2007 Nano Tank of the Year!

Okinawan · #1 12/09/2007, 07:14 PM

Hello All!

For the month of December the contest will be for the Nano Tank of the Year! All previous winners this year will be considered.
A total of six of your most recent pics will be allowed in the following format:

1) FTS
2) Top Down
3) Full setup including stand
4) 3 additional pics of your choice

Please mention your winning month when submitting your entry.
December 20th will be the cutoff date and all entries will be considered for the final poll.

Good luck to all!

Can't wait to see everyone's pics!

Thanks,
Okinawan

PurpleUP · #2 12/09/2007, 11:04 PM

Thanks for running this year's final contest, Okinawan. 6 photos will give us a great opportunity to display our tanks from different perspectives. I'm definitely honored to have my tank considered amongst all of this year's winners. I'll post my pics by Tues at the latest. GOOD LUCK ALL!

Illuminati · #3 12/09/2007, 11:31 PM

ezcompany · #4 12/10/2007, 04:02 AM

so i have a question...
my Aquapod has crashed when I was away for over a week in NYC. after that, I have salvaged what I could to a friends tank. Now everything salvaged is back, but not in my aquapod, but my Solana. Am I still qualified for entry?

Don't worry there's no way I'm going to win guys, my coralz are only just starting to recover!

Okinawan · #5 12/10/2007, 06:49 AM

EZ,

I have seen your Solana tank...it's a beautiful tank. I'm going to say you are definitely in the running! Please submit!

PurpleUP · #6 12/10/2007, 09:42 PM

Allow me to introduce my 25 Gallon 18X18X18" ADA Cube. This topless/rimless tank is driven by a Rapids Pro all-in-one filter and 2 Koralia pumps, pushing roughly 1600gph. Sunshine is cast down by a 250W Aqua Medic AB pendant with a 20K HQI bulb. You may have seen my BC14, which was voted as August's NTOTM, but the corals quickly outgrew the limiting size of the tank in only 9mos! They continue to prosper in their new home featured here, which has been steadily evolving for the past 2.5mos. Live rock consists of various types from the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Fiji. The unique characteristics of each rock helped the creation of a high reefscape, with many crevices and caves visible from multiple sides. Fish and inverts can access the cave from openings in the front, top, and rear. The VIP entrance is guarded my a tube anemone on the right side.

Livestock includes a perfect match of Percula Clowns, 1 Purple Firefish, 2 Peppermint Shrimp, 1 Cleaner, 7 Scarlet Hermits, and 10 Astrea Snails. The reef is mixed with a broad selection of zoanthids, palythoas, mushrooms, leathers, various softies, a crocea clam and of course SPS. Parking is reserved at the back side of the reef for 5 varieties of swirling Monti Caps (that's why it's empty). The tank is never done, it only gets bigger.

So without further ado, here's my new 25 gallon baby... -Hope you like it.

FTS

*I'll swap this photo once I get a better shot with the leathers opened.

TOP DOWN (just a tiny piece)

FULL SETUP 4 sides of the tank (5 counting the top) can easily be viewed by taking a short walk around the center island.

I decided to go with top angle views for my other 3 shots to give a
multiple view perspective of what the tank looks like in person:

TOP RIGHT ANGLE

LEFT CORNER

TOP REAR w/ Gear

GrandeGixxer · #7 12/12/2007, 10:11 AM

Looks awesome Purple Up.

Okinawan · #8 12/12/2007, 09:40 PM

colinadam,

Thanks for the listing. Hopefully all the prior winners will take note and I look forward to seeing everyone's pics!

Purpleup,

You have an amazing tank!!

Okinawan · #9 12/12/2007, 09:42 PM

REVISED DEADLINE:

The deadline has been extended until December 24th. Hopefully this will give people enough time to get prepared and get their best pics posted.

nanokiper · #10 12/14/2007, 09:39 PM

I am honored to present my 30 gallon tank (April’s nTOTM) and share it with aquarist all around the world. The tank is a 30 gallon AGA with twin overflows. One overflow is piped to deliver water to the tank’s evaporative cooler which then exits to flow over my fuge. The second overflow delivers water into the skimmer and has a ball valve fitted to control the flow rate of water going to the remote deep sand bed then finally exit to the sump. Planning and fabricating tanks equipments boost my interest in the hobby. I built my own counter current monster skimmer, kalkwasser reactor with RO water auto top off, and evaporative cooler. I am fascinated with my corals thriving and seeing my DIY’s working and doing their job. Tank lightings consists of 2- 10000K Sunpro T5, 2- Bluepro T5, and 6500K Midday T5. All T5 lamps are provided with parabolic reflectors. One of the problems of a nano tank is lighting (watts per gallon) especially that I am keeping light demanding SPS corals. I am limited to five T5s due to space limitation of the hood. The 6500K Midday T5 is overdriven to increase photosynthetic effect of the lamp. Though light combination does not have a good color balance of blue and white, the two suns and midday lamps will be lit first for the first 8 hours providing the photosynthetic needs of corals then the midday will be shut off once the blue pro has been turned on during the 4 hour viewing time. Water circulation in the display tank is provided by closed loop manifold piping system driven by Resun pump (2800 liters/ hr). The manifold piping has two suction ports located few inches above the DSB of the main tank, exhaust ports are directed to the top portion of the tank to create water turbulence. Water from the sump is returned to the display tank by Resun (2800 liters/ hr) external pump.

I got collections of acanthastrea corals, I placed them in the right and left side of the tank since they don’t require intense lightings. These are the tank’s part that have no direct lighting because T5 bulbs are shorter than the tank’s hood. Other corals are acropora, poccillopora, porites, seriatopora, branching montipora digitata, various montipora capricornis, turbinaria peltata, acanthestrea lordwensis, acanthestrea echinata, blastomussa, clavularia, and photosynthetic gorgonians. SPS husbandry seemed to be a dream turned reality here in the Philippines, the group’s effort through discussion has provided me access to this wealth of information and helped to minimize pitfalls of a new reef keeper.

Full tank shot

Top left angle

Full set up

Close up shuts of acanthastrea lordwensis

Clam and different variety of acropora

For more information of my tank, please visit this website
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1115700

anguswu · #11 12/17/2007, 09:56 AM

It's my honor to be elected as May nToTM. I changed my tank but almost same size because it is hard to take photo with bowfront tank. The new tank is custom made backfiltering tank. The front glass is starphire. I use 2 white T5, 2 actinic T5 and 2 actinic VHO. The new skimmer is custom made also. The main circulation pump is eheim 1250, and the chiller is Gex 200.

My main collection is brains and mushrooms. They can fit in low lights and low flow. The yumas inside are varies kinds. Some can fit in higher light and some in low light. Further information may find in http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...&goto=lastpost

Full tank shot

Top down (Parts of it, and you can see the ZOAs behind)

Tank with stand

Pink yuma

Rhizotrochus

Yellow feather duster /w mushrooms

PurpleUP · #12 12/18/2007, 10:58 AM

Whoa. Incredibly DREAMY tanks. Let's hope the rest of em post their pics in time. This may not be much of a showcase without participation from everyone. I think some people may have taken their tanks down, but some others I've seen are alive and more beautiful than ever. Okinawa, just curious, did you also PM or email the past winners?

Merry X-Mas to ALL! May your nano tanks continue to live and prosper in the New Year.

jdokos · #13 12/18/2007, 12:26 PM

anguswu, fantastic tank! What kind of anemone is that? Did the ocelleris readily accept it? Does it ever move around the tank?

Okinawan · #14 12/18/2007, 09:12 PM

anguswu,

I can't help but stare at your tank! Just beautiful!

PurpleUP,

I have just PM'd all the prior winners and hopefully we'll see everyone's entries soon.

Bigbyrd · #15 12/18/2007, 11:36 PM

just got ur pm and completely forgot about this...the tank is still up...not sure if ill get any new pics as my camera is somewhere in Jamaica...ill try to borrow one but i already know where my votes going if i dont get any in time...nice tanks guys

Helfrich’s Chic · #16 12/19/2007, 01:26 AM

I would also like to add mine but like EZ I had to move my tank twice in a week, due to a relationship break up (thank god... relationship not the tank LOL) and lost quite a bit of corals. I can enter but it will be the same pics from my June ntotm. LMK if that will work or not. If not im not offended in any way and good luck to everyone there are some SERIOUSLY nice tanks!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the heads up Okinawan!

Okinawan · #17 12/19/2007, 06:33 AM

Helfrich's Chic,

It's ok..please submit!

junkitu · #18 12/20/2007, 01:56 AM

Thanks for the PM Okinawan! I'm honored to be considered with such awesome tanks.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since my little office nano won nTOTM in January 2007. Mushroom House will turn 20 months old this month. It's still the same tank but a lot has happened including an upgrade to metal halides and a move. The tank gets a lot more natural light in my new office and my coral and livestock seem to like it.

Here are some recent pics of my Mushroom House. I hope you like them:

1) FTS - It's still basically a softie tank but I've added some high light creatures after the upgrade.

2) Top Down - The metal halides have really brought out the color in my tank and the best view is from above.

3) Full setup including stand - Here is a shot of my 24g Aquapod, 150W Sunpod running a 20K Geismann lamp, 1/15hp Current USA Prime chiller, and Premium Aquatics Lighthouse controller in the early morning sun.

4) Top Shelf - Florida rics, xenia wall, SPS, leathers and of course a variety of shrooms.

5) Clam Bed - Blue Phonape and Turquoise ORA maximas next to orange lace purple featherduster from above.

6) Yasha - This guy lives under my toadstool leather and is so much fun to watch.

phenom5 · #19 12/20/2007, 02:43 PM

Wow...awesome tanks guys...gonna be hard to pick one as the best.

anguswu · #20 12/21/2007, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdokos
anguswu, fantastic tank! What kind of anemone is that? Did the ocelleris readily accept it? Does it ever move around the tank?

The ocelleris are host on the torch, not anemone. They like it very mush.

mskurdah · #21 12/22/2007, 12:54 AM

What a great contest idea! Everyone's nanos look fantastic!!

joesmoe517 · #22 12/22/2007, 10:31 PM

Alright guys, here's my meager entry. I wish i were home to take some more recent pics but im down south for Christmas break.

FTS

Old top down from a few months ago, before the acan grew over the rest of the dead spots

Whole setup

Green Fungia

Some of the zoas... wish i had a clearer picture.

Old Clown who hosted my bubble almost to death and had to be relocated

Okinawan · #23 12/23/2007, 10:01 PM

My entry represents NTOTM for November. Thanks to all for the honor and I am in awe of all the beautiful tanks being represented here. Being my first reef tank, I wanted an all in one tank to make it easier on myself. I've learned quite a bit roaming this forum and I thank all that have helped get this tank going. I've had this tank since March of this year and have already got the urge to upgrade! I have recently added a few SPS corals...I couldn't resist! I added another Koralia 1 to get more flow on top. So far they seem to settled in nicely...time will tell.

I have a 34g Red Sea Max with the following mods:
20K 150W HQI + 2 x 18W PC, R2 5-LED Moon light, Koralia 1 and 2, Current 1/15 Chiller, Deltec Calcium Reactor, UV sterilizer, Chemi-Pure Elite.

Live stock includes the following: Yellow Coris Wrasse, Purple Firefish, Fridmani Pseudochromis, Blue Flavivertex Pseudochromis
Blenny

My corals mainly consist of Florida and Yuma Ricordias, Zoanthids
Scolymia, Blastomussa Wellsi, Caps, and most recently Acropora.

FTS:

Top Down(sorry about this..it's the best I could do):

Tanks and Stand:

Flame BTA:

Bali Green Slimer Acro:

Acropora Clathrata:

PurpleUP · #24 12/23/2007, 10:35 PM

Fabulous tank, Okinawan. Looks like you've moved some stuff around (like we always do, hehe). I'd say you definitely have the most variety of corals!@#! Good show.

Okinawan · #25 12/24/2007, 01:39 PM

Thanks PurpleUP! I started to move things around when my anemone decided it didn't like where it was at. Thankfully it didn't move too far.