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Cultivated Reef

365 Day All-in-One Nano Reef Challenge 🏁


Christopher Marks

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18 hours ago, banasophia said:

@Christopher Marks, will a chiller be allowed? If people do a Biocube 16, for example, that’s a commonly needed addition. 🙂

That’s water in and water out....seems to be a disadvantage to us not running a chiller 🤔 lid on or not...if an external chiller is allowed then what’s wrong with a media reactor, a uv sterilizer an external skimmer or hell what about a full blown sump 🤷‍♂️There are ice probes that will fit into the back chamber if heat is really an issue. I’ve never run a chiller on any of my smaller tanks including biocubes with the lid on. Heats never been an issue. 
 

I like the idea of this being an AIO competition. In the end it will show what AIOs are good for people getting into the hobby and those that have deficiencies like getting to hot and require external equipment to make them successful. If an enclosed biocube requires a chiller than it’s truly not a plug and play AIO. 
 

@banasophia :flower: you have amazing tanks and your 16 biocube is one of the best I’ve seen. But I don’t think that having a chiller or not will make a biocube successful or not. If heat is an issue maybe the manufacturer should take that into consideration. 

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3 hours ago, Sancho said:

That’s water in and water out....seems to be a disadvantage to us not running a chiller 🤔 lid on or not...if an external chiller is allowed then what’s wrong with a media reactor, a uv sterilizer an external skimmer or hell what about a full blown sump 🤷‍♂️

Seems like this argument would rule out both a chiller and Auto Water Change. 

 

IMO, in the spirit of showing what can be done with AIO aquariums, most, if not all equipment should be within the back chambers. 

 

Of course, we'll need final ruling from @Christopher Marks

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man I want to join to fun SOOO bad but with the move coming up retting up the large peninsula tank and resetting up the RFA tank. + a possible vacation 3-4 weeks in spring I fell like this just came to early for me. but knowing this is it for 2020 I feeling a bit of FOMO...haha

 

as I say this I am still looking for tanks....I have some cool ideas I would love to try.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Sancho said:

That’s water in and water out....seems to be a disadvantage to us not running a chiller 🤔 lid on or not...if an external chiller is allowed then what’s wrong with a media reactor, a uv sterilizer an external skimmer or hell what about a full blown sump 🤷‍♂️There are ice probes that will fit into the back chamber if heat is really an issue. I’ve never run a chiller on any of my smaller tanks including biocubes with the lid on. Heats never been an issue. 
 

I like the idea of this being an AIO competition. In the end it will show what AIOs are good for people getting into the hobby and those that have deficiencies like getting to hot and require external equipment to make them successful. If an enclosed biocube requires a chiller than it’s truly not a plug and play AIO. 
 

@banasophia :flower: you have amazing tanks and your 16 biocube is one of the best I’ve seen. But I don’t think that having a chiller or not will make a biocube successful or not. If heat is an issue maybe the manufacturer should take that into consideration. 

Well I may be one of the few people running a Chill Solutions chiller on my Biocube, so my chiller question is probably a non-issue that no one would care about anyway, but I’d still like to keep this option open because I am trying to get people in the Facebook Biocube group to enter and I’d love to see this as a possibility if needed. Many people are able to maintain the temperature year round with no problem, some add a fan aimed through the small opening in the back. 
 

Some all in ones require light upgrades and some don’t include a light at all. In my opinion, a tank with lights in the hood that can grow corals effectively is even more of a plug and play “all in one” than a tank that doesn’t come with lights that can be used for a reef. But an open top tank allows for natural evaporative cooling, and allows you to easily aim a fan at the surface during hot times of the year if needed, which is not so easy with a lid. 
 

Oh... and I *think* I may have already shown that Biocubes can work pretty dang good for people getting into the hobby, seeing as how mine was my first fish tank, became TOTM when it turned one, and was in a magazine and all... I don’t consider Biocubes to have “deficiencies.” It sounds to me like you’re scared of a little Biocube competition. 😜 

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Christopher Marks
On 2/4/2020 at 8:29 AM, banasophia said:

@Christopher Marks, will a chiller be allowed? If people do a Biocube 16, for example, that’s a commonly needed addition. 🙂

Hmm, I was hoping fans would suffice. Ice probe chillers are a possibility for AIO.

21 hours ago, RedCrow said:

@Christopher Marks is there a minimum amount of chambers required on the filtration side of the wall if going DIY? Or can it just be one wide open space on the back side? 

 

I’m trying to decide if it would be economically responsible for me to join in 🤔💸

Nope, just as long as there is division from the display side of the tank. Wide open space on the ‘filtration side’ is fine. 

20 hours ago, devaji108 said:

and after my post a few weeks ago about the next comp...guess I got the wheels turning.

SO question.

I will be moving some time in the next cpl months ( 2-4) was hoping it would happen after. BUT if I can join in ,not that I need another tank to move but does moving a tank disqualify one?

 

this is so tempting...

Moving a tank will not disqualify a competitor. Document the move if you can, all shared experiences help other hobbyists in their journeys. 

19 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

Cold water tanks should be allowed as was stated in the first post in the themed tank.  Guessing a chiller should also be allowed

Very good point! Probe based chillers could work. 

18 hours ago, Aqua Splendor said:

I'm storming some idea, is it possible to elevate the scape outside the aquarium? it could the have potential to contain more volume water...

edit: and in counter part i would reduce the water level in the aquarium

We’re just limiting competitors by overall tank volume, 20 gallons max. Commercially manufactured all-in-one aquariums should be advertised as holding 20 gallons or less. DIY tank’s overall dimensions should not exceed 20 gallons, filtration space included. Your aquascape could extend beyond the tank however. 

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Christopher Marks

On the subject of cooling, I am inclined to disallow closed loop chillers for the sake of all-in-one simplicity, but I am open to arguments. I don’t want tanks to suffer in the summer over temperature control, we all live in different climates after all. Probe based chillers are an option, but I know they have their limits.


Thoughts?

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2 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

On the subject of cooling, I am inclined to disallow closed loop chillers for the sake of all-in-one simplicity, but I am open to arguments. I don’t want tanks to suffer in the summer over temperature control, we all live in different climates after all. Probe based chillers are an option, but I know they have their limits.


Thoughts?

So what about the ruling on AWC?

 

I always like a friendly debate and contest, but there is a big difference between Water changes and chillers.

 

1). Everyone on nan-reef.com does a water change, so whether you make it automatic or manual for this contest can be debated.

 

2). Very few people use a chiller, but again if you really want to be technical it does not remove water from the system but circulates it in a closed system.

 

3). There is no evidence that having a chiller will make or break your aquarium  or have an advantage, look at all these TOTM and how many of them uses chillers? Or how many of them do water changes?

 

4). When you go purchase an ATO for 150.00 it does make since to add 50.00 more to make your tank more stable, which is Hume to your occupant’s.

 

So, I think we need a ruling on these or at lease have everyone vote for or against these items.

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I'd guess chillers are essential in some climates during the summer months (especially so on smaller tanks?) so I've no issue there. Not a problem we have here in the UK, sadly!

 

Posting the link to my journal here for completeness 😊

 

 

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Christopher Marks
1 hour ago, Coolbreeze said:

So what about the ruling on AWC?

I am not concerned with water changes or what gizmos are used to complete them. An auto water change system is fine if it is only being used to replace permanently removed water with water that is new to the tank.

 

This is under review. Stay tuned.

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1 minute ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Man I so want to enter this contest with a little Aqua Top 5g, but I have no where to put it! ☹️

The floor is the biggest tank stand in  your house 👌

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3 minutes ago, ef4life said:

The floor is the biggest tank stand in  your house 👌

Haha love it! I gotta say, we sure are all good at enabling each other’s reef addiction!! 😁🤗 There’s always room for one more, I say! 🙂 Just do it!!! 

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This guy is extra salty
47 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

I am not concerned with water changes or what gizmos are used to complete them. An auto water change system is fine if it is only being used to replace permanently removed water with water that is new to the tank. 

Thanks for clarifying! I was worried cause I just wanted to swap out the previous contest tank equipment with an upgraded tank 😂 

 

I guess next contest I’ll have to build another tank and stand 🤷‍♂️

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41 minutes ago, ef4life said:

The floor is the biggest tank stand in  your house 👌

I was eyeing the area next to my big tank... it’s such a little 5g cube.... 🥺 Plus my husband just said not only no but hell no 😩

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Christopher Marks
55 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

I am not concerned with water changes or what gizmos are used to complete them. An auto water change system is fine if it is only being used to replace permanently removed water with water that is new to the tank. 

I'm going to rescind my allowance of Automatic Water Change systems until further review. 🔎

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7 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Plus my husband just said not only no but hell no

I was making a logo for mine, and Julie happened to see me doing it.  She asked me what I was doing and I said, "Just something for one of my tanks."

 

I haven't told her yet.  I have to complete a couple more projects before I spring this one on her.

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1 minute ago, seabass said:

I was making a logo for mine, and Julie happened to see me doing it.  She asked me what I was doing and I said, "Just something for one of my tanks."

 

I haven't told her yet.  I have to complete a couple more projects before I spring this one on her.

I’ve wanted that little AquaTop tank since I saw it first, for just a shrimp and maybe goby or TSB, and GSP and shrooms. Nothing fancy but I just love that little compact tank. I’ve got a little time to figure it out, how to convince him and where to put it when I do. 

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2 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

I’ve wanted that little AquaTop tank since I saw it first, for just a shrimp and maybe goby or TSB, and GSP and shrooms. Nothing fancy but I just love that little compact tank. I’ve got a little time to figure it out, how to convince him and where to put it when I do. 

I tend to operate under the rule of:  if it doesn’t require its own furniture, it doesn’t count. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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4 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

I tend to operate under the rule of:  if it doesn’t require its own furniture, it doesn’t count. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Usually this thing is clean on the top..... I think I could definitely clean it permanently.... It would look good on top next to the big tank.

image.jpg

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1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

On the subject of cooling, I am inclined to disallow closed loop chillers for the sake of all-in-one simplicity, but I am open to arguments. I don’t want tanks to suffer in the summer over temperature control, we all live in different climates after all. Probe based chillers are an option, but I know they have their limits.


Thoughts?

I like the idea of the chiller just in case someone wants to do a cold water set up...………...

1 hour ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Man I so want to enter this contest with a little Aqua Top 5g, but I have no where to put it! ☹️

How about next to the christams tree you have had up for 3 years now...…...:unsure:

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11 minutes ago, spectra said:

I like the idea of the chiller just in case someone wants to do a cold water set up...………...

How about next to the christams tree you have had up for 3 years now...…...:unsure:

Uh hello it got taken down 😝. Now the house is cluttered with daily gatherings of legos, trucks n cars, other boy child paraphernalia. 

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