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90K views 160 replies 23 participants last post by  pMauz 
#1 ·
Hi all. At first I wasn't going to join the nano build-off, but decided late in the game to join in. I have some of my initial build pics, but not all so I'm hoping it won't count too much against me. I just couldn't resist the build off.

So as the title suggests, my tank is a 20 gallon high. It's a tank I've had sitting in my garage for awhile and actually tried to sell it when the wife and I had a yard sale this past September. I ultimalely decided to set it up after the wife took me to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies last December. It was there that we saw a sea horse exhibit and my wife thought they looked cute and asked very innocently if it was possible to keep them in a home aquarium. At the time I wasn't sure, so I did some research and what do you know, you can if you set the tank up specifically for sea horses, thus the idea for the tank was born.

The setup. After doing alot of reading I found that a sea horse system could be a simple or complex as you wanted to make it. Alot of advice I got from TRT was to "keep it simple". So that's what I did. I was also curious to see how this tank would fare compared to my bigger and more sophisticated 180 gallon SPS tank.

The parts:
20 gallon high AGA
CPR RR back-pak
Aquaclear 30 HOB filter
Maxjet 600 PH x2
ReaSea WaveMaster Pro
CoraLife 130W PC hood (one 65W 10K and one 65W actinic) with moon lights
VisaTherm 100W stealth heater
30 pounds mixed Marshall Island and Fiji LR
Caribsea Special Grade Reef Sand

The stocking plan:
H. Reidi x2
peppermint shrimp x2
Turbo snails x2
Nesserus snails 4-8
Certh Snails 4-8
mushrooms
zoas
GSP
Kenya Tree
Finger leather
Toadstool Mushroom Leather
Gorgoians 1-2
Macroalgae

The plan. I will be using the CPR skimmer as well as regular water changes as my means of filtration. The AC 30 is used for added circulation as well as a place to use any chemical media I might need sucj as carbon, phosphate remover, etc. I'll start with one MJ 600 and the Wavemaster to create tubulant flow to oppose the output of the AC 30. I'll add the second MJ 600 if needed. Initially I'll add the LR and sand to get the tank cycled. Then the addition of Macroalgae to add to the aquascape and create places for pods to hide and proliferate. The first inhabitants will be various snails and peppermint shrimp only. No crabs or other kinds of shrimp as they will likely harass the horses when they are added. Then as the tank matures I'll add the other types of coral, especially the gorgonians for hitching posts. After the pod population is built up and the tank is stable for a couple of months, I'll add the H. reidi.

Pics to come.
 
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#80 ·
The skimmer brace installed nicely into the new relief and the skimmer body was now sitting flush with the wall.

The next problem was getting the skimmer cup to fit. There was another ridge of trim running on the front and back walls of the 2nd chamber that wasn't allowing the skimmer cup to sit down in the chamber on the skimmer body. After I lined up the skimmer cup I made a few marks on the trim and used the dremmel to cut notches in the front and back trim for reliefs.


 
#82 ·
The next problem though was that when the cover was placed on the tank, it fit over the skimmer great ... but when you opened the back access panel, you couldn't get the skimmer cup through it due to some more trim being in the way. I wasn't real thrilled about having to take the top completely off in order to empty the skimmer cup. I decided to make a few cuts in the hood as well to try and get enough space to lift the cup out. It worked out great. The cup will now pass through the back access panel and when the panel is closed, you can't tell I have done any cutting at all.

Here are the cuts I made.
 
#84 ·
Right now I'm working on the return plumbing. The tank comes with a stock fitting that connects the return plumbing in the third chamber through the chamber wall and into the tank. It comes with a small flare nozzle, but I decided to take the flare nozzle off and attach a 1/2" loc line Y adapter. I plan to run a short piece of loc-line with a flare nozzle pointed toward the surface on one side of the Y and a Hydor Flo on the other.

Right now the stock fitting is a little too big for the 1/2 loc line so I am slowly sanding it down so it will fit.
 
#85 ·
Here are some up date pics of the return plumbing. I finished sanding down the stock fitting and snapped the 1/2" loc line Y adapter over it.



Then I added some loc line extensions to both sides with one ending in a 1 1/4" flare nozzle and the other in the Hydor Flo. I'm thinking of adding a few more loc line links to the side with the Hydor to get it more in the center of the tank.

 
#86 ·
Work and life has brought my project to a halt for the moment. My wife and I are expecting our first child soon and life has been baby, baby, baby, for the last month!!!

Stay tuned for the next up date of the finished return and the installation of the ATO.
 
#87 ·
Gonna bump for any updates.
I found the thread link that you recently posted, and after being forced to sell my 72g bow due to a move, I'd like to setup something similar to your filtration system in my 26g bow. Looks great so far, and very interesting!
 
#88 ·
I haven't done much with this tank since my last picture post in June. My next step is installing the Auto Top Off system and then getting the tank set up at my office. I'm hoping to get back to the tank soon.
 
#89 ·
Update ... it looks like I might get some time to finish my BC29 here soon. At the moment, I still need to install the ATO system and do a wet test, but I am close enough to start thinking about a stocking list. I am planning to use the LR from my current 20H nano. I'm hoping this will allow me to avoid a cycle and stock the tank sooner.

Any suggestions on fish to keep?
 
#95 ·
Honestly, I'm inclined not to reuse it. The 20H that I had setup originally (where the rock and water is coming from) has essentially been setting dark for 4-5 months now. I never had a tank crash. I just couldn't get the temp to adjust into the range to keep horses. Thus I quit turing the lights on, but kept the skimmer and pumps running. So I'm wondering if I have just been cooking the rock for the last several months, which would mean most of the nasties are now in the sandbed.
 
#98 ·
The loc line does great actually. The only design change I would make is to make the flare nozzle 1/2" instead of 3/4" and extend the the flare line a little.

Wait, are you talking about the closed loop i built for the 20H, or the mod on BC29?
 
#100 ·
hey drdude, i'm gonna be in maryville this weekend checking out a truck for sale. Is there anything interesting up there to see?
Sorry, I didn't see this until today. Well, you're going to be really close to the smokies if you like outdoor kinda stuff. We have a newish Bass Pro Shop on I 40 east exit 407. As far as interesting stuff in Maryville, not really. Last weekend was our fall festival. Nothing else much going on until the holidays.
 
#101 ·
Anyone have any stocking suggestions? I'm still thinking softy reef but I'm not sure about the fish, or even which softies to keep. I keep going back and forth between and mushroom/zoa reef vs a leather dominated reef with some polyp colonies or xenia.
 
#104 ·
I've decided to use a 5 1/2 gallon tank as my top off reservoir. I was thinking of using a 5 gallon bucket, but decided that I wanted to keep the shelf that comes with the stand intact and usable. Thus, I'm going to raise it up a little to fit the tank and mod the back of the shelf to allow the plumbing and power cords to pass out the back of the tank.

I was also thinking of using an Aqualight power center with digiatl timer, but have heard some horrer stories of these power strips melting down and causing fires, is this true?
 
#106 ·
I've decided to use a 5 1/2 gallon tank as my top off reservoir. I was thinking of using a 5 gallon bucket, but decided that I wanted to keep the shelf that comes with the stand intact and usable. Thus, I'm going to raise it up a little to fit the tank and mod the back of the shelf to allow the plumbing and power cords to pass out the back of the tank.

I was also thinking of using an Aqualight power center with digiatl timer, but have heard some horrer stories of these power strips melting down and causing fires, is this true?
Sounds like a good plan for the topoff,.. but I would not use the coralife powercenter,.. Even though it's only the mechanical ones that catch fire (FWIR) they still have me a little gun shy,.. especially when power strips and timers are so cheap.

Whiskey
 
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