College Nano Plan

[extendedmango]

I am an upcoming senior in highschool and I'm beginning to plan a downsize from my red Sea reefer 250 (~55g) to a 10g nano. This is because most colleges only allow a 10g in the dorms. I would like to add the fish to my current reef asap then move them to the nano about a year from now. I don't really know what I want, but I was beginning to think a warty frogfish and watchman goby w/ pistol shrimp would be good, but I'm not sure of their compatibility or wether the angler will fit in the 10g. Any thoughts or stocking recommendations?

*Current tank info*
- Ocellarous clown pair
- Melanurous wrasse
- long nose hawkish
I have lots of polyps, a few mushrooms and two sps corals


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[Bagabaga]

I'm sure the frog fish will eat anyone that fits in his mouth. And they need a slightly larger tank too I think. You could go pico on it and do the watchman or yasha goby and shrimp combo and do bright zoa garden.

How does a tank in a dorm work? Are there limited outlets? Are you planning an ato or skimmer or any other equipment?

[twitchy]

I had a 10G freshwater in my dorm, and they made us take the tank down over winter and spring break, not sure if all schools are like that, but something to look into.
I would go goby/shrimp pair and then maybe a clown if I didn't have to move the tank a bunch.
A cool thing you could do is make a DIY all in one with a 10G, and that way it hides the equipment and you can run a little ATO. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/058b9afc9403b888f1438b8878d8fb45.jpg

[ReefWreak]

I love twitchy's idea.

Whatever you're going to do, you'll need to stock super light, and have a setup that is easy to take down. I had a 24g biocube in college for a year. Honestly it was a nightmare breaking it down every break. Fortunately the LFS in town was willing to babysit it/use it as a sales tank since it was in good condition.

I ended up keeping the 24g at my parents' house 8 hours away... and ultimately selling it. I did also set up a 120g SPS tank at my parents' house while I was at school. Once you have a calcium reactor and top-off dialed in and you only need to maintain it every other week, things do really well. You do need someone to feed it every few days though, and clean the glass.

Anyway, I'd do the 10g mentioned above, with that partition looks brilliant. Then I'd have one large piece of liverock, so you don't have to re-build your rockwork every time you move the tank. One rock is easy to move to a bucket and back, only have to worry about the orientation.

[extendedmango]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170623/058b9afc9403b888f1438b8878d8fb45.jpg


I love the idea of this little tank, it looks a bit like a im nuvo. For the aquarium, I was actually thinking of using the money I can get from my current equipment to buy a im pennisula 14g. The display portion of this aquarium is only 10 g so I think it will be fine.


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[extendedmango]

I'm sure the frog fish will eat anyone that fits in his mouth. And they need a slightly larger tank too I think. You could go pico on it and do the watchman or yasha goby and shrimp combo and do bright zoa garden.

How does a tank in a dorm work? Are there limited outlets? Are you planning an ato or skimmer or any other equipment?


Well, Haven't done it yet but the plan is to put the tank on either a dresser or desk when I'm at school then drain it into some buckets for transport. Something along these lines... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PDDuFNqxT60 I will have a ato for certain but I'm unsure wether or not I will get a skimmer.

[extendedmango]

I love twitchy's idea.

Whatever you're going to do, you'll need to stock super light, and have a setup that is easy to take down. I had a 24g biocube in college for a year. Honestly it was a nightmare breaking it down every break. Fortunately the LFS in town was willing to babysit it/use it as a sales tank since it was in good condition.

I ended up keeping the 24g at my parents' house 8 hours away... and ultimately selling it. I did also set up a 120g SPS tank at my parents' house while I was at school. Once you have a calcium reactor and top-off dialed in and you only need to maintain it every other week, things do really well. You do need someone to feed it every few days though, and clean the glass.

Anyway, I'd do the 10g mentioned above, with that partition looks brilliant. Then I'd have one large piece of liverock, so you don't have to re-build your rockwork every time you move the tank. One rock is easy to move to a bucket and back, only have to worry about the orientation.


I had a thread for discussing if I should go ahead and try and the consensus seemed to be that I should give it a shot. Great idea with the one rock thing. I will definitely either use one rock or have them glued together tightly.

[extendedmango]

I would really like to have a fish other than the goby. Could I put a possum wrasse or two in the tank? And what about a cleaner shrimp?


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[Bagabaga]

Firefish, basslets, cardinals, blennies, pink streaked wrasse, royal gramma, I searched unique nano fish on google and got a ton of results.

[ReefWreak]

Possum wrasse would be really cool, especially since he will have nowhere to hide (though put a screen over the tank then!). Cleaner shrimp yes.

Which reminds me, you should probably get an ATO, since salinity swings in a 10 gallon tank are going to be huge, that'll at least minimize it.

[extendedmango]

Firefish, basslets, cardinals, blennies, pink streaked wrasse, royal gramma, I searched unique nano fish on google and got a ton of results.



How do you think I found the possum wrasse ; )


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[extendedmango]

Possum wrasse would be really cool, especially since he will have nowhere to hide (though put a screen over the tank then!). Cleaner shrimp yes.

Which reminds me, you should probably get an ATO, since salinity swings in a 10 gallon tank are going to be huge, that'll at least minimize it.


How many wrasses could I realisticly have in addition to the goby? It would be nice to have a pair or group of 3.

I didn't realise the ato would be so helpful, I'll be sure to get one.


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[ReefWreak]

I wouldn't put more than 2 fishes, even small ones, in a 10g tank. You'll quickly pollute it with feeding them and have algae issues, IMO.

[extendedmango]

I wouldn't put more than 2 fishes, even small ones, in a 10g tank. You'll quickly pollute it with feeding them and have algae issues, IMO.



Okay, better safe than sorry


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[extendedmango]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170626/dae5b1adcd90731833a7c620879df481.pnghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170626/1aff86510603041ed777f45c7769c054.pnghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170626/1112390ec1748d5c403ad223092e42c5.png

Here are 3 pictures of what I am thinking the tank will look like. It is a 18"x18"x12" glass aquarium with an acrylic filterbox that is 18"x6"x12". The display measures 18"x12"x12" and holds almost exactly 10g of water. I'm planning to put some sort of mechanical filter in the first column, a 2.5g refugium in the middle and the last column will contain the pump and heater. There is also a acrylic lid for the filter compartment and a screen for the display.

Where should I go to buy the glass/acrylic to build this and is there anything I should change on my desighn?


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[twitchy]

That's a nice looking drawing and tank desing, like the cover for the sump area.
Don't take this the wrong way, I don't have experience building tanks, and I don't know if you do or not, but I personally wouldn't do it. Imho it's not worth the risk damaging someone else's property. Yes, you could probably get away with having a 10g display and ~4g sump, but if things go south the first thing they will do or their insurance will do is find a way to blame you.
I would get a real tank especially if you're going to be moving it around a lot. Not sure what your budget is, but I think a nuvo fusion 10g is around 100$. which can't be much more than what you'd spend on glass, acrylic, pump, etc.

But if you do build your own, good luck and make sure to include a lot of pictures 👍

[extendedmango]

That's a nice looking drawing and tank desing, like the cover for the sump area.
Don't take this the wrong way, I don't have experience building tanks, and I don't know if you do or not, but I personally wouldn't do it. Imho it's not worth the risk damaging someone else's property. Yes, you could probably get away with having a 10g display and ~4g sump, but if things go south the first thing they will do or their insurance will do is find a way to blame you.
I would get a real tank especially if you're going to be moving it around a lot. Not sure what your budget is, but I think a nuvo fusion 10g is around 100$. which can't be much more than what you'd spend on glass, acrylic, pump, etc.

But if you do build your own, good luck and make sure to include a lot of pictures [emoji106]


I was going to get the fusion peninsula 14g at first but I wanted a larger refugium than the 1/2 gallon provided. That is what drove me to to build my own but I also have zero experience in building aquariums. Maybe I should break a ten gallon down into glass sheets and glue them together then test the tanks ability to hold water




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[extendedmango]

Would a automatic feeder be worth the cost on this tank? I was planning to use my reef frenzy but maybe I should switch to dry so I can save time. Can anyone recommend a good pellet food for my fish selection?


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[Clowning_Around]

Food for thought, 10g display + ato, refugium etc = mpre than 10g of water....

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[ReefWreak]

Automatic feeders are almost never worth the cost IMO. On a big tank, where you can handle the bioload of random drops of pellets, maybe, but on a small tank, absolutely not.

Reef Frenzy frozen food should be fine, but if you wanted to add in pellets for convenience, I've been using, and like, the New Life Spectrum small sinking pellets. I've been using them for years and years, they generally have a very good reputation, and I've seen public and private large aquariums use it for their food as well.

[Clowning_Around]

I.e. If they are strick on the 10g then you may want to consider those other compoments remote as opposed to inclusive of the ome enclosure...

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[extendedmango]

Food for thought, 10g display + ato, refugium etc = mpre than 10g of water....

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I think colleges only care about display volume, but I may be wrong.


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[extendedmango]

Automatic feeders are almost never worth the cost IMO. On a big tank, where you can handle the bioload of random drops of pellets, maybe, but on a small tank, absolutely not.

Reef Frenzy frozen food should be fine, but if you wanted to add in pellets for convenience, I've been using, and like, the New Life Spectrum small sinking pellets. I've been using them for years and years, they generally have a very good reputation, and I've seen public and private large aquariums use it for their food as well.



Reef frenzy works great on my current tank so I will continue using it on the nano if possible, but I don't think dorms usually have freezers so I may need to switch to pellets. Thanks for the recommendation!


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[ReefWreak]

I think colleges only care about display volume, but I may be wrong.

They won't know the difference, you can always justify it as display volume anyway :p I think my dorm had a 20g limit when I had my 24g nanocube. Nobody even asked though, everyone just thought it was really cool and wanted to come in and see the aquarium.

Reef frenzy works great on my current tank so I will continue using it on the nano if possible, but I don't think dorms usually have freezers so I may need to switch to pellets. Thanks for the recommendation!


Not sure how much has changed, but they used to have the small split fridge/freezers. I doubt it has changed, but you never know. The top had a small rack that would keep frozen things frozen. That's what I used for the mysis I used to feed my fishes. I used to do frozen only with that tank (that was 10 years ago :( )

[extendedmango]

At this point I've kinda given up on the custom tank and I'll probably get the peninsula 14. I would rather have a larger refugium section but going custom would be too expensive.


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[Clowning_Around]

I think colleges only care about display volume, but I may be wrong.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkJust mentioning it before you make your purchases when its so easy to check policy beforehand...

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[extendedmango]

Just mentioning it before you make your purchases when its so easy to check policy beforehand...

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An thank you for doing so. I'd make so many mistakes trying this on my own lol.


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[extendedmango]

Currently I am trying to decide between these three tanks.

1) Innovative Marine Fusion Peninsula 14
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170807/c9d079e910632851be2f8f41a43e64d3.jpg
It costs $199.99 and has about a half gallon refugium space.

2) Artfully acrylic AIO 16
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170807/7f5308a23cee76bb009ddba31921f258.jpg
This tank costs 299.99 but it comes with a screen lid and has a 1g refugium space and more extra space for the equipment.

3) Coralife biocide 16
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170807/d61ddc73f863072941a3eb1cb7e7298c.jpg
Cost 224.99 and I'm not sure about the refugium size but it seems to be a good over all tank

There seem to be no reviews for the AIO 16 but both the Coralife and IM get solid reviews. I don't need a light b/c I have my AI primes, and the coral life LEDs are dissapointingly white. I also want at least one sps frag ( I love birdsnest coral : ) ) and I don't trust the biocube to keep one healthy.

Which tank would you choose if you were in my position?



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[extendedmango]

Thanks in advance!


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[ReefWreak]

Peninsula 14. I hate the front curved glass on my biocube. Just build a nice mesh net so fish don't jump, use your AI Prime, and maybe add a powerhead or two to the back wall to crank the flow up. Looks like a really nice tank.

I would also go for minimal rockwork (my other post mentioned a single rock in the middle, and I think that still holds true, and would be really cool for the peninsula).

If you are going to be moving the tank a lot, I think it makes sense to also go without sand. Easy to siphon out detritus, easy to scrape clean if you keep the rockwork simple, and makes moving a breeze as you'll never have to worry about hydrogen sulfide or other issues when moving a sand bed.

[extendedmango]

Peninsula 14. I hate the front curved glass on my biocube. Just build a nice mesh net so fish don't jump, use your AI Prime, and maybe add a powerhead or two to the back wall to crank the flow up. Looks like a really nice tank.

I would also go for minimal rockwork (my other post mentioned a single rock in the middle, and I think that still holds true, and would be really cool for the peninsula).

If you are going to be moving the tank a lot, I think it makes sense to also go without sand. Easy to siphon out detritus, easy to scrape clean if you keep the rockwork simple, and makes moving a breeze as you'll never have to worry about hydrogen sulfide or other issues when moving a sand bed.


Is there any reason you chose the peninsula 14 over the Artfully acrylic AIO? It is much more expensive, but it has additional space in the filter section and one of the clear view lids (which are worth 100+ on similar tanks)

I totally agree with the single rock idea, I'm actually thinking of buying two dry large pukani rocks and trying to sculpt them into a cool shape with a wood chisel. Brs made a video on how to do it.

I was planning on having a sand bed b/c I like the look and was hoping to have a goby and pistol shrimp. I didn't know about hydrogen sulfide issues when moving, is there any way around that.......

Anyway, thanks for all the help reef wreak. You have been very active on my thread and your posts have been both helpful and knowledgeable!


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[ReefWreak]

Happy to help. We've all been the newbie, sometimes multiple times, and talking things through helps make a better end result and share knowledge.

The peninsula tank... I like the design, especially if you're going to use the tank as a peninsula layout (more than using the AA tank as a peninsula layout). Also, it's worth keeping in mind that while acrylic is repairable when scratched (as opposed to glass, which is not repairable), it scratches MUCH more easily than a glass tank. Be prepared to stock up with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (or their cheaper knock-offs from China on Amazon or Ebay).

The hydrogen sulfide, eeeehhhhhh it's effectively irrelevant, but dirty sand beds that cause pollution when disturbed are not. I only mention it not that I'm actually worried about it, but more because it represents the pollution issue. If you're not diligent about vacuuming it frequently, it just holds detritus in the sediment, which could cause nutrient issues if disturbed.

You're also supposed to put your rocks on the glass bottom before adding a sand bed, which if you are moving the tank frequently, you won't likely be able to do since you probably won't siphon and wash out your sand bed every time. Again, I made every mistake and have done every thing I'm recommending you to NOT do, and somehow my tanks have done reasonably well.

If you do want to maintain your sand bed diligently, I'd recommend keeping it shallow (1-2"), and not putting any frags or other stuff in or on it, since it'll make it more difficult to vacuum. So that means everything mounted to the rock.

[extendedmango]

You're also supposed to put your rocks on the glass bottom before adding a sand bed, which if you are moving the tank frequently, you won't likely be able to do since you probably won't siphon and wash out your sand bed every time. Again, I made every mistake and have done every thing I'm recommending you to NOT do, and somehow my tanks have done reasonably well.



I already made this mistake on my current tank : ). The pistol shrimp collapsed 1/3 of my rocks, but thankfully none of the coral was damaged.

I think having the frags securely placed and glued to a single rock will eliminate the issues that occur when placing the rock on the sand bed, but I may be wrong.

I'll think about which tank I want but I'm leaning towards the peninsula as well.


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[Hambonej20]

I had a 10g for three years in college. Soph-senior year. The only time I didn't check on it was spring break of 12' go figure... I lost about over under 1 grand. 🤦🏻*♂️ Stay committed and it will also help meet the gals. Until of course that reefer shows you up.

[extendedmango]

I had a 10g for three years in college. Soph-senior year. The only time I didn't check on it was spring break of 12' go figure... I lost about over under 1 grand. 🤦🏻*♂️ Stay committed and it will also help meet the gals. Until of course that reefer shows you up.



Ya I had a thread like two months ago debating wether or not it was worth having a tank in college, and nobody regretted having a small reef in their dorm room.


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[LedZep fan2]

As a grad student I know the desire to keep a tank while in school. I ended up going with the IM 10 and absolutely love it. Fits perfectly on my desk and gives me a break from studying :spin1:

I would highly recommend getting an ATO system. I don't know what I would do without one throughout the day and during breaks!

[extendedmango]

As a grad student I know the desire to keep a tank while in school. I ended up going with the IM 10 and absolutely love it. Fits perfectly on my desk and gives me a break from studying :spin1:



I would highly recommend getting an ATO system. I don't know what I would do without one throughout the day and during breaks!



What equipment do you run (other than ato) on this tank?


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[LedZep fan2]

What equipment do you run (other than ato) on this tank?


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I am running the following

- Ghost Desktop skimmer
- Tunze nano ATO
- inTank media basket
- MP10wes vortech
- AI prime
- Cobalt heater with a finnex temp controller
- IM spin stream

[extendedmango]

Okay new question :)

Are seahorses a possibility for a college nano? I know about dwarf seahorses and while I think I can dedicate time to raise brine shrimp right now, I think it would be too much for me during college. Has anyone tried? There is also hippocampus capensis (sold as zu lulus on ocean rider), which supposedly eats misis and fits in any tank that is at least 12 inches high. Any thoughts?

I will mirror this post in the seahorses and pipefish section of this forum.


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[extendedmango]

The verdict is no this won't work.


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[extendedmango]

New tank question!

Currently the aquarium Im going to get was the IM fusion peninsula 14, but I'm considering the fusion nano 20. The fusion nano 20's display is 15 gallons, and the peninsula is 10g. In the fusion 20, I get twice the filtration capacity. The tanks are the same price.

My only concern is the size of the display. Can I get away with an extra 5 gallons of display space?


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[ReefWreak]

Are you concerned about the limit of water volume in the dorm? If so just consider rock displacement in your total volume, since realistically you'll still lose another 4-5 gallons of water from the tanks to that. My 29g biocube holds just under 22 gallons of water, which rounds down to 20 gallons.

Whoever says something, won't know the difference between display volume, total volume, and actual water volume. If the limit is 10 gallons, and they ask how big the tank is, say 10 gallons, since that's how much water it's holding and ultimately what the liability could be that they're concerned about.

They're not going to measure, or google the tank (let alone know what tank it is), and nobody has any idea what the size of a gallon of water looks like anyway. If you said 5 gallons they probably wouldn't think twice about it (think about how big a 5 gallon gas can is, probably the same height and width of the aquarium, just half or a third as deep).

[extendedmango]

Are you concerned about the limit of water volume in the dorm? If so just consider rock displacement in your total volume, since realistically you'll still lose another 4-5 gallons of water from the tanks to that. My 29g biocube holds just under 22 gallons of water, which rounds down to 20 gallons.

Whoever says something, won't know the difference between display volume, total volume, and actual water volume. If the limit is 10 gallons, and they ask how big the tank is, say 10 gallons, since that's how much water it's holding and ultimately what the liability could be that they're concerned about.

They're not going to measure, or google the tank (let alone know what tank it is), and nobody has any idea what the size of a gallon of water looks like anyway. If you said 5 gallons they probably wouldn't think twice about it (think about how big a 5 gallon gas can is, probably the same height and width of the aquarium, just half or a third as deep).


Okay that is true, I've had like 3 people think my current 55g aquarium is 100+ gallons :) . I hadnt considered rock/sand displaying volume but it makes complete sense. I will be going with the Im fusion 20.


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[extendedmango]

Now onto the filtration.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170815/e66829497ee203f456575f395bda95a0.png

As you can see there are two filter areas. I am trying to decide whether I should have two refugiums or have a refugium and a skimmer. What do you think?


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[LedZep fan2]

Good idea on the IM20!

I would go with a skimmer in one and refuge in the other. I have the IM ghost skimmer and love it. There are others that will fit in the back chamber if you decide to go another route.

[extendedmango]

Good idea on the IM20!



I would go with a skimmer in one and refuge in the other. I have the IM ghost skimmer and love it. There are others that will fit in the back chamber if you decide to go another route.


Nah I'll just stick with the ghost skimmer, even though it has mixed reviews. I can't imagine there is a better option than a skimmer made for the exact tank I will have.


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[ReefWreak]

Nah I'll just stick with the ghost skimmer, even though it has mixed reviews. I can't imagine there is a better option than a skimmer made for the exact tank I will have.

As the owner of a biocube, I assure you there are almost always better options than the skimmer made for the exact tank you have. The Biocube skimmer is terrible.

The Aquamaxx WS-1 I have is just over 3" wide, so it won't fit in the back of your tank, but I assure you it would perform dramatically better than the ghost skimmer. But the Ghost is definitely not a crappy skimmer, and you'll be happy with it.

As for the refugium part, I would keep it pretty simple. I would only grow algae back there, and would recommend either buying a Santa Monica HOG 1 or DIYing something similar yourself. If you're on a budget (as you're a student), you could do what I did, which was just buy a cheap 10w LED floodlamp from ebay ($12), put it behind the tank, and shine the light into that refugium section. Algae will grow on the back wall (or you could put some eggcrate or something in there for it to grow on that is easier to remove and clean), then when it's all grown in, you just scrape it off and siphon out the algae with water changes.

[extendedmango]

As the owner of a biocube, I assure you there are almost always better options than the skimmer made for the exact tank you have. The Biocube skimmer is terrible.



The Aquamaxx WS-1 I have is just over 3" wide, so it won't fit in the back of your tank, but I assure you it would perform dramatically better than the ghost skimmer. But the Ghost is definitely not a crappy skimmer, and you'll be happy with it.



As for the refugium part, I would keep it pretty simple. I would only grow algae back there, and would recommend either buying a Santa Monica HOG 1 or DIYing something similar yourself. If you're on a budget (as you're a student), you could do what I did, which was just buy a cheap 10w LED floodlamp from ebay ($12), put it behind the tank, and shine the light into that refugium section. Algae will grow on the back wall (or you could put some eggcrate or something in there for it to grow on that is easier to remove and clean), then when it's all grown in, you just scrape it off and siphon out the algae with water changes.


My plan was to use a small piece of live rock from my current tank with some chaeto from the LFS. For lighting was going to try to mount one of the two AI primes I have on the back or top. I think I'm going to make it like a hob light with a 3d printed mount. Should cost only 25 bucks.


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[ReefWreak]

What is the intent of the refugium? Pod growth? Somewhere to store naughty crabs? Nutrient export?

I don't think you will have enough room to justify putting the Prime back there (better to put two over the main tank to reduce shadowing), and honestly I think that anything more advanced than a ball of chaeto will be more work than it's worth. You can't/shouldn't have a sandbed because it's too narrow to maintain it and it won't add anything except a place for detritus to settle, and you won't be able to see much back there unless you leave the back exposed to the room, which I doubt there's room to do and it kind of defeats the point of the sump (you'd be better off buying a 20L and making a partition in the middle or 1/3 of the way through the tank and having a big fuge area and then a moderate sized display on the other half).

We're all here to discuss ideas, sorry if I'm stepping on your ideas and/or toes with this, I'm just trying to help you figure out something useful for you longer term.

[extendedmango]

What is the intent of the refugium? Pod growth? Somewhere to store naughty crabs? Nutrient export?

I don't think you will have enough room to justify putting the Prime back there (better to put two over the main tank to reduce shadowing), and honestly I think that anything more advanced than a ball of chaeto will be more work than it's worth. You can't/shouldn't have a sandbed because it's too narrow to maintain it and it won't add anything except a place for detritus to settle, and you won't be able to see much back there unless you leave the back exposed to the room, which I doubt there's room to do and it kind of defeats the point of the sump (you'd be better off buying a 20L and making a partition in the middle or 1/3 of the way through the tank and having a big fuge area and then a moderate sized display on the other half).

We're all here to discuss ideas, sorry if I'm stepping on your ideas and/or toes with this, I'm just trying to help you figure out something useful for you longer term.



You are in no way stepping on my ideas! I have never set up a fuge so I don't really know what I'm doing :) .

I will use two AI primes on the tank if you think having one on the fuge is overkill. I'll probably get the Im fuge light, I'm buying all of my stuff through my LFS and he usually gives good deals. I got a fully stocked and set up reefer 250 for 2k dollars.

In the fuge... I was thinking a small live rock piece and a ball of chaeto, no SB or critters.


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[extendedmango]

Because of the increase in tank size, could I get an additional fish? I would really like to get a white spotted Pygmy filefish.


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[ReefWreak]

It looks like from LiveAquaria that they would be fine for a 30g tank, but 20g might be too small. You might want to ask in the Reefcentral general fish forum area, where they'll know more about why the recommendation is 30 gallons. The existing threads on RC (https://www.google.com/search?q=Pygmy+Filefish+tank+size+site:www.reefcentral.com&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS754US754&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjA9rTnit_VAhXBx4MKHWLjAccQrQIISSgEMAM&biw=1280&bih=934) have people putting them in 75g tanks

Usually it's either that they need swimming room to be happy and healthy, or they eat a lot and pollute a lot. I'm not sure why for these guys, hopefully someone else over there can help.

[extendedmango]

It looks like from LiveAquaria that they would be fine for a 30g tank, but 20g might be too small. You might want to ask in the Reefcentral general fish forum area, where they'll know more about why the recommendation is 30 gallons. The existing threads on RC (https://www.google.com/search?q=Pygmy+Filefish+tank+size+site:www.reefcentral.com&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS754US754&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjA9rTnit_VAhXBx4MKHWLjAccQrQIISSgEMAM&biw=1280&bih=934) have people putting them in 75g tanks

Usually it's either that they need swimming room to be happy and healthy, or they eat a lot and pollute a lot. I'm not sure why for these guys, hopefully someone else over there can help.


The live aquaria recommendation confuses me b/c it ranks a 4" file the same as a 3" file on tank size. That and it never recommends 20 gallons


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[extendedmango]

I'll read over the threads and make a post in the fish forum


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[extendedmango]

Well I think my plan for this tank is about wrapped up. I'm going to be focused on college applications and what not so I won't be quite so active. I will update again when I begin to setup the tank.

Tank plan:
-IM Fusion Nuvo 20
-IM Nano Ghost Skimmer
-2 AI Primes
-Ato
-Refugim LED
-1 large dry pukani rock
-live sand

Stocking list:
-hi fin goby
-possum wrasse
-white spot pygmy filefish
-pistol shrimp
-two cleaner shrimp
-birdsnest coral and mixed LPs and softies

Thanks for the help so far!!!


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[extendedmango]

I'm back :)

Okay so I had a crazy idea. Could I buy an ats from brs and some how link it to a 22 long aquarium? I don't want it mounted above and a sump isn't an option. I'm going to post this in the diy forum eventually but I wanted to see what you all think.


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[extendedmango]

I realized the above idea was ridiculous so I did a little more searching and found the santimonica filtration drop1.4. So here is the current plan.

New Stuff
-DROP1.4
-Tunze nanostream 6040
-IM Ato and pump
-IM diy screen lid with clips
-Some sort of Aqua Maxx aquarium (see next post)

From Current Tank
-heater
-ai prime

You may be wondering why I would switch from my earlier IM nuvo 20 plan. The main reason is that I want more of the stuff to be useful when I decide to set up my red Sea Reefer again. The IM equipment, while high-quality, is just too specific to their aquariums.


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[extendedmango]

On to the aquamaxx aquarium.

What size is best for a dorm reef. There are so many sizes available from aquamaxx that I really need help narrowing them down. What size footprint is appropriate for a dorm desk? I'm leaning towards the 32.1 gallon tall cuboid but I'm worried it is too large.

I would greatly appreciate it if some of you looked at the aquamaxx options and told me which you would buy. Here's a link--> https://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx-Aquariums-MB1-FIAQ-ct.html

Thanks!

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[extendedmango]

Finally purchased the aquarium!!! I'll post pics on a new build thread once I receive it.


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