Nano-reef tank

[EddieW]

Here's pic of the tank that I am converting from FW to become a nano-reef tank.

Approx 20 gall, hood discarded and replaced with an overrtank T5 luminaire with 2 x 36w, two external Fluval 104 with no media to give 210 gph circulation. Still to be added: Powerhead to add another 105 gph, skimmer (possibly), refugium (possibly), auto top up system, wave maker to control pumps (possibly).

Waiting for hydrometer as LFS was out of stock so there is only about 3/4 of the amount of salt required. Once it is set up correctly going to start off with about 10-15lb of live rock and 20lb of live aragonite sand. Will add some more live rock over the next month of two until it is all cycled. Then come the snails and crabs....

Cheers, Eddie

 

[ste2k3]

nice tankl B)

I would get a hang on type of refugium and then light it 24-7. if you have calerpa and miracle mud in, then you won't need a skimmer and this would cut the cost a great deal.

also, if you get uncured live rock, this will cycle the tank better.

sounds like its going to be a great tank. keep us updated.

 

[EddieW]

Hi ste2k3,

I looked at the EcoSystem 40 for thsi tank but at £270 it seemed a bit OTT. I am still pondering about it as (as you say) it would remove the cost of buying a skimmer....

I was planning to get cured live rock and have active live sand on the way. I was under the impression that this would reduce the cycle time as there would be less die off from the rock. Also the curing process is likely to help to get rid of bristleworm and mantis shrimp which is good - the down side being that it is a lot less likely to contain much in the way of good hitchhikers. All of the on-line places seem to do cured rock only - also I don't think I'd have enough space to cure it.

Cheers, Eddie

 

[ste2k3]

1- try cleartides, they will make you a hng on refugium for about £50
2- if you can get the biosediment by kent, this will only cose about £35
or the caribsea mineral mud.
3- you don't need any more space to cure liove rock, just bung it in your tank an forget about it. this will give the rock good quality water and any life should recover. in a shop, it is just all chucked inn on top of each other and left until itrotts and then the stuff that has survived will then eat up the nitrates etc and the rock will have nio more "die off"
4- you are just as likly to get mantis shrimps etc if it is cured, all the mantis needs to do is keep in its origional burrow in the rock and where ever that rock goes, so does the mantis.
5- why do you want to reduce the cycle time? by doing this you will just increase the algal blom when you turn on the lights. (ps make sure you keep all the lights off for at least a month while it is maturing.

just one more thing, any bristle worms will only be small so ifyou get your self an arrow crab,this should take care of them. also, where are you based in the uk I presume. I would not get the live rock mail order. it may be a little cheaper but this means that they can send you what THEY like and not what YOU like. I would gop the the lfs an hand pick your rock so you know what your getting.

one last thing are you going for hard corals or softies?

 

[EddieW]

Hi Ste2k3,

Might try the cleartides/iosediment option - would I need to add caulerpa algae and a pc light to replicate the EcoSystem 40?

I have just ordered my LR from Tri-Mar - I think I can rely on Monty making sure I get good pieces. I have ordered 8kg which I can add to with odd bits from the LFS around here. I wasn't overly impressed with a lot of what they had on display, but with the basics built up I can look for specific shapes and sizes to fill the gaps.

On Nano-Reef.com in the articles on cycling it say "Keep your lights running on their regular 10-12 hour schedule. Do not cycle your tank with the lights off, unless you want the life on the live rock to die off." However you are saying to leave the lights off. Can you enlighten me on this as I want to understand the choices - thanks.

I will keep an eye out for mantis and bristleworms - I will make sure I include an arrow crab at the appropriate point in the future.

Not sure on whether to go for hard or soft corals - I think the lighting will eliminate a lot of choices as I don't think it is intense enough for the majority. I will be researching in relation to what is available in London whilst the tank cycles.

Thanks for all of the feedback,
Eddie

 

[ste2k3]

algae requires 3 things to thrive

light
organics
phosphate

by cycling with the lights on you will be giving the algae all the things it needs and you will be plagued with hair algae. etc etc. live rock is boxed up and shipped by plane from fiji (normaly) and will be in that box for about 3 days (just damp). when it gets to the stockist (trimar in this case). it will be chucked in a large holding tank to allow any live stuff that has died on the way there to rot and then the life that is still alive will filter out all the polutants that wetre caused by the "die off". this is now called cured live rock and that is why cured live rock is more expensive than uncured. the curing process normally takes about 2-4 weeks depending on how long the rock was in transit and how good the curing facilitys are. so I think that anything that requires light will be dead after 3 days out of water and 2-4 weeks in the darkness.

you would need a desk lamp and calurpa. you can get a desk lamp for £5 at B & Q and if you go to ultimate reef or reef centeral and ask for calurpa, they will give you some free if you send an SAE. (people with refugiums have to harvest it every week or two and it normally ends up in the bin.

this picture shows a tank which was cycled with no light but the lights were turned on early and this is how bad the algea bloom was.

 

[ste2k3]

this is my tank which had the lights off for 10 weeks while maturing and there is no hair algae at all. the tank is filtered by live rock and I'v had no water quality problems so the rock must still be "alive"

 

[DizBjOhN104]

cool thank i like the blue in the begining, and now it still looks good with all the deco nice work man

 

[ste2k3]

I think that there has been a bit of a mistake. one at the beggining is not the same tank as the last one.