A Frozen 20L

[Chebon]

I'm back! While I never really left the hobby I've been busy with life for some time. Have had a 5.5 walled off into an AIO with a LED light I made up and running for some time. Mostly the usual LPS and softies and a love for the non-photosynthetic. Well onto the reason for this thread...

 

I was kinda randomly given a new 20L and stand as a late xmas gift. The family all knows of my love for the hobby and offer parts and gift cards or to go with me to a LFS as gifts for birthdays and mine happens to be coming up... It has been a while since I have looked at new equipment so I might be imagining a system with old outdated stuff here. I'd like a little input.

 

I called this a Frozen 20L because this tank will be in an enclosed patio that gets pretty cold. Not kidding, in the winter my 5.5 steams at 79F. I will be running a couple over powered heaters on this thing.

 

So I figured I'd drill or have my tank drilled for an overflow to a sump. Glass-holes has a simple kit unless there are nicer setups anyone can point me to.

 

Probably going to stick to a 10 or maybe a 15 or some odd size that would fit into a standard 20L stand if I found a nice sump.

 

Drained into a 4 inch filter sock. I have a small reactor already that will let me plumb intake and output.

I've had a constant battle with nitrates and phosphates so was thinking of using this reactor to run biopellets (people still use these right?) and have the output of the reactor plumbed into the intake of a skimmer.

 

As for a skimmer... I was thinking the Tunze Doc 9001 or maybe the step up given that the 9001 is for this size and I'll be running biopellets. Go with the 9004? Input on this? Are there newer better skimmers I am just not aware of?

 

I was going to do a simple fuge with lighting and macros to further help with nutrient export and PH stability. I was just going to buy a couple replacement LEDs to swap on the fixture I made and put that over my fuge.

 

A Sicce pump for return. For something like this to push about 200GPH what do people normally end up using a 1.5? Thoughts on better pumps?

 

Given that I planned on continuing to devote a good portion of this tank to the non-photosynthetics that interest me so much I was going to go with a Kessil A80 lighting one side mostly. Or maybe springing for a nanobox.

 

Was thinking of leaving space in the sump to have another overflow tube to go into the sock and space for another return pump to have a 2nd tank set up next to the 20L. This might end up as my 5.5 cleaned out of its AIO section with a small PVC overflow and small pump for return for low flow as a separate unlit tank for my dark beauties. I already have it and the stand... although I might buy another and set this one up in the closet of the patio as a small quarantine tank.

 

I do have plans for an ato and maybe a section of the sump to hold fresh water but that could really cut into space. I saw an 8 Gallon tall water tank at a local store that should fit under my stand next to a 10.

 

I welcome thoughts and input on anything I may have forgotten.

 

What would you do?

 

 

[Weetabix7]

Huh, I've lived in OK twice but don't think I've ever heard of that town.....

 

I'm gonna let others chime in here in equipment since it looks like you get into more technical stuff than I do. 

Hope you have a lot of fun and success with this build!!

[Chebon]

Heh, yah it wasn't much of a town but more large plot of land turned small community outside of Tulsa that a large family and their friends built on over the years.  It never got any recognition and every time someone would put up a sign it would disappear pretty quickly. It has one obscure reference as the touchdown point for a tornado lol. I made my escape in 2012 with my picotope in a 5 gallon bucket plugged into an inverter in my suv for a 13 hour drive to Denver. That is when I slapped together this 5.5 and my LED light.

 

Love the macro garden in your sig!