how would you set up an office aquarium.

[Mr. Lovestrong]

Hi, Chris here, long time listener, first time caller. big fan of your show.

 

I am looking to upgrade the aquarium in my office again. I started out with a 5 gallon cube with a jebao hang on back skimmer and an eheim marine 7 watt pendant, then upgraded the jebao to a aquaclear modded refugium/media filter. about a year of running that set up I upgraded the tank to an aqua japan 8 gallon cube and a kessil A80 and vortech mp10qd with battery back up. I have maintained a mostly sps reef with the A80 and lots of supplemental daylight. pretty proud of the fact i have not killed any livestock in 2 years! if you dont count the dragonette who jumped out. i have growing colonies of red dragon, pink birdnest, a digitata (species unknown)., a couple of different brain corals, an acan that im not sure of the name, some assorted plating and encrusting montipora, green slimer, and a few other that i am forgetting the name, and of course "flipper" the ocellaris percula, my little buddy, doesnt say much but is good company. i feed aquaforest coral food every other day and do a 90% water change weekly.

 

 now i am looking to better automate the process of maintenance and upkeep and keep the tank a little more stable.

 

So far I have compiled;

 

Nanobox Duo plus M

Innovative marine automatic top off

eshopps 2 head master dosing pump + 3 head dosing pump

eshopps  compartment fluid container

aquaforest 3 component 

vortech mp10qd

neotherm heaters

 

so now i need your ideas and suggestions for the tank and whether or not i should add a sump. any other suggestions for equipment that has made your maintenance and upkeep easier? 

[Simulated Fish]

Sump would make life easier, definitely help to hide equipment and bring noise down and give it a cleaner look.

 

Sounds like what you have going is working, and that's always a good thing!

 

Give me a second and I will dig up my favorite office tank journal here on nano-reef.com

 

Found it! I love this tank, super clean, great equipment and by the end well automated too.

 

I high suggest giving it a read, it's a 12g long tank, might help you make some decisions.

 

 

[Mr. Lovestrong]

thanks for finding that! that is totally the direction i am trying to steer this tank.