Monica's Nano Build: 21g ADA-Inspired NPS Tank

[monicalooze]

Monica,
Did you choose the ATI t5 unit for your lights?

No, I'm going with a brand called ONF. It's a flat LED popular in the FW community, but the company makes a warm white version and a blue/white version. The way the spectrums are set is by Kelvin, so I'm going to try running it at 10000k to start.

Although this is FW, this is the UNS 90L tank with the 36" pendant light.

I'm planning to hang it from the ceiling rather than use the hanging bar, though.

For more info on the light, inappropriate reefer did a PAR test on his tanks quite some time ago...

 

[MaddyP]

This is something I considered...I'm guessing it's not possible to have sand? I also thought about doing a "double closed loop" using a canister filter as one and an external return pump as the other, using lily pipes for flow. But then the number of lily pipes on the outside of the tank starts to get ridiculous and the maintenance doubles. Plus I don't think lily pipes can handle a ton of flow.

Is your tank up and running? I'm curious about how the false bottoms are working...

Indeed it is running! False bottom so far is working great with flow on either end of the tank directed at a 45 angle.

My other idea was a true closed loop system without the sump. It would be much more simple and most equipment could be plumbed in-line, with the exception of the skimmer. Something like this…

 

[monicalooze]

I might look into this....I'm afraid of what a rabbit hole this might become for a lady who knows pretty much nothing about plumbing...

 

[minorhero]

Unfortunately the metal pipes won't work with saltwater because they will corrode, which is both problematic for the tank and the pipes.

My plan is to get like 4-5 sets of lily pipes, so I can change them out (with their hoses) and soak them in H2O2. Rinse. Repeat. I know I'm signing up for a higher maintenance set-up with this...

Removing hoses and having water spill on the floor every week is not fun. It can be done but you gotta really really love the glass lily pipes look to keep it up. They sell long wire brushes for cleaning the pipes. They can be used in place for freshwater, but it doesn't clean as well as hot soapy water. Not sure how it would work in a reef tank.

For what it's worth, 316 stainless steel is supposed to hold up well in reefs with at least one poster on this board saying it looked good even after 20 years. 316 stainless steel lily pipes are available.

 

[monicalooze]

Removing hoses and having water spill on the floor every week is not fun. It can be done but you gotta really really love the glass lily pipes look to keep it up. They sell long wire brushes for cleaning the pipes. They can be used in place for freshwater, but it doesn't clean as well as hot soapy water. Not sure how it would work in a reef tank.

For what it's worth, 316 stainless steel is supposed to hold up well in reefs with at least one poster on this board saying it looked good even after 20 years. 316 stainless steel lily pipes are available.

Thanks for your suggestion.

I was going to put a double tab on each hose for flow and to make it easier to remove the hose from the canister. I will look into these, but metal in a reef makes me very nervous and then I will see them again.

I'm definitely getting the pipe brushes.

 

[monicalooze]

.

 

[monicalooze]

And the build finally begins...

After months of planning and decision-making and being at the unfortunate mercy of the supply chain, I finally have *most* of the components for the tank. She already has water!

The goods

Tank: 21 gallon UNS 90L
The tank is absolutely beautiful. It has mitered edges, the glass is thick, and it's so clear. It's definitely a quality tank, and it should be for the price....definitely lived up to UNS's reputation.

Stand: UNS 90U
(I chose a larger stand than the tank so it would look more like a natural piece of furniture. Yes, you can do this with these stands because they have a center brace.)
The stand is probably the nicest straight out-of-the box stand I've ever seen. It comes fully assembled, which I really appreciate. It's made of hardwood, there is a center brace, and there are double rubberized feet on each corner and several in the middle that allows the stand to self-level (and I can verify it works!). It feels substantial and like a real piece of furniture, though I'll have to be a bit careful with it since it's technically made for fresh water. It feels like it has some sort of specialized finish though. One side of the cabinet is backless so it's very easy to deal with cords, and there are large oblong slits on the sides, in case your lily pipes end up on each end. I'm extremely pleased. One thing to note is if you wanted a sump, it would have to be custom built because of the center brace.

"Plumbing": UNS double tab quick release flow valve
These valves both allow you to adjust the flow on the in-flow and out-flow, but also allow quick release from the canister filter for cleaning. I can't say much else about these because I haven't fired up the canister yet.

Canister Filter: Oase Biomaster 600 Canister filter
I don't have a serious opinion about this, yet, as I have never used a canister filter before, but I will say that it's very sturdy and well-made. The stacked trays come with different sized sponges and some plastic biomedia. I removed all the sponges since the filter has a "pre-filter" chamber that's easily removable and will catch 99% of the detritus. I plan to reserve the top tray for carbon and other chemical medias and fill the rest with Marinepure bioballs.

Lily Pipes: Dymax Large
They feel relatively sturdy - sort of like a pyrex measuring cup but thinner. I don't think they'll be too easy to break (knock on wood). I will say that the suction cups that come with them are pretty crappy. I'll replace them.

Light: 36" ONF Flat One White/Blue Spectrum (haven't opened it yet)
The hanging kit for the light will arrive Wednesday, so I'll be able to share the process of hanging the 36" wide light. I'm excited to see how it goes. I think these lights are gorgeous and minimal, and it would be great to see more people using them beyond the freshwater hobby.

The hanging kit and my Kamoer doser, which will be used as an ATO, has not arrived just yet.

Not pictured:
Powerhead: Vortech MP10 (I had it already - don't know if I'll keep it for this tank yet)
Salt Mix: ESV B-Ionic (some work to measure out, but my other tank improved immensely when I switched to this salt).


Some challenges putting it together...
I used UNS gray tubing, which I've decided I don't like. I'm going to swap it out for clear tubing and use the double tab quick release valve to take it off so I can clean the tubes along with the lily pipes. Besides the color, the other issue I had with the tubing is it's extremely rigid. I believe this is so the tubing doesn't kink, but it was very difficult to attach the tubing to the lily pipes, double tabs, and the canister filter itself. I ended up getting out my heat gun to force the tubing over the pipes, etc. The hardest part was attaching the double tab valves to the hose. I'm still not even sure I did it right because there were no instructions provided. I can't pull the hose off the valve, so I'll assume for now it's fine. The final issue with the rigid tubing is it does not allow the lily pipes to stay straight because of the force of the bends. I stopped trying to connect it, and instead let the hoses with the hope that they will relax...I also briefly tried warming them with the heat gun and warm water to no avail.

Water added!

The heater will be integrated into the canister filter, but since I need the hoses to relax before I can hook up the filter, I took it out and put it straight in the tank. I mixed the salt directly in the tank with the Vortech. Annnnd this morning I added the sand (fiji pink). It'll definitely be a while before it clears up.

Cheers!
__m

 

[monicalooze]

The light is up!

I will say the ONF FlatOne, while gorgeous, is not intuitive to hang, but my husband and I figured it out eventually and didn't get divorced in the process. This would not not not be a one person job. And I'm still waiting for the sand to clear... four days later. Please assure me it WILL settle?? (Fiji Pink).

(The hoses need to be shortened and they will be switched out for clear tubing when I get it)

I'm hoping to ramp up from 20000k at 5% intensity to 6500k at 30% intensity and then back down. I really want this to look like a natural reef. I may have to lower the light and change the settings, but I still need to check it with a PAR meter.

Lily Pipes and Flow
The lily pipes are hard to use right now because the hose is so rigid...it's putting a lot of pressure on them and they won't sit straight...does anyone know how to fix this? Will they straighten out over time?

I am getting really great flow from the outlet pipe, which I was pleasantly surprised by. Still crossing my fingers that I won't need to muck up the minimal look with a power head.

ATO
I'm currently measuring the evaporation over a few days so I can set up the Kamoer X1 as my ATO.

Here's what's in the cabinet...it still needs to be organized, but I'll get there. ATO and canister...and extra things that need to go away...

And the most exciting part:
I'm picking up my KP aquatics premium live rock, shipped in water, from the airport on Tuesday. Excited to share what's on the rock...I'm crossing my fingers that it's not disappointing.

 

[minorhero]

Your tank and stand look great!

I would do a 100% water change to clear up the sand if it were me. What's in the water right now are a bunch of fines that will not settle out easily. When you go to refill put a plate in the tank and let the water slowly fall on the plate. This will keep from stirring up more sand.

Unfortunately the hose is not going to become more pliable with time, it will actually stiffen a bit. Pipes I have used/still using have clamps that hold them on the tank where you want them to be. The pipes you have are supposed to be using those suction cups for this purpose. If the cups are not strong enough to hold them where you want, you might want to look into replacing the hose sooner rather then latter with a longer hose that will allow for better positioning. Thinner walled hoses are more pliable then thicker wall if that is of any help.

I am definitely following this build, it looks like its going to be neat!

 

[monicalooze]

Your tank and stand look great!

I would do a 100% water change to clear up the sand if it were me. What's in the water right now are a bunch of fines that will not settle out easily. When you go to refill put a plate in the tank and let the water slowly fall on the plate. This will keep from stirring up more sand.

Unfortunately the hose is not going to become more pliable with time, it will actually stiffen a bit. Pipes I have used/still using have clamps that hold them on the tank where you want them to be. The pipes you have are supposed to be using those suction cups for this purpose. If the cups are not strong enough to hold them where you want, you might want to look into replacing the hose sooner rather then latter with a longer hose that will allow for better positioning. Thinner walled hoses are more pliable then thicker wall if that is of any help.

I am definitely following this build, it looks like its going to be neat!

Hey thanks for the message! I'm curious if you could recommend a more pliable hose? I have two brands and they are pretty much the same.

The suction cups definitely are not strong enough, so I'll figure that out. What kind of clamps are you talking about? I keep searching freshwater forums, and I swear there's a lot less info on those than on reef2reef.

I'll definitely consider a water change. Now that I have the filter running it's starting to clear, so maybe I can get by with a 50% to start. I'm going to have to do pretty large water changes once I start the soft cycle from the live rock to avoid ammonia spikes, so I could kill two birds with one stone. Except I'm pretty sure trying to measure SG with the fines won't go well...

 

[xiaoxiy]

Looking great!

When I ran a lily-piped reef system, I found it easier to have two sets of lily pipes. That way I could swap out the dirty pair for a clean one and soak dirty pair in vinegar or citric acid for 24h before cleaning. This made cleaning the pipes much easier.

I agree that the tubing/hose is unfortunately not going to get more pliable with time. As mentioned by @minorhero, you can either get thinner way hosing or you can use silicone hosing after your quick connect, which is more pliable.

 

[monicalooze]

Looking great!

When I ran a lily-piped reef system, I found it easier to have two sets of lily pipes. That way I could swap out the dirty pair for a clean one and soak dirty pair in vinegar or citric acid for 24h before cleaning. This made cleaning the pipes much easier.

I agree that the tubing/hose is unfortunately not going to get more pliable with time. As mentioned by @minorhero, you can either get thinner way hosing or you can use silicone hosing after your quick connect, which is more pliable.

I will definitely check out the hosing. I have three sets of lily pipes actually...I was going to soak them in H2o2 to kill algae really fast. I'm not sure if silicone will degrade in that, though.

I'm really confused about why the hoses on FW supplier websites are all so rigid??

 

[xiaoxiy]

I will definitely check out the hosing. I have three sets of lily pipes actually...I was going to soak them in H2o2 to kill algae really fast. I'm not sure if silicone will degrade in that, though.

I'm really confused about why the hoses on FW supplier websites are all so rigid??

Another trick is to heat vinyl tubing up (in the dryer or with a hair dryer), and then bend it to the shape you want it to stay in.

 

[monicalooze]

Another trick is to heat vinyl tubing up (in the dryer or with a hair dryer), and then bend it to the shape you want it to stay in.

I started using a heat gun to even be able to get the hose ON the canister and the glass pipe. I thought it was nuts but it worked. I partially molded one of them with the heat gun and it helped, but it's not perfect....

 

[minorhero]

Hey thanks for the message! I'm curious if you could recommend a more pliable hose? I have two brands and they are pretty much the same.

The suction cups definitely are not strong enough, so I'll figure that out. What kind of clamps are you talking about? I keep searching freshwater forums, and I swear there's a lot less info on those than on reef2reef.

I'll definitely consider a water change. Now that I have the filter running it's starting to clear, so maybe I can get by with a 50% to start. I'm going to have to do pretty large water changes once I start the soft cycle from the live rock to avoid ammonia spikes, so I could kill two birds with one stone. Except I'm pretty sure trying to measure SG with the fines won't go well...

I buy clear hose at the hardware store. Home Depot has a variety. You can buy hose that has a 5/8" inner diameter by a 3/4 outer diameter as opposed to most which have a 7/8" outer diameter. Its not much but it tends to be significantly more pliable.

I've never used it but I've heard good things about Aqua Lab Aquaria's "Superflex" hose as well.

If you google lily pipe clamp you will see what I'm talking about, there are a bunch out there, so you have options.

 

[monicalooze]

Thanks much. I'll do that when I set up my other sets of lily pipes.

 

[monicalooze]

UNS Tank Day 1

I'm calling it Day 1 because the salinity is 1.026, I have my lily pipes set up the way I want them, the sand has settled, and the interim lighting schedule is set up.

Still working on getting the ATO right (using a Kamoer X1 doser based on evaporation rate).

I ordered some Aquario lily pipes that are some sort of polymer...they aren't acrylic so they have some flex. I already think they're much easier to use than glass, and since they aren't as brittle as acrylic, I don't think they will scratch as easily or crack. I can also change the direction of the flow AND without the "lily" I get more surface agitation. This also means I can put them both along the back wall next to each other, which is the least obtrusive positioning. Wins overall on that.

I'm really pleased with the flow I'm getting from the canister filter. Hoping it's enough that I can do without a power head. Since it's both pushing and sucking water out of the tank, it should create a nice circle around the tank, which will hopefully help make the water a little more turbulent/dynamic.

If I have to add a powerhead, I'll use an MP10 placed to the right of the lily pipes about half way down the back wall. I'm not sure if that will work if I put a rock structure in front of it though. Thoughts?

Stay tuned for Tuesday...the KP aquatics live rock arrives. Can't wait to show you what comes in.

xoxo

 

[monicalooze]

I buy clear hose at the hardware store. Home Depot has a variety. You can buy hose that has a 5/8" inner diameter by a 3/4 outer diameter as opposed to most which have a 7/8" outer diameter. Its not much but it tends to be significantly more pliable.

I've never used it but I've heard good things about Aqua Lab Aquaria's "Superflex" hose as well.

If you google lily pipe clamp you will see what I'm talking about, there are a bunch out there, so you have options.

I managed to find some clear hose online that was a bit less rigid. See post above, but I also swapped out the glass pipes for plastic, so they are easier to work with. Repositioned everything, including the canister, cut the hoses more precisely, and now everything looks great. Thanks for all your advice.

 

[rhizotron]

Cool!

 

[minorhero]

I managed to find some clear hose online that was a bit less rigid. See post above, but I also swapped out the glass pipes for plastic, so they are easier to work with. Repositioned everything, including the canister, cut the hoses more precisely, and now everything looks great. Thanks for all your advice.

Looks good! I'm excited to see the live rock and what scape you come up with.