Bonza's Nano Reef

[bonzanin]

Hi folks,

After almost one year without my reef (I had a 390l tank - 103g), I decided to setup a nano to place in my bedroom. I could'n stand living without it. The tank as set last friday dec 04.

I bought a Boyu MT-50 that is a 80 liters (21 gal.). This aquarium is made to freshwater tanks, but I made some changes.

Setup
- Boyu MT-50
- Volume: 80 liters (21 gal.)
- Illumination: white and blue 24W power compact (I will change it, see bellow)
- Circulation: made by a 400 l/h (I intend to put a MP10 Vortech, suggestions?)
- Skimmer: not! Only 15% water changes weekly
- Substract: 18kg (39 lb) of caribsea Samoa Pink #01
- 14 kg (30 lb) of sunsibar rocks
- Small refugium on the back sump with 3lb of Miracle Mud
- Temperature: controlled with 2 12V computer coolers and a 50W heater, both controlled by a controller (temperature is between 27 and 27.4 Celsius degrees - 80.6 to 81.5 fahrenheit)

Illumination
I am planing to use LED. Any affordable suggestion? I found this one, has anybody used? http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=512

Temperature
I installed myself 2 12V computer coolers on the cockpit. Made the holes with a dremel, seems like original!

Electric Panel
I am developing a electric panel that will control all the equipments, as well as show the temperature. (pics bellow)

Livestock
I already have some soft corals (zoas, mushs etc) that I will be placed in january.
I intend to put only two ocellaris clown and a cleaner shrimp. Suggestions?

Hope you guys like it!
I am opened for suggestions!

Pictures

 

[munsils]

Looks good so far, Im subscribing to this thread in case you have any good ideas to steal for my BOYU

 

[bonzanin]

munsils, tks! The changes I have made until now:

1- I painted the back part with black silicon (I am not sure that is the name in english), so I wont have pink algae.

2- I used the silicon when I was painting the back to raise the water level, so it is higher than the sump. I liked it!

3- I installed 2 12V coolers.

Now I have to solve the freshwater reposition.

Best Regards!

 

[bonzanin]

Update: I installed the LED illumination and the Vortech MP10.

MP10: You can see it working in the video bellow.
LED: I made a hole in the original cockpit with a dremel and a dig saw. It is not perfect, but will work!

I decided to keep the cockpit as closed as possible in order to avoid suicidal fishes to suicide, once I intend to have a firefish.

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Pics!

Cockpit with LED

MP10

The trial coral: Mush green giant (We call this way in Brasil, it was with almost no illumination, that's why it seems white)

Temporary water recipient

The mess!

Hope you like it!

 

[bonzanin]

The sansibar rocks I am using are taking to long to complete the nitrogen cycle. I will have to change some of them for regular live rocks. It is cycling from dec 04 and I still have nitrite and nitrate.

I intend to have two black ocellaris, one Rose BTA and other colorful fish. I would like a yellow tang, but I wont give it a try. Maybe a firefish. Sugestions? Also intend to put a cleaner shrimp.

Bellow, some of the corals I already have. They are at my friends aquarium, he also use the same LED I do. I will put the names we use here, please help me if I am wrong.

Hammer Salomon

Red and silver Zoanthus. I have this for 2 years.

5 diferent zoanthus. In the back a leather.

Green Palitoa

Best regards!

 

[cman_pogey]

good looking tank so far! ill follow along on this one

 

[bonzanin]

Thanks cman_pogey!

I just made a video to test my submersible camera. Take a look:

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[munsils]

Nice LEDs! Firefishes are great, I had Nemateleotris magnifica for a week, then while changing water I left my tank's cover open and unattended for 2-3 minutes, fish jumped, hurted itself and died a day later. So be careful with them, they are beautiful but sneaky

 

[bonzanin]

My nano now have two Yellow Stripe Neon Goby (I bought as a couple, but they are fighting), one red star (I don't know if you guys have it there) and two mushes added last week.

Red banded shrimp cleaning the red mush
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One of the Yellow Stripe Neon Goby cleaning its new home:
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[bonzanin]

Updating:

Some new habitants!
- 2 acanthastreas;
- 6 diferents zoas in one rock;
- 1 smal black and orange zoa colony;
- 1 sun coral.

Some bad quality pictures (taken from iPhone 3GS):

- Mush giant green, green and red:

- Small acanthastrea (I will take a better picture later):

- Sun coral (very popular in Brazil, they only open at night):

- 6 different zoanthus (watermelon, sunrise and others):

- Acanthastrea small colony:

- Acanthastrea and micromussa:

- Small colony of zoas:

- General view:

I have some more animals to bring to my reef. I will rearrange the rocks to better distribute animals.

Hope you enjoy it!
Best regards!

 

[bonzanin]

Update (02/20/10):

Skimmer added: Tunze 3110. Had to make some changes to fit the small sump.
Doesn't looks pretty, but works well!
Have to regulate it and fix small bubbles in display.

Some animals added:
- 2 Ocellaris;
- 1 hammer salomon;
- 1 leather umbrella;
- 1 leather gold;
- 1 orange montipora capricornis;
- 1 green star polyps.

Pictures:

Skimmer adaptation:

Zoantus colony:

Various zoantus:

Micromussa:

Ocellaris:

 

[dogstar74]

Very nice system, thank you for the documentation.

Aaron

 

[bonzanin]

Thanks for feedback Aaron!!

A new video: (I was wondering: is it too much light?)

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[bonzanin]

Hi there,

Update:
I made a Poor People Nielsen (or kalkwasser) Reactor nano version.
Pictures:

In this photo it was on testing. I used silicon hose, small plastic bottle, glue and a regulator used in hospitals to set the flow. It stays behind the tank, since I dont have a sump and it uses gravity to work.

Here I set the flow:

The bottle. The water comes from a reservoir that stays on the shelf in a higher level.

I fixed the hose with a wire so it wont fall when I open the cockpit. I let one drop every five seconds.

FTS today:

Sorry, the pictures was taken by an iPhone.
Hope u like it.

 

[anderson99]

Great looking nano. I love the kalk drip system.

 

[robot2222]

awesomw kawk drip..............

 

[bonzanin]

Great looking nano. I love the kalk drip system.

awesomw kawk drip..............

Thank you guys!

New video!
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[reef211]

Does the LED have two separate plugs for dusk to dawn?

 

[bonzanin]

Does the LED have two separate plugs for dusk to dawn?

only one plug!

_______________

Hi there!
More pictures. New animals. Have some aiptasias, but hope my 2 Lysmata Wurdemanni take care of it.
Take a look at the top rocks.
None of my corals are geting used to some much light.
I dont know what coral to put there. Any suggestion?

Added:
- Firefish;
- Pseudochromis purple;
- Cleaner shrimp;
- 2 Lysmata Wurdemanni;
- Plate long tentacle.

Tomorrow some new corals!

Today's pictures:

Plate long tentacle:

Cleaner shrimp:

Up view:

Again:

Firefish, pseudochromis purple and FPS:

 

[bonzanin]

Hello folks!

Updating:
Pseudochromis purple killed both of my Lysmata Wurdemanni, so it's not in the tank anymore.
Added some corals, some SPS to test. I almost killed my SPSs, let it out of water too long. One of the murdered Lysmata Wurdemanni could not be found, so the water was not good for a couple of days. Some water changes were done and the water is OK now. Everything getting color again.

Livestock (Mar, 18, 2010)
- 1 Yellow Stripe Neon Goby;
- 2 Ocellaris Clownfish;
- 1 firefish;
- 1 cleaner shrimp;
- 1 Red Starfish.

Corals
LPS:
- 2 acanthastreas;
- 1 micromussa;
- 1 hammer salomon;
- 1 Frogspawn;
- 1 green/pink Frog;
- 1 long tentacle plate;
- 1 duncanopsamia;
- 1 green open brain;
- 1 green torch.
- 1 kryptonite trumpet.

SOFT
- 14 different zoanthus;
- 1 red mushroom;
- 1 mush green hairy;
- 1 green mush;
- 1 leather umbrella;
- 1 leather gold;
- 1 green star polyps;

SPS
- 1 orange montipora capricornis;
- 1 yonguei;
- 1 orange montipora;
- 1 chesterfill densis.

Pictures:
FTS

Plate vs Brain

Torch vc Frog

Zoa garden

Plate and brain

Brain

Acan and GSP

Zoa