Matto's 17.4g Rimless Newb Aventure!

[mattclark82]

Hey Matt, how far from the top of the rim did you end up placing the glass-holes overflow? It looks like about a 1/2" gap? I'm brainstorming how I'll position mine on my ADA 60P for a relatively low flow rate (eheim 1048 pump).

 

Thanks!

Sorry for the slow response. I have mine 3/8" from the top. But my overflow has deep teeth. If the water level ends up too low for my liking, I will cut a piece of acrylic to fit behind the teeth, blocking a potion of them.

 

wow. wish i was more of a DIYer.

The secret is taking ones time. But don't take as much time as me Hahha (bought a house in March, serious crap on fish tanks).

 

Wow, great build on that canopy and stand. Sorry to hear that the sump cracked..

ITHANKS. t is all for the better. It is very hard to find that size tank locally. So will use a ten, just been buy fixing up neglected house.

[mattclark82]

So after one year and a few days, the aquarium will be wet very soon.

 

Finished a sump from a spare 10 gallon and the baffles from the cracked sump.

 

Bought a bucked of Reef Crystals and a bag of sand.

 

Receiving my refractometer and a few spare bulk heads today. (I split my 1/2" double threaded bulkhead return, word of advice, buy the SCH 80 bulkhead, they need a bigger hole, and are grey instead of black, but much stronger than ABS)

 

My dry rock from BRS will be here Tuesday.

 

Going to finish plumbing tonight, set tank in correct spot, and shim level.

 

So close !

[mattclark82]

Need some suggestions on Aquascape. First I tried two islands, then decided to use the last chuck of rock for a bridge between the two. I really would like input, my first hardscape ever. Sorry, LEDS make pictures hard. Might have to use a diffuser or rearrange them if disco is too crazy.

 

 

Also, here is a side by side comparison of a 1/2" double threaded bulkhead, the left one from Marinedepot, the right from Glass-Holes.

[LQuance]

FTS as of 3/13/12

 

Updates:

• 9/26/12 - Dry rock added (page #3 post #53)
  
• 3/13/12 - Stand and light hanging complete (page #3 post #41)
  
• 2/16/12 - Working on the hood (page #2 post #36)
  
• 1/26/12 - LED arrays build - (page #2 post #28)
  
• 12/8/11 - LEDs arrived(page #2 post #21)
  
• 10/27/11 - Holes cut . . . back painted(page #1 post #14)
  
• 9/14/11 - Stand Complete, updated equipment (page #1 post #6)
  

 

 

I am setting up my first reef tank. I have had a fun high light CO2 injected planted tank for several years now

 

BUT

 

now am looking to join the saltie side!!!! I started off with a bucho questions here: Planing my first nano-reef

 

So here is my planned build, and some of the work that has been done thus far (at the moment, not much, but it is STARTED! whewweeew - can you tell I am excited )

 

FUTURE?Current Equipment

- Tank: GLA 60-L Rimless tank

- Overflow: Glass-Holes Super Nano con Dientes (with teeth)

- Stand: DIY ADA Style

- Light: DIY LED

- Filtration: 10 gallon sump w/ Tunze 9002 Skimmer & Eheim EH1250 - 'fuge w/ DSB

- Heating: Eheim Jager 100W Submersable

 

Hardscape/Substrate

~20 # LR and 20-30 # LS

 

Fauna

- Planning to start with soft coral, I think shrooms look beautiful, then work up over time to LPS and SPS

 

STAND

I like the clean look of ADA stands, so instead of paying massive cash, I built one for around $100. Here are some photos of it pre-stained. Hardware and staining is tomorrows task.

Without doors:

Doors not hung yet:

UPDATE: here it is stained

UPDATE: and then polyed and finished

 

 

 

DIY LED ARRAY

Here are some plans for my DIY LED array. Please provide input if I am missing something or you can see some improvement: (don't mind the horrible spelling, or drawing )

 

Array from above:

 

Front and side view of rough idea of no-optics casting, and "50 deg" cast, Rapid LED does not have a 50 deg, but without a protractor when I drew this up, I guestimated. I think that I might benifit from optics, to keep the light tight witout too much overspill. At the top of the tank, even with "50 deg" the light is well mixed it seems. RapidLED sells optics for the XP-G (for the neutral whites in my build) in 40/60/80, but for the XP-E (royal blue) they have 40/55/80 . . . thinking the 55/60 degree optics all round with the array 6" from tank top?

 

CHANGED DESIGN, see page #1 post #6

And here is my horrible wiring diagram. I plan on using ledgroupbuy.com's DIMM4 as a controller, with:

• Channel 1: Mean Well ELN-60-48D driving 14 Cree XP-E RB
  
• Channel 2: Mean Well ELN-60-48D driving 7 (8?) Cree XP-G NW
  
• Channel 3: Direct driving 3 Cree XP-E RB (?) for a moonlight setup
  
• Channel 4:
  • OPT 1: Driving 2 Cree XP-E RB + 1 Cree XP-G NW for fuge lighting
    
  • OPT 2 : Cooling fans (not thinking they will be needed), and have the fuge lit with a PAR buld on a wall timer
    

I thought about inline ammeters, but that will not be needed with the DIMM4.

CHANGED DESIGN, see page #1 post #6

 

So, this will be a work in progress, figure I would start a journal now, as any input along the way will be awesome.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Looks really good! I'm glad to see you built your own stand because mine was custom made too

Everything looks very nice though!

[mattclark82]

Looks really good! I'm glad to see you built your own stand because mine was custom made too

Everything looks very nice though!

 

Thank you, I read your journal, and yes, DIY stands are nice, get the look often for the same price as the light weight cruddy stands.

[mattclark82]

[mattclark82]

Cycling still. Have a good dusting of diatom and bubbles at the end of the photo period.

 

I know some people do not like the idea of chaeto in a cycle, but after some reading I do like it. It slowly dies of and grows back, adding a bit of bio-load and tons of pods and HHs. I forgot my sheet with my parameters at work (have Hach colormeters for testing).

 

Started skimmer tonight, to give it some break in, as hopefully in a week add some CuC and in two weeks (after a massive WC) a frag and a fish or two. With the skimmer running, the chaeto will probably start starving more, but some will probably survive to reduce the spike from introduced live stock.

 

The irritating thing is when I got my rock stack the way I really wanted it, I made the mistake of doing it on cardboard (logic was to reduce scratching). I could never get it back the way I had it, which went together so good in a "aha" kind of moment. Might do some more rearranging. What you'all think?

 

There is a few rubble and live rock frags that will move out later, opening up sand bed in front.

 

 

[Deleted User 4]

Tank looks great man. You got it going!

[mattclark82]

24h and skimmate is coming in, still little watery.

 

 

Never smelled skimmate before, very odd smell

[mattclark82]

Over the past week, slowly added a CuC or astraea, cerith, and hermits.

 

This past Saturday I added some small frags, 4 zoanthid, 1 ricordea, and 1 two headed hammer.

 

The hammer took a little abuse, but it is almost back to its original stature after reducing the flow on it.

 

The next question, I want to upgrade one of the following with some bonus money coming, which first?

 

* upgrading my lights to be full spectrum (adding TV and OCW), rearranging the stars to reduce disco, and changing over to Meanwell LDD drivers.

* Purchasing a Ecotech MP10ES

* Purchasing a Tunze Osmolator

[mattclark82]

Went out and bought an MP10. Man this thing kicks! Not sure what mode to use, currently on Reef Crest at 40%. The shop I bought it at uses pulse mostly it seems.

 

Skimmer is going crazy with all the gunk kicked up.

 

[mattclark82]

Added more frags and tailspot blenny about a week ago. Been acclimating them to the lights, and now got them placed where I think I would like them (apparently not where my hermits think they should be ). Will glue them down after watching for another week or so.

 

 

Started using Fuel as well as Microvore.

 

Checked parameters:

SG: 1.025

Temp: 80F

pH: 8.4

NO3: 0.6 mg/l

PO4: 0.08 mg/L

 

Waterchange tomorrow.

[Deleted User 4]

Looking good man.

[mattclark82]

Been two months. Bought a few mushrooms, more zoa, favia, laptestrea, paly, ricordea. Also had a hammer, but I think after it fell down it was hurting. It eventually succumbed, and started getting "brown jelly".

 

Anyways, here are some photos. I am new at the photo stuff, so first here are some photos under RB (with WB set to sand, so some colors are lost):

 

 

 

 

Fruit Loops under RB:

 

Same Fruit Loops under RB and NW:

 

and here is my only fish thus far, a tailspot blenny:

 

Thinking I want to stay away from clowns. I love them, but with a tank this small I would rather have more than the tailspot and two clowns. I will probably go with some smaller gobies, YWG, firefish, trimma gobies.

 

What you'all think?

 

Also, turned on the flash light the other night, and saw some interesting stuff, giant amphipods, stomatella snails, and spaghetti worm crazy!!!

[Deleted User 4]

Whoa, royal blues make them corals look like that?

 

My royal blues don't do that haha.

[mattclark82]

Set the white balance to the sand, if it is white. It more or less represents the corals colors spot on under the RB, but of course the sand in person is washed out blue instead of more white in the photo.

 

Point being, coral colors are pretty darn close.

 

Not sure how anyone else does their photos, been reading.

 

Other than that, I made no post editing.

[Deleted User 4]

I see. Looking great man, been awhile since you've posted. haha

[eddiecorrea]

Looks good.

[mattclark82]

Looks good.

Thanks. Needs more coral, and more growing.

 

I see. Looking great man, been awhile since you've posted. haha

I know. I just couldn't get good photos, so I saw no point. Gonna hit up my favorite LFS this week, get some more goodies.

[mattclark82]

new coral additions from a local guy.

 

 

Miami Vice Zoanthids, have not quite pinked up in the center as some I have seen

Green Bay Packer Zoanthids

Alien Eye Zoanthids with acclimating Orange Bam-Bams in the rear

Same AE Zoanthids under RB lighting only:

 

 

Got a few mushrooms and a odd palythora/zoa, anyone have an ID?

 

[latteslave]

You have some great DIY skills. When you getting the additional LEDs?

[mattclark82]

Thanks. I used ot just slap crap together. THis time, just took my time

 

I dunno. . . . I am on the fence about how to go about it. I arranged my LEDs before the whole cluster idea. I get a bit of disco (you get used to it), but when I add RGB/OCW and TV do I tear everything up and cluster, or stay with my origional idea?

 

Plus at the same time I wanted to switch over to Meanwell LDD drivers, with one of those nifty PCBs people are doing over at reefcentral.

 

So maybe later this year . . . got more important money sinks: house, car, and a trip to London!

[mattclark82]

Long time no Update. The blenny died after about 5 months. He was all healthy, then started to wither away and not eat. . . tried a lot of foods, maybe he ran out of algae.

 

Since then, my favia has bleached on the top of the tank, I trusted the LFS's advice to place it high in the tank. Shoulda' done research. I moved it down to the sandbed for a while, we will see.

 

The rest of the corals are looking fine. Mushrooms and ricordea are multiplying, zoas a bit slower.

 

Pictures tomorrow when lights are up.

[mattclark82]

Some new pics. My favia has made an awesome recovery lower in the tank

 

Under RB, with white balance set to sand. Colors pretty darn accurate

 

 

Recovered favia:

My first SPS, great polyp extension?

New rasta zoa:

Same rasta zoa under RB/NW (sorry about noise, whitebalance filter to get truer colors blasted image):

[Kfmmartin19]

Very nice build! What kind of BRS rock is that?