monkdaily Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I woke up today like Billy Madison knowing it wasn't nudie magazine day but I felt the exact same way. NEW AQUARIUM TANK DAY!! NEW AQUARIUM TANK DAY!! I've had my eye on an innovative marine nuvo 16 for quite a while. It's just such a sleek looking tank to me. However after reading all the stories of it cracking. I went with a Mr Aqua 17.1g. My plan is to convert it into an AIO based on the nuvo but with a slightly different sump design. My current 5.5g has been running fine and I haven't been doing much to it but I did plan ahead and got much larger equipment than I needed for the 5.5. A 100w heater, an AI Sol blue, and a aqualife 115 skimmer. I have Marc from Melevs Reef locally here in DFW building my false wall. And so much egg crate I can build media racks till the sun burns out. So once my wall is installed and my return pump is purchased the transfer will begin. So on to the pictures. The box scared me quite a bit when it arrived. Even the UPS guy knocked first because he wanted to make sure I was here before he hauled it to the door. Marine depots packing was top notch Preparing for the takeover!! Link to comment
aviator300 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Cool pics...I'm going the opposite way from you..I'm about to start a build thread going from a Mr Aqua 17.1 just like yours to a Mr Aqua 7.5 bow front. I had knee surgery with complications recently and the larger tank has been just too hard to keep up with.. I'm not sure what i'm going to title my thread yet but I'll follow yours if you'll follow mine...BTW, i like your PVC light stand, I built one just like it already for my 7.5. Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Sorry to hear that man. I'm pretty impressed with the Mr. Aqua so far the beveled low iron glass looks good and the seams look spot on too. I really wanted a cube but I live in an apartment and only had so much run so this was best bang for the buck. That's the same reason for the pvc light rig. I wish I could build something nicer but it works is cost effective and I can put the money back in livestock ? Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 So I mocked up my false wall for you guys to check out. No bananas for scale so here is the next best thing for actual display area. And this is behind the wall. From left to right media basket, mini basket fuge or GFO reactor, the return, bubble catcher, skimmer another media basket. Link to comment
aviator300 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Sorry to hear that man. I'm pretty impressed with the Mr. Aqua so far the beveled low iron glass looks good and the seams look spot on too. I really wanted a cube but I live in an apartment and only had so much run so this was best bang for the buck. That's the same reason for the pvc light rig. I wish I could build something nicer but it works is cost effective and I can put the money back in livestock This is DIY instructions by resident light maker "Dave Fason" of NanoBox for building a sleek light hanger for us apartment dwellers. I would have gone this route in a minute if i didn't have to buy a pipe bender for 40.00. I also didn't know anyone to borrow it from either. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/350540-how-to-build-a-light Your sump area design looks great and for the record, I prefer rectangles over cubes because for the same water volume, the fish have more room to swim before turning around and you also have more up-front viewing room but that's just my preference. Link to comment
Spiderguardnano Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 What does it leave your display at? Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 This is DIY instructions by resident light maker "Dave Fason" of NanoBox for building a sleek light hanger for us apartment dwellers. I would have gone this route in a minute if i didn't have to buy a pipe bender for 40.00. I also didn't know anyone to borrow it from either. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/350540-how-to-build-a-light Your sump area design looks great and for the record, I prefer rectangles over cubes because for the same water volume, the fish have more room to swim before turning around and you also have more up-front viewing room but that's just my preference. I'm in the same boat with the bender and I don't have a stand. So it. Is going on a counter so absolutely no drilling. When I get a stand I'm building that thought What does it leave your display at? By my calculations with the cardboard mock its between 10.5 and 11 gallons Link to comment
aviator300 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 What does it leave your display at? I have no idea, it would depend on the how much water the aquascape displaces. Link to comment
Halo_003 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Very nice, following eagerly. Link to comment
ImNew:] Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Wow talk about initiative. This is awesome! Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Thanks a lot I hope to meet with my acrylic guy early next week and hopefully have it wet by the weekend stay tuned!! Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Sumps looking good! How wide are you making it? Nice extra baffle after the skimmer ? Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Sumps looking good! How wide are you making it? Nice extra baffle after the skimmer ?Right now I have it at 3.75" which is plenty of room for my hand to clean and do maintenance when needed. I could probably go to 3.25" or 3.5" and add a little extra room to the display But I want to make sure I have enough room for either a sicce 2.0 or a rio+ 1700. I have an aquaticlife 115 in my 5.5g. Its great but I could never get the micro bubbles to stop and ended up putting it in my aquaclear 70. So the extra baffle was an absolute necessity. Thanks for the inspiration boss!! ? Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I meet with the acrylic guy tomorrow. He has my original plans to mimic the IM nuvo 16 but I have been working a 2nd option. Number two would be more of a peninsula style. This will be going on my bar And will be a room divider the only thing I don't like about this option is that it has less options for filtration and will require a powerhead on the other side. I meet at 6pm so what are yalls opinions? Link to comment
Spiderguardnano Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Peninsula way better way more room and justlre pleasing I would say make enough room to at least fit a cad light ps50 skimmer Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I have the same 3.75" measured and I does give me about 2 extra gallons compared to the previous idea. And the cadlights skimmer does looks like a beast I just wish it had a bit of a lower profile look Like my aquatic life 115 Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think peninsula would be sick! Always like how those tanks look? Link to comment
Coolhandreefer Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I like the peninsula style better, more room in the display portion and 3 side viewing. Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think I'm going with the peninsula style. I was trying to stay away from a powerhead but think I'm going with a smaller return pump and a rw-4 on the opposite wall. Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 And I can always put some rubble rock and a GFO reactor (if needed) in the return chamber. I'll just have to go sans chaeto compared to the other design Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think it would be smart to plan for a reactor ?. This tank is gonna be sweet! Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I appreciate it man. I am meeting with the acrylic guy today at 630 and hopefully I can get it wet this weekend. I'm stoked on the peninsula idea it gives me about 4.5 more gallons of display. ? Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Well I just got back from the acrylic guys house. The meeting went very well and he agreed the peninsula design was the winner. He said he has a ton work to do before reefapalooza and I may not get my wall till the 27th. No biggie this guy's world is worth the wait Link to comment
monkdaily Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Just had an idea about mounting problem and wanted to run it by you knowledgeable folks. I live in an apartment so as you know that means absolutely no drilling for a mount. Currently I have the old DIY PVC mount but with this new upgrade I really want a way sleeker look. So how's this for genius?...... Two AI Nano mounting arms one for each side of the sol mounted to the side of the tank like the nano? Ideas? Would it work? Has it been done before? Link to comment
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