Diy acrylic nano build. Question about filtration.

[Elwood Dowd]

I am building a 12" tall, 12" across, and 15" front to back acrylic nano. That last 3 inches will be walled off and will utilize an over flow and return pump.

My question is this:

With baffles and bubble traps in the back. If i made a removable media basket, that uses layered media like the AC 30 does. Would that suffice with a Tunze 5024 compact pump moving water? This pump moves 80 gph the tank volume will be just about 7.5 gallons without counting the back chamber.

The flow of water would be over the over flow into and out the bottom of the media basket. Then over the bubble trap into the pump compartment.

I know this is a lot of extra building when i could just use a ac30 and be done with it. I really want it self contained and clean looking.

 

[jsker]

Good question.

 

[kanders87]

Are you planning on using any powerheads in the display? And are you going to be keeping corals?

 

[Elwood Dowd]

Are you planning on using any powerheads in the display? And are you going to be keeping corals?

All of that depends. No PH and ill do softies. Add a ph and I will have too much flow for anything except sps. Sps in a low tech nano doesn't sound fun to me. It sounds like a recipe for dead corals.

Ph's for tanks this small don't exist. Koralia nano gets down to 240 gph. That's the smallest. I may try one of those flow accelerators and keep lps if it actually works.

 

[kanders87]

For softies, you’re probably fine. Personally, I would still use a bigger pump, something around 120 gph. You can definitely start with the pump you have and see if it provides enough flow. Pumps are easy enough to switch out if needed.

 

[Elwood Dowd]

For softies, you’re probably fine. Personally, I would still use a bigger pump, something around 120 gph. You can definitely start with the pump you have and see if it provides enough flow. Pumps are easy enough to switch out if needed.

Just as I recieved your appreciated response. I found a spare pump off of a Marina s15 filter. I am going to tinker with putting it in the display as a powerhead. Hagen says the pump moves 75 gph. Plus the tunze mini pump at 80. This puts me in the ballpark.

Every now and then I get lucky and stumble into a solution. I was looking for an impeller for the pump off of a RO classic. Didn't find it.

But, just in case, do you know of any pumps that will fit in a 3 inch compartment that make 150gph? I habe been looking and not really finding anything.

 

[kanders87]

Hydor makes some, or the sicce micra should fit.

Hydor Centrifical Pump 200 All-Purpose Pump, 200 GPH - Original Pico Evolution 800 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003C5RC8I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ccZ3AbA8AV4BC

 

[Elwood Dowd]

Well, my lighting purchase (late last night) went ahead and solved my flow problems for me. I decided to put an AI prime over it. So I guess ill go ahead and pick up the hydor 240 gph powerhead. Sps like their flow.

This was supposed to be a cheap 6-7 gallons made out of scrap acrylic from other tanks.....

 

[Elwood Dowd]

I hadn't seen those little hydors before. Just that 180 they have. Thanks for the heads up on that!

 

[Skydvr]

They are decent little pumps. Been running various sizes in my picos for a few years at least. Been pretty happy with them.

 

[Elwood Dowd]

Well, due to my newness with nano's, i thought my idea was not quite a novel one, not original but worth exploring further. This morning I was looking for heaters and media baskets to spur along ingenuity in my layout. Then i stumbled upon a tank called a Nuvo 10. Its dang near exactly what i planned on building. Disheartening to say the least. Almost a 12" cube, over flow with removable media basket, bubble traps, and three chambers...... Im still going to build. But this was a punch in the face lol.

 

[Skydvr]

Haha! Yeah, the nano tank scene is large enough to be its own niche. There is quite a bit out there. Even forums dedicated to them.

 

[Elwood Dowd]

Haha! Yeah, the nano tank scene is large enough to be its own niche. There is quite a bit out there. Even forums dedicated to them.

And I was at my lfs today. They had a nuvo 14 peninsula with no box. 100 plus tax. I wont be building now... I will save the acrylic for another build, another day.

 

[Devaji]

if you have not check out nano-reef dot com. its a whole forum like R2R but just dedicated to nanos . not that out nano sub forum here is bad just saying... good luck and nice score I would have prob. bought that to if stumbled on it.

 

[Skydvr]

I usually prefer building as well, but those IM tanks are pretty nice and hard to pass up if you can get a deal on them. The chambers can be a little bit difficult to deal with as far as customization and running a refugium go, but there is only so much that a manufacturer can design in when making an AIO tank.

There are plently of aftermarket companies that make supporting equipment. If you check out the vendor section on nano-reef, you will find some good drop in media baskets and accessories.

I was considering the 20 penninsula as a local store had one for 160 with a screen top, but I didn't get any interest for the frag tank I am now running as my display.

 

[Elwood Dowd]

I usually prefer building as well, but those IM tanks are pretty nice and hard to pass up if you can get a deal on them. The chambers can be a little bit difficult to deal with as far as customization and running a refugium go, but there is only so much that a manufacturer can design in when making an AIO tank.

There are plently of aftermarket companies that make supporting equipment. If you check out the vendor section on nano-reef, you will find some good drop in media baskets and accessories.

I was considering the 20 penninsula as a local store had one for 160 with a screen top, but I didn't get any interest for the frag tank I am now running as my display.

It is a nice little tank. And you arw also correct about small chambers. Good lord are they small. I already made an acrylic media caddy for it. Its ugly, but it will absolutely get the job done.

My biggest concern is that this tank is in that realm of just big enough to utilize a skimmer. But no skimmers fit inside of it. Other than the ghost amd some of the glass lime wood skimmers. I really dont want to spend 100 bucks on a limewood skimmer and air pump to have to change air stones every month. But, that may be the route i have to go.

 

[Skydvr]

There are skimmers that sit outside the tank (better than the typical HOB types). Unfortunately, I do not know any brands off hand. They are set up like the external media reactors where the pump sits in the sump and feeds the bottom of the skimmer.

 

[Skydvr]

I am setting up a sump above my tank. A macro display sump and carbon may be an option.
Those external media reactors can also easily be turned into a macro reactor.

If you have macro taking up the excess nutrients, the carbon helps keep the water clear and reduces the chemicals corals excrete to battle their neighbors.

Macro algae also helps combat algae in the display due to chemical warfare.

 

[Elwood Dowd]

I'm well aware of what macros and carbon are good for. However, I hadn't thought of setting up a refugium above my display. Maybe even just a two chamber deal. Decorative macros and a skimmer chamber. That is not a bad idea.

 

[Skydvr]

Sorry, didn't quite complete my thought there in my last post.

Meant that you can use macro and carbon instead of a skimmer, though the carbon may not be completely necessary.