Granite’s New England Biotope

[MainelyReefer]

Today I will receive my first coldwater aquarium in the mail!  When you see a good deal sometimes you have to buy....

I will make a “pretty” first post later as I don’t have time now but wanted a place to share my excitement and the progression as the coldwater side has less resources available and much of it is from over a decade ago, so I am going to rely on the wealth of knowledge fellow nano-reefers bring to the table.

[MainelyReefer]

Some Photos of it getting shipped out

soon to be stuffed with whatever I can legally collect!

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, GraniteReefer said:

Today I will receive my first coldwater aquarium in the mail!  When you see a good deal sometimes you have to buy....

I will make a “pretty” first post later as I don’t have time now but wanted a place to share my excitement and the progression as the coldwater side has less resources available and much of it is from over a decade ago, so I am going to rely on the wealth of knowledge fellow nano-reefers bring to the table.

I was hoping we would get to see who bought it. Following!

[Ratvan]

24 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Some Photos of it getting shipped out

soon to be stuffed with whatever I can legally collect!

Sweet. So glad we get to follow this. I really wanted it

[MainelyReefer]

I had also assumed acquiring all the equipment to get the tank running would take me awhile as expending money during the RONA isn’t the smartest.  However while perusing marine depot I realized I had reward points from my red sea reefer purchase.  So I ended up scoring the novatec iceprobe for a cool $19.99!

now to find the obscure tec-45 proportional controller, I have marine depot on the hunt for it so hopefully will have one soon

[debbeach13]

That's awesome! Definitely following. Can't wait to see what you put in here. I lived in MA for 55 years but for more than 20 years I had a little shack/cabin on Little River Rd. in Twin Mountain and spent almost every weekend there. Hiking, skiing, using the snow mobiles, and just hanging out. My boys would sit on the rivers edge throwing rocks into Little river for hours! I miss NH so much. 

[Chadicus Meridius]

Your the person who bought this, dang I was tempted, but there was no way I could buy it 🙂 . Good luck hope it goes good.

[waldoz]

I have wanted one of these also but got my sons 20l we are working on... Nice score!

[MainelyReefer]

It arrived!!!!

the tank was packaged very well, but still our friends at ups saw the bright orange sticker gleaming fragile and dropped it(you can see the front corner crushed slightly).  Unfortunately the hood had a large chip and crack on one side. 

luckily us reefers are resourceful and I have #16 Weldon and fixed the sucker up in no time!

ok maybe my welding job is janky AF but I’m satisfied and that’s the bottom line.

this thing is small, waiting on the chiller probe to get here to wet test and get an official gallonage but I don’t think it will be 2g even without hard scape.  I love it though it’s 55 degrees of cool😎.  Oh also a small chip in the corner of the displayI’m thinking this is negligible but maybe an acrylic worker could let me know if I could buff it out with heat or something.  Here is the dimensions of the display

Length 5 3/16”

width 4 3/16”

height 8 1/4”

 

 

[Ratvan]

Sometimes no amount of care can protect from morons. That's so annoying. Glad you got it patched up though. 

 

@This guy is extra salty should know re heat buffing.

 

Sourcing the items is what has put me off this route so far, I could conceivably do a 55g build for similar to the price of the nano items. 

[MainelyReefer]

going to be fun figuring out how to fit this pump once the probe is in place, I’m like Mario though I’m a plumber

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

4 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

going to be fun figuring out how to fit this pump once the probe is in place, I’m like Mario though I’m a plumber

Wow, you really showing off this relic, it was literally made back in 2012 and it was the first one I ever made using a single probe.  It has been filled with water a couple times for testing but never stocked with critters and corals.  Looking from the hydor, you will have to remember to play with the 1/2 inch fitting it must be cut the right angle, in order for the probe to fit.   Man I need to bring back the newer version of this legend for others to join the madness....

 

I cannot believe that UPS let the tank drop like they did, I could have placed in bigger box but then it becomes more expensive to ship and I wanted you to get a deal, when does your probe arrive?

[MainelyReefer]

1 hour ago, Micro-Reefs Aquariums said:

Wow, you really showing off this relic, it was literally made back in 2012 and it was the first one I ever made using a single probe.  It has been filled with water a couple times for testing but never stocked with critters and corals.  Looking from the hydor, you will have to remember to play with the 1/2 inch fitting it must be cut the right angle, in order for the probe to fit.   Man I need to bring back the newer version of this legend for others to join the madness....

 

I cannot believe that UPS let the tank drop like they did, I could have placed in bigger box but then it becomes more expensive to ship and I wanted you to get a deal, when does your probe arrive?

Probe is set to arrive Saturday so I will be testing temps evaporation rates, etc.  with only 18 miles of coastline here in N.H. state land is the only

ocean access and that is closed due to covid.  So my hope of collecting live rock, sand, and some macros(more for the microfauna HH) to initiate cycling the tank is on hold.  The tanks ultimate goal is me getting to Rhode Island to find the northern reaches of Astrangia Poculata’s geographic distribution and collect myself a true New England stony coral.(edit if it’s legal haha) 
 

[MainelyReefer]

https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2019/08/23/northern-star-coral

[Fryguy0201]

18 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2019/08/23/northern-star-coral

Interesting read! I can't wait to see where you take this. 

[MainelyReefer]

Anyone familiar enough with acrylic to tell me if I could fasten a few of these acrylic bolts with my #16 Weldon to the acrylic canopy hood so I could then fasten a kessil a80 light bracket/ai prime up there? Either this or I fasten a gooseneck to the wall behind the tank but I’m not sure where the tank is going yet so a self supported system would be ideal.

Also getting closer to configuring the pump in a way it may not obstruct the chiller, before I make any cuts to the bulk head etc. I want to physically see the probe in place.

[debbeach13]

Great article. I hope you are able to collect a couple of those.

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

I know that the aqua illumination mini fits in there...  Expensive and you need to dial down tbe fixture way for this little guy....  But a reefer ordered the white one and did that...  

[MainelyReefer]

1 hour ago, Micro-Reefs Aquariums said:

I know that the aqua illumination mini fits in there...  Expensive and you need to dial down tbe fixture way for this little guy....  But a reefer ordered the white one and did that...  

I actually have a black prime HD laying around and it fits in there, I just received those acrylic nuts and bolts and only got the M3x6mm long ones and they don’t have enough length to hold the primes hanger bracket as it is thicker than the kessils bracket which I used to measure.  so now waiting until Sunday to receive some m5 x 12mm ones should be slightly stronger than the m3’s too. Interestingly I also put the prime at about 15 w and ran the kessil at its 15w max and then measure temp with an infrared thermometer and the kessil clocks in at 109f and the prime only at 95.  I know the kessil is passive but I’m wondering if a fan on the prime will create circulation within the hood allowing the heat to escape easier than with the kessil.  

[MainelyReefer]

Once the bigger acrylic bolts come in I will mount the hanger, I just went to ace and picked up the black hardware I had lost for the hanger to attach to the primeHD.  Only 33cents for the right screw! And in the photo you can see it will be a tight but doable fit.  I may drill a hole in the back panel of the hood to allow the screw/screwdriver easier access to attaching the light

[waldoz]

Think you might need a diffuser?

[Fryguy0201]

Was thinking drilling a couple holes in the back of the hood might help with the air circulation/heat escape concern 

Edit: didn't see the opening in the back lol how did I miss that 😆 it does look like it fits pretty snug with the whole thing together tho...

[MainelyReefer]

42 minutes ago, waldoz said:

Think you might need a diffuser?

Maybe.  It has to penetrate a 1/2” thick lid I’m thinking ramped down it will maybe diffuse enough anyways? Perhaps if not I could scuff up the lid so it was “frosted” haha. My reefbowl has a prime at 20w and is even shallower than this and 1.75g, so I am not too worried about it.

 

42 minutes ago, Fryguy0201 said:

Was thinking drilling a couple holes in the back of the hood might help with the air circulation/heat escape concern 

Edit: didn't see the opening in the back lol how did I miss that 😆 it does look like it fits pretty snug with the whole thing together tho...

I was thinking the same thing anyways but maybe the one I drill for access to the screw plus the giant opening will be enough

[Fryguy0201]

1 hour ago, GraniteReefer said:

maybe the one I drill for access to the screw plus the giant opening will be enough

I wouldn't think the primeHD fan circulates to much air + you can always drill more 

[Tamberav]

Really exciting!