Jestersix

Denzil's 40B with 20L Sump-Fuge

Thanks to Brandie (goldielocke76), she finally converted me over to the dark side. As a result, I'm going to document the building of my nano tank as I acquire each and every component that contributes to my ultimate build. Of course, I'm sure some things will change as I learn more about the hobby but here's what I picked up from CL to start off.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/for/3204109132.html

I plan on using this for my sump-fuge. I've already done the internal measurements on the stand and this 20L easily fits under there. It's just a matter of whether I'm going to temporarily remove the rear support or just remove the top, refinish it, place the sump-fuge tank in place, and put the top back on. The next steps are to continue reading more about the hobby and keep my eyes peeled for the next time Petco does the $1/gallon sale on their tanks so that I can pick up a brand new 20L DT. In the meantime, I'll do some additional research on building the sump-fuge and planning how I'm going to drill out the plumbing holes in the stand and DT.

Here are some additional pictures I took with my DSLR. The stand's definitely weathered and is going to need some work to get it into tip top shape.






 
lattehiatus said:
And so it begins... ;)

Seems you've got a grand master plan for it all, I am looking forward to seeing the progress on this tank!

As far as livestock is concerned, I'm thinking of a couple Perculas and a Sixline. I may have to get a Percula from ya at some point in the future. :)
 
You are off to a good start Denzil ! You can buy glass from glass shop and have them cut to size/polish the edges for baffles and silicone them in place. I think I spent 30 bucks doing mine back in the day.
 
Yeah, I was actually thinking of doing acrylic for the baffles through TAP Plastics. However, I'm still working on figuring out how exactly to set the sump-fuge up. There are several different implementations out there.
 
I'm looking at several designs and I question the placement of the skimmer in the sump-fuge combo. I see several people place the skimmer in the trickle filter area or soon after and before the fuge. Is it more beneficial to have the skimmer before or after the fuge? I guess what I need to find out is exactly what the skimmer's removing and if what it's removing is beneficial to the fuge system. Do the pros/cons before the fuge outweigh the pros/cons after the fuge?

Oh so much to continue reading about! Soon enough, I'll be a professor at this stuff, haha.
 
It seems like building a sump-fuge system very similar to the Aqueon ProFlex would be ideal. There aren't any design flaws that I'm aware of with this system. Maybe I could include additional baffles? I guess I just need to make sure I have enough space in the return area for the skimmer and return pump which shouldn't be a problem since I have 30" in length to work with.
 
I'm contemplating getting either the 700 GPH or 1500 GPH overflow kits from glass-holes.com. They seem like solid kits and would be a smaller footprint than running a traditional gravity-fed overflow kit.

Any thoughts/comments on this?
 
I'm going to attempt to make this an actual journal by posting up any activity with the tank and just general learning of the hobby. This thread should prove to be a great reference for myself and possibly anyone else who may care to read it. :)
 
I just finished reading "The Nano-Reef Handbook" by Chris R. Brightwell and learned a lot more about tank chemistry, setup, live stock, invertebrates, and some setups based on solid templates. I now have a better idea of what I want to stock in my tank. Right now as far as sessile invertebrates, I'm thinking of Zoas, Ricordia, Xenia, Bubble-Tip, SPS, and a clam. I'm considering LPS as well but all of this is just me thinking out loud.

I'm going to continue doing additional research at NR and RC in addition to starting another one of the books I picked up. I have an ongoing master plan/list of the equipment I'm going to need for my build. I need to tabulate what my estimated costs are going to be with whatever equipment I decide to use.
 
You are on the right path D with research before actually buying anything. Many hobbyists place the skimmer after the fuge, thus giving rew tank water/nutrients to feed the fuge. If the skimmer is placed before the fuge, you are giving less nutrients to feed the fuge. Some hobbyist split the drain to feed the skimmer and fuge. It's all subjective and the Aqueon pro flex is a proven design.
 
Yeah, I might just do that instead.

I didn't really spend any time on my tank planning/build this weekend but got Brandie's AC3 set up. We're just waiting on the remaining probes (ORP pH) and the Stunner strip before we start locking things down and doing cable management. Also going to set it up so it's manageable remotely through the web interface and mobile phone. Fun stuff!
 
I'm considering doing a 20L (30 x 12 x 12) rimless tank from Glasscages.com for $165 but Brandie's trying to convince me to get a 38g (36 x 12 x 16) for $170. If I get the 38g, that would leave me with 1.5" of tolerance between the tank and my stand.
 
I think the outer edges of the 38g would surpass the supporting partitions of the stand which could be a hazard. I think I'm going to stick with the 20L for now.
 
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