My 10G nano Project Underay - Lots of Pictures!!!!!!
- Thread starter ashkeenon
- Start date
Info about your lights
Info about your lights
I just had a question about your MH setup.
Did you finally end up with that 70w MH ballast, and where did you get a pendant without having to buy an included ballast? If you could include a link to a site I would greatly appreciate it.
DIY is so much less $$ and allows for way more integration options than buying a prefab unit. I don't need much light so 70w is great.
Keep the pictures rolling...:rollface:
Info about your lights
I just had a question about your MH setup.
Did you finally end up with that 70w MH ballast, and where did you get a pendant without having to buy an included ballast? If you could include a link to a site I would greatly appreciate it.
DIY is so much less $$ and allows for way more integration options than buying a prefab unit. I don't need much light so 70w is great.
Keep the pictures rolling...:rollface:
Digikill it was a 70w MH i ended up with turned out i bought two differnet ballasts one of them didnt work so got a refund but the guy said just keep it. Both the ballasts came with pendents but the round one pictured somewhere came from a guy on ebay with the basllast for around $50 dollars.
I live in the UK and i phoned a guy on ebay who had some lighting so there isnt a link i can give you
So heres how i rigged up some fans if anyones interested first off i found some low voltage plug adapter. I then bought two 4omm PC fans.
First things first cut off the yellow wire and the 3 pin connector.
Then strip the wires of the plug
Now i striped the wires of the PC fans
I then joined the two fans wires togetherso they can both run off the one plug.
I then connected the PC fan wires to the plug adapter i joined the black wire to the black wire and the red wires to the white and black wire on the plug not sure if it maters. That worked for me.
Heres it all wired up
i then decided just to tape up all the wires looks a bit neater too.
and here they are in action mounted at the back of the canopy.
Heres a pic of the tiny little shrimp thing thats floating around the tank sorry its not the best quality pic not sure how to use the macro mode will have to read the book. Anyone no what it is.
thanks
Ash
I live in the UK and i phoned a guy on ebay who had some lighting so there isnt a link i can give you
So heres how i rigged up some fans if anyones interested first off i found some low voltage plug adapter. I then bought two 4omm PC fans.
First things first cut off the yellow wire and the 3 pin connector.
Then strip the wires of the plug
Now i striped the wires of the PC fans
I then joined the two fans wires togetherso they can both run off the one plug.
I then connected the PC fan wires to the plug adapter i joined the black wire to the black wire and the red wires to the white and black wire on the plug not sure if it maters. That worked for me.
Heres it all wired up
i then decided just to tape up all the wires looks a bit neater too.
and here they are in action mounted at the back of the canopy.
Heres a pic of the tiny little shrimp thing thats floating around the tank sorry its not the best quality pic not sure how to use the macro mode will have to read the book. Anyone no what it is.
thanks
Ash
Yeah, I kinda thought that heat might build up in such a small setup.
The problem is that you have MH lights giving off 70w of heat, which is both radiant and convective. You need to move a massive amount of air to cut back on the convective heat (which also increases evaporation), but they don't do anything for the radiant heat cooking the water.
Water has a tremendous heat capacity:
Q= mc(T2-T1)
Q = heat energy
m= mass of water (kg)
c = specific heat of water at 25d C
T2 = Ambient temp (C)
T1 = Water temp (C)
...so it holds heat very well. Getting rid of that heat requires just as much energy plus some (no system is 100% efficient).
Fans don't actually COOL anything. They just move air. The cooling effect is caused by evaporation of moisture off your skin from the constant flow of air (evaporative cooling). Or in your case the displacement of hot canopy air with cooler room air. Eventually the ambient room temp will absorb enough heat to equal that of the canopy and then get warmer. (Though this may never happen if you run air conditioning, cause the a/c is removing that heat).
Also with Newtons law of exponential cooling, the rate of heat change is exponentially higher the farther the temp differential. This is why a cup of coffee goes from being extremely hot for a few minutes to staying warm for half an hour. As the temps get closer and closer together the rate of heat transfer slows down.
So a difference of only a couple of degrees between your desired tank temp and the elevated temp will take a long time to even out to room temp. Combine this with the fact that you're also constantly pumping heat from the MH's into the system and it simply won't happen.
Sorry to say but the only way I can see for you to reduce the temp is to either reduce the amount of heat generated (switching to PC, T5's, or T8's) or getting a small chiller ($$$$). A temporary fix would be to flip one fan so it sucks air into the canopy, and the other so that it blows away. This will create a flow of air in to absorb heat and then quickly pump it out. The more directed it is the better. But it might only give you a degree at best.
You could make make your own chiller (sort off).
Aren't reef tanks fun! Get on thing going, and another pops up. It's like "Whack-A-Mole."
The problem is that you have MH lights giving off 70w of heat, which is both radiant and convective. You need to move a massive amount of air to cut back on the convective heat (which also increases evaporation), but they don't do anything for the radiant heat cooking the water.
Water has a tremendous heat capacity:
Q= mc(T2-T1)
Q = heat energy
m= mass of water (kg)
c = specific heat of water at 25d C
T2 = Ambient temp (C)
T1 = Water temp (C)
...so it holds heat very well. Getting rid of that heat requires just as much energy plus some (no system is 100% efficient).
Fans don't actually COOL anything. They just move air. The cooling effect is caused by evaporation of moisture off your skin from the constant flow of air (evaporative cooling). Or in your case the displacement of hot canopy air with cooler room air. Eventually the ambient room temp will absorb enough heat to equal that of the canopy and then get warmer. (Though this may never happen if you run air conditioning, cause the a/c is removing that heat).
Also with Newtons law of exponential cooling, the rate of heat change is exponentially higher the farther the temp differential. This is why a cup of coffee goes from being extremely hot for a few minutes to staying warm for half an hour. As the temps get closer and closer together the rate of heat transfer slows down.
So a difference of only a couple of degrees between your desired tank temp and the elevated temp will take a long time to even out to room temp. Combine this with the fact that you're also constantly pumping heat from the MH's into the system and it simply won't happen.
Sorry to say but the only way I can see for you to reduce the temp is to either reduce the amount of heat generated (switching to PC, T5's, or T8's) or getting a small chiller ($$$$). A temporary fix would be to flip one fan so it sucks air into the canopy, and the other so that it blows away. This will create a flow of air in to absorb heat and then quickly pump it out. The more directed it is the better. But it might only give you a degree at best.
You could make make your own chiller (sort off).
Aren't reef tanks fun! Get on thing going, and another pops up. It's like "Whack-A-Mole."
Ur telling me its RELENTLESS as you say overcome one thing and another pops up however i have opened the canopy lid at the top a small bit and turned both fans inwards this pushing the hot air out keeps the temp at 80
I was thinking of some PCs as ive already got one 24w one but how much light would i need to sustain certain corals for example sps and clams, as the deal was with the misus get a tank get a clam. But certainly a chiller would be perfect so will look into this. Fans make annoying noises.Evaporation to was thinking of an ato anyway but will most definatley need one now or perhaps a bigger tank!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Ash
I was thinking of some PCs as ive already got one 24w one but how much light would i need to sustain certain corals for example sps and clams, as the deal was with the misus get a tank get a clam. But certainly a chiller would be perfect so will look into this. Fans make annoying noises.Evaporation to was thinking of an ato anyway but will most definatley need one now or perhaps a bigger tank!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Ash
Hopeful Reefer
Premium Member
ASh -
The tank looks good...very nice...
The little "shrimp-like" thing is a pod, amphipod if I remember correctly... It is the first piece of animal life in your tank!! :beer: They hitchhike in on live rock, living in a small hole or crevice somewhere until inside your tank...if there are a few more in the rock, with a safe place to breed your will end up with more of them...
The tank looks good...very nice...
The little "shrimp-like" thing is a pod, amphipod if I remember correctly...
It is the first piece of animal life in your tank!! :beer: They hitchhike in on live rock, living in a small hole or crevice somewhere until inside your tank...if there are a few more in the rock, with a safe place to breed your will end up with more of them...
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Thanks for the spoting of that i kinda thot it looked like a tiny mantis when i first seen it due to the posture of it didnt no if they came that small but then thot it was a shrimp or something on second looks it just a pitty ive probably cooked the poor thing alive with the temp the tank is sitting at. Aint seen it in a few days orless its hiding.
Ash
Ash
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A mini fridge/ freezer is the cheapest way to get a few degrees out of a really small tank like yours. It's not ideal, but if on a budget it can help. You could always build a decorative box around it (with the back left open for ventilation) and put a plant on it. You seem like you could tackle that since you built a nice base for your tank.
Other than that, a real chiller like this micro chiller:
It's the smallest I've seen, and fairly cheap for about $230 US.
The only problem is that they are set up for 110v operation. Search the UK sites to see if you can find one comparable set up for 240v. Or you could buy a step down transformer, but that's another box to hide.
I may look into diying a chiller but will have to read up about it first. i was also considering just buying one of those nano chiller heaters as this would provide a stable enviroment.think the cheapest ive seen here in the UK is £180. Wish i stayed in the US me and my partner are thinking of moving in 2008/2009 when we have both graduated. Not much opertunities in scotland especially aberdeen.
Thanks
Will keep you posted
Ash
Thanks
Will keep you posted
Ash
Hello
Added some more live rock over the weekend cost me a small fortune but thats it all now just the fish and corals . Heres some pics. Rock scaping is much harder than you think took me a bit of time just to arrange 4 rocks.
Heres a front tank shot cant wait to see some fish in there hopefully it wont take long to cycle due to the size. Im starting t get a bit of green alge on the rocks that has been there longer turned a bit brown but done a water change when i added the new rock.
Any one no what that spongie purple thing is on the bottom right rock.
Side view.
Ash
Added some more live rock over the weekend cost me a small fortune but thats it all now just the fish and corals . Heres some pics. Rock scaping is much harder than you think took me a bit of time just to arrange 4 rocks.
Heres a front tank shot cant wait to see some fish in there hopefully it wont take long to cycle due to the size. Im starting t get a bit of green alge on the rocks that has been there longer turned a bit brown but done a water change when i added the new rock.
Any one no what that spongie purple thing is on the bottom right rock.
Side view.
Ash
Hello just thot i would add some more pics ive got heaps of algae growing well was untill i cleaned the glass a bit.
Here a clsoe up shot of the small rock on the left. you can see the tiny feather duster just ito the right of the purple sponge thing.
Heres the rock at the other side looks completly green from a distance
Heres the full tank shot.
I have been taking test every 2 days of the water parameters weird thing is amonia is at 0 - 0.25 and everything else is zero theres been no spike at all not even when i added more rock. Must say though there wasnt any noticable die off from the rock as they were very clean fully cured live rock.
From this do you think its possible to add a clean up crew or should i just wait its been like this for two weeks.
Ash
Here a clsoe up shot of the small rock on the left. you can see the tiny feather duster just ito the right of the purple sponge thing.
Heres the rock at the other side looks completly green from a distance
Heres the full tank shot.
I have been taking test every 2 days of the water parameters weird thing is amonia is at 0 - 0.25 and everything else is zero theres been no spike at all not even when i added more rock. Must say though there wasnt any noticable die off from the rock as they were very clean fully cured live rock.
From this do you think its possible to add a clean up crew or should i just wait its been like this for two weeks.
Ash
I would wait.
My old 10 gallon took about three weeks to cycle fully. There should be NO ammonia detected at all. Plus, you want to wait for there to be something for the clean up crew to clean up, or else they will starve. I added a bacteria booster that i found at a local fish shop.
Also by clean up crew, which one? There are inverts for cleaning up detritus in the sand, and others for eating hair algae and glass scum. You have to get enough of them to do the job, but not too many so that they eat all the available food before it has a chance to regrow. They just need to keep it in check.
One final thought. I learned this the hard way. Inverts DON'T do well with high nitrate levels. Fish can handle nitrates way higher than normally accepted, but snails, crabs, nudibranchs, they all die within a few days. I used a cheap Damsel fish to help boost my cycle. Made the nitrates go through the roof. Then at the time I didn't have a protein skimmer and with such a small tank water changes needed to be done weekly (which i was lazy- hence the high nitrate levels.)
Tank is lookn' good though. Stay patient. Keep the pics rollin.
My old 10 gallon took about three weeks to cycle fully. There should be NO ammonia detected at all. Plus, you want to wait for there to be something for the clean up crew to clean up, or else they will starve. I added a bacteria booster that i found at a local fish shop.
Also by clean up crew, which one? There are inverts for cleaning up detritus in the sand, and others for eating hair algae and glass scum. You have to get enough of them to do the job, but not too many so that they eat all the available food before it has a chance to regrow. They just need to keep it in check.
One final thought. I learned this the hard way. Inverts DON'T do well with high nitrate levels. Fish can handle nitrates way higher than normally accepted, but snails, crabs, nudibranchs, they all die within a few days. I used a cheap Damsel fish to help boost my cycle. Made the nitrates go through the roof. Then at the time I didn't have a protein skimmer and with such a small tank water changes needed to be done weekly (which i was lazy- hence the high nitrate levels.)
Tank is lookn' good though. Stay patient. Keep the pics rollin.
mahalamata
New member
hey ashkeenon,
nice work man.i live in the UK and its nice to see some tanks from this side of the pond.i have a clearseal tank too,but mine is 24x18x12(i whent for this one 'cos i love the height).talking about the lights and temp etc,i have just ordered a T5 pendant with 3x24w tubes in it for about 60 quid from ebay.currently im running some HO tubes just to keep everything alive.i havent received them yet but if you want i can send you the ebay-shop....maybe you'll find something usefull,dunno...i will post some pics tomo maybe give you some ideas on aquascaping etc.keep up the good work and keep us posted on how things are going!
btw is it expensive to run that MH?
nice work man.i live in the UK and its nice to see some tanks from this side of the pond.i have a clearseal tank too,but mine is 24x18x12(i whent for this one 'cos i love the height).talking about the lights and temp etc,i have just ordered a T5 pendant with 3x24w tubes in it for about 60 quid from ebay.currently im running some HO tubes just to keep everything alive.i havent received them yet but if you want i can send you the ebay-shop....maybe you'll find something usefull,dunno...i will post some pics tomo maybe give you some ideas on aquascaping etc.keep up the good work and keep us posted on how things are going!
btw is it expensive to run that MH?
Hi
Thanks Digikill think i will wait an extra few days will keep doing tests and if everthings fine will add something on friday.
Mahalamata no its not really expensive to run 70 watts. Yours will be 72 watts which is more or less the same think watts are watts. I also got one of those of eBay a while ago however the guy sent me a 4ft one when i was going to be setting up a 3ft tank however change of plans hence this one. Yeah good to see a fellow UK reefer on here. Post some pics of yours or a link or something would liek to see it.
Ta
Ash oh nearly forgot
another update got my small pico up and running temporary untill i get enough time to finish the stand and mini fudge at the back but heres some pics with the left over live rock i had from my main tank. Think its going through one of those diatom blooms.
Ash
Thanks Digikill think i will wait an extra few days will keep doing tests and if everthings fine will add something on friday.
Mahalamata no its not really expensive to run 70 watts. Yours will be 72 watts which is more or less the same think watts are watts. I also got one of those of eBay a while ago however the guy sent me a 4ft one when i was going to be setting up a 3ft tank however change of plans hence this one. Yeah good to see a fellow UK reefer on here. Post some pics of yours or a link or something would liek to see it.
Ta
Ash oh nearly forgot
another update got my small pico up and running temporary untill i get enough time to finish the stand and mini fudge at the back but heres some pics with the left over live rock i had from my main tank. Think its going through one of those diatom blooms.
Ash
