Jenna's 10g w/built in fuge

ecostitcher · 01/08/2009, 04:46 PM

Our tank is officially up and running. The sand hasn't completely settled yet but its getting there.

We bought our rock from payyourtoll Rob. It is such awesome stuff!!!! I'm hoping our cycle will be minimal since the rock was only out of the water for a few minutes here and there. We actually transported it in a bucket of saltwater. We are all SO excited!

Eklikewhoa · 01/08/2009, 07:58 PM

Nice!

Jadams · 01/08/2009, 08:05 PM

Looks like a good start!

Rickinferno · 01/08/2009, 08:12 PM

Very nice, can you post pictures of your Fuge?

mnml · 01/08/2009, 09:59 PM

so nice..and clean!!!

CoralChris · 01/08/2009, 10:57 PM

nice work, great shot with the cat.

tinky · 01/09/2009, 02:57 AM

nice setup, clean as a whistle!

ecostitcher · 01/09/2009, 09:53 AM

As requested by rickinferno, here is a pic of my fuge

In the left chamber is my power head and temporary heater. I'll be switching it out to a Visi-therm 50W Stealth heater if the shipment ever gets here. (grumble, grumble, grumble) In the right chamber I have a single piece of LR for now. I've ordered a bit of Chaeto to go in the fuge from a fellow reefer. It should be here early next week. I'm also considering taking out the rock and putting a bag of Chemi-pure elite in front of the open area at the bottom forcing the water through it. I might put the chemi-pure in the left chamber and put filter floss in front of that part on the right side. That's give me easy access to change out the floss frequently while still offering some filtration of large particulate matter.Perhaps I'll just shift the rock all the way to the right then keep the Chaeto above all that. I'm open to suggestions on that part.

Here are a couple of photos of what I did with my power center to keep it safe from water drips.

I still need to get a GFCI outlet installed.

Rickinferno · 01/09/2009, 10:48 AM

Very nice Jenna I like your fuge, did you use glass or plexi, and if glass how did you drill the holes for the sump intake?

ecostitcher · 01/09/2009, 10:53 AM

Thanks! I used black plexi for the fuge. Its really easy to work using a dremel.

FavaBean · 01/09/2009, 07:41 PM

nice looking start eco.... keep us updated....

ecostitcher · 01/10/2009, 05:20 PM

Thanks everyone! I finally solved the issue with my sand blowing around. I tried downgrading to the Maxi-jet 600 but it was still doing it. So I bore out the return hole large enough to fit the deflector that came with the power head. Using that, I was able to put the 900 back on it and its not messing with the sand. I had to fiddle with the angle a bit but all is well now and I'm a happy camper!

ecostitcher · 01/12/2009, 08:01 AM

Well the tank has cleared out considerably now and I got some more shots to show the new deflector in place on the powerhead.

We still have no rise on the ammonia levels but its only been about a week and the rock was well cured already. Add to that the fact that we transported it in water to minimize exposure. We may not have much of a cycle but there haven't been any algae or diatom blooms yet. We still have a LONG way to go.

WHiteout · 01/12/2009, 10:17 AM

looks really good, i too have a 10 gallon just like that and love it!
what lights are you running on yours? and how is your temp with them?

ecostitcher · 01/12/2009, 10:23 AM

I'm using T5 lights. I bought the 24" Nova with lunar lights. It hasn't affected my temp in the least bit. I know the light hangs over a bit but its not bad. I'm really happy with it because I'll be able to keep just about anything under it. Your tank looks great! How long has it been up?

WHiteout · 01/12/2009, 10:27 AM

its been going for about 4 months, i want it to be a reef, but money is tight so im buying my first real piece of coral this friday.

iv tried small (1-2 head) pieces but they never seem to do well.

Other then that i havent had any problems aside from cloudy water from the twin spot.

im running t5s as well. they are good lights but my temp gets to 80 pretty fast during the summer.

ecostitcher · 01/14/2009, 12:43 PM

I can understand the money issue! That can hit when you least expect it. (sigh)

ecostitcher · 01/14/2009, 12:44 PM

Day 8 and still no sign of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. The good news is that I got my Chaeto today! I got a huge bit of it in the refugium now along with some LR rubble I picked up yesterday.

Should I toss some frozen brine shrimp in to get a cycle going?

Oh, I found a snail! I think its a Collonista. Its tiny so a pic is out of the question at this point. My camera isn't that good and this little guy is smaller than a split pea. It spends the majority of its time on the acrylic.

Sugar Magnolia · 01/14/2009, 01:11 PM

Cool little tank! I've been thinking about doing this same thing but on a smaller scale. Partioning a 2.5 gallon and make a sexy shrimp/softy tank.

Keep us posted as things move along!

ecostitcher · 01/14/2009, 02:23 PM

I've spent the last hour staring at the rock and inspecting every single inch I could see. I found 2 aiptasia and two other critters. Definitely anemones of some sort but the tentacles are short, rather plump and pure white. I can't see the base as its coming out of the rock itself. I'm also seeing a bit of algae growing now. Its still very short but covering a fair bit of area. Would it be safe to get another snail to put in so it doesn't get out of hand?

buttons buster · 01/14/2009, 02:27 PM

I like the rock work

Rickinferno · 01/14/2009, 05:56 PM

It should be safe to add another Snail, I added 4 snails to mine after 2 weeks of cycling to help with the Diatom Algea.

jaxspsreef · 01/14/2009, 10:10 PM

very nice!

ecostitcher · 01/15/2009, 05:45 AM

Thanks everyone!

Rainmann · 01/15/2009, 02:08 PM

Very cool - I like the integrated fuge.

01/08/2009, 04:46 PM	#1
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Jenna's 10g w/built in fuge Our tank is officially up and running. The sand hasn't completely settled yet but its getting there. We bought our rock from payyourtoll Rob. It is such awesome stuff!!!! I'm hoping our cycle will be minimal since the rock was only out of the water for a few minutes here and there. We actually transported it in a bucket of saltwater. We are all SO excited! __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/08/2009, 08:05 PM	#3
Jadams Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4,475	Looks like a good start! __________________ Jeremy

01/08/2009, 08:12 PM	#4
Rickinferno Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St-Hubert Posts: 114	Very nice, can you post pictures of your Fuge? __________________ 30G Main tank 20G Sump with Chaeto Mangrove and Colerpa Ecotech Radion X30 LED 2XMP10wES Bubble Magus Nac 6 Skimmer Phosban Reactor with Rowa 50Lbs of FIJI LR 2 Kaudern's Cardinal,10 Blue leg hermit 3 Nassarius

01/08/2009, 09:59 PM	#5
mnml Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ladera Ranch, CA Posts: 2,383	so nice..and clean!!! __________________ Tran Current Tank Info: Waterbox 130.4

01/08/2009, 10:57 PM	#6
CoralChris Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Naperville Illinois Posts: 36	nice work, great shot with the cat. __________________ 33 Gallon Long (4'x1'x1') w 3ft 30gal sump/fuge, softy reef. Current Tank Info: 33 Long w 30 gal sump/fuge.

01/08/2009, 07:58 PM	#2
Eklikewhoa Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Above water Posts: 1,442	Nice!

01/09/2009, 02:57 AM	#7
tinky Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 67	nice setup, clean as a whistle! __________________ The wetter the better...talking about fish and stuff that is :) Kyle Current Tank Info: 60G Uniquarium Reef. 12G Nano w/viper HQI

01/09/2009, 09:53 AM	#8
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	As requested by rickinferno, here is a pic of my fuge In the left chamber is my power head and temporary heater. I'll be switching it out to a Visi-therm 50W Stealth heater if the shipment ever gets here. (grumble, grumble, grumble) In the right chamber I have a single piece of LR for now. I've ordered a bit of Chaeto to go in the fuge from a fellow reefer. It should be here early next week. I'm also considering taking out the rock and putting a bag of Chemi-pure elite in front of the open area at the bottom forcing the water through it. I might put the chemi-pure in the left chamber and put filter floss in front of that part on the right side. That's give me easy access to change out the floss frequently while still offering some filtration of large particulate matter.Perhaps I'll just shift the rock all the way to the right then keep the Chaeto above all that. I'm open to suggestions on that part. Here are a couple of photos of what I did with my power center to keep it safe from water drips. I still need to get a GFCI outlet installed. __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/09/2009, 10:48 AM	#9
Rickinferno Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St-Hubert Posts: 114	Very nice Jenna I like your fuge, did you use glass or plexi, and if glass how did you drill the holes for the sump intake? __________________ 30G Main tank 20G Sump with Chaeto Mangrove and Colerpa Ecotech Radion X30 LED 2XMP10wES Bubble Magus Nac 6 Skimmer Phosban Reactor with Rowa 50Lbs of FIJI LR 2 Kaudern's Cardinal,10 Blue leg hermit 3 Nassarius

01/09/2009, 10:53 AM	#10
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Thanks! I used black plexi for the fuge. Its really easy to work using a dremel. __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/09/2009, 07:41 PM	#11
FavaBean Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Abilene Texas Posts: 789	nice looking start eco.... keep us updated....

01/10/2009, 05:20 PM	#12
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Thanks everyone! I finally solved the issue with my sand blowing around. I tried downgrading to the Maxi-jet 600 but it was still doing it. So I bore out the return hole large enough to fit the deflector that came with the power head. Using that, I was able to put the 900 back on it and its not messing with the sand. I had to fiddle with the angle a bit but all is well now and I'm a happy camper! __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/12/2009, 08:01 AM	#13
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Well the tank has cleared out considerably now and I got some more shots to show the new deflector in place on the powerhead. We still have no rise on the ammonia levels but its only been about a week and the rock was well cured already. Add to that the fact that we transported it in water to minimize exposure. We may not have much of a cycle but there haven't been any algae or diatom blooms yet. We still have a LONG way to go. __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/12/2009, 10:17 AM	#14
WHiteout Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Mexico Posts: 234	looks really good, i too have a 10 gallon just like that and love it! what lights are you running on yours? and how is your temp with them?

01/12/2009, 10:23 AM	#15
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	I'm using T5 lights. I bought the 24" Nova with lunar lights. It hasn't affected my temp in the least bit. I know the light hangs over a bit but its not bad. I'm really happy with it because I'll be able to keep just about anything under it. Your tank looks great! How long has it been up? __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/12/2009, 10:27 AM	#16
WHiteout Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Mexico Posts: 234	its been going for about 4 months, i want it to be a reef, but money is tight so im buying my first real piece of coral this friday. iv tried small (1-2 head) pieces but they never seem to do well. Other then that i havent had any problems aside from cloudy water from the twin spot. im running t5s as well. they are good lights but my temp gets to 80 pretty fast during the summer.

01/14/2009, 12:43 PM	#17
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	I can understand the money issue! That can hit when you least expect it. (sigh) __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/14/2009, 12:44 PM	#18
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Day 8 and still no sign of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. The good news is that I got my Chaeto today! I got a huge bit of it in the refugium now along with some LR rubble I picked up yesterday. Should I toss some frozen brine shrimp in to get a cycle going? Oh, I found a snail! I think its a Collonista. Its tiny so a pic is out of the question at this point. My camera isn't that good and this little guy is smaller than a split pea. It spends the majority of its time on the acrylic. __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/14/2009, 01:11 PM	#19
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Cool little tank! I've been thinking about doing this same thing but on a smaller scale. Partioning a 2.5 gallon and make a sexy shrimp/softy tank. Keep us posted as things move along! __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/14/2009, 02:23 PM	#20
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	I've spent the last hour staring at the rock and inspecting every single inch I could see. I found 2 aiptasia and two other critters. Definitely anemones of some sort but the tentacles are short, rather plump and pure white. I can't see the base as its coming out of the rock itself. I'm also seeing a bit of algae growing now. Its still very short but covering a fair bit of area. Would it be safe to get another snail to put in so it doesn't get out of hand? __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/14/2009, 02:27 PM	#21
buttons buster Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,428	I like the rock work

01/14/2009, 05:56 PM	#22
Rickinferno Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St-Hubert Posts: 114	It should be safe to add another Snail, I added 4 snails to mine after 2 weeks of cycling to help with the Diatom Algea. __________________ 30G Main tank 20G Sump with Chaeto Mangrove and Colerpa Ecotech Radion X30 LED 2XMP10wES Bubble Magus Nac 6 Skimmer Phosban Reactor with Rowa 50Lbs of FIJI LR 2 Kaudern's Cardinal,10 Blue leg hermit 3 Nassarius

01/14/2009, 10:10 PM	#23
jaxspsreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville FL. Posts: 156	very nice! __________________ "Money won't make you happy... but everybody wants to find out for themselves". Zig Ziglar Current Tank Info: 210 gallon build on the way!!!

01/15/2009, 05:45 AM	#24
ecostitcher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 71	Thanks everyone! __________________ Jenna Ann Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano

01/15/2009, 02:08 PM	#25
Rainmann Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Frisco, TX Posts: 20	Very cool - I like the integrated fuge. __________________ 29 Tall, Aquafuge, Remora Skimmer sumpless 80 lbs Fiji rock and sand established 2001 Current Tank Info: 29 Tall