The 5g pico that broke into a 17g nano!

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
So I had a beautiful little 5 gallon rimless tank that I had made for a SPS pico. I spent a weekend some time ago converting a dresser into a stand for it, drilling it etc. I felt really good about it and left it all out on the deck overnight aaand...

The gods smited me with a sudden windstorm. Or a lackadaisical nature depending on perspective I guess.

The wife was quite upset with the notion of me spending a lot of money in addition to what I already told her (totally lied) it would all cost.

My compromise was simple. I will fund the reef by selling guns and comic books! She was most pleased with the idea of any of my hobbies being reduced (fly rods and dart frogs are not negotiable though...) so she went for it.

Luckily Facebook is full of people buying and selling selling stuff and I often give praise to Asgard. So after a Wolverine number 1, a Hulk 340 and a small venom set, my paypal was full, and that very night I drove to this cool dude's house and picked up a 17gallon Mr Aqua tank. (that he drilled in a most hanis fashion, but more on that later.)

It was $50 for the tank and stand. The following weekend I got my hands on a eshopps psk-100 for $75, and build a little 10g sump w/ fuge for $40.

I though initially I got a score with the drilled tank, until I started looking at overflows in relation to where homeboy drilled the hole... Like 1.5 inches from the left wall. I figured what the heck and plan to cut the back out of the internal black box of an eshopps eclipse s, and have it sit a little off center of the external return box.

I have a Jebao Dc2000 an a Jebao WT-10 on a boat in route to Colorado for my return and flow. (wife doesn't know I will probably add more )

I am ordering a Reef Breeders Nano lite plus for light, and will add a dinky little reactor and a dosing pump when she isn't looking.

But here she is currently. I am going to build a wooden frame around the stand as well.


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Once all the pumps and my overflow arrives I will sort out the plumbing and let it run on a sw tapwater fill for a while why I try and sell my walther to fund the light. It'll give me time to check for weaknesses and the like.

Then it'll be cycle time!
 
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mr_tap_water

Well-Known Member
Very neat looking tank looking forward to seeing seen it unravel[emoji846][emoji106]


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Blue Space

Well-Known Member
nice nano build, bob. imho, I wouldn't waste the salt if you're just going to start out with tapwater... just start with tap to find and fix any leaks as a trial run. then empty and fill 'er up with sw and add a shrimp to start the cycle.
 

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
17388931_1918168468417080_6107556937742520462_o.jpg Got my plumbing all laid out this weekend. Waiting on my return pump, and hope to have it running a FW trial this weekend. I plan on ordering my light this Friday (payday). If all goes well, I will get salt sand and live rock and start the cycle by the second week in April.
 
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BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Well it works!

I need to add 4" to my downpours so that its completely silent (hense the ball valves on the ends.)

Also need to add a check valve to the return line, as the return was drilled 5" below the rim. it back siphons pretty bad LOL.

Now I just need my light and a heater. I hope to have sand and rock in it and the cycle started by the first!

Question about my refugium chamber, should i do miracle mud, sand or BB?

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Blue Space

Well-Known Member
Hey! The pup is up! Looks like he's getting into it now! :D

I still don't think he likes those shorty filter socks though... ha ha!
 

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
just received sand (Reef Flakes), a jabeo wp-10, and a 24w par38 fuge light.

I also acquired 4 7gallon water jugs that i can squeeze a little powerhead into for ro/di and WCs.17621735_1924059341161326_8990349510603045057_o.jpg

Next up will be LR and my light. Getting pumped.
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Looking great Bob. Let us know how you like the WP-10. I have a 40g breeder burning a hole in my pocket from Petco's last dollar per gallon sale and have been considering Jebao WP pumps because of the pricepoint.
 

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
Is it cycling ??? Looking solid so far Bob.
I'm a fan of the jebao pumps, but more so the RW line vs WP.

I'd stick with bare bottom in sump, easy cleanup
 

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Is it cycling ??? Looking solid so far Bob.
I'm a fan of the jebao pumps, but more so the RW line vs WP.

I'd stick with bare bottom in sump, easy cleanup

Not Cycling yet... I have to regulate the funds around the wife LOL. I will probably have rock and lights and the cycle started in the next 2 weeks or so. Right now I am just letting it sit, checking for leaks, issues and measuring my daily evaporation.

The Chinese seller backed out of the sale 2 weeks after i had paid for my return pump, so I ended up grabbing a Aquamedic DC 1.1. In conjunction with the circulation pump and a check valve I put in my return line I am very happy with it.
 

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
So. I gotta say, Fritzzyme Turbo start rocks. I purchased 20 LBS of LR from "A Purple Reef" and was able to set up the entire system 5/14.

Fritz Turbo Start suggests 1oz per 25 gallons of their nitrifying bacteria solution. My little system is about 23-25 gallons between the sump and display. The bottle says that you can add up to 5x the suggested amount to turbo the turbo start. So that is what I did.

5/15 and 5/16 I had substantial ammonia and nitrite spikes. As of 5/18 however, all levels have been holding steady at 0. I was skeptical, so I added about 6oz of dehydrated hangover piss to the tank Saturday 5/21. Sunday all levels were back to 0.

So Sunday afternoon I purchased 6 little hermits and a snail. I am Happy to report that all daily readings are still holding strong at 0.

A purple reef, is the way to go. The rocks are beautiful, and I have zero hitchhikers. I could not be happier with hs rocks.

I snagged a used Eshopps Psk-100 that I fired up the day after the piss test. I love this little skimmer. Even though it is absolute overkill for a 25ish gallon system, I think its actually perfect.

I am in love with my little system. I plan on adding more hermits and a couple snails this weekend to round out my CUC.

Stocking wise, I am thinking of getting some bumblebee shrimp, another pair of small shrimps, a goby/pistol pair and a helfrichi firefish.

I am aiming for an SPS dominant tank, with maybe a clam or 2 and some high end LPS like a gold torch, some scolys and acans.18422470_1946694158897844_2880584253152098920_o.jpg 18620255_1950811885152738_3644452147586087975_n.jpg
 

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BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Tank Update!

Things are good. Although, my pistol shrimp is kind of a dick. He sniped a nassarius snail, 2 bumblebee shrimp, and a court jester goby. I still love him despite his expensive snacking.
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Then here are some progression pics.
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