deeb's Nano Extreme-Shallow Reef Tank Build (45x24x16 centimetre)

deeb

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Hello R2R friends,

I'm new to this forum and I'm very pleased to join R2R.

For those interested, my Instagram account is here : https://www.instagram.com/reefer_deeb
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I'm running one ADA 45-F reef tank with a sump system and AI Pirme 16HD lighting.

The tank was filled with water on Nov. 4th 2018.

I have been using Aquaforest products mainly, salt were always either AF probiotic reef salt or AF reef salt.

Since I started this hobby I also started taking pics and I'm enjoying both of them a lot.

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2020-05-30

I have two Clownfish, one chromis, and several softies including Ricordea, Mushroom, Zoan, Clove polyps, Red Mini-Maxi anemone, star polyps, Green BTA, and... not softies but Coco worm.

Thanks to the diversity of live rock I brought, there are so many good and bad critters. I'm at the final stage battle with freaking Aiptasia anemone...
Still, I'm appreciating the help of feather-dusters, bivalves, sponges, and amphipods. So it's OK.. I love my live rocks.

2.png

With community, luckily my clowns are doing well. They don't care so much about Chromis(which is good as clowns are paired) and I like that point.

Green BTA is overgrown(at least for my tank) and IDK what to do. Clowns love him so much but it started to pinch Zoans...

 4.png

You can see Zoan, Ricoreda(IDK why I keep typing Riccordea lol), Mini-Maxi, Mushroom, Green BTA, and... reviving coco worm( I should have better fed this friend/took 2 weeks to revive).

3.png


I hope you enjoyed my post today.

Please share your experience and knowledge here and I'll gladly share mine. (mistakes,, incidents,,, opinion... etc..)
Any questions, advises, or comments are welcomed!

I'll upload my tank build-up here so let's keep in touch via R2R.

Have a good day :D

(pics taken with Canon EOS M3 + basic lens)
 

Fishbro

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Welcome to R2R!!! Beautiful tank, agree with above, how is it managing 3 fish in such a small tank volume?
 

Luckyduck

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That's a really cool little tank! Nice work. I gotta agree with the above though... 3 fish in 4.5 gallons of water is quite the bio load to keep up on. What kind of filtration are you using? Do you run a skimmer? How long has your tank been set up?
 
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deeb

deeb

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Beautiful! But 3 fish in under 5 gallons? Must be a ton of work.
Community seems OK, I have sump down below. I do water changes from every two weeks to months. For personal reasons I can’t care my tank regularly, but it’s going fine :),
YET
 
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deeb

deeb

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Welcome to R2R!!! Beautiful tank, agree with above, how is it managing 3 fish in such a small tank volume?

Thank you :)
I actually haven’t thought 3 fish to be a problem. But I think 4 can be an issue, not just cuz of spaces, but because of Giant Green BTA! He actually got my Carpenter’s fin fairy wrasse few months ago and that was my last fish I added to the tank!
With fish bioload, I got a sump and skimmer(thought it is not properly working anymore), so I’m not worried yet. I have not experienced any fish diseases yet.
 
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deeb

deeb

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That's a really cool little tank! Nice work. I gotta agree with the above though... 3 fish in 4.5 gallons of water is quite the bio load to keep up on. What kind of filtration are you using? Do you run a skimmer? How long has your tank been set up?

Thank you! I have one filter sock, few live rocks(display+sump), box filled with deep KZ aragonite with very few Chaeto inside, and Skimmer. Oh.. and I also have many feather duster worms, bivalves, etc as a hitchhiked clean-up crew!
It’s been around 570 days since set up :)
 

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Welcome to R2R! I love your pico tank and your pictures are awesome :)
 
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deeb

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9DAAEF4C-F34F-4C64-8F52-A1E39BECFABD.jpeg

This is how I started.
I went to Okinawa in 2018 and visited Okinawa Pet Box there just wondering what they would have.
There, I found ADA-45F rimless tank and I then I thought of beautiful reef I saw in Okinawa.

7E83245D-54E4-4D8C-8E8B-5E3C69502A09.jpeg

So I somewhat? decided to start up a reef tank with the tank and bought it.

I knew almost nothing of reefing at that time and was very naiive to start reefing this way. I still do regret my decision sometimes. Cuz I was thinking of keeping SPS only!

Anyway, I started to search up online, joined reefer’s group chat, bothered people with weird questions, and so on... Then concluded I needed bigger tank with sump system with it!

So I bothered aquarium makers in Korea and found one guy with passion and talent in acrylics named ZestA, and he was willing to work on my tiny tank.

F3D2C5FC-2940-4850-B56C-76E595C3522D.jpeg

not blue.. but blueprint of overall design.

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and of sump.. lol...

He took it, I paid him and brought the tank myself to his workplace for safe transport and to meet him. Well, it was his first time drilling an aquarium but he was nice and had his crafting philosophy. So it was OK for me. He then started working on my tank without hurrying, and few weeks later, he sent me a picture after drilling a tank.
 

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Awesome tank, been considering setting up my ultum nature systems 10 gallon shallow tank as a lagoon reef. Your tank makes me want to try! Lol
 

Luckyduck

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Thank you! I have one filter sock, few live rocks(display+sump), box filled with deep KZ aragonite with very few Chaeto inside, and Skimmer. Oh.. and I also have many feather duster worms, bivalves, etc as a hitchhiked clean-up crew!
It’s been around 570 days since set up :)
Wow that's a long time. I would definitely say it's a stable reef then. Congrats! Usually the rule of thumb is 4-5 gallons per fish that's probably why all of responces were that. Glad you were able to make it happen though and not have any problems! I wish you continued success! Also you had mentioned in an earlier post that the skimmer isn't working. What happened? Did it stop pulling detritus into the cup?
 
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deeb

deeb

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Wow that's a long time. I would definitely say it's a stable reef then. Congrats! Usually the rule of thumb is 4-5 gallons per fish that's probably why all of responces were that. Glad you were able to make it happen though and not have any problems! I wish you continued success! Also you had mentioned in an earlier post that the skimmer isn't working. What happened? Did it stop pulling detritus into the cup?
My fish are small fishes so that’s maybe why I can run this tank.
my skimmer.. it just won’t make enough bubbles. I guess I should do a overhaul clean-up on it. :(
 
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E047A4DB-DE66-4065-AA82-6BC9821F19FD.jpeg

He drilled up,

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Backscreened

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Installed overflow system,

6774BDCC-FD44-4B19-9792-274B909F4095.jpeg

AA633B5B-CBD1-40AF-AF48-167CF46F1317.jpeg

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Aquarium rack

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Sump tank
Red thing on the left side is for RODI water income(auto-top?) which I never used. I removed it later.
Also, it is designed for two filter socks.

C6E485D4-24F8-4B29-B361-2245704732D0.jpeg

Sump installed. Red short pipe in the middle was for heater but I’m not using a heater at all.

2CC3D4FE-88C1-4E76-926C-9009F1AC77A6.jpeg

As seen, the tank has sub-pipe for overflowing, and a valve to control water-out.

Then, he broke the glass by mistake.
(He tried to tighten bulkhead just a little more)
F34B2235-A00F-4F94-A0CE-9FC5ADE90B0F.jpeg


So I went to Tokyo, JAPAN to buy a new tank and prepare a spare for just in case.
(I couldn’t find it locally in where I live)

A4E1287D-BE86-4AC7-BA8A-64589DB61DED.jpeg

Found it

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Got it
(Shop was clean, staffs were super nice, and they packed it GREAT)

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Brought it home then sent it to the maker
 

Luckyduck

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My fish are small fishes so that’s maybe why I can run this tank.
my skimmer.. it just won’t make enough bubbles. I guess I should do a overhaul clean-up on it. :(
Yea try giving it a clean up. That's amazing to see a sump like that, your setup is something I would expect to see on a 55 gallon reef! It's a beautiful set up, no wonder you can house 3 fish in a 4.5 gallon. Your total system is probably what 8ish gallons with the sump? Love seeing all the pictures of it coming together. I too have a nano reef. 15 gallon with hang on back fuge. 13.5 gallons after what the rock and sand displace. I have 25 lbs of rock!! I wanted a nice tall stack because it's a column tank. 13"x13"x26".

15911144885444914575408420537934.jpg 15911145960249220767575052037203.jpg
 
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deeb

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Yea try giving it a clean up. That's amazing to see a sump like that, your setup is something I would expect to see on a 55 gallon reef! It's a beautiful set up, no wonder you can house 3 fish in a 4.5 gallon. Your total system is probably what 8ish gallons with the sump? Love seeing all the pictures of it coming together. I too have a nano reef. 15 gallon with hang on back fuge. 13.5 gallons after what the rock and sand displace. I have 25 lbs of rock!! I wanted a nice tall stack because it's a column tank. 13"x13"x26".

15911144885444914575408420537934.jpg 15911145960249220767575052037203.jpg
Wow this is awesome! I wonder what you are planning to put in there!
And yes it’s 8ish gallon with Sump!
 

Luckyduck

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Wow this is awesome! I wonder what you are planning to put in there!
And yes it’s 8ish gallon with Sump!
On day 20 of the cycle, getting close to being able to start heavily stocking with corals. I plan on buying a lot of "show frags" off ebay so I can keep it cheaper but still stunning. Can't wait!
 
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deeb

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On day 20 of the cycle, getting close to being able to start heavily stocking with corals. I plan on buying a lot of "show frags" off ebay so I can keep it cheaper but still stunning. Can't wait!
Show frags tank! I’ve always wanted something like that!
 

Luckyduck

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Show frags tank! I’ve always wanted something like that!
Yes! Cycle finished up today! Ammonia has been testing zero for a week an a half but two days ago nitrites were still at 4ppm. Tested them again this afternoon and ZERO! Ran to my local fish store and grabbed a handful of snails so they can get cleanin! Can't wait... It's on now! Lol
 

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