City's 15 gallon Column NANO reef build

[Dj City]

This is not my 1st tank but it is my 1st build thread.

I am planing out a 15gal column to be my 1st ever nano reef.

I have a 15gal column tank from Petco. I've had the tank for about 3 years but was never serious about it. I've put saltwater in it, watched algae explode in the tank and shut it down. I never even took the water and live rock out. 3 years later, It's still in there. I just removed the filtration. I've still got pounds of coraline algae in that tank. All I've done is put fresh water in the tank from time to time so it did not look totally ridiculous. (It looked ridiculous anyway)

All my time and effort were devoted to my 110gal mixed reef which I am VERY happy with. That tank has been very successful. I have a large Maroon clownfish that decided she no longer liked the way I had the right side of the tanked scaped so she bulldozed large rocks and caused a rockslide forcing me to re-scape the right side of the tank. The rockslide broke off pieces of corals and guaranteed that the rocks are NEVER going back together the way I had them.
I also have a beautiful Snowflake clown that has been living in my sump for the past year because the Maroon decided she was no longer welcome in the 110gal.

Time for a new plan!

I'm going to take this old, decrepit 15gal column tank and turn it into a beautiful Nano reef.

For lighting, I plan on a single AI Prime HD (delivery expected tomorrow or Monday).
I am tossed up on how I want to filter the tank. I am considering...

CPR Aquatics Small Aquafuge2 External Hang On Refugum and stuffing a nano skimmer in there
or
Automatic Automated Water Changes
or
The LARGEST HOB filter I can fit on the tank.

I don't really like option #3 so i'm hoping I can do better than the HOB filter.


I am going to re-scape this tank. I am trying to decide weather or not to use any of the existing rock and sand.
I have black sand in this tank. I know I can pull it, rinse/clean the heck out of it and re-use it but I don't know if I really WANT to do that.

Thoughts and advice are always welcome so please come along with me on this ride and by all means provide help, advice and guidance.

Thank you all.

 

[Palyzoa]

Neat looking nano tank! Have you considered a external hang on overflow and sump? This would open up allot of options for equipment placement.

 

[JBKReef]

I would agree with @Palyzoa if you want to take it a notch further a HOB or even one of the smaller drilled overflows down to even just a 10 gallon sump would give you a lot of fun options and keep any equipment out of the display.

Thats a tough call though, for making an "Easy nano" drilling or sump planning is taking it a bit further than the ULM you might be looking for.

 

[Dj City]

Neat looking nano tank! Have you considered a external hang on overflow and sump? This would open up allot of options for equipment placement.

That is how I had it set up in the past but I really don't have room for a sump like I used to. I had a 10gal set up behind the tank as my sump.
I also had the hardest time with siphon brakes on the external overflow.
The cabinet for the 15 column is so small that no sump worth anything will fit.
I looked at the Eshopps cube sump but it's about 3 inches too big.
I could probably fit a 5 gal tank under there but what all could I really do with that as far as having a skimmer section, a fuge section and a return section.

I am open to ideas!

 

[JBKReef]

That is how I had it set up in the past but I really don't have room for a sump like I used to. I had a 10gal set up behind the tank as my sump.
I also had the hardest time with siphon brakes on the external overflow.
The cabinet for the 15 column is so small that no sump worth anything will fit.
I looked at the Eshopps cube sump but it's about 3 inches too big.
I could probably fit a 5 gal tank under there but what all could I really do with that as far as having a skimmer section, a fuge section and a return section.

I am open to ideas!

I think with a 5 gallon you could have your return section, a heater, and skimmer all together. Some marine pure spheres/cubes. That would bring water volume up to what, probably 15 gallons total? (Taking out volume from the maindisplay to account for sand, and the 5 gallon sump will not always be full)

as for a fuge, you could do a reactor style external to the sump. Its tough to say what a refugium could do for the tank that small, it wont mee the 20% requirement for triton so it could help nutrient reduction, and pod population.

 

[JBKReef]

When I was looking into a nano with sump combo i hated the idea of a siphon overflow so I had considered using this guy from eshopps

https://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Over...ocphy=9014391&hvtargid=pla-351099159341&psc=1

 

[Dj City]

When I was looking into a nano with sump combo i hated the idea of a siphon overflow so I had considered using this guy from eshopps

https://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Over...ocphy=9014391&hvtargid=pla-351099159341&psc=1

That's not a bad idea.
I already have a reactor and LED strip light that I used as an algae reactor in the past.

I wonder if my tank is drillable?

 

[Dj City]

As I think about it, the HOB aquafuge is 4.70 gallons.
Being that a 5gal tank as a sump would be much less than 5 gallons of water volume, I think I would have more water volume using the HOB aquafuge since it FILLS up with water.
Is my thought process correct?

 

[Dj City]

I am also strongly thinking about this..

Autoaqua Smart AWC - Auto Water Changer
https://www.marinedepot.com/Smart_A...Top_Off_Units-AutoAqua-CV21177-FIDPAT-vi.html

I could have slim tall containers on either side of the tank and have an automatic water change of a quarter gallon to half gallon every day or every other day.

It also does auto top off.
My ATO tank is directly behind the column tank so getting that set up should be pretty easy.

 

[Palyzoa]

Depends if you want to hide your equipment or don't mind having it hanging off the back I guess. With the sump you could also use the hang on fuge installed in the sump area.

 

[Dj City]

The back glass is going to be painted so anything hanging on the back won't really be visible.
as far as equipment, I'm thinking...

Single AI Prime HD LED light
CPR Aquatics small Aquafuge 4.70gal. (HOB Fuge)
I.M. Aqua Gadget Chaetomax 2 in 1 Refugium LED light
Tunz Comline DOC skimmer 9004 (placed in fuge)
Autoaqua Smart AWC + ATO
Cobalt Neo-Therm submersible heater 75w
Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6040

Is there anything i'm forgetting?

 

[Kevin Jaako]

Columns for the win! Following along...

 

[Palyzoa]

The back glass is going to be painted so anything hanging on the back won't really be visible.
as far as equipment, I'm thinking...

Single AI Prime HD LED light
HOB Aquafuge 4.70gal.
I.M. Aqua Gadget Chaetomax 2 in 1 Refugium LED light
Tunz Comline DOC skimmer 9004 (placed in fuge)
Autoaqua Smart AWC + ATO
Cobalt Neo-Therm submersible heater 75w
Not sure what i'm going to use for flow just yet.

Is there anything i'm forgetting?

Looks like your pretty much set!

 

[Dj City]

I'm going to use an 8 outlet DJ Switch for power management.
I will be able to switch whatever I need off or on when needed.

I don't have a controller. Not even on my 110gal.
I've wanted one and may add a Neptune Apex to the 110gal in the future but I don't see the need to add one to a Nano that will have an Auto Water Change system running and changing about 1/8 to 1/4 gallon of water per day.

I'm thinking that should keep the tank pretty stable.

Please correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Dj City]

What are you guys thoughts on the black sand?

Should I use black sand with a black background?
Should I use the black sand that I have in the tank now? I would have to clean the crap out of it because it's been sitting in the tank for the past 3 years.
I have heard the black sand is metallic because it can stick to the magfloat. Any truth to that?

I will re-scape to have open space as much as possible. Should I re-use any of my existing rock? If so, I would think I would have to re-cure it?

 

[Dj City]

My AI Prime HD arrives tomorrow.
I have ordered the HOB refugium and the skimmer. I will be ordering the automatic water change system next week.

I think im going to ditch the existing sand and start over with new sand.
Im also going to build a brand new live rock structure from live rock rubble. I have a lot of live rock rubble that I've had in a bucket on my back porch for about 2 years. I took the rubble and laid it out on a table and let it bake in the HOT sun for the past 3 weeks. It's bright white now.
I want a combination of bonsai style and shelf/overhang in one structure. I will have a small island or two as well.
Creating this structure is going to be a challenge because I will be using many pieces of rubble to create it just the way I want it.

I also have a whole bunch of Seachem Matrix that I plan on putting in the bottom of the HOB fuge. I have enough for my 110gal so I have waaaaay more than enough for the little 15gal column.
I figure it's better to use that than to purchase marine pure.

When it's all set up, I'm going to cycle the tank with the new rock structure and seed the tank with rock from my 110gal.

I will be taking lots of pictures for documentation.

As far as the sand, I really want pure black sand. Not mostly black or salt and pepper but BLACK sand. I would like to get the R2R communites advice on what sand to get and why one sand over another.

Also, what's best to attach a bunch of live rock rubble together? I'm talking like 30 to 40 peices. I want to be cost effective. I will be using a lot of whatever I use.

Thanks.

The build will begin soon!

 

[Dj City]

I just purchased a Tunze 6040 Powerhead for flow.
I think that will be more than enough for the 15gal column.

I'm going to put it low in the tank just below the half way point. I figure that should give me good flow around the tank and corals plus keep detritus suspended for removal.

Also got 4 tubes of IC Gel and accelerator for the rockwork i'm going to make.

Moving right along...

 

[Dj City]

The AI Prime is BRIGHT!
Im going to need to find out the best setting for my tank.
I also need to get the hanging bracket (buying it tomorrow). Right now, the light seemed to be too far from the surface of the water with a LOT of spillage.

This is the coral AB+ setting.
I will have to make it a bit duller and add more natural color while still supporting coals.

This is going to be interesting.

 

[Kevin Jaako]

Comin’ along!!

I bet you can get that prime down pretty close to the water surface with a different mount. That should fix most of your light leakage

I will have to make it a bit duller and add more natural color while still supporting coals.

Coals are notoriously finnicky- zero polyp extension and no growth...

KJ

 

[Dj City]

I had an idea but I don't know if it can or will work.

I disassembled the T5 light from the hood that comes with the tank.
I put the AI Prime HD in the hood where the T5 was.
It fit (barely) in the space the T5 light was in.

This took care of the overspill of light and made it so I don't need a hanging kit, gooseneck or any kind of mount.

The problem that I see is heat.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT GETS HOT!!!

I could turn the intensity way down but I don't know if this is could work.
I'm also concerned about what could be an intense hot spot right in the center of the tank.

I really would like some insight and thoughts on this idea.