New 2gl Hex Nano - Air lift project

Ryanqk

Ryanqk

Active member
Well I finally broke down and got another small tank. This is a nice little 2gl hex tank i got offline. I am planning on using sand, rock and macro from my existing 30gl (40gl) system to set this tank up. The measurements are: 8 5/8"L x 7 3/8"W x 13"H. The hood that came with it supports a 15w incandescent bulb which i want to replace with a compact flouresent 50/50 if i can find one that will fit. I plan on having mushrooms, softies and zoa's in this tank, and a small selection of invertebrates. I need ideas for mods for the tank. Also what kind of filtration should i use for this size tank?
Tank is manufactered by Top Fin "aquascene 2 aquarium kit".
I have a few starter frags of zoas in my main tank ill put in it but first i want to make an airlift system to provide O2 and a current. I'm still not sure what bulb i'm going to use. The tank will not have much animal bioload so im not going to use a nano power filter, just do regular water changes. Plus the rock and macro should be an effective filter. I will also try to bond the rocks together for easy removal and attaching stuff and to provide a hidden area for the air lift. This is the same basic idea as a patch reef in a nano. Any suggestions? Ill post some pics once my temp tests are done....
Thanks
Ryan
 
Do you think you can rig/make some type of chamber in the back, like an add on for a refugium? Its made of plastic?

Gives me ideas about a nano for fun now...
 
On this tank, yeah, probably by drilling the acryilic, you could put in an overflow, but my idea is to have everything in the center in a sort of stack with the airlift hidden behind the rocks in a shaft in the center. That way there is minimal equipment and a clear view pretty much all the way around, since its a hexagon tank.
 
probably enough to do something with one corner if you were doing a false wall, i am not sure i am up to doing THAT much alteration to the tank... Unless someone wants to help me do it, lol

PS Eric i found a tiny xenia just like the one i got from you growing where i used to have it secured, i guess some crumb broke off there but there is a single polyp snapping away on the other side of the tank lol
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8316867#post8316867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ryanqk


PS Eric i found a tiny xenia just like the one i got from you growing where i used to have it secured, i guess some crumb broke off there but there is a single polyp snapping away on the other side of the tank lol
Click to expand...

Ryan, thats not a good sign!!! Means your Xenia is slowly dying off, I think it is because of the high calc. level which might be bring downing your alk. IMO I think alk plays a major role in Xenia considering it can not really build off of the calcium.

As for the "airlift" is that like a bubbler? Or a pump? Due to such a small tank, I would really try to a refuge if possible and have a decent filter that can be used with it - carbon and chemi pure from what i have heard are used by nano cube owners.
 
Eric nothing looks like its dying off, the xenia colony is still growing! I have already changed 14 gl out of 30 in the past week and a half. The air pump sinks down a shaft to the bottom center and as air rises so does the water flow making a nice pattern around the tank.
Ryan
 
Ok the water is still cloudy however i finally have life in my nano. I put 2 inches or so of live sand and sand from my fuge in it, and so far a piece of LR i'm going to get some more tomarrow. A nice variety of macro algae have been added as well. I got a pistol shrimp as an inhabitant, and he has already dug a burrow under the rock. I also added some cinnamon polyps and a few extra zoa's to the mix along with a couple green spotted shrooms. Took a couple crappy pics but ill post them soon. I also updraded the bulb which is now a powerfull 19w PC bulb! should be enough to keep most stuff i want. Any comments? I have posted a few pics in my gallery.....
Ryan
 
Just curious...what's that 19w pc bulb? That sounds like a nice amount of power for a little tank like that. I'm still shopping for a light for my pico. I'm getting liverock today at Reef Life, so I'll have life soon too...can't wait. Post some pics soon, I want to check it out!
 
Yes the bulb puts out MAD power and tons of light its something like 9 watts per gallon if im right. I will have to pull the bulb to get the specs off it i had a hard time taking photos becuase it was so bright. It looks kinda like the ones i use in the ceiling, like a couple of spiraled tubes, john at all sealife gave it to me as an extra. I think im gonna have to pull the shrooms i put in it cuase they are gonna get too much light. Pistol shrimp made his burrow larger last night, I'm going to pick up more rock today so he is gonna have to rebuild soon lol. Nanokat ill take a photo of the bulb for ya too. Very exciting to have my mini reef going. Hey once i post the bulb specs i will need some input from yall as to the kinds of stuff that will do well under the lighting, I didnt expect so much light thats why i put shrooms in there lol The zoo's seem to be lovin it but the cinnamon polyps might get pulled too, maybe ill just take my small frags of zoo's and some other light lovers from my main tank.
 
Great i just found out today that my dad is being called up for active duty and going to afghanistan. That really drops a big turd on my day! :-(
 
Just be proud of what your Dad and people like him are doing for our country. I come from a big military family and we support all of our troops over there.

Just keep your mind off of it by playing with that pico. I posted a new pic of mine with the liverock today...check it out! Can't wait to see pics of yours.
 
ok the bulb is a 19w 6500k commercial electric brand bulb, model edxo-19 L.P.F. It screws in like any normal lightbulb. here are the pics i promised at http://patchreef.blogspot.com/ .... more stuff will happen over the next 2 days to ill keep posting
Ryan
 
I hate the bubbler!!! lol

You can get a small pump or something that can be used like a closed loop? I know you are using the bubbler to help the circulation as well has helping the pH but its ugly and bubbles! Microbubbles!!!
 
Eric when i am done you wont be able to see the bubbler it will be in a air lift shaft tube, inside the rocks. I havnt been able to find a pump narrow enough to fit on the panels, since its a hex shape. Remember its still under construction i just took some excess rock out of my display to seed the cycle.
Ryan
 
Having some issues adjusting the air lift tube to get enough water movement in the tank, it did better with no tube lol. In the mean time the zoa's i put in are open and appear happy. Just got some really cool paly's from tonga yesterday once they are fully open ill post some pics of the colony. I belive they are the highly toxic variety, but also have flourecent green pigments. Very unusual piece, i had to cut a small head of them off the bottom to mount the colony so maybe a few will appear at the auction if they recover properly.
Ryan
 
ordered some epoxy to cement the rockwork together and keep the corals in place, so far i have added a blue leg HC and a snail to the livestock they dont seem to bother the pistol shrimp. Starting to see some algae growth on the acrylic. Also i've been exchanging a cup of water every couple days from the main system, and added some turbo bacteria. Once my order is here and i have finished working on it more pics will be added. Also i may have found a better airlift tube that also will allow me to run carbon when i want to.
Ryan
 
so far the temp swing is minimal, i put it in my dining room which is the warmest room other than the kitchen. I didnt end up using the heater but ill keep it in reserve for the winter time and in case of emergency. It stays between 76 and 78 pretty much, i keep checking the thermometer at different times of the day. I only added a drop or two of the booster along with a tiny bit of food to cycle the new sand i used (ended up using more new bagged LS than my own from the fuge but i seeded it with some.)
Ryan
 
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