Wanna see my tank(s)?

[glennr1978]

I decided to downgrade from my 40 breeder because I'm going to pretty busy for the next couple of years, and I wanted to keep a tank that was a little simpler, and more mobile. So I've built myself a DIY, AIO, 20L.

the initial plan was to keep this tank as simple as possible, and basically, the only reason I set it up is because I didn't want to get rid of my pair of percs that I've had for over 3 years. Well I didn't stick to the plan and it is now going to likely end up being a full blown mini SPS reef.

I started with 2x's 24w T5's in SLR reflectors powered by an Icecap430. Earlier today I somehow fit 2x's 150w halides (radiums) into the canopy along with the T5's. It's definitely a tight fit, but it worked. Also, my canopy is now a pendant.

At first I was going to just use biological filtratio and a little carbon. However, now I'm using a Tunze 9002, cheato, ROX .08, and GFO.

Flow was just a mj900 which is used as a return from the rear chambers that I built. But of course, that wasn't enough and I now have a sweet little mp10 (I highly recommend this pump over an mp20) moving the water.

Enough babble, here's the pics. I'm by no means a photographer so I appologize for the poor quality.

The build. I forgot to mention the tank has a foam wall.


http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03741.jpg

I attached some egg crate to the acrylic with ALOT of silicone. The egg crate is to give the foam something to grab ahold of, works like a charm.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03748.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03745.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03749.jpg

The foam wall. I just sprayed the foam and sprinkled dry sand and lR rubble pieces over it to give it some texture. This worked out pretty well also.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03751.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03754.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03753.jpg

Time for water!

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03888.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03890.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03962.jpg

Now a little LR to seed the tank.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03984.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04007.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC03961.jpg

After cycling the tank (which there never really was one) with microbak7 and a few fish food pellets, I added the first piece of livestock.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo6.jpg

Then I added the skimmer, and built a media rack.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/mediarack.jpg

Next I built myself a caonpy.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo10.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04118.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo11.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo13.jpg

That's pretty much how the build went. Livestock to come in the next post.

[glennr1978]

So far my tank consists of a bunch of SPS, a couple LPS, some rics, a few mushrooms, and some z's and p's. Then there's the 2 true percs, a sixline wrasse, a bunch of snails, and some hermits.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/pds.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04096.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04566.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04561.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04560.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04564.jpg

Almost forgot, I've got a clam too.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04546.jpg

All the above pics were under 48w of T5 light. The next couple are after switching back to halides.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo20.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo19-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo18-1-1.jpg

I also forgot to add in the first post that I'm using an ATO, and supplement alk & ca (b-ionics) via BRS dosing pumps. I think they're called "drews dosers".

[glennr1978]

Here's my old 40g where most of my livestock came from.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo7.jpg

[MidWest Frags]

Wow that is really cool! I love the way you did the back! I like how clean and simple the tank looks!

Midwest Frags

[ErikH]

That is AWESOME. :)

[Dee]

Very nice...gives me some great ideas for my extra 20g!!!

[lakers10]

thats awesome nice tank

[blindside]

that looks great!

[hobogato]

wow! great job!

[Europhyllia]

the nicest looking overflow ever! :)

[glennr1978]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! Now I get to go figure out why my acjr won't turn my lights off. Even when I turn them off with the manual control they turn back on after a few minutes.....wierd.

[carlinsa]

love that look i want to try that one day

[glennr1978]

love that look i want to try that one day


My advice...... WEAR GLOVES WHEN SPRAYING THE FOAM!!!!!

In other news, I played around with my controller (Acjr, btw) and created a pretty cool effect with the lights. I know it's nothing new, but I like it. The T5's come on at 12:30 then the halide on the left side comes on an hour and half later. Two hours after that the halide on the right turns on. In yet another two hours the left halide turns off. Then in ANOTHER two hours the right halide turns off. So ow only the T5's are on, and they stay on for another hour and a half. Make sense, lol?

In easier terms...

T5's on from 12:30pm to 9:30pm
Mh1 on from 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Mh2 on from 4:00pm to 8:00pm

So it goes.... dawn, left side halide, both haildes, right side halide, dusk. Pretty sweet.

[Crazyeyes]

That is a sweet looking tank!

[RayAllen]

Looks fanstastic. Love the DIY

[Kristy]

Amazing! (I had a feeling when you took down the 40breeder that we had not seen the last of you).

I have never seen a foam-sprayed piece that looked as good to me as this one. Usually the don't appeal to me until they have grown in so much that you can no longer tell it's there!

[glennr1978]

Fun with wires!!

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04956.jpg

Controllers.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC04959.jpg

[Mr Cob]

This is a great tank! Love it! Awesome job. We need to get Tank of the month going again...this is truely a nano worth some attention.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo19-1.jpg

Very cool.

[glennr1978]

I plan on updating this thread monthly with new pics. So here's a couple for November.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05071.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05070.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05069.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05068.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05073.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/DSC05072.jpg

[ErikH]

Better start drippin!

[ErikH]

SO AWESOME.

:)

[Paul28]

Man thats a sweet tank !!!!!!!

[glennr1978]

Thanks guys.

[glennr1978]

Better start drippin!

kalk?

I'm a fan of B-Ionics, kalk is too much of a PITA for me. I'm using a BRS dosing pump controlled by my acjr. Currently it is set to dose 1.1ml of part 1 four times per night. The controller turns the dosing pump on for one minute each time, and is spread out every 2.5 hours to keep ph stable.

[jlh81]

that tank is awsome. Nice work

[glennr1978]

I found out what happened to my tank.... Unfortunately my wife sprayed so air freshener right next to the tank and obviously some of it made it's way in. I lost all of my snails, a cleaner shrimp, a 6 line wrasse, and my $120 unbelievably blue maxima clam :(. After 6 days in a row of 20% water changes things are back to normal.

I took a couple pics with my phone of what my tank looks like today.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/002.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/006.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/003-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/004-1.jpg

Got this guy yesterday :)/

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/005.jpg

FTS.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/001-1.jpg

[Third Coast Tropical]

Nice tank...I really like lower right hand side, from the clown (in the center) over......the colors are nice and then the ricordia rock is sweet


How old id the LR off-center left, with all the coraline on it...that is very nice too

[glennr1978]

Nice tank...I really like lower right hand side, from the clown (in the center) over......the colors are nice and then the ricordia rock is sweet


How old id the LR off-center left, with all the coraline on it...that is very nice too

Thanks, I'm happy with the tank overall since it's so young. The lower right side is definitely starting to fill in well, and I've got a few more things I want to put in that area to complete it. I'm also going to be putting in a few more branching SPS pieces in the middle of the tank. Once they grow out a bit I plan on getting some more zoas and some blue clove polyps (I've got a 20 polyp frag of stargazers on the way :)) and just letting them grow all over the faom wall. Should look pretty cool once it's all done.

That piece of LR is the only real piece of rock in the tank. I've had it for about 3 years myself, and it came from a tank that was up and running for over 7 years. So yeah, it's pretty old!!

[hobogato]

looks like a good recovery, i really like that fungia

[Europhyllia]

Oh wow. That must have been sad. :(
I had no idea air freshener could harm your aquarium (not that I use it anyway but it's good to know)

Just as a little side note: according to my clam book some clams like sitting in sandy substrate (Squamosa, Derasa, etc) - apparently mostly clams with lower light requirements.
But other clams like Crocea and Maxima greatly seem to prefer rocks as substrate. Which is kind of convenient since they need very high light levels anyway! :)

[cbianco]

If it's any consolation, you still have a good looking tank!


http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/001-1.jpg

Christopher

[glennr1978]

Thanks guys! As much as I hate losing any livestock, I would have been far more upset had I lost my pair of clownfish. They are afterall, the sole reason that I set this tank up!

[saabtech]

that is an awsome tank. i wish mine looked that busy.

[dclegern]

You are an inspiration to why I started into this.........
Freikin' awesome.! I Love the whole set up.

Everything out of the tank, just the tank itself to look at and admire.

Good work!!!1

[Jarob]

Im jealous of your rics, LOVE the combo rock!

[Pennies2Cents]

You still have a beautiful tank.. :) Vibrant colors with various different coral... I love it. :)

[glennr1978]

Thanks guys. Recently the tank went through yet another close call. It's a long story, but the tank was severely neglected for about a month. I lost the plate coral, my rics aren't looking all that great, and a couple of my SPS are a little stressed.

In addition to the neglect, I also moved the tank, and switched the lighting back to T5's (my wife didn't much care for having the lights suspended from the ceiling). Now I'm running a 30" sundial fixture (4x's 24w) and still trying different bulb configurations until I find one that I like.

[glennr1978]

Here's a pic I took with my phone a couple of days ago, thought it was kinda cool.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/photo-1.jpg

[jlh81]

Yeah thats a really cool pic. It reminds me scuba diving in guam next to some huge under water drops 300+ feet just like that.

[Regric25]

This tank is SWEET!!!!!

[glennr1978]

new pics.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/tank1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/tank2.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/tank3.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/tank5.jpg

and a new tank I set up a few days ago.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/10g3.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/10g4.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/10g5.jpg

[Jarob]

Man your tank looks great... Whats the specs on the new tank, its pretty sweet!

[glennr1978]

Thanks man. The new tank is just a standard 10g that I'm going to load up with rics and an ORA captive bred mandarin when they are released (I hear that will be next month). I've got a guy that sells really nice rics at a price that I probably shouldn't even post here (I plan on ordering 60 of them when the tank is ready). I'm keeping this tank very simple. As of now it just consists of the tank, a modded ac70, and a 50w heater. I originally planned on using pc lighting but aquatraders has 20" 150w mh w/ T5 actinic fixtures on sale for $99 shipped. I ordered one of those earlier today. I know aquatraders doesn't have the best rep but at $99 I figure if the fixture is crap I will just gut it and replace everything with quality parts.

[hobogato]

that ric combo rock is awesome!

i really like the look of the rocks and black sand in that new tank too

[txav8r]

Nice tanks! Looking good!

[aggman]

man where did you find that monster chunk of totoka? i remember when eric first got it in i bought like 70 lbs. of it. its all i use now. i wish i saw that piece around, i woulda snatched it up...

~alex

[aggman]

oh also forgot to mention...

i have that light you just bought. i didn't get it from aquatraders, but its the same light. when i got it i realized it was an oddysea and was kinda ticked, but i was wrong about it. i have had the light for about a year now and it works awesome. i did two changes though. i changed the bulb because the stock oddyssea is a horrid yellow not even a 10k-even though the bulb says 14k. and i asked them for an extra fan which i simply sat on top of the ballast. i read multiple accounts online of the ballasts burning out and even catching on fire [i doubted the fire story], but with the little fan it stays cool to the touch. when you get your unit you will see what fan i am talking about.

~alex

[nubz]

wow... im about to upgrade my ten gallon, thinking about a 20 long, actually now i know im going with a 20 long!!!! i have a goal!!!

[The Butcher]

Nice setup, by the way, I agree with aggman about the light. I have owned mine for about a year already and have had no issues whatsoever. The bulb isn't the best when it comes to color, but what do you expect. If they haven't shipped it out to you yet, ask about adding an extra set of T-5 bulbs with it. Once they go out, no one, I mean no one has that particular size other than Aquatraders to replace it. I bought four of the bulbs for about $30 plus shipping.

[Ichthy]

Wow, i wanna do exactly what you do but my 20gal.

[deadliestcatch]

:thumbs_up:

[Kristy]

Hey Glenn -
Things are looking great, as usual. Be sure to keep us updated on that sweet little 10g tank for the ORA mandarin. Any word on the release of those CB mandarins yet? Following with great interest!

[bullstedman]

nice work. what type of ins. did you use

[glennr1978]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/013.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/012.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/014.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/016.jpg

[glennr1978]

Well, it's been a little over a year now and my little tank is still chugging along. Not much has changed, no new frags or fish, just letting things grow out now. The only thing that is different now is that I have the tank set up to do automated wc's. I've got a bubble magus triple doser set up to change a small portion of water every 3 hours 24/7. The total volume of water changed daily is 1/3g which equates to more than what I was doing weekly. I've been runing the tank this way for a couple of weeks now and it seems to be going well. There is new growth sprouting from corals that have basically been dormant since I put them in the tank. I'm hoping the whole tank fills in well over the next few months.


http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/010-1-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/008-6-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/007-3-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/021-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/026-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/017-1.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/018-1.jpg

[hobogato]

great looking tank glenn, those rics really look nice and grown in

[CoryDude]

Speechless!

[Big_Pun]

:thumbs_up: WOW! :hypnotyized:

[txg8gxp]

Very nice...I like it

[txav8r]

Awesome Colors!

[Scream311]

Awesome Setup !

[Jarob]

Love that WC idea, very cool!

[Europhyllia]

Those rics are awesome!

[glennr1978]

Thanks everyone!

I'm thinking about moving my 10g from my bedroom into the computer room where my 20g sits and incorporating the same wc system. I'm pretty sure I can just "T" off the lines from the doser so that it performs wc's for both tanks. TYhe two tanks will be side by side so I don't think the added head pressure would be much of a problem. All I would need to do is up the dialy % of water that is changed.

By the way, my 10g has been sitting idle since I set it up over 6 months ago, lol. Think it's cycled yet? I'm thinking 150w mh w/ phoenix 14k (already have it) over the 10g and all SPS. Should be fun!

[copperband]

I love those rics they look amazing.

[bullstedman]

incredfible Ithought i was doing well until i seen that did id say it was incredable

[glennr1978]

Well I moved my 10g and in the middle of the move I decided to upgrade a little. My 10g is now a 20L. It will be all SPS, and most likely the only fish will be 3 ORA blue mandarins. Lighting will be 150w mh + a couple of 24" T5 actinics. There's a modded tunze 6025 in the tank now, but it won't be there for too long. I'll be adding an mp10 after xmas quits sucking up all of my extra money. Filtration will be a modded ac70 filled with carbon, gfo, and a little chaeto. I tried to tie this tank into the auto wc system but it didn't work out very well.

Here's what I've got so far. The first frags will go in as soon as I get the lighting up over the tank.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/008-7.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/007-4.jpg

[glennr1978]

Wow, good thing I cleaned the intake tube of the ac70, it looks nasty in those pics!!

[glennr1978]

vjjRai8eILc

watch in 720p for best results :).

[350gt]

What type of spray foam was used on the first tank? And any issues with it up to now? Thinking on doing a nano, and might wanna try this..

[TaknByD]

Such Art in Motion. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Your tanks are GREAT!

[cbianco]

How about updating us on this tank!

Christopher :)


http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/008-7.jpg

[glennr1978]

Sure....

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/9ab3faea.jpg

Bittersweet..

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p103/glennr1978/f101f0ea.jpg

The other 20g is now a sump, lol.

[Hustlekid03]

amazing job with that spray foam

[excal]

yes looks very nice..?

[Glenn]

Well my tank was basically on life support after being severely neglected and suffering a mini-crash. A lot of my corals are bleached as a result, but they are starting to recover. Here's what the tank looks like after 11 months.


i3DS9AcMBXo