# Another ADA Mini M



## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Got my Mini M in the mail today :icon_bigg (thanks Craigthor!!) along with the zoo med 501 filter. 

water test teaser.... i dont have a light yet :icon_neut


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

sweet!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Yay!
EDIT: ninja'd.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Another thing i have to complain about here in Canada - No ADA ;( .
Would have loved a Mini M, but , i had to go get a larger custom tank built.
Mini M dimensions in next on my list though .


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Viettxboii said:


> Another thing i have to complain about here in Canada - No ADA ;( .
> Would have loved a Mini M, but , i had to go get a larger custom tank built.
> Mini M dimensions in next on my list though .


I believe that there is an ada distributor in canada. adg might even ship there?


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Have fun with this!

I wonder if you are like me and use a marker to mark the focal point on the glass when setting the hardscape.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Ugly Genius said:


> Have fun with this!
> 
> I wonder if you are like me and use a marker to mark the focal point on the glass when setting the hardscape.


haha its a sharpie so i dont think it would come off! i used it to mark the filter pipe to cut. i hope this tank can live up to yours roud:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

What are you thinking about plant/ hardscape wise?


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

The ADA distributor is on hiatus atm i believe.
I had a guy who planned out his entire ADA 90-P, and then after months the supplier told him they weren't going to do it anymore, so no clue.

He had to go get a custom tank & do a DIY ADA style stand.
I heard he set it up the other day, i gotta see cause i gotta pick up plants from the guy.

But anyways, no light? no problem just use a temp. light - sooner you get started the better ;p . 
Heck for my new tank i'm already pregrowing the HC in my 2.5 hahaha .


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

If you want to get some extra flow out of your filter remove one of the ebows and let the pipe do a more relaxed turn, I got an extra 15lph.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

plants are gonna be low tech no co2 plants, so java fern, micranthemum umbrosum, rotala green, taiwain moss, green myrio, and marselia. i might do DIY for this tank, but thats really annoying to mix up every week lol. i havent decided on either a rock or a wood scape, but im leaning towards wood. 

i really like this scape, but of course i would have to scale it down a bit


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

garuf said:


> If you want to get some extra flow out of your filter remove one of the ebows and let the pipe do a more relaxed turn, I got an extra 15lph.


thanks for the tip! but i think theres plenty of flow for a mini m the way it is, i dont want my AS blowing around


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

chris127 said:


> Got my Mini M in the mail today :icon_bigg (thanks Craigthor!!) along with the zoo med 501 filter.
> 
> water test teaser.... i dont have a light yet :icon_neut


Ohh. So this was the Ada mini from Craigthor....:angryfire


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

hehehe :icon_twis yes it is


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

chris127 said:


> hehehe :icon_twis yes it is


okk.:icon_cry::icon_cry:


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

I've just bought a mini m (not really, but the same dimensions) and I'll be running 700lph on it, I really don't think you can have too much flow, I have an eden 501 and know just how gutless they are.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

zoo med and eden are the same right? is your impeller kind of noisy? i had to trim the blades so they wouldnt hit the plastic and now its quiet as my eheims.


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

They are, Eden is the uk trading name. Mine did but I realised the impellor shaft wasn't pushed all the way home, now it's still rattly but much quieter than it was.

I've got an eheim 2224 and it's quiet but in reality turns over no where near as much water as ehiem claim. I'd say probably 30%. I'll be using that with lilys and keeping the eden on the cube.


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Your inspiration tank is one of AFA, SF display tanks. They have rescaped it (and most of the others) in 2009 but I have seen it in person and it was gorgeous.

Since that's your inspiration, I bet you have some pretty cool things in mind. I will be following this thread to see it progress.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i love the afa display tanks  i go to the adana-usa.com gallery every time im looking for professional help(lol) i wish i could see them in person though.


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## dougiefresh (Sep 5, 2006)

Congratulations on the new tank! That picture you show as an example is absolutely incredible. What size is that thing?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

no idea, it looks at least 90cm across and 60cm tall maybe?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> no idea, it looks at least 90cm across and 60cm tall maybe?


maybe a 75P or a 90H?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

90H prolly, ive never really looked at any ADA tanks larger than a 45p for fear of spending my college funds


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Well it's just your college funds ... lol Jk.
Save it up man. After school you could get something bigger.
Till then you can pwn with your Mini-M


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

after school im moving to japan! i hope  ADA stuff should be practically free there! i'll see where my job prospects take me


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

chris127 said:


> after school im moving to japan! i hope  ADA stuff should be practically free there! i'll see where my job prospects take me


Wow. Lucky you:angryfire. Whats your major? Cant wait for you to plant this baby.:biggrin:


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

intl business hopefully. im still a junior in high school tho! im just planning ahead..


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

actually, I'd say it's a 60H http://www.adana-usa.com/images/gallery03/21.jpg


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

jr in high school?
Freshman?
which means i can frosh you ?
Jk.
Yeah can't wait to see this thing planted too . =]


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Looking good can't wait to see it in action. Since your testing it you should toss the wood in and pre soak it.

Craig


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> Looking good can't wait to see it in action. Since your testing it you should toss the wood in and pre soak it.
> 
> Craig


you read my mind  the wood was on the stove for a few hours now its in the tank floating today


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Viettxboii said:


> jr in high school?
> Freshman?
> which means i can frosh you ?
> Jk.
> Yeah can't wait to see this thing planted too . =]


is frosh some kind of canadian term? 


but anyway, i brought home a lamp today and got all excited about maybe setting it up. NOPE! the lamp doesnt work.....


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> is frosh some kind of canadian term?
> 
> 
> but anyway, i brought home a lamp today and got all excited about maybe setting it up. NOPE! the lamp doesnt work.....


lol, what kind of lamp? I just bought another hampton bay light


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

its a desk lamp from walmart. i was looking for something other than a hampton bay light because that neck is huge lmao but i guess thats what i'll have to use


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> its a desk lamp from walmart. i was looking for something other than a hampton bay light because that neck is huge lmao but i guess thats what i'll have to use


You can always modify it to have a pendant light  I'm thinking about doing that for my 30c


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

lol i would, but idk if my dad wants me hanging something off the ceiling. are you talking conduits? cause i have the bulb and ballast from my old hampton bay light i want to figure out how to use that instead of buying a whole new one.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> lol i would, but idk if my dad wants me hanging something off the ceiling. are you talking conduits? cause i have the bulb and ballast from my old hampton bay light i want to figure out how to use that instead of buying a whole new one.


yes, the piping looks great as a hanger.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

hmmm id love to but idk if me and my dad have the time to put that together... 

for now i found my old lamp. i think the hardscape is pretty set in stone... :hihi:


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

chris127 said:


> hmmm id love to but idk if me and my dad have the time to put that together...
> 
> for now i found my old lamp. i think the hardscape is pretty set in stone... :hihi:


2 psu's? Lol


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

well at least theyre getting some use!!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

alright first hardscape try... give me some tips


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

nice driftwoods..where did you get them? I dont know why but the back 2 looks kinda weird to me. Maybe it just looks weird cause theres no plants yet.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i didnt like the real twiggy piece so i replaced it and added another rock... thoughts??


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ddtran the wood is from craigthor, who got it from badcopnofishtank <-- he sells manzanita packages and theyre great quality.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

im filling the tank up in a few minutes unless someone objects


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

looks good to me


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

rocks and wood look too evenly spaced, they don't create any tension.

Craig


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Maybe have the rocks back rightish area with the wood coming out from under inbetween them?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> Maybe have the rocks back rightish area with the wood coming out from under inbetween them?


do you you mean, less underneath the wood and more in the back right on top of the wood?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

yeah, also instead of the wood coming right out the center maybe have it off to the right to create a bigger space. I think depending on how you cover the wood the tank will look really small.

Craig


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i dont really want a big open space though..


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Looks great, chris! 
The AFA tank that is your inspirations was one of my favorites. Towards the end of it's life where it got really densely planted, one of the cool things were the sprigs of Glosso that grew upwards. (You can kinda sorta make them out inside the moss on the substrate in the center.) It was a small, barely-noticeable thing that that convinced me that one day I wanted to use Glosso as a low-light stem plant instead of a carpet.
I think your hardscape is very close to your inspiration. Once it fills in, the hardscape will be second to the lush growth.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

looking good. I think all the rocks are the same size and height and staggered evenly. This makes it look unnatural. One taller larger stone and grouping the stones and bringing back the branchy wood will improve it IMO. congrats on the great deal on your ADA tank.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Thanks UG. i think im close to what im looking for. i want a mass of needle leaf fern to explode out of the center of the dw and rocks, and have some stems on either side of the hardscape. i think my main stem is going to be micranthemum umbrosum and elatine triandra as an accent stem plant. 

is 27W to much light to not have co2? i can do DIY, but i hate it! i think i'll end up buying a single stage reg and paintball tank and just leave it on 24/7 until i find a cheap solenoid. or i'll get over the fact that i have to run an airline across my room from the 45p to the mini and hook it up to my 5lber...


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

MARIMOBALL said:


> looking good. I think all the rocks are the same size and height and staggered evenly. This makes it look unnatural. One taller larger stone and grouping the stones and bringing back the branchy wood will improve it IMO. congrats on the great deal on your ADA tank.


yeah i restaggered them a bit since i took the pic, theyre a little less even now. i really want a minimal hardscape and for the plants to take control of the overall aquascape.


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

I think that 27 watts is too much for a Mini M without co2. If i were you, id buy the regulator and the paintball tank. Dont go DIY on an ADA.


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

If you start by planting densely then it should be OK. I have a 24wt power compact light over a 5 gallon cube with no co2 and plants are doing good with aquasoil very little ferts about once a month and excell once a week. For such a small tank you should start with a large plant mass. No 2 or 3 stems here and there. that is when you run into algae prob.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

yeah im trying to find a bunch of stems its just nobody has any  i could always use my rotala clippings and then replace them with what i want. could i get away with no co2 and say 20W and still grow MU, ferns, mosses, and elatine? i'm going to try and find a smaller watt bulb for that lamp at walmart tomorrow.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

chris127 said:


> i want a mass of needle leaf fern to explode out of the center of the dw and rocks


That would look fresh. It's _exactly_ what I was thinking you should do. I like it when the needle leafs are accented with other, lesser-numbered ferns. Gives it a good wild natural look.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot. Get CO2! Twenty-seven watts with CO2 is perfect for a Mini-M. Most of the plants you have don't need it, but growth is so much more fun to watch and to see moss and ferns pearl is always fun.
Until you do get CO2, drop it down to around twenty. Eighteen or so.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> i'm going to try and find a smaller watt bulb for that lamp at walmart tomorrow.


kroger has some 6500k 13 watters. I'm sure walmart does too. I believe there are also 17 watt bulbs, or maybe they are 21 watts. Whatever the "75 watt equivalent" bulb is lol


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

@ UG. ive got a small trident fern i'll be using too 

and i guess i'll do diy co2 until i figure out whether or not im buying a new system or jsut splitting a line across my room... i have the money, i just want to save it for college :icon_roll


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

@ CL. kroger??!? those are as rare as piggly wigglies down here  lol yeah i saw some at walmart today i wonder how the incandescent shaped glazed glass compact fluorescent bulbs work? i saw them in like 19W sizes..


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> @ UG. ive got a small trident fern i'll be using too


How do you like that trident? 



chris127 said:


> @ CL. kroger??!? those are as rare as piggly wigglies down here  lol


Oh I forgot lol. Whenever we go to florida it's always walmart where the groceries are lol. Are food lions down there? lol. Because there aren't any up here. 


chris127 said:


> i wonder how the incandescent shaped glazed glass compact fluorescent bulbs work? i saw them in like 19W sizes..


do they make those in 6500k?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> How do you like that trident?


it reminds me of ET  




clwatkins10 said:


> Oh I forgot lol. Whenever we go to florida it's always walmart where the groceries are lol. Are food lions down there? lol. Because there aren't any up here.


no food lions. we used to have a kash n kerry back in the day, but its all walmart and publix. 




clwatkins10 said:


> do they make those in 6500k?


no idea, i'm checking it out tomorrow before work


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

do you guys think this cheap CO2 system would work? 

rio single stage co2 reg
20 oz paintball tank 
any working solenoid i can find 
and any needle valve i can find


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> do you guys think this cheap CO2 system would work?
> 
> rio single stage co2 reg
> 20 oz paintball tank
> ...


Looks great. It would be sweet on a nano tank such as this. I have no idea to if it works or not though


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

lol i wish i just won the lottery D: i need more money!! i'll probably do DIY because as much as i hate mixing that crap up i'd love to save 80 bucks. 

i just spent the last half an hour tying and super gluing stuff to dw and rocks. pics l8r.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i got some planting done.. it looks really sparse but im getting more needle leaf and if someone finally decides to sell me some micranthemum umbrosum i'll be getting that too  oh yeah and i have some ricca rocks i have to tie up after i post this.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

ask roybot73 about the micranthemum umbrosum, i think he has some


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

he didnt want to ship a week ago i'll ask him again...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Looks good so far. Is that t-moss?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

yup. i love taiwan moss


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## luckydud13 (Jun 21, 2008)

Hey it looks great :thumbsup:


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Awesome job, chris! Keep doing what you're doing and this will be a staggeringly gorgeous tank.

I saw the tank that was once your inspiration for this tank today. The rescape they did is really filling in nicely. Kinda-sorta similar to yours here. Yours has a more natural feel, though.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

thanks ug ! happen to snap any pics of it for me?


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

another freaking ADA tank??? Lol you're crazy:hihi:

I like it! I'm too lazy to look, what's the foreground plan?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

maybe marselia minueta? it has be low tech thats for sure.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Looking good.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ive got more needle leaf coming, i think i'll get some Echinodorus angustifolia too. and maybe some marsiela for the fore ground?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Sounds great, The needle leaf will eventually outgrow the tank, I've got some 12 inches tall, but it would look cool with the leaves growing out of the water


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

yeah i wonder how long it will take. its pretty short now, only barely half as tall as the tank. java fern grows slow and by the time its that tall i'll probably be ready for a rescape


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> yeah i wonder how long it will take. its pretty short now, only barely half as tall as the tank. java fern grows slow and by the time its that tall i'll probably be ready for a rescape


Trident grows pretty fast with co2 IME. By then you should have enough to replace the needle leaf with trident


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

haha i havent warmed up to trident yet. its in there, but in the back. it looks too much like an alien hand :flick:


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

How many watts are the light?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

ddtran46 said:


> how many watts are the light?


26?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Java Fern Philipine stays really small. It is a really slow grower. Most of the time it stays around 4-5" or so. Its max height is 11" in the wild but have never seen any that tall or heard of it growing in anyones tank that tall.

Craig


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ddtran46 said:


> How many watts are the light?





clwatkins10 said:


> 26?


^the man knows his lamps.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

come on a whole page with out pictures


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

its a nice cloudy yellow right now  so its really ugly. the purigens on its way though!!!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

alright my ammonia is at 0ppm but i know that at least half of the AS is new. can beneficial bacteria live in an emersed set up for about 3 weeks? or is this thing cycled already...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> alright my ammonia is at 0ppm but i know that at least half of the AS is new. can beneficial bacteria live in an emersed set up for about 3 weeks? or is this thing cycled already...


As long as the substrate is wet, the bacteria will live in it


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

for real? niceeeee. i think im cycled then!  i'll watch it over the next week tho before i add anything. speaking of adding things.. idk what type of shrimp i want? im going to start with a neocaridina sp first though... and good news is my last batch of rcs is still alive and kicking in the 5.5 so im okay with keeping shrimp alive


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

nasty aquasoil cloud!


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

ewww.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

lol i know right....


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i have scapers block. :icon_neut where should i put the e tenn micro?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> i have scapers block. :icon_neut where should i put the e tenn micro?


Between the rocks and to either side of them


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

LOL which rocks?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> LOL which rocks?


to the right of the front rock and to the left of the riccia


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

it seems like itd be too tall to go there, its already 2-3 inches


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

You know what, chris? The tannin colored water actually looks good to me with your 'scape. It makes it more natural-looking. As if you took a square chunk of the Amazon and brought it home.
I know we all like to have a crystal clear tank, and I've no doubt you get that soon enough, but in the meantime, it looks cool like that.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

haha youre too optimistic. i hate it :/ i cant see my hand when im planting. UPS ship faster!!!!!!!! anyway my ammo _is_ at zero. after 7, yes, 7 tests, i can can confirm that


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

added rotala green, but i have the yellow aquasoil cloud still!!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I wonder why it is all clouded up? Are you running diy on this now?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

nope im just dosing excel. i know i should run some diy, but i havent gotten around to it :icon_roll the purigen will be here wednesday though.


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## bill|408 (Mar 27, 2007)

its sexy ..


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

bill|408 said:


> its sexy ..


lol :hihi: thanks

pic update...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

nice


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i like it chris.
if thats riccia on that rock, i suggest you add some CO2, or it wont do well.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> i like it chris.
> if thats riccia on that rock, i suggest you add some CO2, or it wont do well.


I grew riccia just fine in my 2.5 gallon tank with no ferts, no co2 and 20 watts of light.


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## windfish (Dec 2, 2007)

I'm digging the 'scape.

I had brown water like yours when I first set my S up. I threw a bag of purigen in my filter and it was CRYSTAL clear in less than 2 hours.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

windfish said:


> I'm digging the 'scape.
> 
> I had brown water like yours when I first set my S up. I threw a bag of purigen in my filter and it was CRYSTAL clear in less than 2 hours.


purigen comes wednesday!!  



clwatkins10 said:


> I grew riccia just fine in my 2.5 gallon tank with no ferts, no co2 and 20 watts of light.





@[email protected] said:


> i like it chris.
> if thats riccia on that rock, i suggest you add some CO2, or it wont do well.


im moving my 45p to the other side of my room so i'll split a co2 line off to it :thumbsup:


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Purigen is awesome, I use it in all of my tanks.

I think it's time for some new stuff. I have been using and then re-genning the same 250ml for over a year!!!:icon_eek:


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

yay for purigen. its only been in for an hour but it already looks clearer  and lol at my bio project :hihi: were growing beans... and we get extra credit if they flower, so im trying to stress the hell out of it


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

chris127 said:


> yay for purigen. its only been in for an hour but it already looks clearer  and lol at my bio project :hihi: were growing beans... and we get extra credit if they flower, so im trying to stress the hell out of it


You serious? Growing beans seems so...second grade-ish (no offense):hihi:

Does Purigen remove anything that is added by ferts? I'm thinking of getting some


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> You serious? Growing beans seems so...second grade-ish (no offense):hihi:
> 
> Does Purigen remove anything that is added by ferts? I'm thinking of getting some


but getting them to prematurely flower is so college level-ish  the ones i grew in a cup of just water and towel molded something fierce and flowered in 2 weeks. A++++ for me :icon_cool

idk if it removes ferts, i dont really test my tanks any more. i just dose as normal and let the purigen do its thing.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Good job .
But man that water looks yummy.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Kayen said:


> Good job .
> But man that water looks yummy.


yummy??? 

how did you change your username? id like to change mine.. chris isnt even my real name :icon_eek:


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## discuscardscorys (Jul 29, 2008)

> chris isnt even my real name


ummm...... then why did you put it there?

and how about some foreground?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

discuscardscorys said:


> ummm...... then why did you put it there?
> 
> and how about some foreground?


ever heard of stranger danger?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

chris127 said:


> ever heard of stranger danger?


 
I thought it was because client number 9 was spoken for :icon_redf


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Any updates??


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

theres nothing much to update except the water isnt yellow anymore. its still cloudy though...


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

alright heres an update. i got a new light and new bulbs so i have the option of running a 20, 26, or 30W bulb. im going with the 20 until i get some co2. the waters getting clearer, im doing pwc's with filtered water so im getting some shrimp soon to test it out.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks awesome! Where'd you get that light?


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

superstore USA!! 

lol walmart. $30. kinda pricey, but only $10 more than the 27W hampton bay lamp. its got a 9 freaking inch base though lol so i have to figure out some other way to mount it.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ghetto friggin lamp broke. lol.

alright i think i need a change of pace for this tank. i want to try out an epiphyte only low tech scape, with ADA sand as the substrate. i dont much care for the scape right now cause i see it from the left side most of the time and thats where its the weakest. 

i like this....


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I love no stem tanks. My 30c was a great low tech tank.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

yeah it needs to be low tech cause im waay to lazy to move my 45p across the room for co2 lol


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## windfish (Dec 2, 2007)

Check my old mini S scape for another example of that style. The maintenance was easy, and it looked really nice. I didn't even really need co2.


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## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

Well before you rescape I just though I share me photos that your scape reminds me of! 

http://www.aquadesign.pl/galeria_HD.htm

Anyways before you make your decision I thought I'd show you some possibilities.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

windfish said:


> Check my old mini S scape for another example of that style. The maintenance was easy, and it looked really nice. I didn't even really need co2.


your tank is what inspired me to go for a low tech sand scape  i love how the moss just takes over and the white sand contrasts with the green so well.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

thief said:


> Well before you rescape I just though I share me photos that your scape reminds me of!
> 
> http://www.aquadesign.pl/galeria_HD.htm
> 
> Anyways before you make your decision I thought I'd show you some possibilities.


i think thats basically what i had in mind when i started this tank. but, the tank is so small i couldnt fit what i wanted in


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Is that a huge ball of 'Petite' in the front of that tank


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

haha yeah its so awesome lol!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> haha yeah its so awesome lol!


It's a bit smaller than the huge clump I have, even after I trimmed it LOL
This was when I first got it over the summer:








Here it is after a trim and being moved to my big viv. (the pane of glass facing the camera is 18 inches wide)


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

CL- Nice, a plant gal here has one that is a bit bigger than a Softball, I was impressed when I saw it.

Craig


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

stop showing off in my thread :hihi: 

lol great lookin petite. i might need to buy some from you


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

sooooooo here we are. I HAVE SCAPERS BLOCK. plz help me?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

Is this a new tank? Or did you take out everything??


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i took everything out lol. it looked too much like my 45p and ive been spending too much time in my room since i tore a tendon in my shoulder :icon_roll 

these are my 3 options 

A. CRS and moss and AS (if i can keep any shrimp alive, i still havent tested my filtered water)
B. Epiphytes and manzanita with sand 
C. Try out a nano reef because its new and exciting


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

chris127 said:


> i took everything out lol. it looked too much like my 45p and ive been spending too much time in my room since i tore a tendon in my shoulder :icon_roll
> 
> these are my 3 options
> 
> ...


I say you go CRS and the moss idea. Breed and sell those babies. lol


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ehh its so hot in florida :/ and ive never successfully even bred RCS


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

I say B. but I need some sleep....


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

I guess..go B..


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

picked up some nice sand today..... 










but oh wait  










those dont look like seiyru stone... 










 :icon_roll 

the waters a mixin'!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

looks like cat turds...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> looks like cat turds...


aaahahaha


Nice, chris127. Even though it's gonna be a reef, be sure to keep us updated!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Craigthor said:


> looks like cat turds...


don't judge me  i have ADD! 



clwatkins10 said:


> aaahahaha
> 
> 
> Nice, chris127. Even though it's gonna be a reef, be sure to keep us updated!


i will keep you freshies in the loop  its always nice to have em both


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

ohh nooo he's starting to float to the bright side..... nooooooooooooo....


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

haha no way im going to stay right in the middle. i love my plants! i mean, manzanita is just AWESOME, way too awesome to replace with rocks


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

update!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> update!


More rocks! :hihi:
nice deodorant:hihi:


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

im working on it! thats just 1/2 lb of rubble to start the seed. and i felt obligated to buy something cause i talked to the lfs guy for like 30 minutes lol....

LOL. appropriately enough its Aqua Reef scented :hihi:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> im working on it! thats just 1/2 lb of rubble to start the seed. and i felt obligated to buy something cause i talked to the lfs guy for like 30 minutes lol....
> 
> LOL. appropriately enough its Aqua Reef scented :hihi:


So are you only going to have 27 watts over this puppy?
I'd be interested in the budget on this, I might have to start one. PM me if you don't want to post it


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

no way man im getting the 2x18 12" current, its on sale!!  

heres the current total. you can add it up cause i dont wanna  

tank -50
sand-10
rubble-4
saltwater-5
hydrometer-8
zoomed 501-30
new powerhead- 10-25
LR-20
light-35
chemical filtration-10
and top off ro/di from walmart - .49

now check back in 2 months when ive got some softies and it'll probably be double that :hihi: thank god im paid well...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> no way man im getting the 2x18 12" current, its on sale!!
> 
> heres the current total. you can add it up cause i dont wanna
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info  Too bad I just remembered that our only lfs just closed and I don't have anywhere to buy any sw stuff from :icon_cry:


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Get a refractometer. Or at the very least, don't forget to calibrate your hydrometer.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> Thanks for the info  Too bad I just remembered that our only lfs just closed and I don't have anywhere to buy any sw stuff from :icon_cry:


not cool! both the lfs in my town are saltwater junkies, so i gave in :icon_roll



epicfish said:


> Get a refractometer. Or at the very least, don't forget to calibrate your hydrometer.


thats next on my list


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

what size PH should i get to run along side the zoo med? im looking at the eheim 600 compact, the mini jet 606, or the rio 200. i'll use this pump in addtion to the zoo med(79gph) cause thats going to be holding my chemi pure, carbon, and filter floss.


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

You need lots of circulation for a reef. This is best accomplished by several powerheads/koralia's along with the main pump. I would think in the neighborhood of 180 gph or so for that tank. Typical amount is when you think you have too much, your getting close to having enough. You will also need to make sure the flow covers lots of the tank. Where it doesn't you will have issues with corals getting sand on them, not getting nutrients and algae.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

so i should add a 100-120GPH powerhead?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

So..you chose C then huh??


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

You should get the Koralia Nano


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

naah man i've got something better  i devised a DIY nano sump that incorporates a maxi jet 900..


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

just curious, how is that sump going to hang or get water into it? if you pump it down into it, you risk overflowing the sump. If you use gravity then you have to configure a U tube and siphine mechanism.

I think you will be looking at getting a Koralia nano eventually to help circulation.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Cool! Update this!


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

its going to be a closed loop sump, it will lay flat like that so i can put a light over it for chaeto. that maxi is pumping at 230 gph and along with the zoo meds 79 i think were in business


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

a 2" PVC i forget what the technical term is hole to allow me to get in there with my tweezers to change media. (yes, i tested it and a bag of purigen can fit through there )


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

If you are going to drive it with 2 powerheads, one taking water from the tank to the sump and the other taking water from the sump back to the tank, you will have issues. This is because, no 2 powerheads will be exactly the same flow. Even the same brand and model will have slight variances. Over time, these variances will cause your sump to overflow or to run dry. 

This is why in a true reef tank, the sump is feed by an overflow (drilled into the tank or the over the side siphone method) driven by gravity. When the tank water is low, no water enters the sump. The pump in the sump pushes water back and then the overflow will work once the water level is high enough in the tank.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i'm sorry but i'm not drilling an ADA tank  its basically like a canister filter laid on its side. a pump pulls water out of the filter, and the water going out of the filter is followed by new water coming into it. my filter is just divided, and it flows in a U instead of an I. it will be driven by one pump.


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

Maybe you should be building something like a hang on the back refugium. This uses a powerhead to pull water from the tank into the first chamber in the refugium, it over flows into the next with is your algae scrubber, then into the third and then over flows back into the tank. Similar to one of the larger AquaClear's but larger compartments.

Editted - ninja'd by you post, Chris. I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to drill the tank. 

Hope it works as you have it planned.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

is there any reason why it wouldnt work? i can make some changes before i seal the acrylic together. and thanks for answering my questions im posting on 3 reef forums and the only advice im getting comes from a planted forum lol :icon_roll


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

chris127 said:


> im posting on 3 reef forums and the only advice im getting comes from a planted forum lol :icon_roll


 
Funny how that is.

Your design and idea seems like it should work. There is no real way of knowing until you plumb it up. 

Few more questions, about your "closed" sump

Are you going to have mud in it or just the algae?

How are you going to oxygenate the water in the sump for the algae to grow? (Typically water is oxygenated with the overflow into to sump, or the trickling over the compartments in the sump. You don't add an air pump in the tank, as airbubbles can tickle salt water fish, causing to rub on the live rock and injury themselves).


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i'm going to have mud, ceramic rings, algae, and chemi pure. i'm gonna see if i can fit my heater in there too. if i cant, i've got the zoo med for chemi pure and filter floss. won't the algae grow fine without any added co2/air?


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## ddtran46 (Jul 8, 2008)

wow..starting a sw tank seems very complicated. lol


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

ddtran46 said:


> wow..starting a sw tank seems very complicated. lol


its not bad if youve done your research. the diy part is fun


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

chris127 said:


> its not bad if youve done your research. the diy part is fun


I definitely agree with you on this. It's not any more or less than starting a high tech planted tank.


You are growing Macro Algae, not the nuisuiance algae we have in our planted tanks. This has similar requirements as freshwater plants, and you could even think of it as a saltwater plant. True, Saltwater people would strongly disagree with that, but this simplifies it. It will need light, oxygen and nutrients. The nutrients will be the nitrate which you are wanting to reduce. If you do this right, it will keep your nitrates under 10 and you will be trimming/thinning out the algae very couple of weeks.

Take a look at hang on refugiums. I think in the long run you will want one of those as their will be easier to maintain then the closed sump you have going. 

Here is a link that shows the refugium.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3618&pcatid=3618

You can make these for less than they cost, similar to your closed sump.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

those do look easier to maintain... im assuming i would need to downgrade my ph to a maxi 600 or something similar? the 900 was pretty destructive when i tested it in my 5.5


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

brainblast! i can just use my 2.5 as a sump. its getting simpler all the time


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Close my eyes for half a second and this tank goes salt.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

:hihi: my bad


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

Think this out, take it outside and try it. Pull the plug on the powerhead to simulate a power outage. Then plug it in to simulate power resumption. 

I just keep seeing you having issues with power failure and one of the following will happen, followed by your parents killing you

- When you lose to power as your powerhead will stop and your siphon will continue to empty the tank and overflow the sump.
- When you lose power, your siphon will stop once the water in the tank drops below it, but it will not resume when the power comes on. This will cause the power head to fill your tank, possibly over flow the tank and empty the sump cause it to run dry.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

lol my dad already wants to kill me. any sort of sump/filter/fuge i build will be pressurized (sealed off at all edges) so there wont be any room for leaks, unless my craftsmanship fails... ive abandoned the idea of DIYing a sump/filter/fuge at least until spring break because it consumed my whole weekend and i got zero homework done lol... :icon_roll for now, i just hooked up my 138gph HOB on the side. that and the zoo med seem to do a pretty good job of churning things up


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

chris127 said:


> brainblast! i can just use my 2.5 as a sump. its getting simpler all the time


jimmy neutron  :hihi:


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

i love nickelodeon 

but anyway. the LR wont be getting shipped out til the 9th or 10th  so i have this little island to stare at til then


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

well im playing pass the Mini - this Mini is now on its way to Josh from Ypslististldhskdth Michigan. my nano reef is now 10 gallons of glory! 

i may have to resign my Mini M membership and sell #1


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## ldk59 (Jan 30, 2009)

You sold the M to someone from YPSI ???? :icon_redf

PM me his addy, I'll go get it :icon_evil J/K

Hopefully he'll start a thread ...

Larry


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

you guys can go duke it out


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## ldk59 (Jan 30, 2009)

LoL ... Nah, I'm not into violence 

I was a bouncer for 20 years ... I'm over it :thumbsup:

Besides, I'll have my own next month :fish:

Larry


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