Nate's "Oceanfront Bar" Mixed Reef Build!

[NastayNatron]

Hello Everyone!

After a bunch of planning and research, I have finally began a build I have had in mind for a while now. I've always been a fan of tanks that are located in main areas of a home, becoming the center of attention while having drinks and hanging out. I purchased the townhouse I am currently living in just over a year ago in beautiful Calgary, Alberta! It is my first home purchase and has been a lot of fun over the past year.

I first got into the salt-game in 2011 with a 29-gallon tank. This was quickly upgraded to a 125-gallon reef, which was a real learning experience for me. A little over a year after the 125 had been running, I decided to make a few life changes and part of this process included my reef. I sold everything and moved, focusing my time on climbing - ice, rock, and alpine in the beautiful Canadian Rockies!



Luckily my job includes the operation, maintenance, and design of large commercial filtration systems. This would keep me entertained until the reef bug bit again . . .

Fast-forward a couple years. Last Christmas, I decided to purchase a small, 10-gallon AIO tank for my girlfriends apartment. I would maintain it, she could enjoy it. It started very simple. Annnd of course that didn’t last long. She moved in with me a couple months later and with her came the tank. The first vision of the “Oceanfront Bar” came to life!





I have been enjoying the challenges of maintaining a nano reef! I swear I spend more time on maintenance now then I used to with my automated 125! Which brings me to one of the major reasons for this upgrade – Stability. I enjoy the nano game and plan on sticking with it. But 10 gallons is SMALL. I’m looking for Small. If that makes any sense.

I decided to go with a custom built tank that I could fit to the dimensions of the bar/stand that currently houses the 10-gallon. This stand was actually purchased from IKEA. It fits the space perfectly and the price was right. The doors are both soft-closing which is a nice feature. I did frost the glass myself using a spray on the backside, which actually worked very well. Time will tell how it holds up.



Concept Aquariums here in Calgary are building the display and sump for me. I have worked with them in the past and they are great at what they do along with having very reasonable prices.

DISPLAY

• 24” L x 18.5” W x 18” H - 35ish Gallons
• Starphire on the 3 viewable sides with a starphire, one-piece eurobrace
• External coast-to-coast overflow utilizing a bean animal system
• Black backing (not pictured)



SUMP

• 15.5” L x 17” W x 17” H
• 4” Filter sock
• Skimmer and return compartment
• Refugium fed from the return pump