CoralFiend
New member
This is a new project that I just completed. I posted these pics in another thread and there was some interest and questions. I didn't want to hog that thread, so I will start a new one here. The tank has been up and running for only about a week, so this can serve as my tank diary.
I am fairly new to the nano world and this tank is not exactly what you would see ordinarily. It is over the top and I am well aware of that. After losing my 75, 45 and mini bow to the 2 week long power outage that followed Hurricane Rita last fall, I am starting all over again with completely new systems. All of the ones that went down have been sold. I have a 140 that I am also working on and this tank has helped pass the time while I was waiting for different components that I had ordered from various places - mostly LifeReef.
This project has been put together mostly from bits and pieces of past systems and projects. The tank, sump/refugium, remote DSB, stand, canopy and tank enclosure are all homemade. The stand was actually the old 45 stand that I converted into a cabinet for the tank to sit on and house most of the components. Very little "new money" was spent putting it together. It was fun building it, now we will have to see how well it will support livestock.
The 7.5 gallon was placed inside of the pirate's chest enclosure. My username on another forum is "Pirate's Reef," so that is how the chest enclosure came about.
Open cabinet reveals all of the equipment that runs the display tank.
The tank (20"x9"x10") is drilled - 6 holes in all. 1" overflow drain, 2 1/2" bulkheads for main returns in the back of the tank. 2 1/2" bulkheads for closed loop returns on either side of the tank - one high, one low. 1/2" bulkhead for closed loop feed on the bottom side of the back glass. There are no powerheads, tubes or hoses inside of the aquarium. Only the inside portion of the bulkheads and the tinted glass overflow are visible.
Tank was set up with cured, aged live rock. The rock was in a pile in my LFS rock tub, so there was very little light on the rock. As a result, there is little coralline on the rock. It is pretty white in the picture. I have since added some rock with coralline on it and live sand from a friends tank.
2 3.15" 110v 5 watt fans keep the canopy cooled down. Also have a 4" fan mounted in the side wall of the cabinet blowing cool fresh air from the outside across the top of the sump and into the cabinet area.
From the left side of the pic -
Remote DSB in a bucket inspired by a post by Anthony Calfo. The black sand has no buffering properties, so the goal for the DSB was for nitrate reduction and buffering. Dimensions are 9"x5"x15" tall. Actually holds about 3 gallons, but I only have about 2 gallons of sand in it. It is fed from a branch off of the main tank overflow and has a fairly slow stream of water running across the top of the sand. There is only about 2" of water above the sand. I topped off the sand bed with live sand from two different mature systems.
Skimmer - That's a EuroReef CS6-2 (of which I had two not being used). Too big for the sump, so I just stuck it into the tub. It is fed "slowly" from the DSB overflow and a separate feed branch from the tank overflow. This is definitely overkill - but it cost me nothing additional to add a quality skimmer to the project. Seems to work pretty well in the tub also.
Sump / Refugium - I built this out of 1/4" glass. Cost me like $18 for the glass. (The tank is also homemade for about $35 worth of glass). The sump is divided up into separate compartments -
1-A bubble tower to catch most of the bubbles from the tank overflow.
2-A bubble trap to catch even more and a media tray with a place for filter pad or PolyFilter.
3-A lighted refugium for nutrient export and pod refuge. Also a place to start off some very small soft coral frags. The light is a CoralLife 18 watt fixture, which has daylight & true actinic bulbs - about $30.
4-Two pumps in the sump return section. Mag 3's. One for return and one for the closed loop which has a SCWD installed behind the tank.
Also a float switch for top off.
The 20 gallon long on the bottom has a partition glued in the center and is for water storage. Left side for fresh salt water and the right side for fresh RO/DI water for top off.
Lighted refugium with CoralLife 18watt fixture with daylight & actinic bulbs.
Bubble tower, bubble trap and filter media tray. Also 4" fan installed to provide fresh, outside air blowing across the sump, fuge light and inside of cabinet.
Tank is lighted by a CoralLife 96 watt fixture.
I thought temperature would probably be a concern with a Sedra pump and two Mag 3's, plus an enclosed 96watt light fixture and another enclosed 18 watt fixture inside of the stand. But, with the carefull placement of fans, I am happy to say that the temp is running between 76 - 79 - and that is with the A/C set on 75. So, I have been very happy with that.
I am fairly new to the nano world and this tank is not exactly what you would see ordinarily. It is over the top and I am well aware of that. After losing my 75, 45 and mini bow to the 2 week long power outage that followed Hurricane Rita last fall, I am starting all over again with completely new systems. All of the ones that went down have been sold. I have a 140 that I am also working on and this tank has helped pass the time while I was waiting for different components that I had ordered from various places - mostly LifeReef.
This project has been put together mostly from bits and pieces of past systems and projects. The tank, sump/refugium, remote DSB, stand, canopy and tank enclosure are all homemade. The stand was actually the old 45 stand that I converted into a cabinet for the tank to sit on and house most of the components. Very little "new money" was spent putting it together. It was fun building it, now we will have to see how well it will support livestock.
The 7.5 gallon was placed inside of the pirate's chest enclosure. My username on another forum is "Pirate's Reef," so that is how the chest enclosure came about.
Open cabinet reveals all of the equipment that runs the display tank.
The tank (20"x9"x10") is drilled - 6 holes in all. 1" overflow drain, 2 1/2" bulkheads for main returns in the back of the tank. 2 1/2" bulkheads for closed loop returns on either side of the tank - one high, one low. 1/2" bulkhead for closed loop feed on the bottom side of the back glass. There are no powerheads, tubes or hoses inside of the aquarium. Only the inside portion of the bulkheads and the tinted glass overflow are visible.
Tank was set up with cured, aged live rock. The rock was in a pile in my LFS rock tub, so there was very little light on the rock. As a result, there is little coralline on the rock. It is pretty white in the picture. I have since added some rock with coralline on it and live sand from a friends tank.
2 3.15" 110v 5 watt fans keep the canopy cooled down. Also have a 4" fan mounted in the side wall of the cabinet blowing cool fresh air from the outside across the top of the sump and into the cabinet area.
From the left side of the pic -
Remote DSB in a bucket inspired by a post by Anthony Calfo. The black sand has no buffering properties, so the goal for the DSB was for nitrate reduction and buffering. Dimensions are 9"x5"x15" tall. Actually holds about 3 gallons, but I only have about 2 gallons of sand in it. It is fed from a branch off of the main tank overflow and has a fairly slow stream of water running across the top of the sand. There is only about 2" of water above the sand. I topped off the sand bed with live sand from two different mature systems.
Skimmer - That's a EuroReef CS6-2 (of which I had two not being used). Too big for the sump, so I just stuck it into the tub. It is fed "slowly" from the DSB overflow and a separate feed branch from the tank overflow. This is definitely overkill - but it cost me nothing additional to add a quality skimmer to the project. Seems to work pretty well in the tub also.
Sump / Refugium - I built this out of 1/4" glass. Cost me like $18 for the glass. (The tank is also homemade for about $35 worth of glass). The sump is divided up into separate compartments -
1-A bubble tower to catch most of the bubbles from the tank overflow.
2-A bubble trap to catch even more and a media tray with a place for filter pad or PolyFilter.
3-A lighted refugium for nutrient export and pod refuge. Also a place to start off some very small soft coral frags. The light is a CoralLife 18 watt fixture, which has daylight & true actinic bulbs - about $30.
4-Two pumps in the sump return section. Mag 3's. One for return and one for the closed loop which has a SCWD installed behind the tank.
Also a float switch for top off.
The 20 gallon long on the bottom has a partition glued in the center and is for water storage. Left side for fresh salt water and the right side for fresh RO/DI water for top off.
Lighted refugium with CoralLife 18watt fixture with daylight & actinic bulbs.
Bubble tower, bubble trap and filter media tray. Also 4" fan installed to provide fresh, outside air blowing across the sump, fuge light and inside of cabinet.
Tank is lighted by a CoralLife 96 watt fixture.
I thought temperature would probably be a concern with a Sedra pump and two Mag 3's, plus an enclosed 96watt light fixture and another enclosed 18 watt fixture inside of the stand. But, with the carefull placement of fans, I am happy to say that the temp is running between 76 - 79 - and that is with the A/C set on 75. So, I have been very happy with that.
