PDA

View Full Version : 5.5G AGA AC200 Fuge Pico Journal


Naked Wookie
03-03-2009, 05:48 AM
well here is the start of my 5.5g AGA aquaclear 200 fuge nano..

plans for this tank are.
get 70w MH/LED lighting

I plan on keeping zoas primarily going to try and get my hands on some rarer zoos and get them going so that I can frag for my local reef club.
also once I get the MH/LED keep 1-2 sps small frags.
but for now till lighting changes just basic zoos,gsp,shrooms
this is in a dorm room and is placed on my nightstand thats the reason for it being turned as it will be viewed from the bed as well as from the end from my desk so hopefully I can come up with rockwork that does both views.
I will be modding the AC200 tomorrow hopefully once I get the correct silicone.

still working on figuring out a canopy that will hold the lights I am going to be using currently along with a reflector till such time as I can afford either LED or I make a DIY 70w mh.
I ended up painting the ACs intake tubes as well so they blend quite well with the back wall. Also needing to decide on if the 200 is enough flow or if my maxi jet 900 is needed not sure if the 900 will be to powerful although.

Krylon fusion.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/IMGP7547.jpg

finished product.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/IMGP7551.jpg

my lighting setup for now 4x 23w 6500k CFLs.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/IMGP7549.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/IMGP7554.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/IMGP7555.jpg

more to come shortly when I get sand and rock.
the rock is fully cured so I will be pretty much skipping any cycle if all goes well.

*note this happened yesterday*

Naked Wookie
03-03-2009, 05:52 AM
well I had only thought I was going to get sand today and rock the next day or so buttt we all know how that ends.
kelly at The Reef Shoppe was incredibly helpful, amazing stuff he has at his place very crisp and clean tanks. and that display tank simply wow just beautiful. ( I will def be back in a few days for corals and such once this things ready )
also good thing and yet bad thing is his tanks are only 4-5 blocks from my dorms uh oh :twised:

here is sand and rock + ghetto reflector till I can buy wood to build a legit canopy tomorrow.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7561.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7560.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7559.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7558.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7557.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7562.jpg

I will get better photos tomorrow once the water is crystal clear again. that and mod the AC200 into the fuge.

(thinking of looking at sexy shrimp, porcelain crab, been told I could do a yellow tailed damsel or damsel similar sized or a small goby, not sure may just keep it inverts and coral only)

karazy
03-03-2009, 05:56 AM
lookin good nate

glad to see you on these forums :)

mseepman
03-03-2009, 03:56 PM
One thing I would suggest until you get the opportunity to do your DIY hood with 70W MH, is that you look at aquarium bulbs for your current setup.

Here's a link to what I mean. http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp17944/si1316018/cl0/coralifeminipowercompact5050lamp10watt

Most stores carry these in either 10W or 20W and they will make your corals much happier and "pop" better. 6700k will mostly just help the algae take over.

Naked Wookie
03-03-2009, 04:33 PM
issue with those is once I get 4 of them I probably covered the cost of buying and shipping the MH ballast(let alone the 20w), I will look and see what I can find locally if anything maybe somehow snag a deal..

but looks like I might be running security for a few hockey games so then I will get some cash hopefully enough for the ballasts.

also params this morning where .4 ammonia and .1nitrites .1 nitrates enough colour to not be clear but nothing more for them, so now the waiting game begins

rocketlily
03-03-2009, 06:17 PM
I agree with the 50/50 bulbs. I have been using the 20W on my 10 gal nano for the contest and I have had amazing growth and color with them. Nice thing also is there is very little heat, which will be a big bonus for the summer.

Naked Wookie
03-06-2009, 04:22 AM
well params are near perfect already which is wicked, already noticed some new coraline growth on a few of the rocks as well.
moved the rocks a tiny bit so stirred the sand a tiny bit.
right now I am just waiting on another reefer to get my information for payment of a 70w MH ballast and I will be rolling with that shortly.

likely going to look at getting the start of my CUC saturday if all goes well.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7566.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7568_1.jpg
still undecided on if I should get more rock or not just yet if I do thinking a larger piece to complete the right corner of the tank.

GreenSpottedPuffer
03-06-2009, 04:55 AM
Cool little project.

I may have missed it but how are you going to deal with heat and evaporation with a 70W halide over it? That is going to be quite the challenge if keeping sps since they tend to not tolerate temp. and salinity fluctuations. Just curious :)

Naked Wookie
03-06-2009, 08:30 AM
I am going to see how well the fans I am planning on using work for keeping the MH from boiling my tank.
but my plan is to start softies and see how bad evap/temp is actually sps won't be till summer/next fall unless someone has really cheap frags and I somehow grow money magicall. I havn't had temp issues with 3 23w CFLs sitting not even half an inch from the surface it stays at 79F through the duration so wondering how much worse a MH suspended at 6ish inches off the surface.

and already looking making a ATO unit for the tank being how I figure do it right the first time now, cause I plan on moving this tank back home for the summer and then back here for the following years semesters.

although I am wondering what do other reefers do for christmas break at college? I only ever get 12-14 days off due to my sports and tournaments for break but do people bring it home or just rely on ATOs and timers?

Naked Wookie
03-08-2009, 05:51 AM
CORALS WOOP.
went to get a small clean up crew and ended up walking out with corals funny how that works huh.
so for CUC so far I got 5 blue legged hermits and these are tiny tiny little ones not the larger blue legged, and 1 nassarius snail, and 3 brittle stars he tossed in.
so now for some pics.

brittle star hiding already.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7582.jpg
GSP thats supposed to grow up the back well yet.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7580.jpg
gorilla nips not opened yet, they are peaking out now although.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7577.jpg
yay snail.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7576.jpg
my small kenya tree and zoa polyp frag.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7575.jpg
baby ric
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7574.jpg
and tiny little guy.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7573.jpg

Naked Wookie
03-10-2009, 05:05 AM
well not much change yet, getting some algae likely due to the 6500k bulbs :( but my ballast should be here sometime this week yet, shipped out this morning express post so hopefully gets here quick, just waiting to find out about bulbs and I am all set for 70watss of sun.
that and I held a moment of silence as a brave little blue legged hermit discovered today why one never leaves his shell and wander upto the AC200 intake, apparently AC200 impellers don't leave much to clean up :( he will be missed.
did a quick water change after I cleaned the parts I could find out of the tank so hopefully that doesn't affect water.

oh also picked up some blue eyes zoas from the reefshoppe last night as well.
so till the blue eyes settle in and pose for the camera these will have to do ;)
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7586.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7587.jpg

Naked Wookie
03-20-2009, 03:01 AM
well got 2 14k 70w bulbs today in the mail thanks to themikey both fired up perfectly, still waiting on a 20k ushio through the reefshoppe but till that comes in using these.

tank looks sooooooo much better under 14k vs 6500k CFLs instantly noticed a change in the zoas colours.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7626.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7619.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7620.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7624.jpg

and now 2 comparison shots from the day before with old lighting.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7605.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7612.jpg
can't wait to get some LPS and SPS going :O

Naked Wookie
03-25-2009, 06:43 AM
well yet again went to the reefshoppe and kelly never ceases to amaze me with his stock, also he hooked me up with an ushio 20000k 70w DE MH bulb so now I have to decide between liking 20k or 14k more.

anyways here is pics, the hair algae bloomed due to the crappy lights I was using I figure as its already receding rapidly since I got the 14k MH its browned up and easier to remove so good sign I figure.
got an orange monti cap frag, and a small pinkish acro frag, the gsp frag is starting to attack to the glass also so eventually I hope to get that to spread and cover the back corner as a living wall.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7632.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7629.jpg

will get some tomorrow with the 20k bulb for comparison

Boomboy
03-25-2009, 11:04 PM
this is turning into a wicked little tank, the light is way better than what you had, you'll notice it in the growth and colour of your corals. just remember if you have the 20K instead of the 14K your corals will grow slower.

Naked Wookie
03-30-2009, 04:46 AM
well went home this weekend and picked up a nice acro frag from ryan_lap, and then proceeded to go to bayside corals -_- bad idea #1,,, bad idea #2 going alone,, and finally bad idea #3 going in with cash and a cooler ready for trip doht.
but can't complain walked out with a 6 head favia frag, and gorgeous orange paly colony, the orange paly are amazing, everything opened when I was floating bags but I took a few minutes to inspect for hitchhikers so now they are ****ed off :( . acro actually had amazing polyp extension while I was floating as well.

the gsp is covering the frag plug so quick I can check each morning and see that its actually covered more and more, no wonder its a weed for most people.
anyways new pics.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7636.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7642.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7651.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7638.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7646.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7641.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7639.jpg

and 2 final FTS from 2 viewing angles.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7653.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/REEF%20TANK/IMGP7635.jpg

many thanks to ryan and colby

Naked Wookie
03-30-2009, 04:48 AM
this is turning into a wicked little tank, the light is way better than what you had, you'll notice it in the growth and colour of your corals. just remember if you have the 20K instead of the 14K your corals will grow slower.

my plan is to use 14k bulbs for now get the tank fairly full and lush, then I will switch to 20k for aesthetics not worrying about growth as the tank will be just perfect hopefully

es355lucille
03-30-2009, 05:56 AM
Cool tank you have there! keep up the good work!

karazy
03-30-2009, 01:56 PM
lookin nice nate.

i think the palys are lunar palys.

Skimmerking
03-30-2009, 03:13 PM
take your time man, just remeber things happen very fast in a small tank and since you just started it.. other then that WELCOME TO CANREEF my friend....

well done love the little tank. as for Colby at bayside corals a wick guy to deal with. and Kelly another amazing guy at the ref shoppe. he has been first-rate with customer service. like always ...... pretty bad i have to go 1 or 2 provinces over to get good customer appreciation....

well to go KELLY AND COLBY