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Unread 10/18/2012, 05:54 AM   #1
chaseg89
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HOB overflow on nano?

I am currently working on getting my 9 gallon mixed reef started, but am still in the planning stages with some things and need some opinions. Since it is a small tank I am trying to leave as much available real estate inside the tank for coral and livestock as possible, but I also want to keep the whole thing as visually "clean" as possible (equipment, plumbing, etc). So would it be better to just get a HOB filter or to get a HOB nano overflow, such as what's offered by Lifereef and make a sump/refugium? I am trying to keep things as simple as possible but want it to be aesthetically pleasing at the same time and want to maintain the rimless look. Thanks.


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Unread 10/18/2012, 10:41 AM   #2
biglurr54
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I am in the same process only my tank is up and running. Its on my desk at work. I have a hang on back on it right now but between a hob filter, power head, and heater its getting crowded and looking worse and worse. I have room under my desk for a 20 tall sump/ Fuge which I'm in the plans of making. My tank is 7 gallons and its mixed reef as well. The extra 15 gallons is going to be huge on keeping water parameters more stable. It also helps with hiding everything. My ATO comes in today and I'm sure that wont look nice on the tank but it is necessary for such a small tank unless you plan on adding water 2-3 times every single day. Im going with a life reef nano overflow and 300 gph at head pump with two returns and a Switching current water director for the wave making. All that will be visible in the tank will be the overflow and the two returns. its a simple bullet proof system that will meet any need I throw at it.

I have some ideas for a DIY automatic water changer so if i go away on vacation the tank wont even notice I'm gone and still receive its daily water change.

So my vote is clearly go with the overflow. Lifereef are the best. Worth the extra cost. Make you sump bigger so if you pump fails it wont flood the sump.


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Unread 10/18/2012, 10:45 AM   #3
swcc
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nine gallon tank... just get a powerhead for it and do weekly water changes. small heater you can hide behing rockwork.


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Unread 10/18/2012, 05:57 PM   #4
CAPSLOK
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If the tank is drillable (non-tempered), check out the glass-holes.com nano overflow. They are very small and take up very little room in the tank - the nano is 2 x 5 x 3.5 inches. A HOB overflow is prob going to take up a bunch of space in the tank.


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Unread 10/19/2012, 01:54 AM   #5
chaseg89
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biglurr54, that is the problem I didn't want to run into down the road was a bunch of equipment crowding the tank and taking away from the aesthetics of it, sounds like you have a good plan though. I did some research and the lifereef overflows sound like they are really great.

swcc, My plan is to do a 10% weekly water change, and to top off daily. We have gone through some things with our other tank where it really would have been nice to have a sump so I don't want to be looking back wishing I had done it to begin with, but its only an idea right now I am not sure yet what I am going to do. I am planning on a Cobalt neo-therm heater which the owner of our LFS told me would be good because it is super thin, and they look really nice.

CAPSLOK, the HOB from Lifereef is no bigger than the stock filter that will already be going in the tank, but not as small as the GH overflow you mentioned. Drilling tanks makes me nervous, especially this one because I think the glass is thinner than usual otherwise that would be a good solution.


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Unread 10/19/2012, 07:41 AM   #6
biglurr54
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Another option you might want to consider is www.glass-holes.com They have an overflow kit that is complete with a hole saw, overflow box, bulk head, vented elbow, and instructions. Its way cheaper than a lifereef and is fail safe. If you use the hole saw and make another hole for a return line, make a pendant light, you will have a complete clean continuous rim all the way around. In side the tank would look really clean as well. im not sure what you light plans are. With the Par 38 bulbs out there you can make a nice looking light out of any pendant lights at your local hardware store. I'm beginning to rethink my old 7 gallon with all the ugly rims. I could buy a new tank overflow kit and return bulkheads for the cost of the lifereef.


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Unread 10/19/2012, 05:48 PM   #7
chaseg89
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I have a AI nano led fixture, I am planning to hang it somehow, but for the time being I am just using the stock arm that comes with the light. Might take the glass holes thing into consideration, it still makes me nervous to think about drilling a tank though.


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Unread 10/20/2012, 07:49 PM   #8
CAPSLOK
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Thinner glass is supposedly more difficult... that said, you can always practice on a few cheapo pieces of glass, or even find a free 5g tank to be your guinea pig.

I just got my GH overflow and hole saw today, I have a friend who is going to drill for me. But my tank has thicker glass so should be pretty easy (hopefully).

You can always either e-mail them or pose a question on their forum. Or just browse the forum to see if anyone else has had experience either way with drilling a small/thin tank like that.


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Unread 10/20/2012, 08:28 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaseg89 View Post
swcc, My plan is to do a 10% weekly water change, and to top off daily. We have gone through some things with our other tank where it really would have been nice to have a sump so I don't want to be looking back wishing I had done it to begin with, but its only an idea right now I am not sure yet what I am going to do. I am planning on a Cobalt neo-therm heater which the owner of our LFS told me would be good because it is super thin, and they look really nice.
it is a nine gallon tank... toss your plans and run it simply and best way. heck you could do 50% changes for a couple bucks a week. the fact is...complicate a tiny tank, and you simple tossed money out the window...so why throw away money?


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Unread 10/21/2012, 04:08 PM   #10
chaseg89
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swcc View Post
it is a nine gallon tank... toss your plans and run it simply and best way. heck you could do 50% changes for a couple bucks a week. the fact is...complicate a tiny tank, and you simple tossed money out the window...so why throw away money?
Yeah my initial plan was trying not to complicate things too much, especially for such a small tank, I think you may be right. I have heard that the stock filter does not maintain the tank well long term, but I don't know of any other "in-tank" filters and I was trying to avoid a HOB filter such as an aquaclear. That is what got me exploring other options in the first place. But my original plan was to keep things simple and the more I look into all this other equipment the more I stray from that plan.


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