Dropped's Desktop Nano - Closed down

[dropped]

I have now closed this tank down after nine months,

 

Check out my New Office Distraction

 

FTS 23/02/2016



FTS 12/1/2016




So this was never supposed to be a Pico Reef, in fact it was meant to be my QT

The plan was to buy a mandarin for my display tank and while in the QT i would train him on to frozen\pellets, with a supplement of live rock and macro algae containing pods that i had been culturing in the fuge of my display tank to sustain the little guy. And all was going well! he had even started eating frozen mysis!!!

Anyway, one morning i found him on the floor, not sure how he managed to get out of the tank, my guess is my office door slammed and freaked the poor little dude and he jumped...... i was the most gutted i had ever been to loose a fish, was quite fond of him.

During the process of adding the live rock rubble and the macro algae to the tank it really started turning into a wee little reef, so once the Mandarin past away, i added a bit of sand and few more pieces of live rock, couple zoa etc.

It just so happened that the light was using was a 16k white blue light, which might just work for some LPS.

Specs

Tank: Custom 27L Rimless all in one
Pump: Jebao DC-1200 [/size]
Light: MicMol Aqua Mini Colour
Heater: eheim jager 60L
Temp Controller STC 800


Basically the rock was just a mass wall across the back, this has since changed but here is a pic for now.

[dropped]

Ive since removed one of the HOB filters as it wasnt needed. and managed to come up with a mini skimmer using a gravel vacuume and a air stone which seems to be working really well.

 

 

Gravel Vac/skimmer from the front ( can you see the fish?)

 

 

Gravel Vac/skimmer from the side

 

 

I have also built a new rock scape, which is currently sitting in the sump of my display tank cycling, once cycled ill rescape the tank and mount all of the coral in there final resting places.

here is the new scape, excuse the back ground mess.

 

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Few more corals, waiting for another three weeks before installing the new scape.

[NinjaReefer]

Looks great. The skimmer is a smart idea. How is it working out for you?

[dropped]

Yea really well to be honest, ive got it set pretty wet at the moment, its been running for about 48 hours now.

 

Will upload a pic of the skim shortly.

And that baby flame angel is not staying in there either, he will chill out in there for another 3 weeks then go into my main display tank.

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[Sk8n Reefer]

Insta tank! I see the the flame's face peeking out on that one shot! That skimmer idea is awesome- nice job! I like the overflow for it

[dropped]

now i just have to try and be impatient. Ive got a few plans for this wee tank.

 

I have designed an all in one filter to go into the back of the tank, which will have three compartments. But to install it i need to pull everything out and i dont want to stress the new flame angel out.

 

Wonder when the misses is going to cotton on that this is no longer at QT tank haha.

[dropped]

Sorted out a DIY auto top off today.

 

Parts

 

1 x 1Meter Airline tubing

1 x 1.5L container

1 x old tiny filter ( just the pump part)

2 x float switches.

 

Made a perspex bracket which sits in the tank holding one float switch, the second one is upside down in the reservoir in case it runs dry. The entire container can empty into the tank without fear of it over flowing, this was kind of my goal so i didn't damage my house.

 

 

 

Drilled a hole in the hang on back filter for the auto top off line

 

 

Its not the best job ill admit, could have done a few things better.

 

Also i want to add something so when the pump activates it turns on for 10 seconds or so. Rather than the pump turning off and on all the time.

[olemanwinter]

Could you possibly go over how you converted the gravel vac into a makeshift skimmer? I'd love some more details and step-by-step on that process. Pretty please!

[dropped]

Haha ok i guess i can.

 

1) Get a gravel vac that does not have the self starting feature, if it has this, remove it.

2) get a fine air stone that fits in the vac tube, i used the red sea wooden air stone/block

3) get some type of suction cup to stick the gravel vac to the glass, in my case i used a Eminem heater suction cup, which fit perfectly around the gravel vac. it also allows movement up and down.

4) Connect the air stone to the air pump and put the air stone about 1 inch into the gravel vac tube, i didnt do anything special to keep it in place, it just stayed by its self.

5) connect the waste line to a bottle or where ever you want it to go.

 

From here you just need to move the vac up and down within the heater holder to get the desired skim. as you can see in my picture i used the standard tube, im thinking about putting a smaller waste tube on. This is solely for aesthetics.

When i clean it ill take some photos for you.

[dropped]

Came home to find my DIY ATO was stuck in the on position... float switch failed.... Oh well.

[HarryPotter]

Hey did you wire the float switch directly into the pumps plug? If so that's not safe... Too high voltage in the tank; you need something to step down the voltage. 120v is dangerous.

 

You can get a relay to take it down to 12v.

[dropped]

Yea i did wire it straight in, however i do have a relay here which i can use.

 

Ive actually altered this tank quite a bit over the weekend and no longer have the ATO or skimmer.

[dropped]

here is a couple of pictures with the new scape. This tank is really my frag tank now, and what ever corals i dont want in my display

 

 

 

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@olemanwinter

 

Here are the parts required for the nano skimmer

 

 

 

and together

 

 

 

really simple, but it works

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[Tamberav]

Looks great!

 

Btw, mandarins are actually known to be jumpers (even though it doesn't seem like it since they tend to move so slow on the bottom). I lost a small one through 1/4 inch netting even. If you ever try again, be sure to have a top

[dropped]

Looks great!

 

Btw, mandarins are actually known to be jumpers (even though it doesn't seem like it since they tend to move so slow on the bottom). I lost a small one through 1/4 inch netting even. If you ever try again, be sure to have a top

 

 

Yea hard lesson to learn! wont be doing that again!

[dropped]

 

 

Added a new power head today..... Not enough power though.

[dandelion]

I love your idea of putting a fan on the light mount! Will be useful when summer comes

[dropped]

haha yea, its hooked up to a controller, so when its too hot the controller turns it on.

 

PS.. summer is weeks away for us in New Zealand

[dandelion]

I really need to get a controller soon. I've seen some pretty affordable ones on eBay that require assembly but shouldn't be too difficult.

 

haha yea, its hooked up to a controller, so when its too hot the controller turns it on.

 

PS.. summer is weeks away for us in New Zealand

[dropped]

i think mine is the ATC-800 or something along those lines. was $50 dollars NZD.

[dropped]

I went into my office late last night where this tank is located, and i swear i could hear something... didnt pay much attention to it at the time, just carried on looking at nano-reef.

 

Then as i was going to bed i decided i would check it out, which lucky i did! The pump which attaches to the bottom of the HOB filter was leaking!

 

so didnt have much option apart from pull the HOB off the tank and put it in a bucket for the time being. This means part 2 of this project is coming up!