20 Gal Nano Reef Build thread!

[ryanb69]

thanks fishy, after some slight tank leveling and my aquascaping I have finally got my tank full(almost) with water and my sand in!


had to do some trimming on the black rim in order for the LED mount to fit

[Nano]

Its getting there! looks good

[ryanb69]

Originally Posted by nanomano

Its getting there! looks good

Thanks man! The water was clear last night do I added the heater and power heads. This morning the thermometer said 75.6, so I did some calibrating of my jäger heater. Salt is in and solinity is 1.026! I will be adding a small piece of live rock to seed the tank, along with a shrimp from Safeway to decompose and begin my cycle!

[ryanb69]

The Cycle has began! I went to Bayside Corals and picked up some live rock to seed the tank. It took some time to fit the LR in but i managed. I then placed a shrimp from safeway in to decompose and to help start out the cycle!


heater, powerhead, and thermometer

tank before live rock added

new live rock (top)

(bottom)

tank with LR added (front)

tank with LR added(side)

shrimp

[FishyFishy!]

Looking great man! What have you been thinking will go in the fuge/overflow portion? Gonna run any carbon or anything?

[ryanb69]

I have a hang on skimmer that I will be adding soon, once I pick it up from my parent house. As for carbon or calcium reactors, I haven't put much thought into them yet. I'll have to do some more research and maybe if they would benefit the tank I might think of adding them in a few months.

[FishyFishy!]

Originally Posted by ryanb69

I have a hang on skimmer that I will be adding soon, once I pick it up from my parent house. As for carbon or calcium reactors, I haven't put much thought into them yet. I'll have to do some more research and maybe if they would benefit the tank I might think of adding them in a few months.

I don't think there would be any use for reactors on a tank that small, but I would certainly put a bag of carbon in there. I find small tanks do well with Boyd Chemi-Pure Elite. Just huck a sack of it in the first overflow section.

Any live rock or Live rock rubble going into the fuge section?

[ryanb69]

Yes, I am putting rubble rock in the mini sump, although it is dead rock. I have an extra few pounds that I didn't want to put in the display, so I will break it up with a hammer and I plan on putting it in tonight! After a few months hopefully my rock isn't so dead anymore!

[NastayNatron]

Ryan when I sent home the RO and tank and everything I also sent a container about half full of carbon with a mesh sock to hold it for you. Once things get up and running you can fill that sock with carbon and give it a good rinse and then place it into the first chamber of your mini-sump.

[ryanb69]

Ahhhh I knew You sent the carbon but I didn't notice the sock inside, awesome! I added the rubble rock tonight, but added some of it to the display as well. I built up some rock in the little jut-out in the corner of my tank, where before I had none. I am unsure if this looks better or worse, so it is a temporary(maybe permanent) side wall. Let me know what you think! Does it look better or worse then before? Thanks!



Front view(on the right behind the live rock is the new rock)



side view(right side is new rock)



Top view(bottom part is new rock)