Nano done lights installed!!

[rabid frog]

Got the tank at about 98% complete. Lacking a finish and moon lights. Other than that it is done. It is in its 2nd week of a cycle and should be coming close by the end of next week I think, The rock work needs a little bit of tlc also. I am by no means a aquascpaer.

Here are some pictures let me know what ya'll think!!
Of course you can see the complete build on my nano blog. http://www.nmoceankeepers.com/nano/entrants/10.php

 

[rabid frog]

21 views no comments... tough crowd.

 

[GreenUku]

We're at a loss for words.











Ok, maybe not. What that stuff on the glass? Just bubbles?

 

[rabid frog]

ya just bubbles. I am going to get an acrylic safe scraper in the next few days to clean off some algae and shoo off the bubbles

 

[israelnajar]

After looking at your blog. You went with glass after the break? Tank looks good! What is your cost at the moment? What kind of sand did you use? How did you secure your canopy together? Sorry for all the questions.

I am going to do an update tomorrow with rinsing sand and starting my cycle which I wanted to do today but I didnt have time.

Edit: There have been a few post on RC about people using GSP as grass and somehow they get it to grow on the sandbed.

 

[rabid frog]

No its is still acrylic. I had the same amount cut and build the exact same tank after the other broke. Just did some of the assembly different.

Cost at the moment, not including lights and pump is ~ 100.00 That is including base rock and sand. I still have all my reciepts, but the acrylic was 48.00 I think and the plywood was 3.00 for a 24"x24" sheet. I used one whole one plus a 3"x15" strip of the other. The 2 Sunpaq ballasts w/socketts sell for 37.95 new. I cant find a used price on them any where. So that is 80.00 just for the lights, although they were not new. The pump you could get new for 58.47 at petco right now, but it was not new either. So I do not know what a fair used price would be on it either. But with the lights and the pump that puts me over the 200.00. So I amy have to just go to the other category.

I used wood glue and clamps to secure the canopy together. Just regular Elmers wood glue.

I just went with regular sand you can buy in the bags at the lfs. I still had some left over from setting up my wifes aquapod. I need to put a little more in.

I got the base rock from Peggy for 3.00 per lb. I also need to weigh the exact amount I have in there. I split the base that I bought up between 3 tanks. Im guessing that I have less than 10 lbs in there. But some of the rock was pretty dense.

Thanks for the comments, finally. J/k Cant wait to see everyone elses' tanks!

 

[israelnajar]

I don't think that I would trust just glue to hold it in place. Since the moisture may seep into the glue and dissolve it since it is water soluble. But then again I haven't seen evidence of the glue on my DIY canopy for my 40 dissolving. I don't know, I might do that but also use finishing nails as extra support.

 

[rabid frog]

The whole thing is sealed with polyeurothane (sp). I dont think it will have water disolve the glue, but only time will tell. I thought about using nails, in fact the first one that I built I did, but it caused the wood to split. I didnt have my nail gun out of storage for the smaller finishing nails. So the smallest I could find were too big and they cause problems while routing the edges.

thanks for the heads up, I will keep an eye on it.

 

[israelnajar]

Oh yea on that note. Make sure you coat and sand at least 3 times when you seal it. Otherwise it will warp and break. I know, I did that on my canopy for my 40 and now I have to rebuild it.

 

[Dangerous Ace]

Isreal,

When people were talking about using GSPs as "grass", they aren't putting it on the sandbed, they are using it instead of a DSB. There are aesthetic issues with going with a bare bottom so some are trying different things to keep the tank from looking odd. If i remember right Thor used to use zoas and/or GSPs on the tank before his last one instead of a DSB.

 

[israelnajar]

Hmm....well maybe they didn't say outright that they are using GSP as grass intentionally. But have GSP growing on their sandbed.

 

[Dangerous Ace]

BTW...

Tank is of to a great start. Again, it's hard to tell what the tank is really like and I don't think the pics do it justice. I think thats going to be the hardest part of this competition. (especially since I think I just lost my camera)
Aquascaping suggestion: When I mix live and base rock, I like to put more of the live stuff on top. Only problem is that the base rock you are using has such cool shapes. After a little while you wont be able to tell the difference though. In the past week I've changed the rockwork in my 10 gallon tank 3 times. Just keep playing with the shapes untill it works for you.

 

[rabid frog]

Thanks Brain .

Ya I think I olny have 1 piece of live rock. The rest is base. I was going to use coraline chips from my othedr tanks to seed the rock. I hope this will work,

I thought about trying to make gsp's grow on a piece of acrylic and place that on the sand, but I think that will suffocate the sand. So that idea may be on the back burner for now.

 

[moonpower]

Looks good. It will come around once you get some plants in it. Good job

 

[GreenUku]

You could try to get the GSP to grow up the back wall instead ... You might be able to just kind of wedge a frag next to the wall and see if it takes off. Or try superglue.