New nano

[Fish]

Hi everyone, I posted a picture of my 20gallon tank in the Calgary Club forum but this is probably where it should have gone. This picture is a lot dimmer than it looks in real life so I will need to adjust the camera settings. Also, I didn't have my actinic ballast wired up at the time. I will take a better picture when the lights come on later today - if anyone's interested. Tell me what you think.

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185crgallerytank-med.jpg?5193


- Chad

[whaase]

Looks good. Can you tell us some info about it? Lighting, filtration etc..

Walter

[Fish]

Walter,
You bet bet I can :biggrin: .
It is a 20H that I took the top trim off and ground out the back for an external overflow. It has a 20L sump (still count as a nano?) where I keep another ~25lbs of live rock, skimmer, heather, and florescent spotlight that I run on a reverse schedule. The return pump is a blueline 20hd (might be called Panworld now). I have also added a maxijet 1200 to each of the tanks to supplement circulation. After losses I have about 645gph which I hope is enough - the sand bed is easily blown around so I probably couldn't add another ph to the main. The sump is bare bottom.
Lighting is (1) 175W xm10k MH and (2) 24" VHO actinic. It is almost all complete but I still need to build a canopy for the lights.
The entire thing was financed by the sale of my 90gallon reef. And if my wife asks, yes, I broke even :razz: .

- Chad

[Fish]

Here is a shot of how the light really looks:


[/img]http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185close_up-med.jpg?5397

[Fish]

sorry

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185close_up-med.jpg?5397

[Fish]

This is of the stand and the temporary canopy I made myself (how embarrasing :redface: )

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185ghettohood-med.jpg?6207

The same guy that built the stand is making me a canopy to match.... I'll pick it up next week.

- Chad

[yagimax]

Chad , thanks for giving me Bow Valleys ph #.
Was your 90g to time consuming and costly to maintain?
I'm thinking of starting a 40/50g setup soon and hopefully not having to re-finance our house to do it !
And yes, your 20g looks great. :smile:


Gary

[Fish]

Gary,
You're welcome. :smile:
Yes, it seems like I am taking a step backwards - most people upsize their tanks. I hope that the smaller tank does save me time eg, smaller water changes, less glass to clean. I also expect there to be a financial savings as a result of using less electricity (not much less though), less salt, fewer bulbs to replace (had 6 power compacts on the 90). However; the main reason that I went with a smaller tank is that I am able to accomplish much more in terms of lighting and circulation. I couldn't have gotten 16 watts/gallon of light and 32X tank turnover in my 90gallon; at least not on my current budget. I guess I gave up size (and the best yellow tang you ever saw), in order to achieve that. Besides, I think nano tanks are beautiful in their own right, kind of like bonsai I guess.
And thanks for the compliment.
- Chad

[Fish]

I swear I'm not trying to increase my count with these multiple posts :redface:

Gary,
Forgot to add. I think that 40/50 gallon is a great choice. I have seen some awsome tanks that size. I feel that I could have outfitted a 50 gallon tank a lot better than I could a 90 on my current budget. One thing that I learned from this project is that a sump really doesn't add much cost to the system - for example, i've lit mine with a $17 spotlight from walmart while the lights for my main cost $500. For the benefits and options it gives you, I think having a sump is a bargain. JMO ill be quiet now

- Chad

[yagimax]

Yup ! I'll be installing a sump as well. It adds stability and a cleaner looking display tank.
Looking forward to see your updates when it's all complete.


Gary

[Chad]

Theres just not enough ghetto canopys out there.. looks great :biggrin:

Its too bad we don't have a forum just for some of our crazier ghetto setups. I know some people get pretty creative..

I wish I had a photo of my first canopy when I started doing the retro fit stuff. Just to feed the tank I had to "untape" the lights.. hehe.. was really funny to see. And I had to have a board on the side so it didn't flash this light into your eyes everytime you turned the corner.

I like the rock work.. lots of open space for more frags as well.. its gonna look great.. keep it up..

:cool:

[Fish]

Gary,
Thanks bud, I'll be sure to keep you posted and look forward to seeing how your tank goes as well.

Chad,
Well if I'd known that some people have an appreciation for ghetto I wouldn't be in such a rush to have the new canopy built :razz: .
And if you notice the paper towel taped over the side, thats exactly what its for - the metal halide was shining in my eyes everytime I walked into the kitchen. Gave me a headache!

- Chad

[Chad]

Chad,
Well if I'd known that some people have an appreciation for ghetto I wouldn't be in such a rush to have the new canopy built :razz: .
And if you notice the paper towel taped over the side, thats exactly what its for - the metal halide was shining in my eyes everytime I walked into the kitchen. Gave me a headache!

- Chad

You'd be amazed, lots of fans of the ghetto look ;)

My tank is in the kitchen / family room... and like you say, you walk in there and your blinded... I see the paper towel now.. :)

[kuatto]

I wish I had a camera,I'd show you the ugliest mh ballast box ever :mrgreen: its an old coffee can with a magnetic ballast,wires hanging over the edge going to the cap.....first thing people notice :biggrin:

[Bob I]

Well I don't know Jim, but when we were at Beth's place for that meeting it looked like she had quite a ghetto setup for her lights too. Not a coffee can, but ballasts sitting precariously on the edge of the tank etc. looked pretty scary. :mrgreen:

[jojoseb]

Gorgeus tank! Love the ghetto setup! :cool: Maybe I should drag my butt across town and have a look, eh?

Keep us posted!

Jody

[Fish]

Thanks Jode. We're gonna have to see some pictures of that 65gal you're working on too...
I hear it's a good looking tank :biggrin:

- Chad

[Fish]

Tank Update

I have recently added 4 new zoo frags (c/o Bob_I) as well as an emerald crab, a coral banded shrimp, and a scott damsel. There was a brittle star and blue leg hermit in the tank already and I think that these latest additions will round it off. There are 40gallons of water in the system but I believe that much of the success I've had in this hobby is due to the fact that I lightly stock my tanks (knock on wood).
I'll take a new picture when the lights are on tomorrow.

- Chad

[Fish]

Here's the full tank:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185tankshot-med.jpg?41

Damsel:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185damsel-med.jpg?6139

[Fish]

Coral Banded:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185cbs-med.jpg?2930

And Emerald Crab:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185emerald-med.jpg?3738

[Dale D]

Nice looking tank. :smile:

I love nano tanks. I have a 7 gallon bowfront I look after at work. I'm also just setting up a new 2 gallon at home. It will have an Aquaclear 300 on the back as a refugium with 2 7 watt 7200K PC's over it. Haven't decided on the lighting for over the tank yet. Maybe one of the Mini MH pendents coralife is coming out with.

I am also thinking of drilling it for a sump, maybe a 5 gallon. Have to have someplace to put the beckett skimmer. :mrgreen:

[Fish]

Thanks Dale.

Wow now that is small... maybe I'm in the wrong forum :smile: .
I'd love to see some pictures.

- Chad

[Quagmire]

Nice tank Fish :smile:

[Fish]

Hey, thanks Quagmire :biggrin: .

I'll try and post some pictures of the external overflow if anyone's interested.

- Chad

[muck]

Nice tank Fish :smile:
Will have to agree. Looking very nice. :biggrin:

I'll try and post some pictures of the external overflow if anyone's interested.

- Chad
Yes Please. :mrgreen:

[Fish]

Thanks Muck!

Here's a picture of the overflow just after I put it together:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185overflowdry-med.jpg?806

Here it is running:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185overflowrunning-med.jpg?7071

And here's a shot of the sump (I've gotta organize all of the electrical cords :razz: ):

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185sump-med.jpg?2765

- Chad

[Fish]

Yes! My father-in-law brought my canopy up today (sorry Chad, the ghetto canopy's gone :cry: ).

It is baisically a 1/4" oak box that rests on two rails attached to the back of the stand. The VHO ballast is mounted on the back of the box along with a fan that I added.

Front:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185fulllittank-med.jpg?9496

Side:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185standfrom_side-med.jpg?6381

Inside canopy:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185inside_canopy-med.jpg?2678

Back of canopy:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1185back_of_canopy-med.jpg?7953

- Chad

[Quagmire]

:biggrin: It just keeps getting better,nice work

[jojoseb]

Wow Chad!

Gorgeous tank! You practice what you preach. I hope my tank looks 1/2 as good when we're finished!

[Fish]

Thanks again Quagmire :biggrin:

And Jody, half as good I could handle... but I'm just afraid that your tank will look twice as good :mrgreen: .

I've recieved a couple private messages from people asking how I cut the glass for my overflow. I actually have to give credit for the idea to a user on reefcentral named Tunjee who had a thread discussing using a dremmle to cut an overflow.
He cut a bunch of slots in the back of his 20H and the job took him about 8 hours. He used diamond coated dremel bit #7103 to start each hole and then #7134 to grind it out. I am not such a patient man so I cut a single slot 7 inches long and then used a piece of black eggcrate to stop critters from washing over. Because I only had to start one hole I just used bit #7103 to do everything (still have it if anyone wants). When I did it, I laid the tank on its side on my front porch and ran a trickle from the garden hose over the glass being cut to keep it cool. I set the dremmle on high speed and cut through the glass with a sawing motion like I was using a file. It only took about 20 mins and I had no concerns about cracking, it cut so well. I used the same method to cut three 1" bulkheads without any problems. HTH.

- Chad