Here we go again.... Nuvo 30 Black Anemone Tank

[Halo_003]

Thanks for the link!

 

Bad news: evidently being an employee of a subsidiary of a wireless carrier means you can’t preorder the iPhone X. They canceled my preorder for November 3rd delivery of a 256GB Silver iPhone X. Very frustrating as I even stayed up to preorder. (I’m not in Wireless, I’m an employee of a company owned by the Wireless brand). 

 

Sad day boys and girls. 

 

i also misplaced the screws to attach the PVC board top to the APS stand, oops. I’ll have to probably pick up some replacements. On the plus side, I’ve got the MM overflow ordered and have shipped out the Eschopps overflow for return to DFS. Next I need to order the bits to drill the overflow and returns as well as the press guide for the drill.

 

Here’s a shot of the clearance with the sump in the APS stand, it’s maybe 1/16th or 1/32nd of an inch of space. 

 

 

And and one thing I do really like is how easily the doors remove, it’ll make it super easy to work in.

 

[kinetic]

If you mean "Gladiator" as in ocellaris, I would warn against mixing percula and ocellaris. Just pick one species, otherwise it will not be a good time with a group. I think Gladiators are usually given to the Ocellaris, whereas Picasso would be the equivalent percula. Another name for gladiator on the ocellaris side is DaVinci.

 

I never had great experience with Dr. Tim's One and Only. I used 3 bottles with no results. But with Instant Ocean Bio Spira, things went in the right direction. Try it though, could be a coincidence in my case. Also, be careful with Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. Even though the instructions are for a new recipe, my bottles were always the old recipe (about 4x the concentration of the new one). If you overdose ammonia, you can totally screw up your cycle and it'll take MONTHS instead of weeks. If that happens, you'll need to do a 100% water change and start over. So go really low with the dose when you first try it and test it twice to make sure. You want it to get right up to 2ppm ammonia, and no more. I'd also suggest getting bio spira  It will drop your ammonia quick and look like an overnight cycle, but don't believe it. You'll need a week of your tank being able to process 2ppm of ammonia to 0 ammonia/nitrite in less than 12 hours.

 

4-5 chalk bass will be a bit too much bioload. They can eat A LOT of big chunks of food. I guess it could be possible, but I'd be wary.

 

Go with a BTA tank Though just be ready for them to wander everywhere (protect that gyre pump) and kill everything they touch. Best to introduce them first and let them wander for a month or so. The thing is, if you change flow or light, they will move. So once you've finished tinkering with that, and they stop moving for at least a couple weeks, you can probably add corals with less chance of the BTA's walking over them / killing them.

 

Run carbon 24/7 if you have multiple nems. No proof of allopathy, but I also wouldn't take the risk.

 

Goodluck! 

[Halo_003]

2 hours ago, kinetic said:

If you mean "Gladiator" as in ocellaris, I would warn against mixing percula and ocellaris. Just pick one species, otherwise it will not be a good time with a group. I think Gladiators are usually given to the Ocellaris, whereas Picasso would be the equivalent percula. Another name for gladiator on the ocellaris side is DaVinci.

Hmm. I’ll have to look up my Divers Den order from when I bought that clown. I think it is an Ocellaris. I hadn’t even considered that, I’m glad you mentioned it. That makes things tough though because I’m pretty attached to that particular fish as it’s been with me for a while. But, I do really prefer Picassos.  I’ll have to think on it and see if I can work something out on it.

 

i think I’m pretty set on Plan A which is to do only clowns and BTAs, the chalk bass group was something I thought about for a while but Picasso clowns are my favorite fish.

 

I have my One and Only in my refrigerator at the moment, and it was in the 40s when it was shipped so I’m hoping not to have issues with it. I’ve always used live rock to start a cycle but I don’t want to have any pests this time at all.

 

Over the weekend I got the tank on the stand, and also ordered my Modular Marine overflow along with a 2.5G ATO reservoir from them. Later on I’ll attach a floor plan and some pictures of the place, but it’s an open L shape. The dining table is in the reflection of the tank, it should be a nice backdrop for dinners.

 

[kinetic]

1 hour ago, Halo_003 said:

Hmm. I’ll have to look up my Divers Den order from when I bought that clown. I think it is an Ocellaris. I hadn’t even considered that, I’m glad you mentioned it. That makes things tough though because I’m pretty attached to that particular fish as it’s been with me for a while. But, I do really prefer Picassos.  I’ll have to think on it and see if I can work something out on it.

 

i think I’m pretty set on Plan A which is to do only clowns and BTAs, the chalk bass group was something I thought about for a while but Picasso clowns are my favorite fish.

 

I have my One and Only in my refrigerator at the moment, and it was in the 40s when it was shipped so I’m hoping not to have issues with it. I’ve always used live rock to start a cycle but I don’t want to have any pests this time at all.

 

Over the weekend I got the tank on the stand, and also ordered my Modular Marine overflow along with a 2.5G ATO reservoir from them. Later on I’ll attach a floor plan and some pictures of the place, but it’s an open L shape. The dining table is in the reflection of the tank, it should be a nice backdrop for dinners.

 

 

If you only want Picassos, you'll have to give away the Ocellaris. As you can see, I went crazy and got a lot of different clowns from different clutches, but they are all ocellaris. If not, it would have been a disaster from the start. This is proven and you can ask any breeder about it. Not going to work unless something fantastical happens.

 

Subjectively, I think ocellaris are way cuter than percula. But that's just me. Coloration and such are all comparable. In my experience, ocellaris are a bit more docile, but I know everyone says percula and ocellaris are about the same.

 

If you really like the picasso coloration, get all picasso from the same clutch. Small or Nano sized. SA doesn't guarantee nano sized clowns, but they should be OK as long as your tank is cycled well. But if you like that coloration, and want to keep your ocellaris, you might be interested in mocha ocellaris. They are similar.

[TatorTaco]

If it's not too much to ask, I'd love to see pictures or for you to share your experience with the plumbing/overflow once that stage is completed.  It sure looks nice so far. 

[Halo_003]

20 hours ago, kinetic said:

 

If you only want Picassos, you'll have to give away the Ocellaris. As you can see, I went crazy and got a lot of different clowns from different clutches, but they are all ocellaris. If not, it would have been a disaster from the start. This is proven and you can ask any breeder about it. Not going to work unless something fantastical happens.

 

Subjectively, I think ocellaris are way cuter than percula. But that's just me. Coloration and such are all comparable. In my experience, ocellaris are a bit more docile, but I know everyone says percula and ocellaris are about the same.

 

If you really like the picasso coloration, get all picasso from the same clutch. Small or Nano sized. SA doesn't guarantee nano sized clowns, but they should be OK as long as your tank is cycled well. But if you like that coloration, and want to keep your ocellaris, you might be interested in mocha ocellaris. They are similar.

Hmm. That is good to know, I honestly had no idea there was any issue housing Ocellaris and Perculas together. 

 

I think my preference would really be to do the Picassos, but I'm a little attached to the Gladiator that I have. I'd really like to get a group of Extreme Picassos from SA. I will have to see what I can do for my current clown, whether it means rehoming her or figuring out a potential way to have another small tank just for her. Good to know about the nano sized fish, it's probably best to start with them as young as possible to increase odds of success I'd imagine.

8 hours ago, TatorTaco said:

If it's not too much to ask, I'd love to see pictures or for you to share your experience with the plumbing/overflow once that stage is completed.  It sure looks nice so far. 

Will do! I returned the Eschopps Eclipse overflow and purchased instead a Modular Marine 1200GPH model which looks like a better option, and also purchased a 2.5G ATO reservoir from them, so once those come in it will be time to drill the tank and get started on an order for all of the plumbing. The plan for the plumbing at the moment is to have the overflow box centered, and then to the right of it have a single 3/4" bulkhead with a loc-line for the return. One thing that is tempting is to just drill both sides of the overflow box in case I want to have dual returns in the future but I'm not certain yet.

[samnaz]

Good call on the MM overflow. I'm much happier with mine than the Eclipse. 

 

I too was tempted to do dual returns simply because it would look better, but it's not needed for a tank of this size.

[Halo_003]

3 hours ago, samnaz said:

Good call on the MM overflow. I'm much happier with mine than the Eclipse. 

 

I too was tempted to do dual returns simply because it would look better, but it's not needed for a tank of this size.

I am thinking that it will be a centered overflow, return on right side. Possibly a splitter in the loc-line. Gyre mounted on the left side wall.

 

I ordered last weekend, haven't gotten it yet. I'm not sure if it is made to order or carried in stock though. I'm planning to email and ask tomorrow. I'm not in a big hurry though, just curious. I'm also planning to order plumbing and the supplies needed to organize the closet in my apartment to accommodate a small water change station.

 

Tonight I got the skimmer and some gear cleaned up and placed in the sump for test fitting:

 

 

Plenty of room in the skimmer compartment for a future upgrade or reactors:

 

 

 

Also, a rough draft of my rock scape. The left will be a little different but this is pretty close.

 

 

 

Goal is to be somewhat gravity defying and to have lots of negative space. I'm open to feedback but pretty sure this is roughly how it will be.  This setup also has lots of areas for BTAs to hook on and avoids the wall look. I think it would be cool to have BTAs all over the top and sides of the two rocks, which is part of why I like it so much.

[kinetic]

4 hours ago, Halo_003 said:

I am thinking that it will be a centered overflow, return on right side. Possibly a splitter in the loc-line. Gyre mounted on the left side wall.

 

I ordered last weekend, haven't gotten it yet. I'm not sure if it is made to order or carried in stock though. I'm planning to email and ask tomorrow. I'm not in a big hurry though, just curious. I'm also planning to order plumbing and the supplies needed to organize the closet in my apartment to accommodate a small water change station.

 

Tonight I got the skimmer and some gear cleaned up and placed in the sump for test fitting:

 

 

Plenty of room in the skimmer compartment for a future upgrade or reactors:

 

 

 

Also, a rough draft of my rock scape. The left will be a little different but this is pretty close.

 

 

 

Goal is to be somewhat gravity defying and to have lots of negative space. I'm open to feedback but pretty sure this is roughly how it will be.  This setup also has lots of areas for BTAs to hook on and avoids the wall look. I think it would be cool to have BTAs all over the top and sides of the two rocks, which is part of why I like it so much.

Simple and elegant rock work! The one on the right would be perfect perch for a H. magnifica

[Halo_003]

3 hours ago, kinetic said:

Simple and elegant rock work! The one on the right would be perfect perch for a H. magnifica

Don't tempt me... Haha. I don't think the Nuvo 30 is big enough for a H. Mag. BTAs though should be pretty much fine I think.

[Halo_003]

Good news, I shot over a quick email to Modular Marine just asking for an estimate of when I might get the overflow and ATO container, got an email back with shipping info and a notice of this week.

 

Big order placed - all of the plumbing is on the way assuming I didn't miss anything with my sketch of the design.

 

 

I also put in two big orders on Amazon. The front office at my apartment is going to be getting very familiar with me. Amazon order was probably 20 different items, everything from some acrylic for the tank to a 72"x36"x18" shelf for the closet that I'm redoing. Theoretically, everything I need to get water in the tank is on the way now. Amazon order also had the heater, sand, drill press guide, and LED supplies to get the cabinet lighting done. The very last thing I will be making a purchase for is to get some drivers from BlueAcro to get all of the hardware except for the Meanwell power brick into the body of the light I built.

 

Innovative Marine is also going to be selling me some extra locking profiles, which I'll be using to hang reactors and power strips on, this way no permanent modification is made to the APS stand itself.

[TatorTaco]

You're brave to be ordering plumbing parts online.  If you're anything like me, I need 5 trips for a simple project to Home Depot.  At least Amazon has free returns. 

[Halo_003]

10 minutes ago, TatorTaco said:

You're brave to be ordering plumbing parts online.  If you're anything like me, I need 5 trips for a simple project to Home Depot.  At least Amazon has free returns. 

I am hoping that my sketch was sufficient and that I won't have to make a trip like that. 

[kinetic]

38 minutes ago, Halo_003 said:

I am hoping that my sketch was sufficient and that I won't have to make a trip like that. 

Unless you are some kind of super human, you're going to need something else that you haven't thought of

[Halo_003]

Amazon is too fast for me to even keep up with... Got the first package this evening, less than 18 hours after placing my order. It had an LED strip, motion sensor LED bar with a lithium ion battery for the closet, 8" x 3/4" carbide tip Dewalt hammer drill bit, and some sanding gear I got for my desk. Unfortunately I didn't have time to snap a picture this evening though.

 

So many boxes are scheduled to arrive this week. 

 

 

[Halo_003]

So after about 12 boxes this week thanks to Amazon sending things 1 and 2 at a time, finally almost all of it is here. A lot of it is kind of miscellaneous stuff and isn't pictured, this was just the relevant stuff for the tank.

 

Neotherm 150W heater, drill press guide, 2.5G ATO reservoir from MM, Slim overflow from MM, various tools, big drill bits. Also pictured: I picked up an iPhone 8 Plus 256GB Space Gray last night. This is a different topic but man what a massive upgrade over my old 6, especially the camera. 

 

The Modular Marine Overflow is awesome quality, very impressed with it. The ATO reservoir has an issue, which I am going to reach out about and see if there's a way to fix. I'm not sure exactly what it is, it probably is adhesive that ran, it's definitely not a scratch.

 

 

Plumbing parts from BRS came:

 

 

 

Hopefully this will make drilling an easier process...

 

 

 

Here is the overflow/return design, I'm open to input on it:

 

 

 

 

 

How I am storing everything to keep the other half happy:

 

 

 

 

Finally, a teaser of what is to come in the next steps...

[samnaz]

Drilling holes for frag plugs? Brilliant

[Halo_003]

1 hour ago, samnaz said:

Drilling holes for frag plugs? Brilliant

Nope!! No coral will be in the tank, just BTAs and possibly a maxi mini carpet or two.

[samnaz]

Just now, Halo_003 said:

Nope!! No coral will be in the tank, just BTAs and possibly a maxi mini carpet or two.

oh, um.... drilling for acrylic rods to build an aquascape? if that's not it I'm out of ideas...

[VaporCountry]

Everything is coming together really nice, great work! Will be sure to follow along on this build!

 

I am in the process of setting up the 30L AIO. I am trying to figure out the lighting. I was thinking about DIYing a light as well. I am taking cnc at school and thought about doing a CNC heatsink/housing my self. Wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing a few pictures of the light 

[Halo_003]

21 minutes ago, VaporCountry said:

Everything is coming together really nice, great work! Will be sure to follow along on this build!

 

I am in the process of setting up the 30L AIO. I am trying to figure out the lighting. I was thinking about DIYing a light as well. I am taking cnc at school and thought about doing a CNC heatsink/housing my self. Wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing a few pictures of the light 

Sure thing! It will be a little bit before I can, maybe a week or so but I will get a bunch of pictures for you. It's currently at my girlfriend's parents' house in their basement, over a Rubbermaid tub that has my fish and live rock in it.

 

46 minutes ago, samnaz said:

oh, um.... drilling for acrylic rods to build an aquascape? if that's not it I'm out of ideas...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chris-algae-farm-elos-160.109257/

 

I have 6' of 3/4" acrylic rod, and 24"x12"x1/4" acrylic sheet. It's kind of hard to describe the plan so I will just let it be unclear right now.

 

Just as a side note, I am glad I decided to get the iPhone 8+ rather than waiting for the X. It is seriously an unbelievable difference in all aspects. I am going to the wedding of a girlfriend's cousin today and am excited to have such an opportune time to shoot on it. I am hoping that it can shoot reasonably well with the blue LEDs I'm going to be subjecting it to.

[VaporCountry]

3 minutes ago, Halo_003 said:

Sure thing! It will be a little bit before I can, maybe a week or so but I will get a bunch of pictures for you. It's currently at my girlfriend's parents' house in their basement, over a Rubbermaid tub that has my fish and live rock in it.

 

Sweet thanks so much man, I'm in no rush so whenever you get the chance. What cam software did you use to draw it up?

[Halo_003]

7 minutes ago, VaporCountry said:

Sweet thanks so much man, I'm in no rush so whenever you get the chance. What cam software did you use to draw it up?

I actually bought it from CNC Reef which I think is out of business now. I am pretty sure they used SketchUp but I could be wrong. They sent me a 3D model for SketchUp to ensure I liked how it looked, since mine was a custom (24"x4") size. I'll look through my emails to see if it's in there but I don't think so. Price was I think about $220, using a block of 24"x4"x1" aluminum, finished and powder coated along with a laser cut acrylic lid.

[VaporCountry]

7 minutes ago, Halo_003 said:

I actually bought it from CNC Reef which I think is out of business now. I am pretty sure they used SketchUp but I could be wrong. They sent me a 3D model for SketchUp to ensure I liked how it looked, since mine was a custom (24"x4") size. I'll look through my emails to see if it's in there but I don't think so. Price was I think about $220, using a block of 24"x4"x1" aluminum, finished and powder coated along with a laser cut acrylic lid.

Ok cool that would be awesome if you still had the 3d modeling so I could get an idea of how it was designed. I am only in my first semester of the CNC program so I'm no expert lol. Really appreciate it!

[Halo_003]

On 11/11/2017 at 12:11 PM, VaporCountry said:

Ok cool that would be awesome if you still had the 3d modeling so I could get an idea of how it was designed. I am only in my first semester of the CNC program so I'm no expert lol. Really appreciate it!

Hey there, I looked in my email and I don't have a 3D model. I must have been thinking of the screenshots on their website (which is now down). Sorry about that, but I will still get you some good pictures. The price for it was $209 shipped. 

 

General update: Still waiting on a couple more things from BRS and Amazon, so it looks like next weekend I will be drilling the tank and doing plumbing.