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7.2g Cold Water Reef Build


Tamberav

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First, a big thanks to Stu at Cold Water Marine Aquatics and Mike from Micro-Reefs for making this all possible!


Tank: Micro-Reefs 7.3g 12x12x12 temperate aquarium made from 1/2 inch acrylic
Chiller: Chill Solutions CSXC-1 Aquarium/Hydroponic Chiller 1/15hp JBJ Chiller

Light: Ledtric full-spec par38 Nano-box Tide

Flow: Mp10 Jebao Sow-4

Skimmer: CAD PLS-50 Elite

 

Temp: 56 degrees

 

Livestock:

Fluffy Sculpin

Kelpfish

Catalina goby x2

Strawberry anenome

Jewel nem's

Chiton

Micro Hermits

Moonglow nem's

Ball anenome's

Aggregating nem's

Purple Urchin

Green Surf nem's

Encrusting Hydrocoral

Star Coral

 

Turban snails

Margarita snails

Mexican turbo snail

 

28960526526_fe25a85c5e_c.jpgsculpkelp1 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr

 

i5efkIk7zMZaS.jpg

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I know you enjoy slightly strange things. Have you seen the Snakelocks anemone?

Good luck with the cold water. I really want one but I just don't have the money to drop on a tank and chiller right now.

  • Like 2
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Well, I get to go meet Stu today :) My club flew him up here to speak at a frag swap. It is about a 3 hour drive to the swap though :angry:

 

 

I know you enjoy slightly strange things. Have you seen the Snakelocks anemone?

Good luck with the cold water. I really want one but I just don't have the money to drop on a tank and chiller right now.

 

So true, I do like things off the beaten path. There are a few ladies in my club who are really into NPS and I think one may start up a coldwater tank too after hearing I was going to :lol:

 

I did see that nem, very pretty green. I'm not sure if I want to do full NPS or also tidal critters. My one concern about doing nem's that need lighting is the feedings of all the nems/gorgs + lighting = could mean algae in a small tank. NPS is so easy because you don't need the light on long often enough for any algae to grow.

 

I was reading http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm and that was one of the problems Steve had with his tank when he had high lighting for growing kelp.

 

And thanks :)

  • Like 2
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Have fun at the meet.

Snakelocks come in other colors.

I also really like plume anemones, but they can get to large for that tank. But most of those are NPS

Green water is going to be an issue with the heavy nutrient loads in cold water tanks. I really personally don't mind green tinted water as long as it looks natural. Then again I also like black water tanks so to each his own. Not sure how they kept the water so clear.

  • Like 1
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Have fun at the meet.

 

Snakelocks come in other colors.

 

I also really like plume anemones, but they can get to large for that tank. But most of those are NPS

 

Green water is going to be an issue with the heavy nutrient loads in cold water tanks. I really personally don't mind green tinted water as long as it looks natural. Then again I also like black water tanks so to each his own. Not sure how they kept the water so clear.

 

So when you starting a cold water? :P You could technically justify it by saying since you don't need reef lighting.. that covers the cost of the chiller!!

 

The meet was great :D Came home with lots of goodies!

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Tidal critters!

Well, I get to go meet Stu today :) My club flew him up here to speak at a frag swap. It is about a 3 hour drive to the swap though :angry:

 

 

 

So true, I do like things off the beaten path. There are a few ladies in my club who are really into NPS and I think one may start up a coldwater tank too after hearing I was going to :lol:

 

I did see that nem, very pretty green. I'm not sure if I want to do full NPS or also tidal critters. My one concern about doing nem's that need lighting is the feedings of all the nems/gorgs + lighting = could mean algae in a small tank. NPS is so easy because you don't need the light on long often enough for any algae to grow.

 

I was reading http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_coldwater.htm and that was one of the problems Steve had with his tank when he had high lighting for growing kelp.

 

And thanks :)

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Trying to hold off tell I get moved, and its going to get really hard as one of the shops is talking about starting to stock temperate marine stuff. God only knows where I am going to end up when I finally get a job. So I am actually in the process of tearing down all my tanks that are not pico tanks. Its not a happy feeling at all... :(

I have an old freezer compressor that I am planning on converting into a chiller. I just need to finish cutting it loose from the freezer. I was working on it then we had a really cold snap and I sort of lost interest in the project between that and some other snags I kept running into.

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Trying to hold off tell I get moved, and its going to get really hard as one of the shops is talking about starting to stock temperate marine stuff. God only knows where I am going to end up when I finally get a job. So I am actually in the process of tearing down all my tanks that are not pico tanks. Its not a happy feeling at all... :(

 

I have an old freezer compressor that I am planning on converting into a chiller. I just need to finish cutting it loose from the freezer. I was working on it then we had a really cold snap and I sort of lost interest in the project between that and some other snags I kept running into.

 

 

ahh... moving tanks is a huge pain when it is a long drive. I have moved a 12g several times and there was a lot of work involved in just a 12g. I will be moving in either 1.5 years or 3.5 years depending if my husband decides to finish college here or not. I am dreading the idea of moving a 45g, 2x 20g, and the 7.2g temperate + all the equipment.

 

I try not to think about it and I guess will cross that bridge when I come to it. In the perfect world I would have new tanks set up at the new house/apartment before I moved the livestock but.. the world is hardly perfect.

 

Very lucky imo about the store thinking about having temperate. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to tempt you :)

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If I am lucky I may have the ability to set up new tanks at the new place and just transfer. Its not to bad moving small tanks as with my coral pico it will all fit in a 5 gallon bucket if I need to move it.

But yes it does stink.

Have you thought about finding a nice used nightstand at a thrift store for your tank stand? I saw several yesterday that would have been nice tank stands. (I personally prefer my tanks much taller but then again I am tall.)

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If I am lucky I may have the ability to set up new tanks at the new place and just transfer. Its not to bad moving small tanks as with my coral pico it will all fit in a 5 gallon bucket if I need to move it.

 

But yes it does stink.

 

Have you thought about finding a nice used nightstand at a thrift store for your tank stand? I saw several yesterday that would have been nice tank stands. (I personally prefer my tanks much taller but then again I am tall.)

 

I have a nightstand it will fit. I am debating if I should use it or buy a new one. I'll probably end up just using it though as theres really nothing wrong with it. It is just white and not as pretty as some of the ones online.

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Pix!!!

 

Tank is still being built :D I decided to go with ice probes because they are a lot quieter than a compressor and Mike is building me a custom base to work with it.

 

 

Entered LEDgroupbuy.com contest to see if I could get one of their sweet setups for this tank.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So there is a small chance I may end up moving to Alaska in the next month. If I do I think my cold water system will get up much faster then if I stay in this part of the country.

How is the tank coming along?

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So there is a small chance I may end up moving to Alaska in the next month. If I do I think my cold water system will get up much faster then if I stay in this part of the country.

 

How is the tank coming along?

 

Just waiting for Mike to finish building it. :) I'm working on ALL my tanks all at once right now. Major overhauls all around.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Have you thought about finding a nice used nightstand at a thrift store for your tank stand? I saw several yesterday that would have been nice tank stands. (I personally prefer my tanks much taller but then again I am tall.)

 

This is what I did! haha. I found a stand that was made for an old standard tv that happens to have a swiveling top for my 10g, and just some little solid end table for my 6 gallon. Then I got a desk recently and I'm gonna set up my Fluval Chi on the back right corner :P Though I think I'm doing that one fresh water....

 

How's the setup/tank going Tam?

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This is what I did! haha. I found a stand that was made for an old standard tv that happens to have a swiveling top for my 10g, and just some little solid end table for my 6 gallon. Then I got a desk recently and I'm gonna set up my Fluval Chi on the back right corner :P Though I think I'm doing that one fresh water....

 

How's the setup/tank going Tam?

 

Still waiting... Mike has a lot going on with moving so I am just trying to be patient.

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so it's like a month in and he still hasn't sent out your tank?

Hopefully this doesn't end up like some of the other nano-centric hardware guys that go out of business...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't worry guys, Mike keeps me updated. He just has a lot going on and he had a bunch of orders to finish before mine. He is also testing some new hardware on it.

 

I have been busy anyways downsizing some of my tanks to make room for this one. I still have a frag tank sitting on the stand where this tank needs to go. I have some frag racks on the way so once those get here I can pull the rest of the coral out and then I need to do a video review on a skimmer and filter Marine Depot sent me... and then... I'll have a place to put the Cold tank.

 

I am not going to use my par38 on this tank (need to use it elsewhere). Does anyone have any ideas for lighting?

 

I am mostly interested in something that is "clean" looking. I know I will check out the price of the 'no frills' nano-box units.

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  • Tamberav changed the title to 7.2g Cold Water Reef Build

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