PICTURE UPDATES! SOLANA 34 gallon

[alex101]

So after a year of a nanowave, I've decided I need to upgrade to a bigger tank. So I went out and picked up the new Current USA Solana 34 gallon seamless cube with 150w Pendant halide.

I've just started cycling today, so I'll be updating with pics as they come along. Let me know what you guys think and I'm also looking for a possible clip on refugium light....any one heard of one? Links? Thanks

[alex101]

Possibly some input on a refugium light ? Thanks

[Nano#9]

nice setup...ive been wanting one! cant wait to see it all filled up! good luck! where did u buy yours?

[Matty1124]

hey alex nice tank... dont you have the old light from your nanocube laying around and a spare lid with lights in it... if i were you i would use that... you can do a nice DIY... if not you can get a palmlight that has a small CF bulb in it

 

 

EDIT: i was looking at that in salty critter not more then 2 weeks ago

[LConte17]

here ya go man, this is what ur lookin for

 

 

Fuge light

[alex101]

hey alex nice tank... dont you have the old light from your nanocube laying around and a spare lid with lights in it... if i were you i would use that... you can do a nice DIY... if not you can get a palmlight that has a small CF bulb in it

EDIT: i was looking at that in salty critter not more then 2 weeks ago

 

Thanks, Yeah the problem is the fuge light isn't part of the hood, it's part of the tank. I was gonna make a setup, but for the price of the clip on ones I like the look alot better.

[newnanoboy]

that kitty want to go for a swim it seems...

[Matty1124]

i was saying that you have an extra hood with lights in it (not that dinky fuge hood but one of those bigger lights)... so you can take that apart and just use it like a retro fit... it my have to be a DIY but its better then going out and spending 30 bucks for something that you have already, it will just take some effort... you could build an enclosure out of acrylic and paint it black so you dont get spill over

[mandelbloom]

Better keep the lid on that thing, Kitty is looking for a snack

[alex101]

i was saying that you have an extra hood with lights in it (not that dinky fuge hood but one of those bigger lights)... so you can take that apart and just use it like a retro fit... it my have to be a DIY but its better then going out and spending 30 bucks for something that you have already, it will just take some effort... you could build an enclosure out of acrylic and paint it black so you dont get spill over

 

Yeah I might do that, I just wanna make sure it looks nice....cause unfortunately there's no room for error on this thing cause it's all glass

[alex101]

UPDATED PICS...

 

Got some more rock and rescaped things. Had a hitchiker hermit, so I will watch him while I wait for the cycle to complete.

 

 

Don't mind that salt dripping down, until I'm done sticking my hand in there, there's no reason to clean it.

[lilredneckman]

DISCO BALL!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting aquascape.

[alex101]

The aquascaping isn't final yet, I still have about 10 more pounds of rock to add from my other tank, I just need the new one to finish its cycle first. About when should I add some cheato and set up the refugium?

[Matty1124]

you can add it now

[MrAnderson]

does that fixture attach to the stand or the tank? can you use the stand and/or fixture with a different tank?

[alex101]

does that fixture attach to the stand or the tank? can you use the stand and/or fixture with a different tank?

 

stand and fixture sold seperately. So yes...any tank with this stand and light.

[alex101]

New Refugium light is finished. I used some left over plexi glass and a 10k PC light I had lying around. I spray painted the inside of the plexi glass black and made a new reflector for behind the bulb. Turned out pretty well I think. Let me know what your thoughts are.

 

 

[satcong]

New Refugium light is finished. I used some left over plexi glass and a 10k PC light I had lying around. I spray painted the inside of the plexi glass black and made a new reflector for behind the bulb. Turned out pretty well I think. Let me know what your thoughts are.

 

 

 

Hey, the lid for the solana...Does it come with it or it was something you do it yourself?

[siwelk]

nice DIY on the fuge light.

[alex101]

Hey, the lid for the solana...Does it come with it or it was something you do it yourself?

 

Glass top came with it. I got the entire setup with cabinet, tank and 150w halide for $600

 

nice DIY on the fuge light.

 

Thank you, will a 10k be sufficiant for a fuge?

[Matty1124]

pertty good idea right? turned out nice... yes that will be more then enought to grow chaeto... i use a crappy spiral compact bulb and it grows super fast... chaeto needs very little in terms of light requirements

 

EDIT: what did you use to bond the acrylic? and did you put vents in it? cf do generate heat

[jamesnmandy]

you could have just kept a few water changes to the side, then when ready to upgrade, fill tank with half already cycled water, half new mixed RO salt water, add live rock and sand from existing setup along with additional new dead sand and dead rock, then you would have only a small insignificant mini cycle, i did this going from my 35 to a 75 and other than a little cycle and a little cyano as things got right, nothing else went wrong, emerald crab, hermits, snails, two clown fish, engineer goby, torch coral, xenia, zoos, urchin.....lost nothing, everything is healthy and well

[alex101]

pertty good idea right? turned out nice... yes that will be more then enought to grow chaeto... i use a crappy spiral compact bulb and it grows super fast... chaeto needs very little in terms of light requirements

 

EDIT: what did you use to bond the acrylic? and did you put vents in it? cf do generate heat

 

I used PVC cement for initial bond and then reenforced all of the inside edges with silicon. Then I painted the inside etc. Thanks for the ideas....If it weren't for other people, I'd be the laziest mofo around

 

you could have just kept a few water changes to the side, then when ready to upgrade, fill tank with half already cycled water, half new mixed RO salt water, add live rock and sand from existing setup along with additional new dead sand and dead rock, then you would have only a small insignificant mini cycle, i did this going from my 35 to a 75 and other than a little cycle and a little cyano as things got right, nothing else went wrong, emerald crab, hermits, snails, two clown fish, engineer goby, torch coral, xenia, zoos, urchin.....lost nothing, everything is healthy and well

 

I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THAT!! So in theory, I can just add all of my existing live rock and crap right now? I've put in a few peices from my existing tank already that don't have corals bonded. The rest of the rock I have have corals attatched.

[jamesnmandy]

I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THAT!! So in theory, I can just add all of my existing live rock and crap right now? I've put in a few peices from my existing tank already that don't have corals bonded. The rest of the rock I have have corals attatched.

 

not sure if i would do that now that you have already started the cycle with the new stuff....depends on your levels, and i am not saying there is no risk involved, honestly, what i would do, is move the live rock over, or at least half of it, this will help seed the new live rock and add beneficial bacteria of course, but i have been anal about checking the water parameters too, three times a day at first, and if i had it to do again i would probably have left the fish and corals in the original tank for the first week or so until the rock and sand cycled or at least got close to stabilizing, then acclimate and transfer the fish and corals over, i didnt do that, i just added a bunch of new "cured" live rock and a lot of non-live rock and old dead sand, half cycled water from my water changes, added the fresh RO saltwater, got it up to temp, salinity and PH, then transferred all my existing live rock, live sand, corals and fish and critters to the new tank

 

the highest levels recorded during the "mini cycle" with everything in there was:

NH3 1.0

NO2 0.5

NO3 20

 

i ended up with a little cyano or diatom? brownish algae growth on the dead rock and on the live sand surface, but the sea urchin and emerald crab seem to be enjoying it as a treat and the snails have most of it gone too and levels are down to:

 

NH3 .25

NO2 0.1

NO3 10

 

or lower, i didnt check it today as it has stabilized after a 10 gallon water change a few days ago

[alex101]

FEW UPDATED PICS

 

 

 

Everything is healthy to date, I'll keep it updated, I'll be getting some hard corals in a week or 2 so that should be an awesome adventure. I'll post more pics soon with my chiller install as well!!