Dakar's - Nano Build - 10g SPS Nano project log

Just a couple of pics I took last night before adding water..... btw running for almost 24 hours now and not a leak in sight :)

Here is the open manifold that's pushing around 500 gph though the tank and the starboard replacing the substrate.

Got the sump together, a little DIY hacking on an old Lee skimmer (thanks David :) ) Added a limewood airstone powered by a DW24-2, and a severely restricted MJ-600, still too much flow for it it... I used incresingly smaller diameter tubing down to airline hosing.... works great for now, but ultimately it'll be fed via the overflow, a few kinks need to be worked out to better meter the feed line.

http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...23c9d2367f.jpg

After a few hours it's already starting to make green tea :)
http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...0c1c73f776.jpg

http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...704a1f5ebe.jpg

Set the 70w 14K halide on some glass panes just to get an idea of how it will look until I get the shelf built from which it will be suspended later. Took a little liverock from another tank, along with a very much alive (6 months or so old) chuck of Tufa baserock to compare coraline growth on as the tank matures.

A couple of gratuitous shots of the tank.... small microbubble problem to be sorted out yet, but she's coming alive.

http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...81f9d174a0.jpg


A better idea of the difference painting the sides did as well...
http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...7b8bafda02.jpg

Haven't decided if the 70w is enough lighting yet, thinking of moving it up to 150w 14K HQI. Nice coloring though.

Dave, hey that is looking awesome, cant wait to see it with some critters in it. keep it up buddy

Looks great,That airpump really seems to be puttting out alot of bubbles through the skimmer.Should produce alot of skimmate once you get the flow rate tweaked. I see you decided to keep the "funny pipe" fittings un-crimped.What kind of flow are you getting out of each nozzle? BTW,what type of sealant did you end up using on them?

Thanks guys.... I'm using both ports on the airpump to supply a sungle stone and actually have to choke nack the air a bit to keep an even head of foam. For the moment all of the 'nozzles' are wide open... soon to change, I need to crimp down the first and second a bit as they are producing more flow than the other two and we'll see if I can balance them out a little more. I didn't use any sealant at all on the fittings. Seems to be holding up the pressure just fine, which works out well as I'll be able to move them about to adjust flow areas later.

Looks great.

The cycle still continues, In the interim I've added a 'crash chamber' for the overflow. 300-400gph through a roughly 7g refuge was a little too much and kept stirring up the sandbed.

A couple of quick zips with a glass cutter and some silicone solved this problem in a hurry. Still need to shorten the overflow hose a bit so the valve sits vertical. The ball valve allows me to tailer the amount of water through the overflow to reduce the amount of air being drawn in with the water.
http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...3ac40e84e9.jpg

This may give you a better idea of what it looks like. I'm still on the hunt for some LR rubble to populate the fuge and crash chamber with from our other tanks. And another bag of sand to bring the sandbed up to about 6", (macros are still as yet undecided).
http://www.captivereefing.com/riched...24a58564a3.jpg

aaaahhh come on man we shots of the main tank too!!!!

WOW! What an amazing piece of work! I look forward to seeing more... ;)