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My 1/2 gal. SPS tank.


mmelnick

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I just finished up modding a 1/2 gal tank to be my next reef project. (Yes, I know I'm crazy) It'll have a few types of SPS, as well as a good selection of colorful zoas. I might add a few more really colorful softies though. I haven't decided yet.

 

I started with a 5"X5"X5" tank:

1-9.jpg

 

Then I took a piece of 2" ABS and cut it down to the height of the tank:

5-3.jpg

 

I then cut that pipe in half (length ways) for the overflow, I drilled a hole for the overflow bulkhead, another for the return line, painted the back of the tank black and siliconed in the overflow stand.

3-6.jpg

 

I also painted the base and rim of the tank black.

2-7.jpg

 

For lighting I think I'll be doing a 3 LED array. I have a 20watt 50/50 PC bulb that I can use. But it's 8" long and the opening for the rim is only 4"X4". If I use this bulb I'd have to run it in a desk lamp and point the tip of the bulb at the tank. I think that bulb was designed to be placed parallel to the water, so I'd lose most of the light.

7-1.jpg

 

My other option is to add a few LED's to this "fixture". It is the head of an LED desk lamp that I got at Wal-Mart. It has one single LED, and I'd swap that out for a CW Cree LED and 2 RB's. I'd also paint it black and put it on a pipe that I bent to 90 degrees so it would be hung over the opening. I just have it sitting on the tank for this shot, but I'd run it about 3-4" higher than that.

6-2.jpg

 

I also plan on doing an aragocrete rock structure for this tank. I have some really cool LPS skeletons that I found on my honeymoon in Jamaica that I'll be using for the surface of the rockwork.

 

The overflow and return line will be concealed by the aragocrete. And that weird square area on the bottom of the tank will be a cave. It's actually about an inch lower than the rest of the tank's bottom, so it will be a cool little hiding spot. (not that I'll have a fish in here)

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Will this work? :D To me it seems like you could fit one sps and maybe a zoa but not much else.

 

That's part of the reason for doing the aragocrete structure instead of just dropping in a piece of live rock. I'll mold the rockwork to have ledges that are designed just for coral placement. I'll probably have about 3 types of SPS on the top, and about 5-6 types of zoas on the bottom. Also this tank is viewable from 3 sides, so I basically have 3 4" areas to work with, instead of just looking at the front.

 

Buy yes, it's very small.

 

Pretty cool design so far! Though I am not sure about that weird square thing... lol.

 

But it won't be visible once the aragocrete goes in.

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I want to see it stocked!

 

Me too!

 

But the aragocrete can take a couple months to cure. I'll get some LR curing in a bucket so that the sump will be nice and mature by the time I get the tank up and going though. I don't think I'll have much of a cycle with a 1/2 gal tank full of sterile aragocrete if I have a 10 gal sump full of cured LR.

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pismo_reefer

I have 2 back sections of HOB Overflows.....

I'll ship one or both to you, free, if you want to use one as a mini-fuge?

 

just sayin'...

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Reefmonster
I have 2 back sections of HOB Overflows.....

I'll ship one or both to you, free, if you want to use one as a mini-fuge?

 

just sayin'...

man...What a great offer! That's why I love NR!

 

 

@ OP...NICE MOD...I wish I had thought of it! It's gonna be awesome!

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Following along. I love sub gallon reefing just to see how small it can go. Any chance for a pic of the back of the tank with it hooked up?

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Pretty cool! I got the exact same cube from Petsmart with my halfmoon betta in it. Can't wait to see pics of your mods in action.

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twelve volt pro

Thats a really cool idea, hopefully it will work. Ill be following along on this one as well!

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I have 2 back sections of HOB Overflows.....

I'll ship one or both to you, free, if you want to use one as a mini-fuge?

 

just sayin'...

 

Thanks for the offer, but I'll have a 10 gal sump. I think that should be plenty. Plus I don't see much need for a fuge when I'll have no fish to eat anything that breeds in a fuge.

 

But that's a great offer!

 

Following along. I love sub gallon reefing just to see how small it can go. Any chance for a pic of the back of the tank with it hooked up?

 

 

Sure, I'll get around to that early next week. I'll snap a pic when I get the plumbing up and running.

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The silicone finally dried and the overflow passed the leak test. Now I get to start on the aragocrete!

 

 

I'll snap some pics of the plumbing tonight and try to post them here for you tomorrow.

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Oh, here's what I did for plumbing. The lower bulkhead will have a threaded fitting attached with an adapter to fit 1 1/2" PVC for the overflow. The upper bulkhead is for the return. I decided to run it through the back wall because this is such a small tank and I thought that a loc line return or something like that would take up too much room. That fitting will have a hose adapter for the return from the sump.

 

back.jpg

 

 

And here's the first layer of aragocrete curing under wet sand. I did the base and the cave last night. After it sets up a bit I'll do the top portion and the back wall and then let it cure under water for at least 6 weeks.

 

sand.jpg

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This is sweet!!!! great idea.... following along to see this stocked!!!

 

Thanks! I'll try to keep this thread updated with my progress. I'm hoping to get the rockwork done thnight.

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Just a quick update. I got the aragocrete done and snapped a few pics. The water is only 2/3 of the way up in these shots because I don't have any plumbing on the return fitting. But you get the idea.

 

 

It's kind of hard to see in the pics, but there is a cave on the bottom, and a second small opening to the cave on top of the rockwork.

 

And there is no sand in the tank. I covered the bottom with aragocrete too. So I should have room for frags to grow all the way up to the glass.

 

Here's the front view:

front-2.jpg

 

And from the sides:

right-1.jpg

left-1.jpg

 

The 3/4 view:

DSC_0005.jpg

 

 

And here it is curing in the toilet. I find that letting it cure in the back of the toilet is easier than changing the fresh water out in the tank once or twice a day. It automatically changes the water every time it gets flushed.

 

You can kind of see the top opening to the cave.

DSC_0011.jpg

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thesmallerthebetter

wow :)

 

lookin hawt. thrilled that its came out looking this good so far :)

 

tagging along for sure

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Lol that toilet method is hilarious.

 

I learned that from someone else on here when I did my first batch of GARF rock a few years ago. It worked well then, and this tank actually fits inside the back of the toilet... so I figured why not. :lol:

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Just a few more pics.

 

Top view of the 2 openings to the cave:

DSC_0001-9.jpg

 

DSC_0002-2.jpg

DSC_0003-2.jpg

 

There's still some concrete dust on the plastic so it's a bit fogged. But I still have a few weeks of curing to go, so I didn't scrub it all off yet.

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