First Nano (micro?) shallow reef

fib

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2025
Messages
23
Reaction score
36
Location
Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I joined R2R a year ago and finally decided to build my first reef tank.

Here is my idea. I saw a lot of videos about people installing a (relatively) small and shallow tank, without sump or skimmer. The idea is mainly to host soft corals, invertebrates and two clowfishes.

I ordered a shallow aquarium and will add the following material :
  • UNS 75s aquarium (75 cm long, 45 cm large and 30 cm high, 100 liters)
  • Two Red Sea ReefLed90 leds (second hand)
  • Two Tunze turbelle 6040 hub edition pumps
  • A Seachem x Sicce Tidal 35 filter (used as a surface skimmer and filled with Seachem matrix carbon and purigen)
  • A Tunze Osmolator 3 nano
  • Chihiros dosing pumps (had it already from a freshwater tank, 4 pumps version)
  • Eheim Thermopreset 50w
The rocks will be from Arka (MyReef Rocks) and the sand from CaribSea (Aragalive Fiji pink).

I'll post a picture when it's ready. Whats do you think of the idea?
 
Last edited:

Gumbies R Us

God, Bouldering, and Reefing
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2022
Messages
28,944
Reaction score
51,298
Location
North Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Following along!
 

Sharbuckles Reef

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 26, 2018
Messages
386
Reaction score
358
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m a sucker for soft coral and clownfish! Looking forward to seeing the first photos!
 
OP
OP
fib

fib

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2025
Messages
23
Reaction score
36
Location
Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Everything is in place. Here are some updates.
  1. The Seachem Tidal 35 is a bit small, you can't put a lot of media in it. But for carbon and purigen, it's enough. The pump is a bit noisy, but it will settle with time.
  2. The Tunze 6040 is a beast. I finally ordered a single one to push water through the tank. At half it's power it already does an excellent job! The interface is a bit clumsy, but the control from a web browser works well.
  3. The Tunze 3 nano osmolator works just fine. The pump is nearly silent and the whole system is really plug and play.
The rocks where glued together using superglue and padding. I like the Fiji pink sand from CaribSea. It's fine grade but not enough to create sand storms (but what a mess at the beginning, see picture).

The lights aren't in place since I plan to cycle the tank without them. I dose Seachem Stability and now let's wait!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0426.jpeg
    IMG_0426.jpeg
    207.5 KB · Views: 63
  • IMG_0428.jpeg
    IMG_0428.jpeg
    172.9 KB · Views: 58

Gumbies R Us

God, Bouldering, and Reefing
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2022
Messages
28,944
Reaction score
51,298
Location
North Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Everything is in place. Here are some updates.
  1. The Seachem Tidal 35 is a bit small, you can't put a lot of media in it. But for carbon and purigen, it's enough. The pump is a bit noisy, but it will settle with time.
  2. The Tunze 6040 is a beast. I finally ordered a single one to push water through the tank. At half it's power it already does an excellent job! The interface is a bit clumsy, but the control from a web browser works well.
  3. The Tunze 3 nano osmolator works just fine. The pump is nearly silent and the whole system is really plug and play.
The rocks where glued together using superglue and padding. I like the Fiji pink sand from CaribSea. It's fine grade but not enough to create sand storms (but what a mess at the beginning, see picture).

The lights aren't in place since I plan to cycle the tank without them. I dose Seachem Stability and now let's wait!
Aquascape looks great in there!
 
OP
OP
fib

fib

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2025
Messages
23
Reaction score
36
Location
Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Small update. The leds (2x Red Sea Reefled90) arrived and are clearly overkill, I won't really need them at 100% ;)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0474.jpeg
    IMG_0474.jpeg
    213.8 KB · Views: 59

Tahoe61

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
17,948
Reaction score
21,589
Location
AZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Small update. The leds (2x Red Sea Reefled90) arrived and are clearly overkill, I won't really need them at 100% ;)
Looks great, so clean and sparkly.

It's always better to have the potential over kill lighting.
 
OP
OP
fib

fib

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2025
Messages
23
Reaction score
36
Location
Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It has been almost two months, and it has been a fun journey. The CUC arrived (two herbivorous snails and a Nassarius), two clownfish arrived (they are really fun fishes, I can watch them for hours), so did the first corals (a Sarcopython leather, a clove polyps colony, a Collospongia). My Palythoa hitchhikers are doing fine. I got almost rid of my Bryopsis without doing much and my red planaria are almost in check. I got rid of a nudibranch, even if it was a nice guy (my daughter almost cried). I have a lot of microscopic amphipods running like crazy on rocks at night. My beautiful Atserina is still alone...

I don't really got yet through an ugly phase, maybe thank to live rock, live sand and some magic (BEA aquaculutre bio boost).
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0770.jpeg
    IMG_0770.jpeg
    265.4 KB · Views: 28
  • IMG_0671.jpeg
    IMG_0671.jpeg
    169.9 KB · Views: 36

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 34 28.1%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 41 33.9%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 27 22.3%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 11 9.1%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 8 6.6%
Back
Top