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Innovative Marine Aquariums

Nathan's Shallow Reef


Nstocks

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Here is the build of my first saltwater aquarium. Fish have been a part of my life since 9 years of age with a Koi pond then later a 60L tropical aquarium.

 

I love the top-down view of fish and corals so I created a open-top shallow rimless cube. Over time I will stock a mixed reef including my favourite corals and fish such as birds nest, monticaps, hammer coral, mandarin dragonet and of course clownfish.

 

SYSTEM

Display: 750mm 750mm x 300 low iron glass

Sump: 600mm x 500mm x 400mm

Lighting: AquaIllumination Hydra 52 EU with wireless director

Flow: Aqua Medic Ecodrift 4.0

Heaters: 2x Eheim Jäger 150W

Skimmer: BM Curve 5 Deltec SC1351

Return: Jebao DC2000 Jecod 4000

Smart ATO

Aqua Medic temperature controller

Aqua Medic S reactor with Vertex ROX 0.8 carbon

Rowaphos

 

FISH

2x 1x Ocellaris Clownfish

Royal Gramma

Green Mandarin Dragonet

Yellow Clown Goby

3 x Green Chromis

Wheelers Goby

 

INVERTEBRATES

2x Cleaner Shrimp

2x Conch Snails

3x Trochus Snails

Red Sea Star

5x Turbo Snails

5x Hermit Crabs (small)

5x Nassarius Snail

Bellus Shrimp

 

CORALS

Torch coral

Green Acropora

Blue Acropora

Zoas

Monticap

 

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Dry marine rock was cured and cycled for a period of 9 weeks, although the process took less than 6 weeks with little die-off.

 

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A huge sheet of high-gloss MFMDF arrived at the workshop.

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The cabinet was designed so that it can be easily disassembled for moving purposes (and to get it through the door!) A total of 12 bolts secure the top and bottom to the sides. All gloss panels are non-structural and can be removed.

 

More to follow...

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When you work with high gloss mfmdf, do you cut it the same way as you wood plywood or do you need a finer tooth'd blade to keep it from chipping?

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When you work with high gloss mfmdf, do you cut it the same way as you wood plywood or do you need a finer tooth'd blade to keep it from chipping?

 

A finer toothed blade work better for this material. I actually used a router for every cut! It takes a lot more time but it eliminated almost any chips.

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After a dozen quotations for the aquarium and sump, I found one that was able to actually build the "complex sump" and complete the job within 3 weeks!

 

I drove the 180-mile round trip to collect it, not before looking around their beautifully stocked store - the most impressive store I had seen in person - hundreds of corals, rare fish and beautiful displays.

 

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Leak test. Notice the clarity in the opti-white tank compared to the standard float glass sump. Worth every penny in my opinion.

 

The next stage was to design and have made the overflow box. I wanted the tank to be free as of much cables and culture as possible, so I used a cable holder suction cup as a guide to add notched in the overflow box to keep cable secure. A full height overflow box and lid keeps equipment and plumbing in and fish/inverts out.

 

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A few weeks later the laser-cut box arrives. 25mm return perfectly fits the void.

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Equipment is here!

 

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The trusty Bubble Magus Curve 5 was my skimmer of choice. Very impressed with the precision and construction considering the reasonable price.

 

After looking at options to hang the light (AI's own bracket) I knew I could design something to better suit my needs of hiding cables. I came up with a stainless steel box section that would 1) allow me to mount the light and 2) provide enough space to channel other cables through.

 

A week later and several hours of intricately feeding power cables and a stainless steel hanging cable though tiny holes, this is the result:

 

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The bracket is fastened to the back of the cabinet with two bolts. It can be removed fairly easily and the Hydra 52 fixtures allow the light to be moved to any height; currently 9" off the water line. You can see two cables further down the bracket that are for powerheads.

 

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Test water filling

 

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Initial aquascaping with CUC. Overall I'm happy with how it looks, other than the empty space on the back right. (more rocks were added since this photo was taken). No doubt it will keep evolving as I add corals that will help fill in the space.

 

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Virtually no power cables visible here

 

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View from across the room at my desk

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Thank you,

 

I must confess; my Brother is a carpenter! I helped with the build and as long as one has the right tools for the job, this is quite easy to build. The difficult parts were cutting down the gloss sheet to keep it from chipping away. That and the edging is very time consuming.

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Bad ass tank NS. I've always wanted to do a clean shallow low-iron rimless style like this it just doesn't fit the decor in my home. I might seriously consider it for my next build though - probably 3 years out assuming I have the opportunity to move.

 

Also, I like the scape a LOT. IMO it's hard to screw it up with such a plentiful sand bed though...

 

What are your stocking plans?

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Bad ass tank NS. I've always wanted to do a clean shallow low-iron rimless style like this it just doesn't fit the decor in my home. I might seriously consider it for my next build though - probably 3 years out assuming I have the opportunity to move.

 

Also, I like the scape a LOT. IMO it's hard to screw it up with such a plentiful sand bed though...

 

What are your stocking plans?

 

Thank you aj!

 

Minimalist fits every decor :D

 

I've thought about dividing the rocks up a little so I have 3-4 smaller islands, depending on what I have left in the sump - it looks a little too open and I'm obsessing on that open space at the back. Plus it might look like the corals are pushed towards the edges of the tank....

 

I've noticed some brown/green spots on some of the LR. First thoughts are too much lighting but LR in the sump has some too and is not lit. Perhaps just part of the algae cycle? Zero phosphates, ammonia and nitrite.

 

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STOCKING PLANS

A pair of Clownfish have always been my first choices with a saltwater tank. Everywhere seems to be sold out of Percula or Picasso so I'm going drive to another fish store in a couple of weeks to see what they have.

 

Mandarin Dragonet. I've been culturing copepods for a few weeks but learnt that too high salinity is bad, so I'm going to start over. I think this is my favourite fish of all time, other than Femininus Wrasse or Orange spotted filefish which are hard to keep and feed on corals so that's out.

 

Midas Blenny - I really like the way they move, almost like an eel. I find the Bi-colour blenny interesting too but that and Mandarin will stay at the bottom and Midas will keep mid-level in the tank.

 

That's the list so far. I'd like Harlequin shrimp but can't justify the price of buying live starfish.

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Thank you.

 

No plans for a lid as of yet. If anything tries to jump out, I'll make a mesh cover for it. It's already designed in preparation!

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Thank you aj!

 

Minimalist fits every decor :D

 

I've thought about dividing the rocks up a little so I have 3-4 smaller islands, depending on what I have left in the sump. IDK, it looks a little too open and I'm obsessing on that open space at the back. Plus it might look like the corals are pushed towards the edges of the tank....

 

I've noticed some brown/green spots on some of the LR. First thoughts are too much lighting but LR in the sump has some too and is not lit. Perhaps just part of the algae cycle? Zero phosphates, ammonia and nitrite.

 

17332842712_15ae323835_h.jpg

 

Stocking plans

 

First fish which I've been looking for since April is clownfish! Everywhere seems to be sold out of Percula or Picasso. I may drive to another fish store in a couple of weeks to see what they have.

 

Mandarin Dragonet. I've been culturing copepods for a few weeks but learnt that too high salinity is bad, so I'm going to start over. I think this is my favourite fish of all time, other than Femininus Wrasse or Orange spotted filefish which are hard to keep and feed on corals so that's out.

 

Midas Blenny - I really like the way they move, almost like an eel. I find the Bi-colour blenny interesting too but that and Mandarin will stay at the bottom and Midas will keep mid-level in the tank.

 

That's the list so far. I'd like Harlequin shrimp but can't justify the price of buying live starfish.

For the shrimp, you can keep a Chocolate chip starfish in the sump, and cut a leg off every once and a while for the shrimp. If you get the blenny, make sure to get a top. ORA breeds some cool fang blennies as well.

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For the shrimp, you can keep a Chocolate chip starfish in the sump, and cut a leg off every once and a while for the shrimp. If you get the blenny, make sure to get a top. ORA breeds some cool fang blennies as well.

 

I looked into that but don't the legs take unto a year to regrow? Is it really true that one harlequin eats a starfish in 10-14 days? (I know it't mostly the suckers that it eats)

 

Top blenny? I think Midas stay mid-level in the tank if that's what you are referring to.

 

With the diatom (?) outbreak, should I hold off adding any corals or fish?

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Top blenny? I think Midas stay mid-level in the tank if that's what you are referring to.

 

Blennies love to find a way to get out, it's probably best to get a lid if you want one. Its probably best to get a top with any fish, they are all prone to jump at some point.
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