please critique my nano design

corro · #1 02/19/2004, 08:21 PM

i have some extra glass ( ordered the wrong size - doh! ) so ... i thought maybe i should make some lemonade

i used the GARF tank calculator and i think the main tank will be 9g ... for lighting i'm thinking about a 150 DE MH pendant.

I'd like to go without a skimmer ... but would like some opinions about going skimmerless...

did i miss anything? thanks for any opinions!

EnderG60 · #2 02/19/2004, 09:32 PM

looks good but i would keep it to 1 story....having the top off under the tank will be a problem unless its properly supported

and its just easyer to make a bigger section on the back then worry about that

wetworx101 · #3 02/20/2004, 02:58 AM

I second that.

jh775396 · #4 02/20/2004, 09:19 AM

skimmerless is fine with regular water changes (weekly-ish)

corro · #5 02/20/2004, 09:59 AM

ok ... thanks!

i was trying to keep the design as compact as I could, which is why i ran the top-off under the tank. maybe with another layer of support under the outside edge of the tank, made out of 3/8" acrylic would be enough?

how much do you guys top-off in a typical week?

jh775396 · #6 02/20/2004, 10:29 AM

i top off 3/4 to gallon per week on my 10g.

corro · #7 02/20/2004, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jh775396
i top off 3/4 to gallon per week on my 10g.

ok .... not much! for some reason i thought that it would be a bit more than that. so, i could prob just take the whole bottom part off and just go with a 3gal top-off.

thanks for the ideas and opinions!

EnderG60 · #8 02/20/2004, 04:34 PM

yeah a one to two gallon top off area will keep you good and lazy for a few weeks

corro · #9 02/20/2004, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EnderG60
yeah a one to two gallon top off area will keep you good and lazy for a few weeks

thats what i wanted to hear!

flaunt · #10 03/04/2004, 01:30 AM

Interesting design... The amount of evaporation you'll get depends on a number of factors including how much your lights heat up the water, the temperature at which you keep the water, and how well covered the system is. For example I have a 10g with a 3g refugium. I used to run the refugium uncovered and I would easily lose several gallons of water a week. Once I covered it I started losing probably a gallon a week. Good luck on your design, it will be interested to see how it turns out.

corro · #11 03/04/2004, 12:19 PM

flaunt: thanks for the feedback. i just got the tank put together, but at the rate i do projects ( get free time ) it'll prob be a month or two. i plan on keeping the refugium covered with an open slot for a little Jalli PC light fixture.

i'll post a few pics as i go.

EnderG60 · #12 03/04/2004, 02:17 PM

oh yeah and just FYI your 12x12x14 section isnt 10 gal its 8.7 gal

1 gallon = 231 cubic inchs

corro · #13 03/04/2004, 03:24 PM

thanks... i just rounded up on the gallons ... the tank actually ended up being 12 D x 12.5 L x 14 H