Supernip's official nr.com nanoreef

[Fanof49ASU]

Can you give us a ballpark figure as to costs?

I'd love to get something similar made.

[Smada77]

Can you give us a ballpark figure as to costs?

I'd love to get something similar made.

"If you have to ask, you can't afford it"

[supernip]

Hi thanks for the replies. So far, I've gotten the mj pretty quiet. They're not dead silent yet and the bioballs didn't help but Ill try bikelock's thing next.

 

The tank w/ base and canopy costed me about 150 bucks alone. But you'll probably have to add about 30-50% to get a retail perspective. I think you could make a tank like this for about 40-50dollars if you were savvy enough though. It just takes some planning and a skillful hand. So lets get to some updated pictures.

 

 

I was leak testing and trying to work on my flow issue; sort of a "dry run." How ironic is it to use that term... sorry dork humor. Anyway, here are some pictures of me trying to perfect hardware aspects.

 

this is a top down shot, notice the condensation. Ambient air is only about 75 degrees F, so I think when summer hits, I'm definitely going to have to use the iceprobe. Ironically, my larger tank does not need much top off at all. Depending on the design of a tank, it loses very little water. This isn't one of them....

 

 

 

The overflow slot is a solid absence about 1/2in x 6in. haha dork humor strikes again.. Anyway, it's almost filled up to the brim with water as you can see int he picture. I don't know the calculation for how much water can run through an opening that size, but I think it's a fair amount for a nano. I'm not a big fan of the turn rate rule so I'm not sure how to state what I think the flow for now, but I think it's fairly adequate.

 

This is a view from the "sump."

 

 

 

Same area, top- front perspective. The flow seems rather gentle and I'm always hesitant it's not enough. However, I think if I felt it were enough, it'd be too forceful.

 

 

 

Yet another view, bottom-front. I was originally going to go with slits but this one seems to work just great. I have a big sponge so nothing is going to get sucked into the powerheads anyway.

 

Here's a backview of the sump area. Because of the way the cord is oriented on the MJ, I had to use a rubberband to help with the sound issue. I think I might cut inlet so there's less restriction on water going in. I'm not too sure yet, I'l;l have to play around with a few things first.

 

After I got holes drilled into the overflow cap, the wiring became much cleaner

 

Here's a hole where the wires come out of. There are two of them, one situated on each side of the cap respectively. I'm a sorry excuse with a dremel but using CNC machine did a beautiful job of the keyholes.

 

Also, the overflow cap really helped with the sound. Now it jsut sounds like a computer. If I can get this tank dead silent, that'll be perfect =)

 

I'm going to be attending WMC2006 for the weekend so I can't work on the tank. However, I'll post pictures from the fishnerds convention. I'll tackle cycling, and initial set up when I get back. Thanks for looking chumps.

 

 

Love always,

Your pal Nips

 

p.s.

I'm gonna try to get a pair of snowflake clowns for this tank >=)

 

edit:

oops, the second shot of the overflow slit was just a shot with flash, sorry about the redundency.

[supernip]

Greetings from WMC! I'm going to pick up a cuttlefish or two for my tank eventually. For now, they will go into my refugium I will only be keeping them for a few months, then they will be transfered. I will post some pictures fromt he event when time permits. The laptop I'm on sucks. I hope I won't have to report from interzoo.

[kinetic]

1. the tank was made by gen of krittertanks.com

 

nips! I just talked to Gen for a tank. I'm trying to get a 36" x 25" x 25" tank to replace my planned 30" long one.

 

What kind of acrylic did he use on your tank?

 

Also, have you seen his bent corner tanks? Are they good? Better than rounded?

 

I just heard from a BAR club member that his tank of 1 year made by Gen started to warp and stretch in the center/top, then started to crack, yet Gen wouldn't fix it under the warranty, saying they had the final word on whether or not to give the warranty. Of course this guy may have a HUGE canopy that is definately destroying the tank, but just wanted to see what your take on this is, and if I should confidently put in my order.

 

BTW your tank is awesome! I really like the setup and the two maxijets on both sides.

 

did you get those small cuttlefish? what are the lifespans like on them? Are they reef safe? Don't they eat snails, fish, hermits, and stuff? Or is that just octopus and squid...

[Mini_GBR]

very cool nano tank setup. I am just setting my 24g cube up and am having a problem with the MJ's vibrating also, which is kind of an issue since it's in my room and I like to sleep at night. Hope you figure it out and can let me know, since I've had no luck yet. If I think of something likewise, I'll let you know. Can't wait to see this one evolve.

[supernip]

June update:

My hood and base still haven't come in yet so I'm cycling the tank in the mean time. The maxijet problem has been minimized. I can still hear it but have learned to live with the noise. However, the tank runs hot; ~86 degrees F. I'm probably gonna add an ica unit and a skimmer because my water isn't clear to my satisfaction. The 2x32watt retro I plan on using will probably elevate the tank to a higher temp. I don't have room for the iceprobe I own now (and it makes a weird ozone-ish smell.) so the ica will be a good addition (more research first of course.), as well as that skimmer.

 

Also, I've scratched the tank a bit, but I'll buff it out when I move. Plans for the tank include clauvaria and xenia species. I'm also going to add a green polyp toadstool and whatever misc softies I can find. Most likely anthelia as well. I'd like to keep the tank in the xeniid family but might entertain other softies. I might also add in some montipora species but am trying to stay away from sps/lps. As for fish, No idea yet. I'll leave it fishless for now, since my goby died.

 

 

I do however, have a crab that's a temporary resident. I've named him destroyah; after the Godzilla monster due to resemblance. The rockwork is temporary, as it's just there to cycle. I'm not too thrilled with it because they don't match too well. The right side is a large piece while the the left side is composed of a lot of tongan branches. I will probably hunt down other pieces until I'm satisfied with symmetry and proportion. Perhaps when all the coralline grows in, I won't be so fickle. Any suggestions pertaining to aquascaping/ livestock will be greatly appreciated.

 

Planned livestock:

1. Xenia umbrellata

2.Cespitularia sp. "blue xenia"

3. Clauvaria sp. [big green polyps]

4. Clauvaria sp. [green and orange morph]

5. Sarcophyton sp "green polyp toadstool"

5. possibly Xenia sp. "fiji pompom"

6. possibly Anthelia sp. "white anthelia"

7. possibly some other corals (for color), suggestions welcome.

[Cam barr]

sweet tank

[kinetic]

what about one of those dwarf anglers, like the macalatus?

[supernip]

nah, I've kept way too many anglers in the past. Maybe if I find an exceptional specimen. I'm still considering a bobtail squid but it's all up in the air. I don't want to get something unless I have absolute confidence in it

[kinetic]

nah, I've kept way too many anglers in the past. Maybe if I find an exceptional specimen. I'm still considering a bobtail squid but it's all up in the air. I don't want to get something unless I have absolute confidence in it

 

bobtail would be sweet. would the tank be too small? i know it's a tiny ceph, but they do jet around a ton.

 

i think you also were considering the sepia bandensis? I know rich is selling some (president of BAR) at the moment.

 

if you find a source for the bobtail, let me know! I'd like one too if i could get my hands on one.

[supernip]

I should be okay with the bobtail. The tank is 8x the length of the bobtail, and the largest specimen I've seen come in is 1inch, so roughly 15.5x the length. I'm going to try and make my rockwork more open help with the problem.

 

As for the S. bandensis, I can't keep that species for more than a few months, they get too big. I'll let you know if I can get a source for the bobtails. btw, the hawaiian is yellow, sorry about the confusion. The blue one is a malaysian species

[tinyreef]

that's one funky looking crab.

[kinetic]

I should be okay with the bobtail. The tank is 8x the length of the bobtail, and the largest specimen I've seen come in is 1inch, so roughly 15.5x the length. I'm going to try and make my rockwork more open help with the problem.

 

As for the S. bandensis, I can't keep that species for more than a few months, they get too big. I'll let you know if I can get a source for the bobtails. btw, the hawaiian is yellow, sorry about the confusion. The blue one is a malaysian species

 

 

wow 1"!? crazy!

 

yes please let me know when you find a source!

 

I'm afraid it would get lost in my 98g though. Maybe my 30g prop or 30g fuge =/

[supernip]

I'll let you know Art.

 

 

Next Update: My hood and base came. I mounted on the lights and at full blast, my tank runs at 94-96 degrees. I was kinda hoping it'd reach 100 degrees so I can see the water boil. I think my damsel died

 

Anyhow, here's an update. I think i'll leave the tank blank until everything is covered in coralline algae. The rockwork isn't complete but I think I have an appropriate amount of rock and am trying to not add any more. Actually, i think I might have a little too much rock.

 

I added a fan and the temp dropped to 90. 15 more degrees to go. I might invest in an ica from nc but might cook one up, of my own design. Anyway, if I can't get the heat issue under control, I might have to reevoke the LED set up that I'm desperately trying to avoid ($400+ diy route). Ironically, the only things that seem to be surviving are the damn zoanthids I've been trying to annihalate, regardless of how pretty they are; and pods. I have a bazillion pods. Hopefully, my next update will have the stand and canopy mounted and the aquascaping finalized.

[kinetic]

nice work!!! Looks sweet, and that corraline should spread soon

 

i don't know why, but I chuckle at every one of your posts.

 

the one about your damsel proably dying made me chuckle out loud, my friends looked at me funny =P

 

but looks great! the dual outputs really looks good, and I like how high the water line is =)

 

I like the design of your back compartments, it works really well.

 

Why is your temp so increadibly high? Do both MJ's produce that much heat?

 

In Berkeley my 5 gallon with 70watt HQI runs about 84.5 degrees at the hottest. =/ But I do only have a MJ MiniJet 606 or something.

 

Will the ICA chiller bring the temp for you down by 15 degrees?

[Sushi]

I mounted on the lights and at full blast, my tank runs at 94-96 degrees. I was kinda hoping it'd reach 100 degrees so I can see the water boil. I think my damsel died

 

LOL. Smells like someone's cooking soup! Yum.

 

Nicely planned tank, it's great to see you tweak and work around your problems ... just goes to show even the old reefers learn a thing or two even after a while.

[adinsxq]

looks good girly

[nd12nc]

Any updates?

[supernip]

Actually yes, but I will post them tomorrow when I can find my camera

[shao-lin nano]

...my tank runs at 94-96 degrees. I was kinda hoping it'd reach 100 degrees so I can see the water boil.

 

Sorry to point this out but water boils at 100 degrees centigrade not 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe you're be sarcastic

[supernip]

Sorry to point this out but water boils at 100 degrees centigrade not 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe you're be sarcastic

 

nah I actually just forgot. I work with C so much that I always forget that consumer thermometers measure in F. A really embarrassing mistake on my part .Thanks for pointing that out though

[supernip]

I guess it's time for an update, so here goes my [lack of] progress. I gotta start off by saying that I grossly underestimated how inefficient a maxijet 1200 is. These things produce such abnormally large amounts of heats, my tank runs 15-20 degree F over ambient air. I got two of them

 

But the temperature has cooled down a lot and my tank runs steady 80 now with one maxijet on and no lights. That's actually a huge accomplishment from the 99 degrees that it normally runs at with everything on, so yes I still haven't fixed the problem. I did not expect the maxijets to produce so much heat to be honest with you. However, that's gonna be solved soon with the addition of some fans. I still somewhat worry that the maxijets will make the tank too hot. I have a chiller but I don't really wanna hook it up unless absolutely necessary. I think I will be fine though, as I won't need a heater this way

 

so yes... my tank has just been sitting there cycling for however long it's been. I still do water changes once every few weeks but I see no signs of life. The summer heatwave killed off all the pods that were there plus even the coralline, caleurpa, and aiptasia. Nothing survived. I'm not sure if even the bacteria survived. I didn't even have any algae until recently and it's a just a small diameter, thin film on the front panel that never grew. I took care of that though, and now I have a super sterile tank with just a few bits of coralline starting to grow back. On the bright side, I no longer have any sort of pest

 

The biggest update for this post will be just the addition of the hood and base. I'm very happy with the proportions of the tank, 1.618:1 viewable space. The tank+ hood and base together make a 1:1 ratio, which was exactly what I was looking for. However, the diminutive hood does restrict my fan size to 30mm fans. I plan on daisy chaining 4 of them to help with heat distribution.

 

I don't plan on adding anything for a while. I sort of enjoy the sterile look I guess. I'll wait till my rocks get covered with coralline again. Ah speaking of rock, this is not the final design, I'm going to tweak it a bit. I have a problem with not all the rocks looking similar, i.e. the branch and the nodule looking lr. Front to back space isn't too bad on this tank but I wish I had a little more to create a more textured look (as if I don't have enough of that ). Anyway, my stocking plans are as follow (and in order of introduction)

 

1. coralline

2. seed with pods

3. either a pair of tuberculated anglers or a pair of ocellaris clowns

4. xenia

5. xenia

6. xenia

7. clauvaria

 

I might add a pair of shrimps somewhere in there or a pair of gobies. I dunno yet. The small tank allows me to to do 1gal water changes every few days as an lfs is right down my block. Oh yeah, before I forget, I'm going to add an air driven cc skimmer.

 

first pic: barren rock, please take note of the locline on the top; I use it to change water.

 

second pic: decolored pic to show proportions of tank, a fts if you will. Sorta eerie looking I guess. Yours truly is reflected off the tank.

 

[supernip]

chiller comes in sat. + new stigmata blenny. will take pictures when the time comes

[supernip]

well I guess it's time for an update.

 

I finally got off my butt and installed the chiller. On full load, ambient air at around 85 F and a fan in my room to circulate air, the tank reaches 27/28 C with a titan 150 chiller. I got it used so I cant complain. It was a real bargain. But it's load as heck and I might end up installing an iceprobe or two. I really really underestimated how inefficient those mj1200 were.

 

speaking of which, my flow is rather nice now that I have some livestock and can guage the movement. I tried before with some liquids but the effect isn't the same. The flow is ever so gentle that I was scared I wouldn't have enough, however everything seems to be swaying with the breeze, all areas are effectively taken care of, except the back of the rockwork but i will take are of that soon enough.

 

Now that temperature isn't as much of an issue, I added a yellow damsel to help things along. I also added 5 astrea snails today. This tank is mostly going to be a xeniid tank or a cooler water reef depending on how the temperature issue plays out. I also added 2 sps today to guage the water's stability. One fuzzy brown A. nobilis type sps, for flow observations; and a orange/green M. digitata because I got a soft spot for this particular species/ morph. It is to guage growth and track Ca consumption If I can manage them for about 2-3 months, my tank will then be ready to take its final occupants~ xenia:wub:

 

Im currently using 2x32 watt compacts but since the viewable area is so small, I am effectively only using one. The actinics, which are mounted rear give a nice blue shimmer to the filtration area when looking through the overflow.

 

so anyhow that's that. Pics are taken w/ a sony n1 under macro mode. The first pic is of the tank, fts. Pardon the cyano, it's going away. I underestimated the efficiency of my overflow andmy tetra-A pellets effectively all go into the filter floss, which I am too lazy to clean regularly. That problem is slowly resolving itself though. Im really happy with my choice of a low profile hood/base combo as it isnt as intrusive to the tank. The viewable of the tank is roughly pi, which Im also glad I chose. A dorky touch to show how l33t I am kekeke. It's a shame that pictures don't give you a good idea of depth, or at least not my crappy photography anyway. The rockwork isn;t ginal but it is very open and has a good layering effect to it. I don't think my camera picks that up very well either. The overall shape is a horse shoe, with really exaggerated sides. I wanted a valley look, not the two boulders on each side look. Does anyone remember when the rockwall dominated rockscaping and how much we envied the japanese?

 

2nd pic is of the digitata, 5mins in and already polyping. I hate bugs as my high temp fried everything in my tank so I fw dipped all the corals before putting them in. No signs of stress apparent.

 

3rd pic is of a macro algae that is wins of epic proportions, which I picked up for free from my former employers, Atlantis aquarium. Look at those sexy colors! It is made of god and wins. I know you're burning with jealous rage adin.

 

 

 

that is all for now. thanks for looking.

 

 

love nips

 

 

p.s.

that thing sticking out of the overflow, that's the return from my chiller