Hey all-
I finally decided to start a build thread on my new 55g tank. I'm pretty excited about this one, and pulled out a few stops when taking the plunge. This also makes me a bit nervous, because I can already feel the pressure to make something remarkable since a) I dumped a good chunk of change already, and b) I purchased a "turnkey" system that requires very little
DIY. I'm going to have to earn some respect some other way...
First off, I would like to thank Rob, the TR staff and members for providing such a great resource and cultivating a supportive community. I would not have nearly as much confidence and knowledge without the encouraging backup.
The Tank ELOS System 70
ELOS
SUMP 400 Marine
ELOS NS 500
Skimmer w. Eheim 1250 pump.
ELOS SQUARE stand.
ELOS Osmocontroller II
Eheim 1260 Return Pump
Ecotech Marine Vortech MP40 powerhead
PFO Solaris G series 24" LED fixture.
2x 150w Visitherm Stealth Heaters
The Goal
Up until this point, I have maintained a 24g Nanocube
FOWLR tank. Like many beginners, I was nervous about keeping corals after reading (over and over) that water conditions must be more stable and nutrient poor than maintaining a tank with a few hardy fish. In retrospect, I fully agree with the "corals first" philosophy, since fish tend to muck up the water pretty fast. Now my nano seems stuck in a
nitrate-laden state (~10ppm), most probably due insufficient flow, crowded aquascaping, and lack of
refugium and/or
DSB.
With that said, I have learned a great deal over the past year and one half about tank maintenance, ecosystems and poor tank design. This tank upgrade will hopefully satisfy the following goals:
1)
Larger water volume - The System 70
DT holds about 48g to the overflow line. The
sump I would estimate at 15g. With a
DSB and 64#
LR, I estimate that the system has almost 48g total water volume. This is nearly 3 times the water of my 24g.
2)
Much better circulation - In a nanocube, the
LR is often piled up against the back, or is crowding the sides. It is very difficult to get an interesting aquascape when trying to allow for good water flow all around the rock. The System 70 is much longer and wider, which alleviates this limitation. I also wanted to utilize wide-stream powehead(s), to help prevent laminar current.
3)
Better lighting - The nano came with 72w of
PC lighting, which is fine for
FOWLR and perhaps a few softies, but not enough for a full-blown mixed reef tank. AIO Nanos are also prone to overheating when there is sufficient lighting, due to the enclosed lid with insufficient ventilation.
4)
Simple damnit - I am not a fan of power cords or plumbing tangles. Every decision I make about what to include takes into consideration the added gain/convenience versus complexity of appearance and maintenance. I want to make sure reefkeeping is enjoyable and that the system have as few points of failure as possible. I also wanted to keep water changes at or below 5g per week.
5)
Denitrification - AIO Nanos allow very little room to facilitate the processing of
nitrates into nitrous oxide. I hope to utilize an effective
DSB and a macro-algae
refugium in the new tank.
6)
Coral Husbandry - More than anything, my main goal with this tank is to support a thriving environment for corals. I will probably start with the more hardy corals, such as Mushrooms, Ricordea and some other soft corals, and later expand into some stony branching corals. I seem to be attracted to color and movement, which probably labels me as a total
.
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Enough intro. Here's a few pictures of the cycling tank. I have been experimenting with flow rate from the Vortech pump, which can create major troughs in the sand with its wide flow (depending on speed and placement). The pictures show nearly 105# of 0.2mm<->1.2mm
aragonite sand. After some initial settling, I added another 15# to bring the substrate to a 4" depth. I also have some adjustments to make on the Solaris light fixture mount. The tank has been cycling for almost 1 week.
