Birth of a 20 tall (Lots of pics!!)

[oddiseus]

Ok so I have been planning this tank for quite some time. I tore down a 55 gal and built a 45 pentagon for my mother, since then I have been planning a nano. I wanted something small that I can AFFORD. Being a student is no fun being a student with a reeftank is tough love. LOL
Anywho.... I had this 20 gal tall that I bought at a yardsale for $5. I moved back into an apartment and this tank fit a certain spot perfectly.

Here is a pic.


I decided to build a custom stand that was 3' high. From my experience I learned that most commercial stands come around 2' tall, and you cannot fit anything under them.

I'll post some pics tomorrow of the wood and the beginning of the work on the stand.

So sit back and enjoy the birth of this tank. As it goes all comments are welcomed and urged.

-Odd

 

[MDP]

Oddiseus.

Looking forward to more pics. I started work on a tank the same size yesterday. Will post a thread soon.

Matt

 

[oddiseus]

I think this is going to make a great tank. I have decided to go with a 10 gallon sump as well as custom made sump. I have built the initial stand footprint in wood but didn't like the way it turned out, so I decided to metal frame the whole thing and then spray it with extra strength appliance epoxy. I tried to get pix today but I am having size issues. I will load some more photos the way I did the one up top but I think they are too small. So bear with me I will get the pics up.

-Odd

 

[Tree6foot6]

i have a tank the same size also. I am thinking of setting up a FOWLR system. I have an aqua clear 50 and 30 hang on the back filters would this be enought filtration for a FOWLR system or would i have to also include a skimmer?


TrEE

 

[oddiseus]

I would say definately go with a skimmer. Fish really amp up the bioload not to mention food that never gets eaten. It will be a real nice tank IMO. When I had my 55 I never really paid any attention to this lil tank. After starting this project I love it even more.

Also any suggestions on better pic hosting, and what size should I make them? I have a bunch of update pics just waiting to get posted

 

[oddiseus]

Here are a couple shots of the stand I built.

#1


This is #2

 

[Tree6foot6]

stand looks like it is coming along nicely. Im gonna go to the lfs in the morning and see what things i will need to get all set up. I might also check out a nano cube. what do u know about them are they any good?

TrEE

 

[oddiseus]

Well to be honest I don't know too much about pre built nanos. I usually just make them myself out regular tanks. I like it like that because it keeps my options open.

 

[oddiseus]

actually this is my first nano. My last tank was a 55 gal.

 

[oddiseus]

My sump is going to be made out of a 10 gallon aga. I am only going to have two parts one for the skimmer and one for a return.

Here are a few pics of the plexi glass work I am doing for my sump



This is what the original piece of plexi looks like before cutting.



These are the pieces I will be using for baffles.



These pieces are easily cut with an acrylic knife like this and can be purchased at any hardware store.



This is a pic of one of the cut pieces of plexi in place and as a baffle. I spaced these one inch apart and the middle one one inch off the bottom of the tank.




My refugium is made out of 1/4" glass that I had cut at a local leows. I used silicone to put it all together and it looks like this



I will add some more pics of the skimmer that I got and some pics of the finished sump some time tomorrow.

 

[oddiseus]

As for the tank I have drilled five holes in it alltogether. 4 on the top to serve as overflow, opposite that I have a sump return and the middle 2 and the center are for a scwd that I will use.



I then used a krylon flat black to paint the back of the tank.

 

[oddiseus]

Woohoo!! today I got my american DJ power strip. I also took a few pics of the skimmer and lights that I have purchased for this tank as well. I will post them as soon as I upload them. Please be patient with me about this I have an internet connection that has a mind of its own, sometimes I get a good signal some times a real weak one. But I will have some updates up shortly of the whole tank as well.

-Odd

 

[tulkas71]

Wow!
guess what?
I also have a 20gl Tall im going to try to do as my 1st nano.
lol
I havent started yet just have the tank and some odds and ends.

Im a bit concerned about your homemade glassbox. It looks like silicone is the only thing holding it together. Is there something im missing?

I'll probably use 2 10gl wally world tanks.
Waiting on my chinese Drill bits for my holes.

What are you going to do for lighting?
also what are you going to use for your return pump?

Cant want to see you guys' progress.

Anthony

 

[oddiseus]

The glass box I made is only glass and silicone. It measures 14" x 10" x 12" and it is 1/4" glass. It has glass and acrylic bottom and I have some bracing at the top as well. I am going to drill my return through this refugium as well as the overflow so there is going to be 2 holes in the bottom of this tank. My return pump is a mag 5. I also have a mag 2 that is plumbed on a closed loop going through a SCWD to 2 return holes that I have drilled in the top of the tank. (pictures soon) As for lighting right now I have a coral life fixture that I am going to retrofit into a custom canopy that I am building. I have 2 ice cap thermo controlled fans one will cool the lighting area and one will cool the refugium area. I also have 2 moon lights from another tank, that I am going to install under the canopy as well. I am thinking I will eventually upgrade to a MH setup but I at least want to get the tank running. Anyone have any suggestion for MH lighting on a 20 Tall.

 

[tulkas71]

As far as the lighting. I have a 35x4 Coralife I dismantled(was 4' long. Going to retro rearange them 4 abreast and a canopy that does exist yet )

I thought about MH for maybe later as well. But I think the general rule was a minimum of 6" above the water surface. That would probably make for an abnormaly tall canopy. Thats alot of heat in a enclosed area, even with some fans.

For now my main expendature will probably be on a skimmer i can mount in the sump.

My 55 is all HOB stuff so fudges and sumps and laying out the plumbing will be an interesting experience.
Is your sump and fuge and going to be stacked and in plumbed in series on the mag 5, and a mag 2 running you closed loop?

I take it your returns out going to be maybe directional nozzels comming up from the bottom and shooting somewhat upwards?

 

[oddiseus]

These are a couple shots of how the tank looks like now that I have drilled the holes painted the back black and added the bulkhead fittings.

and #2

Ok here are a couple pics of some of the equipment I have so far.
First up is the new American D.J. power strip that will be mounted inside the door inthe front of the stand.

Next is a picture of the Euro reef protein skimmer I think it's a CS-80

This is a picture of the sump completed with both the skimmer and the mag 5 in position how they will be laid out in the stand

I took this temp guage off my 55gal

 

[tulkas71]

Now thats a skimmer!
Going to have almost as many galons under the stand as above.
Maybe thats technicaly not a nano now :lol:

 

[oddiseus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7905935#post7905935 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tulkas71
Is your sump and fuge and going to be stacked and in plumbed in series on the mag 5, and a mag 2 running you closed loop?

I take it your returns out going to be maybe directional nozzels comming up from the bottom and shooting somewhat upwards?

To answer your question Tulkas71 Yes they are going to be stacked because of the height of the skimmer I had to go with a custom refuge, hence the glass one that I built. The center hole on my tank is connected to a y loc line fitting and two fan nozzles that will spread the flow behind the tank. I am also going to drill a few small holes in the Y as well to get some vertical flow. That way I have no dead spots behind my rock.

Also The skimmer looks real big but it is actually pretty compact. It fits almost perfectly in a 9x9 footprint including the pump. Which makes it a perfect match for a 10 gallon sump.

 

[oddiseus]

I have some pics of the stand with the first stage of oak wrapped on it. I still have to get the trim pieces cut as well as the stain put on it. I also have to cut the door out too. =) I am then going to use the cutout from the door to become the top of the lid on the canopy. I am also going to be ordering another RO/DI unit to supply top off to the tank. I had a couple of auto top off solutions but found some kind of flaw in the way they worked as to not allow me to use them. If anyone has any good ideas for a Top off set up I can integrate into the return side of my sump please let me know.

 

[oddiseus]

Here are some pix of the oak that is on my stand. I have several pieces of trim that are going in as well as a door that will be cut. The stain I am using is a dark espresso. I can't wait to stain this tank and share some of the pix with you all.

Here is a straight shot of the front.

And this is a semi side shot

I hope you like the progress so far.

-Odd