scolley's Big Little Nano – yet another build thread

[scolley]

Thanks! You like the fixture? Really? I'm honestly not that wild about how it looks. The one I had up before, that I built from scratch looked a lot better IMO. However, the rails it has for LED mounting make is so that you have tremendous flexibility around where you mount the LEDs, so it's fantastic if you are anticipating swapping/adding/rearranging LEDS. And I have done that already. What I built initially, needed a small tweak. But that's the thing with LEDs - it's hard to know for sure until you see it.

Also, most of the LEDs are the RapidLED "solderless" variety. GREATLY simplifies the build/replace process. However, I also got some of the "solderless" LEDs from LED Group Buy, and IMO they are easier to used than the RapidLED variety.

This new LED fixture replaced my old one about 5 weeks ago. Before I made the change I did rigorous testing of the old fixture with a PAR meter. So when I hung the new one, I shut the UVs off (because my old fixture had none), and set the Blue and White/Mix intensify levels to give the same (or very close to) PAR readings as those form my previous LED. I let things settle for a week like that. Then I started bumping up either the UV, the Blue, or the White/Mix channel 10% in intensity each week since then. And the corals are responding very well to the additional light. Some are changing color (in a good way) and many are clearly growing faster. Overall, a very positive change. So far.

 

[MidMichiganReef]

That is a phenomenal tank. Flat out beautiful. Well done.

 

[iwishtofish]

I do like the fixture. I would perhaps, were it mine, try to find a way to close off the top part of each end - if possible.

I'm glad your corals acclimated so well; your caution and technique clearly paid off. I just placed a new LED (cheapo) over my corals, and at half-power it is clearly more light than they had before. Two weeks in, things look pretty good, so maybe nothing got fried. Risky business.

 

[scolley]

That is a phenomenal tank. Flat out beautiful. Well done.

I'm gonna be totally honest in saying that almost 10 years ago I started researching reef tanks, and 5 years later finally had the courage to start one. And I'll grant that 4 years later I still have a LOT to learn. But all my efforts have been focused on trying to create a tank worthy of a comment like that. THANK YOU!

Lot's of learning to do still, of course. And much improvement in color needed. But I really appreciate that comment. Thank you.

 

[scolley]

I do like the fixture. I would perhaps, were it mine, try to find a way to close off the top part of each end - if possible.

It's pretty easy to drill the soft aluminum to attach something. But honestly I would not want to block the ends... Being open allows so much unimpeeded air flow.

And yes... As you indicated, adding (or changing) LEDs it a tricky business. And IMO caution and testing is critical. And my lack of burned coral would seem to be one good data point to bear that out.

Thanks for the feedback! And good luck with your own LED changes.

 

[Trump]

Scolley your tank looks great. I can t wait till my tank gets to the nice little colonies like you have. I dont have quite as many high end pieces but still is very well stocked. Have you noticed any reading difference on par when adjusting only blues? I have a few corals in my tank that I cant tell if its too much or too little light and have not been able to put a meter on them yet but dont know if the meter is going to show correctly on the blues.

 

[scolley]

Have you noticed any reading difference on par when adjusting only blues? I have a few corals in my tank that I cant tell if its too much or too little light and have not been able to put a meter on them yet but dont know if the meter is going to show correctly on the blues.

Thanks! I'm not sure if I understand your question about the blues... but when testing only my Royal Blue string, I still get major par readings.

User Ron Reefman here recently pointed me to these numbers, which are the percentages to which an Apogee PAR meter (which is what I used) under reports PAR on LEDs:

Cool White -4.2
Neutral White -6.1
Warm White -9.9
Blue (448 nm) -10.7
Green (524 nm) 5.8
Red (635 nm) 4.7
Red, Blue 2.7
Red, Green, Blue 3.5

Using those correction factors, when I run my fixture at 100% (not the UVs, just the visible light LEDs), just under the surface I get PAR readings around around 580. But if I'm running just Royal Blues the same spot is 400. And with Royal Blue only (other than looking like windex) it does not look that bright. So IMO you are running a lot of RB - like I am - you've got to be real careful not to crank it up too high.

And someone COULD say... "for SPS 580's not that high Steve, you can go higher." And they'd be right. However, that's just measuring the visible light. I'm running a lot of UV/Violet's too. So there's actually a LOT more light hitting the corals than those PAR numbers indicate.

 

[scolley]

I can t wait till my tank gets to the nice little colonies like you have.

Actually all the nice little colonies are becoming kind of a problem...

I've got almost 50 different kinds of coral in that little 33. And in the FTS, you don't really see that. You see the bigger colonies. But in person - in front of the tank - you can see there are all kinds of corals in there. But at any distance at all, all you notice is the big colonies. So I spend a lot of time pulling them out, cutting them back, and replacing them. Have pulled a lot of frags out of that little tank in the last 3-4 months.

My Reverse Superman Monti is an example - it's so small, you gotta be close to see it. I've had that silly frag for three years, and only just now is it finally starting to visibly grow. Thankfully it's one of the many corals that are clearly really happy with the additional light. :thumbsup:

 

[SaguaroSteve]

Absolutely, immaculate and beautiful tank my friend! I remember the days when I was reading your thread and you were planning this thing. Congratulations on your success!

 

[scolley]

Absolutely, immaculate and beautiful tank my friend! I remember the days when I was reading your thread and you were planning this thing. Congratulations on your success!

Thank you so much for the kind words!!!

But I'm not QUITE there yet, though it does seem to show good progress.

I'm fighting three battles, and I think I'll eventually loose the third one...

First, unbalanced coral sizes. Some things grow fast, some slow - even side by side acros (identical conditions) exhibit that difference. So it's a constant battle of pulling pieces, fragging (sometime massively), and replacing. The fragging will never end. But I do hope to get many of the smaller coral (I've got almost 50 different types) to sizes comparable to the currently large ones.

Second, the health of LPS on the sand bed. I've given a number of my acans away because they were slowly wasting away. But I kept some small one - previously spectacularly colored - as an experiment. I started regular dosing of KZ Amino Acid LPS, and raised them up on a frag rack for a month or so and witnessed good growth. Then I put them back on the sand, and still dosing the KP Amino Acid LPS, and they are dwindling again. So it's the light - or lack thereof - on the sand. I've been slowly raising the brightness of my LEDs, which MAY fix that problem. Time will tell.

But also on my sand bed, many of my open brains are dying. By slow tissue recession. It could be the light. But I got an open brain from Diver's Den a couple few months ago, and everything was healthy when it arrived. But it had visible tissue recession the first day. I got my money back, but the tissue recession is spreading. I don't know if it's something contagious, or if - like the acans - it's just a light issue. Bummer.

Third and finally - The all conquering encrusting montiporas. Those things must be the kudzu of the SPS world! I got them because I wanted them to provide beautiful cover to my rocks. I always assumed (foolishly) that they would establish some kind of truce with the other sps - like acros - sharing the rock with them. And I'd been told that many will not bother most acros. Well someone better tell that to my Pokerstar. It clearly did not get that memo. Though it's the only one that is growing over the bases of an acro, I've got so many encrusting monti's around the tank, I expect this to play out in many places over the next year or two. Not sure what the outcome will be.

But it's a FUN journey! And thanks for the kind feedback. :thumbsup:

 

[kenc87]

Well I must say this is one very impressive and well thought out build. The tank looks incredible! I have actually been slowly buying the pieces to do my own 34 gallon reef and must say your system is what I hope mine looks like in the long run.

 

[SaguaroSteve]

Thank you so much for the kind words!!!

But I'm not QUITE there yet, though it does seem to show good progress.

I'm fighting three battles, and I think I'll eventually loose the third one...

But it's a FUN journey! And thanks for the kind feedback. :thumbsup:

Those are problems, but good problems nonetheless. My gut instinct tells me you'll see success with problems one and two with the bump in light intensity. Also, perhaps next time you frag, try the slow growing acros in different locations throughout the tank to see what works best? Best of luck and I'm still following :reading:

 

[tpallas]

Dang Steve - I've been offline for a while, but your tank came out great!!

 

[skip0211]

Hey Steve,

Just finished reading this whole thread.. Really well done. Having seen your tank a couple of times, I get the effort and success your having... NOW about those frags you're contemplating... LOL

Talk to you soon,

Skip

 

[scolley]

Well I must say this is one very impressive and well thought out build. The tank looks incredible! I have actually been slowly buying the pieces to do my own 34 gallon reef and must say your system is what I hope mine looks like in the long run.

Well if you are doing anything like this, please allow me to share my mistakes, so you can avoid them...

1. Stay away from the Tunze 9002, too weak a skimmer. I'm delighted with the SCA 301 (originally called SC-65), but it requires modification to fit the stand.
2. Get a stand with more vertical space. It's WAY too cramped in there, and not having more vertical space SEVERELY limited skimmer options. If I had to do it all over again, I'd have skipped the electronics shelf, and found another home for that stuff - which would have allowed a much higher wet section.
3. Don't buy a Mr. Aqua stand if you want it to eventually look like decent furniture, AND don't want to do many, many hours work to get it fit for purpose and looking nice.
4. Don't use that back glass paint brand that I used (would need to look it up at the beginning of this thread). That stuff peels off around the edges, and does not like getting wet.
5. Wash your sand like crazy before putting it in the tank. AND do a test pour in some other saltwater filled container first - to see if it still needs more rinsing.

I'm sure there were other mistakes. Those are the big one that stand out in my mind.

Good luck!

 

[scolley]

...perhaps next time you frag, try the slow growing acros in different locations throughout the tank to see what works best? Best of luck and I'm still following :reading:

Thanks! Actually there is zero free space to replant frags. So I've been alternating between selling (the nice ones), giving away (the less desirable), and contributing to the local ARKSC reef club raffles. But that's a timing thing - if I'm fragging in the timeframe of a raffle date.

Dang Steve - I've been offline for a while, but your tank came out great!!

Thank you! And did I see that you are back at it with a new project?

Just finished reading this whole thread.. Really well done.

Thanks Skip! I can't believe you read this whole thread. Wow! But not having a monster big tank - like you - I could see where it would be easy to assume that a little bitty tank would not be much work. And I guess that IS the case with some uber simple nano's out there. But IMO this thread demonstrates that small does not necessarily equate to little work. I shudder to think about the time this little tank has sucked up.

Maybe someone should start an "Annual Hours/Gallon" thread! Some of the nano's would surprise you. LOL

If I include the build year, I think my annual average hours would be around 250 (or maybe a little more), or 7.5 hours per gallon annually.

 

[scolley]

Too late! I started a thread on Annual Hours/Gallon. That's too funny IMO. Can't wait to see what people say...

 

[kenc87]

Well if you are doing anything like this, please allow me to share my mistakes, so you can avoid them...

1. Stay away from the Tunze 9002, too weak a skimmer. I'm delighted with the SCA 301 (originally called SC-65), but it requires modification to fit the stand.
2. Get a stand with more vertical space. It's WAY too cramped in there, and not having more vertical space SEVERELY limited skimmer options. If I had to do it all over again, I'd have skipped the electronics shelf, and found another home for that stuff - which would have allowed a much higher wet section.
3. Don't buy a Mr. Aqua stand if you want it to eventually look like decent furniture, AND don't want to do many, many hours work to get it fit for purpose and looking nice.
4. Don't use that back glass paint brand that I used (would need to look it up at the beginning of this thread). That stuff peels off around the edges, and does not like getting wet.
5. Wash your sand like crazy before putting it in the tank. AND do a test pour in some other saltwater filled container first - to see if it still needs more rinsing.

I'm sure there were other mistakes. Those are the big one that stand out in my mind.

Good luck!

Well the plans for my 34 include a swc 120 skimmer which after reading your whole thread I see was recommended at one point. I had been planning on doing a simulator electronics shelf but I agree with you that after seeing it in practice I'll need to find a better solution. Overall though your thread has really confirmed that I want to do a 34. I like how yours turned out and mine was already going to be similar. I really like the way you put the ATS in the sump. I'm going to have to try to figure out away to incorporate one.

 

[Mxx]

Steve, the in-depth detail and thought and research going into the builds in your threads is a great resource. Basically, I can save a lot of time by using your example as my starting point, and then adapting that as I feel like. And your DIY LED thread may have saved me from making a few of the same mistakes. I expect my own 'training wheels' tank will be due for its anticipated upgrade as soon as I finish the house extension/renovation which just commenced...

I may try to simplify things however, and skip the Algae Scrubber in lieu of chaeto in the refugium. I am also intending to try a planted marine tank approach and was fortunate enough to acquire some Star Grass which has begun to sprout and which I'm hoping will spread to form a lush lawn.

But looking back, how else might you have planned the tank differently? Is the Glass Holes overflow quiet enough and unobtrusive enough for your liking? And is there anything else you might do to reduce noise?

Do you have any misgivings about the light spill from a suspended fixture in your living room? (I was thinking about doing bars of DIY LED's mounted on aluminum angles and channels which could rest inside a painted rim.

And where else would you have rather put the electronics? In a side compartment with a side door perhaps, rather than a top compartment, with a door which opens instead to the side if you have free clearance to open it in that direction? I was thinking myself about having my custom kitchen manufacturer build a kitchen unit around a welded steel stand. And maybe a pull out larder type drawer would provide appropriate access so long as the play of the cords is sufficient. Or is it really that critical even to separate the electronics from the sump compartment?

 

[scolley]

APOLOGIES - Getting wordy here...

APOLOGIES - Getting wordy here...

Folks - Mxx had some fantastic questions IMO, and if you'll forgive the number of words, I'd like to give them fair treatment. If you - like Mxx - are reading this thread to learn from my mistakes, you might want to read the next few wordy posts.

Otherwise, please just skip a few posts down and save yourself a lot of reading.