Birth of a new 10 gallon nano (pic intense)

[reef_dude76]

Hi all, I decided to post the details of my DIY 10 gallon nano project for everyone's enjoyment and of course to get feed back. After having to tear down my 58 gallon reef this summer due to job relocation and having alot of aquarium parts lying around, I decided to setup a small piece of the reef in my home office while I plan the design for a 180 gallon reef for our new family room: :) After lurking and researching here on the nano reef forum, I found a refugium design posted previously by sugar magnolia that looked like a fun DIY project so I modified it some for my own needs and went from there.

The first thing I did was take stock of what I had, a 10 gallon and an AC 110 left over from a previous reef move.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628Start-med.jpg
I decided to paint the back of the tank black with Krylon fusion satin spray paint, to contrast the coral and make the colors "pop". I started by taping the sides of the tank to prevent drips and then used some packing paper I had left over to wrap the tank.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628Tape_the_tank.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628Add_paper.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628the_paint.jpg

[reef_dude76]

I used about 4 coats (until I couldn't see through the back of the tank), and viola ... the finished product.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628tank_painted.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628finished_paint1.jpg
Next I took stock of my parts.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628fuge_parts.jpg
And began by taking the filter basket apart. I removed the side panels from the grated bottom of the basket. I planned to cut the grating and silicone it to the front of the filter housing to prevent macroalgae from flowing into the tank. Here is the grating after being cut and silicone applied.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628cut_and_glue_the_grate.jpg
And here is the grate glued in place.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628grate_in_place.jpg

[reef_dude76]

Next, I used some white copy paper and traced the outline of the filter housing to make a bulkhead template. I cut out the template and transferred it to some acrylic that I bought from Home Depot (if you plan on trying this, I recommend getting the cutting tool for acrylic, it saves time and headaches). I used a dremel tool to smooth the edges and get a good fit.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628bulkhead_template.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628trace_the_bulkhead.jpg
Here are the bulkheads siliconed in place. The middle space I added for my 50 Watt heater, so I could get it out of the display tank.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628bulkheads_in_place.jpg
Here is one with the heater in place.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628heater_compartment.jpg

[reef_dude76]

No good DIY would be without a design screw up. During a wet run of the filter I found that I had cut the bulkheads too high, and water was overflowing the sides of the filter in places. I solved this by using my dremel tool and cutting some slits in the bulkheads.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628dremel_the_bulkheads.jpg
After that, I put the whole assembly on the back of the tank so I could measure where to cut my intake pipe. The intake pipe included with the AC110 is too long for a 10 gallon if you plan to have a sand bed (like I did :rollface: ) so the pipe needs to be cut. When you cut, cut eht side opposite the one that has the fitting that goes over the intake pump. I left my cut portion in place to illustrate.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628cut_the_return_pipe.jpg
Next I put the lid on the filter and marked the portion of the lid that was over the refugium chamber.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628mark_lid_for_cutting.jpg

[reef_dude76]

I used my dremel to cut this part of the lid out. I did this so I could still use part of the lid to control splach and evaporation without having the light from my refugium lamp obstructed by the lid.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628lid_cutout.jpg
After digging through my stuff some more, i found several old filter cartridges that I had not used. One fit great in the front part of the fuge next to the pump. So in it went :D .
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628filter_pad.jpg
And presto a brand new fuge for my 10 gallon nano. Here is the finished product.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628finished_fuge1.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628finished_fuge2.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628finished_fuge3.jpg
Soon to come are pics of the tank after initial setup and after two weeks.
So what does eveyone think?

[Spiffyguy]

looks really good. Look forward to seeing furhter pics of the set up.

[BLKTANG]

nice job on the fuge.

[reef_dude76]

Here is the first part of the setup showing the 96W quad compact fixture from Coralife, the beginnings of the sand bed, the fuge in place, and a powersweep powerhead.

AND before I get any comments on how crappy the powersweeps are let me say ... Yes I know, but I had this one lying around and when it dies in 4 weeks I will replace it with a couple of microjets from aquarium systems.:rollface:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628light_setup.jpg

[reef_dude76]

Here are some pics after getting some water and rock inthe tank.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628Initial_setup.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628setup2.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628setup3.jpg
The last one shows my turbo snails scraping away at the glass. Here is one of the fuge with macro and operational.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628fugesetup.jpg
I have rearranged the rock work since these pics. I will post those later.

[Spiffyguy]

What macro is in the fuge? and waht light did you use on it? Looks good, thanks for sharing.

[BLKTANG]

Lookin good.Hows the flow with the AC 110,& the PH.I have the AC70 Fuge,& AC30 PH,& i keep SPS in my 10.I would imagine you have tons of flow.

[reef_dude76]

Flow is really good. I have green star polys, green striped mushrooms, and some encrusting montiporia. The flow is just right for the polyps, you can see them bend and sway nicely in the "breeze"

The Macro was called caluerpa grass( I think I spelled that wrong), the guy at the LFS couldn't give me an exact ID. But it is growing like a weed :rollface: and doing a great job at nutrient export. At present my levels are: Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Phosphate 0.2, SG 1.024, temp 82 degrees.

I also have a shrimp goby/ pistol shrimp pair and a small royal gramma.

Here are some more pics:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628tank92905.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628starpolyps.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628mushrooms.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628gobypistolshrimp.jpg

[nonamesright]

Great diy work, it looks much better than mine for a first time fuge mod.

[reef_dude76]

nonamesright: the sucess with my DIY is one part anal retentive measuring and 3 parts praying to the reef gods that it works like its supposed to :D

[sacs4010]

The tank is looking very nice. I really like the DIY job you did on the fuge. The only question I have is whether or not you switched out the Aquaclear pump that comes with the filter that you have? I know a lot of people who buy an Aquaclear 300 (the second largest hang-on power filter they make), then get an Aquaclear Mini's pump and then put the smaller pump on the filter. If the current is going to fast in the fuge you are losing out. That water going though it needs to slow down and allow your fuge to filter it. What supplements are you using right now? I have used Algone in the past with my Nano setups and it works great. Do you plan on upgrading the lighting at all?

Bradley C Sacs

[KING OF THE REEF]

looks awsome man. any chance we can get an updated pic??? what is your stocking at the moment

[reef_dude76]

sacs4010: Thanks for your comment. No I didn't switch out the pump in the AC 110, what I did, actually by accident, is by making my bulkheads higher than I should have and then cutting slits in the acrylic, the bulkheads are slowing the flow for me. So, by the time the pump generates flow through the filter pad ... over the first bulkhead ... past the heater ... over the second bulkhead ... and down into the fuge chamber ... the flow has slowed down significantly to the point the macro is gently waving in the "breeze".

As far as suppliments I use C-Balance and coral accel. I just started with reef complete for additional calcium and have noticed that the coralline is starting to grow better.

As for upgrading the lighting, I may add MH later. For now my money is being socked away for my 180. But eventually I will upgrade to a 150W 10K HQI halide.

[reef_dude76]

Imareefer: I'll try and get a more recent pic in the next day or so.

[KING OF THE REEF]

thanks man still looks awsome

[vanmo92]

who says powersweeps are crappy. i have one since may and it works great. be sure to clean it often though.

[frontosa_man80]

your DIY rocks and your tank is sharp!!! i love it.

[birdie]

thats proilfera in your refugium. nice start

Richard

[sacs4010]

You going to use some type of skimmer?

Bradley C Sacs

[reef_dude76]

birdie: Thanks for the ID on the Macro species. The LFS is good for some things, but at times they don't know what they are selling.

sacs4010: No skimmer planned at this point. Seems that I am keeping up pretty well with weekly 2.5 gallon water changes. The ph, alkalinity, and other perameters have been rock stable.

[diablobryan]

What kind of light are you using on your DIY fuge? Can we get a picture of the entire fuge setup with the light? Thanks!

[dynamixone]

nice tank but I think that GSP will soon take over!

[reef_dude76]

diablobryn: The fuge light is an old desk lamp that I had in college. I put a 6500K 19W PC in it that I bought at Home Depot for 7 bucks. It works great, especially now that I have it on a reverse timer to the main tank. I will post a full shot of the fuge later today when I get a chance to tank one for you.
:strooper:

[reef_dude76]

dynamixone: Yeah they may, but I have split colonies before when this has been a problem and found this can be a very good side business to support my habit. :lol:

[reef_dude76]

By popular demand here are some full shots of my fuge setup.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628fuge1-med.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628fuge2-med.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628fuge3-med.jpg
As you can see in that last pic, the macro has almost doubled in mass, time to prune :D

[aquaglobal]

Hey guys,
Anyone running mud in one of these hang on aquaclears? Can it be done with the flow they run through them?

Thanks

[dynamixone]

cheers to you reef dude!

[reef_dude76]

aquaglobal: I have not heard of anyone using mud in these DIY fuges but I don't see what you can't if the flow is low enough.

[reef_dude76]

The powersweep jammed today and stopped power sweeping exactly 4 weeks to the day I setup the system. :mixed: I'll try to fix it this time but is it keeps jamming its gone.

[jaybuc]

Seems like you need a fan! 83 degrees! I have the same issue with my 96w on my 10g.

[reef_dude76]

The 83 degrees is due to my wife turning the air off and opening the windows in our house that day. Every other time I have checked the temp it has been 80 or 81 degrees.

Have you had trouble with the 96W coralife heating up? This is one of the reasons I have been watching my tank temp like a hawk. The first several days of operation I noticed that the fixture was really warm and the fans in the hood don't seem to do that good of a job at cooling the unit.

[zoazoa]

Looks Great !@!!!

[jaybuc]

reef_dude76
I have had some heat issue with mine, However I am running a Remora with a Maxi Jet 1200 which causes most of my heat. It is a powerful light that is really close to the water surface. A small fan would be a good idea IMO.

[reef_dude76]

Ok guys, its time to add some more stuff to the nano. As an update, I've done two prunings of the macro in the fuge and it continues to grow like crazy. Parameters are ammonia 0, nitrate 0, pH 8.2, temp 81.5, calcium 480. The fuge is producing pods like crazy as well, I just did a glass cleaning and there were hundreds of them on the glass. Coralline is growing nicely as well.

Current stock:
GSP
Montipora
Green stripe mushrooms
red zooanthids
shrimp goby
pistol shrimp
2 turbo snails
emerald crab
nesserius snails
blue leg hermits

What would be the next good addition for my nano as I am planning a shopping trip to the LFS in the next several days. Any recs for a fish that might make use of the ample pods running around the tank? Any coral suggestions?

[reef_dude76]

Here's a more recent pic.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628PA180028.JPG

[jaybuc]

Great Looking 10g! Wish mine looked this good. Great planning and rock work!

[reef_dude76]

jaybuc: Thanks for the compliments. I must say that I have really enjoyed this tank. It's now a little over a month and a half old and has done pretty well. It is bay far the most sucessful tank I have had thus far. My 58 that preceeded it was always having minor issues with water chemistry, water quality etc. It has been awsome to have a good looking tank without the hassle of a sump, skimmer, filter media, and on and on. I am literally doing a weekly water change, dosing a few trace elements, and feeding the goby and shrimp. That's it.

[MeuserReef]

reef_dude76

How has the 96W been so far on heat?

[aquaglobal]

Try useing the prefilter sponge that comes with the powersweep! They NEVER jam with the sponge on!

[frosstman]

Quick question: when the power goes out will the filter drain and leave the heater exposed? If the power comes back on, is it possible for the heater to turn on when dry and break? Or does water remain in the filter when the power is out? Thanks.

[Andy Somnifac]

Originally posted by frosstman
Quick question: when the power goes out will the filter drain and leave the heater exposed? If the power comes back on, is it possible for the heater to turn on when dry and break? Or does water remain in the filter when the power is out? Thanks.

I'm not the original poster, but I have a similar setup on my 5.5g (only major difference is that I have an AC70). When I cut the power, the water level in the AC70 does drop to match the level in the display, but the intake tube maintains its syphon. Once power is restored the water level immediately comes back up to the proper level and my heater is again covered.

So, as long as the water level doesn't fall in the display tank to the point it breaks the syphon, everything seems like it should be fine.

[Hutton]

i like it! iwas thinkin of turnin my 10 into a reef and now i think i might do it.

[pimp2daizzo]

what do you do get your stars so green?

[pimp2daizzo]

what do you do to get your stars so green?***

[reef_dude76]

pimp2daizzo: I try and keep the water a clean as possible and try and give the GSP a good amount of light. Other than that I don't do anything else, specific, to make them green.

[reef_dude76]

frosstman: as a quick answer to your question about the heater, I have two bulkheads that make up my heater chamber. This separates the heater from both the filter pump intake chamber, and the chamber that serves as the fuge. Since the seals are water tight, when the power goes out, the fuge chamber and pump chamber may drop their water levels to match the display level, but the heater chamber level never changes. The heater will then run to keep this small amount of water at 80 degrees, but will shut of when not heating. I know this is how my setup works cause I replicated a power failure before fully setting up the tank.

[surfnvb7]

if you had a power failure, wouldnt your heater be turned off anyways??? ;)

i guess you meant to say pump failure. :)

[reef_dude76]

surfnvb7: Yes, I did mean pump failure, not power failure. That's what happens when you type faster than you think :lol:

[TheUltimateNoob]

isn't the pump for the AC110 way too strong for the 10g? i would think all the sand would be blow everywhere. did you replace the pump with another one?

[reef_dude76]

No kept the original pump. no sand issues.

[frosstman]

Hi, here is a pic of my 10 gallon which I started Nov.5, 2005 based on this thread. I use an AC 110 with the same mod and put the heater in there.I find it is the perfect amount of flow once the water passes the baffles and macroalgae. I am not putting a powerhead in the main tank.: http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/cae0c7a3.jpg

[TheUltimateNoob]

frosstman or reefdude,

could you perhaps take a pic of the outside of the tank so i can see how big the AC110 is relation to the tank? thanks.

[muzscman]

i'm using an ac110 on mine also and love it! great looking tank here!

[frosstman]

TheUltimateNoob, here are two shots where you can see the filter on the back. http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/2401eaed.jpg http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/83594d0f.jpg

[frosstman]

I have a CoraLife fixture sitting on the AC110 which provides light for the macro. The filter cover is translucent enough to let the light through.

[TheUltimateNoob]

awesome...thanks for the pics frosstman.

i'm planning on setting up a tank exactly like that. i can't wait.

[muzscman]

frost u have nothing running on your tank other than the filter for flow?? i have a maxi-jet 400 (believe that's what it is...the smallest one) and i seem to have quite a few dead spots when all i have on is the AC110..

[frosstman]

That is all I have and everything seems to be waving in the current. I only plan to add a powerhead if absolutely needed as I want a clean look in such a small tank.

[muzscman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6289252#post6289252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by frosstman
That is all I have and everything seems to be waving in the current. I only plan to add a powerhead if absolutely needed as I want a clean look in such a small tank.

grrr...now i'm thinking maybe it's my rock work and i might have to move stuff around. i'm going for the same look and would prefer to just have the intake tube showing in the tank.......

:)

[reef_dude76]

Hi, all. Sorry for the hiatus.

muzscman: To add a powerhead, or not to add a powerhead that is the question. The answer depends on your aquascaping. I had the AC110 and a powersweep in my tank, I say had cause the tank sprung a leak about 2 weeks ago and I had to tear it down for now. The rock and inhabitants are living comfortably in my 58 gallon at the moment, which I am glad I was putting together at the time the tank leaked.

Anyway, depending on how your rocks are arranged the AC may not provide enough flow and a powerhead may be necessary.

frosstman: Awesome looking tank. I'm happy that my mod inspired you to setup your tank, it looks great. I hope your 10 gallon fairs better than mine did.

[reef_dude76]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628light_setup.jpg
Here is the best pic I have showing the size of the AC in relation to the tank.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628tank1-med.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628tank2.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628tank3-med.jpg
Here are some pics of my 58. :rollface:

[frosstman]

Reeef dude, thanks for the compliment and thanks for the inspiration and direction. Here is a pic of my 79 gallon at home. http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/79ffdb61.jpg And another http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/d5782f27.jpg

[reef_dude76]

Awesome tank frosstman
:eek1:

I am happy that my thread could be of help to you, that was my whole reason for documenting and posting it. I remember what is was like when I first got started in the hobby, and even now, it is one thing to read someones opinion and advice, but entirely another animal when some one actually shows you what they are talking about and the end result of the process. Those where the times I learned the most, when I could read it and SEE it.

[vanmo92]

awsome tank

[muzscman]

very awesome tank frosstman.....looks like the maxi-jet is staying in my tank....

:)

[frosstman]

I added a firefish to my nano on Jan.7, 2006. Also added 4 astrea snails and 6 hermits. Corals are growing well. How are those other 10 g nanos based on this thread doing? http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/40459a5b.jpg http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/2b8b50df.jpg

[ben&bobbi]

Ok guys,
i am going to follow suit! i am looking to set up an anemone and clown tank. get a few questions...
first, do i need that much light to support the anemone's?
second, on the refugium, the first baffle, would have worked better to have it 1/2" off bottom and left tall, or would this make the water pass the heater too quick?
third, how far from the top should the baffles be?
forth, on the refugium light, you put a PC bulb in a standard socket?
fifth, you mentioned a reverse timer - where do i find these?
ok, 2 more, the filter pad, did you place it in an established tank first, or just use it fresh? how often do you replace it?

i am thinking of making my rock tall enough to "hide" the pickup tube and power head if needed.

anyone have anymore pictures? - oops that was another one right? - dang it, again!
Thanks for all your help!
Ben

[mikegronholz]

I too have started a nano for my office based on this thread ... built everything up yesterday (including a totally cool stand and canopy). I'll post pictures tonight.

[mandrin13]

I have lots of empty ten gallons.I know what I will do now.I am also relitivly new to reef keeping and i was wondering what the green coral on the left hand side of your tank is?It's really pretty.
I have a 1.6gallon pico reef and Ive done lots of mods to it.I will try to get some pics later.

[frosstman]

Which tank do you mean? Do you mean the candycane coral in my tank?

[mikegronholz]

So here is my progress ...


Tank with canopy and ever so small base

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/507/17297DSC00215.JPG

The modified AC110

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/507/17297DSC00219.JPG

I decided to use some more of the left over parts instead of cutting slits in the acrylic

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/507/17297DSC00220.JPG


I am really pumped about getting it in my office. I have to either stain it or paint it.

[TheUltimateNoob]

that's a sweet canopy. where did you get it? or did you build it?

[mikegronholz]

Built it ... cost was about $40

[TheUltimateNoob]

good job. i wish i were that handy.

[ben&bobbi]

mikegronholz,
what's in the hood?
Ben

[mikegronholz]

currently nothing ... soon to be a 96w pc with a fan

[frosstman]

Looking good!

[jdeanda69]

mikegronholz,
a couple of questions

1) How tall is your canopy? and how thick is the would you used?
2)how tall are the acrylic pieces you add? and when you added the mesh screen does it slow the flow down enough?
3)what kind of fan for your hood?

i really like the canopy! i have 96 watt quad bulb retro kit and wasnt sure how to mount it because i thought a nano was small for a canopy but i changed my mine after seeing this.

[mikegronholz]

The canopy is 1/2"x6" poplar. So the canopy is 6" tall. As for the acrylic, not sure, I cut them to fit. The grates flow plenty, very little slow down. The fan I am using is actually built for an HVAC system. It is 4" and flows like 185cfm or so. My wife uses one as a fan at her office.

Update ... it got painted black last night ... none of the stain matched my office.

[OCDep]

Great job on the canopy....

[reef_dude76]

The tanks and mods are looking pretty sweet. Anyone else out there with a 10 gallon and a moded AC fuge want to show off their little slice of the reef?

[ggenz]

nice, can we see a recent pic?

[reef_dude76]

Sorry ggenz. Unfortunately my nano sprung a leak at the end of last November. All the live stock at the moment is in my 58 gallon which tahnkfully I was working on when the leak occurred. I tried to fix it twice, but the tank is just old and will not hold water any longer.

[highland135]

Just a thought about your question for a fish to feed on all the pods running around. A mandagrin might be a good choice.

[ReefDreams]

why did you make a separate chamber for the heater ?

[ben&bobbi]

i figured it is to allow the water to stay long enough to heat up.

[ReefDreams]

I've seen mods that have only 1 plexi/acrylic separator.. Wouldnt the water be ''stagnant'' if the heater is isolated like that ? It would just flow over the box, the water in the box would not be renewed as often no ?

[Agu]

muzscman: To add a powerhead, or not to add a powerhead that is the question.


I've had a 10 gallon up and running for three years with an unmodified AC 70/300. The AC is filled with rock rubble and kept dark aka a cryptic zone refugium.

Over the three years I've checked the tank and four times I've found that something got sucked into the impeller and jammed it. So far no loss of life. But after the first time I added a small powerhead as a secondary source of water movement. In a nano it wouldn't take long for lack of flow to crash a tank and I feel better having the backup flow in the tank.


jmo,

[reef_dude76]

I've seen mods that have only 1 plexi/acrylic separator.. Wouldnt the water be ''stagnant'' if the heater is isolated like that ? It would just flow over the box, the water in the box would not be renewed as often no ?

The only reson I made this mod in the first place was so I could have a place to put my heater so I could:

1. Get it out of the display tank so it looked less cluttered with equipment.
2. Separate it from the rest of the refugium to keep rock from breaking it, macroalgae from growing on it so I couldn't read the settings.
3. Add a second bulkhead to slow water flow down in the fuge since the AC110 doesn't have the ability to change out the impeller motor for a smaller one like some of the other AC models can.

The water is not stagnant. If you need convincing add the cloudy part of a two part supplement and watch it dissipate rapidly.:strooper:

[ben&bobbi]

ok, guess i did something way wrong. i have been cutting and still water too high. Between the 2 baffles, the "rapids" are high enough that they splash out the back of the filter box. i cut out some of the grate going into the tank near the heater. seems the grate is raising the water level in the filter. but, still splash too much. right now i have a filter floating on the top of the water to keep the splashing down. Also if the water level in the tank gets low, man it is noisy and lots of bubbles! any ideas what i did wrong?

also, time for confession. hope i don't get kicked out of the tread yet.

i never checked the size of my aquarium before adding water. i added a 5gal bucket of water and ....... only 1/4 full - what the !! yep, i have been building a 20gal this whole time. but it is up running and cycling now, so it will stay. still based on everything here

[reef_dude76]

ben&bobbi: Well, it might be eaiser to diagnose the problem if you could provide a picture of your setup. It sounds like your "rapids" are a result of cutting your bulkheads to long and thus they are too tall when you installed them in the AC. Having tall bulkheads combined with the amount of flow that the pump of the AC 110 puts out, you can get some splashing that the filter housing won't contain.

I fixed some of this by lowering the height of my bulkheads before I installed them, and also by incorperating the use of the original filter lid into my design. By cutting out the portion of the lid over the refugium chamber, it allows light to get to the algae but minimize the splash from the bulkheads.

[ben&bobbi]

i'll try to remember to get a pic tonight. i recut them after installing them with the roto-zip, they are about 1" below the outlet now and still splashing without the filter. I do have the top on also, but there is a gap between the lid and container.

[reef_dude76]

I wanted to take the opportunity to update the thread with pics of my new 10 gallon nano. As I mentioned previously in the thread, my last nano sprung a leak forcing me it tear it down. I have since resealed the entire tank and after two leak tests I can say it is water tight again. Thus, I decided to set it back up in my office over the weekend. Here are some pics of my new beginning. I am still using the moded AC 110 that I built in this thread. Enjoy.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/846282-14-06-med.jpg http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/846282-14-06-2-med.jpg

More pics to come as the tank matures.

[ben&bobbi]

here's an overall pic of what the tank looks like right now.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/2002520_overall.jpg

these are the rapids. it would be like that all the way across if not for the floating filter. notice how close it come to the top. - WHY???

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20025DSC00067.JPG

here is where i cutout some of the grating to lower the water level behind it in the filter.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20025DSC00066.JPG

here is a picture of the baffles after trying to settle the rapids! if you look close, you can see the white lines between the blue foam and flash. they are the tops of the baffles.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20025DSC00070.JPG

also, what are you using to keep the filter level? mine seemed to be missing several pieces, so maybe i am missing something i didn't know about. i had to talk petsmart into replaceing the "u" tube without bringing my modified filter box back in.

[reef_dude76]

After looking at your pics, I'm not really sure what the problem is. When I built my fuge, I glued the grate that separates the fuge chamber from the overflow back to the tank, even with the top of the filter.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628grate_in_place.jpg

When I installed my bulkheads, I set them about 1.5 to 2 inches lower than the top of the filter body.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628dremel_the_bulkheads.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628heater_compartment.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628finished_fuge1.jpg

I have a minor "rapid" effect when the water is flowing over the bulkheads, but not to the extent you have in your pictures. I do have a filter pad, the blue filter cartridge in the abouve photo, which helps to slow some of the flow from the intake pump. That might make a difference. I also have more LR rubble and algae in my fuge than you, this also acts to break up some of the flow. Also the water has to flow past my heater, the top of which and cord break the water surface in my fuge and have a slowing effect on the current.

You also mentioned trouble leveling your fuge? This my cause a problem too, especially if one side of your fuge is deeper than the other. When I bought my AC 110 it came with a plastic piece that fits on the bottom of the filter body and acts to stand the filter away from the back of the tank to level it.

I hope this helps, there really aren't that many parts to this mod so other than a height problem, leveling problem, or needing more stuff in the fuge to break up the water flow, I'm not sure what to tell you to do.

[ben&bobbi]

ok, i am going to try something else, but not sure if it will work. i have to confess that the bulkhead before your filter is too close in mine for the filter to fit between it and the output. i am going to take the black piece out about the pump and cut it back a little. maybe since that is the pump output and yours is going straight into the filter , that may be slowing it down . i can't think of anything else. then i will raise that first bulkhead back up to keep the level in the fug up if pump shuts down. second bulkhead really just houses the heater , but it could be shorter.

also, i must be missing that leveling piece. i will cut some styrofoam and make a wedge for mine.

i will try it tonight and repost!

[BelowH20]

Tanks off to nice start. Great job on the aquaclear mods!

[reef_dude76]

Thanks for the feedback, it should really start taking shape after the next addition of LR.

[ben&bobbi]

for anyone else going to copy this design, the filter is the key part! I trimmed the black piece back and slid the filter into place, and the raging rapids are much more mellow! so don't forget space for the filter!!

[reef_dude76]

Glad you got the problem figured out:D .

[cokevanilla]

I really got to try this mod

i have only 1 question: how often do you change the blue filter pad?

sry...make that 2: do u get any dirt inside your fuge?

thank you

BTW i have an aquaclear 300 (70 now I guess)

[dmiles11]

Hey there just admiring the work that is going on here and have decided to follow. I just noticed that some of ya are from Canada and I was just wondering how much the AC110 cost? And to see if the 96watt CP light are doing well for all of your tanks, and what the limit is for coral with those lights.

[reef_dude76]

cokevanilla: the filter pad is a carbon cartridge, you can find the brand at the beginning of the thread with pictures. I replace it about once a month.

[reef_dude76]

Sorry, I didn't address your other question. Yes, detritus does build up. I just clean it out if it gets too bothersome.

Way back at the beginning of the thread, someone asked if anyone was keeping sand in this fuge mod. I just setup this nano for a second time, the last time it sprung a leak, and when I was putting the fuge together I decided to add some live sand to it. It now has about a 1 inch layer. The flow through the fuge seems to be perfect and no sand is getting kicked up at the moment.

[frosstman]

Here in Nova Scotia, I think I paid $60 on sale for the 110. It is about $80 regularly. The 96 watts of light is great for all softies. I will submit a new photo of my tank. The growth is great.

[mcegelsk]

Nice documentation. Coming right along. Thanks for sharing!

[dmiles11]

thanks a lot frosstman. So does that mean you have no hard corals in your tank?

[BlackPirhana]

reef_dude76, I can't put a lid on a coffee pot, that's how bad I am at fixing things, have you ever though about selling HOB mods?

[frosstman]

I have no hard corals. You can see pics of my tank earlier in the thread.

[reef_dude76]

Well, I'm not sure there is much of a demand for someone to do AC HOB fuge mods. At least your the first to to mention it.

[BlackPirhana]

man, I really need one.........

[Hutton]

sorry to hear about the leak. i am planing the same type of shrimp/goby setup for my ten gallon. im also going to do an ac fuge.

[frosstman]

I promised a new shot of my tank as of Feb.24, 2006, here it is: IMG]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/18ef884e.jpg[/IMG] http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/Feb.jpg

[frosstman]

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/frosstman/18ef884e.jpg

[frosstman]

I don't know if it ia all the macro in the 110 but the tank is very stable and has almost no algae problems. I ordered a Fission nano skimmer despite bad reviews and plan to set it up in the AC 110 filter.-Frosstman

[reef_dude76]

frosstman: Depending on how you set the tank up initially, it is likely due to taking it slow at the start and allowing the tank to fully cycle, keeping the bioload low, keeping a good crop of macro going, and regular water changes.

I got a little overzelous when I setup my 10 g up again as I have some hair algae and a few patchs of cyano starting. Did a 3 1/2 gallon water change the day before yesterday, and will be doing another this weekend.

[frosstman]

I change one gallon weekly.

[reef_dude76]

That will go a long way at keeping things stable.

[dmiles11]

Isn't Frogspawn and that Hammer hard coral??

[reef_dude76]

They are LPS, large polyp stony coral.

[dmiles11]

How much sand did you put into your AC?

[frosstman]

None, it just holds macro and now a Fission nano skimmer as well.

[dmiles11]

Hey there, I have things set up and used the AC mod for my own take a look at mine on others 10gal. http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=796781

[ZoeReef]

Great thread, extremely helpful. I will be getting my AQ110 in the mail any day.

I bought it at animalworldnetwork.com for $34.99 + 7.57 shipping.

My Fission skimmer has really been a waste of money. With the water evaporation each day, it is rarely set right and I don't see that it has skimmed much of anything. All it has done was introduce lots of bubbles into the tank.

[ZoeReef]

Never one to leave well enough alone...

Since I don't need to put a heater in my fuge, what do you think about this idea... Genius or Madness? :cool: :crazy1:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/118941Refugium_Plans-med.jpg

[reef_dude76]

If you raise the bulkhead to the height you are suggesting one of two things may happen.

1. The pump of the AC 110 is pretty strong. You may run into problems with the gap at the bottom not being large enough for the water to flow through and if you add a flow obstruction like a filter pad it will slow the flow down more. The risk you run is the first two shambers in your schematic overflowing the sides of your filter housing and onto the floor.

2. If you plan on using sand in the fuge part, it could back fill the space at the base of your bulkhead and reduce flow more causing the same problem I mentioned above.

[reef_dude76]

If you don't need a place for the heater, then I would drop the bulkhead into the filter housing, flush with the floor, put the filter cartridge in and raise it up above the top of the bulkhead to catch any flow that tries to go over the filter instead of through it.

The other thing you can do is drill holes in the bulkhead to allow more openings for water flow. but I would not make the top of the bulkhead even with the top of the filter housing. I would keep it below. This would let water flow out the bottom of the cartridge as you have drawn above, and also through the center and over the top of the bulkhead as well.

[ZoeReef]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/118941Refugium_Plans2.jpg

I will have LR on the bottom, but not sand.

[reef_dude76]

Yes, that is it exactly, though your main flow will be likely be over the top of the bulkhead as opposed to through the filter pad as water will follow the path of least resistance. That is why I mentioned that it might be better to glue the bulkhead to the bottom and sides of the filter housing. That way water can flow into the fuge chamber only ONE way, and that is over the top bulkhead. If you place your filter cartridge in the first chamber and raise it up to, or just above the water surface, then the water HAS to flow through the carbon cartridge as it is the only way it can get to the next chamber. That is why I designed the fuge the way I did.

[ZoeReef]

Super...thanks. I'll post a pic and report when it's up and going. Everyone else is out of town this weekend so it's a good project.

[Spiffyguy]

I did something similar on my 10 gallon with an AC50. I siliconed a piece of eggcrate in far enough to put in a chunk of polyfilter. Then the other side is all live rock rubble. Just started the tank so we'll see how that works.

[BlackPirhana]

Frosstman, that nano skimmer fit inside your a/c110? I want to add a skimmer to my 10gal also, dont have room in tank for skimmer wanna put it in my a/c 100......do you have a pic of the skimmer in the a/c110?

[dime079]

I also wanna see what the skimmer looks like in the fuge ;) does it fit ok? having any problems with it etc....

[dime079]

Anyone else who has done this mod have problems w/ bubbles in the tank? They float around the top then get hit by the return water and just float around. I just set it up last weekend and am currently cycling the tank. Is there an easy solution to get rid of these bubbles?

[Kirin1]

*bump*

I was considering the fission skimmer for an AC70 mod for my 5.5, but have heard nothing positive. (death by bubbles)

frosman, how are you running that thing? Got Pics?

[reef_dude76]

dime079: Bubbles usually mean turbulant water flow which generates the bubbles. I too had problems with bubbles in the beginning and the addition of the filter pad fixed 90% of the problem by slowing the water flow down allowing time for the bubbles to dissipate. I also have a powerhead streaming water just below the water surface and directed through the spillway of the filter. The current catches the small amount of bubbles I do have and carries them to the water surface where they burst.

Also I have noticed that the highe my salinity the more bubbles I have. I am running my SG and 1.022-1.023 with pretty good results.

An update on my tank. After a long time letting the tank cycle and ensuring there are no leaks after my last nano disaster, I have started adding coral. Current inhabitant list includes:

canary wrasse
fire fish
nessarus snails
scarlet hermits
GSP
gonoporia
button polyps

will post pic when I get a chance.

[reef_dude76]

Also, I have been getting alot of PM's about the AC110 mod. So all you reef addicts with AC110 nano's lets see them!!!

[akbuuur]

awesome tanks

[frosstman]

I have since ditched my nano skimmer as well. I think weekly one gallon water changes are sufficient.

[reef_dude76]

Welcome to the dark side Frostman. The side that keeps a reef without a skimmer. I have been doing very well with a weekly 5 gallon change in my 10 gallon. I am still in the process of trying to post pics.

[reef_dude76]

Anyone out there want to share their nano's with AC110 fuge conversions? i know your out there.

[akbuuur]

im thinking about making it into a fuge right now i have the sponge and the amonia bio ball thing in it
but im thinking about just loading a buncha rock rubble and cheato in it

[reef_dude76]

Oh, do the conversion and get the bio balls and chemical media out. I have a 2 inch sand bed with rock rubble and macro in mine and the tank levels are ZERO all the time. At least all the times that I have checked them.

[akbuuur]

i think i will then but i dont feel like doing all that handy work that you did because i have a feeling ill screw it up :-)

[akbuuur]

oh and i dont think theyll be a need for a light for the fuge if i have the 96 quad lamp with legs?

[reef_dude76]

It really isn't very difficult to do the fuge mod. You can do all or part of it to fit your needs, or none at all. I would suggest at least adding some type of grating to the spillway, just to keep the macro from flowing out until it takes hold on the rocks.

[reef_dude76]

I have the power quad, and I still added a freshwater aqualight to the fuge cause it wasn't enough light. At least not for me.

[akbuuur]

how many watts is the freshwater aqualight
and how much did it cost?

[reef_dude76]

Here is a link to what I use:
http://www.hellolights.com/92xcomifraqc.html

[Lpabsolute]

reef_dude76 - Nice looking tank and setup. I'm currently going to setup my 5.5g AGA today. I to have decided to go with the AC 110. Great current, Great place to hide the heater, and Great place to make a refu. I'll be starting my thread soon and hope you check it out...Again, nice setup.

[ShY]

GREAT looking tanks guys.
Zoe- how did you mod work out for ya?

[bamafalcon11]

Hey I mainly post over on Nano-Reef.com. However, I used your blueprint and this thread to create a fuge out of an AC110. It works great! Thank you so much for putting this online!

[reef_dude76]

bamafalcon11: glad you found it helpful, post some pics of your nano.

[reef_dude76]

Hey everyone,

Since this thread seems to have generated alot of interest, I thought I would post some updated pics of my 10 gallon nano.

These are right after it was setup for the second time last February. As some may recall, my first nano sprung a leak.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/2-14-06.jpg
and another shot of the initial setup
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/2-14-06-2.jpg

Here is the tank as of June 16th.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/6-16-06.jpg

And one more
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/6-16-06-2.jpg

[akbuuur]

what is that yellow fish? and one of your fire fish jumped out?

[reef_dude76]

The yellow fish is a Canary Wrasse and I traded one of my fire fish for him.

[akbuuur]

how much do those usually cost

[irishmcdermott]

All I have to say is Wow, Wow, Wow!!! I just became a member here last week and currently have a 1 month old 7.5 gal nano running with a Aqua Clear mini with the sponge and the carbon in it and LR in the tank with a perc clown and some sort of shrimp that I never see.

HOWEVER...wow, what an amazing thread!!! I'm definitely gonna do a mod on my AC 300 and let everyone know how it goes. It might be a bit too big, but hey, I'm gonna give it a shot.

Now here's the stupid question...What's the overall benefit of having a fuge? I've got loads of f/w experience but this is my first terrifying leap into the marine world. Next question, for reefdude, you have live sand in the fuge. Is it in the part of the filter where the rock is? how deep did you go and of course, what is the benefit of a sandbed?

Again, wow, wow wow. Great thread. I'll send some pics once I get them...oh yeah, any benefit to having an air pump in the tank? I've got one running with an airstone. I've read that saltwater doesnt hold dissolved O2 very well. Is this a waste of time?

[irishmcdermott]

Did I mention that this is a great thread?

[lizardcouple]

how is that goniopora doing

[reef_dude76]

lizardcouple: The goniopora is doing great. It has been in the tank now for almost 2 months and seems to love the conditions. I do a 2.5 to 3 gallon water change weekly and feed cyclopeeze twice a week.

akbuuur: the canary wrasse tends to cost between $19 and $26 in the LFS around here in East Tennessee.

irishmcdermott: The benefits of a fuge are debated frequently and all the pros and cons are beyond the scope of a single thread. I would suggest doing some searches here on RC and do some online as well as book research into fuges.

That being said the concept of a fuge is simply to provide a "refuge", free from predatory fish and other organsims, that allows the cultivation of marcoalgae and other benifical life forms such as amphipods and copepods, various worms, etc. The growth of macroalgae allows for the natural removal of nitorgenous wastes from the water column by the algae. They use it for food, lock it into their tissues, and you remove the algae from the system, thus exporting the nuitrients.

Use of the sandbed extends the biological filter capacity of the system and provides a place to cultivate other benifical organisms that help balance the system.

I do have sand in the main fuge chamber of my AC110 and it is 1.5 to 2 inches deep.

As for an airstone, I have never used one in any of my saltwater tanks. Of course, I also tend to use sumps or high flow filters/powerheads that break the tank surface water or generate alot of water aggitation in the sump which allows for O2 to dissolve into the water.

[dime079]

here is a pic of my tank w/ the ac110 fuge mod after about 35-40 days. i've since added an extra power head for better flow and ill get a new pic up in the next couple of days. coralline is starting to show everywhere and im pretty sure the initial cycle is over

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/507/122977fts.JPG

i noticed that the fuge was starting to look 'mucky'? for a lack of better wording. it seems like there is a nasty foam on the top of the water and brown algae is looking like its overtaking the macro. the water flow in there seems almost too slow(i know its supposed to be slow), allowing this to grow everywhere (walls of fuge, on macro itself), but the tank is relatively clean. any suggestions?

[reef_dude76]

Shoot a pic of your fuge for me. If anything, the problem with this mod has been too much flow, not that it is too slow. You may have something in your design that is restricting water flow.

That said, you may sill be experiencing a break-in and the brown is cyanobacteria. I had an inital bloom of red and brown cyano when I set my nano up the second time. Make sure to do timely water changes and remove the cyano as best you can during cleaning.

[akbuuur]

hey do you have heating problems?

[dime079]

<reef_dude> ill try to snap some pics tonight (tho its not as bad as it was, which is why i thought it was just part of the cycle and i cut back some of my macro), i thought the brown algae on the sand was diatom breakout? at least whats what my LFS told me. it wasnt really looking like cyano (from what i've seen)

<akbuuur> not sure if you're asking me but just in case; no im not having any heating issues, the 50w does perfect keeping my tank between 79-81.

[bamafalcon11]

That is my nano over on www.nano-reef.com using your AC110 design. Thank you again for posting this guide!

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=87462

[akbuuur]

does anyone have any heating problems?

[jerbosreef]

I have to say that this thread has inspired me to make my aga 10 into a nano.

I just recently ordered all my shizzle My ac110/aqua light 96watt and all the other goodies.

I will post some pictures on this thread, later on to show u guys my progress.

Should have some pics in a week or so.

[wav3form]

I have a similar setup, same size tank and ac 110 filter. No flow problems here either, clears out the sand in front of the tank with all the flow. I may buy a smaller Aquaclear for reduced flow - we'll see how it goes when I put in the live rock and macro in the fuge chamber.

[jerbosreef]

Reef_Dude 76,

What substrate/brand of substrate are u using in your 10g?

I really like the look of it in your tank, and ill prolly get some like it.

~jerbosreef

[dime079]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7631801#post7631801 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dime079
<reef_dude> ill try to snap some pics tonight (tho its not as bad as it was, which is why i thought it was just part of the cycle and i cut back some of my macro), i thought the brown algae on the sand was diatom breakout? at least whats what my LFS told me. it wasnt really looking like cyano (from what i've seen)


ok took some pics for you last night, ill post them later on today. i was thinking tho..... how is this brown algae attaching itself to my macro if the water has to go thru the filter pad before it even hits that point in the fuge. does anyone take their macro out and rinse it under a faucet? is there any other way to clean it with out getting all the 'gunk' in your main tank from shaking it off the macro? there are little bubbles stuck all on it, amphipods everywhere so i know its going ok, just a little ugly right now, wondering if anyone was having the same problem.

[Kirin1]

Dime,
Apologies, if this was already adressed, but what's your fresh water source? Tap Water is often the cause of the Brown Frown...

[dime079]

RO/DI, brown frown? lol i like that (the name, not the condition)

[reef_dude76]

jerbosreef:

I used Caribsea special grade aragonite reef sand for the refugium and the main tank.

[jerbosreef]

Sweet, reef_dude76

I went down to my lfs today before your post, and as luck would have it they had 20lbs of the same substrate, i just took a glance at it, and i knew i had to get it. (coincidence i guessed the right 1 too buy).

Im real happy with this substrate.

I did try a product by Sechem called "Meridian" oolitic sand. I was not at all happy with this stuff. I took about a small bowl full of this substrate put it in a kettle pan to rinse it (that small little amount) and could not get the water too, even remotely run clear.

I rinsed, rinsed, rinsed and rinsed all dang day!!

Now the special grade reef sand, on the other hand, went great!
I went to rinse it a bit and the water was already half way clear.

I guess its because the oolitic is soo dang fine of grain it takes forever in a day to settle , and even after it settles, heaven forbid u rearrange rocks or move anything in the tank, LOL

[reef_dude76]

Yeah, I had oolite in my first reef tank and every time I needed to move something, arrange rockwork etc I ended up with a sandstorm in the tank that took forever to clear. Your exactly right, it is the fine grain of the oolite that takes so long for the water to clear.

[akbuuur]

reef dude any heating problems? and any new pics?

[afromage5000]

nice tanks everyone who has posted pics. reefdude are the ac filters prefered for a diy fuge because of the size of the media area? I've see a lot of ppl do it and wondered why the ac. I may have a setup like this a few yrs down the road so othanks for the great ideas and clear pics.

[reef_dude76]

akbuuur: As far as heating problems ... no ... I can't say that I have had too much trouble at all. I had some problems initially with the temp getting up to 83-85 degrees, but that was mostly due to where I had the tank located at home. My home office tends to stay a little warmer than some of the other rooms in our house. Since relocating the tank to my work office, which tends to stay cooler, the temp has been between 80 and 82 degrees.

I will have more pics soon, hopefully. I am currently in the home streach of getting my 180 gallon sps reef up and running so alot of my time and $$$ having been flowing to that project.

afromage5000: I'm not sure why the AC seemed to become popular for DIY fuging. I chose to use it:
1. because it was an all inclusive unit as far as having the pump and area for the fuge.
2. They are relatively inexpensive filters so if I screwed it up I wouldn't be out that much
3. the filter backet taht comes with it afforded some good parts to diy with.

[reef_dude76]

dime079: how goes the fight with the brown slime algae?

[paintbal99]

can anyone tell me how this system works. i am trying to find out if the pump takes the water then it flows over the bulkhead that is next to it.. or does it have a hole where that square black section is that would let the water flow from the bottom up...
this may sound confusing but i am trying to eliminate some things in my tank and want to use the outtake from my canister filter to pump the water to this make shift fuge.. i cant find any at the lfs to check it..... basicall tell me where the water flows on thestock unit when it comes in the stock intake.. make sence??
thanks
..kris..

[reef_dude76]

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking, but the black square on the bottom of the filter is the pump, which pumps water up the stand pipe or intake pipe to the first chamber. The water flows over top of the bulkhead to the heater chamber, overtop of the second bulkhead to the fuge chamber, then out through the grate and back to the tank.

Hope this helps.

[wav3form]

reef_dude76, have you had any algae problems?

[jerbosreef]

Well i have all my equipment and my tank is set up with substrate.

My next step will to get my live rock and start my cycle before adding my cleaner dudes:) (and soon i will add my pics)


I do have a question though: I have rinsed my substrate really really good! and my water is like 90-95% clear, but it still has a slight milky look to it.

I thought iths was finer particals that needed to settle, but if that where the case it would/should be done by now.

So my question is did my substrate alone by itself start a bacterial bloom or some sort of start to a cycle on its own? Cause the looks of it i could do another water change before i fill it with salt water, but i bet it will look the same way.

Im thinking this is normal and after i add my LR and let it sit for about 3 weeks it will clear up.

My substrate is: Carrib sea special grade reef sand, and i have rinsed the s... out of it, and it still looks a little milky in the water ...?

[reef_dude76]

wav3form: I haven't had any major algae problems at all. I had a brief problem with some cyanobacteria when I first set the tank up, but after the initial cycle and several water changes with removal of the bulk of the cyano, that pretty much fixed the problem.

jerbosreef: I used the same sand. It will still have a slightly milky appearance in your rinse bucket. Just add the sand to your tank first, then put your rock in and fill up the tank slowly using the LR to break up the water stream as you fill the tank. This will keep the water from stirring up the sand and should keep the tank water pretty clear during the fill up stage. Turn on your pumps and let the tank sit. It should be clear in the next 24 to 36 hours after that.

[dime079]

main tank is getting better, ive been running actinics only 75-80% of the time the lights are on, and did a 50% water change last weekend. params are all zero for the first time :D here are some pics of the fuge, "brown frown" a little on the right side near the 2nd bulkhead and underneath the top layer of macro. should i chop the macro a bit?

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000466.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000465.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000464.jpg

let me know if theres anything you see wrong. :D

[wav3form]

Thanks reefdude. Reason I asked about the algae is that I was told since a 10 gallon is such a small amount of water, the nutrients aren't diluted enough to keep algae low. I don't really believe that but i'm doing my research.

Tell me, what do you do for mechanical filtration? Do you just remove larger bits of debris during your water changes?

[dime079]

theres a filter pad in there between the intake pump and the first bulkhead, go back a few pages and you can see his design

[reef_dude76]

Ok dime, after looking at your pics I have a few questions:

1. How often are you doing water changes now. How often were you doing them when the brown frown became a problem?

2. How often are you changing the filter pad?

3. What kid of light are you using for your fuge?

4. You said that your tank perams are now zero, what were they before? Including temp and SG.

5. What kind of lighting are you using on the main tank?

6. How fast did you stock the tank? i.e. how quickly did you add inhabitants after the cycle stage?

7. What are your tank inhabitants?

[reef_dude76]

wav3form: I use the filter pad to catch large particulates, water changes to manage the absence of a skimmer, and kick the ditritus up into the water column before a water change to siphon it out.

[dime079]

1. How often are you doing water changes now. How often were you doing them when the brown frown became a problem?
- been doing them once a week from about 2 weeks in 10%. since the 50% water change been doing 15-20% per week

2. How often are you changing the filter pad?
- change the filter pad once a month, may move it up to every 2-3 weeks if you think that will help

3. What kid of light are you using for your fuge?
- light in the fuge is a 13w PC (the spiral kind - supposedly equals 60w regular, dont know what K it is)

4. You said that your tank perams are now zero, what were they before? Including temp and SG.
- everything was zero before except trates, they would get up to about 20 or so but were always in the range of about 5-20. temp is consistantly about 78-80 degrees SG 1.024

5. What kind of lighting are you using on the main tank?
- its a current usa orbit fixture 2x40w PC setup 1 actinic and 1 daylight

6. How fast did you stock the tank? i.e. how quickly did you add inhabitants after the cycle stage?
- cleaner crew was in there about 3 weeks after initial setup, gramma was about 7 weeks in.

7. What are your tank inhabitants?
royal gramma
orange spotted goby
2 turbos
2 nassarious
4 ceriths in main tank
2 ceriths in fuge
2 small kenya tree frags
1 small ric frag
1 small finger leather frag
1 small zoo frag

[reef_dude76]

Ok dime, I think I have figured out some things for you to try.

1. I have been typically changing between 20 and 50% of my tanks volume with every change and change water about every ten days. Try to change 20-30% every week. I suspect some of your problem is not making a large enough water change, especially if your trates have been 20 or more, this is still too high and will promote nuscance algae growth.

2. Change the filter pad every two weeks.

3. Your fuge light may be partially to blame, it looks really yellow in your picture and may be contributing to your algae growth if it is too close to the red spectrum. I have been trying to find a pic of the bulb I bought from Home Depot. It is a spiral, single end PC with a kelvin rating of 6500, It was the only one with that high of a rating and I think it was around 9W. It gives off a much whiter light.

All the rest of your perams look ok.

[dime079]

excellent, did the PC bulb from HD have the 6500k on the packaging? i couldnt find one that actually had that on there. im thinking it looks a bit yellow too. i was thinking of just buying a 15w 50/50 from petsmart or something.

i think ill stay at 20% until / unless the nitrates come up again but so far so good. what do you think about chopping the macro? how much do you keep in yours?

[dime079]

link to the 50/50 bulb (http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_Nav_216_sku_906140_R_4248_enemerch_1.aspx)

[reef_dude76]

Dime, that 50/50 looks good. No the PC from the Depot did not have 6500K on the package, it was printed on the base of the bulb and you had to turn the packaging sideways to read the bulb rating on the base of the bulb jacket.

I basically prune the macro to about half way down the fuge and then let it grow back up.

[Kirin1]

I'm currently using one of those 50/50s in the stock hood on my AGA 5.5. I've also seen 4 of them mounted inside a custom hood for a 5.5. Really decent lamp for it's size (about 5in long). My lighting's due for an upgrade, but not till I actually go through with this Fuge mod.

Oh yeah, and it comes in 6500k as well as 50/50. Try Foster&Smith.

[reef_dude76]

Thanks for the input Kirin. Good luck with the mod and remember, have fun with it, thats the whole point of doing it in the first place.

[dime079]

yeah and be patient with the silicone :) had to reseal the top return after leaktesting the darn thing

[dime079]

oh yeah .. should i scrub the crap off the walls of the fuge?

[reef_dude76]

The brown frown ... yes.

[dime079]

ok when i get a bug up my but i really go for it. heres the 50/50 from petsmart. yellow? hell no!

also cleaned out the muck on the walls and hair on the bulkheads, and replaced the filter (which if i may add, they must have switched plastics or something cuz this new one is the same model but feels way cheaper)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000470.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000469.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/dime079/IM000468.jpg

[dime079]

so after i posted these, which was after i cleaned out the algae in the fuge, there was crap floating everywhere in my tank! within minutes the WHOLE cleaner crew was out and scavenging around it was like cleaning crews gone wild. woke up this morning to a whole new tank, clean as a whistle. how come i have never seen the crew take this much initiative before? and should i stock some more snails in my fuge?

[reef_dude76]

Dime, your tank looks much better now that the brown crap is out. That new 50/50 bulb looks like it is putting out a better color that that last one you were using. Youe may not need to add snails to your fuge with the stepped up water changes and new lighting. Just keep an eye on it for the next week and see if the brown crud comes back.

[reef_dude76]

Dime,

How is the fuge and tank doing with the new lighting? Any return of the brown frown yet?

[reef_dude76]

I thought I would post some pics of the sps 180 money pit that I have been working on for the past 8 months. Some I'm sure some of you have heard me allude to this system as a constant money and time diversion from my nano, which is why I don't post that may pics of the nano (it doesn't change very often):)

I guess, depending on your perspective, compared to the ocean this 180 could still be considered a "nano".

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/84628180tank-med.jpg

The tank after I bought it last October.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/84628180overflows-med.jpg

I need to take a more updated picture, I have actually increased the size of the durso drains, and added grated pvc extentions to the ends to prevent curious inhabitants from being sucked into the sump.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/84628stand.jpg

The stand was initially unfinished, this is the stand after staining and polyurethaning.

[reef_dude76]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/84628retrofit2.jpg

Pic of the retrofit in my wooden canopy. It will support three 250W MH at 14K and 2 10K as well as two 140W VHO Actinics.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/84628fans_installed3.jpg

Pics of the fans after I installed then into the canopy.

I have done alot more work since these pics were taken. The tank is now in my downstairs rec room and i am doing final assembly this weekend with 170 pounds of LR comming next week to get the system up and running .... FINALLY !!!!:rollface:

[wav3form]

It's not nano to your wallet I bet. Looks very nice.

[reef_dude76]

Thanks, no definitelly not nano to the wallet, in fact the mastercard sobs quietly everytime I pull it out for something else tank related.

[brian is cool]

nice mod to that aqua clear that was a really good idea

[Break122704]

WHAT HEATER DO YOU HAVE, I WANT YOURS CUZ IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE THAT FITS

[reef_dude76]

I use a 50W heater made by All-Glass Aquarium. At least that's what the packaging is labeled.

[wav3form]

I use a 50 watt stealth heater, fits just fine.

[dime079]

50w visotherm here as well. reef, the brown frown is back :( dunno if anyone saw my post in new to hobby about my gobies dying i think i have a hitchhiker killing them off but thats another thread all-together .. all params are good tho??????????????????

[dime079]

nice looking 180 by the way, wish i had some scratch laying around for a project like that :)

[reef_dude76]

Damn dime, I don't know what to tell you about the frown problem. Are you using ro/di water? That's the only other thing I can think of, but not sure why it's back if the tank perams are normal. I have never had an algae problem that persisted after correcting levels. I guess keep doing what we talked about last time and give it a few weeks. Maybe it will fix itself.

Thanks for the comments on the 180. I'm in the final assembly stage now, I'll post some updated pics in the next few days.

[akbuuur]

whats your fish list for the 180?

better yet you should make a thread for that

[dime079]

ro/di from the lfs yes... i've never tested it tho. what am i looking for other than the obvious params?

[wav3form]

Test the ro/di for TDS, you may be getting water that's not as pure as it should be.

[reef_dude76]

Yes, what wav3form said. Not all ro/di is equal. If the TDS is high there may be other impurities that could be fueling the algae growth. Also, someone correct me if I am wrong, but test kits only measure free PO4. You may have other forms of phosphates that could be fueling the algae growth also. Only way to combat that is make sure you are getting good quality, low TDS RO/DI water and doing regualr water changes.

[dime079]

total dissolved solids, correct? what do i use to test for that?

[dime079]

im not going to ask the lfs that i get the water from to test it right in front of me, would that be rude? i just went to another lfs and got water from them, their tanks do seem a bit cleaner, but i have been hesitant to buy anything from them because their prices are nearly double the other store. just did about a 40% water change and we'll see how things go for the next couple weeks.

[reef_dude76]

Your are correct, TDS is total dissolved solids. NO I don't think it is rude at all to request your LFS to test the TDS of their water. Just tell them that you are having an algae bloom, you have corrected all your tank perams, have been doing regular water changes, are not overfeeding, etc etc and that you are ruling out possible causes of the algae ... one being the TDS of your RO/DI water. IME, they will do one of two things: 1. accomidate you because they do not want to lose their business, 2. blow you off because they know or don't care about the water quality and don;t value you as a customer.

I have delt with LFS alot in my 10 plus years in this hobby, and typically what I do is scope out all the stores that sell corals, inverts, dry goods, essentially anything that I am going to need and then pick one or two with decent prices and service and start cultivating a relationship with them.

Start with buying dry goods and talking with the sales people (pick one salesperson that seems knowledgeable and keep going back to that same person time and time again. Wait for them if you have too if they are helping other customers and then approach with your questions when they are free. Always leave with something, even if is a $1.99 algae clip, this sets the idea that when they see you they likely will sell you something, and usually this will make them WANT to help YOU.) An example of this for me is that at one of my LFS, the owner loves SPS and tends to order rare varities. I always had trouble catching the good specimins due to my work hours. After doing what I mentioned above, I got to know one of the sales clerks fairly well. On one occasion I was browsing the sps section and spied a new shipment of sps that was still in quarintene and not ready to be sold. My clerk walks up to me after recognizing me and starts chatting. I comment, after a few minutes, how cool the new sps were. He asks, which ones do I like, so I point out three. He tells me they will be for sale in the next few days. Of course as life tends to happen, I couldn't make it back when he said they would be available so I figured I missed the boat again. When I stroll into the sps section what should I see? But the three sps I picked out still in the quarintene section marked NOT FOR SALE. As I am looking my clerk comes up and says "I put back those three sps you picked out" thus I ended up buying two and had a very good experience.

Bottom line, if you put in the time to get to know the people at your LFS they can be an asset.

[reef_dude76]

This is of course caveiated by they fact they are not complete goobers to start with.

[reef_dude76]

Since I have been posting pics of some of my other tanks, here's one of my 58 mixed reef ... soon to be folded into my 180.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/58gallon001.jpg

[pimp2daizzo]

looks good

[reef_dude76]

Thanks, pimp2daizzo.

[reef_dude76]

As promised here is a link to the 180 sps project that I was referring to a couple of posts ago. Enjoy.

:rollface:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=748033

[Motohead]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=5810711#post5810711 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_dude76
Here is the first part of the setup showing the 96W quad compact fixture from Coralife, the beginnings of the sand bed, the fuge in place, and a powersweep powerhead.

AND before I get any comments on how crappy the powersweeps are let me say ... Yes I know, but I had this one lying around and when it dies in 4 weeks I will replace it with a couple of microjets from aquarium systems.:rollface:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/84628light_setup.jpg

sorry if this was asked but what bulb is it your useing? is it the 50/50 or the 6700k?

great DIY !!! i am working on mine right now! so thank you for this!!

Joe

[reef_dude76]

I am using the 50/50 powerquad.

Dime, you out there? Any new developments with your tank?

[reef_dude76]

I got the 180 setup about 4 weeks ago. Getting close to putting in the sand bed and then floding my 58 gallon reef into the 180.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon014.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon015.jpg

[Cesar357]

Hey Reef Dude76, question. Do you think I need a bafle if I just want to place some Chaeto in the filter box of my AC?

[reef_dude76]

Well, that depends on what AC you are using and if you want to keep the Chaeto out of the pump housing. If you are using the 110, I would say yes use a baffle. This will slow down the flow for the refugium and keep it out of the pump section.

[Cesar357]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8136939#post8136939 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_dude76
Well, that depends on what AC you are using and if you want to keep the Chaeto out of the pump housing. If you are using the 110, I would say yes use a baffle. This will slow down the flow for the refugium and keep it out of the pump section.

Im running a smaller AC filter. I have the AC50 which is quite small. I didn't think that the Cheto can go into to the pump side. But I think the pump is on the outside of the filter. I need to take a look at it.

[reef_dude76]

In that case, you can probably get away without using a baffle.

[1jared1]

Great tank.

[Copacetic]

Hey reefdude76,
Awesome tanks!! More pics, more pics!!!
-Raz

[reef_dude76]

I have more pics of my 180, that tank has been taking most of my time .... and money :D .

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon018.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon022.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon023.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon035.jpg

[reef_dude76]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon031.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon029.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon025.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon024.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon028.jpg

[akbuuur]

sweet stuff
its gonna be a pain adding other tangs wtih that powder blue already in though... i hear there very agressive

[reef_dude76]

Not going to be a problem, the PB tang is the only one I'm going to have.

[Cesar357]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8145495#post8145495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_dude76
I have more pics of my 180, that tank has been taking most of my time .... and money :D .
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i214/reef_dude76/180gallon018.jpg


That's beautiful. You have some nice coraline on those rocks.

[akbuuur]

very nice

[deeplove]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8145495#post8145495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_dude76
I have more pics of my 180, that tank has been taking most of my time .... and money :D .

When I read that, I just couldn't stop laughing.

That's a big step up from a 10G.

;)

But nice work on the 10 and your newer project. That 180 is looking pretty sweet.

[white_queen]

**salavating** I guess I'm going to have to talk my hubby into doing that for me with our ten gallon. Or better yet....talk him into setting up my 75g again since I already have the lights for it! **laughing**

Love your tanks...thanks for posting about them.

[reef_dude76]

Thank you for all the kind words everyone. My 180 has been a LONG time in the planning.

Yeah, I guess going from a 10 to a 180 gallon is a rather large jump.

[MrMexReefer]

AWESOME set up... i have the same tank in a 20 gallon long that im using my my nano. Hmm.. Ive seen threads about the 70 aquaclear fuge...i didnt know they even made a 110! thats awesome! I want to do it now... but isnt that filter like $60?? Ive seen some complete hang on fuge kits on ebay for like $60 that are custom built for that. Has anyone had any experiences with them?

great job reef dude! Ps: what is the "acrylic tool" ?? I have a dremel, and was interested into making stuff for my tanks out of acrylic. Thanks!