DIY 20h nano w/ SPS

[kfennell]

Hello everyone

I started my nano 4 months ago and I wanted to show what I have now.

It started life as a 10g with a HOB fuge lit by a lamp stacked on books, then I was given a free 20g one day, and I had a drillbit and bulkheads... and here I am!

THE TANK
A 20g high drilled and with an internal corner overflow.
.5" PVC overflow pipes with stockman standpipe.
.5" pvc return nozzles in the tank.
Custom (poorly made I think) canopy.
10g sump/fuge

Right

Left

Right end view

Sump area (this is normally blocked from view by a sheet

Lighting
There is 1x 70w MH 14k ebay bulb
1x 65w PC Actinic
and not installed (waiting on an endcap) is a 65w 10k actinic.
Sump is lit by 2x 6500k spiral power compact.

Filtration
Approximately 30 lbs of LR
50-60 lbs of LS half in the tank and half in the sump.
Handfull of chaeto in the sump return section

Pumps
There is a Mag-Drive 5.1 that is turned down a fair bit by a ball valve, perhals it is putting out 200 or so GPH to dual nozzles across the top of the tank.
1x Koralia Nano
1x Koralia 1

Total turnover is at least 45 times an hour.

 

[kfennell]

Livestock
-2x False Percs with anemone (one isn't paired up yet and isn't allowed into the anemone, they're getting to be a little more tolerant of each other though).
-Purple Firefish
-Psychedelic Mandarin
-Hi-Hat Goby ad Tiger shrimp pair - No Picture
-Unknown Clam, please identify for me.

Corals
There are 3x SPS that I dont remember the names of.
Candy Cane Coral
Some type of LPS
A Frogspawn
Xenia
Ton of Kenya Trees
Three polyp Rocks

If anyone can tell me what types of corals that I have that I couldn't identify please feel free.

 

[kfennell]

So I certainly have a microbubble problem, but I hope when I remake the sump I will get that fixed a little. I will also add a short length of PVC to the returns so that they are all under water.

Here is a pic of the overflow area.

I top off using a 1gallon bucket on the stand behind the tank that drips through a gang valve into the sump. I top this off daily with kalkwasser.

I feed mostly forlmula 2. I also once in a while feed frozen mysis, brine and bloodworms. I have been dosing tigerpods since I got the mandarin, but he was eating off the rocks before I dosed. He was also eating in the store (frozen) so I hope that he will eat frozen again.

Planned Changes
I will add a blue spotted Jawfish on tuesday.
Remake the sump and do a good job that doesnt break right away
Stain the canopy to match the stand
Install the 2nd PC bulb (should I use 10k or actinic?)
Protein skimmer is in the mail. It is a very very cheap Odyssea PS-75. I hear they run well though so we'll see.
I have a reflector here that I will install when I finish the canopy, I don't think that the zip ties will be permanent.

If anyone wants any better pictures, etc or has any questions let me know and I'll do my best.

 

[scram2]

the sps on the far left looks like a type of digi i cant tell the colors very well with the pic. I'm not sure on the other two though.

 

[Jadams]

Looks like a good start. IMO, your sump area could be cleaned up a bit. :thumbsup:

Your clam is a maxima..

 

[kfennell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14166639#post14166639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jadams
Looks like a good start. IMO, your sump area could be cleaned up a bit. ;thumbsup:

Your clam is a maxima..

Yeah god it's a mess, but like I said its hidden from view and I will be taking it all apart in a bit to replace the sump. I will do it all well then. There is a cloth with velcro that goes over it all.

Should I move the clam? its just on the bottom right under the 70w

I forgot my shrimps and CUC

There is a cleaner and a pepperment shrimp in the main tank, and there is a peppermint that went through the overflow into the sump, so I left him there.

There are at least 20 hermits of all kinds in there.
1 Emerald Crab.
2x large and 2x small Nassarius.

 

[Jadams]

your clam is fine where it is...

 

[kfennell]

Thanks

 

[kfennell]

Got the skimmer installed... Its s\making a foam head, but its not enough yet, I'm going to give it like 3 days before I start to tinker with it to see how it does.

 

[kfennell]

Skimmer update: This skimmer is pretty damn good. I ended up adding an air pump to it, but then that was too much air, so I blocked some air flow with a knot in the line, adjusted the water flow and its great! I get a half a cup of dark brown skimmate in 2 days and there is alot of thick stuff stuck to the walls of the cup too. Way better then the red sea POS that is on my 65g.

It is an Odyssea 75 like this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PROTEIN-SKIMMER...990035&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

I got it $5 cheaper from a different seller, but I don't see them anymore. Best $50 shipped skimmer IMO.

I found some barnacle blennies to add, but I'm looking at $150 shipped for three, this is kind of out of line I think so I will wait till I can get some locally.

Also the clam decided it wanted to attach to a frag disc, so now it lays on its side in the sand attached to a frag, I can't take them apart and it opens up all the way still so I guess it stays like this.