12 in. Night Stand Cube!

[Milleme]

Started this a while back and have just started making more progress.

Original thread- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=820848

STATS:
-12 in cube ~7 gals
-costum sump, forgot how many gallons, like 10 maybe
-mag 3 return
-BB
-fish is an arabian dottyback, in quarantine
-8 lbs. LR epoxied around standpipe

THINGS TO BE ADDED
-ASM mini skimmer
-heater
-70 or 150 watt MH (suggestions on this)
-auto top off
-umm, coral (going for sps)

PICS

FTS

Full Shot

Sump

Any suggestions or commets r welcomed.

 

[Fishfreak218]

nice tank... also i say 70w MH

 

[Milleme]

thanx...i was thinking 70 watter also but I heard there aren't as many bulb choices and that they arent that much cheaper than the 150.

 

[bennerkla]

70 watt. You have a choice between a 10k or a 20k (14k's are hard to find) but 150 IMO would be overkill, especially if you want to supplement with actinics. Go with a 10k 70 watt and supplement with some actinics, and you'll have a great setup. Or, since I see you are trying to go for a simple light setup, just go with a 20k 70 watt bulb.

 

[IsThisNameTaken?]

yep... I mod the light you currently have to house a 70watt 20k. Tank looks awesome by the way!

 

[Milleme]

SO it sounds like 70 watt 20k is gonna be my best bet. Can you buy these in retro fit style? I've only seen pendants. I dont know if any reflectors would fit in the light i have..also i have not clue at all on how i would mod it. Any one want to give me some direction?

Heres a pic of th light its 60 watts

 

[bennerkla]

Maybe you could just screw in a SE MH bulb? You wouldn't need a UV filter glass for SE bulbs.

 

[Milleme]

But do 70 watt come in SE? And how do I hook up the ballast and all?

 

[bennerkla]

I don't know exactly. You could set up the ballast externally, like on the floor, maybe. Putting a MH bulb in that setup will not be easy.

 

[Milleme]

I see what you mean I would just strip the cords and bulb out the run the new cord through and put in the new bulb then have the ballast on the ground that would then be plugged in...but i also probably need a different moguole right. Ill keep looking into it, maybe someone who has doon something similar will chime in. Thanx for ur help so far.

 

[bennerkla]

No problem. I thought they made SE 70 watt bulbs, but I might be wrong. If they don't, and that mogule will fit a 150 watt MH bulb, you could get away with it since the bulb is so high from the tank. Or just buy a new mogule (I think they are medium size.)

I thought you were trying to use the pre-existing cord. It would work, but you would probably need a fan. Couldn't imagine how hot that would get, and it wouldn't surprise me if that glass lamp shattered, especially if it wasn't expensive. Might want to call the company.

Good luck,

Ben

 

[Milleme]

Startin to get a little algae on the starboard and rocks plus detritus so I made a snail guard for the drain out of acrylic and added a few snails and hermits.

 

[Maker]

Do you have pics of how the return plumbing works? I am not seeing any returns...

Maker

 

[Milleme]

Maker- I will try to get some pics up a little later. The return is just a hole in the bottom and it has a check valve on the plumbing in case of a power outage.

 

[Milleme]

Here are a few pics of the return. Srry about all the gunk. Need to do a little cleaning up after those stupid hermit crabs.

Return plumbing (the pipe going striaght up in the back).

BTW, anyone know anything about the new mini ASM skimmer?

 

[imareefer21]

this is a cool little tank!

 

[Pico Keeper]

How much flow are you running thru that thing? They amount of flow returning to the tank has to be atleast as much or more then whatever the max flow of that standpipe is.

How does that all work? Because the stand pipe isn't surface skimming so its gotta be flowing alot.

 

[Milleme]

The return is a mag drive 3 ~250gph or somethin'. The stand pipe can handle more than the pump can give. So I used a ball valve on the stand pipe to control just the right amount of flow to match the return. Then I have another ball valve on the standpipe to completly shut it off for water changes etc. so I dont have to retune the first one to match the return every time I want to stop flow going through it.

 

[Milleme]

Today I got a light at homedepot so I could grow cheato in my sump. I got a 75 watt bulb that is suppose to be for growing plants and a little reflector to house it in, although now that I come to think of it i don't think I even needed it. Ive never actually grown it just sort of kept it in my sump of my 58 under a flouresent light. Will this light make it grow? Or did I screw up and buy the wrong thing.

Here r some pics of it

And of the box

BTW has any one had any experience with the new ASM mini skimmer? I heard some bad things about it IE. it was loud and not as good as its bigger brothers.

 

[dime079]

it should grow under that light, my macro grows like mad under a 20w. nice looking tank.