New 9g nano build

[chaseg89]

I am starting this thread to show the progress of my new 9g nano build. My dad and I currently have a 55g reef tank that is a joint effort, and I had a 57 gallon build I started that I don't really have anywhere to set up at the moment. But I have really gotten the itch lately to have a tank of my own, so I decided to do a nano tank. I already have the tank and will soon have the lighting, I am still working on acquiring the rest of the equipment I want. I am wanting to do a mixed reef mostly LPS, mushrooms and zoas, with a few SPS. My goal for this nano is to keep things as simple as possible while still maintaining everything effectively and to use equipment that will allow me as much real estate inside the tank as possible. This is my first experience with a nano setup, so any opinions or tips from experienced nano reef keepers is welcomed. My equipment list includes:

35L Eheim Aquastyle (Just over 9 gallons)
AI Nano LED w/ controller
Vortech MP10
Cobalt Neo-Therm 25w heater, if necessary
Eheim Aquastyle factory filter (probably with a mixed carbon/phosban media)
Caribsea Arag-Alive! (Either Fiji Pink or Bimini Pink)
5-10 lbs live rock
Aqua-Vitro Salinity salt mix

I want enough live rock to really serve as bio-filtration because at this point I am not planning on having a protein skimmer, however, I hope to arrange the rock in a way that leaves enough room for livestock and corals. The only livestock I know that I would like at this point is a Yellow Watchman Goby and a Harlequin shrimp or maybe pair. We have a YWG in our 55g and he is by far my favorite fish. As I said before I would like to keep a mixed reef mainly LPS and mushrooms/zoas with a few SPS depending on how everything turns out. I think that the lighting I have chosen will allow me to keep anything in this tank as far as corals are concerned.

I plan on doing a 10% weekly water change and topping off with freshwater daily or as needed. I will be testing to keep track of nutrients and will use a two-part solution if the weekly water changes do not maintain nutrients in the tank. I have not decided yet if I plan on trying to use an auto top-off system yet or not. Any opinions? I am currently looking for something to serve as a stand for the tank and then will start working on how I am going to hang the light when it arrives which should be shortly. After that I should be able to get things started before too long. I will try to get some pictures up shortly of the equipment and any progress I am making. Like I said before I am new to the whole nano niche so any experienced nano keepers feel free to leave advice. Thanks.

 

[chaseg89]

These are some pictures of the tank and the stock accessories that came with it. I am going to upgrade the light, but I plan on keeping the stock filter for now and seeing how well it works for the time being.

Here's my 9 gallon Eheim Aquastyle

This is the tank with the stock light, which is actually pretty bright, but just not quite what I was looking for. Please ignore the fingerprints on the glass. :lmao:

This is the inside of the filter, it is a pretty small canister inside but I think it will do for now and I should still be able to fit a good bit of media into it.

This is just for a size comparison so you get the idea of how big the stock filter is.

I was at my LFS today and talked with the owner and he told me that Eheim is making a better light for the Aquastyle line that would add some actinic supplementation to the stock light. But, I think I will be happy with my AI nano led, which should be arriving soon so there will be more pictures to come. The search for a suitable stand is still ongoing, I thought I had found the perfect one today, but there ended up being some structural damage so I scrapped that idea.

 

[chaseg89]

Lights arrived yesterday! I will try and put some pictures up later tonight.

 

[chaseg89]

Well I haven't updated because I have been so busy getting this setup, I figured I would just wait till it was complete and put up new pictures. I'm almost finished with everything, only a couple more things on my list including finishing my fixture to hang the light from and taking some steps to organize all the cords for everything. I put in rock and sand today so now I am just waiting for it to cycle. I would like some opinions on the aquascape, I like the way it is set up now, but I don't know if I should add a little more rock to make it taller or leave it the way it is? What do ya'll think? Here are a bunch of pictures of everything let me know what ya'll think.

Here is the tank and the stand I found for it

Close up of the aquascape

What I will hopefully be using by tomorrow to hang the light fixture, conduit bent and sprayed with hammered metal spray paint, it turned out awesome...should be getting my AI hanging kit from BRS tomorrow.

whites only...

blues only...

royal blues...

left side of aquascape

right side...

bird's eye view...

One more of the whole thing from the front.

I am really excited that it has all come together, now I just need to be patient and wait on the cycle...which as we all know is the hard part.

 

[justjosh012]

Nice man, I really like these tanks. I cheaped out and did a DIY LED on mine, but that AI nano looks nice

 

[chaseg89]

Thanks man, I considered doing a DIY led, but I am not very mechanical so I opted out of doing it...I have a lot of respect for people who do the DIY stuff it always looks really cool, plus it saves money. Yeah I love the AI nano its been great so far, just trying to decide the right settings to use.

 

[justjosh012]

LOL There are nicer DIY's that mine, im not mechanically inclined either. if you can use a soldering iron and mix 2 part epoxy your golden. Also i spent like 30 minutes on it from opening the fedex package it came in.

 

[chaseg89]

So I already re-did my aquascape and I like it a lot better now, I think it has a little more height to it, and a little more potential for coral placement. Trying to be patient now....just waiting for the cycle :headwally:, but hopefully it might be a little faster since I am using pretty established live rock and its a smaller tank. So I have done away with my plan of having a pair of harlequin shrimp just due to feeding requirements and not wanting to have to buy starfish all the time for them. Instead I may do either a porcelain crab or a pom pom crab. Any feedback on which one may be better?

new aquascape FTS

close-up of new aquascape

another close-up

BTW thanks for bearing with the HUGE pictures I have figured out what size I need to make them for easier viewing now.

 

[justjosh012]

no reason not to do both crabs. I like both of them alot.

 

[chaseg89]

True. I will have to put more pictures up this week. I got my hanging fixture done a couple of weeks ago, which is the only DIY project on this build, but it looks pretty good in my opinion. Still waiting to get some livestock in the tank, hopefully that will happen this week.

 

[Holokai]

Any Updates? I'm planning to go buy the Aquastyle 9 tomorrow night.