Which Tank Should I build! VOTE NOW!

[airman_verde04]

Diagram #1

 

This first is my nano AIO cube design, Both tanks will have the Nova Extreme 18" T-5HO I'm currently using on my 10g. This tank will be hold about 6g in the display area, with about 1.5g sump/refugium. The idea of this 9 inch height is to support the light needed for SPS, and other hard coral that need very intense lighting.. Also, with the overflow, refugium and carbon in the filtration, it should filter out this tank far better than my current 10g, the Bio filtration alone should substantially increase the stability of the water parameters along with weekly water changes, along with providing the tank with alot of natural food (pods). This tank will be primarily for housing very hardy, yet a larger variety of corals. It will not have any shrimp of any kind or hermits, snails only. I would plan to put a Clown Goby because they are cute..

 

The demission’s will be 12w x 18L x 9H, the display area with either be 12x13x9 or 12x14x6 depending on home much room I really need or want for the sump area. Since the light 18" long, the main tank light will hang over the sump area lighting the Refugium, although I would love to have a light running on alternate schedules. The idea of this tank is to save as much money as possible by refusing stuff from my current tank. the Main water flow should come from the return, though I will put a my nano power head in the tank if needed. I'm trying to have as clean of a display area as possible for rock coral and fish (all 1 of them). I will be using 1/8" acrylic which I have had quoted from $35 shipped.

 

Diagram #2

 

 

This tank is a larger tank then I have been planning, but has the same low profile like a frag tank would. It will be about 9g which will let me keep my Clown Fish, which is one of the things I wasn't looking forward to with this downsize. The dimensions would be 18x18x9, the display area would be 18x14x9, the sump would hold about 2g of water, the refugium in this tank will have the LED lights on during the main tanks night cycle. This tank has basically the same Idea as the one above, to hold more light demanding coral, its just a little bit bigger. Though since the tank will be 18" long, the whole light will be used in the main display. What’s kind of cool about this is since the light will be still close to the water (9"), depending on my rock work, I'll be able to house all the coral that needs alot of light near the back wall, and those that need little light can be closer to the front of the tank since its wider(deeper) than a standard 10g at 10" wide. I'm thinking though there shouldn't be to much light lost near the front of the tank (since the light will be pushed all the way back to the false wall) because the tank will only be 9" high. anyways, this tank will use the return as a source of flow, but I will use the Nano power head. This tank will also use 1/8" acrylic, and I have it quoted at $43 shipped.

I'm slowly but surely liking this design more than the other, but only because it will be closer to still holding 10g, and I can keep my fish, they are really cute! ( love clowns, the main reason I got into reefing anyways!)

 

Your opinion will help alot! I really like both designs, but with your input It will help alot. and In the end though, my wife will be making the ultimate decision on which tank I can build anyways. but I still need a vote!! hehe.. so VOTE AWAY!!

[ajmckay]

Both tanks look nice to me really. I voted for the 9 gallon just because I like the low tanks (as long as they are wide also).

 

Also, when you say that you will use 1/8 acrylic for the tanks, I assume you mean for everything, right? I personally don't think that 1/8 inch will be strong enough for this tank. I've built several enclosures out of 1/8 inch acrylic and they definitely need bracing of some sort... You might want to try some thicker acrylic, or glass would be cheap as well.

[NanoReefNovice]

So far 9 votes and its unanimous. 9g no brainier

[Atlantis Reef]

9 for sure

[airman_verde04]

Both tanks look nice to me really. I voted for the 9 gallon just because I like the low tanks (as long as they are wide also).

 

Also, when you say that you will use 1/8 acrylic for the tanks, I assume you mean for everything, right? I personally don't think that 1/8 inch will be strong enough for this tank. I've built several enclosures out of 1/8 inch acrylic and they definitely need bracing of some sort... You might want to try some thicker acrylic, or glass would be cheap as well.

 

I'm waiting to get the firewall taken off a website of a glass co. in Charleston. I think I might be able to have them cut what I need for alot less cost. Glass that is.. I like glass.

[disaster999]

WOAH...1/8" acrylic? you serious? dont cheap out and get the thin stuff. i would at least use 1/4" and if you are thinking rimless, 3/8"

 

i vote neither with your current design

[Matty1124]

if it were me (and its not) i would take out a refugium (that small isnt going to make any impact) and add room for a skimmer... dont forget adding sand will take away about an inch of room in your display... dont make it so shallow you wont have space fore stuff to grow on top of the LR... and i agree with everyone else about building out of 1/8 inch acrylic... if your tight on cash go to homedepot, thats where i get my glass for my smaller tank builds

 

good luck

[airman_verde04]

if it were me (and its not) i would take out a refugium (that small isnt going to make any impact) and add room for a skimmer... dont forget adding sand will take away about an inch of room in your display... dont make it so shallow you wont have space fore stuff to grow on top of the LR... and i agree with everyone else about building out of 1/8 inch acrylic... if your tight on cash go to homedepot, thats where i get my glass for my smaller tank builds

 

good luck

 

eh, no skimmer, I've thought about it a ton, but I really dont want a skimmer on anything this small. I'm going for sleek and compact! And the only thing is that if I build the smaller tank, I sell my fish, so I will almost break even with that money and the $50 I am aloud to spend (per the wifes and I's agrement) I'm thinking, maybe, I'll just make the smaller tank 12x12x9 (which leaves the sump at 6x12x9, thats almost half the tanks water volume) and I'm not planning stanking the rock all that high except in the very back of the tank.. I've been thinking about this tank for a long time now. Not to Mention I have 5 more months before I even get back State side.. I have tons of time to plan. oh, and dont you loose about an 1" in every tank due to sand (aside of Bare bottom tanks) Thanks for you Opinion.. this is the stuff I look for..

[disaster999]

so are you still going to make this out of 1/8" acrylic?

 

we are trying to tell you its not safe to build it out of that thin of acrylic and will bow pretty bad. using cut glass from lowes will be a wiser choice.

[airman_verde04]

so are you still going to make this out of 1/8" acrylic?

 

we are trying to tell you its not safe to build it out of that thin of acrylic and will bow pretty bad. using cut glass from lowes will be a wiser choice.

 

No, I'll make it out of thicker stuff if I use acrylic, what I was saying is, I like Glass better, and there is a shop downtown where I live who can cut and smooth out the edges of some thinker glass.. or I can cut it, and they can still round the edges..

 

What I was really getting at is I'm still in the Middle East and I have 5 more months too go. So I have alot of time to plan and make all the right choices.

[masterbuilder]

long and low is the way to go.

 

Mark

 

EDIT: Forgot to add....thanks for helping us out over there

[Tanque Verde]

dont forget adding sand will take away about an inch of room in your display... dont make it so shallow you wont have space fore stuff to grow on top of the LR

good luck

+1. Nine inches is shallow.

[becact]

In my opinion, you don't need all those baffles and such in there. Only one middle wall with a gap at the bottom will do. Anything more and there will be no room to work or place a heater or chaeto. Check my 2.5g link in my sig to see what I did, it works well for me.

[Haagenize]

I suggest you move the bubble trap to after the refugium so there's no reason for any bubbles to collect in the refugium before it goes to the return pump

[masterbuilder]

In my opinion, you don't need all those baffles and such in there. Only one middle wall with a gap at the bottom will do. Anything more and there will be no room to work or place a heater or chaeto. Check my 2.5g link in my sig to see what I did, it works well for me.

 

 

I suggest you move the bubble trap to after the refugium so there's no reason for any bubbles to collect in the refugium before it goes to the return pump

 

 

+1

[airman_verde04]

well.. My wife e-mailed me, and she had a really rough time doing the water change on her own. So she asked me to put my livestock up for sale on the local reefers board.. Kind of bumded, but I'll be able to start freash.. So know one likes like Pico Design? I still will need to see what the price will be at the local glass shop when I get back. but I'm kind of feeling the Pico. I did a really awesome paper mock up.. It looked cool.. had alot of room.. (for a pico) 12x12x9 display, 6x12x9 sump area.. any comments?

[lacassiere101]

sweet stuff