scolley's Big Little Nano – yet another build thread

[scolley]

Thanks Glenn! It was a pleasure meeting you!

Its funny... There was SO much more work than one would guess just looking at it. But thanks.

I need to give everyone an update. I know I've gone silent. But its been interesting. Plus I've put all the corals in place. And hurray-hurray! Some of the SPS are trying to recover!

I'll try to post all the changes this weekend. There have been a lot.

 

[scolley]

It's been a wild ride since I set this new tank up. I made a MAJOR mistake when I first set the plumbing up. And there are LOTS of things undone. But I have accomplished a few things...

1. Took SPS off rack, and placed them where I wanted them. And arranged LPS the way I wanted them too.
2. Finalized the placement of my Vortechs. Used silicone to place the wires along the top edges of the tank, rather than using those ugly sticky tabs that come with them.
3. I determined that the drain was working properly - nothing to fix. The reason why I thought it was draining slowly was a brain fart on my part. Long story as to why...
4. Labeled all my liquid bearing hoses (like 2-part and Mg solutions, RO/DI, new salt water, etc.)
5. Set up power loss routines. I'm using the Apex secondary power supply, which is not on the UPS. So when house power is lost, it's still running, detects the loss, shuts down non-essential devices, and sends me an email and text. It's worth noting that I use a Netgear WNCE2001 WiFi Adapter, and it had to have it's firmware upgraded to version 1.0.0.26NA for it to work. SMTP messages did not work (though all other networking functions did) until that upgrade.
6. Installed an elbow where the overflow water comes into the sump. Previously I had 1" PVC going straight into the sump water, and it bubbled and splashed like nobody's business. But by placing 90 degree elbow so that the opening was 1/2 way submerged, the air escapes with no bubbles, no fuss. Much quieter, no splashing.
7. I identified and resolved my sump water level problem.

That last one is worthy of its one post. That's where I scr*wed up badly.

 

[ange062]

I feel like this hobby is always an uphill battle in one way or another, but that's what keeps it fun IMO.

The key is that you have figured out what the problems were, found solutions, and moved forward. Glad to hear you got a lot of the kinks worked out!

 

[scolley]

Three mistakes = big problem overlooked for too long

Three mistakes = big problem overlooked for too long

When I set the tank up, I did not do water tests for days. I knew the water was entirely from freshly mixed salt. There was no "muck" from the old tank coming in. Any of that was left in the trash can. So the water should be pretty much just like fresh salt. Particularly since my corals were in shock, and should not be taking up much alk, Ca, or Mg.

But to my surprise, when I did test, alk, Ca, and Mg were low! That was my first clue that something was wrong. But I missed it, assuming something was sequestering nutrients, like the dead rock or something. That was my 1st mistake.

Early on I realized that the section of the sump with the top off level sensors was keeping water at a level several inches too high. Every day or so I'd take water out of the sump until the level was right, and come back the next day to find it at the same level. I'd scratch my head, repeat the water removal, and resolve to fix it when I had time that weekend. Not doing something immediately was my 2nd mistake.

And finally, it's worth noting that when did my water tests, I tested for KH (alk), Ca, Mg, Ammonia, Nitrates and Phosphates. I didn't bother with specific gravity (salinity) because it was all new salt water, and that is always exactly the same thing. That was my 3rd mistake.

When I got around to digging into the water level mystery last weekend, I got a sinking feeling in my gut as I realized what might be wrong. My corals were not recovering well, and this could go a long way to explaining why...

When I set up all the liquid bearing tubing in the sump the day of my very, very hurried cut over to the new tank, I made a critical mistake. My line carrying RO/DI for sump top off was UNDER the surface of the sump water! :eek2:

So every day when I pulled water out of the sump to set it at the right level, RO/DI siphoned in from my RO/DI reservoir. Driving my salinity down day-by-day. The fix took 60 seconds. But my salinity had dropped to 1.016! Oh no!

My system has a DIY switch that flips the source of ATO water from RO/DI to new salt water. So for the last week I've kept that switch on to top off with saltwater. As of yesterday the salinity was almost 1.021. In a few more days it will be where it needs to be.

To add insult to injury, before I'd made this discovery last weekend, I found out that a LFS was having a 1/2 price sale. So I bought some shrimp. Thinking my salinity was 1.025 - close to the 1.024 - that the LFS keeps their water at, I acclimated them in 90 minutes. The next day they were all dead.

 

[scolley]

I feel like this hobby is always an uphill battle in one way or another, but that's what keeps it fun IMO.

Agreed 100%. If I was GOOD at this, I'd move on to another hobby! But the fact is that I continue to learn things, improve my husbandry skills, and find new challenges. It's a GREAT hobby! :thumbsup:

 

[scolley]

Long list of To-Do's

Long list of To-Do's

Aside from livestock and corals, there are a lot of things still left to do:

1. Replace the AC adapter for the fans (more power)
2. Resolve bad pH readings. The probe worked fine before the move. I didn't let it dry out. But reads in the mid 2's now, and I KNOW that's far from right. Have an extra if calibration and/or rerouting wire does not help.
3. Ensure that all traces of splashing from the overflow pipe entering the sump is completely eliminated. If it is not totally free of periodic splashes, I may have to fashion some kind of splash guard out of acrylic.
4. Eliminate "door drips". As it turns out water that sloshes over the front of the tank finds its way to the top edge of the stand door. And that's just inches above the electronics mounted inside that same door. So some weather stripping aught to do the trick. Will not be pretty - have done this before in stands. But it keeps water from dripping on the expensive toys.
5. UPS drips. I've got the stand UPS next to the stand - a few inches to the right. And the UPS has ventilation slots on top. To prevent any chance of water EVER dripping in there I'm going to either have to move it (hard), or fashion some kind of not-unattractive drip guard to go over those slots (not hard).
6. Finalize ATS setup. It's a DIY rig, so it's finicky. I'm sure I'll spend the next few weeks tweaking is position. Plus the drain tube is new (to this stand), and the water slot in it is a little to narrow. Will have to dremmel that out a bit. Plus I need to fashion an opaque acrylic light guard for where the water comes out of that slot. With light shining on it, and water rushing past, algae readily grows into that slot and blocks flow. Easy fix.
7. Resolve thin skimmate. My little tunze is just not picking up any skimmate. Lot's of bubbles, but no foam that gets thick enough to go up the neck and into the cup. Maybe that's 'cuz I'm not feeding yet. Or maybe something is amiss. Will have to keep my eye on it after I start feeding corals (today probably).
8. Add more sand. That IS today. Yesterday I did 12 rinses of some additional sand, and the water was ALMOST clear. (Thanks for the advice Jason!) So hopefully with that better rinsed sand, the use of a filter sock, and a HOB polishing filter, I won't have a repeat of the silt storm I created last time.

That'll keep me busy for a while. At least none if it is urgent. With my continued ATO with salt water, my salinity is creeping back to where it should be. And all my problems now are manageable. We appear to be done with the critical/urgent stuff. :thumbsup:

 

[scolley]

Pics!

Pics!

Pics are long overdue. Sorry folks. Since I knew I was adding sand today, I snapped some quick pics yesterday. Apologies in advance for my photography skills (or rather lack thereof).

Let's start with an FTS - how it looks in the room.

Poor little thing... pushed off to a corner of the room, between a wall and the bar. I guess when you are just a nano in a room dominated by a planted 180g with plants growing in the tank - and way out of the top - you get relegated to a corner. That's OK. It's a "nice" little corner, IMO.

Left side.

That frogspawn is "new". I had a friend in my local reef club hold some that I had that was outgrowing my old tank. Actually he had two frogspawn covered rocks. This happened to be smaller than the one he was keeping for me, so he was kind enough to give me this one. Better for a small tank.

Also the yellow/orange fungia is new too. I mentioned previously that my LFS was having a 50% off sale last weekend, so it was priced such that I could not walk away from it. Good yellow coloration in a reef tank is an uncommon thing. Great acquisition IMO.

Immediately above it you can see a coral leaning on a dead blasto. Or almost dead anyway. That coral touching in came in as a freebie from Unique Corals. I didn't know what it was, put it in the wrong place, and it killed my best (and apparently irreplaceable) acan. I was BUMMED. And before I learned how far is puts out sweepers at night, it got a couple more. So now I've got it up on the rock, prospectively out of trouble. But I had not glued it down yet, and waddaya know? One of my serpent stars apparently dislodged it, and it fell onto that poor blasto. Anybody know what that orange and blue thing is? It's a killer.


And the right side...

Off to the far left is the one shrimp that seems to made it from one tank to the next. I've got an order in for more shrimp in now. So he'll have tank seniority when his friends arrive later this week.

If you compare the left and right sides, you can see on each side a decent duncan colony. Or at least they used to be decent. The one on the right seems like it's about to start coming out. The one on the left is a bit more reluctant.

 

[scolley]

And a few more detail pics...

And a few more detail pics...

Double post - somehow caused by RC's "we're wicked busy now" stuff...

 

[scolley]

And a few more detail pics...

And a few more detail pics...

Here's a mug shot of the killer coral. An id would be much appreciated if anyone knows.

And a few of the SPS. I'll spare you (and me) the anguish of the dead skeletons. There are a few of those. But some are recovering - or appear to want to. NONE of their colors are what they were. But that's to be expected.


My Meteor Shower Cyphastrea


Right at the top you can see some of the true Green w/Pink polyp coloration trying to sneak back in.

And a recovering acro sp.

And one that seems to be doing well, except - again - loss of coloration.

And finally a look at some more of my LPS, some favorites I've got wedged in the medium light, low flow crevice between the right and left rock formations.

And ending with an FTS. Sorry about the glare/angle.

Clearly there is a LOT of space on those two rock formations! That's what this little tank is really all about. They are high up, good light, got an MP10 on either side so it's great flow. Hopefully in a couple of years they'll be grown in nicely with SPS. That's the plan anyway.

 

[reefscape15]

That orange Acan looks like an Orange Crush. I had a frag of it for a couple years before my tank had to be torn down and everything was sold. Sweet coral!

 

[scolley]

Thanks! Unique Corals called it their "Orange Tree" acan. You say TomAto, I say TomAAAto.

My poor acans! I picked up those little frags over the last few months, when I saw things I HAD to have. But there was no room for them in my old tank, so they got stung, and just generally were not treated well. It is my great hope that they will have an environment that is much more conducive to their growth and well being here in this new tank. It's not really showing yet, but some are spectacular. It will come out with time I'm sure.

 

[tyler91913]

Steve, wow! It's been a few months since I've checked in on RC and this thread has been by far the most interesting thing I've caught up on. Quite a saga. When you win NTOTM (and you will), you will have earned it. I'll stay tuned for further updates!

 

[scolley]

Good to hear from you Tyler! Glad you found it interesting. Too many words, but it is a well documented build. Hopefully good information for others. The good and the bad that is.

When you win NTOTM (and you will), you will have earned it.

Yeah, just as soon as they start handing them out for killing livestock during a tank move, I figure I'm a shoe-in! LOL

 

[Crooke]

Your killer coral is an acan echinata. Very aggressive, as you've noted.

Fascinating read. Thanks for documenting.

 

[scolley]

Your killer coral is an acan echinata. Very aggressive, as you've noted.

Thanks for the kind words. It's pleasure to potentially help the community with this little journey.

But thanks most of all with that id! Makes sense too... I had placed a large order of acans with Unique Corals when they sent that freebie. No doubt they assumed I knew my acans, when in fact all I knew about were relatively peaceful acan lords.

The fact that I even still have that coral is a testament to my intentions as s hobbyist. I feel like it's not the coral's fault that I don't understand and respect its needs. That's why I've not tossed it in the waste can. So eventually whole to find a nice place for it - where its needs are met but it can't kill anything.

Thanks again for the id!

 

[iwishtofish]

Steve, it turned out beautifully. The rock and coral placement is just about perfect, IMO. Just how I'd want the tank if it were mine!

 

[ctreefer]

Beautiful setup. It has been a pleasure reading through from beginning to end. (kind of like being able to watch a TV series you really like from beginning to end all in one sitting except your end is just the beginning if you know what I mean…)

I really like the aquascaping and the planning of how this tank will develop as things grow.

Quick question regarding your stand. I’m not too familiar with totally enclosed stands so pardon my ignorance as I ask this question.

How do you control the moisture from all the heated water in that space? Any worries with the electronics located in that enclosed space as well? I ask mainly because I picked up a 60 gal cube last year with a stand that was also fully enclosed and I’ve been having nothing but problems. It was fine for the layout of the former user as the stand merely was to hide some of the plumbing that then went into the basement so no water was below but I’ve adapted it with 2 connected 10 gal tanks as a sump and the first week or two that it was running I opened the door one day and saw mold growing all over the interior. I now leave the door off until I move it down the road which at that point I’ll probably open up the back and like you probably place some fans for air removal (seal it as well as I’m sure yours at least inhibits mold growth since the bare wood isn’t exposed.)

I’m not sure which months were worse, the cold winter where there was lots of evaporation or the warm summer (no AC) where everything was damp.

 

[scolley]

Wow! What a nice compliment. Thank you iwishtofish!

That rockwork really vexed my planning process. Originally I assumed I was going to take all the rock from my old tank, arrange it, and be done with it. I had extra dry rock, so I used it to "prototype" what I wanted it to look like. In that process the reality hit me... if what this tank looked like in two-five years was a major part of my objective, then nothing could be more important than the original rock placement. Hence the decision to transfer little actual rock from the old tank. It's all extra stuff on top that will move later, or in the sump, or behind the rocks you can see. Bottom line - I had to know what it was going to look like before I put a drop of water in the tank.

I wanted open space and lots of sand, but also wanted sufficient rock to have a LOT of coral. I'm a big believer in the "lots of mouths to feed" school of reefkeeping, and lots of coral mouths can take a lot of rock.

Hopefully the 45-60 degree slopes will be a nice spot for SPS. Plus a major design consideration was the fact that the tank will be principally viewed on angle, from the right. Secondary viewing would be straight on. Viewing from the left is impossible. So that lead to a taller rock in the back left corner.

Something that can't be seen in the previous shots is that I've built the slot in the middle up with rocks. So it's maybe 3" higher than the top of the sand bed. That will hopefullly raise the Symphyllia agaricia (Malaysian open brain) that's back there - make it more viewable.

Also - even if this tank were to develop to be really nice (a major uncertainty) - it will still never lend itself to looking its best in frontal pics. So all FTS will be worse than it actually looks. The rockscape and corals in the sand are layed out to be viewed from a couple of feet in front of the tank, looking down at at. About a 45 degree angle below horizontal. Or from directly above.

Thanks for the compliment though. I did actually draw out about 15 very different layouts on paper first, selected the one I liked best, optimized that basic layout on paper, then spent hours to lay out rocks that could approximate what I drew. Glad someone noticed.

 

[scolley]

Thanks ctreefer! And YES, the end is just the beginning, isn't it? :thumbsup:

I don't know THAT much about closed stands myself. So this is a bit of an experiment for me. Though the wet half of my old stand was semi-enclosed, and it was HUMID.

But in the case of this stand, I've got two separate comparthments - electronics and wet. And each compartment has two ventilation holes. One hole of each pair of holes has a fan pushing fresh air in, and one hole is obviously an air exit hole. In the electronics compartment I've got that exit hole 1/2 blocked. That way it's air is typically a higher pressure than the air in the bottom - wet - compartment. So if any air is moving between compartments, it's going to be electronics air moving to the wet section, and not the other way around.

And to help improve circulation in the wet section, the fan (in the back wall of the stand) blows into a plastic PC cooling duct pipe so that air is brought to the front right of the stand. So the air flows from the front right out the hole in the back left. Without that air duct, most air would likely come in the fan on the back right and go straight out the hole in the back left. This way I have more circulation throughout the wet section.

And I have something similar going on in the electronics shelf. My two Vortech backup batteries are stacked, in the middle back of the stand. So they kind of create a U-shaped channel that the air has to flow in, cooling all the electronics, not just those near the back.

The ATS kicks up a lot of moisture, but the compartment seems to be staying very dry. And the electronics shelf seems bone dry. So early indications are that the fans work. However, your question is a great one, so I've just pulled my hygrometer our of my cigar box (keep stogies for visitors, not really a smoke myself). I'll put it in the electronics shelf for a day, and then the wet compartment for a day, and see what the results are.

If this is a train wreck waiting to happen, I'd rather know now!

 

[scolley]

Pre-ATS stand environmentals

Pre-ATS stand environmentals

I've done some preliminary measurements of the humidity and temperature of my stand.

As a baseline, several feet away from the tank, the room's humidity is 32%, temperature 70 degrees F. That's about what I'd expect given that it's January, and the house is heated - sucks the moisture out of the air. But that also means that the stand is getting the benefit of that dry air.

In the wet compartment of the stand humidity is 43%, temperature 76 degrees. So it's more humid and hotter. But not by a lot. HOWEVER, I am was not running the ATS when I took those readings. I'm working on it. But this gives a good number to compare against when I hook it back up tomorrow.

And in the electronics shelf the humidity is 30%, with a temp of 81 degrees. I can only assume the electronics are cooking humidity out of the air.

Not too shabby IMO! I'll be interested to see the numbers after I hook the ATS back up. But I'm planning on upgrading the power supply to the fans. That will pick up the fan speed, which should only improve things. I think.