Ok, the flip "Pirate's Reef" nano project hit a little snag. I have been toying with the idea to put together another nano that would be a little different. More conventional and something with cleaner lines and would have a more modern look.
So, over the last few days I have been considering going with a tank that would better fit the stand that I already have for the project that I was half way through. Looks like 24" x 12" x 12" or a 15 gallon. I wanted a longer tank and slightly more front to back room than the 7.5 gallon Pirate's Reef, but still wanted it to be under 20 gallons. Personally, I really think nanos quit being nanos once the tanks get bigger than 20 gallons.
I also want to go with 3/8" glass so it will be a good strong tank and something that would have a little weight to it. Ideally, I would also like to use low iron glass on the front & sides. I wrote to Glass Cages today to see what one would cost. They came back with a quote of $171 plus freight. Unfortunately, I would have to pick it up off their truck and they travel I-12. I don't really feel like making a 4-5 hour round trip to pick up a 15 gallon aquarium. So, I think I will just DIY the thing. I have a friend that owns a glass shop here, so I will see what kind of a price he can get me on the glass I need.
I will use the small sump that I had for Pirate's Reef, at least for a while to see how it goes. No SCWD on this tank. I will go with one MP-10 for most of the flow. Should be more than enough. Right now, I think I will just go with a 24" TEK 4 lamp T5 fixture. Should be plenty of light for whatever I want to put in such a small and shallow tank.
I was looking around on the net today to see if I could find something like what I was thinking about building and I came across this video on YouTube. It is a 15 gallon Starphire nano made of 3/8†glass. Pretty darn close to what I have in mind. I think the only difference is I would like to use black sealant to assemble mine and I will probably go with a Glass Holes overflow. Anyway, here is the video of what mine should look like. The first couple of minutes is all that you need to look at to see what kind of tank I am thinking about. This one also has a different light on it.
Tank Specs –
24†x 12†x 12â€
3/8†glass
Low iron glass for front & sides
Rimless
Braceless
Black Silicone
VorTech MP-10 for flow
Mag 3 return pump
Glass Holes Nano Overflow
Sump (former Pirate’s Reef sump)
Heater (stainless)
AquaMedic Doser for ATO
Lighthouse Controller (original 140 controller)
TEK 24†4 lamp fixture (with a sort of Kirk combo)
1/4" mesh screen top
Anyway, this will (hopefully) be the beginning of a build thread for a new tank and I will post plenty of pics along the way.
:woohoo:
So, over the last few days I have been considering going with a tank that would better fit the stand that I already have for the project that I was half way through. Looks like 24" x 12" x 12" or a 15 gallon. I wanted a longer tank and slightly more front to back room than the 7.5 gallon Pirate's Reef, but still wanted it to be under 20 gallons. Personally, I really think nanos quit being nanos once the tanks get bigger than 20 gallons.
I also want to go with 3/8" glass so it will be a good strong tank and something that would have a little weight to it. Ideally, I would also like to use low iron glass on the front & sides. I wrote to Glass Cages today to see what one would cost. They came back with a quote of $171 plus freight. Unfortunately, I would have to pick it up off their truck and they travel I-12. I don't really feel like making a 4-5 hour round trip to pick up a 15 gallon aquarium. So, I think I will just DIY the thing. I have a friend that owns a glass shop here, so I will see what kind of a price he can get me on the glass I need.
I will use the small sump that I had for Pirate's Reef, at least for a while to see how it goes. No SCWD on this tank. I will go with one MP-10 for most of the flow. Should be more than enough. Right now, I think I will just go with a 24" TEK 4 lamp T5 fixture. Should be plenty of light for whatever I want to put in such a small and shallow tank.
I was looking around on the net today to see if I could find something like what I was thinking about building and I came across this video on YouTube. It is a 15 gallon Starphire nano made of 3/8†glass. Pretty darn close to what I have in mind. I think the only difference is I would like to use black sealant to assemble mine and I will probably go with a Glass Holes overflow. Anyway, here is the video of what mine should look like. The first couple of minutes is all that you need to look at to see what kind of tank I am thinking about. This one also has a different light on it.
Tank Specs –
24†x 12†x 12â€
3/8†glass
Low iron glass for front & sides
Rimless
Braceless
Black Silicone
VorTech MP-10 for flow
Mag 3 return pump
Glass Holes Nano Overflow
Sump (former Pirate’s Reef sump)
Heater (stainless)
AquaMedic Doser for ATO
Lighthouse Controller (original 140 controller)
TEK 24†4 lamp fixture (with a sort of Kirk combo)
1/4" mesh screen top
Anyway, this will (hopefully) be the beginning of a build thread for a new tank and I will post plenty of pics along the way.
:woohoo:
Last edited:
