12 in. Night Stand Cube!

[Milleme]

Started this a while back and have just started making more progress.

Original thread- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=820848

STATS:
-12 in cube ~7 gals
-costum sump, forgot how many gallons, like 10 maybe
-mag 3 return
-BB
-fish is an arabian dottyback, in quarantine
-8 lbs. LR epoxied around standpipe

THINGS TO BE ADDED
-ASM mini skimmer
-heater:p
-70 or 150 watt MH (suggestions on this)
-auto top off
-umm, coral (going for sps)

PICS

FTS
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1727.jpg

Full Shot
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1731.jpg

Sump
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/52da6cc0.jpg

Any suggestions or commets r welcomed.

[Fishfreak218]

nice tank... also i say 70w MH

[Milleme]

thanx...i was thinking 70 watter also but I heard there aren't as many bulb choices and that they arent that much cheaper than the 150.

[bennerkla]

70 watt. You have a choice between a 10k or a 20k (14k's are hard to find) but 150 IMO would be overkill, especially if you want to supplement with actinics. Go with a 10k 70 watt and supplement with some actinics, and you'll have a great setup. Or, since I see you are trying to go for a simple light setup, just go with a 20k 70 watt bulb.

[IsThisNameTaken?]

yep... I mod the light you currently have to house a 70watt 20k. Tank looks awesome by the way!

[Milleme]

SO it sounds like 70 watt 20k is gonna be my best bet. Can you buy these in retro fit style? I've only seen pendants. I dont know if any reflectors would fit in the light i have..also i have not clue at all on how i would mod it. Any one want to give me some direction?

Heres a pic of th light its 60 watts
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1737.jpg

[bennerkla]

Maybe you could just screw in a SE MH bulb? You wouldn't need a UV filter glass for SE bulbs.

[Milleme]

But do 70 watt come in SE? And how do I hook up the ballast and all?

[bennerkla]

I don't know exactly. You could set up the ballast externally, like on the floor, maybe. Putting a MH bulb in that setup will not be easy.

[Milleme]

I see what you mean I would just strip the cords and bulb out the run the new cord through and put in the new bulb then have the ballast on the ground that would then be plugged in...but i also probably need a different moguole right. Ill keep looking into it, maybe someone who has doon something similar will chime in. Thanx for ur help so far.

[bennerkla]

No problem. I thought they made SE 70 watt bulbs, but I might be wrong. If they don't, and that mogule will fit a 150 watt MH bulb, you could get away with it since the bulb is so high from the tank. Or just buy a new mogule (I think they are medium size.)

I thought you were trying to use the pre-existing cord. It would work, but you would probably need a fan. Couldn't imagine how hot that would get, and it wouldn't surprise me if that glass lamp shattered, especially if it wasn't expensive. Might want to call the company.

Good luck,

Ben

[Milleme]

Startin to get a little algae on the starboard and rocks plus detritus so I made a snail guard for the drain out of acrylic and added a few snails and hermits.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1738.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1740.jpg

[Maker]

Do you have pics of how the return plumbing works? I am not seeing any returns...

Maker

[Milleme]

Maker- I will try to get some pics up a little later. The return is just a hole in the bottom and it has a check valve on the plumbing in case of a power outage.

[Milleme]

Here are a few pics of the return. Srry about all the gunk. Need to do a little cleaning up after those stupid hermit crabs.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1748.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1747.jpg

Return plumbing (the pipe going striaght up in the back).
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1749.jpg

BTW, anyone know anything about the new mini ASM skimmer?

[imareefer21]

this is a cool little tank!

[Pico Keeper]

How much flow are you running thru that thing? They amount of flow returning to the tank has to be atleast as much or more then whatever the max flow of that standpipe is.

How does that all work? Because the stand pipe isn't surface skimming so its gotta be flowing alot.

[Milleme]

The return is a mag drive 3 ~250gph or somethin'. The stand pipe can handle more than the pump can give. So I used a ball valve on the stand pipe to control just the right amount of flow to match the return. Then I have another ball valve on the standpipe to completly shut it off for water changes etc. so I dont have to retune the first one to match the return every time I want to stop flow going through it.

[Milleme]

Today I got a light at homedepot so I could grow cheato in my sump. I got a 75 watt bulb that is suppose to be for growing plants and a little reflector to house it in, although now that I come to think of it i don't think I even needed it. Ive never actually grown it just sort of kept it in my sump of my 58 under a flouresent light. Will this light make it grow? Or did I screw up and buy the wrong thing.

Here r some pics of it
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1750.jpg

And of the box
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1753.jpg

BTW has any one had any experience with the new ASM mini skimmer? I heard some bad things about it IE. it was loud and not as good as its bigger brothers.

[dime079]

it should grow under that light, my macro grows like mad under a 20w. nice looking tank.

[tigerarmy40]

http://cgi.ebay.com/70-Watt-Electronic-Metal-Halide-Nano-Reef-Retrofit-Kit_W0QQitemZ7773044292QQihZ018QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thought this might help with the halide selection!!!

[oddiseus]

Ok now Im confused about surface skimming and the standpipe talk. Can someone help clarify?

[Milleme]

Thanx tigerarmy that does help. Do you think 70 watt will be intense enogh for sps.

Surface skimming would be when the standpipe is at the very surface and water is drained at the same speed it is returned so the water level won't change unless a valve is closed or something.

If the standpipe doesn't reach the surface as in my case u would have to control the amount of water drained precisly to match the return so that the level in the tank doesn't rise or lower.

Hope this helps. Here are some pics of my system running both ways.

Here the water is above the standpipe and the drain is controlled by a ball valve. I like the look of it the best b/c the water surface isn't right on the rocks.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1727.jpg

Here it is surface skimming. You can see the water level is right at the top of the standpipe.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/100_1754.jpg

Hope this helped you understand a little better, I sort of suck at explaining stuff....

[tigerarmy40]

its should be able to handle sps, clams and anything that needs intense lighting no problem!!

[Milleme]

I ordered an ASM mini g series protien skimmer today. Does anyone have any experience with it yet? The only reviews ive read say its just okay but can be pretty good with a few mods.

[Milleme]

My ASM skimmer came in 2day and when i started it up I was getting a bunch of micro bubbles. So I took the sump out to clean it, the pumps and put in a baffle.

I also made a few mods on the skimmer that i read about. First I took out the 90 degree elbo that connects the pump to the chamber and connected the pump directly to the chamber. Second I put an air diffuser on the air intake. I read this makes the bubbles smaller and does somethin to make more skimmate........ anyone heard of doing this. Here are some pics of the skimmer.

ASM mini w/ pump mod
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/ASMminig.jpg
air intake diffuser mod
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/airintakediffuser.jpg

I also added my arabian dottyback after everything was back in place.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/milleme/Nano%20Cube%20Build/dottyback1.jpg

Things I still need are-
-70 watt MH
-heater which I am running in a quarintine tank right now...
-A kalk reactor connected to an RO reservor for toping off
-Or Ill drip kalk ^^^
-SNAILS
-some kind of power strip for organization
-fans

Can someone give me an explanation of how I can hook up DIY kalkreactor w/ a Ro reservor so that im not constantly refilling it. Or is this possible? and would it make the kalk less potent?...!??..

Thanx for all and any help you give! If You think of anything Iv'e forgotten let me know.

[Nathan4Wvu]

Looking great keep us posted!