Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 My 15.5 gallon Nano tank grew to about 50 gallons. The Background story: (How I ended up with another tank I don't really need) Okay so here is the deal. I went over to pick up a set of gloves and a couple of corals from Brandon (Prada) that I was buying from him. While I was there he says "I have this tank for sale if your intesrested". I already have 4 tanks at home so I'm not really interested but I give it a look anyway. This tank turns out to be a beauty and even more it is pretty much a complete setup. It has an Oak Stand and Hood (It's solid oak other than the back and floor), a 14 gallon sump, a skimmer, 1100 gal (approx.) return pump, A 400w MH light, Overflow box, etc. All it needed was a little cleaning. There is no way I can afford this thing now so I didn't give it much more thought but encouraged others to look at it. The next day he posts that he can separate the lighting from the tank to bring the price down. I already had a 400w light anyway so all of a sudden I might be able to swing this. First I offered a couple of trades but they didn't work. Instead I sold both my Nano Tank and a second 20 gallon tank as well that I had just taken down the day before. This gave me the extra funds to swing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Whare are the pic's? build threads need pic's!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 So now to the good stuff. Having just sold my Nano tank I put the livestock into bags in my main display sump. Then I made a quick trip to get the tank from Brandon. On the way home I made a quick stop to grab another 22 lbs. of sand (Picked up a sweet Purple Chalice for $5 as well) to add to what I already had. After arriving home I started in with the white vinegar and hot water to get everything cleaned up. The sump was really easy as it was pretty clean already. Just a quick once over to take care of it. The tank itself took me 15 minutes or so to scrub the coraline off and wash it with freshwater. At that point I went ahead and put the sand in (half established and the rest that I picked up on the way home) and started filling it up with water. (I needed to get the Nano livestock back out of the bags) I did a fairly large water change to my 85 gallon display (20 gallons) so I could use the water in this one so I could streamline getting it established. The rest of the water was fresh mix. While this was filling I installed the 400w reflector into the hood and as soon as it was full I put the hood on and wired it up. I then threw in a power head for some water flow and then after it had settled some I added the Live Rock and then I acclimated and added the livestock from the Nano. After this I was able to take some time to get the overflow tank, skimmer, and misc. stuff cleaned up. This took a bit more work as there was a fairly heavy buildup of calcium on it. After I had those fairly clean I went ahead and installed them and started eveything up. I did need to add a fitting to the skimmer pump that appeared to be missing for an air line but I happened to have one already from a cheap skimmer I picked up a week ago. At that point all I had to do was get the skimmer adjusted. I also threw a piece of foam into the overflow tank to quiet it down some. (I'll need to clean it every few days but it's worth it to quiet it down) In the future I will likely add an internal overflow and drill the tank so I can remove the external one to eliminate the overflow noise. In the immediate near future I will plumb in a dual return since the return is just stuck in through the top. After that I will be looking for either a 175w or 250w MH light to replace the 400w one. (IMO 400w is overkill for this tank which is only 16" deep) After a couple of weeks to be sure the tank doesn't have any big spikes through the first cycle I'll start looking at a few more fish and corals to put into it. (I imagine I will frag a few from my 85 gallon display as well to put in here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Whare are the pic's? build threads need pic's!! Patience.... Here we go. I'm trying to get an original before pic from before I started cleaning it up but I can add that later. (I forgot to snap a couple when I got home) These first 2 pics are after I cleaned the tank up and before I added water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 These 3 pics show the top with the light I added, (Yes, this is the one from you Eric) then the sump with the skimmer (The Cap and core ballast can be seen on the right as well), and a FTS with the doors open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 And finally a couple shots of the tank itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Current livestock includes: One mated pair of orange clowns. One Purple Firefish. One Red Scooter Blenny. (I'll need to keep an eye on him until pods show up to be sure he gets enough to eat, until then I will add pods into the water column) 2 RBTA's. One is what the clowns have been hosting and the second is a small hitchhiker that happened to be attached to one of the LR pieces I chose for this tank. One featherduster. (This doesn't include the small ones attached to the pieces of LR) There are probably a few bristleworms in there as well. I got nailed by one (There were several) when I was removing the stuff from the Nano tank. Almost forgot the Hermits. One Large Electric Blue Hermit One Zebra Hermit And one other hermit. (Either blue leg or maybe a halloween) Might have a couple of snails in there already as well I also have some Halimeda I added and a ball of Chaeto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilmca Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Looks good, the stand and hood appear to be in great shape. I'm guessing the livestock will appreciate the extra space compared to the 15.5 nano and it gives you extra space for more corals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanz Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Sweet score! Just out of curiosity, why didn't you drill the tank for the overflow rather than use the box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Looks good' date=' the stand and hood appear to be in great shape. I'm guessing the livestock will appreciate the extra space compared to the 15.5 nano and it gives you extra space for more corals![/quote'] Yep, The stand is in "Like New" condition. The tank is close to that. Once it is established a bit I'll start putting some more corals in it. I have a cabbage leather in there now and may put one of the yellow polyp zoas in there that I got from you. (The rock broke into 2 so I have 2 of them now) Sweet score! Just out of curiosity' date=' why didn't you drill the tank for the overflow rather than use the box?[/quote'] Because I needed to get the livestock back into a tank ASAP and my main display isn't really an option. (If they lived through the trigger and tang I would never catch them again) I'm thinking about building a self contained overflow that I can slide down the back side without draining the entire tank. If I do then I can drill a couple of holes close to the top to eliminate the external box. (Just drain enough to drill and install it) I did something similar with my original 60 gallon tank however I want to make it a cleaner install if I do it with this one. I'll build an acrylic box and then put 2 drains in so I can use the Herbie method plus add a third hole to plumb the return as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 It's eddie not eric but thats ok! Hey its looking great! what are the dimentions of the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 It's eddie not eric but thats ok! Hey its looking great! what are the dimentions of the tank? Whoops, I apologize, I knew it started with an E.(scratch) Thanks for the compliment. The tank is 36" wide x 15" deep x 16" high. Funny thing is it is exactly the same size as the sump under my 85 gallon display. (The sump is actually a Tru-Vu acrylic tank converted into a sump) The stand is 30" high and the hood is 13" high including 2" that overhangs. (About 10" from the tank to the top inside) Overall height is just under 57". The top of my 85 gallon display tank is right at 57" without the hood so this is kind of like a mini version. I'll be replacing the 400w ballast with a smaller one but until then this one will work. 400w is way overkill and with it only 9 or 10 inches from the water it adds too much heat. It will be even worse after I cover the back. (I may need it covered starting tomorrow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 no prob! no need for apologies! is that a fan on the right inside the hood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Todays update: Today I made a few changes. First was to plumb in a T to split the return to two 1/2" cpcv elbows to distribute the return flow more effectively. (With the single tube coming in it was moving gravel on the bottom) The next change I made was to add tubing to the skimmer to put the water level above the sump water level. This should keep the skimmer working consistently rather than changing as the water level changes. It allowed me to lower the skimmer some as well to make it easier to empty the cup. The last change today was to add a new 120mm fan into the hood. I chose an Antec 3 speed PC case fan. The 3 speeds available are 1200, 1600, and 2000 RPMs. I have almost an identical one (This one doesn't have the blue leds) in the hood of my 85 gallon. This will allow me to slow the fans to quiet them to a whisper when it is cooler out. To run this fan I grabbed an old laptop power brick and wired it in. It's a bit overkill for power to the fan but it will only use what it needs anyway and the laptop it came from gave up a few years back. (BTW, If anyone is looking for an old laptop power brick to power fans let me know as I have a couple of extras) That's it for today. Stay tuned as I may have a bit of a surprise for this tank tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 no prob! no need for apologies! is that a fan on the right inside the hood? Yep. It's a 14.99 deal from Lowe's. It normally is running over my sump under my 85 gallon tank but I swiped it for this one to get by for a couple of days. (That light really heats it up) This morning I put it back under the other tank and then put a new fan in the side of the hood a couple of hours ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny503 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Rick you are so lucky... I think we both have some very similar taste... in fish tank ;-) First I read your post about your 15G nano tank I was going to give my input remove the false wall and put a overflow on it. Then I saw this tank posted for sale by Brandon, I was going to pick it up but I am not nowhere near PDX and I dont have the transportation to take this tank to Grants Pass. Then you bought it... now I am following your proggress with this tank like it's mine. Please keep it update ;-) Benny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I was totally trying to get this beauty!! Isn't it awesome! Great job, great score!! Brandon rocks!! Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Sweet tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 We'll do Benny. I actually removed the sump from the Nano Thursday. I figured that a bit more LR would be just as effective until I figured out an external sump. I think the guy that bought it put the sump back in but I'm not sure. We will probably see him on here before long. (He sent me a message back this morning indicating such) He had a pretty good idea for the sump that I hadn't thought about. He mentioned taking the back wall off the sump and then replacing it with clear acrylic. Since the back of that tank is glass it would allow a light to be mounted behind the tank for a small fuge. Sounded like a decent idea to me. I'll have another update tomorrow for sure. Got a couple of things I'm working on as I plan to go a little different route with this one. (I figure I might as well do something a little different now that I have the option) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Sweet tank! Thanks, will you be around tomorrow afternoon? I'll be over near SWF and can bring those tubes down with me if you will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 You mean today 7-29 or tomorrow? I'm here all the day today, but without the car. Tomorrow I will have the car back so I can can meet you at SWF, unless you can drive to my house and I will show you my tank room too :-) (NE, near Alberta). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 You mean today 7-29 or tomorrow? I'm here all the day today, but without the car. Tomorrow I will have the car back so I can can meet you at SWF, unless you can drive to my house and I will show you my tank room too :-) (NE, near Alberta). Yes, it would be today. PM me the address and I can call when I am ready to come over. (Probably around 4:00 but not certain yet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 what was the big suprise? I had a hard time sleeping lastnight waiting to here what it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 what was the big suprise? I had a hard time sleeping lastnight waiting to here what it was! Took me a bit to get pics and what not taken. Todays update. First I removed my Purple Firefish, Red Scooter Blenny, and the 3 hermits which I placed into my 85 gallon tank. Then I took my Niger Trigger from the 85 gallon and placed it into this one. Following this I cut a new board to put over the rear of the hood to enclose it. I also rearranged the Live Rock to get the flower pot for the clown up off the sand. I had a trade I was working to swap 30 lbs. of LR that was going to go into this tank however the deal fell through.(scratch) Oh well, I have some DIY that will eventually go into both tanks once I am sure it will not crash them. First I have a few pics of the tank condition after only a couple of days. First is the small RBTA that was a hitchhiker a while back. It isn't fully open today but the color is much better than it was when I first got it. Next is the Feather Duster which seems happy here. You can also see one of the sponges on the piece of LR to the right of it (This rock has several that are yellow/green and orange). Here is one that surprised me. It is of the Halimeda I put into the tank. The 2 dark shoots coming up are new growth in only 2 days!!! This last one shows the Orange Clowns which look happy with their RBTA and flower pot. The RBTA seems happy as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Now for the surprise. Since I already have a typical reef system I decided to do something just a little different. Not too far out there as I still want it to be a reef system but I decided this will be an aggressive tank. Hence moving the trigger to this one. Next I picked up a Snowflake Eel that is 8-10 inches long. (Thanks Garrett) I wasn't sure whether I would be able to get this until today so I didn't want to say anything yesterday. I also think I will be adding a Lionfish to this tank as well. (Need to wait a few weeks on that one) That will probably pretty much round out the livestock for this one. Snowflake after arrival during acclimation: Freshwater bath: (I was told it was shipped in copper treated water so I gave it a 5 minute freshwater bath before putting it in the tank) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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