B16A2NR's 3.5 TRUVU

[B16A2NR]

Alright a few updates and modifications have been done to the tank. Most importantly I have installed the chiller, used a 1 1/4" hole saw and drilled a bulk head into the back. My plan is to cover the probe in liverock to hide it from view. To create more turbulence in the water I shaved off half of the lip on my aquaclear mini with a dremel, easy little trick and should be enough turbulence to not have to use a powerhead as suppliment. Lastly I have added a 3/4 watt coralife LED moonlight to my canopy affixed with velcro which is what you see in the picture here.

 

This tank is taking much longer than I ever anticipated to stock with corals because I am still trying to find a new 70w ballast after my WPI failed.

[Doriftu]

where did you purchase the chiller from, i have been to the manufacturers website and didnt see any sources or references on where to buy. Definetely something i need to look into, as my temps have been on the up and up lately. Have you been able to test it out yet at all?

 

Your setup is looking good, can't wait till your start throwing some more goodies in there.

[B16A2NR]

Thanks Doriftu! I got the chiller from another member here on nano for $80 shipped. What an awsome deal. I have been calibrating it to be extremely close between activation of the heater and activation of the chiller within .5 degrees. What do you drive doriftu? I sold my S13 320 horse Silvia back in September. Man I miss sports cars. Heres a pic to show the whole unit in action. Mounted the controller on my wall.

[The Unit]

looks awsome...i am i have been following your work and cant wait to see some life in there...any thought of a small clown or gobie or is it just to small? i cant really tell how big or small the tank is...but looks great

[Carinya]

Lookin' good. IMHO those ice probes are a good investment in the long term health & well-being of your livestock.

 

This tank is taking much longer than I ever anticipated

 

That's sometimes the nature of this hobby and it is also the sign of a good aquarist. Too many people are in a hurry to get a totally stocked & finished tank. Bad things happen quickly and good things happen slowly in aquariums.

 

Wishing you continued good luck with the project.

 

C

[The Speez]

Get it over with a put a 10 gallon sump on the tank!

 

All these problems will be solved with the additional volume of water and that way you wont have any chiller probes that you have to hide behind liverock.

 

Plus with a sump you will be able to put a fish in the tank. Without a sump you most likely have 2 gallons of water in the tank total and even the smallest of gobies will pollute the water and raise the nitrates to unsuitable levels.

[B16A2NR]

speez: Your tank has almost as much hard goods in the tank as corals. The overflow and powerhead take up about 25% of the picture of your tank. If I decide to run a sump, refugium, and skimmer on my 3.5 I will give you a call. Maybe If I was putting a goby in an unestablished tank, dosing phyto to my live rock, and feeding him a cube a day would my nitrates raise. Just to prove you wrong about my nitrate levels soaring to "unsuitable levels" my fish for this tank will be this exact goby thats in my banner. His name is Hank, he lives in the sump of my propagation system and pays his rent by eating high nitrates for a living. I will keep you and everyone here updated on my nitrate levels as they challenge Hank for his existence.

[Doriftu]

Originally posted by B16A2NR

Thanks Doriftu! I got the chiller from another member here on nano for $80 shipped. What an awsome deal. I have been calibrating it to be extremely close between activation of the heater and activation of the chiller within .5 degrees. What do you drive doriftu? I sold my S13 320 horse Silvia back in September. Man I miss sports cars. Heres a pic to show the whole unit in action. Mounted the controller on my wall.

 

well ive had many cars, both show and go, 370hp civic si (2002 July Super Street, etc...i did build a usdm 90 240sx (s13) with silvia front and installed an sr20det redtop motor, however i sold the car before its true completion after paint and some body work, many other goodies, got rid of all of them now i drive a lunchbox (scion xb or toyota bb as others know it), but i dont want to krap up ur thread with car krap so if you want to talk cars hit me up on PM .

 

Thanks for the pic, very interested to see this sucker up and running with some coral etc... Got your whole wish list planned out already? Can't wait to see it, keep us updated. I'm going to keep my eyes out on my temps, i'm sitting in the low 80s, and i would feel safer in the high 70s right now, thinking of lifting up the lighting unit a bit as i think its a bit close to the surface, and even thinking of maybe adding a fan or two. But a cooler would be an ideal option.

[SSMangrove]

Nice doriftu. Nice B16! Glad to see the tank is having work done to it, and isnt just sittin.

 

Picked up a 90' 240sx yesterday that i plan on swapping a blacktop sr20 in within the next month. It should be interesting.

 

Currently ridin spinnaz... i mean 98' turbo gsr 284whp just cant keep it on the ground. Ok back to reef ish

 

B16, when you getting liverock(s) in the tank? Any updates on the ballast? Been peeping ebay? I like the cleanliness of the project and the still relatively clean equipment visible from the back. Have you thought about making a cool wooden bookframe style case around it? Not sure how youd pull it off but it would be interesting. Heres a pic of what im thinking of:

 

Yeah its messy looking in the pic but i bet with alittle ingenuity you could make a "shrine" dedicated to the tank with the moe book and a sprung/borneman book and other fish related books around it. Might look cool. Hard to explain..

[ryux21]

nice setup b16, seems like everyone's in the nissan fad stilll...... i knew first hand since my bro has a 96 240 / conversion and sr20 motor (red top) ..... heres a pic there are better ones but this is the best one on my laptop

 

[B16A2NR]

SS: Thanks for the awsome diagram, it would definatly be a fun project framing my 3.5 with custom cabnet work. The only problem I find is that with something directly over my canopy, I won't be able to access my tank. The tank currently sits on a little IKEA birch wood night stand next to my bed with very little room to "encase" it. If I ever decide to move it onto a larger piece of furniture I will try your design.

I actually don't need to buy any pieces of liverock because all the corals I have for this tank are already on beautiful pieces of liverock and growing in my propagation system. As far as the ballast. I just ordered one off of www.nanocustoms.com Chris is a great guy and hooked me up with a highhorse electronic ballast that should be getting here tomorow afternoon (Be ready for some exciting pics!) So far I have all the livestock for the tank already and I'm just waiting to fire my freaking 20k!

[SSMangrove]

Good stuff B16, we will be watching and waiting!

 

How much for the ballast?

 

Gotta love 20k.

 

hey b16, do you know where i can find an inexpensive redtop/blacktop?

 

Yo XIBIT! PIMP MY PIECE!

[B16A2NR]

LET THERE BE LIGHT! Finally the tank's hardware is completed and its time to stock it up. Wired up the new highhorse ballast and fired the new 20k, what a beautiful intense color. I actually like the color it puts out right now, very crisp and vibrant color. The camera kinda compensates and adds more blue than the naked eye sees. All temp has been very closely calibrated between the chiller and heater to stay at a very constant 79.5 degrees and everything electric is fully automated.

Now just to warn you about stocking my 3.5, things are going to be going at an extremely fast pace. Before you begin flaming me like a noob, remember that all of my rock, filtration media, sand, corals, and fish have been cured, and established for many months now in my propagation system. I'm basicly transfering them from one tank to another.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

[SSMangrove]

pics pics pics biznatch!!! j/k but lets see some damn pics

[B16A2NR]

Blue Ricordia

Metalic Hairy Mushrooms

Acropora

Neon Green Zoos

Green Star polyps

Purple Sponge

Teal Candycane

Blue Candycane

 

Yellow Watchman Goby

Orange Linkia Starfish

Green Linkia Starfish

3 Maxima Clams

3 Nassarius Snails

2 Cerith Snails

3 Blueleg Hermets

Purple Hawaiian Feather Duster

 

For some reason my camera makes the tank bluer than it actually is, so I took this one with a flash to show coral coloration. I told you things were going to be fast! I actually stocked the tank an hour after my last post, but wanted everyone to adjust and open up before I snapped any pics, unfortunatly my GSP doesn't want to behave today.

[B16A2NR]

Took this shot last night while my starfish was cruzing the tank. These zoo's are a very rare and intense coloration, unfortuantly I have only see them once, and thats in my tank. I have had no luck in finding them since.

[BelowH2O]

Great job stocking your tank, I was waiting to see what it would look like. Turned out really nice, that tru-vu tank was a good choice.

[suubz]

God Bless that tank looks AWESOME!

I'm going to attempt to mimic most of what you've done to your canopy, but I'll be running a 14k.

Man o man... good stuff B16; I wish I had 1/4 of the quality stock that you've got to put in mine.

Did you use your existing water from your prop tank?? or are you simply safe with the water that's been cycling in the sanded tank?

[SSMangrove]

b16 do you know what kind of acro that is?

[B16A2NR]

suubz: Thanks for the kind words, I would love to see your tank lit up with the 14k, I really love the color of this 20k I just wish the camera would show what it is like in person.

 

ssmangrove: Heres a closer pic of the acro, I was hoping it would extend some polyps, unfortunatly I think the blue zoo's took it over. I actually am looking forward to the blue zoo's encrusting the acro, it will be a horn shaped zoo frag.

[scarletknight06]

you should look into doing the canister filter sump. I saw it in the nano reef forum at RC. I'm sure if you searched for it you could find it. It would be a fun little project.

[suubz]

its funny how people suggest things, that while may work wonderfully on a nano-tank, are exactly the type of things that you are trying to avoid. B16 has repeatedly mentioned, with my agreement, that he wanted the cleanest, most compact system that he could set up...

mission accomplished... avoid the sump @ all costs, I know I will.

 

scarlet... please don't be ####ed... but read this post from the beginning ( I have, like 10 times... I think you'd like it )

[Cesar]

B16 that little tank is looking awsome dude. I likes, i likes.

[Pinrod Urkish]

Say what time will you not be home tomarrow? Just currious......

 

Oh and if your tank comes up missing-- its not here. or a storage facility on fifth and main.

[B16A2NR]

suubz, Thank you so much on that one. I actually read it earlier but came up with no response. I know my thread is kinda long, but as I mentioned earlier I am going for the compact thing, hence the 3.5 gallon.

 

Glad to see everyone is enjoying the tank as much as I am. I will be sure to keep a constant update on it along with semi-pornographic pictures of beautiful corals.