Kailua-Kona Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I've been a big fan of the Mr. Aqua tanks ever since I saw Scorched's Office Nano. I took an 1950's entertainment center, gutted it and added sump. Equipment Tank: Mr. Aqua 34.6G Stand: Antique TV/Stereo Stand Overflow: BRS Aquarium Overflow 700 GPH Overflow Box Sump: 20 gallon long. DIY baffles. eshopps 200 Micron filter sock Bubble Magus BM-NAC3.5 Cone Protein Skimmer 18W Coralife Turbo Twist UV Sterilizer Cobalt 200W Heater Quiet One 2200 return pump Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 ATO Rock: Bulk Reef Supply Reef Saver Powerhead: EcoTech Marine VorTech MP10wES Lighting: Kessil A150W Special Blend LED Aquarium Light 10000K I was able to add 3 Chromis after only 1 week. I cycled with Microbe-Lift Special Blend. Great stuff. I probably could have cycled with the fish because I never measured any Ammonia with the table shrimp I added to the virgin tank. Link to comment
LarryMoeCurly Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Well done. I like the repurposing of the stereo; I assume it can hold the weight since it was made in a time when things were built well and built to last. Link to comment
hey Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 My original stand was going to be a 1960s entertainment center but I ended up going a little bigger on the tank than I anticipated. Gutting it was fun lots of awesome old electronics. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 My original stand was going to be a 1960s entertainment center but I ended up going a little bigger on the tank than I anticipated. Gutting it was fun lots of awesome old electronics. It was serendipitous finding this thing. We were looking in a used furniture store for something that would work as a stand for our tank, and found the entertainment center stuffed in a corner because it didn't work. It's very heavy and was made with solid wood. It works great as a stand. Link to comment
ALexpsycho Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I like the scape! Very nice and clean build.The furniture is awesome! Good luck with your progress. Link to comment
xmas_one Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Nice hardscape! Good to see another 33 build on here, definitely following this one. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Current view of the guts. My first ball of Chaeto died. I bought it from a LFS and the only thing good that happed was that I received some brittle star hitchhikers. My nitrates started to climb and I gave Chaeto another shot; this time from a fellow reefer for some turbo snails that were knocking things over in my tank. His Chaeto really took off in my sump. My Nitrates are at Zero now! It was really satisfying to watch the Nitrates fall all week until nothing showed up on the test. I prune the ball once a week. I'm really happy with ATO from Tunze. A bit spendy, but worth it for an open tank. I was having to dump close to a gallon of RO water a day in the sump. Now I just refill the 7 gallon reservoir once a week. The UV Sterilzer is for insurance. Less talked about is how it helps with "Redox Balance". I'm still learning about that one. It's sort of like an anti-oxidant for water. I added a 12v pc fan I picked up from the Reusium here in Boise. It runs 24/7. One thing I wish was that the system was quieter. The pump hum is loud enough to be noticeable and I have the MP10 at its max setting in Random Reef mode. When it hits its peek output it can whine. I'm considering adding another powerhead so I can turn it down a bit. Link to comment
hey Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I cycled with microbe lift special blend aswell, the stuff smells like hell in a bottle lol. It works quite well imo though as I had 6 ppm ammonia prior to dosing it and the next day I was down to 2ppm. Let my tank do its thing for about 3 weeks more just because I am overly cautious but I really was surprised it helped that much. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 I cycled with microbe lift special blend aswell, the stuff smells like hell in a bottle lol. It works quite well imo though as I had 6 ppm ammonia prior to dosing it and the next day I was down to 2ppm. Let my tank do its thing for about 3 weeks more just because I am overly cautious but I really was surprised it helped that much. I agree that stuff is super stanky! My flat smelled like rotten eggs for a whole day! Glad it worked for you too. I view it as inoculation. Get all that good bacteria in there before any wild strains start. I figure the cultured bacteria is a lot more efficient than anything that is floating in the Boise air. I used to home brew beer and we always added a cultured yeast before a wild yeast or bacteria could get in there and screw up the fermentation. Maybe tanks are the same? It could explain why some people have a horrible time cycling while for others it's a breeze. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 http://s394.photobucket.com/user/leroyjarvis/media/Aquarium/Fragssml.jpg.html'> A LFS was having a $5 frag sale so I bought a bunch of different types and glued them everywhere. We will see what does good. I just can't wait for the coral to look more natural. It all looks so contrived right now. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 So the hardware is mostly complete. In the future I may add another powerhead and another light. But so far so good. It's really an eye catcher for the house. Link to comment
Kailua-Kona Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 It's been a tough month: First my Cobalt Neo-Therm 200W (expensive) heater split open and died. Then the pump on my Bubble Magus shorted out. Both have only been running for two months. And now I can't find my Diamond Goby. There isn't many places to hide so I fear he died in one of his dens. Weird because he seemed healthy. Cobalt is supposedly sending a replacement free of charge. GOOD! I had to make an emergency run to PETCO for a backup heater. Meh! Bubble Magus - hasn't got back to me yet. I ordered a new SP-1000 pump from a dealer on-line so I can start skimming soon. I may need to skim "Moby the Techno Goby" out of the tank! Link to comment
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