Fish's new cube diary

[Kelpie]

Thanks Fish,

 

Who builds your tanks? I'd like to send away for one.

 

Do you think an 18" frameless cube would need eurobracing? Now I'll leave you alone for a couple of days LOL

[ninjafish]

Haha, it's no problem at all. I get the fellas at Bow Valley Aquarium in Calgary to put them together for me. They just happen to be called InterAmerican for their US orders.

 

I seriously think that any local tank building shop could put the same thing together for ya.

 

I've never gone as large as 18" before but my experience with my 12" was that I just increased the thickness of the glass to the next size - bracing wasn't necessary at all.

 

- Chad

[jemram]

Do you think an 18" frameless cube would need eurobracing? Now I'll leave you alone for a couple of days LOL

 

I'm putting together an 18" version of Fishs' tank over here in the UK. My tank builder is going to build it from 10mm (3/8ths) glass with no bracing.

[Kelpie]

I'm putting together an 18" version of Fishs' tank over here in the UK. My tank builder is going to build it from 10mm (3/8ths) glass with no bracing.

 

Yes, I know. I've been keeping up with your project as well. In fact it was the link in your post that led me here.

 

Fish,

 

I'm wondering about skimming organics. I'd like to run skimmerless but I've never done that before (I've only kept fish tanks before). I presume the macroalgae in the canister and the live rock takes care of the organics. In your experience does that together with caution against overstocking would take care of things or do you skim periodically or perform partial water changes.

 

I've looked and looked but can't seem to find your 2 gallon pico thread. Could you direct me to it please?

[ninjafish]

Kelpie,

 

I ran without a skimmer and yes the chaeto and LR worked wonderfully (in conjunction with low stocking levels/feedings). Even then, I would not do it without periodic water changes. I never really pushed it to see how far I could go without a water change because I saw it as a really easy way to keep the water nice and clean. Also, because I didn't want to run the risk of screwing up my parameters by dosing additives, I relied on my water changes to provide calcium and trace elements as well. Before I tore the tank down, I had quite a few sps corals that were all growing and doing great.

My 2gal thread is here:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=49502&st=0

 

It's a pretty old thread. Before I did this, I had never heard of another reeefer plumbing a cannister filter into the bottom of a tank. Now it's an accepted practice for ultra-clean systems.

 

 

- Chad

[Kelpie]

Thanks again Fish,

 

Since I read your message last night, I’ve been turning ideas over in my head for a 16” – 18” cube skimmerless and with about the same turnover rate as yours.

 

Correct me if I’m wrong here but as I understand it, your canister functions to:

 

a. increase water volume and thereby increase parameter stability,

b. serve as a refugium,

c. provide for water circulation, and

d. provide a place to put a heater.

 

Is there anything I missed?

 

To accomplish this in a 17.5 gallon (16” cube) or 25 (18” cube) gallon tank I would need a larger canister and a larger pump.

 

I’m thinking perhaps a Red Sea Ocean Clear canister (media replaced with rubble and macroalgae) and including a 10 - 20 Watt submersible halogen light and 300 Watt heater.

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...p;N=2004+113778

 

However I don’t know what the water flow pattern is in this canister or how important that would be

 

BTW the color temperature of those halogens must be great for macros by your experience. I wonder what it is.

 

and to drive it, a Panworld 50PX-X 1110 GPH pump

 

http://www.oceanhomesetc.com/store/product...e89d99291fd284a

[Kelpie]

Am I incorrect to presume it would be best to push water through the canister than to pull it from the cannister so as no to damage pods from the fuge?

 

I wrote to your builders today about the prospect of them building a cube for me.

 

Calgary, and all of Alberta, is such a beautiful place, I may just go pick it up myself

[ninjafish]

Am I incorrect to presume it would be best to push water through the canister than to pull it from the cannister so as no to damage pods from the fuge?

 

I wrote to your builders today about the prospect of them building a cube for me.

 

Calgary, and all of Alberta, is such a beautiful place, I may just go pick it up myself

 

Kelpie,

You pretty much nailed it - the reasons you listed are exactly why I came up with a modified cannister filter when I was designing my sleeper cube. I would say that you wouldn't necessarily need a larger cannister filter in order to fill the role of filter and 'fuge. I'm sure that my cannister filter could have serviced a larger tank; however, it's output would not have been enough to provide a proper turnover rate. This could be solved with a larger cannister filter like you suggested, but it could also be solved with a second pump, plumbed in a closed loop to the bottom of the tank. Of course, there would have to be two more bulkheads, but in a 16" cube you have a little more room to hide them. An advantage to this approach is redundancy so that you wouldn't lose all your circulation if one piece of equipment failed.

As for the pond light, it seemed like a nice yellow light (maybe 5-6K?) and it did an awesome job of growing the macro. I was a little nervous because when I ordered it, I had never heard of anyone using one to grow algae and wasn't sure if it would work or not. I also credit some of its success to how efficient it was in its application. The chaeto grew all around the bulb so even though it was only 5w, almost none of the radiation was wasted. When the chaeto ball got pretty big, just before pruning, you almost couldn't see the light anymore. The whole thing was illuminated from the inside out - a glowing green ball

Finally, I added the heater to the cannister filter because I was dealing with a limited amount of space under my desk at work and had a very short head height (about a foot from the cannister filter to the bulkheads). If you have a little more space to work with (or wanted to put it on your second closed loop), I would suggest building a heater module and placing your heater in-line instead of inside the cannister filter. It would mean one less hole in your cannister filter and one less chance of something to go wrong. It would probably cost $10 worth of pvc to build an in-line heater chamber - you can do a search for plans.

I hope that that makes a little sense. If you do come up here to pick up your tank, by all means, look me up!

Cheers,

 

- Chad

 

- oh, and as for pods. I would place the pump where ever it gives the most benefit to flow. I have read before that the mortality rate of pods vs. impellors is very very low and almost negligable. The little buggers get through our equipment just fine, and make it safely to the mandarin waiting on the other side

[tom_friend]

Where do you get 70w MH desk lamps, I want one for my nano!! haha

[ninjafish]

Haha, some day perhaps. I wired a 70w halide retrofit into a desklamp from Staples.

 

- Chad

[ninjafish]

I'd like to thank everyone for thier interest in my cube. Since I got rid of the tank, there is no real point keeping this thread open anymore.

If you need to track me down, I will be posting in my new thread:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=101490&hl=

 

Happy reefing everyone.

 

- Chad

[nanolutionary]

Noob question coming up!

 

If the return and overflow pipes are both at the bottom how do you stop sand and your CUC going into them, particularly the overflow?

[nanolutionary]

Could someone give me a heads up on the thinking around drilling your tank at the bottom?

 

How does this work, does anyone have problems with loads of debris getting into the sump?

[pheallox]

Could someone give me a heads up on the thinking around drilling your tank at the bottom?

 

How does this work, does anyone have problems with loads of debris getting into the sump?

 

 

1. click on the little red X in the top left corner of your screen.

2.

3. profit.

 

 

Really read the thread fog breather.