SPS Nano Experiment

[PeterC]

Hi Guys

As some of you will know we attempting an sps dominated nano tank.

The victim started life as a normal unsupecting D+D nanocube selected to match our existing one but annoyingly a subtley but distinguishably lighter gunmetal colour.

Anyway I chucked all the gubbins in the rear chambers out and put an MJ1200 in as the return pump, a sapphire skimmer went in C1 and LR rubble, carbon and Ultralith in C2.

Then took the lid off threw half off the electronics away and installed 3 x 36W PC and a 24W actinic T5 this gives me the equivalent of approx 400W/SqM which should be enough:)

To give the corals a chance the tank also includes a 2400LPH Marea pump which is big and ugly (and cropped out) and will get swapped out for a nanostream sooner or later.

We chucked in some sand, 7KG of STM's finest ultra LR waited impatiently and ended up with this:dance:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/sps tank.jpg


http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/blue green copy.jpg

Got this yesterday

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/lilac acro.jpg

and this one

Hope you like this one, any comments and questions welcomed

ATB

Pete

[clippo]

how long has it been running? - a few of the frags look slimed up.

How is temperature and evaporation being controlled?

Wouldn't a 24watt T5 overhang the tank by a bit on each side?

Any reason for not going with a viper halide?

[Tony B]

Echo Clippo's comments.

I'll be interested to hear how you plan to cope with temperature, I assume you've got an auto top up?

How are you suplimenting DKH/CA?

[PeterC]

John/Tony

The tank has been running with stock for 3 weeks and cycled for 3 before that with matured LR, matured sand and 25% matured water from our 6 month old tank. All other water was RO with reef crystals.

I took the piccies just after the corals had been milliputed in place, hence the slime

I dont have an autotop up but evaporation is minmal due to the lid, and is topped up every other day or so.

I have no issues with supplementing DKH/Alk as a 15-20% water change every other week seems to keep all parameters within NSW

John you are right it's not a 24W it's a 10 inch T5 bulb; it was quite late when I posted.

I didn't go for a viper because IMO they are overpriced for what they are and I hear not that reliable, so I modded the hood instead, which in turn keeps evaporation down.

HTH

Peter

[kevo66]

Very nice mate, any upto date shots?!

I have the same heatshield on mine, hows the temp sitting?

[Halfsleeve]

More piccy's?, how this project coming along?...

[Fungia]

I'm watching this with interest and so far it looks good. :)


Jeff.

[PeterC]

Jeff

You're not as interested as I am:laugh:

New piccies and details tomorrow

Pete

[jazzy_j]

yea more pics please :)

[Saj]

Are you using a skimmer or any other filtration?

[PeterC]

Sorry it's taken so long to get round to answering the recent questions.

Kevo the temp is sitting around 28 today so a bit higher than I would like, I'm still trying to figure out how to get some cooling in thinking about some kind of cooling coil or a chiller mod from a gaming computer.

Saj I'm using a sapphire skimmer imported from the states which seems to do quite a good job despite the fact it'd fit in the cups of some of the skimmers I've seen recently.

So far I'm very pleased with the way things are going, although I did neglect to do a water change for 3 weeks and found the dKh, calcium and Mg had fallen through the floor, but that's sorted now and every thing seems to be colouring up and growing:dance:

Some piccies

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/Copy of P1040728.jpg


http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/Copy of P1040744_resize.JPG


http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/Copy of P1040862_resize.jpg

[Fungia]

Looking good, are you only maintaining your calcium levels though water changes?


Jeff.

[PeterC]

Hi Jeff, yeah just water changes, although I think that is going to have to change soon.

Pete

[trythechi]

Looking good - is it a 12 or 24?

[PeterC]

Thanks Simon it's a 24

[New to the game]

Peter,

Great tank - I'll be watching this thread with great interest.

I have a d&d 24g with standard lighting and no skimmer...I have a few SPS (pink hystrix, monti, acros) that are positioned at the top of my rock as close to the lights as possible and they seem to be thriving.

I think my only problem I have is that my MJ1200 isn't enough so I plan to add a couple of tunze nano streams in the coming weeks.

[PeterC]

Cool another loony :laugh: thanks I was starting to feel lonely.

Certainly 1 MJ1200 wont be enough I've got one as the return pump and a 2400L/H Marea pump in the tank which seems to keep everything happy but it's pretty big.

Which nano stream are you thinking you'd use? I was considering a 6055 and controller.


Pete

[New to the game]

I know what you mean - I have posted a few threads to see if anyone has sps in there nano and haven't received a single reply.

I had a saio pump in the tank in addition to the MJ but it was big/ugly.

I am thinking of 2 6025s - not planning to add a controler though. do you have any more pics?

[Fungia]

Hi Jeff, yeah just water changes, although I think that is going to have to change soon.

Changing because your levels arn't sufficient?


'New to the game' do you dose any calcium in your tank?

I would like to have some SPS but have been worried about not having enough flow in my Chromis since although I have atleast 45 times turnover, no area seems to have a huge amount of flow.



Jeff.

[jazzy_j]

wow very nice m8

[PeterC]

Hi Jeff

Yeah basically the level has dropped from 440 to 320 in just over a week, so I think some form of dosing is required, just have decide which one.

I'd have thought that with 45X turnover you would have plenty of flow for SPS. Try an acro or monti frag from one of the sponsors.

jazzy j - thanks mate

Pete

[jazzy_j]

will do m8.

cheers

richie

[mantis]

Cool another loony :laugh: thanks I was starting to feel lonely.

nope your not the only one

I too keep SPS in a D+D nano,

took some cuttings/accidental drop offs from when I sold my SPS 5x2x2

I dont have any sand though as want as much flow as possible, waiting on the tunze 6055 :dontknow:

Craig

[New to the game]

[QUOTE=jeff127;1669862'New to the game' do you dose any calcium in your tank?
Jeff.[/QUOTE]

I dont currently - they seem to get enough from the weekly water changes of 20 percent.

[Jon B]

:rockon: Looking fantastic Pete.

[sharktale]

:thumbsup: coming along nicely there pete,keep us updated:thumbsup:
richard

[niradnam]

those babies are soakin up the calcium big time! :D

[serfaus2]

looks superb, one of the best nano's i have seen:worship: :worship: :worship:

[PeterC]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Bit of bad news though over the last week or so I had ignored the tank a little (getting a bit over confident I reckon) my alkalinity dropped through the floor to 4.2DKh and temp went up to 31C as a consequence I have now lost the purple staghorn :annoyed: purely my own fault just didn't keep an eye on things, and unfortunately with nanos things go wrong very quickly.

Fortunately nothing else seems to have been affected and I now seem to have it all back at normal levels. I'm going to make a couple of changes on the maintenance side of things and have got a bucket of Grotech salt to see if raising the Mg and Ca levels in the water change and raising alk to 9 will give me a little leeway as will installing a chiller.

To cheer myself up a bit I got these:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/wild acro colony.jpg

blue tipped acro - the white spot top right is where the purple acro was

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/somethingapora.jpg

Oxypora

There is also a purple millipora been added but I don't seem to be able to photgraph it properly at the moment.

Cheers


Pete

[niradnam]

sorry to hear it mate, ill be following this see how it goes keep the updates up!! gettin a red sea max in a few days hopin to keep a few sps in it, you guys think they will do ok? 110w of T5's in a 20inch cube

[PeterC]

Thought you might be interested in some growth pic's

Mar 25 2007

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/monti 25 March.jpg

Today

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/29 May 2007.JPG

I've got to say I am very happy with the speed at which corals are growing in this system, it's not a spectacular or excessive growth rate but it's nice and steady which in my opinion makes for a stronger coral in the long run.

Since the last post I've replaced the Marea with a nanostream 6025 and installed an AquaMedic chiller.

Pete

[Fungia]

WOAH!!!! :D

I'm really impressed by that growth in what, 2 months, I'm not surprised you're pleased. :applause:


Jeff.

[Halfsleeve]

How's this beauty coming along?.

[PeterC]

Sorry guys didn't realise anyone had posted recently.

The tank is coming along a treat, I've changed the lighting to 3 50/50 bulbs as the extra actinic I had put in triggered an algae burts that I'm just getting under control. Everything is colouring up and showing good growth.

I will post some new pics in the next couple of days.

Pete

[nanonano]

Peter

very nice tank, look forward to seeing some more photos soon.

[Jon B]

Hi Peter,

We need an update with pics please :D :D

Rgds
Jon