10g Nano Hex

[UnderGrad]

Just wanted to show off a few pics of my new nano setup. I know its not the conventional minibow design that seems to be almost a standard in the nano club now, but it was free and made designing a canopy and overflow system that much more of a challenge. Its a 10 gallon glass hex hooked up to a ~3 gallon ACE Hardware paint bucket fuge (kinda ghetto) via a siphon overflow (couldn't find anyplace that wanted to drill it). Inside the canopy is a 175w 5500k MH (will be upgraded to 10000k when I get some decent corals) retrofit kit from aquaticlight.com (the reflector is DIY - couldn't find a commercial one that would fit inside) with two 3" radioshack fans (currently only using one). The fuge is lit with 2 13w PC 10000k/actinic lights from hellolights. I am planning on adding an autotop-off system to it later once I'm happy that the overflow design is running smoothly (already had it lose siphon once which caused the return powerhead, a maxijet 600, to empty the fuge into tank and ultimately onto and all over my kitchen floor). Tank has been cycling with only sand for 3 weeks and with LR for another 3 weeks so far. Just added a bicolor blenny last weekend . So enough with the specs... here are the pics:

 

[UnderGrad]

Here are some more pics:

 

[hippo23]

the plug (electrical outlet) next top the tank looks like something out of the Simpsons=)

Nice tank though

Upgrade the lights when ya can

 

[wombat1]

Arlan,
Looks awesome! Any time you need frags or a maxima clam , let me know. BTW, ghetto style is how most of us do it on the nano tanks!

 

[Bleeding Blue]

Well done Arlan, if I do say so myself.
Mike

 

[UnderGrad]

Hippo,
With the electical outlet I was going more for something reminiscent of "A Christmas Story" style... all I need are the sparks and fires :lol: .

Thanks Matt and Mike... if either of you ever want to come by and check it out in person, let me know. And I'll definetely be needing a couple frags pretty soon.

-AM-

 

[brandon4291]

I think your current light set-up would grow any species of coral found in the hobby... The 5K-6K mark is fine for photosynthesis especially at the intensity of MH. Nice retrofit for sure. Wouldn't it be neat to have a small brown octopus (brown being world's worst nomenclature)--they need meaty foods but not in hideous proportions and nothing a little skimming wouldnt take care of...just think this would be an exotic thing to have in one's living room, an octopus reef tank, and it would make for some extended stare time.

FWIW

Brandon

 

[Bleeding Blue]

Unfortunately, an octopus would probably hide all day, and only come out at night when no one else is around. Although, I did have an octopus that I trained to get its food out of boxes and jars with screw lids. It was pretty cool.

 

[wombat1]

Hey Arlan, why isn't this your avatar?:

 

[UnderGrad]

Ha ha Matt!!! I never thought anyone would actually go to our lab's web page! I'm gonna have to put up a new pic now...

 

[Bleeding Blue]

Hey tuff guy. I know you got some new corals. I was there. When do we get to see some pics.

 

[UnderGrad]

I'll update with picks as soon as I can find some time to clean it up. I'm a little embarrassed to show any new pics of it... plus its hard to get a good pic through all the algae on the glass!

-AM-

 

[UnderGrad]

Here's a few pics for ya Mike. I took them about a month ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Arlan,
That picture of the pair in their hole is one of the coolest pictures of fish I have ever seen. You should really put that one in the photo gallery. Where did you get them?

 

[kimichan]

Yeah, If I was rich, I would probably buy that picture off of you. I'm not rich though, so best of luck selling it on ebay.

 

[Bleeding Blue]

Holy moly. How come none of my pictures ever turn out that good?

 

[UnderGrad]

Thanks guys for the compliments! Taking the pic of them in their hole was pretty easy; any time I come near the tank they dart in there (hence the name dartfish?). Getting a pic of them in the middle of the tank was the hard part. Kimichan, if you want to sell it on e-bay, go for it... use the money to buy yourself a real lighting setup!!! :wink: Matt, I got the fish in Manteca if that was what you were wondering.

 

[kimichan]

hey *****, I have a real lighting set up. Just wait until next week when I post my first pictures. I just bought ten powerquad 96W and a 175 Watt. Biotch. Not really, but I do have 2 28 Watt big boys, which means 56 Watts more than anyone who doesn't even have a nano. Yeah, think about that. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. And I have 15 inch subwoofers in my car.

 

[fishfanatic2]

Cool rock formations. Your pics of the firefish came out awesome. I'd post them in the photo forum.

 

[UnderGrad]

Here's some new pics... the large frogspawn to left of the center pic was confiscated by ReefRian the day after these were taken .

-AM-