Introducing the Shock Trauma Nano

[jason the filter freak]

I'm building this tank for the Labs manager of Shock Trauma in Baltimore, rarely direct contact with patietns but works her butt off to ensure the best patient outcomes though quick and accurate testing, constantly.

 

I'm going to try and keep this project fairly simple, the only mods being an up graded return pump, center chamber fuge mod, and trying to cram an extra PC pump into the lighting, and possibly an extra fan. I'd really love to do led lighting but I haven't the spare money or expertise at the moment. I may also try and add an ato depending on what the guys over at AvastMarine.com can come up with for me.

 

Anyway 14 gallon bio cube, with a custom aquascape by yours truly, hiding a rotating output (to be painted black later, and hiding a hydor koralia nano, while keeping the rock work open and "airy" to prevent build up of detritus.

Edited May 19, 2011 by jason the filter freak

[jason the filter freak]

This is what it looks like now after 6+ straight hours of work on the aqua scape. It will stretch a little higher on the left of the right, but not both side as to avoid the whole "rock wall" keep in mind that rock work is completely hollow behind and hides a Koralia Nano.

The "second bottom" sandy ledge on the left needs a little more work to be done, but the idea is a natural scape all captured in a 14 gal cube, a tough order.

Edited May 19, 2011 by jason the filter freak

[jason the filter freak]

Pics of the build process. Every piece of rock was cut to have a flat side so it could be added to the egg crate frame, additionally many of the rocks were drilled for fishing string to tie them to the frame work, or eventually occurring holes already present in the rock were used. At any rate the entire aqua scape can be lifted out as one piece with relative ease for maint and what not.

[jason the filter freak]

Next some mock up work, the goal being to allow for movement of a mag float on all sides of the rock and to keep the rock away from the glass to 1. Keep it from scratching the glass, 2. keep the tank from looking crowded. It took a fair amount of tries and test fittings to get it just right, and there is a little bit of polish left but the product looks great so far.

Top down

 

Sides and sand ledge up close

[jason the filter freak]

I'm going to stock a pair of clowns of course, but I think the tank could reasonably support one more fish... any ideas?

[jason the filter freak]

I figured out the lower sand shelf issue, and went ahead and built and upper sand ledge as well. I'm LOVING the way the whole thing looks and is coming together. I've got it out of the water now so silicone can cure. I'll debut with pics I guess saturday.

 

I'm still trying to figure out what fish to add. A pair of clowns and maybe a pistol shrimp goby pair? Some kind of tiny blenny like a bi-color?

A single or pair of fire fish gobies (seems like too much) a clown goby?

Just want at least 3 fish in the tank.

And no room for the yellow tang I wanted to add

[encideought]

When I was asking what fish I could put in with a pair of clowns in an aquapod 24, most people thought adding no other fish was best. I think if it was a single clown you'd be okay, but a pair of clowns in such a small tank will probably be too aggressive for any other fish.

[Reefoholic]

The tank setup looks good and the rock work is genius tied on eggcrate (I wish I had done that before piling up all my LR on top of each other. Now I live with fear that they could shift and fall every day.)

 

As for your question to put another fish in there with a pair of clowns, I wouldn't do it. I have a mated pair of clowns now in my 20gal and they bite my hand vigorously every time my hand is in the water. They are very territorial and in tanks like ours, I think up to 55gal., there is not too much space for anyone, lol!

 

If you have to have three fishes in there, I would do one Ocellaris, one blenny (lawn mower) and one more. I would definitely introduce the clown/s to the tank at the same time with the other fish.

 

[jason the filter freak]

I was thinking a yellow rose goby/hi-fin red banded goby with a pistol shrimp. There is a 1.5" space that the lower part of the rock structure is seperated from the sand bed by egg crate that the clowns wouldn't be able to get though. I would also start with a new set of clowns that are not paired.You can make out the space I'm talking about in these photos.

So its fenced in all the way around except on the bottom.

Edited May 20, 2011 by jason the filter freak

[jason the filter freak]

I will takes pics of the way the rock structure looks like from the back, and then from the front as the way it looks down. I specifically designed to shelter some sort of goby in the bottom.

I now hides the return pretty well, and there is a second "mini reef floor" or sand ledge up high as well. The miniscule amounts of fishing string you can see will be easily overgrown/hidden by corals. I used some reef epoxy too which I've textured and will turn purple soon enough.

[OldReefer]

My daughter works at shock trauma. I'll hook this lady up with tons of SPS frags if you give her enough light to support them.

[LanglandJoshua]

Looks great, Ive got some freshly fraged zoanthids. If your going to fragfest(July, 17) I probably give you a frag. I'm also growing some chalice(idk name lol), kenya tree, yellow ball sponge, two types of green star polyps, and probably more. Just let me know if your interested. I do have bristle worms, and aptasia. Unfortunately, however I'm learning to live with them. So there is the chance of a

hitch-hiker.

Edited May 21, 2011 by LanglandJoshua

[jason the filter freak]

aptasia is a pita but dont believe the hype about bristle worms, theyre a free, intergral, and industrious part of a cleanup crew. make your own judgements as you grow but unless i come across one that exceedes 10" or so i let them be, one that big or bigger just goes on sump duty.

[dshnarw]

always love your DIY work. that rock wall is no exception.

[jason the filter freak]

always love your DIY work. that rock wall is no exception.

 

Thank you very much,

here is the finished product, though I hadn't let the tank clear before taking pics.

[jason the filter freak]

Pics of behind the rock work (a lot of "fenced in" area where a goby pair could hide and never be moleted by clowns). I think two clowns and a goby it will be.

And one of the lower sand ledge area

[jason the filter freak]

Tank now has 12 occupants. 3 x Nassaruis snails, 1 x Margarita Snail, 4 x Blue leg hermits, 4 x Red leg hermits, there also might be a peppermint shrimp in there somewhere.

[dbartco]

will be glad to donate the clowns to the cause. just need to figure a way to get them to you

[jason the filter freak]

Doug thanks so much for the offer, picked up the first two "fish" tank occupants today. Thanks to Justin of Avast Marine Works!

[jason the filter freak]

They are not bonded or mated, but they're swimming together (assuredly for safely),

 

 

 

5 minutes after being released from the bag THEY'RE BOTH EATING PELLETED FOOD Hard to catch that in action but...

[jason the filter freak]

Managed to cram another 24 watt bulb under the hood, which gives me a total of 72 watts, in a tank that shallow I'm going to take a shot at a BTA possibly a clam.

[jason the filter freak]

Stock hood before modification, wiring.

 

 

And Drill baby drill

 

Little bit of soldering, with the help of MexicanJavaFish

A little bit of caulking to water proof the passage of the cords into the wiring area, biocube does this with something that looks like a uniseal but since I don't have any handy some silicone will do.

 

 

I couldn't put all 3 bulbs in and photograph as it overloads the photo/light sensor?

but you can see all three sockets and 2 bulbs installed.

 

Waiting on a 10k bulb from hellolights crazy memorial day sale

[jason the filter freak]

So far thank you for the donations and time from the following members

A. Byrnes

MexicanJavaFish

Ctenophore, of Avast Marine Works

[B216adkins]

What type of upgrades did you do to the lights?

 

Stock hood before modification, wiring.

 

 

And Drill baby drill

 

Little bit of soldering, with the help of MexicanJavaFish

A little bit of caulking to water proof the passage of the cords into the wiring area, biocube does this with something that looks like a uniseal but since I don't have any handy some silicone will do.

 

 

I couldn't put all 3 bulbs in and photograph as it overloads the photo/light sensor?

but you can see all three sockets and 2 bulbs installed.

 

Waiting on a 10k bulb from hellolights crazy memorial day sale

[jason the filter freak]

Stock biocubes (14 gal) are lit by 2 x 24watt bulbs on 24 watt ballasts, this one is now lit by 2 x 24watt bulbs on 24watt ballasts + 1 24watt 10,000k (the primary light for growth on the tank) driven by a 36 watt ballast. This will shorten the life of the bulb but "over drives the bulb" basically puts out higher par in trade off for running a bit hotter and not having as long a life span.