danthenewreefman Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Hardware 15g AGA - 24x12x12 20g Scroll stand (for 20H or 15g aquarium) 2 - Koralia nano 425 heads 2-100w Tetra auto 78 Walmart heater (best heaters I've ever owned) 2 - Par38 Evil LED bulbs (20k-40optics)in custom made fixture Rock & Sand 12lb Florida reef rock from http://reefcleaners.org 10lb Bright White reef sand (dead sand) Coral Green metallic open brain Chalice - Bubble gum, Pink Boobie, Big Tripper, Hollywood Stunner Favia - War Coral Euphyllia - Grape Coral, Hammer Coral BUNCH different kind zoanthid Fish Ocellaris Clown This will be my attempt at a "Tank of the Month" quality tank. Koralia, and LR will be here Wednesday - Friday of this week. Everything else I already have, and I've made the fixtures for my par38 bulbs already. Bulbs are 12" off the water. This tank is basically 2 12" cubes put together, I feel this will be an ideal lighting solution, giving me (if I understand the graphs correctly) 50-100par wall-to-wall. The tank will be open top, no cover or screen. Link to comment
Coastie Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 You decide to pull the rim off of it? I LOVE the dimensions of these tanks btw. Im running a low light system with just 2 t5s and I the growth of my favia is insane! Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 no i kept the rim on. mr. aqua has a 17.4g that's the same dimensions just a few inches taller...but they're out of stock right now. I may, in the near future upgrade to that tank... if i do switch, the move would be super easy as their tank would fit on the same stand. -- Just got back home from the office tank tear-down. Felt bad taking my jewel cichlid to pet store, had had him for 5+ years :-( Last FW tank i owned... Link to comment
deadmau5 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Following along! I'm starting my 15g this summer. Sounds great so far Link to comment
Coastie Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Sorry about the cichlid. If you were local to me I'd sell you my already derimmed 15 cheap as I did the same thing you were talking about. I have a custom built one on it's way with slightly thicker glass. If I didn't have the AC70 on the back of the 15, I'd have no problems trusting it. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 Leveled the tank, using cardboard, I just kept cutting little squares out until it was perfect. Carpet makes it a little difficult. Making water now! I bought some of the "seachem" stability, their equivalent of "cycle". I'll let y'all know how it works. Link to comment
Coastie Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Cool light holders! Where's the rock? Just a thought but if you actively use those books you may want to move them. I know working on my tank water gets flung everywhere. So you may end up damaging them. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 Cool light holders! Where's the rock? Just a thought but if you actively use those books you may want to move them. I know working on my tank water gets flung everywhere. So you may end up damaging them. No, I don't plan to use the books, I never sold any text books back. The stand seems more stable with the additional weight. But that's probably because there is no water in tank. The light holders are pvc, epoxy, krylon fusion, & normal clamp on light fixture like we use on a fuge. I cut the cord, extended it with wire and ran it through the pvc. Then I epoxyed the top of the light holder in the pvc and painted everything black. ghetto but functional and allows the tank to be seen from top looks good so far thank you very much! and the rock will be here soon, reefcleaners are shipping it monday, and I'm in NC (so 2-3days delivery) Link to comment
Mini-Dude Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 its gonna be pretty sexy, even sexier if you de-rimed it Link to comment
Coastie Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 ^ hahaha seeeeee Cough Cough AHAHA Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 If I decide its a must have I'll get that mr.aqua 17.4g when it's back in stock. So far, the rim is growing on me, but "topless" is always in style. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 no flash flash There is no such thing as a cycle if you're taking rock straight from one tank to another. At least in my past 3 setups I never had any issues at all, hopefully none with this either. Now, a big part of that is probably b/c rock is out of water for 15 seconds at most. I love how the light comes in like that, you do see those beams like seen in the non-flash photo, but they're more EVERYwhere in the tank, not focused seen. mmmm glitter mmmmm. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Put a bunch of SPS, zoanthid & stunner chalice in here. Everything looking REALLY happy, none of the polyps are reaching for light at all! Flat as they can be! lol I think I'm going to use a dowel rod to make sure I have the lights pointed exactly right. I really liking the tanks dimensions. A 12 inch tall tank is great, no wet shirt! The 5.5g is empty with sand and brisstle worms only. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Got the 2 425 KOralia at lunch... meah... The flow is so linear JUST like the 240s... I didn't have time to play with them a lot, but compared to the ONE 600gph the TWO 425 (so 250gph MORE flow cumulative) seem like far less. but the tank really looks clean with the smaller heads!!! I transitioned the marineland HOB, can't decide if having the heater in the tank, or having the HOB on the back looks worse. Link to comment
doppelganger Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 love the spot light affect in the first pic! Looking forward to seeing it stocked! Subscribed! Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 really looks like that, I'm loving the tank too. reefcleaners.org rock will be here soon, shipped from FL to NC (close trip) TODAY! So figure it gets here Wednesday, you won't be seeing rock in here until Friday/Saturday. I've stocked up on grey epoxy, I can't wait to get my artist on (sculpting!)! Link to comment
Bluntokian Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Thought about throwing on an external pump and doing an open loop to supply your flow? (The open part obviously being the tank) Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Possibly. I always thought about closed loop, but if I did one. I'd want nothing in the tank, so I'd want enough flow through JUST the loop. Which adds the need for a LARGE overflow, and several outlets. Lots of drilling, and cost when you count it all up. But there is nothing sexier than an external overflow feeding a closed loop. Not even a vortech looks as clean! Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 I'm leaving the HOB, the benefits outweigh the negative points on appearance. And it's not rimless, so not a major party foul. Chemical media place (seagel is what I use) hides heaters hides thermometers coarse sponge for particulate removal small cryptic zone that's FULL of pineapple sponges The powerheads REALLY blend in with the back background. http://reefcleaners.org rock shipped today! whoop whoop! Says on website "up to 5 days", I'm expecting it Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Can't wait! got the epoxy waiting! Link to comment
Coastie Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Possibly. I always thought about closed loop, but if I did one. I'd want nothing in the tank, so I'd want enough flow through JUST the loop. Which adds the need for a LARGE overflow, and several outlets. Lots of drilling, and cost when you count it all up. But there is nothing sexier than an external overflow feeding a closed loop. Not even a vortech looks as clean! Glass holes kits come with drill bits that I have now used to drill 4 tanks with. Just realized you are talking about a closed loop system which I know absolutely nothing about. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 me neither. but I get that basically it's aquarium flow through a "closed loop" using a water pump. so like, you could have nothing but a couple intakes and several outlets, drilled through the back glass and nothing else in the tank! no powerheads. clean. Link to comment
Arcbound Phyrexian Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 The light holders are pvc, epoxy, krylon fusion, & normal clamp on light fixture like we use on a fuge. I cut the cord, extended it with wire and ran it through the pvc. Then I epoxyed the top of the light holder in the pvc and painted everything black. ghetto but functional and allows the tank to be seen from top How do those (LED?) lights compare to regular bulbs in terms of visibility, coral care, and cost? (I'm a n00b. ) Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.