5.5g tank.

chris-210

New Member
Hi everybody im new to nanotank and it seems like a pretty cool place. I have started on a new tank and was wondering what you guys think about it.



thats the sketch i made of how its going to look. The tank will have 18watts of light,moonlights,and a fan in the canopy for the heat. So far i have cut out and sanded the cabinet all i need now is to make the base and canopy for the 2.5g display tank. Can anyone tell me what the dimension of the 2.5g aga tank are. and how wide the black rim is? Do you guys think 1/2in bulkheads are too big for the tank? Also in the cabinet i made, i have extra space for a protein skimmer and maybe UV sterilizer. What do you guys think about these?
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=245

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=285

Do you guys know if they are any good or have any experince with them?

Also do you guys think a neon goby will be fine in there?

Any advice or comments are welcome.

-chris-
 

skipm

Moderator
Staff member
What are the 1/2" bulkheads for? If they are going to be returns they are fine but if they are going to be for the drains they need to be larger, I would use 3/4". You should be able to keep a single neon goby or other very small fish but I would probably go for a small invery like a shrimp instead.
 

chris-210

New Member
got around to builiding the stand. All i have left to build is a canopy and a matching botton for the 2.5g tank. Not bad for i 15 year old living in the city. tell me what you think.





 

reefman23

New Member
That is a VERY nice stand... one of the best Ive seen! I really look forward to seeing your progress.

Jesse

BTW, :welcome to nanotank.com!
 

chris-210

New Member
Thanks very much for the comments and the welcome guys. I got some new pictures of the stand i now have the 3g sump/fuge tank and it fits pretty good in there. i have it running with my live rock because i have nowhere else to put it.



 

Mavvy

New Member
That whole setup (including the stand, which is sweet) is really slick, so far...keep it up! :cool1:
 

chris-210

New Member
thanks mavvy. i finished putting in the fuge light for the fuge/sump. it works pretty good i ended up haning it from the top of the cabinet. also i just bought the 2.5 tank. will be building the hood and base for it soon. also the protein skimmer i wanted to get is too big for my setup and i wont be gettin it anymore but i still have space for the uv sterilizer. can any one tell me if this one is any good.
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=285

i really want to have one in my tank to keep algae at a minimum. Later on this week ill be ordering some bulkheads and drilling the tank maybe spray painting it black too.
well here are the pictures of how i did the fuge light check it out.





 

reefman23

New Member
I personally wouldnt trust anything from aquatraders.com... I have just heard too may bad things aboiut their products. OTher people might want to chime in, but i personally wouldnt suggest a UV sterilizer for this small of a system either.

Here is a quote about sterilizers from Eric Borneman (hopefully I didnt take it too far out of context):

"Don't even get me started on the use of UV. Good idea - kill the few remaining living things that exist in the water column and create the illusion that bacteria or pathogens don't exist, without realizing that most parasites and pathogens aren't planktonic. And, in the process, expose possibly benign bacteria to a mutagen. Excellent. clap clap clap. Next idea, constant low-dose drip of broad spectrum antibiotic?"

Here is another brief thread: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic59035 ... ghlight=uv

And another: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic36852 ... sterilizer


IMO, and the opinion of some other hobbyists... UV sterilizers are best suited for quarantine tanks and fish-only tanks. In a small nano like most of us run are not the best setup for a sterilizer.

Ulimately it is up to you, I just wanted to share my view on them.

Great setup by the way... this one has a ton on potential!

Keep us updated.

Jesse
 

johnanddawn

New Member
nice set - up and i agree with jesse - skip the uv, nature vs tech wins every time in the long run - why have a fuge and then kill everything that grows in it?
 

aquemeni5110

New Member
Another altenative to controlling algae is a phosphate reactor or phosphate filter pads. I like the diagram. Really creative and detailed.


:welcome to Nanotank!
 

chris-210

New Member
Well you guys really got me thinking about not using a UV filter and i decided that i WILL not use one :D. You guys made some interesting points. Also my friend will be giving me his old 2.5gallon tank soon and im about 50% done with making the hood. i have some pictures of my progress on it. As for the sump ill be using some acrylic from lowes because my sump tank is made out of acrylic and i dont know how good glass bonds with acrylic. Also ill be putting a ATO in this tank for sure. Cant wait till i actually get this tank set up.









The top part thats on it right now is not going to be part of the hood. I still need to make one that actually fits and the edges on the one im building are nicer. Im thinking about putting little rivits on the top part of the hood were one of the sides is so i can put a stick there so the top part of the hood will stay up and not get in the way. Also i will soon be staying the entire setup then putting a clear coat on it. I thinks it gonna look real nice.

Chris.
 
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