10 AGA with fuge.

[Timanator]

Project starting date 11-18-2006

Updated as of -12-30-2006

Project:

Create a SW tank with the approximate width as the mini fridge going into a bar fixture.

House a few small corrals and fish/shrimp combo.

Hide all intrusive devices to make a more natural habitat.(This is abandoned for the lack of depth to create a false back in the current tank, should have used a 20" cube with a 12" height)

Parts list:

10 G AGA fish tank - Total of 18.1 G of water volume
Current USA Orbit 2x65 fixture.
Aqua Clear 50 modded into the Refugium.
8" x 13" x 15" refugium - with about 8 lbs of LR and 4 inch crushed coral/sand substrate. 6.7 G
CPR HOB skimmer with Rio 60 pump. 7.5" x 3" x 14.5" 1.4 G
MaxiJet 900 PH
Jager 100 watt Heater


Planned inhabitants:

Pistol Shrimp/Goby combo.(Very interesting relationship)
1 BTA anenome
Zoas
small Xenia tree
a patch of GSP
Shrooms
CUC.



The beginning after water cleared up with 5lbs of live rock to cycle.
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...jing/nano1.jpg



With Light and wood trim I am working on so I can slide the fixture when I work in the tank or fuge.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-6-2006032.jpg




Current pics(Will be updated)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006018.jpg


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006021.jpg


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006025.jpg

[CarmieJo]

Clever design.

[Small Fry]

very clever, im excited to see it progress

*thumbs up*

[Timanator]

Firsts!!!

All the firsts in this tank, great way to learn.


Red Slime Algae outbreak!
I am controlling it by using only actinics for now.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...17-2006039.jpg


First Corral, Paly of some sort given to me by friends at LFS.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-8-2006051.jpg


Chaeto! They are Grrreeeeeat!
It is on top of all rocks in the Fuge on the low flow side.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-8-2006056.jpg



First Pest!
Aptasia, and a spider(Which I did not get a shot)


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-8-2006110.jpg


First Zoa when I found it 12-6-2006(Came in some Livesand rubble)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-8-2006022.jpg


And how it looks today - 12-30-2006

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...24-2006021.jpg

[Timanator]

I can hear Rob's voice now, "be patient and add things slowly...)

But After all, I'm Asian, and since Confuscious invent "patience" and past it on through the cryptic writings in the form of the Fortune cookie along with equally life saving Lottery#...

So onto the inhabitant pictures!(Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates are all either undetectable or near 0"

Tiger Pistol and Watchman Gobie.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...23-2006036.jpg



Zoa!
my friend knows i am trying to propagate these, so he finds them for me and I get it at his Store costs.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006063.jpg


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006055.jpg



Eagle Eye frag


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...23-2006109.jpg


"Boner" the not so square Sponge. He's exiled to my cycling prop tank for now, until I can verify whether he's alive or dead.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...17-2006143.jpg

[Bernie]

looks great! very interesting combination/specialty inhabitant tank, and super inventive design. props must be given!

[gwen_o_lyn]

Nice tank and great lookin' zoas!

[Timanator]

Thanks Guy/girls

A big thanks gotta be given to the Talking Reef crew for all the background work, because this project would not be anything but a tank of salt water if the Podcasts were not available.

Next up lion fish!!!
























































































J/K

Happy New Years TR!

[gwen_o_lyn]

Happy New Year's Tim!!!

[fat walrus]

The refugium design is cool. Can you show more pictures of it? I am very interested in how the refugium and Aqua-Clear power filter is mated.

[Timanator]

Originally Posted by fat walrus

The refugium design is cool. Can you show more pictures of it? I am very interested in how the refugium and Aqua-Clear power filter is mated.

The thought behind it was:

Chamber 1: pull water in from the main tank.

Chamber 2: houses everything I can put in there to not clutter up the main tank.

Chamber 3: low flow area for Liverocks and Macro algae.


So basicly, I chopped up a AC50 and cut up a corner out of the acylic tank, and glues them together with Super glue. The kind that has the 2 sides in a syringe, you mix after you push it out of the tube. I then made a new intake tube section to only take in water from the surface.


Then I divided up the area that has the pump to flow the water 3/4 of the way down in to the refugium before it is allowed to flow into chamber 2. This will make sure all water is heated before allowing to return to the main tank.

The intake for the Skimmer is in Chamber 2, it's water is released in to chamber 3. This creates a low flow area for the Macro Algae during the day only since thats the only time the light is on, and also when the skimmer is running(On the same cycle as the actinics). This chamber is connected to the second chamber at the bottom of the divider between these 2 areas.


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...31-2006032.jpg


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...30-2006027.jpg

[Timanator]

When I first put in the 2 liverocks when the tank started, I noticed a litle slug looking thing with no shell but it disappeared before i could get a shot for ID.

Well later on I found on it was a Nudibranch.

Look what I caught today(turkey Baster rule!)!


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-6-2007067.jpg


Also I had a leak over the holidays, so apart goes the fuge and everything is taken apart and resealed.

Some shots of the cuts.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-3-2007021.jpg


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...-3-2007022.jpg

[iglowce]

very nice progress.. keep it up!