Dendrobates
New member
Hey guys,
This thread is to serve as a photographic journal, platform for critique and criticism, and a source of motivation during my nano reef tank build. I have not had a saltwater aquarium in over two years now being busy with classes and moving frequently, so it's about time and I have had ideas floating around for quite some time.
I'll start with the display, this was a craigslist score for a crisp Andrew Jackson, found hiding in a storage shed. It measures 30" long x 22.75" tall x 12.5" wide with black silicone seams, it's got a center frame brace that I plan on taking care of with nylon bolts and some adhesive. I've read quite a few threads on it and figured 3 bolts on each side with the adhesive to replace the black brace with a clear acrylic one for better light penetration. The background is getting a coat of black paint this weekend.
After reading some threads on skimmers and not being satisfied with the locally available skimmers (biocube, seaclone, corallife), I ordered an SCA-301 skimmer on ebay rated for around 65 gallons.
I was given a CPR backpack overflow for the tank since I didn't want to risk drilled it, but after reading about common aqualifter pump failures, I opted for a U-tube style overflow. A local pet store happens to carry Eshopps, so i went with their 300 gph hang on overflow. I've got an Aqueon 2500 return pump that's good for 335 gph at 3' so I figured it would be perfect with a ball valve inline after the pump to tone it down if necessary. The sump is a 20 gallon high that was a freebie and has yet to be completely cleaned up. It fits but it's tight and leaves very little room for anything else under the stand.
I've been collected pieces for a while now as I see them available or for decently priced. I got a Milwaukee refractometer a few weeks ago and mentioned to the seller that I was in need of rock. Last week he notified me that he had purchased a larger reef tank that had been broken down and had plenty of rock. I nabbed about 40# so I'd have plenty of pieces to choose from and have plans to bleach/muratic acid dip all of the rocks to remove any dead organic matter. Will a plastic rubbermaid work for this or would the acid eat through?
There's still a few things to get before I think about filling it with water to begin the cycle. I'll be picking up salt and other odds and ends (food, prime, calcium, magnesium, alk, test kit) here shortly and have been watching some LED light fixtures on ebay. Quite a few local guys run the tao tronics, reef breeders, ever grows, etc. in large numbers and have had pretty decent success. I really would like to go with a full spectrum unit as I've seen quite the difference in my vivarium plants for my dart frogs with a switch from just 6500 K lights to a mix of 3 different white spectrums (5k, 6500k, 7k). I'd like to see those same results with my coral. The evergrow unit seems to have good reviews, American based and in my price range.
I'll be updating this with more equipment pieces and some aquascaping rough drafts after I'm done with the zoo tomorrow. I've been wading through the bonsai tree aquascape thread and the minimalistic rock thread to get the wheels turning. Also if there's anything I'm missing that should be done before I fill it with water, sand and rock, please don't hesitate to speak up, that's why I'm posting now in the early stages. Thanks
Derek
This thread is to serve as a photographic journal, platform for critique and criticism, and a source of motivation during my nano reef tank build. I have not had a saltwater aquarium in over two years now being busy with classes and moving frequently, so it's about time and I have had ideas floating around for quite some time.
I'll start with the display, this was a craigslist score for a crisp Andrew Jackson, found hiding in a storage shed. It measures 30" long x 22.75" tall x 12.5" wide with black silicone seams, it's got a center frame brace that I plan on taking care of with nylon bolts and some adhesive. I've read quite a few threads on it and figured 3 bolts on each side with the adhesive to replace the black brace with a clear acrylic one for better light penetration. The background is getting a coat of black paint this weekend.
After reading some threads on skimmers and not being satisfied with the locally available skimmers (biocube, seaclone, corallife), I ordered an SCA-301 skimmer on ebay rated for around 65 gallons.
I was given a CPR backpack overflow for the tank since I didn't want to risk drilled it, but after reading about common aqualifter pump failures, I opted for a U-tube style overflow. A local pet store happens to carry Eshopps, so i went with their 300 gph hang on overflow. I've got an Aqueon 2500 return pump that's good for 335 gph at 3' so I figured it would be perfect with a ball valve inline after the pump to tone it down if necessary. The sump is a 20 gallon high that was a freebie and has yet to be completely cleaned up. It fits but it's tight and leaves very little room for anything else under the stand.
I've been collected pieces for a while now as I see them available or for decently priced. I got a Milwaukee refractometer a few weeks ago and mentioned to the seller that I was in need of rock. Last week he notified me that he had purchased a larger reef tank that had been broken down and had plenty of rock. I nabbed about 40# so I'd have plenty of pieces to choose from and have plans to bleach/muratic acid dip all of the rocks to remove any dead organic matter. Will a plastic rubbermaid work for this or would the acid eat through?
There's still a few things to get before I think about filling it with water to begin the cycle. I'll be picking up salt and other odds and ends (food, prime, calcium, magnesium, alk, test kit) here shortly and have been watching some LED light fixtures on ebay. Quite a few local guys run the tao tronics, reef breeders, ever grows, etc. in large numbers and have had pretty decent success. I really would like to go with a full spectrum unit as I've seen quite the difference in my vivarium plants for my dart frogs with a switch from just 6500 K lights to a mix of 3 different white spectrums (5k, 6500k, 7k). I'd like to see those same results with my coral. The evergrow unit seems to have good reviews, American based and in my price range.
I'll be updating this with more equipment pieces and some aquascaping rough drafts after I'm done with the zoo tomorrow. I've been wading through the bonsai tree aquascape thread and the minimalistic rock thread to get the wheels turning. Also if there's anything I'm missing that should be done before I fill it with water, sand and rock, please don't hesitate to speak up, that's why I'm posting now in the early stages. Thanks
Derek
. My previously bleached rock is in a 20 long with heavily dechlorinated water to rid of any chlorine and also mess with the mp20/mp10. I'm still really debating whether or not to acid dip the rocks, I can see the benefit of opening up smaller pores for bacteria and microorganisms to inhabit, but the risk of acid dipping rocks on my apartment balcony are weighing heavy on me. Many threads I've thumbed through mention bleaching alone seems sufficient. I'll be transferring the rock to the balcony to dry in the sun this afternoon for a few days and let any other chlorine remnants dissipate.
