JoshO's Nano Reef

[MrDLHughesY]

I've seen a few people say that spikes or drops in salinity can cause fish to jump to escape the changes

Never personally heard or seen that myself but definitely wasn’t because of that my salinity is stable

 

[JoshO]

So after messing about with the rockwork to get the scape I wanted (first few images) I decided to unpack the lid and light and stick those on...only to find the sump had been siliconed in at a weird angle and nothing fit together correctly, so back that got returned! 1 week later and the new one has arrived, everything is working as it should ( thankfully).
I've set up my quarantine, albeit with fresh water, just to make sure the filter was working and well flushed (ex-fw) and the heater was calibrated. It's only a 25l QT but it'll be sufficient for 2 juve clowns and a royal Gramma at a later date.
Couple of pics attached of the scape with the lid on and actual lighting, and one of the Qt.
2 clowns will be going in first week of March and having a full 6 weeks of quarantine and treatment (maybe treatment )

 

[MrDLHughesY]

So after messing about with the rockwork to get the scape I wanted (first few images) I decided to unpack the lid and light and stick those on...only to find the sump had been siliconed in at a weird angle and nothing fit together correctly, so back that got returned! 1 week later and the new one has arrived, everything is working as it should ( thankfully).
I've set up my quarantine, albeit with fresh water, just to make sure the filter was working and well flushed (ex-fw) and the heater was calibrated. It's only a 25l QT but it'll be sufficient for 2 juve clowns and a royal Gramma at a later date.
Couple of pics attached of the scape with the lid on and actual lighting, and one of the Qt.
2 clowns will be going in first week of March and having a full 6 weeks of quarantine and treatment (maybe treatment )

Looks good. If you plan on getting the intank media basket for chamber 1 you may want to plug the hole in the middle of the chamber wall behind that rock before you fill the tank

 

[JoshO]

Looks good. If you plan on getting the intank media basket for chamber 1 you may want to plug the hole in the middle of the chamber wall behind that rock before you fill the tank

I'm not going to get the intank media basket, purely because I think there is a design flaw, in that the exit is at the top, meaning the rest of the chamber isn't really utilised, I've ordered some acrylic and egg crate that I'm going to hopefully diy into something I hope will be more effective, I'll post up a drawing soon!

 

[Wee Mad Arthur]

I'm not going to get the intank media basket, purely because I think there is a design flaw, in that the exit is at the top, meaning the rest of the chamber isn't really utilised, I've ordered some acrylic and egg crate that I'm going to hopefully diy into something I hope will be more effective, I'll post up a drawing soon!

I can confirm that the exit for the intank basket is at the bottom.

 

[MrDLHughesY]

F

I'm not going to get the intank media basket, purely because I think there is a design flaw, in that the exit is at the top, meaning the rest of the chamber isn't really utilised, I've ordered some acrylic and egg crate that I'm going to hopefully diy into something I hope will be more effective, I'll post up a drawing soon!

fair enough but I have to disagree with you there as all water that comes through the overflow is directed into the top of the media basket and leaves at the bottom so the water that goes through the exit to chamber two has passed through all the chambers. Personally I would plug the hole regardless as otherwise filtration in chamber 1 will only be 50% effective unless you plan on some sort of filtration in chamber two also.

 

[JoshO]

I can confirm that the exit for the intank basket is at the bottom.

I stand corrected, however this means that chamber 2 isn't utilised either

 

[JoshO]

F

fair enough but I have to disagree with you there as all water that comes through the overflow is directed into the top of the media basket and leaves at the bottom so the water that goes through the exit to chamber two has passed through all the chambers. Personally I would plug the hole regardless as otherwise filtration in chamber 1 will only be 50% effective unless you plan on some sort of filtration in chamber two also.

My mistake! However it will mean chamber 2 isn't utilised! I'll definitely be plugging the hole, don't want it pulling water in and bypassing the sump media

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Also, if you're planning on keeping coral, you might want to consider upgrading the LED's. Fluval makes a gorgeous product but I don't know if the LEDs are powerful enough. I could be wrong though - more experienced hobbyists please feel free to chime in.

I have a flu 13 and par won't be near enough for SPS for sure with the factory LEDs on it.

 

[JoshO]

I have a flu 13 and par won't be near enough for SPS for sure with the factory LEDs on it.

I'm going to be doing lps to begin with, I have seen a fair few set ups on the forum where sps have been successful. Someone on another forum did the par readings on the lights using the seneye

 

[MrDLHughesY]

My mistake! However it will mean chamber 2 isn't utilised! I'll definitely be plugging the hole, don't want it pulling water in and bypassing the sump media
[/QUOTE
I don’t personally use the media basket in chamber two all I have in there is my heater. But I’m sure they have designed it so it is effective.

 

[JoshO]

Yeah I imagine it would be effective still but I'm hoping to get a full flow top to bottom in both chambers, hoping it'll help keep parameters as stable as possible

 

[JoshO]

Spent the afternoon playing about with cardboard to create a media basket and flow director to really take full advantage of both chambers 1 & 2. Pretty happy with how it turned out so now I'm using black acrylic to make it for real. I'll be cutting a bigger hole in the baffles at the top to allow for more flow. As much as I like the intank baskets, they don't seem to direct flow through both chambers fully, so fingers crossed this goes to plan!

 

[JoshO]

So the chamber 1 basket/flow director has taken shape, it'll be getting tested in a day or 2 to make sure the flow is correct and not causing chambers to drop.

This week I'll be, HOPEFULLY, getting my first fish.
However my lfs doesn't have the small ocellaris I'm after, and the supplier also doesn't have any!
My stocking plan was 2 ocellaris as the first 2, followed by a goby of some sort (didn't want him/her first as they'll not have a great time sand sifting a clean sand bed) and then a royal Gramma...possibly 1 more fish but I'm not going to push my luck with overstocking!
As the lfs doesn't have the ocellaris is it safe to go with the Gramma first? Or would it likely bully tank mates that are added after?

 

[JoshO]

Managed to get hold of the clowns!
No signs of anything yet, and are both feeding happily after just a few hours.

Managed to finish the chamber 1 basket, fits in perfectly. Will be testing it tomorrow to make sure it flows correctly

 

[JoshO]

Another wet run to test volume with the aquascape in and to test the powerhead settings to reduce deadpsots.

Slight change on the aquascape, gone with the cliche arch! Much happier with it, gives a much better surface area for corals and a better gradient. FYI there will be about an inch of special grade sand.

The chamber 1 basket works perfectly, the chambers aren't dropping, all are stating at a really good height, this is after I've blocked off the hole in the back wall too.

 

[MrDLHughesY]

Another wet run to test volume with the aquascape in and to test the powerhead settings to reduce deadpsots.

Slight change on the aquascape, gone with the cliche arch! Much happier with it, gives a much better surface area for corals and a better gradient. FYI there will be about an inch of special grade sand.

The chamber 1 basket works perfectly, the chambers aren't dropping, all are stating at a really good height, this is after I've blocked off the hole in the back wall too.

If your going to be having 1 “ of sand then it’s going to get blasted everywhere with the way you have that wavemaker pointed.

 

[JoshO]

If your going to be having 1 “ of sand then it’s going to get blasted everywhere with the way you have that wavemaker pointed.

I was thinking that lol

 

[MrDLHughesY]

I was thinking that lol

I would have your wave maker straight or angled up slightly then point the return nozzles down and then adjust them where needed when you get your sand in. Just make sure you have enough surface agitation.

 

[JoshO]

I would have your wave maker straight or angled up slightly then point the return nozzles down and then adjust them where needed when you get your sand in. Just make sure you have enough surface agitation.

No way of really telling where the deadpsots are until the sand is in, not without knowing if it'll blow about. I'll definitely bear that advice in mind though, thanks mate!