YHSublime's Living Room Nano Peninsulla

YHSublime · Dec 8, 2020

Well, things are moving along on this little nano. As I talked about (probably not long after I posted last) I sold my Space Invader Pectinia colony, and the big ol' bubble coral. It certainly gave me more room and now I'm just waiting for either the corals to fill in on the glass, or to add sand back in, haha. Just kidding, tank is to small to add sand with the flow.

I do have a few choice SPS I've added back into the mix:
JF Homewrecker
SC Orange Passion
TGC Cherry Bomb
Red Dragon
and a few millies that I think will be stunners, but currently unnamed/unknown.

For the most part it's all sitting on the frag rack, and do I hate having the frag rack in the tank? Absolutely. But I'm going to let them grow until they are fully encrusted and ready to mount to rock work. I've spent to much money to lose them to getting knocked off and around or stung to death.

Some of the acropora is starting to return to what it once was. It's either spouting off new branches, or coloring up. For the pieces that are coming back, they are still primarily greeeeeeen, so hopefully that will change with time. If I didn't know what was what before hand, I can't tell by the color, because... well, it's green!

I also mucked around with my light over Thanksgiving, and ended up setting it to primarily all the blue channels. I've kept it this way since, and quite like it. The corals seem to be reacting well, and it's a funky look of popping corals while I'm sitting here all day! Hey, as long as everything keeps growing!

I guess the biggest news is that I have absolutely 0 impulse control. Also over Thanksgiving I bought this new to me Elos 120. It was a great deal, and it came from when we hosted MACNA in Washington DC. The tank is still in great condition, and the previous (first) owner coated the back and sides with black spray paint. The stand is white, and didn't come with any doors, but a big velcro piece of black acrylic that goes over the front. I may or may not change this in the future. It also came with the plumbing, and the original Elos 1000 Sump. I do have an Aquabox which I'm quite keen on, but the configuration doesn't excite me as much, plus the Elos sump leaves me with about half the stand to play around in.

I've placed it downstairs, and have already aquascaped, and now considering adding sand (really crushed coral.) It's configured with a 24" ATI/LED Hybrid and I'm slowly making saltwater and filling it up. I still need to take down my pegboard and push it up against the wall a little closer.

I'm not sure If I'll keep it running, but I do like the fact I can run it like a peninsula, which is pictured.

What do ya'll think? This side is from the "behind" in which my desk will go eventually.

samnaz · Dec 9, 2020

Sweet! I hope you’ll decide to keep it going!

Janci · Dec 10, 2020

YHSublime said:
Well, things are moving along on this little nano. As I talked about (probably not long after I posted last) I sold my Space Invader Pectinia colony, and the big ol' bubble coral. It certainly gave me more room and now I'm just waiting for either the corals to fill in on the glass, or to add sand back in, haha. Just kidding, tank is to small to add sand with the flow.

I do have a few choice SPS I've added back into the mix:
JF Homewrecker
SC Orange Passion
TGC Cherry Bomb
Red Dragon
and a few millies that I think will be stunners, but currently unnamed/unknown.

For the most part it's all sitting on the frag rack, and do I hate having the frag rack in the tank? Absolutely. But I'm going to let them grow until they are fully encrusted and ready to mount to rock work. I've spent to much money to lose them to getting knocked off and around or stung to death.

Some of the acropora is starting to return to what it once was. It's either spouting off new branches, or coloring up. For the pieces that are coming back, they are still primarily greeeeeeen, so hopefully that will change with time. If I didn't know what was what before hand, I can't tell by the color, because... well, it's green!

I also mucked around with my light over Thanksgiving, and ended up setting it to primarily all the blue channels. I've kept it this way since, and quite like it. The corals seem to be reacting well, and it's a funky look of popping corals while I'm sitting here all day! Hey, as long as everything keeps growing!

I guess the biggest news is that I have absolutely 0 impulse control. Also over Thanksgiving I bought this new to me Elos 120. It was a great deal, and it came from when we hosted MACNA in Washington DC. The tank is still in great condition, and the previous (first) owner coated the back and sides with black spray paint. The stand is white, and didn't come with any doors, but a big velcro piece of black acrylic that goes over the front. I may or may not change this in the future. It also came with the plumbing, and the original Elos 1000 Sump. I do have an Aquabox which I'm quite keen on, but the configuration doesn't excite me as much, plus the Elos sump leaves me with about half the stand to play around in.

I've placed it downstairs, and have already aquascaped, and now considering adding sand (really crushed coral.) It's configured with a 24" ATI/LED Hybrid and I'm slowly making saltwater and filling it up. I still need to take down my pegboard and push it up against the wall a little closer.

I'm not sure If I'll keep it running, but I do like the fact I can run it like a peninsula, which is pictured.

What do ya'll think? This side is from the "behind" in which my desk will go eventually.

Those Elos 120 are great tanks. I would sign up for one if it was available.
I am a sucker for peninsulas, so no need to further comment on that... that black side wall is causing a lot of "#$%&@"
KEEP IT RUNNING!!!!!!

YHSublime · Dec 10, 2020

Janci said:
Those Elos 120 are great tanks. I would sign up for one if it was available.
I am a sucker for peninsulas, so no need to further comment on that... that black side wall is causing a lot of "#$%&@"
KEEP IT RUNNING!!!!!!

Yeah, I'm really impressed with it so far, just need to plumb it once I figure out sump configuration.

You think I should scrape the black side wall? Originally the OP painted 3 sides! I thought it would be better to look at vs the actual drywall it'll be pushed up against? I'd love to flip the tank so the overflow box (as unubtrusive as it is) would be against the wall, but I can't have the "open" side facing the brick, as there will be a desk against it and I won't be able to access.

There is an alternative, which is flipping the tank, taking off the back pieces, which I believe are decorative and not structural, and plumbing everything backwards.

Janci · Dec 11, 2020

YHSublime said:
Yeah, I'm really impressed with it so far, just need to plumb it once I figure out sump configuration.

You think I should scrape the black side wall? Originally the OP painted 3 sides! I thought it would be better to look at vs the actual drywall it'll be pushed up against? I'd love to flip the tank so the overflow box (as unubtrusive as it is) would be against the wall, but I can't have the "open" side facing the brick, as there will be a desk against it and I won't be able to access.

There is an alternative, which is flipping the tank, taking off the back pieces, which I believe are decorative and not structural, and plumbing everything backwards.

I did not realize that the blacked side would come against the wall.
If you still need to plumb it, it might be worth to consider to flip the tank.
I am not sure if you know the tank of Christopher Kriens. He used to have an Elos 160 with a particularly good photography.
He used the original sump and somewhere you can see an overview in his thread. He later changed the sump or plumbing.

Build Thread - Chris' algae farm (ELOS 160)

Hello I'm new to the forum. I'm beginning my second reef aquarium- I started out a couple years ago with a second-hand 90 gallon mixed reef. After buying a house and moving last fall I had to take everything down as I didn't have the time or money to keep everything going. Now that I'm...

www.reef2reef.com

Build Thread - Chris' algae farm (ELOS 160)

As usual amazing and jaw breaking photos! Amazing tank!

www.reef2reef.com

YHSublime · Dec 11, 2020

Janci said:
I did not realize that the blacked side would come against the wall.
If you still need to plumb it, it might be worth to consider to flip the tank.
I am not sure if you know the tank of Christopher Kriens. He used to have an Elos 160 with a particularly good photography.
He used the original sump and somewhere you can see an overview in his thread. He later changed the sump or plumbing.

I am familiar with Chris's tank, I think it's one of the most popular/viewed threads on R2R! I however, did not recall that it was the Elos 120, which is good to know, as it seems there is a ton of documentation on his end, which I greatly appreciate.

I'm not 100% in love with flipping the tank, solely because I think it would look messy stand wise, but I suppose I can always find a solution to cover it. In terms of the cleanest look in the end, I think it's the solution though. Perhaps I'll take the back off while it's in the current orientation and see what that looks like.

YHSublime · Dec 12, 2020

Broke out the DSLR tonight with the night lights. Makes me almost want to go back to T5's

fishguy242 · Dec 12, 2020

beautiful colors!!! i'm still hung on my t12 vho's

Wrangy · Dec 27, 2020

So nice mate!!

YHSublime · Jan 19, 2021

I guess the great thing about LED's is that you can adjust to your/corals liking! Everything was loving the blues tbh, but the tank is in my office, and I really like more of a 'natural' spectrum, so we're back on that.

Outside of water changes and feeding, and general regular maintenance: I've hit a wall.
You'll notice there's a frag rack in there, it's holding the following acros that once are encrusted & grown out, will be placed and glued over zoanthids.

- JF Homewrecker
- JF Solar Flare
- SC Orange Passion
- TGC Cherry Bomb
- Unknown MIlli
- Unknown blue tenuis that rivals the blues in 'Heart of the Ocean'.

You'll also notice that the acros that survived the crash over the spring are starting to sprout out again, including the small chunk of the Green Tenuis I thought had met its end, rising up from the ashes. I don't want to add anything else as I don't have it in me to ride out another crash, and don't want to dump a ton of money into a tightrope walk.

I did add a cleaner shrimp, who is pretty cheeky, and very food driven. I tried to capture more photos, but only a few turned out reasonable, so this will have to do:

YHSublime · Jan 24, 2021

Quick little update on the Elos 120. I flipped it, still haven't plumbed it, got x2 MP40's for it, and installed them today! Yellow Tang and Trigger Fish are the only inhabitants, sans a CUC from Reef Cleaners.

howaboutme · Jan 25, 2021

Cool Elos tank, Isaac. What's up with it being in the dungeon? Looks like an unfinished basement. Wouldn't you want it where everyone can see it?

YHSublime · Jan 25, 2021

howaboutme said:
Cool Elos tank, Isaac. What's up with it being in the dungeon? Looks like an unfinished basement. Wouldn't you want it where everyone can see it?

It's totally cool! This tank was an impulse buy, and an impulse setup. I currently have my nano setup in my office upstairs. This tank has existed for almost 3 months unplumbed and with the fish. I guess the Vortechs solidify I've decided to keep on with it. The light is too small for the tank, but outside of that, I have all the equipment to run a rocking SPS aquarium, including more money than I'd care to invest in a calcium reactor and accessories.

You might have missed the saga over the summer, but I was originally setting up a shallow 5'x3'x18" downstairs, but when we got an AC put in (old house) the humidity was just out of control, I'm hoping the 90 gallons will be more manageable.

And yes, unfinished basement, as this is my home away from home. It's where I keep all my brewing equipment, where the bar and 8 tap kegerator is, as well as the "theater." Also building out a kitchen prep area for the vac sealer, slicer, chest freezers, and sink. Upstairs is work, downstairs is play! Eventually the other side of the peninsula is where my desk will be.

howaboutme · Jan 25, 2021

YHSublime said:
It's totally cool! This tank was an impulse buy, and an impulse setup. I currently have my nano setup in my office upstairs. This tank has existed for almost 3 months unplumbed and with the fish. I guess the Vortechs solidify I've decided to keep on with it. The light is too small for the tank, but outside of that, I have all the equipment to run a rocking SPS aquarium, including more money than I'd care to invest in a calcium reactor and accessories.

You might have missed the saga over the summer, but I was originally setting up a shallow 5'x3'x18" downstairs, but when we got an AC put in (old house) the humidity was just out of control, I'm hoping the 90 gallons will be more manageable.

And yes, unfinished basement, as this is my home away from home. It's where I keep all my brewing equipment, where the bar and 8 tap kegerator is, as well as the "theater." Also building out a kitchen prep area for the vac sealer, slicer, chest freezers, and sink. Upstairs is work, downstairs is play! Eventually the other side of the peninsula is where my desk will be.

Got it! Yes, my unfinished portion of my basement is also humid so we have a dehumidifier to help.