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-   -   FragIt Dan's 2012 nano contest entry (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=90038)

FragIt Dan 09-22-2012 06:53 AM

FragIt Dan's 2012 nano contest entry
 
Theme: The Cave... two micro habitats created in one small reef tank.

Objectives: Low budget, recycle used bits and pieces to make a unique reef tank that is stable enough to not need checking for as much as a couple of weeks at a time (I frequently travel for work).

Livestock: SPS/LPS, softies, zoas, inverts and a couple of random fish.

Circulation: Closed loop with Mag drive 5 running externally (I hope)!

Lighting: 20K XM 175W mogul in some sort of pendant I was given a while back (this may change). I may add some mood lighting in the cave too ;).

Filtration: Phosban 150 reactor(s) packed with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate reducing media as well as Ferric Oxide and carbon (Brightwell Aquatics XPort BIO/NO3/PO4 and Bulk Reef Supply ROX 0.8).

Skimming: Red Sea Prizm with overflow protection mod (just drill a hole at the top of the skimate chamber above the return overflow). I don't like this skimmer as it has never worked very well for me but I have one kicking around.

Water Changes/Supplements: 33% (5 gallons) weekly-ish water change, I will attempt to do no supplementation at all (not even Ca or carbonates).

ATO: Marine Magic dosing pump adding RODI top off water with periodic spot checks to make minor adjustments. I might end up doing Kalk for ATO depending on whether or not my water changes can keep up.

Heater: Finnex HMO-100 Titanium with LCD digital control, set to 78f (purchased from Bulk Reef Supply).

Feeding: a little splash of various different coral and fish foods whenever I remember.

Substrate: Bare bottom with live rock reef

Aquascaping: Live rock placed on cross-members to create the cave (cross members will be pre-glued into the tank prior to filling). Crushed barnacle shell will be silicone glued onto the cross members and overflow to give them a bit more of a natural look. I used 2" abs pipe cut into thirds lengthwise and will silicone glue them onto the glass (see photos in future posts).

Coral Growth: I have found corals really like up-flow. I will try to create this by feeding the closed loop outlet into the cave forcing the water through the live rock and up past the corals above.

ASW: RODI with Brightwell Aquatics salt made to 1.025 sg.

Total estimated water volume: 15 gallons (I will get an exact measurement upon final placement of live rock and post in this thread). The glass tank itself has a capacity of 18.7 gallons filled to the brim, but I will be about 2 inches short of this, less live rock, plus phosban reactors and plumbing.

Budget (me): $75 for a new bulb for the lighting fixture. Everything else has been pulled out of my spares/junk bin.

Budget (you): $300 + livestock for decent used gear; all of this stuff can be sourced used fairly easily (all of the gear used in this build was stuff I originally bought used). New, this would run you about $750 from your LFS.

Questions/Feedback/Constructive Criticism: Always welcome :)

Dan

Acipenser 09-22-2012 11:16 AM

looking forward to see your progress.

Enigma 09-22-2012 02:17 PM

What kind of tank are you going to be using? Or, is that a secret? ;)

Depending on what salt you're using, you won't need to supplement calcium with the big water changes you're planning. When I was doing 10% three times a week on my first reef (a 10 gallon) my calcium was really high as I was adding it faster then it was being used. I was using Reef Crystals, and that mixes up high in calcium at 1.025. I had to cut back my WCs to bring my calcium back in line.

Coralgurl 09-22-2012 02:53 PM

Pictures??

FragIt Dan 09-22-2012 04:56 PM

This is the starting tank, it is just a plain 24x12x16 glass tank by a company called SeaStar out of Victoria... no secrets but I'm afraid there isn't much to keep secret;). I am glueing the braces in today and hope to leak test the plumbing later. I'll post a pic up when the bracing is set,
Dan

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/uhasahe4.jpg


Dan

FragIt Dan 09-22-2012 07:53 PM

Got the braces put in and covered with barnacle shell. Silicone is setting as I type this. Hopefully I will leak test the plumbing later today,

Cross braces installed
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/nute6ahe.jpg

Cross braces drilled for frag plugs
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/e4e2yve4.jpg

ABS and IPEX covered with barnacle shell
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/4enebagy.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/harupybu.jpg

Looking 'end on' into the Cave...
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/23/suha2y6e.jpg

Oops, looking at that last pic I see I forgot to cover the spray bar with barnacle shell, be right back :)

Dan


Dan

FragIt Dan 09-23-2012 05:45 AM

Leak and flow test were a success! Just filled it with tap water (no salt) and will let it run the night to make sure. I may end up putting a koralia in for a bit more flow, we'll have to wait and see how it looks once the live rock is in,


Dan

Enigma 09-23-2012 12:52 PM

You have some very interesting things going on here.

fishoholic 09-23-2012 03:46 PM

I like the cave idea, it'll be interesting to see it all come together.

FragIt Dan 09-23-2012 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma (Post 748951)
You have some very interesting things going on here.

Yeah, I am curious to see how things turn out :). Your build is coming together nicely as well!


Dan


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