14 Gallon XXL, Extra, Extra, Long

[calvin415]

Well it looks like I'm doing another Nano tank, but this time for a buddy and he's planning on FOWLR. The dimesions are 46"x8"x12.5" built out of 1/2" acrylic so it's a nano beast! Each end has a 1/4" divider which will be used for built in filtration leaving the display area 36" wide. Total display area calculated with acrylic loss leave 12.5 and assuming 5" water height on each overflow give another 1.5 gallons for a total of 14 gallons. Here are some drawings (not to scale sorry) to try to make sense of what I've written but let me know if you have any questions.

Multi View
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/NanoMultiView.jpg

Wire Frame
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/NanoWireFrame.jpg

Rendered Wire Frame
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/NanoWireRender.jpg

I'm calling it a 14 gallon XXL (extra extra long). The returns on each overflow box will be a maxijet, one along the front, and one along the back. Each box will incorporate filter pads to run mechanical and chemical filtration (carbon/phosban) with biological handled with live rock in the display. I'll take some actual pics when were done water testing it. :D

[IsThisNameTaken?]

FOWLR? How many fish are you guys planning on?

[calvin415]

My buddy is looking at either a Flame or Coral Beauty, with a firefish and a couple clown gobies... Just enough to tell it's a salt tank.

[racer69]

That should be really cool. Just keep the fishes small. LOL

[calvin415]

No prob Todd. :)

Here's some pics of it after the water test, sorry it's still a little dirty, but should clean up just fine. :) I think I'll end up removing every other tooth on the overflow screen to allow me to increase pump size down the road. It's just enough for a MJ400 right now.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2074.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2079.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2078.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2077.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2075.jpg

w/ Flash
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2072.jpg

[COreefer]

Not bad at all dude...would be nice for seahorses or a shark. ;)

[calvin415]

Thanks bro! I thought it would be a sweet seahorse tank too, but the guy I built it for is a newb so we'll leave the ponies to the pro's. ;) As for sharks, I think they would be overwelmed with the all the room so I'll probably steer clear of them too. LOL!

[IsThisNameTaken?]

Now your wondering why you didnt build your own tank!

[larryl]

Awesome job Eric, that would look sweet on a bookshelf or fireplace mantel. It reminds me of another thread I saw where a guy made a "mini raceway" frag growout setup of a couple 48x6x6 acrylic tanks that were wall mounted one above the other and gravity fed from the top one down (although he had a lot of trouble with bowing, which I doubt you will because of the bracing and acrylic thickness).

So each overflow compartment is independent? I assume the Maxijets returns will poke out those holes near the bottom?

What are you going to do for lighting? I bet with a 48" T5 or even PC you could get some good SPS growth if you wanted to go that route.


Larry

[calvin415]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7481371#post7481371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IsThisNameTaken?
Now your wondering why you didnt build your own tank!

Nah, this was a lot more work than I anticipated... But I definately learned a lot making it and would expect any future tanks to be even better. :)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7483416#post7483416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by larryl
Awesome job Eric, that would look sweet on a bookshelf or fireplace mantel. It reminds me of another thread I saw where a guy made a "mini raceway" frag growout setup of a couple 48x6x6 acrylic tanks that were wall mounted one above the other and gravity fed from the top one down (although he had a lot of trouble with bowing, which I doubt you will because of the bracing and acrylic thickness).

So each overflow compartment is independent? I assume the Maxijets returns will poke out those holes near the bottom?

What are you going to do for lighting? I bet with a 48" T5 or even PC you could get some good SPS growth if you wanted to go that route.


Larry

Thanks Larry, acutally my buddy is putting it on his window sill behind his kitchen sink so it will look built in. :) I remember those raceway's and always wanted to do something similar and when I got this opp I couldn't pass it up. Yes, each overflow is independent and the MJ will stick out just a little from the hole depending if I cram it in there or just enough to hold the pump in place... They are very tight so either will work. As for lights, the window opening is only 46.5" wall to wall so were going to use twin 36" VHO's and I'll build a hood to keep everything hidden. Figured better get good lights, cause I doubt anyone can resist the coral bug once you get into SW. :)

[calvin415]

Got the tank setup yesterday and getting ready to build the canopy tomrrow. Now just the waiting game for the tank to cycle. :) Used rock that's been cooking in my basement for the last 9 months so I'm curious to see if he even get's a diatom bloom.

Anyway, here's the pics...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2081.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2082.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2083.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2084.jpg
Filter box chamber on the left
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2085.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2086.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2087.jpg

The box on the right will be for the protein skimmer...

[larryl]

Looks cool. You should get a couple rectangles of black acrylic that could sit in front of the two end compartments, maybe use velcro or something so they're removable.

[calvin415]

Thanks, the covers are already there... They sit on the inside and are removable to see the chambers like in the photos. The first couple pics show the panels in place and I'm planning an additional piece to cover the back wall. :)

[IsThisNameTaken?]

I wouldnt mind doing dishes so much if I had one of those! Nice work.

One question though.... Now he'll have two places that need to be topped off, right?

[calvin415]

Actually, what I did was install a 600 on the filter side to keep the water level low and a 400 on the other side to keep it completely filled. Top off on one side, protein skim on the other. :) Skimmer, canopy and new base w/ power management are still to come! :D

[calvin415]

Anyone think filling the right side with Chaeto instead would be more beneficial than adding a skimmer?

[calvin415]

Well, we got the canopy finished (other than the doors) and we can't build the base until the power management gets in. I'll take some new pics soon...

[calvin415]

Okay guy's, here some pics of the canopy and the doors which still need to be primed, painted and installed...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2088.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2089.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2092.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2093.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2094.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2095.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2096.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2097.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2098.jpg

[calvin415]

I'll get some more pics as things progress, my buddy works crazy and varying hours so finding time to get together really is a challenge... I primed and painted the doors last night, but realized we bought the wrong hinges so back to Lowes I go. The base won't get started until this weekend (most likely) as we won't have the PM until then.

So here my next question... If this were your tank and based on the current conditions, lighting (VHO), filtration etc... How would you stock this tank? Corals, fish, inverts etc... I want to get as many ideas as I can. Reef or FOWLR...

[COreefer]

maybe a community of shrimp gobies and their symbiotic shrimp? Like 1 high fin, 1 yasha haze, 1 randall's. For coral I would do all soft corals...all sorts of colorful leather corals.

[COreefer]

Or you could go high end and do a pair of helfrichi firefish???

[calvin415]

Thanks Eric! Gotta keep it on the cheap side (not my funds... :) ) I like the idea of goby/shrimp pairs, with some softies, maybe a few LPS for extra color. ;) I'll pass along the idea!

[calvin415]

Okay, canopy is done, just waiting for the power management to get here so we can build the base. :) Here's some more pics...

BTW The background will be built with the base...

W/ Flash
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2100.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2102.jpg
W/out Flash
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2099.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2101.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2104.jpg

Tank shots...
Right
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2105.jpg
Center
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2106.jpg
Left
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2107.jpg

[IsThisNameTaken?]

That thing is bad!!! I think you guys should move it though. It looks kinda odd covering up that window. It's an awesome setup it deserves the living room!!! :)

[calvin415]

Yeah, but where would it stop? Next a cabinet for the tank, then we'd drill it and build a custom sump. Then a return pump, killer skimmer, chiller, dosing pump, MH lighing, Closed loop, the list goes on. LOL!!!

[IsThisNameTaken?]

yeah I guess that's typically what happens. Maybe it's not the best idea. ;)

[spe934]

I have a question. Being that it says you are from Colorado, how do you think the tank will handle the cold temperature being that close to a window?.. It is just a though.


Awesome set up, BTW. If it was mine, my stocking list would me mostly LPS corals and leathers. I would even condsider doing a planted tank (thing cool looking macros). For fish, a pair of "regular" firefish would be cool, or even a goby community (might need deeper sand though)... 3-5 pearly heads would be neat to see peeking back at you...

[calvin415]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7630438#post7630438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spe934
I have a question. Being that it says you are from Colorado, how do you think the tank will handle the cold temperature being that close to a window?.. It is just a though.


Well since it's acrylic it insulates the tank really well, but in the event the tank temp starts to drop too low, all we need to do is put in a heater... Problem solved.

[spe934]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7630729#post7630729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by calvin415
Well since it's acrylic it insulates the tank really well, but in the event the tank temp starts to drop too low, all we need to do is put in a heater... Problem solved.

Just wondering.

[jasonj90]

are you not worried about the added natural light affecting your algae? most would advise about keeping your tank away from windows due to added algae blooms... just a thought, you could always slide a board behind the tank in the window, just the height of the tank...

[calvin415]

Actually it's already addressed. Here's what I built yesterday...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2148.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2149.jpg
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http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2153.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/calvin415/DSCN2154.jpg

[jasonj90]

very nice!!!

[Freshbrew]

Where did you get the know how to put the tank together? If a person was interested in building a tank, where would they go to get the info on how it's done?

[calvin415]

Here's a great thread, but nothing beats experience. I learn something new with every project. :)

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96763&perpage=25&pagenumber=1