Daniel's Glowing Nano Reef

Daniel@R2R · Apr 22, 2013

I'm new to nanos. Up til now, I've only ever done mid to large tanks with a 180 mixed reef and 120 predator tank up right now. So this is a new venture for me.

I picked up a 14 gallon biocube and my plan is to fill it only with "glowing" things (well, except for the CUC anyway) so that everything flouresces under the blue/UV LEDs.

Here's a pic of the tank at present. :-)

Mike&Terry · Apr 22, 2013

Looks like you are off to a good start! We're looking forward to following your build progress...

-M&T

Rikerbear · Apr 22, 2013

FUN!
Anxious to see this build.
I love the glowing oranges I get from some of my live Gulf rock, and all the gorgeous neon greens in my corals, shrooms, zoa/palys
What a great idea you have :thumb:

SeahorseKeeper · Apr 27, 2013

Awesome!! Good luck!!!

Daniel@R2R · Apr 30, 2013

Here are some pics of the inside of the hood. LOL I took these bc I've got a buddy who is doing a LED build for me (He knows A LOT more about the electrical stuff than me).

We're looking to do 12 Luxeon Royal blues and 8 whites.

Daniel@R2R · Apr 30, 2013

Here are a couple of things I am considering putting in the nano once I get it up and running...

A gold chalice

Orange/gold leptoseris

AOG morph colony

Still thinking it through, but these glow pretty good. Now if only my camera took better pics...

Mike&Terry · Apr 30, 2013

You will be much happier with LED's, especially during the summer.

Looks like you already have some nice choices for livestock. :bigsmile:

-M&T

Daniel@R2R · May 6, 2013

Here are some pictures from the LED build that my good buddy Chris is working on for me. I'm super pumped about the way this is going (and very thankful for Chris...especially since I don't know the first thing about LED builds).

Daniel@R2R · May 6, 2013

as you can see, we actually ended up with 12 RBs and 6 whites for a 2:1 ratio.

...and my contribution to all of this was pulling out the stock lighting from the biocube so we could get a measurement on where the holes for the screws needed to be drilled in the heatsink. :-)

Daniel@R2R · May 6, 2013

Also, after tonight's auction, I have picked up a total of 23 frags from Mr. Coral and also some of the ones from Joe Knows Reefs' live sale for use in the nano... I should be getting all of those in during the next week, but they still have to pass through quarantine (until the middle of next month) and inspection for "glow factor" to determine if they will actually make it into the cube. The crazy thing is that after buying these frags, I am still only roughly $150 into the spending limit!! Who says you can't build a reef on a budget!?

My next step will be to build the stand. I'll be working on that with my grandfather (81 years old and still building his own furniture and all kinds of crazy stuff...last week he ran two electrical circuits to his garage...I hope I'm in that good of shape when I turn 81! Maybe it'll be in my genes...).

Once the stand is built and lights are in, it will be time to cycle the tank until mid June (traveling from next Monday until mid June, so I can't start adding stuff till I get back).

c_healy · May 6, 2013

It's going to be an awesome little tank. The drivers should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to see it with some corals!

Daniel@R2R · May 6, 2013

c_healy said:
It's going to be an awesome little tank. The drivers should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to see it with some corals!

Me too! Thanks for all the help with the LEDs! :bigsmile:

c_healy · May 6, 2013

Of course, I'm always happy to help a fellow reefer!

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revsgirl · May 6, 2013

Looking good! :D

c_healy · May 6, 2013

Oh and just to make this clear, those are not my magazines. lol

Daniel@R2R · May 6, 2013

Lol

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c_healy · May 7, 2013

Drivers are out for delivery....ill post more pics tonight for you once they're fired up!

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c_healy · May 10, 2013

And one over my tank before I ship it out.. ;)

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Daniel@R2R · Jun 1, 2013

Looking so forward to getting everything going on this. Just two more weeks and I'll be done with all my traveling. I'm still debating my stock list, but I know whatever I put in here is going to GLOW (especially with those lights)!!