My 11g Nano at work

[eposer]

Here is a photo of my year and a half old 11 gallon Nano tank taken a couple months ago. It is a Tropiquarium 55 tank(an excellent base for a nano with a nice contoured sealed canopy and nice clear glass with beveled edges and black silicone) retrofitted with two 28W PC bulbs and a muffin fan hooked to a variable voltage(3-12 V so the air flow can be adjusted) AC adapter for cooling. Filtration and circulation are provided by a Fluval 204 down in the custom MDF stand. Current livestock includes mushrooms(red,purple, and green stripe) , cabbage coral, a toadstool leather & small clone, colt coral, 4 types of button/sand polyps, pipe organ, green star polyps, a green feather duster, 12 hermits and snails, a skunk cleaner shrimp, a yellow tail damsel, and an ocellaris clown.
http://www.aquabatics.com/tank1.jpg

[Samw]

Hey, that's exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have already wasted several weeks (mostly waiting for paint to dry) building a custom light box for mine. How hard was it to retrofit that canopy with the 2 PC lights?

Anyone know if I can get one locally in Vancouver? I haven't seen Tropiquarium before. I know its a Hagen product though.

[eposer]

It took around an hour to install the lights and the fan. The only tools needed are a small screwdriver, a utility knife and a drill to do the screw holes for the fan. Super super easy :D

The stand cost $75 to build including the MDF, screws, recessed cabinet hinges, rubber door pads and the textured black paint. The only tools needed were a screwdriver, some sandpapre and a drill. I had the wood all pre-cut at home depot(they do it for free). Took most of one evening to complete.

I'll try and take some pics right now and put em up here for ya.

[AJ_77]

That is a great-looking unit.
BTW, where do you work, and do you give tours? :D :wink:
Aj

[eposer]

Here are those canopy mod pics.
If you have any questions let me know.

2 X 28W Retro from Flying Fish Express
http://v018u04vaf.maximumasp.com/evan/canopy1.jpg

The lights fit right in the sealed housing so you don't have to worry about corrosion at all.
http://v018u04vaf.maximumasp.com/evan/canopy2.jpg

Here is a side view showing the filter hoses run through the existing "feeding hole" the lines don't drain when you open it up so no re priming the filter. The tank came with an internal filter which I removed to get more room inside it also comes with the heater.
http://v018u04vaf.maximumasp.com/evan/canopy3.jpg

[eposer]

I work for Parallel and maybe. :roll:

[Bob I]

That is a nice setup. When you come for the meeting, you can look at mine just to see the different approach. I have pics on my website. :D

[AJ_77]

I work for Parallel and maybe.
Glad you got the joke (whew). :D

But to echo Sam's Q: Did you buy the setup locally? It looks pretty slick, not to mention the apparent DIY skills.

Alan

[eposer]

Yeah. I got the tank here in calgary at Pices. I think they have a couple still. It was on sale for $135 and might still be. Not a bad price concidering the quality and the fact it includes a tronic heater, an in tank filter(removed now), and the canopy with 1 flourecent bulb. :D

[Delphinus]

Just jumping on the boat. Nice setup!

Did you have any hassle to get the aquarium set up at work, or, did you just do it? I've always wanted to do something like that. Problem for me is, a) I'm not sure if I would need permission and more importantly b) They like to shut off power in my building periodically for maintenance on this or that. Not very often, but, at least once or twice a year there will be a shutdown from midnight to 5am or something like that, and that's enough for me to not want to subject a tank to that. I suppose a person could always get a UPS for a small tank like that :)

[eposer]

No hassle. I asked they said yes :D

I'm going to put a UPS on it sometime soon with just a small powerhead and the heater hooked to it. That should keep it going throughout any power outage no problem. So far I haven't had any problems though :roll: :D

[AJ_77]

Hey, that's exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have already wasted several weeks (mostly waiting for paint to dry) building a custom light box for mine. How hard was it to retrofit that canopy with the 2 PC lights?

Anyone know if I can get one locally in Vancouver? I haven't seen Tropiquarium before. I know its a Hagen product though.
Sam, do have Petcetera stores out your way? I saw a 10g acrylic kit very similar to this one yesterday at this store in Calgary. They are a chain, and this 10g was under their own brand, whoever made it for them.

The setup was $119.

HTH,

Alan

[eposer]

Here's a picture of the tank today. It's really filling out nicely. Every coral with the exception of the toadstool was taken as a frag from my tank at home.

http://www.eposer.com/pics/nano.jpg

Evan.

[AJ_77]

Looking great Evan, good job. How much does it distract your co-workers, or you? I wonder how much I'd be lost in a gaze...

:biggrin:

[Bob I]

It looks just fine, but you too appear to have a plethora of Mutant Ninja Blue Mushrooms. :onfire:

[eposer]

It's not too distracting, I think It's the only thing here keeping us all sane :lol:

Bob,
It's hard to tell in the pic but I don't have any of the famous "Mutant Ninja Blue Mushrooms" in there. The ones on top are green stripe, and the others are purples. My one tank at home though is another story all together :exclaim:

[BC_Grl]

Wow :exclaim: Does that ever look cool. :mrgreen: I am surprised at how much you fit into a small aquarium. Well, hopefully in a couple of months, I'll get my own small tank... :lol:

[BozoTheClownfish]

Wow, that looks great. I'm just starting a 10gal at home, my first tank.

Do the fish get along together? I've also got an ocellaris and have been thinking of getting it a "friend"... but I've heard damsels are not friendly.

[eposer]

Yeah mine get along just fine. A sixline wrass, a bangaii cardinal or a catalina gobie would also be good choices.

Here's a great site for some nano tank inspirations.

http://www.nano-reef.com

Good luck :biggrin:
Evan.

[eposer]

Updated pic Sept 17, 2003.
Things have really grown!!! you can barely even see my leather through the forest of xenia.

http://www.eposer.com/pics/nano_sept172003.jpg

[deacon hemp]

Dayam thats a tight nano man,i wouldnt get chit done if that was in my area of work!