View Full Version : My New Nano Tank Journal - 20 Gallons Long Tank
Hello guys !!! This is my first posting here. After a month of extensive research and online browsing I have finally (almost) purchased my tank equipment, and have put most of the things together and ready to add sand and water.
I have decided on using a 20 gallon long tank since its a very spacious tank and I have seen some great results on this forum with other members using the same kind of tank.
Many years ago I have had a 33 gallon reef tank which I used different equipments such as Metal Halide (DIY project) and mechanical canister filters and Seaclone 100 protein skimmer.
For this new tank after 4 years of absence from this hobby, I relearn everything on this forum, and decided to go for a more natural 'biological' filtration process. I have extensively researched the pieces I want, and ready to put everything in process.
Here is a list of my equipment and supplies:
Tank: 20 gallon long
Lights: Coralife PC - 130 watts total (10K bulb + Atinic Blue)
Powerhead: Hydor Koralia Nano x 2 (One on either end of the tank)
Refugium: Odyssea HOB w/ Marineland Mini-Jet 606 pump + Jebo 7 watts PC light
Protein skimmer: Aqua C Remora
Sand: Carib Sea Aragonite Reef Sand 20 lbs
Liverocks: 16 pounds so far ... will be adding more as I see more pieces I like.
I plan on mostly soft corals and some hard corals, but no SPS until I can upgrade to better lights. I plan on a couple fishes here and there, some cleaner shrimps and hermit crabs.
In the refugium I plan on using CaribSea’s Mineral Mud, couple pieces of liverocks, and cheato.
Right now I have everything running, and waiting for the nitrogen cycle to take place...
I will keep everyone posted as I update my tank. I just moved back to Canada from USA this week; therefore, I m very busy doing some things here and there around the house !!!!
syeve
01-09-2009, 01:18 AM
Hey chironerd21...this ain't nano-reef :biggrin:
Nice tank!
Boomboy
01-09-2009, 01:30 AM
where did you find the 20L i never see those anywhere
Hey chironerd21...this ain't nano-reef :biggrin:
Nice tank!
I see someone been reading my thread from nano-reef..... I just double posted so to see if I can get more comments and suggestions....
where did you find the 20L i never see those anywhere
I bought it at Petsmart in USA (I was living in the states for 3 years).... if you are near the border...just head over to your local Petsmart...they sell them dirty cheap.... 29.99 USD only.....
I have talked to some LFS in vancouver, B.C. .... you can get them custom made or imported...but will cost you a 'pretty penny' haha... my friend had a 27 gallon long ...cost him over 100 cdn + taxes..... Good O' Big Als
Skimmerking
01-09-2009, 03:36 AM
hey the tank is looking great you want to get the cycle going faster. then take a 500ml bottle of Hagen cycle and pour the whole bottle in there and then run it with no lights for 2 weeks if that and then turn your skimmer on. you will have instant cycled tank...
Boomboy
01-09-2009, 03:58 AM
haha yeah instant cycle, just wait 2 weeks.
well.. i am in no rush... I just let the liverock do the cycling...
Quick question guys...
So tonight is my first night with the Jebo light on my refugium at night time....i read you should leave the refugium light on at night to prevent the CO2 issue with the pH spike in the tank....
but here is my question...so apparently the Jebo light escapes the clear refugium box...and some of it goes into the back of the tank... it does light up the tank slightly.... It actually looks really pretty and like one of those movies with the reef at night pictures....
So my question is...would this affect the fish/corals at night time??? Is it true they need to "sleep"?? Or is the small Jebo light won't really harm the fish/corals??? I don't have anything in there right now only live rocks... just wondering in future would this affect it?? The Jebo light is on the back of the tank..and its only rated at 7watts... it makes a small glimmering light into the tank....I also know that in the real world..there is no such thing as 100% darkness either..and some light fixtures have the 'moonlights'.... can this be my 'moonlight'???
syeve
01-09-2009, 04:30 PM
I see someone been reading my thread from nano-reef..... I just double posted so to see if I can get more comments and suggestions....
Yah, figured. Love the tank and I can't believe the price!
I will let someone with more knowledge answer the lighting question. I doubt it will be a problem.
Boomboy
01-09-2009, 05:07 PM
your fish will die, might as well give me the whole set up:mrgreen:
i would try and make the tank dark but thats because that light would bother me.
Fixed my lighting issue last night... took some extra background paper...cut it up..and taped it to the refugium wall.... problem fixed
Today tested my water...
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.00 ppm
Nitrite: 0.00 ppm
Nitrate: 0.00 ppm
KH: ~125-130 mg/L
Ca: ~ 460 mg/L
I guess the KH and Ca is a little bit high?? But then there is nothing in the tank to change the chemistry of the tank...so I guess this is okie??? Once more inhabitants are in the tank... the numbers should drop slowly... and then I will need to start dosing...
Did a 20% water change afterwards.... added some Kent Pro d Buffer + Seachem Prime Conditioner....
Salinity reading is at 1.024-1.025 .....
So far so good.... I plan to add a fish next week... but now I will give it a few more days to stablize some more
Question guys.... for my refugium light... is it okie to leave it off during day time??? Since i taped up the refugium with back paper... it doesnt get any light from my main tank during the day time anymore... my living room is not the brightest as the tank is in an area with out much light..but the room is not pitch dark ...its still very visible during day time....
So if i leave my lights off during day time for the refugium...would i get the pH drop issue that people get at night time when its pitch dark???
Thanks.... right now i have my light on 24/7... but if there isn't a need for it..i don't want the light to be on 24/7
Went to the local fish stores today... actually wasn't really local...it was like 30-45 minute drives from my home....
Anyways....picked up another nice piece of Live rock... 12 blue legged hermits, 5 red legged hermits, and 2 tank raised clownfish (one larger than the other, that what the dude said ... its best to keep them diff. sizes)
The clownfishes look curious..and not breathing hard at all... so seems like the transition is going fine...
Right now only have my moonlights on ... to 'de-stress' the fish...... later in a couple hours...I will take some pictures.....
Also got a diatom bloom today when i got home.. i was surprised... hope the hermits will do their job walking and moving the sand
Rbacchiega
01-12-2009, 01:01 AM
Looking good, but I'd go with a larger powerhead. A Koralia nano doesn't pump through enough gph for a 20 gallon long in my opinion
Looking good, but I'd go with a larger powerhead. A Koralia nano doesn't pump through enough gph for a 20 gallon long in my opinion
No worries... I got two of them now.. one on either end...
I got a question:
What do you guys think of this?
http://oceanaquatics.com/store/product/353...Clamp-150W-14K/
Would it be horizontal enough to light the whole 30 inches??
I read Metal Hailides disperse way better than PC and T5.... and i been looking at fixtures... even a 30 inch MH fixture ... just has one bulb in the MIDDLE anyways... so wouldn't this fixture do its job??
Also ... its a 14K bulb... I like the looks of blue in my tank... my Coralife right now is a 10k + Atinic.... I was wondering with 14K bulb would this make my tank look too "yellow"???
And the Viper 70 watts lamp is very popular with Nano tanks.... so it doesn't seem JBJ is some cheap brand...
for 229.99 cdn... this seems to be a steal !!!
Will a 20" SunPod also work?
mseepman
01-12-2009, 04:33 AM
If you aren't too unhappy with your Odyssea fuge, then you might want to look at an Odyssea light...okay price and though people have started some interesting rumours about this light brand, most people seem happy enough with it. Here's a link to a 30" version that has both MH and PC so you can cover a better range of light periods.
http://www.aquatraders.com/30-380Wmetal-halide-system-electronic-ballast.aspx
tang daddy
01-12-2009, 05:50 AM
14k IMO is not yellow at all if anything it will be whitish with a decent hint of blue. Why a 150w why not 175w?
BlueAbyss
01-12-2009, 06:24 AM
14K bulbs are more blue than 10K bulbs, as the numbers get higher it gets more blue. A 6.5K bulb would look significantly less blue (or more yellow depending on how you look at it) than a 10k but will likely still look quite white, though they are rarely used in reef aquaria (more common on freshwater planted tanks).
On a side note, I myself would go with a 30" hood for good even light coverage unless you were planning on having a lower light region in the tank for organisms that would not do well in an intensely lit position. I have looked into this rather extensively and it seems that if you are planning on having a large variety of different organisms, ie: not dominated by SPS, having a lower light area is a good idea, to approximate the different zones of a reef better.
If you aren't too unhappy with your Odyssea fuge, then you might want to look at an Odyssea light...okay price and though people have started some interesting rumours about this light brand, most people seem happy enough with it. Here's a link to a 30" version that has both MH and PC so you can cover a better range of light periods.
http://www.aquatraders.com/30-380Wmetal-halide-system-electronic-ballast.aspx
This has nothing to do with my Odyssea refugium
I have looked into the Odyssea MH set up, but I have read the 250 watt ballasts are crazy dangerous..... It either fries or smokes.... I don't want to come home one day with a fire !!
That why I am shining away from it....
14K bulbs are more blue than 10K bulbs, as the numbers get higher it gets more blue. A 6.5K bulb would look significantly less blue (or more yellow depending on how you look at it) than a 10k but will likely still look quite white, though they are rarely used in reef aquaria (more common on freshwater planted tanks).
On a side note, I myself would go with a 30" hood for good even light coverage unless you were planning on having a lower light region in the tank for organisms that would not do well in an intensely lit position. I have looked into this rather extensively and it seems that if you are planning on having a large variety of different organisms, ie: not dominated by SPS, having a lower light area is a good idea, to approximate the different zones of a reef better.
But here is the thing... A SunPod 20" vs 30" ... its the same thing.. with the MH bulb in the middle... It doesn't make a difference what the size of the hood..... Or if you are working with a MH Pendant... its the same thing isn't it??? Light is dispersed across the 30 inch tank no matter how long the fixture is... with only one MH bulb in the middle.... I understand as you get larger the fixture 36" and up... it has two MH bulbs or even 3 MH bulbs.... so from my research it seems like 30" or lower fixtures... its all the same.. you are paying the extra $$ for a better "fit"
mseepman
01-12-2009, 09:44 PM
This has nothing to do with my Odyssea refugium
I have looked into the Odyssea MH set up, but I have read the 250 watt ballasts are crazy dangerous..... It either fries or smokes.... I don't want to come home one day with a fire !!
That why I am shining away from it....
Haha, I think those are some of the interesting rumors I was speaking of. (you know the kind, "my friends brother knows this guy who has a friend who had one of these"...lol)
There's a pretty huge thread on RC about these and for the most part people are happy. They don't find the ballast putting out the right power though and so some have replaced the ballast to get better PAR.
Given your thoughts about the 20" versus 30" fixtures...maybe this one might be good for you. I don't know much about these guys but I've seen them mentioned here before.
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_75&products_id=1347
Another option might be this:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/24-CORALIFE-AQUALIGHT-PRO-HQI-150W-METAL-HALIDE-BEST_W0QQitemZ200295875332QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item200295875332&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18
Haha, I think those are some of the interesting rumors I was speaking of. (you know the kind, "my friends brother knows this guy who has a friend who had one of these"...lol)
There's a pretty huge thread on RC about these and for the most part people are happy. They don't find the ballast putting out the right power though and so some have replaced the ballast to get better PAR.
Given your thoughts about the 20" versus 30" fixtures...maybe this one might be good for you. I don't know much about these guys but I've seen them mentioned here before.
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_75&products_id=1347
Another option might be this:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/24-CORALIFE-AQUALIGHT-PRO-HQI-150W-METAL-HALIDE-BEST_W0QQitemZ200295875332QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item200295875332&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18
Yeah but everyone need to buy a new bulb and a ballast with the Odyssea. So basically it cost more than the sunpod 150 watts...even though the Odyssea is 250 watts....
kipsix
01-13-2009, 03:58 AM
There's also a 24" set-up that has t5ho to supplement the metal hallide.
Might give you slightly better coverage than a 20" fixture (primarily due to longer t5's).
http://oceanaquatics.com/store/product/2269/Outer-Orbit-150W-HQI-T5-24%22/
Could just hang something like that above the tank?
There's also a 24" set-up that has t5ho to supplement the metal hallide.
Might give you slightly better coverage than a 20" fixture (primarily due to longer t5's).
http://oceanaquatics.com/store/product/2269/Outer-Orbit-150W-HQI-T5-24%22/
Could just hang something like that above the tank?
Wow 711 buxs... that way out of my budget....
I am thinking of sticking with the 30 inch SunPod 150 watts....i can get it in the US for 250 usd shipped to my friend...then she bring it up for me...
As long as people say the 14K bulb shouldn't be yellow, I am fine... it also have the lunar lights for dust / dawn effect .....
BlueAbyss
01-13-2009, 08:54 AM
But here is the thing... A SunPod 20" vs 30" ... its the same thing.. with the MH bulb in the middle... It doesn't make a difference what the size of the hood..... Or if you are working with a MH Pendant... its the same thing isn't it??? Light is dispersed across the 30 inch tank no matter how long the fixture is... with only one MH bulb in the middle.... I understand as you get larger the fixture 36" and up... it has two MH bulbs or even 3 MH bulbs.... so from my research it seems like 30" or lower fixtures... its all the same.. you are paying the extra $$ for a better "fit"
Yep thats exactly it. A 20" and 30" fixture is just made to fit different tank dimensions and, barring differences in the reflector or ballast used, will produce the same light.
Today went to the LFS ... and picked up four small pieces of corals...
Aussie Acanthastrea (purple/red + green ones)
Frogspawn (Hard to describe the color, but it isn't the common green or brown ones I usually see in stores)
Elegance coral (Green color)
Red Mushrooms on a rock
I will take pictures of it when it opens up later in the day
BlueAbyss
01-29-2009, 09:02 PM
So, how 'bout those pics? :lol:
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