Belle's Nano Tank

[bellinayu]

Finally able to start a thread in this column. I've always wanted to keep a species tank but due to work and hubby's disapproval, I did not go ahead with it. I finally managed to get the green light and as I have a bit more free time on my hands at the moment, I was able to embark on this mini project. The planning was really exciting as I wanted to design the tank, sump cabinet myself with also some input from the tank maker.

Planning (started in Dec 2012) and delivery of the tank was about 2 months. Here are some planning sketches but did a few modifications along the way.

In Feb after CNY, the tank was delivered and assembled.

I cycled the tank with fresh water for a day, did the dry scape, poured in the live sand and then cycled with salt water.

This is my 2nd week of cycling the tank. Added bacteria daily and dropped in crushed fish food to start the nitrogen cycle.

My plan is to keep a FOWLER tank with peaceful fishes (gobies, firefishes, pipefishes, splendid / chaoti wrasses) for a year before putting in some easy SPS.

[Admiraltian]

Nice, looking fwd to when u stock up.

[jquek]

Nice!

[Davidlow]

Like your sump tank design and its size ... Looking fwd for more updates . What lightning u intent to use ?

[ryanlio]

The table sure looks scary.. skinny legs.. lol Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2

[bellinayu]

Hi Ryan. The cabinet should strong enough to support such a small tank.

I intend to use par 38 lights for the tank.

[Admiraltian]

Is Vincent the tank maker?

[erikokelf]

Nice! Can see that you have really planned this out carefully with all the drawings you have done on a "expensive" piece of paper

Did you drill holes on the rock for insertion of frag plug in future?

[tjy]

wow... very detailed planning of the tank ! but pardon me asking noob question, why have 1 return pump + 1 pump for chiller that pumps back to the main tank ? Why not return pump -----> Chiller -----> main tank ?

[sherman]

Sis,

Good design and planning.

[bellinayu]

Yes, Vincent is the tank maker. The 2 return to main tank is a closed loop system for redundency so that if my return pump has a problem, I still have a chiller return to the tank. However, as I have decided to install a compressor unit to serve my sps tank and this tank, I did not drill the hole for chiller return. That was the modification I did + increasing the size of my skimmer compartment to fit the compressor coil.

[tjy]

Yes, Vincent is the tank maker. The 2 return to main tank is a closed loop system for redundency so that if my return pump has a problem, I still have a chiller return to the tank. However, as I have decided to install a compressor unit to serve my sps tank and this tank, I did not drill the hole for chiller return. That was the modification I did + increasing the size of my skimmer compartment to fit the compressor coil.

Ok.. Now i understand the part on having the 2 returns...

nicely designed and planned ! Looking forward to your completed project.

[Patrick]

Very nice and neat design. Got to keep an eye on the table. Because of the position of the tank, stress is highest on the right back leg, a little more on right front leg than both the left legs.

[raymus]

The holes on some rock resemblance some plugs ... Guess u r planning for some frags on plug soon

[Evolutionz]

very neat set up! you sure got determination if you are planning to keep those plug holes empty for a year

[bellinayu]

Just added a yasha goby, pistol shrimp, and Nemateleotris Decora. I have not let in out from the betta box yet as I hope to train it to eat pallets. The Decora is responding to pallets.

Spotted small size helfrinchi as well so after 2 weeks, if still there, I will probably get it to add into the tank.

Fish list for this tank:

Yasha goby with pistol shrimp

Decora dart fish

Helfrinchi dart fish

Janss pipe fish

Chaoti or splendid leopard wrasse (small size)

Neon gobies (yellow stripes)

Soft corals:

Zoas

Florida rics

Here's a pic of the sump with the compressor coil and a pic with the par 38 attached.

[Evolutionz]

Can pm me where u got ur yasha goby and pistol pair? Thanks

[bellinayu]

The yasha goby was from ah bac at 161 neo tiew rd and the pistol shrimp was from cf but you can get both from cf as well. The yasha from ah bac is a high fin one whereas cf's yasha has shorter dorsal fin

[illumnae]

Be careful that the purple firefish and helfrechi don't end up fighting.

[bellinayu]

That's a gamble that I have to take. I have read from others experiences that they have introduced the same species without any problems. Encouraged for more than 40g tanks. Will take the below precautions to mininimize aggression:

1. Introduce decora species first as it's more timid than helfrichi

2. Choose a smaller size helfrichi

3. Float the helfrinchi in a beta box first and introduce slowly to see if there is any aggression

[spkentchai]

Nice setup.....is the rock meant to be zoas garden? nice

[james72]

I foresee its going to be another nano totm in due time.

[bellinayu]

James, too big a hat to fill. Lol. Just a simple nano to keep the fishes I've always wanted to keep so that they can been seen swimming out in the open.

[sherman]

More photo and FTS sis

[james72]

You inspire me to want to link up a nano frag tank to my main tank for gobies, zoas and rics too. And probably a few sps frags. Hmft....my wife not going to like it. Hehe!