Nano plumbed to larger system??

[thhardin]

Hello Nano Reefers!

A few years ago I purchased a 7.5 gallon Bowfront for my wife. She has had a good time learning about reefkeeping, but has been laxed about maintainence. Can't blame her, as this little tank requires constant upkeep to stay on top of it! Anyway, I fear her system is crashing due to excessive nutrient build-up due to lack of water changes. She has really only been doing them every 2-3 months!

I have a 180 gallon main tank with a 100 gal sump and a 100 gal refugium. System is automated. I am considering buying her a 16" cube and plumbing it into my system. Does anybody have any experience plumbing a nano cube into a larger system?

Any feedback would be appreciated. I like the stability the larger system adds, along with getting the clutter out of the kitchen (wherre she keeps her tank).

BTW - Would it still be considered a "nano"?

 

[JD'sReef]

I would not consider this a Nano, but this is something that I have though about as well. I really want to have a little tank with a BTA but feel it would be a real challenge.
One idea that I have thought of is the fresh water changing system you can get out of Doctor Fostors. Basically you hook it up to your faucet and it sucks water out and puts it in at the same time. If there was a way to hook this up to a pump in your sump then that would be the easiest way.
50 bucks and no hassle.
What do you think?

 

[Anonymous]

lol! cool!

you're suggesting to give her space in your aquarium. you'll give her the volume and connect it via plumbing so that you can maintan the water quality and she can experiment with livestock in the nano's protected but connected volume of water.

i probably wouldn't do it just cuz i'd want her to learn, not use a crutch. i wouldn't consider it a nano.

i would consider it cool as hell though, to have a setup like that for my own damn self.

 

[thhardin]

Well, I did it...

I called Andy @ MyReefCreations.com and ordered a tank today. I ordered the 16" cube. He is sending me the cube with the overflow structure and bulkhead not installed. I will verify the location of the overflow (left or right) and glue it up myself. This way, I can deal with the plumbing issues as they arise.

I will be putting a 1/2" sea swirl on the tank for return water / circulation. I will be running a single 1" return line to the sump. I currently run my sump return to the 180 with a Sequense 3500Pro21. This is much more than I need for the return on the 180, so I might as well use it for the return to the cube! I am going to put a gate valve behind the sea swirl to allow an easy flow adjustment. I think the plumbing could support up to 500GPH. I doubt there will be a need for any more than that.

I currently have a 64Watt Custom Sea Life fixture over the 7.5 Bowfront and will continue to use it (after replacing bulbs). This light puts out 32 watts of actinic and 32 watts of 10K. Great little fixture.

Since I have a 400 gallon system (180 main tank) supporting this cube, I think I can go with minimal rock & sand in the tank (I have about 1,200# of sand and 400# live rock in the main system. I think this system gives my wife the freedom to do whatever she wants in there.

The cool part is that when stuff grows too big for her tank, we get to put it in MINE!

 

[Anonymous]

Cool idea. It's more like a refugium than a nano, though. You could put some neat things in there, like say a mantis shrimp or octopus, (with careful consideration) that you can't keep in a reef.

 

[Anonymous]

an octopus would be soooo awesome. i bet it could find a way into the plumbing though, no matter what steps you took to avoid that.

you'd come home one day and the octo would be up in the main tank, looking very full. lol!

 

[Anonymous]

If you cover the overflow with window screening the larger ones can't get through. We keep an octo like this. You pretty much have to do this on any octo tank anyway, or else they end up climbing into your sump. The only problem is that it acts as a mech. filter and you have to clean it regularly.

 

[Anonymous]

pix?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm at home right now, so no. It's just nylon window screening that is rubberbanded over the end of a standpipe. We keep it in the same system as a bunch of crabs, snails, etc, so it's vitally important it can't get out. I'll try and get a pic next time I'm on campus.

 

[Anonymous]

a link if you're interested:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... invert.htm