Peninsula Style 30 breeder - ACAN TANK!

[jjjo]

Thought I would start a build thread from day 1.

 

I have decided that the 18 gallon rimless tank i have now just isn't doing it for me. I have always wanted a lookdown type tank, and after a bit of inspiration from a past ntotm and then this months ntotm here on nano-reef, I just can't resist anymore.

 

(one of the inspiration tanks: http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/?tank=29)

 

 

Any progress has been made, even thought the tank is not being setup for another month.

 

Anyway here are the specs:

 

Tank:

30 breeder AGA tank (might de-rim and treat it, but not sure yet. According to physics, it should be strong enough to be de-rimmed. - the tank is 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, 12 inches high)

Glass divider to create a sump in the back (about 5 inches x 18 inches x 12 high for skimmer, heater and return pump, and a place to mount korallia 1s).

 

Filtration:

Live sand

Live rock (very minimal)

small skimmer (a piece of junk that i fell in love with. at least it isnt a seaclown)

 

Lighting:

luminarc mini reflector

250 watt radium 20k SE bulb

2-4 powerbrite 460 strips

 

Livestock:

Various high end corals, a large zoo garden, and a ric garden (eventually) and a few SPS. But mainly LPS.

Clean up crew

this time, the tank will be large enough for a fish. The linear swimming area for a fish in a 30 breeder is larger than a 55 gallon tank. So perhaps a yellow tang.

 

Other than that... thats all

More to come later.

 

________

dan

[got2envy]

WOW! sounds great Dan!! I <3 your 18g so this should be really noice

[jjjo]

thanks. Sorry this thread is so boring.

 

Anyway, I have decided to have the tank derimmed. With only 10 inches high full of water, i think the 1/4inch glass will be more than enough to hold. And i am leaving the bottom rim on (where water pressure is the greatest)

 

-dan

[lajz9]

Not boring, just missing pics!

 

Sounds very cool.

[jjjo]

Not boring, just missing pics!

 

Sounds very cool.

 

thanks!

 

here is a pic for you all.

 

This is the tank being torn down.

[disaster999]

hey dan, nice to hear your upgrading. always loved what you did with my old tank. cant wait for your new one

[jjjo]

hey dan, nice to hear your upgrading. always loved what you did with my old tank. cant wait for your new one

 

Thanks!

[jjjo]

Hey all,

 

Here is the real question.

 

Should I :

 

A. Drill the side glass (tank is peninsula of course) and plumb it to sump below...

 

or

 

B. Create a false wall (like a aquapod) and have all the filtration behind that... and have no sump below?

 

-dan

[Tenacious716]

Drill and plumb it glass-holes style and do a sump... will make for an excellent shallow lookdown!

[lajz9]

Personally, I would go with the sump. The main reason being the additional water volume and it'll also give you that much more room in your display since you can put your filtration, skimmer, heater, etc. down there.

[jjjo]

Thanks for the replies.

 

While i would like to add a sump below the tank.. i would also like to keep everything on the same level. makes viewing the tank's water level easier (if the back partition is low as opposed to a low sump underneath.

 

Also with past experience, my old stand got all messed up from all the humidity of a sump...

 

but i'll have to think it over. there are pros and cons both ways.

 

this is what the tank looks like. 36 x 18 x 12high. with a partition in the back... the actual DT part would be 31 x 18 x 12 high. i would also blacken out the "sump" area in the back.

 

however, if i do drill and go underneath... what size sump would be best? i was thinking a 20 long... but at the same time, would a 30 cube or something like that be better? (i like to fit buckets under my stand as well)

[jjjo]

thanks!

 

 

first update

 

Thanks to a friend of mine for (since I'm not home right now (at college), helping me order the first new coral for the new tank.

 

 

 

its an actinic shot, but was a risk i was willing to take.

 

night all,

dan

[Paleoreef103]

thanks!

 

 

first update

 

Thanks to a friend of mine for (since I'm not home right now (at college), helping me order the first new coral for the new tank.

 

 

 

its an actinic shot, but was a risk i was willing to take.

 

night all,

dan

That brain is gorgeous! Also, are you still planning on putting a 250 over a 12" deep tank? I have a 250 over my Nanocube 24 with a worse reflector that what you are planning on using and I recently had to raise it because the light was too much for the LPS and they started turning unpleasant colors. Also a single halide over 36" is going to struggle, but I suppose if it's a look down tank you'll have the light really high up anyway. Just thought I'd voice my concerns. I loved your old tank!

[jjjo]

That brain is gorgeous! Also, are you still planning on putting a 250 over a 12" deep tank? I have a 250 over my Nanocube 24 with a worse reflector that what you are planning on using and I recently had to raise it because the light was too much for the LPS and they started turning unpleasant colors. Also a single halide over 36" is going to struggle, but I suppose if it's a look down tank you'll have the light really high up anyway. Just thought I'd voice my concerns. I loved your old tank!

 

thanks!

 

I plan on hanging the light (using a luminarc reflector mind you) about 3-4 feet above the tank LOL and moving it down as time goes on to about 24 inches above.

 

 

I just dont want to use 175s, cuase radium 20k only comes in 250s.

 

and hanging that high, light should spread about 3-4 feet, and not be TOO intense.

[got2envy]

OMG!! that brain is the chit!! <3

[Toomin]

i will be waiting!

[whattup32533]

I used a lumenbright mini and hung it over the tank(nc24) with diy conduit, and Ive raised my 4 times because ive bleached stuff lol.... its 10 inches off the water now and I have a blue polyp green cap on my sandbed recovering from being bleached. Lumenbright minis look good over these tanks

[plainrt]

Looks like your gonna have a sweet setup.Love your old one.Yeah it dont take much to light a 30b.At times i have hard time with some lps and zoas cause of too much light.

 

 

good luck and cant wait to see more.

[chachi]

this looks very interesting. i hope it works out and i will be following

[jjjo]

thanks for the comments!

 

hopefully things will get rolling once i actually get the tank setup.

[jjjo]

well the brain will be here next thursday (as well as the actual tank light etc). so pics coming soon.

 

 

do you think silicone is sufficient (to create a falsewall, and a sump (like in a biocube) to attach the false wall to the glass?

[jjjo]

well here it is:

 

Its all closed up... and mind you its a cell phone picture, so it's probably quite washed out.

 

(just to compare cell phone pix with a real camera pic)

[got2envy]

Woo! that's nice!!!

[jjjo]

thanks.

 

last pic before i setup

 

(this one is worse than the other one... the extreme angle made it mad blurry, and my glas was dirty so the bleachy looking spot is actually algea on the glass)

[davidr2340]

 

Amazing bro!!! Beautiful!!!