Lex's 20 High Mixed Reef

[lex0219]

After a few years of being out of the hobby I decided it was time for another tank, so without further adieu my 20 High Mixed Reef!

 

Equipment:

20 Gallon High by AGA

20'' 150 Watt Sunpod W/ 14K Phoenix Bulb

X2 Koralia Nano 425 (425GPH)

100 Watt Marineland Stealth Heater

Aquatic Life Internal Mini Protein Skimmer 115

Coralife Digital Thermometer

Double Underwater Light

AquaClear 110, with Heater & Skimmer and modded for additional filtration

AZOO Cooling Twin Fans

 

 

Livestock:

 

25-30lbs LR (Mostly Fiji)

20lbs CaribSea Aragonite Reef Sand

 

Fish:

-None Yet-

 

Planned:

X2 ORA True or False Perc Clowns

Yellow Candy Hogfish

and possibly a

Bicolor Blenny

 

 

Invertebrates:

x5 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab

x3 Turbo Snail

x4 Nassarius Snail

 

Corals:

 

 

 

Macro Algea:

Chaetomorpha

 

 

 

Current FTS Updated April 19th 2010

 

[lex0219]

The Build

 

This is my first build thread so bear with me!

 

So after reading many threads and I have decided to try my hand at another reef. So of course I read and read and was torn between a 20L, 20H and 29 and ultimately decided upon the 20 High because it had the perfect foot print. I decided upon a false wall to hid most of the equipment and hide the intake to my AC110 as well as serve as a fuge. The back as well as the piece of acrylic that serves as the false wall are painted with Krylon Fusion. Their is also a baffle behind the false wall that serves to separate the fuge and filter intake. In the fuge are 2 under water lights that will be on a reverse cycle from the Sunpod. The Sunpod is also suspended over the tank making it an open top and sits right at above 6 1/2 inches above the water and runs from 11AM - 11PM.

 

Ill post up pics and updates as I go and below are some pics of the build.

 

First FTS

 

 

Cutting Acrylic

 

 

Cut and in the Tank

 

 

Baffles Cut out with Dremel

 

 

Ready to Paint

 

 

Painted

 

 

False Wall in Tank

 

 

Top View

 

 

With dividing piece in

 

 

Modded AC110 (The plastic piece is removable)

 

[lex0219]

Light Up

 

 

Sand In

 

 

Adding Water and LR

 

 

And luck would have it I cut the baffles to small so I had to break them off to get a good flow going. I will be putting a piece of mesh to block critters from getting in the fuge.

 

 

My View

 

 

Filter Top View

 

 

Filter Front

 

 

Behind the False Wall

 

 

Left Side

 

[Arkayology]

WOOOOOOO 20H! Looking good. I like the idea of the custom overflow. You really did you homework, it looks great.

 

I see on your planned livestock list that you like my Yellow Candy Hog It is an awesome fish.

 

But what kinds of corals do you plan to keep? With a sunpod, I would hope you are going SPS and maybe a clam or two?

[lex0219]

WOOOOOOO 20H! Looking good. I like the idea of the custom overflow. You really did you homework, it looks great.

 

I see on your planned livestock list that you like my Yellow Candy Hog It is an awesome fish.

 

But what kinds of corals do you plan to keep? With a sunpod, I would hope you are going SPS and maybe a clam or two?

 

Thanks! And ya I definitely love your Yellow Candy Hog, that's where I got the idea! And you don't see them everyday so it adds a little something.

 

But as far as coral go I plan on having a Zoa & Ric garden, LPS scattered about and a healthy amount of SPS as well a few clams. And if I can get the scape right I was thinking about a few Maxi Minis on their own little island.

[Tanngu87]

OMG your tank is making my tank look like cr@p! haha whatever. im not trying XD LOL Ill throw you some semi picassos when they start breeding well that's if they start breeding.

[lex0219]

OMG your tank is making my tank look like cr@p! haha whatever. im not trying XD LOL Ill throw you some semi picassos when they start breeding well that's if they start breeding.

 

Haha well thanks! But yours is pretty nice too and sounds good! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Tanngu87]

Haha well thanks! But yours is pretty nice too and sounds good! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Are you kidding me? the only that awesome in my tanks are the fishes lol Your tank is already awesome without anything already haha

[lex0219]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you have a nice set up. But thanks I really appreciate it. Still need to tweak the system a bit. . .

[AdriftQuasar]

I really like the looks of this setup. Let's see some moar pichers!

[lex0219]

I really like the looks of this setup. Let's see some moar pichers!

 

Thanks! And I'll have some up tomorrow

[lex0219]

Alright here is my aquascaping adventure!

 

1st Scape

 

 

2nd Scape Version 1

 

 

2nd Scape Version 2

 

 

2nd Scape Version 3

 

 

3rd Scape

 

 

4th Scape

 

 

5th Scape

 

 

6th Scape Version 1

 

 

6th Scape Version 2 (Same as above just slightly left) Current Scape

 

[lex0219]

And some more shots from today.

 

Current FTS

 

 

View from Left Side

 

 

Right Side

 

 

Top Down

 

 

Paly Hitchhikers

 

 

W/ Flash

 

 

Also a little update the tank was running a little hot and with the lights on got up to 82 Degrees so I ordered a Azoo cooling fan and a few other goodies from Marine Depot today. Also I am in the market for an ATO since with the evaporation due to the Sunpod is more than I expected. I have had to add quite a bit of fresh water to keep the salinity down and the noise from the flow to a minimum. In addition I have ordered a small Mag-Rack from Black Rock Reef

[Tanngu87]

looks like everything is coming together for you! Its looks very good!!!

[tangov559]

what skimmer are you using? what are you using for return? where is your return?

[lex0219]

looks like everything is coming together for you! Its looks very good!!!

 

Thanks

 

what skimmer are you using? what are you using for return? where is your return?

 

I am using a Aquatic Life Internal Mini Protein Skimmer 115, and behind the false wall is the intake for an AC110 which flows into the display section. Their is no sump and the fuge is behind the false wall as well.

[lex0219]

Water Parameters as of this evening.

 

Temp - 80.1

Specific Gravity - 1.024

PH - 8.2

Nitrate - 0

Nitrite - 0

Ammonia - .10

 

Marine Depot order looks as if it'll be here in the next few days and Mag-Rack is on its way. Also tomorrow I am picking up some Chaeto from a local reefer!

[Byrdman]

Tank is looking good so far. Love the scape

[lex0219]

Tank is looking good so far. Love the scape

 

Thanks!

 

Water Parameters as of this afternoon.

 

Temp - 78.3

Specific Gravity - 1.024

PH - 8.2

Nitrate - 0

Nitrite - 0

Ammonia - 0

 

 

So everything seems to be doing good so far, I have a hair algae bloom and was going to pick up the first members of my CUC either today or early next week. Also I got my Azoo fan in the other day, it didn't fit on the side of the tank so I ended up putting it on my AC110 blowing inward and it seems to be working well. The temp is down to 78 and it hovers right around their throughout the night and day. I also got the Chaeto in my fuge and am running my duel underwater lights 24/7. It looks to be happy and healthy!

 

I have a few more projects in the works such as an ATO which I should hopefully have done in the next week or so. And I am setting up my QT tank on Tuesday and will post pics and specs when it is up and running!

 

And of course here are a few pics!

 

FTS as of 4-10-10

 

 

FTS W/ Blue LED's

 

 

Hair Algae

 

 

AC110 W/ Fan

 

 

Fuge W/ Lights on

 

 

 

 

Let me know if you have any comments, concerns or questions!

 

Alex

[latteslave]

great job! looks like a very well thought out build.

[pyrocreep]

You really managed to get a lot into that AC110. It by no means looks cluttered though. The scape came out pretty well too.

 

I like this build.

[lex0219]

great job! looks like a very well thought out build.

 

Thanks I appreciate it!

 

You really managed to get a lot into that AC110. It by no means looks cluttered though. The scape came out pretty well too.

 

I like this build.

 

Thanks, I tried not to make it to cluttered.

 

 

 

Little update got the Mag-Rack in. And still on track for the QT being put together this Tuesday and hopfully a CUC as well!

[tangov559]

Wow.i really like the false wall..is there any way of knowing how to do the baffles other then trial and error? also, what kind of paint did you use? How's your skimmer production?

[lex0219]

Wow.i really like the false wall..is there any way of knowing how to do the baffles other then trial and error? also, what kind of paint did you use? How's your skimmer production?

 

 

Thanks And for the baffles it was trial and error for me, since I made them to small I had to break them off and am still trying to figure out a way to prevent my future CUC and fish from getting in the back. I'm not sure if their is a specific way to know how many and what size baffles you need for a specific amount of flow though. Maybe someone with a little more experience will chime in here. But as far as the paint goes I used Black Krylon Fusion Spray paint, you can see the can in a few of the pictures I posted. Just let me know if you would like a better one. Simmer production has progressed greatly. I moved it a little higher than what they recommend and got it adjusted accordingly and after a few days of a clearer wetter skimmate it has now turned a dark shade of green. I will post pics of the color today or tomorrow!

[Diskusting]

you got a whole colony as hitchhikers? that is a pretty sweet deal.