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[Len]

tld's and coralite's official thread:
Use this thread to document updates to your Nano Reef Buildoff project.
Please note: this thread is reserved for the entitled registered member only. Open discussion about ideas or specific entries should be posted in the Nano Reefs forum or the General Reef Discussion forum.

[tld]

This is going to be fun...

Here's the future location of my new nano - right across from the desk in my office.

[tld]

and here's my tank...

well, hopefully it will be put together some time next week. I took the MACO acrylic course a while ago. I've built reactors, skimmer and sumps, but this will be my first tank.

I'm using .236" cast acrylic with a braced top. It's going to be cube-ish - 18" wide X 14" tall X 18" deep, although the display area will only 14 or 15" front to back. I'm installing a black acrylic overflow to hide the plumbing, heater, etc. and to maintain a constant water level in the front part of the display. I'm really kind of pushing the limits by using acrylic that thin, but I figure the water level is going to be somewhere around 12-13" and I'm using a really thick piece of black acrylic for the back overflow, so it should be ok. Like I said, this is the first display tank that I've constructed - it will be a learning experience.

[coralite]

I am really looking forward to this tank buildoff. Me and tld have the Double team going on. Good luck to everyone.

[tld]

I started glueing the sides yesterday...

[tld]

...and brought what I had so far to work with me to discuss bulkhead location with coralite. also wanted to see how it would look on the file cabinet.

It's actually upside down in this picture. The bracing is glued to the top and I have not yet glued the bottom on. I still have to route out the bracing for the top, as well as trim the excess, round over the top of back partition and prep the bottom edges of the sides for glueing. All my tools are in my Dad's shop which is not heated and it was COLD last night. I hope to have it finished by the end of the week.

[tld]

So here's the tank after the perimeter bracing has been routed and in process of glueing the body to the bottom. (The stuff on top is for added weight.) I still have to flush trim and polish and install the back baffle, but it's getting there.

[tld]

and a shot of the black back baffle (repeat that 3 times - I dare ya!) with the paper still on it before it gets glued in place. The blue bulkhead was just for sizing the hole. I'll have to get a black one to install in the tank.

[tld]

Well, I finally finished the tank. Just need to polish the outside a bit and I'll be done. Hope to put water in today. Coralite will (hopefully) get the water moving tomorrow. Do you like our light?

[tld]

Gosh this has been slow-going, but we finally have water, some flow and light.

The flow is from a Maxi-jet 1200. That goes to the bulkhead fitted with loc-line tubing and has a Hydor rotating water thingy on the end. I wasn't sure how well it would work, but I like the flexibility the loc-line gives me and I like the slow rotation of the Hydor - makes for some semi-random gentle water movement.

I borrowed the light from a friend. It's a 150 DE pendant on what looks to be a magnetic ballast. The cable suspending the pendant is retractable - a very nice feature. My friend bought it at a LFS and I'm not sure of the brand. If anyon'es interested, let me know and I'll find out.

OK, on to some pics - this first one is the whole tank running. I still need to do a little work to hide the ballast, cords, etc.

[tld]

This second one is a temporary modification because the water from the overflow was very loud. I suppose I could run the water level a lot higher, but where's the fun in that?

[tld]

This last one is the right side of the tank - just showing the maxi-jet returning through the bulkhead.

[tld]

I can't decide whether I want barebottom or substrate. I'm going to dig around and find a nice rock or two for some aquascaping - will post pics later.

[tld]

It's Alive!

[tld]

I decided to go without substrate. This rock has been around for a few years so I don't expect a cycle with it. I already need to do a water change to get the &*(^ out that fell from the ceiling tiles when I was installing the light. I'm going to try to pick up a heater this weekend, a timer for the lights, a bracket for the remote ballast and I need to build some sort of bubble trap. The bubbles are ok right now - it's easier to see the water flow, but before I get corals in there, I want to get rid of the bubbles. I'm also going to add 1 more rock, probably tonga branchy to give it a little height in the back right corner.

[tld]

tank got its first water change today - 4 gallons. also added another piece of live rock. added a snail yesterday - woohoo! Will post more pics when there's something to look at.

[tld]

added a couple of corals today - green slimer and green moon. both were started from frags a while back. The tank still not much to look at. I'll post pics when I get a few more critters in there.

[tld]

added a few more frags today:

green Caulastrea
green Pavona (although it looks brown under this light)
green M. digitata (also looking brown)
a couple of varieties of green mushrooms (in the shady regions for now)
green hammer
green star polyps

anyone see a theme here?

[tld]

a few pics... first the overall tank shot for the end of may

[tld]

ok, looking at that last picture, I realize that I didn't clean the acrylic very well, but you get the idea...

here are a few more shots of some individuals. first a hammer frag - it's behind the rock work so you can't see it from the front of the tank. I'm hoping that it will grow up nice and tall in the back