Nano Reef

madman3000 · 03-30-2006, 08:35 PM

How hard and expensive would it be to set up a new 10 gal nano-cube reef tank as a desk top tank. Instead of live rock I would make a DIY Foam rock structure and then and soft mushrooms and polyps to that. Will this work and could I do it for less than $200?

**Fishfirst** · 03-30-2006, 08:47 PM

In order for it to work properly you'd probably have to spend $200 dollars and it would have to be topped off once a day, water parameters would have to be checked once a day, and your stock list would be very limited as far as corals and invertabrates and fish. I would highly recommend getting a bigger tank such as a 40 gallon. You don't even need 2X the amount of money for more than you could put in your 10 gallon.

madman3000 · 03-31-2006, 02:32 PM

I looked today and am going to see if I can get a 50 gal. I would make a DIY sump, prefilter, refugium, stand and 3D bckground. I was wondering what a pump that could be used in the sump would cost and where I could find acrilic to make my prefilter. Also I was wondering if I could attach coral to my 3d background, and if so then couldn't I just make most of my basic live rock setup out of the foam?

**Osiris** · 03-31-2006, 03:17 PM

Personally i wouldn't. I would take this route though:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=725727

madman3000 · 03-31-2006, 03:32 PM

I am going to make the vertical and some of the bottom out of foam and then look at a few pounds of live rock, my possible tank placement is all on top of standard 2X4 contruction that I am worried about weight and want to go bigger than my 10 gal. I'll make a topo of my plans then post it.

leveldrummer · 03-31-2006, 04:15 PM

what do you mean ontop of 2x4 construction, if you want to go bigger, build a bigger stand, i can show you tons of ways to support any tank,

**TheOldSalt** · 04-01-2006, 07:54 AM

Why do you want to use foam? Have you any idea what sort of hassle that will cause? ( while not doing the filtration job of rock )

madman3000 · 04-02-2006, 12:25 AM

No I am talking about 2X4 house structure on a second floor not stand structure foam is another way to save weight

**TheOldSalt** · 04-02-2006, 04:33 AM

Weight or no, you can't use foam in the place of rock. The various critters will chew it up something awful, filling your tank with little foamy bits at best, and killing everything at worst, and that's assuming it even holds together when wet.

madman3000 · 04-12-2006, 10:16 AM

I am going off the DIY thread for aquarium backgrounds that includes a hard covering over the foam. I asked my brother and he said that he once actually walked in on the owner of his LFS making one out of a caulking material and a silicone cover to put in the display aquarium

**Fishfirst** · 04-12-2006, 10:52 AM

yeah I've heard of that method... still doesn't do the good things rock does though.

madman3000 · 04-12-2006, 01:34 PM

I would use a half and half. foam for the first layer and background then live rock on top of that, I am still brain storming the rock config

03-30-2006, 08:35 PM	#1
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	Nano Reef How hard and expensive would it be to set up a new 10 gal nano-cube reef tank as a desk top tank. Instead of live rock I would make a DIY Foam rock structure and then and soft mushrooms and polyps to that. Will this work and could I do it for less than $200? __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

03-30-2006, 08:47 PM	#2
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	In order for it to work properly you'd probably have to spend $200 dollars and it would have to be topped off once a day, water parameters would have to be checked once a day, and your stock list would be very limited as far as corals and invertabrates and fish. I would highly recommend getting a bigger tank such as a 40 gallon. You don't even need 2X the amount of money for more than you could put in your 10 gallon. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

03-31-2006, 02:32 PM	#3
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	I looked today and am going to see if I can get a 50 gal. I would make a DIY sump, prefilter, refugium, stand and 3D bckground. I was wondering what a pump that could be used in the sump would cost and where I could find acrilic to make my prefilter. Also I was wondering if I could attach coral to my 3d background, and if so then couldn't I just make most of my basic live rock setup out of the foam? __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

03-31-2006, 03:17 PM	#4
Osiris Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 25 Posts: 3,693	Personally i wouldn't. I would take this route though: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=725727 __________________ Reality is for people who can't handle Science-Fiction

03-31-2006, 03:32 PM	#5
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	I am going to make the vertical and some of the bottom out of foam and then look at a few pounds of live rock, my possible tank placement is all on top of standard 2X4 contruction that I am worried about weight and want to go bigger than my 10 gal. I'll make a topo of my plans then post it. __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

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03-31-2006, 04:15 PM	#6
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	what do you mean ontop of 2x4 construction, if you want to go bigger, build a bigger stand, i can show you tons of ways to support any tank, __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

04-01-2006, 07:54 AM	#7
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,255	Why do you want to use foam? Have you any idea what sort of hassle that will cause? ( while not doing the filtration job of rock )

04-02-2006, 12:25 AM	#8
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	No I am talking about 2X4 house structure on a second floor not stand structure foam is another way to save weight __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

04-02-2006, 04:33 AM	#9
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,255	Weight or no, you can't use foam in the place of rock. The various critters will chew it up something awful, filling your tank with little foamy bits at best, and killing everything at worst, and that's assuming it even holds together when wet.

04-12-2006, 10:16 AM	#10
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	I am going off the DIY thread for aquarium backgrounds that includes a hard covering over the foam. I asked my brother and he said that he once actually walked in on the owner of his LFS making one out of a caulking material and a silicone cover to put in the display aquarium __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

04-12-2006, 10:52 AM	#11
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	yeah I've heard of that method... still doesn't do the good things rock does though. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

04-12-2006, 01:34 PM	#12
madman3000 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52	I would use a half and half. foam for the first layer and background then live rock on top of that, I am still brain storming the rock config __________________ I'm back: my old profile was madmatrixz3000 Tanks 30 gal fresh My Pride and Joy YoYo Loach 1 Female Blue Guarmi 6 Cichlids (4male 2female 1dead) 10 gal fresh 2 6in Albino Catfish 10 gal salt 1 maybe 2 Red mushroom 1 maybe 2 Verigated Green Coral 1 one-eyed clownfish (ouch) Dyme plant 1 Almost Dead Candy-Cane Coral

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