Cali Kid Corals

Nano Reef Tanks

Schmitty

Schmitty

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Any thoughts on these, I was looking at em and they seem to be a good fit for my small apartment. Anyone know about the lighting and filtration, is it adequate for reef? Looks like a lot of people are using em successfully from what I see...
 
The all-in-one kind like Aquapod, Nanocubes etc?

Can have temperature problems, especially the ones with MH lighting.

The PC ones seem to be good for zoas and some LPS.

A lot of people mod the heck out of them to push the limits for lighting, flow, temperature control, type of corals.
 
I've had a modified Minibow 7gal since 2002. I keep mostly SPS, but I had to seriously hack the lighting. I modified a hood to use a 70W HQI bulb.
The biggest pain is keeping up with the evaporation. I add 1/4 gallon a day. The water changes are 1 gallon a week. One really nice thing about a nano tank. I can add excessive amounts of B-Ionic and it doesn't cost that much since it's such a small volume.

-Russell
 
Wow... you gotta post pics of the modded setup, Russell!

What are you doing for temp control?

Are you running a HOB filter, or is the tank plumbed to a sump?
 
I really like my BC14. Stock, you can get away with easy corals. To do higher demanding corals, you really do need to mod it.
 
Ive been moving slow making sure I get everything going the way I want. Im thinking of cutting out the plastic on the right side of the back area so that I can put another pump and heater in that area. Anyone have any experience doing this, and/or think its an ok idea.
 
I recently bought a used "brand X" (deepest bowels of chinese manufacturing plants) 12g nano that I'm wanting to set up when I get some spare time. Don't know if I'm going to try for a metal halide bulb in the hood, the evaporation does scare me a bit (at least until I figure out a simple ATO method... which I don't even have for my 100+ tanks!), I think 4 PC bulbs can be crammed in there though, that might actually be a little more of a uniform distribute of light as well. Of course I do want more flow, but I want it hidden if possible, so need to figure out some hacking jobs I can do as well!

But I really have no plans to put any fish in there, I really don't feel comfortable with doing it in such a small space (regardless of what people say is "ok" to do)... but a nice little coral garden as a flower pot for the living room would be nice! :D
 
I've only had a brief look at the 29 but own the 14 so there is a bit of guestimating here.


If I had the tank, this is what I would do (the full mod fun. choose what you would do)

1) mod to add 1 more PC. I bet nanotunners has the kit for this. It won't be super high light, but it will help. MH is still too hot fr the plastic hood IMO.
2) replace the pump with a higher flow (and less heat) one. I'll look up models later. Use the hydor output to modulate your flow. Add in another power head in chamber 1 internally or externally.
3) increase the baffle spill over from C1 to C2 by widening it
4) don't bother with the skimmer (I hear people don't like it much) and remove the top C2 filter.
5) conver C2 into a fuge. Razor blade off the black paint so you can use a 13watt PC light from the backside. Fill C2 with cheato.
6) use C1 or 3 for carbon/purgen etc.
7) use a stealth heater in C1
8) use dead space in C1/3 for more rubble. Came in handy recently for seeding my new tank from the rubble in the back of my BC14 :)


hope this helps.

BTW, you can very easily use the tank AS IS if you dont have demanding coral in there.
 
I'd be interested in some higher flow pump models, more specifically though their dimensions since I'm sure not all cubes have the same compartments.

Of course if I was a good person, I wouldn't be even thinking about how to mod this cube until my work load dies down :D
 
[quote author=Mr. Ugly link=topic=2823.msg30315#msg30315 date=1200464215]
Wow... you gotta post pics of the modded setup, Russell!

What are you doing for temp control?

Are you running a HOB filter, or is the tank plumbed to a sump?
[/quote]

I did the following mod to the stock hood.

http://www.oc-creative.com/reef/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=388

it's worked out really nicely. The only difference is that I chose to use an IceCap 70W ballast.
I run a small HOB as a fuge. For flow, I use 2 microjet pumps.
I cool with a peltier chiller from coolworks. It works OK for little tanks like mine.
I'll take some pictures and bring them to the meeting in Feb if you are interested.

-Russell
 
there's that larger Current Solana tank they have. It's rimless, comes with a nice halide lamp, and a (useless at the moment) ATO system.

I was thinking of setting up a nice little biocube 8 at work... but then that means I have to go into work pretty often ;)
 
Damnit, I already got the skimmer, and yeah, it seems wierd and difficult back there... sometimes rattles from the vibration... thanks for the help. I got the extra pump and stealth heater. What's a good tool to use to cut the plastic. I definitley have to cut the floor out of C1 so the heater and pump can fit in there without sticking out... Im getting so excited to start this guy, thanks!!!
 
you don't want to know how I cut my baffle wider LOL


..ok, maybe you do. I used metal snips. I would make a snip and tear piece by piece out. Sure, there are more graceful ways of doing it, but it worked and I was impatient.
 
Im thinking an exacto knife... Whats the deal with the Protein skimmer? Is there a best way to get that in there. Seems like if I put it in one way the air tube gets the overflow water on it, and if I turn it around the pump is to close to the other pump creating loads of air bubbles shooting into the tank... not to mention the rattle from the vibration.... AHHH!!! How long does it take for the cup to get some shite in it? Or will that not happen untill I put food and live creatures into tank?
 
Is there anywhere where I can find an abreviations dictionary. I have know idea what half the stuff you guys are talking about. Like what's an ATO system or a HOB?
 
Yeah, I think Im gonna get the auto top-off device, what do you mean by Hang on Back, is that where it will go. Or are you talking about the protein skimmer (hanging on back)?
 
Wow, it's been a while... Im back into the tank though, maybe early darkness has something to do with it... Got a few pieces now, a clown fish, a few crab, and about five sand sifting snails... Should I get a goby of some kind? I love the orange ones, and my sand is looking pretty bad.
 
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