My Journey with my Nano-Tank

[druluv]

I wanted to try out one of these nano tanks. Can they really work? Well I'm going to find out.

The tank is a 22 gallon nano with internal filtration. The filtration is a basic wet-dry. I really don't like wet drys, I'm a ecosystem/ Berlin kind of guy.

My goal for this tank is to look hot.

Some of the pieces are coming from my Main Tank, that has become an Aptasia Heaven; a basic Aptasia breeding ground. I have half dollar sized anemones in this tank.

I needed to get some of the corals out and I thought a nano tank would be a good option. I know I will introducing Aptasia in the new tank but I wanted to find ways of controlling them. I wanted to see if peppermint shrimp can handle this pest. The nano will not house any fish right now so the only available food will be Aptasia. If the peppermint shrimp doesn't work, I will try Aptasia eating nudibranches.

Enough Long Talk!

Here are some pics.
The tank itself is well made and it is made out of glass! no scratchy plastic tank.

The top of the tank is open. So I can use any lighting I choose

Real Sweet Set up. I really don't feature the stand, but the stand is a birch wood stand, I love the grain and wood work.

I want a nice clean look, nothing sticking out or protruding. This is the reefers challenge in any sized set-up.

The lighting is 4 t-5 bulbs. That should be good light for yumas, mushrooms, soft corals, lps, and maybe SPS. We will see.

Here is the filtration unit
Again I don't like wet-drys, I need to do a mod. It does have space for ample filter media though.The return pump is big one for a nano-tank. I hope it lasts. I don't know the name of it.

Here is a new salt I'm going to try. I know you see that 450!

 

[druluv]

now it is time to add the sand!

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I wanted to try this chiller out

To this nano, I want to add a protein skimmer and a mud filter. Need to do some research to find the right sized equipment to fit this nano.

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Well I added water to the nano. I was very impressed with the redsea salt.

The packaging said it was for formulated for RO Water.

Red Sea Salt Numbers:
KH - 2.9meg
mag - 1100
CA - 460

This may be a good option for the "frugal Reefer". I going to see how the corals react to it.
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[druluv]

Here is the starting rock work.

the rock is a combination of Tonga Branch, Fuji Branch, Marshall, and Tonga Fussion. I did not want to use regular fiji boulder rock.

 

[noschmo]

What is the brand of tank and chiller. This is all so fascinating!

 

[druluv]

The tank is CAD Lighting tank, and the chiller is a pacific coast nano chiller

 

[druluv]

update: Well I wanted to add a fuge to my tank, so I decided on an ecosystem hang on mud filter. The mud filter was well built, but anyone with an acrylic experience can probably make quick work with this. The nano was already cycled before I got filter, so I just hooked it up, filled with mud, and some new saltwater. Here are some pics

 

[druluv]

update:

I added some more corals that were getting stung in my main tank. These corals are in bad shape so I hope this nano can give them a chance to get better.

I added a protein skimmer to the mix to help clean the water. I'm using the Tunze Reef Pack 200. The reef pack includes a skimmer, power filter, and water bucket for top-off. I don't know much about Tunze products except for the streams and wave box. I had good experiences with these products. So I should trust them on the other products they make.

Here are some pics

Here is the whole Unit.

Here is my problem. The skimmer take a little bit more space than expected. Nothing in this hobby ever fits perfectly! My t-5 lighting doesn't fit because the skimmer cups takes up too much space for the lighting legs to hold on the glass rim; so basiclly I'm stuck.

I may have to hang a lighting fixture over the tank.

 

[druluv]

Being that I'm mostly putting corals that weren't doing well in my main tank in to this nano, I really have to make sure the water is clean and the water is very stable.

My first objective is to clear the coral of Apastia. Apastia is one of the worst pest you can have in your reef tank. Joes Juice and other products is just a surface treatment and don't really clear the tank of this pest.

Now there are natural predators for Apastia. There is the Copperband Butterfly fish, Peppermint Shrimp, and the Apastia Eating Nudibranch. The problem with these animals is that it can be a hit or miss on them eating these pests. I have grand respect for Apastia, they seem to survive in any condition. They are almost the water version of rats.

In the Nano tank, I did not add any fish. By not adding fish the temptation to feed the tank is gone. The corals will have to survive on just clean water and whatever the hang-on fuge provides. This first step should at least start starving some of the Apastia.

It is not practical to add a copperband to this tank. So the next step is to start breeding Apastia eating Nudi-branches. I'm not really into buying 20 dollar animals that fit into a pipette and have them disappear into the reef tank abyss.

So I bought a little betta tank kit, I need to add some sand and apastia to this tank, and some nudibranches. I will be able to better document the progress with these animal. Once they get fatten up, I can add them to the nano tank.

 

[duwlski]

That's a sweet tank, how do you like the tunze nano skimmer??..

 

[Jester]

I had the same problem when I had my 25 gallon setup a few years ago... since the tank has been compltetly broke down and rebuilt... but not due to the apastia, more to my hair algea problem... I got a pepermint shrimp that cleared up my apastia in a few days... it was crazy... good luck and your nano tank looks great... makes me want to break down my tank and get a new one....

 

[druluv]

So far so good, nice foam production and green juice making. Very easy to clean too. The only thing is that I bought it as a reef pack 200 but I can't fit the power filter part of it because of the hang on the back fuge. I really recommend this skimmer.

 

[duwlski]

can u take out the power filter and just using the skimmer parts?..maybe it will free up some space for your light..

what is the height and the diameter width of the skimmer cup?.. I have a 15 gal 24x12x12, currently using tek t5, I'm trying to find out if it will fit in the back of my 15 gal..

 

[druluv]

That is what I did, The unit comes with a magnet holder, so I had to screw out the power filter part. Now the magnet only holds the protein skimmer. I'm not sure of the height and diameter of the collection cup. I would have to measure when I get home.

If your tek t5 have long leg clips then it can be a problem.

 

[druluv]

I finally got to put PC Cl 850 chiller on line. The directions say Max GPH is 150 , so I used a Mini jet 606 to pump water through the unit. Mini Jet has a 160 GPH, so this should be perfect. Now to see if this unit works. Will report my findings.

Next on line is Two part automation. In the past, I always forgot to add my two part. I don't want this to happen, so I plan to use a Aqua-media double doser to handle this task.

I'm still back and forth with the lighting. T-5 or basic HQI MH. I invested in a luxmeter and measured my intensity. Top 1/3 was 7000, middle 1/3 5500, bottom half 3000 lux. I don't know what these numbers mean, so if anyone knows share with the board. I want to compare this with the 150 HQI, then take it from there.

Next step is to use rowa phos in a reverse flow filter. So that is my next set-up mod.

 

[Pico Keeper]

Looks really great man. Those are some interesting drygoods. The tank and stand is new to me, and i've never seen that hob refugium. What brand is that? That's an awesome little tank man!! Good work!

Also what fixture is that?

 

[Nanomaniac]

How do you like the tank? I was thinking of buying the 5g model but I'm not sure if the lighting would be sufficient. Is the lighting T5 High Output?

 

[druluv]

update: The pacific coast nano chiller is a piece of crap. A total waste of time.

The PC 850 couldn't chill this tank so I swap it out with pacific coast 1/10 hp unit.

This PC 850 unit my be better on a 2.5 - 12 gallon tank.

This is the 1/10 unit: A little bigger but still fits in the stand! This chiller make my lighting choices easy. I can easliy use a MH / T-5 set up now!

I'm still using the same 606 to run this unit. The pump I'm using has no back pressure, so its like a Closed Loop. I plan to use the flow of the chiller to bring some more flow into the tank. right now I have the return hose returning to the filtration box. All I have to do is add some kind of alternating fixture to cause wave like motions. OceansMotions makes a two-way squirt, I may look into this option.




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This is to help with the long war on organics and the dreaded PH04. Ecosystem does recommend using a ferric oxide product to help combat PH04.

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I'm married to the same 4 t5 unit (bulbs 2 whites - 10k, 1 Actinic, 1 aquasun (50/50))

But my real love is this unit. The Giesemann Basic 150 HQI. It is a well bulit unit and also a good looking unit. Perfect for a open-top set-up. The 13k bulb it comes with, totally lights up the nano and room. Only problem is, it didn't come with t-5s. I will call Giesemann and ask them, can just add a t-5 ballast to the mix? Giesemann said there is no space for a internal ballast, but you can fit a external one. Perfect.

Here is my Sacrificial lamb - Crappy aquatrader unit. They sell it as a 48" unit but 48" inch bulbs don't fit it. It Only fits 46.5 bulbs, and it seems like aquatraders are the only ones that make it.

I also need to set up my automated two part doser
Here is a pic of the double doser.

 

[druluv]

Being that I'm battling Aptasia, I got some peppermint shrimp to see if they can put a dent in the pest population. This should be a good test, because I don't feed tank, so they have to find there own food and there is plenty aptasia to eat.

I was just aclimating them. Here is a cool tool I use to aclimate my new live stock.

pretty easy to make and I can adjust the valve to set the drip rate.



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The tank is going through a diatom bloom, so I'm setting up to do a water change.

Here is my new water change set-up. I got the biggest pump I can find and go to town on the water. My PH in my make-up water was very low, this means I need to aerate the water to get a higher ph.

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[druluv]

Here are some tank shots of some of the corals that were getting stung in my main tank

Some of these corals are being saved from my main reef tank. The Aptasia is really bad now. I have gangs of this pest all around the tank. So I have to take some of my most precious pieces out.

Here some other pics:

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My next set is to hang my new lighting system up

 

[Jester]

everything looks great... I love following your setup... it must feel like christmas to be getting all these new gadgets at once... hehehee...

Jester