20 gallon build.

Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I'm not sure if this is in the right place.

Hey guys and gals. Its been a while since I've posted anything and quite a bit has changed.

I ended up selling my 90. Just needed more space in my living room and I tore down my 20. I couldn't get a handle on the hair algae so I decided that it would be better just to tear it down and do some more research to get it fixed so I don't end up killing whatever I put in there.

I have decided that I'm just going to wait until I get into a bigger house before I try again. I plan on building my own DIY overflow and building a custom stump out of a 10 gallon tank.

I'll post pics of what I want to do later today once I get on my computer.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I actually found my last thread. I think this one will take over for it. It's quite a bit of reading. I appreciate the words of encouragement Snid.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/nano-reefs/75219-my-20-gallon-build.html

I am actually worried about my L-brackets in my canopy. they started to rust. I think that's what caused my algae outbreak. Is there something I can coat them with that will make it so they don't rust? I rubbed them down with mineral oil a few days ago.

Like I said, I will have to wait until we move into another house but, I would love this tank in my dining room where I can look at it when I'm in the kitchen. I'm trying to talk my other into letting me turn his 85 African Cichlid tank into a predator tank. That isn't going well.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I think I may have figured out why I have been having the hair algae outbreaks. I was looking at my stand and canopy to see if they needed any new hardware, etc. I noticed the L-brackets that are on the canopy are beginning to rust. Possibly dosing my tank in Iron without me realizing it? I'm wondering how to avoid this, It is apparent that I need to replace them but I'm not sure if anyone supplied Plactic L-Brackets so they don't rust. Does anyone here have any recommendations by way of rust preventative paint or something that I may be abl to use.
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
If the L-Brackets are standard ones that you can get at any hardware store, get replacement ones there. Then stop over in the paint section and pick up a can of Krylon Fusion spray paint. Many DIY reefers use this paint in their water and have claimed it to be 100% safe, though Krylon has responded saying that they have no way of knowing if it is safe or not because they don't test on animals. Regardless, it will be outside of your water and will help prevent rusting. ;)
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I decided on how I'm going to set up my sump. Here are some drawings. Let me know what you think.
17921b0b40d3cf6b9452c841e9c10afc.jpg
98eb32f0ae0b85a8318ab9d1aa437d60.jpg
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
Ok question guys. I was told that a bare bottom tank would be easier to maintain. If I were to do that, could I still have a fuge with a remote DSB?
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
Some people do have a Refugium with a DSB in it. I would only do it if you had room enough in the cabinet to vacuum the top of the sand from time to time, as the Refugium will need some cleaning too. Design is lookin' good. ;)
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
Thanks snid. Maybe I won't use any sand in my tank then. Its been a while since I've read anything on bare bottom. Is it better to have a DSB or go bare bottom in a nano?
 
sirrealism

sirrealism

Well-Known Member
I am doing Bare bottom in all my tanks. Right now just my 40b is BB but over time I am doing it with them all. Yes I like the look of sand but i find my tank to be much less problematic with out the sand. One thing to note if your going BB put extra flow at the bottom to keep the poo up in the water so the filter has a chance to get it. Last weeks water change was so simple. I had no waist on the bottom at all, just drain and fill no vacuuming.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
Awesome sirrealism. Thans for the advise. Do you have any photos of your tank so I can see? I'm mot quite sure on what to do next,
 
sirrealism

sirrealism

Well-Known Member
sure.

These were taken a couple months apart. You also might notice I dont use any rock in this system. I use a Marinepure 8"x4"x4" block and i have 0 N03 and .04 P04. I dont use any reactors GFO, activated carbon ect. Just regular water changes 10% every 10 or so days and I over skim. Skimmer is rated for 100G. Because I have a lot of SPS I do go through a lot of Alk and cal but I dose that daily
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
There is no real right or wrong with choosing between a DSB or bare bottom. It all depends upon what you want and are going for. The livestock you choose to have can be a huge determining factor. Many creatures of the sea like to burrow in sand and such. Bare bottom tanks generally are easier to clean, but that's not to say that ones with DSB are extremely difficult if done properly. There are less things that can go wrong with a bare bottom, for sure, but most of the problems with tanks using DSBs come from negligence and poor husbandry. You don't want to get a DSB if you also don't stock it with creatures that stir the sand bed, as they help with the cleaning and maintaining of the sand bed. So once again, it all falls back onto the livestock you desire. ;)
 
sirrealism

sirrealism

Well-Known Member
Snid this is a debate thats been going on for years. I for one dont even want to get into the DSB or not as I have spent many days reading about it and this forum has to nice of people to get into that one since it seems to start more then just conversations. I have done both and in the end run bare bottom or a thin layer of sand and like crushed coral even more then sand. Plenty of reefers think I am crazy for liking crushed coral because it is course and there are places for waste to get between the coral but to me its simple to vacuum like we did with fresh water tanks. So everyone has an opinion about it. the longest and most stable tank I have ever run was with crushed coral. There are issues with bare bottom 2. there is no buffer with out a substrate which means your Alk and cal can move faster so you have to stay on top of that. I would like to have some nice wrasses but i cant because of no sand. I have thought of putting a big bowl of sand in just to be able to have one. LOL
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
Heheh... I wasn't going to get into the debate either, and crushed coral is yet a third debate. ;) Like you, I've read a lot. The large reason why I say there is no right or wrong, is because in all my reading, all my conversations, and all my research on locations I've found that each of the three choices truly boils down to two things...

1) What livestock you want to have.
2) What system can you as an individual be successful at maintaining (each person is different)

I am certainly not about to argue one point over the other because I honestly see nothing wrong with any of them, as long as they are treated as what they are properly. Heck, Paul has a 40+ year old tank running a reverse flow under gravel filter! I have grey hair on my beard and his tank is older than me!!! That's pretty much why I wasn't discouraging any approach. ;)
 
sirrealism

sirrealism

Well-Known Member
LOL Nice. Its funny about PaulBs tank and his filtering. If you spend a little time thinking about it I see how it would work well. But yes this means nothing is out of the possibility. i have spent the last couple weeks reading everything I can find about Glenn F DSR method and even joined his forum to learn more, So I am very open to new ideas. When looking at his tank how can you not. I love Pauls ideas about live food being so important. So much that last week I started hatching brine shrimp which I have not done in 20 years. Paul and Glenn both use baby brine every other day so why shouldnt we. I mean both of these 2 are at the fore front of our hobby yet with 2 very different ideas on how to get there.
 
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