Sango's 8G Rimless JBJ

[sango]

 

Dec 4, 2021

 

 

Tank

• Display: JBJ 8 Gallon Rimless Desktop
• Light: Aqua Illumination Prime HD
• Controller: Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite
• Flow: Jebao OW-10 Wavemaker
• Sump: Standard 5 gallon aquarium
• Filtration: 4" filter sock; Sapphire Nano Media Reactor w/Brightwell Aquatics Xport BIO Cubes
• Skimmer: CPR Bakpak 2
• Dosing: Drew's Dosers - Red Sea Reef Foundation A,B&C and DIY NOPOX
• Feeding: Reef Roids and Red Sea Reef Energy A&B
• ATO: JBJ ATO Water Level Controller
• Salt: Red Sea Salt
• Rock and Sand: ~5lbs of live rock and ~5lbs+ of CaribSea Aragonite

 

Maintenance

• Daily: Feed Reef Roids and Red Sea Energy A&B.
• Weekly: 10% WC, refill ATO, empty & clean the skimmer cup.
• Monthly: Refill dosing reservoirs.

 

Livestock

• SPS Coral
  • RR Pink Floyd
  • Tyree Green Jacket Acropora divaricata
  • ORA Red Planet
  • Aussie Tricolor Acropora valida
  • Rainbow Bali Cake
  • Pink Acropora spathulata
  • Blue-tips Surfer Staghorn
  • Green Montipora cap
  • Red Montipora cap
  • Orange Montipora setosa
• Invertebrates
  • Various snails
• Fish
  • Red Head Goby
  • Spotted Dwarf Goby

 

Inspiration

• Snorkeling in Maui
• Jake Adams' Ecoreef One
• BRSTV ULM Tank Trials
• Red Sea Reef Care Recipes
• Japanese Sanzon Iwagumi

 

History

I started this tank in 2016 with the display and the live rock that you see today. In the beginning I was doing no testing or dosing and performing 100% WCs, modeling the tank after Ecoreef One. Since then nearly everything has changed.

 

It has been through many ups and downs. It crashed not long after I set it up when I bleached the very first corals I added under intense T5HO lighting. After that life got in the way and it sat dormant for more than a year. In 2018 I added a fish and a few corals, drilled an overflow and added a sump and skimmer. Things were going well until August 2018 when I went away on vacation and my house-sitter forgot to fill the ATO reservoir so it crashed again. I wasn't ready to give up so I stabilized it and put it back on auto-pilot with no livestock until 2019. In early 2019 I decided to rethink my approach and shoot for "Ultra-Low Maintenance". When I moved to a new house I replaced the stand, went from bare-bottom to sand bed, replaced a dead Vortech MP10 with a Jebao OW-10, and added automatic 2-part dosing and carbon dosing.

 

In 2021 the tank crashed yet again when I went away on vacation and I lost several corals. I bought the Seneye Reef to check PAR levels and monitor my tank parameters. I also started dosing MicroBacter Clean to manage algae growth. I successfully fought off both algae and dinoflagellates. In December, 2021 I redid the aquascape with help from @DNR88.

 

 

[sango]

February 10, 2016

A few weeks ago I went snorkeling in Maui and that inspired me to set up a nano-reef. Since then I've been searching for a sub-10 gallon rimless AIO tank with joined corners and clear silicone. I was just about ready to give up the search as a lost cause when I saw this on ReefBuilders: https://reefbuilders.com/2016/02/08/jbjs-flat-panel-rimless-desktops-hit-the-all-in-one-sweet-spot/. JBJ has just released a new "Rimless Desktop Aquariums" line. Aside from the included 10 watt LED light fixture, which is not bright enough for the livestock I'm planning to add to this tank (SPS), the 8G Flat Panel looks perfect.

 

I immediately placed my order with Premium Aquatics. I also put in an order with BRS for 15 lbs of dry "reef saver" rock and 10 lbs of Carib Sea Special Grade sand. 15 lbs is too much rock for a tank this size but I ordered extra to give myself more scaping options. The JBJ LED fixture won't go to waste - maybe I'll use it on a softie tank or maybe even a planted FW nano.

 

Next step will be to select a SPS-capable light (the nano box reef mini tide and duo fixtures are high on my list right now). I already have a Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite controller and a Vortech MP10 that I plan to use. I'm hoping to get by with large frequent water changes, so no skimmer and no dosing. If needed later, I have some Drew's dosers and 2-part lying around. I also have a JBJ ATO that I plan to use when I am away from home for extended periods.

 

It's been a couple years since I broke down my last reef tank. I'm super-excited about this tank, and looking forward to seeing other JBJ Rimless Desktop build threads.

 

I'll post again when the tank arrives.

 

=======

 

February 16, 2016

The tank arrived yesterday. I was super excited to set it up so you can imagine how disappointed I was when I opened the box only to find that the rear wall of my new glass box was shattered. I emailed Premium Aquatics some pictures and they replied right away that they would get a replacement shipped out ASAP. Great customer service with them so far.

 

And then I tested the Lyra LED light that came with the broken tank and was again disappointed to discover that it will not work a timer - when the timer switches the power on the light stays off until you manuslly turn it on by pushing the "Color" button. In my opinion, automation is a big part of successful reefkeeping, and having lights that operate on a timer is the most basic component of automation. For me, the lamp is basically unusable. And now, when the replacement arrives, I'll have two of them.

 

So, two disappointments.

 

On the bright side I was able to use the broken aquarium to lay out my aquascape. And it has given me time to take care of a few DIY projects for equipment organization and ATO setup. So when the new tank does arrive (again), I'll be ready! Well, except for lighting.

 

Im still leaning towards Nanobox Reef and I think I want a Duo - even if the smaller Tide would provide enough coverage, I'm tempted to go bigger just to stay future-proof. You never know when you might need a 12" LED fixture...

[sango]

Aquascaping in a broken glass box...

 

 

The new (unbroken) tank arrived yesterday and today it's wet!

[JR!]

wow awesome little tank. excited to see how this ends up

[Elizabeth94]

I am really loving tanks without painted backgrounds. Looks so open and bright. Lovely!

[sango]

wow awesome little tank. excited to see how this ends up

 

Thanks JR, your 15g build is very impressive to say the least. I found it the other day while I was looking for tanks that use Nanobox lights. I was wondering whether your Duo has 5 channel control and if you think it's worth getting?

 

I am really loving tanks without painted backgrounds. Looks so open and bright. Lovely!

Thanks Liz, I have had tanks with painted black backgrounds too (I actually have one now). I definitely prefer the unpainted look as long as 1) it's not cluttered with wires, tubes, and pipes; and 2) there's nothing ugly behind the tank. The AIO internal overflow on this tank hides the clutter for me, so I'm really liking that! But there's not much I can do about the ugly green to white wall transition in my kitchen. If it ends up annoying me too much I may move the tank to a different room.

[Elizabeth94]

Hmm.. I was thinking about putting a white background on my neck tank with a removable acrylic sheet. That was I could take it off and change colors if I ever get tired of it. Maybe you can look into that? Unless you like the complete open idea, which is very nice too.

[JR!]

 

 

Thanks JR, your 15g build is very impressive to say the least. I found it the other day while I was looking for tanks that use Nanobox lights. I was wondering whether your Duo has 5 channel control and if you think it's worth getting?

i dont have the 5 channel but i wish i did. 100% worth it

[sango]

i dont have the 5 channel but i wish i did. 100% worth it

Yeah, I like the idea of having the extra channels to play with. I'll probably spring for them. Right now I'm using an old 2x24" T5HO fixture, with one daylight and one actinic bulb. I contacted Dave from Nanobox about the Duo. He said it might be a bit overkill for a tank this size but that it would be good for SPS because I definitely won't have any shadowing. I guess my only concern is whether there will be lots of "light spill" over the edges of the tank. What do you think?

 

Hmm.. I was thinking about putting a white background on my neck tank with a removable acrylic sheet. That was I could take it off and change colors if I ever get tired of it. Maybe you can look into that? Unless you like the complete open idea, which is very nice too.

Liz, in the past I've tried taping black and blue sheets of plastic sold at the LFS to the outside back of my tank. Problem was I would always get little drips of water between the back of the tank and the plastic which would show up as white streaks when it dried. I like your idea of using white acrylic, but I feel like I might have trouble cutting it to just the right size especially if it were very thick. I've seen people using something similar called "starboard" on the bottom, especially for bare bottom tanks. Would you put it inside your tank? Do you have a link to a place that sells the stuff you're talking about?

[Sk8n Reefer]

Looking good- interested to see where you take it ?

[Elizabeth94]

This is the link http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/acrylic_sheets_color/341

 

They will cut it to size for you. To avoid any water going between the acrylic and glass you can just put a very small amount of clear silicone around the edges. That company also sells starboard if you wanted to go that route. Not sure if that can go in the tank or if it stays outside the tank? I wanted to put a piece of white acrylic on the bottom and get rid of my sand, but its too much work.

 

When I set up another tank it will be bare bottom, have a white bottom, and white or no background.

Do you have a link to a place that sells the stuff you're talking about?

[sango]

Looking good- interested to see where you take it

Current plan for the tank is SPS only. I'm waiting to start stocking it until I work out a few issues.

[sango]

So about those issues...

 

Yesterday I realized that the Reef Crystals salt I have, which is 4 or 5 years old, has gone bad. When I mixed it with water, hard little white balls fell out onto the bottom of my mixing bucket and wouldn't dissolve. When I measured the alkalinity a few days after adding the water to my tank, it was about 4 dKH. That's super-low for Reef Crystals. I dosed 2 part, and brought the alk up to 11 dKH. 12 hours later it had dropped down to 6 dKH. I'm seeing white precipitant on the glass. If my water were low in magnesium that would explain why the alkalinity is dropping. I don't have a magnesium test kit and even if I dosed magnesium, who knows what else might be wrong with this old salt. Time to cut my losses and buy new salt, which is a shame because I have enough to make 150 gallons and I've been storing it all this time! I'm thinking of getting ESV B-Ionic salt mix, which I read good things about on Reef Builders. But the LFS I checked at today here in San Diego doesn't stock it so I guess I'll order it online.

 

Other than the salt, I think my Digital Aquatics pH probe has also probably gone bad. I tried to calibrate it last night, but it's reading off by a lot. Not sure how much use I'd get out of it anyway, so I'm reluctant to replace it. Anyone out there using a pH probe? What are the benefits if you're not dosing kalkwasser or using a calcium reactor?

[sango]

This is the link http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/acrylic_sheets_color/341

 

They will cut it to size for you. To avoid any water going between the acrylic and glass you can just put a very small amount of clear silicone around the edges. That company also sells starboard if you wanted to go that route. Not sure if that can go in the tank or if it stays outside the tank? I wanted to put a piece of white acrylic on the bottom and get rid of my sand, but its too much work.

 

When I set up another tank it will be bare bottom, have a white bottom, and white or no background.

 

Thanks for the link! You've given me a lot to think about. I'm seriously considering a white background now. I also wanted to go bare bottom but it definitely wouldn't work on this particular tank without something on the bottom to block the view of the black plastic platform it's resting on. If the sand causes me any issues I'll consider white acrylic or starboard on the bottom of my tank too.

[sango]

In the past I've made mistakes with coral placement, had problems with coral aggression, or just changed my mind about where to place corals, and it was always a big hassle to move them because they were attached directly to my rocks. Well, a few weeks ago I learned about about "pegging". The idea is that you drill holes in your rock, then glue your coral frags to rigid airline tubing, then slide the tubing into one of the drilled holes. Afterwards it's easy to move your corals around. I thought it sounded like a cool idea, so when I bought my dry rock from BRS, I also ordered a length of 1/4" tubing. Tonight I pulled out my rocks and drilled holes in them using a 1/4" drill bit. The whole process took me about 30 minutes. When I finally get around to putting some corals in my little glass box, I'll be ready to peg!

[sango]

It's been more than 3 years since I posted but this tank is still up and running. It's been through some ups and downs. A few months ago I lost some corals and a fish which was pretty discouraging. But I'm not giving up. Since my last post I've made a number of changes, hopefully for the better.

 

The biggest change has been that I drilled the display and added a 5G sump underneath. In the sump I have a return pump, a JBJ ATO, a heater and temperature probe (both plugged in to the Reefkeeper Lite), a CPR Bakpak skimmer, a media reactor (currently running carbon), and some live rock. The only equipment in the display is a glass lily pipe. My MP10 died this week (RIP), and I've decided to replace it with a Jebao OW-10. I'll also be adding a filter sock in the sump.

 

As far as livestock, I have a photosynthetic gorgonian, some red macroalgae, a few mushrooms, and a piece of red Montipora. They all appear to be doing well now and I'm planning to add more corals in the near future.

[sango]

The Jebao OW-10 arrived yesterday and I have to say I'm impressed. It's a great little wave-maker for the price. Today I added more corals! Green Montipora cap, an unknown purple plating coral, orange Montipora setosa, and a couple of unknown Acropora spp. I also replaced the carbon in the media reactor with Chemi-pure Elite.

[sango]

FTS

 

 

Sump

[DNR88]

That looks interesting, good luck with the tanks. 🙂 

 

PS. You could try to create a similar scape in your reef tank as you have in your FW-tank.

[sango]

Updated FTS

 

[sango]

Update: Tonight I added a sand bed

[sango]

[sango]

Acropora sp

[sango]

Gorgonian

[sango]

Discosoma(?) Mushroom