll dry out my rock, and add it to this rock as I move along.
My 65 system will turn into a planted discus tank. But that's not the point of the post here...
I have a Blizzard Clown female that's about 7 years old, a six-line wrasse (hopefully won't be a jumper), bangaii cardinalfish, pygmy angelfish (so far been nice to all my corals), a serpent star, a bunch of snails, and a yellow clown goby. Some SPS has been hanging in there (pociliporra mostly) and a few LPS as well will also make the trip. Most of the rock won't, because it has hair and bubble algae on it, so I'll be starting with a lot of dry rock. I'll dry out my rock, and add it to this rock as I move along.
My 65 system will turn into a planted discus tank. But that's not the point of the post here...
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cloakerpoked
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As far as equipment, I'm going to try my hardest to go skimmerless and do 5 gallon water changes every week. I have holes in the tank, which is unfortunate, because I really didn't want anything under it given how the stand looks. But, for a $70 pick up on facebook marketplace, beggers can't be choosers.
I'll be using a Fluval 207 (aka nitrate factory...all you canister haters don't knock it 'til you try it). I won't use any of the "biological" filtration for it...It'll be 100% mechanical. Mainly a closed loop for GFO and Carbon. I'll also connect an inline heater, so that will keep it out of the tank.
After agonizing for hours (literally) about what kind of light to use, I'm going to start with a Radion Gen 4 XR15 Pro. The last time I really paid close attention, Radion had just released it's first one, so I'll be a noobie when it comes to this. Not really planning on doing much fancy with it, but it will keep the top pretty clean, and that's the main goal. I don't like the blue-heavy look of the Kessil's...the Hydra was tempting to me as well. Bottom line, I found a good deal for the Radion and pounced on it.
My whole reefing career, I've used Koralia's and return pumps for flow. Gonna break with tradition again and go the MP10 route this time. Again, clean tank is the goal, that means less equipment, so I can pack 6 koralia nano's in odd spots all over the tank, or one MP10. Decision made.
I'll be using a Fluval 207 (aka nitrate factory...all you canister haters don't knock it 'til you try it). I won't use any of the "biological" filtration for it...It'll be 100% mechanical. Mainly a closed loop for GFO and Carbon. I'll also connect an inline heater, so that will keep it out of the tank.
After agonizing for hours (literally) about what kind of light to use, I'm going to start with a Radion Gen 4 XR15 Pro. The last time I really paid close attention, Radion had just released it's first one, so I'll be a noobie when it comes to this. Not really planning on doing much fancy with it, but it will keep the top pretty clean, and that's the main goal. I don't like the blue-heavy look of the Kessil's...the Hydra was tempting to me as well. Bottom line, I found a good deal for the Radion and pounced on it.
My whole reefing career, I've used Koralia's and return pumps for flow. Gonna break with tradition again and go the MP10 route this time. Again, clean tank is the goal, that means less equipment, so I can pack 6 koralia nano's in odd spots all over the tank, or one MP10. Decision made.
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cloakerpoked
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First big design change: I'm deep sixing the canister filter. Mainly because I realized that the overflow box is going to suck a lot of air. Some of that is even good, since it skims the surface, and that stops dust and that white powdery stuff from creating an oil-slick looking thing on the top. A canister filter won't work for that...which meant a sump. Sump also gives me the option to keep macroalgae. I put blackout curtains on tension rods to hide the sump from view. They'll need to be hemmed, etc. Bought a piece of plexiglass from Lowes, and cut it to fit the top. Drilled two holes and cut out the corner of the plexiglass. The holes are for the drain and return lines, and the corner for electrical cords. It should cut down big time on evaporation coming from the sump, which is very important to me since I'll already evaporate a lot from the display. The supports are metal, so it should prevent a level of rust from accumulating as well. Another benefit of the sump will be that I can use an ATO.
The sump is a stock 10 gallon aquarium. It is definitely about 2 inches higher than I wish it was. Working in the sump is a pain in the neck since the rim of the tank is higher than the bottom of the support for the top. Hopefully I'm not having to mess with it very much.
Speaking of ATO, ordered a booster pump for my ATO today too. It wastes a ton of water, and makes about 1 gallon every 2 hours. I'm sure my pressure is lowe, which can lead to increased waste water and slow water production. Even with redundant solenoids, I don't think I'll want to run the line straight into the tank. I haven't totally figured it out yet. There is space for a reservoir under the tank, so I may use a separate pump to go between the two (something like an aqualifter...)
Sump means that I may as well run carbon and GFO passively in the sump, or actively in a reactor on the return line (or on a closed loop with a maxijet), but either way I don't need the canister filter.
Installed a DJ Powerstrip for power. I may eventually go to a controller, although maybe not. The main thing I like is having a digital pH monitor. Dosing pumps may be in the somewhat distant future...since I'd much rather calculate the tank draw and just supplement that way.
The sump is a stock 10 gallon aquarium. It is definitely about 2 inches higher than I wish it was. Working in the sump is a pain in the neck since the rim of the tank is higher than the bottom of the support for the top. Hopefully I'm not having to mess with it very much.
Speaking of ATO, ordered a booster pump for my ATO today too. It wastes a ton of water, and makes about 1 gallon every 2 hours. I'm sure my pressure is lowe, which can lead to increased waste water and slow water production. Even with redundant solenoids, I don't think I'll want to run the line straight into the tank. I haven't totally figured it out yet. There is space for a reservoir under the tank, so I may use a separate pump to go between the two (something like an aqualifter...)
Sump means that I may as well run carbon and GFO passively in the sump, or actively in a reactor on the return line (or on a closed loop with a maxijet), but either way I don't need the canister filter.
Installed a DJ Powerstrip for power. I may eventually go to a controller, although maybe not. The main thing I like is having a digital pH monitor. Dosing pumps may be in the somewhat distant future...since I'd much rather calculate the tank draw and just supplement that way.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Your biggest fan here who learned so much about coral from you. I am excited to see what you do with this new tank!
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cloakerpoked
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You're being kind. At this point I probably have just as much to learn from you if not more. (For all those who don't know, this is my mom, and as you can see by all the fancy things under her name (and the lack of ones under mine) she has a lot to show me at this point.
Initial leak tests are going well for the tank. I have a MJ1200 that I'll use as a return until my Sicce 1.0 pump gets here in a week or so. I don't really want a lot of turn over from the sump...just enough to keep from getting an ugly noise out of my overflow box. I'll be doing some aquascaping in the next few days using some dry rock, and some rock out of my current tank and sump. Due to the bubble and hair algae's that I had in the old tank, I'm going to be mixing old and new.
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cloakerpoked
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Changed out the drain to a durso-style drain. It was slurping really badly with a syphon. I didn't expect the MJ1200 to give me strong enough flow, but low and behold it did. The adapters I had used were restricting flow too much as well, so I got rid of the bushing adapter and upgraded the size of the drain pipe.
I have my salinity up, and my initial rockwork done. I'm trying to not fill in the whole tank with rock this time, leaving lots of space for colorful sticks to fill in.
Now that I have the sump, I've also recycled one of my heaters from my other reef tank. The inline one I had ordered needed to be installed vertically, and I don't have the space for that without making maintanence on it a virtual impossibility. It won't hurt anything laying there in the sump. so I'm going to leave it.
So now we have rock, sand, flow, and saltwater (also carbon) all running in the tank. Once I have the light, I'll be ready to start everything else, although since all my animals are still comfortably housed in the 65 gallon I'm downsizing from, there really isn't much of a rush for it.
Hopefully the cloudiness clears up enough by tomorrow that I can get a decent picture of the rock work.
I have my salinity up, and my initial rockwork done. I'm trying to not fill in the whole tank with rock this time, leaving lots of space for colorful sticks to fill in.
Now that I have the sump, I've also recycled one of my heaters from my other reef tank. The inline one I had ordered needed to be installed vertically, and I don't have the space for that without making maintanence on it a virtual impossibility. It won't hurt anything laying there in the sump. so I'm going to leave it.
So now we have rock, sand, flow, and saltwater (also carbon) all running in the tank. Once I have the light, I'll be ready to start everything else, although since all my animals are still comfortably housed in the 65 gallon I'm downsizing from, there really isn't much of a rush for it.
Hopefully the cloudiness clears up enough by tomorrow that I can get a decent picture of the rock work.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
I will be anxious to see that unclouded pic. Aquascapes are one of my favorite aspects of a new tank so am excited to see what you come up with!
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cloakerpoked
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I've always been somewhat partial to bonsai aquascaping. However, I really liked your raised sand bed that you had in one part of your tank, and so inspired, chose to elevate the center sand bed section of the tank about 2". I'm hoping for it to be a little acan lagoon or something like that, and also will give a drop-off feel to the sides. The picture I posted last night doesn't really illustrate this very well. My new pictures that I take (hopefully tonight in a clear tank) will show it better. I added another cup of sand to the middle last night, so the cloudiness started over again (although it doesn't last nearly as long.)
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cloakerpoked
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I want to add one more rock to the top on the left or the right, not sure which side yet. I just want a little bit more height contrast between the two sides. I also want it to be a pretty visually interesting rock, which I do not have readily available. It will probably end up coming out of the old display, after I get the nuisance algae off of it.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
That should be a visually appealing scape, especially when you get some acros growing on it. I am flattered that I inspired you a little.
Looking good.
Looking good.
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cloakerpoked
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This pic easily has the best lighting I have available.
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cloakerpoked
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Got my light today, it’s a Radion XR 30 GEN four. Way more light than I need for this tank, but right now I will run it at about 25 to 30% and see how things go from there. Ordered aDiffuser and a Mobius chip upgrade for the light, I couldn’t get the eco-tech app to work properly on my Mac because it wanted an older version of Java than what I had. For $20, the chip upgrade really isn’t a big deal, and being able to run it off of the Mobius app will be preferable anyway. The diffuser should get rid of some of the weird color streaks that are not just being picked up by the camera lens, they’re actually rather distracting. The diffuser is supposed to blend those together.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
The tank looks very clean with the mp 10 powerhead and new light. I have thought about an mp 10 or vortex for my tank so the powerhead would be less clunky.
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cloakerpoked
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Broke down the 65 today. It will be cleaned and reused for a planted discus tank at some point. The Pygmy angel went and hid in the rock as I was pulling it out and got crushed. I have literally lost (as in misplaced) my clown goby. Pretty sure he is in a rock somewhere. I put the rock in my sump, so I am hoping he emerges. Everyone else is getting used to the new home.
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cloakerpoked
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I am very happy with it so far. It is running in reef crest mode on max 75 percent. The whole tank runs very quietly.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
O man, that is awful about the pygmy angel. What a bummer! I hope little clown goby turns up at some point.
Broke down the 65 today. It will be cleaned and reused for a planted discus tank at some point. The Pygmy angel went and hid in the rock as I was pulling it out and got crushed. I have literally lost (as in misplaced) my clown goby. Pretty sure he is in a rock somewhere. I put the rock in my sump, so I am hoping he emerges. Everyone else is getting used to the new home.
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