geekreef_05 Posted May 25, 2024 Posted May 25, 2024 I'm gonna do something I have never done before. The 6 Gallon LifeGuard Aquatics, Amazon order aquarium: Ive been thinking, I now have a good number of fish in my care. If a fish gets a ill, it would be great to have something running. Now also... i have a few lbs of liverock in my basement just in a bucket with a powerhead..and i have a number of parts laying around from the old desktop reef days. So i figured. I dont need much more than a tank, heater and powebar. Im gonna go for it. And yes its gonna be in a bathroom cause thats how that conversation with my wife ended. Lol. This will probably be a relatively short tank journal. Lol. 2 3 Quote
Airedale.Reef Posted May 26, 2024 Posted May 26, 2024 I support a bathroom tank! Absolutely! 😂 1 1 Quote
anizato Posted May 26, 2024 Posted May 26, 2024 initially i thought the table was a pool and the tank was somehow floating on the pool. 🤣 wive's always have the final say! I see it as a win though, you get to have a second tank!! Now she can't say anything about you taking too long in there 😄 Are you expecting to have trouble or are you going to be adding new fish? I was thinking you could also put a filter pad in your reef while you set this up so you can have the bacteria ready to go into the hospital when it's finally setup. I am curious what you will be doing. 1 Quote
Kev1n Posted May 26, 2024 Posted May 26, 2024 Another project that I will follow along with. 🤣🤣🤣 1 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 26, 2024 Author Posted May 26, 2024 7 hours ago, anizato said: initially i thought the table was a pool and the tank was somehow floating on the pool. 🤣 wive's always have the final say! I see it as a win though, you get to have a second tank!! Now she can't say anything about you taking too long in there 😄 Are you expecting to have trouble or are you going to be adding new fish? I was thinking you could also put a filter pad in your reef while you set this up so you can have the bacteria ready to go into the hospital when it's finally setup. I am curious what you will be doing. Filter pad is a good idea. I'll see how i can work one into the setup. I am not expecting trouble lol. But my recent fire shrimp episode in the Office Reef and just watching the latest BRS and Tidal Guards episodes on hyping the importance of quartine, i was inspired to go the extra mile. Edit: The fire shrimp completely recovered. But if it was a fish with something contagieous. Ouch. I now have both the Office Reef and Den Reef stocked and running well. Between them i have about 16 fish. I don't expect to get any more, i feel that im very well stocked. Overstocked by rule of thumb numbers, but with fish that fit together well in ecosystem terms. I will only replace my watchman goby that jumped. Otherwise no new additions. Not alot of fish compared to people with large reefs. But it's enough that im comfortable with a just in-case hopsital tank and quartine. Criteria for this reef: Fully automated. Lights optional Stay under 100 lbs due to location Specs so far Live rock 2pcs Cured rock, 1 branching peice Live sand Lights? Hyggar wavemaker Amazon ato Need to buy: Heater Powerbar Lights? Filter R/O solenoid for auto. I will try to link this right to my RO unit. Completely automated ATO like the Office Reef. If anyone has a cheap lights idea, let me know. 2 Quote
The Rainy Day Aquarium Posted May 26, 2024 Posted May 26, 2024 I‘ve been looking to restart my 6 gallon long haha maybe this is a sign... For however long this build lasts, I’m pulling for ya buddy! 😁 1 1 Quote
anizato Posted May 26, 2024 Posted May 26, 2024 1 gallon of seawater is roughly 8.6 lb. x6 = 51.6 lb + weight of aquascape, tank and equipment. You should be fine in this regard. Is the space comfortable for water changes? Don't hospitals require WC like all the time? (I don't know I've never kept one, genuinely asking) As for the light, you could just use the light of the bathroom/ambient light. nothing cheaper than that, unless you want something... i found this on amazon https://a.co/d/bGGyya2 $9 Quote
MarieYu Posted June 11, 2024 Posted June 11, 2024 For real, I thought it was Photoshop. But after seeing it for a while I realize it is on an actual table, not a swimming pool. Quote
geekreef_05 Posted June 11, 2024 Author Posted June 11, 2024 hm, ya, i didnt realize that photo would be confusing! Its just my glass patio table, in my backyard. I'll take a photo later today. The tank is in place with liverock, sand a powerhead and heater. I did run into a wall using the Hyggar Wavemaker though. It would just shutdown after 2 seconds of use. Provided an error code being clogged. Id shake it out, make sure its good freely spinning and it would just happen again in 2 seconds. Its possible its not low enough in the aquarium (suppose to be 6" below waterline) but thats not possible in this nano. So I replaced it with a MaxiJet 400. Old school. Simple. Reliable. No fuss. I still need to: Probably remove some sand. Setup ATO Setup RODI solenoid guardian unit. I'll post an update later! 2 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 16 Author Posted May 16 Well, its been sometime. Almost 1 year. This thing is still running. And it looks like this.. Full tank shot. What a mess lol At 30" long its kinda niffty. But remember... its the basement bathroom lol. Here's some perspective shots, Notice the viewing angle from the throne is maximized lol. And ya...kinda on top of the washer-dryer combo lol 2 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 16 Author Posted May 16 The fun news is that im planning to make a few upgrades. I dont forsee the need for a pre-setup hospital tank, haven't had to use it so far, knock on wood. If needed in the future, i'll grab a 10 or 15 gallon from the lfs. So on this tank, gonna do a full tear down and put up a new reef! This one will be 'nem focused. Cheap nems. Like Nancys. Last night i drilled out my new 11.5 G icecap bookshelf aquarium: Measures approx 36" long by 9" wide and 9" tall. Pre drill holes: Post drilling: The key componets will obviously include a sump. I have a 30 gallon cheap tank ready for that. I'll be plumbing it through the wall and into the furnace/storage room. Its a total mess in there right now. Ive been collecting equipment for this project. Still waiting on a couple things to get started. Some of the key equipment are the AI Blade Coral Grow lights. Bang for buck, they seem to be putting out good par in reviews. And a strip light is ideal for this setup. When it comes to flow in display, im hoping the 1300gph Sicce return pump will do 100% of the work. If not i have a hyggar 951 wavemaker that i'll toss in and a nem guard to go with it. Im planning for an open sump. No baffles. Super simple. Im planning on running carbon, uv and having a stack of ceramic media as well as the liverock there. Im ready to be dosing All-4-Reef and live bacteria. But thats all. Overall im really stoked to have a nem tank. The last time i had a nem was like the late 90s. No joke. Walked into a powerhead after a tank move and caused a total tank crash. I was sad. I said never again. But now with 3d printed nem guards and the ability to create a dedicated environment to maximize their health... its on like Donkey Kong. Technology and Science updates since that time have made incredible differences in the hobby. I just wish it was large enough for a herim tank but i'll certainly limit myself to 1 or 2. Updates to come! 2 Quote
1891Bro Posted May 17 Posted May 17 When in place, every photo should be taken while you making BM. 1 Quote
Airedale.Reef Posted May 17 Posted May 17 14 hours ago, geekreef_05 said: The fun news is that im planning to make a few upgrades. I dont forsee the need for a pre-setup hospital tank, haven't had to use it so far, knock on wood. If needed in the future, i'll grab a 10 or 15 gallon from the lfs. So on this tank, gonna do a full tear down and put up a new reef! This one will be 'nem focused. Cheap nems. Like Nancys. Last night i drilled out my new 11.5 G icecap bookshelf aquarium: Measures approx 36" long by 9" wide and 9" tall. Pre drill holes: Post drilling: The key componets will obviously include a sump. I have a 30 gallon cheap tank ready for that. I'll be plumbing it through the wall and into the furnace/storage room. Its a total mess in there right now. Ive been collecting equipment for this project. Still waiting on a couple things to get started. Some of the key equipment are the AI Blade Coral Grow lights. Bang for buck, they seem to be putting out good par in reviews. And a strip light is ideal for this setup. When it comes to flow in display, im hoping the 1300gph Sicce return pump will do 100% of the work. If not i have a hyggar 951 wavemaker that i'll toss in and a nem guard to go with it. Im planning for an open sump. No baffles. Super simple. Im planning on running carbon, uv and having a stack of ceramic media as well as the liverock there. Im ready to be dosing All-4-Reef and live bacteria. But thats all. Overall im really stoked to have a nem tank. The last time i had a nem was like the late 90s. No joke. Walked into a powerhead after a tank move and caused a total tank crash. I was sad. I said never again. But now with 3d printed nem guards and the ability to create a dedicated environment to maximize their health... its on like Donkey Kong. Technology and Science updates since that time have made incredible differences in the hobby. I just wish it was large enough for a herim tank but i'll certainly limit myself to 1 or 2. Updates to come! Alright! Definitely looking forward to seeing this come to life! I visited my LFS about two weeks ago and came across their nem tank. figured id share for potential/additional inspiration. 3146e0d51f364736a1cbc23044ae89d5.mov 1 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 17 Author Posted May 17 Airedale, That was an interesting clip! Very nice reef and healthy nems. Looked very low flow. And looks like they were using glass lilly pipes! Dont see that often. Do you know if it runs to a sump or canister filter? I had thought about lilly pipes recently and I might even bought the same ones. I ditched the idea cause of the maintenance requirements. Niffty to see em on a nano reef, in action! Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 17 Author Posted May 17 Here's the aquascape! I'll add a 1-2" sandbed once its in place. The dry rock is silicone glued down to prevent movement. Some rocks are reef glued together. I bought about 15lbs of rock, broke all the rocks apart and then used the most interesting pieces. Check it out. Go ahead. Do your worst. There's a throwback gem in there for anyone who grew up in the 80s. Back then you had to have either the diver, the shipwreck or the sub in an aquarium. Lol. No one goes to this level of cheeze and tackiness on a reef today, but i figured for this one... i would dare. Brings me back to my childhood. Puts a smile on my face. Hate it all you like, i'll enjoy that your cringing lol. My objective here was to create as many fish habitat overhangs as possible, while keeping a minimalist zen feel, balancing waterflow, free swim space and tentacle space for the anemones. When the sand goes in, it should close-in the rockwork more, providing some hiding spots for small fish and anemones to tuck into. Even the submarine is good habitat. Cant wait to see who moves in. Based on this structure i think i can fit (max) 4 very small fish and 1 clown. Having a 36" long tank is kinda a nano-cheat. In this case with a 40 gallon total volume (30 gal sump), i wont get close to max bioload in the small 11.5 gallon display. Fish numbers will be more dependent on being able to provide the appropriate habitat and spacing for each fish. I havent decided on stocking yet, besides the clown- anemone. I took my time and planned out the aquascape.... taped the aquarium to mark the max area rock can occupy. And I marked 4" height to set a verticle max. I ensured there's 2" on either side to allow swim room and glass cleaning. Then i built a duplicate footprint onto the papertowel and start playing with the combinations until i found something i liked. Whats niffty and zen is that my rockwork is about 26" long and 5" wide. The tank measures 36" long and 9" wide, for note. Picture down the tunnel: Next steps involve setting up the sump and doing a tear down of the existing system. Im missing a few parts though. Couple key items like the wall pass throughs and heavy duty powerbar arrives tues-wed. Gives me time to slowly tidy up the storage room... ...more to come next week! 2 Quote
Airedale.Reef Posted May 19 Posted May 19 On 5/17/2025 at 2:49 PM, geekreef_05 said: Airedale, That was an interesting clip! Very nice reef and healthy nems. Looked very low flow. And looks like they were using glass lilly pipes! Dont see that often. Do you know if it runs to a sump or canister filter? I had thought about lilly pipes recently and I might even bought the same ones. I ditched the idea cause of the maintenance requirements. Niffty to see em on a nano reef, in action! The low flow, glass pipes and UNS tank in general provide such a clean look. Their initial reel on instagram didn't specify, but I would assume canister filter...If youre on instagram, give them a follow. I would say this is the best shop in all of Houston. @aquariumdesigngroup 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 22 Author Posted May 22 Getting things setup this evening... Tank and matt down. Holes drilled through wall.. Overflow installed.. Lights mounted. Shallow sandbed of Agaronite (no live sand) goes in.. This time i went with a larger grain size to keep sand from moving around. i'll post sump pictures later. It looks terrible lol. Its just filling with RODI now. Then i'll fill the display and mix salt. 2 Quote
Melfy77 Posted May 22 Posted May 22 Such a cool concept!! Love those tank dimensions. Let me know how the AI blade works for you, I'm about to set up a 25g tank- 48" x12" x12" and scratching my head as to which light I should use lol 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 22 Author Posted May 22 Dang! Almost flooded the basement this am. The sicce 5.0 is way too powerful!. 1350gph rating, but thats way more than a classic 1200 maxijet. I'll need something sicce like half or less power. Im only going 3.5 ft-ish height and a very short distance cause its through the wall. Lol. Anyone know whats better for my use between a sicce 1.5 (358gph) vs sicce 2.0 (568gph)? 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 22 Author Posted May 22 Great success! Quick visit the to LFS over lunch was a window to grab a pump and install it. The Sicce 1.5 with a modest 357 GPH rating seems like the perfect flow rate. Really doesnt take much in terms of GPH. Its got enough gusto for the display, good water level with no micro bubbles in the sump and runs totally silent. Very nice. Very happy. i'll get the salinity balanced, ATO and RODI guardian setup then get the live rock in there. Its just in a bucket at the moment with a powerhead. Alot more work on the sump is needed, but we're off to a good start! 1 Quote
TheCoffeeReef Posted May 22 Posted May 22 Awesome build thread, I’ve fancied a bookshelf tank for a while but the sizes are always out of stock on Amazon. Are you still going to stock nems? Any thoughts on the species (hazard rock flower due to size or maybe tube?) I love the AI Blade grow, the 12” has been superb over the last 8 months I’ve run mine on the evo- it’s never fully cranked (heck, 45/50% is max on any channel and only for a portion of the day- that’s keeping everything pretty happy (bar my blasto that’s had a meltdown but hanging on) as it’s relatively shallow mounting- yours has about the same drop to sand bed I’d wager. 1 Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 23 Author Posted May 23 14 hours ago, TheCoffeeReef said: Awesome build thread, I’ve fancied a bookshelf tank for a while but the sizes are always out of stock on Amazon. Are you still going to stock nems? Any thoughts on the species (hazard rock flower due to size or maybe tube?) I love the AI Blade grow, the 12” has been superb over the last 8 months I’ve run mine on the evo- it’s never fully cranked (heck, 45/50% is max on any channel and only for a portion of the day- that’s keeping everything pretty happy (bar my blasto that’s had a meltdown but hanging on) as it’s relatively shallow mounting- yours has about the same drop to sand bed I’d wager. Good info! How far are your lights from the waterline and sandbed? And what par are you getting? Quote
geekreef_05 Posted May 23 Author Posted May 23 The Sump! 29 gallons behind the display. This lives in the furnace / storage room of the basement. Its ugly. Its simple. Its cheap. It works. In general, ive put together a high flow sump with a low flow return pump. Open concept, no baffles. Very opposite to most modern sumps. I think high flow is important for max gas exchange and maintaining pH. The return pump is at the top left. Keeping it at that height is another way to limit risk of the display tank overflowing. Here's a decent full shot: What you may notice is the ceramic media. It was cheap off amazon. Super porous ridged bricks. Each gained like 5x its weight after being dipped in water. No reason it shouldnt work to harbour good bacteria. Sold as aquarium safe. Bit of risk in that purchase, so we'll see. I placed my LR on top of the ceramics to keep em in place and spread the bacteria. Im old and this reef reflects that. There are 3x maxi-jet 400s. Cheap and reliable. I had them laying around. Two at the bottom keeping things suspended and one focused on surface movement. Lots of water movement in there. The sump also includes an HOB, ATO, heater and UV soon to come. Sinple stuff. Dosing pumps will be setup shortly as well. But only live bacteria and all for reef. Here's a tall shot. The ATO is behind the tank, hard to see. Just below the sink. The powerbar is screwed into the wall. I'll do some cable management in a bit. Current problem is the heater isnt poweful enough. Its 100w, rated for this size. But i think being in a canadian basement just needs more gusto. Time for an LFS trip. Once i have that figured out i'll configure the display tank lights and setup dosing. Hopefully the UV gets in shortly... says package delayed. Ugh. Thats all for now! 1 Quote
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