Any ideas..............................

[woodcarver]

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1725resized_nano-med.jpg
Hi nano reefers ,just following your great tank set ups . First time attempting to post a photo.
Picked up a lamp from costco ( 27W 6500K )little four bar CF.Seems to put out a good light and looks stylish ($23.00)
The jar holds about 2 1/2 gals ( $19.00 ) from Super Store .
Any ideas for a saltwater nano or maybe just a fresh water would be more suitable .
Chad ,If you see this are your nano's acrylic ? Great new video,by the way.
Aquarium Girl ,Love your tanks . Must get up and running soon .


Dave.

[woodcarver]

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1725Lights_of_America-med.jpg

[Fish]

Dave,
My tank is made of glass and was drilled by the shop (but I have done it before). That is a neat looking start you have there. If I were you I would probably set that up as a fresh water tank. You could have some sand in the bottom and cool plant in the center and then some of those tiny little neon buggers that school together (sorry I don't know much about FW livestock).

The reason that I wouldn't do that in SW is because I wouldn't run a marine tank without circulation and by adding a little powerhead or air pump, the electrical cord or airline hose would probably ruin the effect that you were going for.?? It is definitely a neat looking jar and will look nice when you are done; one thing that I found though, is that most household glassware is not made with optics in mind and will have grains and imperfections all through it that will obscure/distort the view.
Of course I am a big fan of making impossible "sleeper" nanos and if you were really serious about a nano jar/bowl, the easiest way would be to find one made out of acrylic or plastic so that it can be drilled without shattering. I would then plumb bulkheads in the bottom to a closed loop or cannister filter. I've never done it, but you could maybe cut the plug off of a small powerhead and fish it through a tiny hole in the tank. After you've sealed the hole up tight with silicone, put the plug back on and start it up???
On the other hand, in my quest to find solutions to problems I never knew I had :razz:, I came across a new product that will allow reefers to add circulation to a tank without drilling it and still being able to hide all of the equipment. Check it out:
http://www.ecotechmarine.com/products/vortech.htm
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=672444&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

It is baisically a powerhead where the impellor sits on the inside of the tank and the motor sits on the outside and turns the impellor magnetically. If you were making a jar reef you could have the impellor section hidden inside your rockwork and have the motor unit hidden inside the pedestal or stand. The problem is, they haven't been released yet, will probably be too much flow for your tank, and will probably be expensive. Sorry this post was so long (and un-helpful). This stuff really is exceiting though. Best of luck with your project, I love the look of tanks that are different like this!

- Chad

[aquariumgirl]

Well, that looks like a great start!! I agree with chad that you would probably not be able to drill, but I'm sure there are other ways of getting around it. I've seen someone do something similar on nano-reef.com (tried looking for it but couldn't find it, I'll keep searching :confused: ) It was a taller vase with a narrower opening with two white pvc tubes hanging over the egde. Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!!

[Fish]

Are you thinking of the 1gal Bourbon glass pico? It is one of my favorites but the plumbing is visible unfortunately:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48438&st=0

The best photo is at the bottom of page three in the thread. If you didn't mind seeing the plumbing in the tank you could do a closed loop like this and put the tank on a turntable so that you look at it from any angle. They also make electric motorized turntables for displaying toy models and art pieces (or Christmas trees). You might be able to find one that would work for your tank. Before building my current setup I was researching building a motorized rotating tank. I had planned on using an acrylic cylinder (10" diameter) for the tank. You can usually buy it by the foot in different sizes and it is nice and clear optically.


- Chad

[woodcarver]

Hi Chad, Thanks for showing interest and getting back so quickly :smile:
Those links have some good ideas and neat (that shows my age ! it should be ' sweet ' now I believe !!) hardware..........
I hear you with respect to the optical properties of the jar and the difficulty with obtaining flow and the set-up not becoming unsightly
I really do love the "no plumbing" effect you achieve in your projects.
Have you had any luck buying equipment from below the border? Ages ago whe breeding Angels I used to have stuff sent up with little problem. We do not seem to have a great selection of acrylic nano tanks up here,tho I do see that Jand L will be stocking the 6 Gal JBJ aswell as the larger sizes .
Are your tanks custom made ?
A.G. Thanks for the encouragement , I have followed your story as it unfolds ( great recovery from the cracked tank :lol: )and think you have a remarkable mini reef. Is that your pico on the counter at Safari ?


Dave.

[Fish]

Dave,

When it comes to drygoods and equipment, I buy all of my stuff online (and most of it in the States). I really try and support local retailers as much as possible but sometimes you can get the same equipment for half as much online (even factoring exchange and shipping). I have bought a lot of items (many of them 'big ticket' and have never had a problem).
My tank is made of starfire glass and it was custom built for me by Bow Valley Aquariums here in Calgary.
If you are interested in the all-in-one cube tanks, this place carries some and the owner, Chris, is really great to deal with.
http://nanotuners.nanocustoms.com/nanotuners/index.php?cPath=23&osCsid=9819b8bf0ea03b18782b2762f4fc9830

Cheers,

- Chad

[woodcarver]

Hi Chad, Again appreciations for info. This makes me a lot more confident in ordering from U.S. again . I had browsed that site quite a bit and they have some great tanks .
I too much prefer to deal locally where possible but sometimes the difference in costs is a little to much to miss as well as the much greater choice available below!!
Dave.