NanoTopia's ADA 30c [ FLIR ]

[thekookie]

Acrylic Crafting

Exterior Fan Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mind if I ask what fans these are?

 

This is all ridiculous

[NanoTopia]

2 x 120mm computer fans, brand name Rocketfish™. I originally planned on having one fan push air in and the other sucking it out. After consulting an engineer friend, I have changed this, I have them both pulling air out. I have left a gap in the door large enough that ample air can be sucked in. The reasoning behind this makes some sense. Cool air from outside the stand is pulled from both reservoir and sump areas removing heat and humidity = water cooled when needed. Now I have not tested the effectiveness of this as there is no water in the tank, but air flow over a surface of water generally increases evaporation which in turn cools the water. I see this method not much different from running fans on the display or sump to cool water, both I have done. The reason the fans are in the place they are is simple, 2 inches over the top of the sump should create most of the air flow over the sump water. Effective cheap cooling you cannot see. I am designing this build so focus is on the tank, or better, on the live stock and not equipment. If all works as planned, I should be able to maintain 79 degrees in the summer months, I am doing this currently with two other tanks.

 

All this is experimental to some degree, I won't know how effective this system is until it gets the true test. I am more concerned with my plumbing plans at the moment, they are not 100% the standard in aquarium design either

[thekookie]

If I'm not mistaken, you crafted a lot of those acrylic pieces yourself?

I think when all this is said and done you're gonna have a good amount of pride invested in it.

Thank you for the write-up on the fan. I thought you DID have one pullin air out, and one pulling air in, so you're explaination was insightful.

Just a really good job all around on all of this. Looking forward to the display.

[NanoTopia]

Everything is made by me, this was a vision I had a few months ago and decided to make it happen. Things are really coming together but small changes are happening on a daily basis. No matter how much you plan something, when you actually do it you see all the problems with it. I am waiting for the display tank so I can drill it and make the overflow and begin plumbing.

[Parker0824]

The fans are super sweet, this whole build is at that.

 

Are you keeping the 20uo still? And will this tank be zeo as well.

[NanoTopia]

The fans are super sweet, this whole build is at that. Are you keeping the 20uo still? And will this tank be zeo as well.

Thanks, I am keeping the 20 gallon and looks like the pico too, starting my own public aquarium here, LOL. I will dose some Zeo products in this tank but it will not be a full Zeo tank. I am thinking about running Seachem Matrix in an up-flow reactor, only problem is where I would put the reactor

 

 

Christine

[Parker0824]

Lol, I feel ya.

 

What products will you be dosing? I got less polyp ext when I started dosing some products which I thought was odd? Let me correct myself, my polyp ext is fine my milles and most sps have no feeders til late, I was thinking its cause I'm not full zeo so I temporarily stopped to see if it would pick back up. Currently I'm only dosing bak/start3/ and sometimes PX/or Food7.

[NanoTopia]

Lol, I feel ya. What products will you be dosing? I got less polyp ext when I started dosing some products which I thought was odd? Let me correct myself, my polyp ext is fine my milles and most sps have no feeders til late, I was thinking its cause I'm not full zeo so I temporarily stopped to see if it would pick back up. Currently I'm only dosing bak/start3/ and sometimes PX/or Food7.

Feeders generally come out at night. PE should be there in the day but not necessarily with all corals. Lots of hybrid systems out there doing just fine. Maybe nutrients are too low, could be lighting, could be many things. If you have good colour and growth I would not worry about PE or feeder tentacles etc. Maybe try some PIF and check your potassium levels as well. Try dosing CV three times a week.

[Drift Monkey]

Good call on facing both of the fans out. This is a much better configuration than facing one in one out...you basically double your airflow this way.

[kveekx]

What kind of overflow are you going to do? Also did you silicon the acrylic into the sump or something else? I am building a new sump and I would like to use acrylic baffles too but I have heard silicon glass and acrylic dont work too well. Sorry if you have answered before but when Im in this thread Im usually just being mesmerized by the craftsmanship in the pictures! haha

[Drift Monkey]

What kind of overflow are you going to do? Also did you silicon the acrylic into the sump or something else? I am building a new sump and I would like to use acrylic baffles too but I have heard silicon glass and acrylic dont work too well. Sorry if you have answered before but when Im in this thread Im usually just being mesmerized by the craftsmanship in the pictures! haha

 

Acrylic holds to glass fine with silicone as long as it's not load bearing.

[NanoTopia]

What kind of overflow are you going to do? Also did you silicon the acrylic into the sump or something else? I am building a new sump and I would like to use acrylic baffles too but I have heard silicon glass and acrylic dont work too well. Sorry if you have answered before but when Im in this thread Im usually just being mesmerized by the craftsmanship in the pictures! haha

Standard acrylic tooth overflow with 3/4" drain pipes and two durso stand pipes 3/4. Yes silicone works quite well on glass and acrylic. I have used methylene chloride to bond the joints that are acrylic to acrylic and Aqueon clear silicone to bond acrylic to the glass in the sump. Basically you could just use the silicone for all the joints to make things simple.

[kveekx]

Standard acrylic tooth overflow with 3/4" drain pipes and two durso stand pipes 3/4. Yes silicone works quite well on glass and acrylic. I have used methylene chloride to bond the joints that are acrylic to acrylic and Aqueon clear silicone to bond acrylic to the glass in the sump. Basically you could just use the silicone for all the joints to make things simple.

Okay cool!

[NanoTopia]

Stand with Equipment Complete

Top Down View of the Sump

Equipment is not in final position.

So this marks the end of phase two, I now wait for the ADA 30C Cube tank before beginning plumbing. There are some odds and ends I can work on in the mean time like start the display overflow and plan the scape etc.

Thanks for following everyone, there is much more coming soon, things are going to get interesting when the tank and lighting arrive. Still lots to do before we see water flowing but things are getting closer now.

I am working on the Video [Part Two] right now, I will post it here as soon as it's done

Christine

[RollaJase]

Stand is amazing, such attention to detail. One of my favorite builds going around.

[Giga]

I have to agree that and ADA belongs on this stand

[NanoTopia]

For those wanting the overview version I now have part 2 of the build on video.

 

 

Part 1 (for those who missed it)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PFQXnW0Yoo

 

 

Part 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIpFGTqAKg

 

[shaner014]

Wow.

[mpsti05]

That is by far the best looking stand I think I've ever seen!

[d'Espresso]

This is by far the best planned out design tank with lots of custom made equipment for an ADA30c! Made mine look like crap! Good job! tagging long this one too! lol

[Giga]

I thought I was good at DIY but you have me doutbting my skills. I need to try and make my stuff more like yours

[DaveFason]

NEW....TEASER....COMING..

[Bello]

This is no longer a tank build..... this is ART!!

 

It would take me days to make to just build that exterior fan cover, AND it'd look like crap!

[NanoTopia]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad you all like what I have done so far. I was having some trouble getting my head around the plumbing and scape in the tank, as I don't have the tank yet, so I decided to model part of the tank and overflow 1:1 ratio. This will make it easier for me to visualize the final product. As with the stand, the tank is tight as well, things have to be planned out well if everything is going to fit.

 

The overflow takes up quite a bit of room in the tank, the reason is I will have 2 x 3/4" drain pipe bulkheads sitting within it. Yes I said 2, that is generally way more than is normally needed for a 7 gallon cube. I plan to have 400-500 GPH in the return, the reason is I want to create enough flow for LPS corals without using power heads in the tank. So I need an overflow that can handle this much return and some extra, just in case. I will be constructing 2 durso drainpipes that have to fit behind the overflow as well.

 

I have decided to do something to make the overflow less obvious. I will be making a custom overflow with beveled edges in WHITE acrylic, not black like you normally see. I feel this also goes with the white theme and the white Nanobox LED much better. Since I am using a ADA tank, it made sense to follow Takashi Amano's philosophy of "Anything blocking the aquascape is unnecessary". No pumps, cords, heaters, frames etc. will be visible. Well maybe the LED power cord (which I will try to hide) but that's it.

 

I am also working on an idea that will make the return lines (there will be three) almost invisible in the tank. Not an easy task but I think I will be able to pull it off, I am modelling it out now in detail and will post mock-up model pictures soon to get some feedback. I have never seen the type of design I am attempting anywhere before, maybe I am not the first, I hope I can pull it off.

 

I wait "patiently" for the ADA tank to arrive so I can begin phase 3 of this build, tank drilling, plumbing, aquascaping, lighting.

 

Phase 4 will be soon after as a water test is done and then cycling the tank and adding livestock.

 

Again, thanks for following, I know it is taking some time to get this thing wet but that's the way it has to be

 

 

 

Christine

[Drift Monkey]

Nice idea with the white overflow box. It certainly is going to attract algae...but then again just about any color would. If will def fit your scheme better though.

 

What are you going to use for return outflow?