Gtreef's 12g Fluval Edge

[gtreef]

Welcome to my tank build. This is my first SW reef setup. It has been up and running since Nov. 25/12.
I have a 12 gallon Fluval edge. All specifications and livestock are listed below. I will be posting updates, so feel free to follow and ask any questions or comments!

SPECS

Tank:
Fluval Edge 12 Gallon

Filtration:
Stock powerfilter, with sponge filter, purigen, biomaxx

Substrate and Rock:
1 inch Live Aragonite Sand
14 lbs Jakarta Live Rock

Lighting:
Stock lighting (42 LED Comination of white and blue)
planning to upgrade when adding coral

Circulation:
Koralis 240gph powerhead x 2

Livestock

Fish:
2 Oscellaris Clown Fish

Inverts:
2 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Cleaner Shrimp
5 Blue Legged Hermit Crabs
5 Astrea Snails

Once everyone is settled in for a another couple weeks I will be adding some SPS and soft coral.
Maintenance: 20% water change weekly

[somewherebeyondthesea]

Looks Good!
I've had mine up since september! i'll be posting pics soon!

[kien]

nice little setup you got going on there!

[Flash]

that's really cute!!!

[Nizzmo]

Very calculate documentation. Well done !

[Stones]

Nice looking rockwork in that edge! I have a 6 gallon edge so I know how difficult it is do any work through that little access hole.

What are you planning on going with for upgraded lighting? I've seen a few edges that were using AI Nano fixtures but more and more people have been going the DIY LED route.

Not to highjack your thread, but I built a DIY LED light fixture for my 6 gallon FW edge for about half of what an AI nano goes for using Cree LEDs and a dimmable meanwell driver. You could shave off quite a few bucks if you went with a DIY kit from aquastyleonline which is what I would have done had I known about their products at the time.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g47/prestieb/IMG-20120201-00276_zpsc7591e28.jpg

Got the heatsink from heatsinkusa and it fits perfectly inside of the edge hood. I still have to add an acrylic splash guard and wire in a fan ontop of the heatsink for cooling but I'm thinking it will be more than enough light for my 6 gallon. Depending on how comfortable you are with DIY projects, you can definately save a few dollars going this route and also add in some colored LEDs like red, green, and UV not found in the AI nano.

[xenon]

I run the AquaIllumination Nano on my 6g edge. Works perfectly.

[gtreef]

The rockwork took a while to figure out but I think I'm finally happy.Haven't decided on lighting yet, but leaning towards DIY. Still reading up on it but thinking 7 Cree white, and 7 deep blue cree, with about 10000 - 15000K with dimmable capabilities.

[gtreef]

My two clownfish died this evening :( Thinking low O2 did them in, all other parameters were good, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5ppm, temp 78, salinity 1.024... sucks a few shrimp were in distress as well but have survived, I did a 25% water change and didn't fill tank all the way.

[Stones]

Sorry to hear about your loss. The one downside of these tanks with the covered glass top is that it's diffcult to really generate any surface agitation except where the HOB filter dumps back into the tank. In FW this is a good thing as it makes it easeir to keep CO2 dissolved in the system for plants but for a reef it's actually quite detrimental.

Have you considered running some type of nano skimmer on the tank in order to help with aeration? Not sure what options you'd have but a small airstone driven skimmer could likley be incorporated somehow.

[xenon]

I use a Vortech MP10 powerhead in my 6g edge at the lowest setting but I run it pretty high up to get some water surface tension to get as much oxygen as possible.

[gtreef]

Sorry to hear about your loss. The one downside of these tanks with the covered glass top is that it's diffcult to really generate any surface agitation except where the HOB filter dumps back into the tank. In FW this is a good thing as it makes it easeir to keep CO2 dissolved in the system for plants but for a reef it's actually quite detrimental.

Have you considered running some type of nano skimmer on the tank in order to help with aeration? Not sure what options you'd have but a small airstone driven skimmer could likley be incorporated somehow.
Yes, I have left a cm of space at the top of the tank and have the powerheads directed near the surface to help stir in more O2. I think a nano skimmer is in order when I save up more cash. The initial startup of this tank has to be paid off first. I guess I shall work out the kinks first before attempting any other livestock.

[gtreef]

I use a Vortech MP10 powerhead in my 6g edge at the lowest setting but I run it pretty high up to get some water surface tension to get as much oxygen as possible.
Do you leave a bit of air at the top of your tank to help with O2?

[xenon]

Do you leave a bit of air at the top of your tank to help with O2?

No. I keep the water line pretty high so that I can view everything top down.

[gtreef]

No. I keep the water line pretty high so that I can view everything top down.
Had a look at your tank build on nano-reef, very nice! do you have a thread posted on here or there showing what it looks like now?

[gtreef]

Got a call from my friend at the LFS and he gave me two black percula's for free! Gotta love having friends in the fish business :) They are soooo nice, and looking very happy and eating very well. I will post some pics soon. I have a HOB skimmer on it's way as well, yay!!

[xenon]

Had a look at your tank build on nano-reef, very nice! do you have a thread posted on here or there showing what it looks like now?

I have a thread on nano reef and RC.

Not much to update. I just added a bluespot jawfish and anemone. I had a true perc clwonfish hosting in it but the bioload was too much for such a small body of water so I took him out.

Making it into a reef was just too much maintainence so the frags that were added were also taken out.

It's just a jawfish house at this point. I might get motivated again in the future and add more corals, who knows. :lol:

[gtreef]

I have now added 2 captive bred black percula's. They have been in the tank for about 2.5 weeks and doing well. I have on order a remora nano skimmer and LED lighting! They should be here in a few days.