25 gallon nano build . . . Downsizing =(

I've been really busy trying to juggle 3 jobs and still keep the wife happy, but have managed to get a little more work done on my little tank. I finally got my RK2 head unit back from digital aquatics yesterday and it looks brand new . . . very bright display just like I was hoping for. I'm having a hard time figuring out where I want to mount it tho.

I made a simple 45* angle face plate housing that could sit on the beer ledge and be visible at all times. I kinda like the idea of not having to open up the lower cabinet to see exactly where the PH and temp are, and it looks pretty nifty IMO. Only downside I can imagine is not being able to get the dry side of a mag float in between it and the tank for cleaning.




Another option would be to mount my RK2 on the shelf I made for the MH ballast that has a built in fan bus to control the speed of my 6 interior circulation fans. The nice thing about this is everything is hidden leaving an overall balanced and symmetrical appearance to my setup. the crappy thing is i'll need to open the cabinet to check on how the tank is doing instead of being able to do it at a glance while passing by.




At the moment I'm leaning towards mounting it up by the tank, but would love to hear any comments or concerns others may have.

~Will.

 

i would mount it by the tank.

 

Got a bunch of painting and finish work done, Should have this thing ready for a leak test by monday. Just need to get a couple touch ups finalized and wire up the fans to the bus.



Still waiting on my skimmer and a few other odds and ends to get delivered, and I need to get going on the sump but its currently in service on the 125.

~Will.

 

Found some tiny cracks by the main overflow drain, looks like the previous owner over-tightened that bulkhead nut. Needless to say the freshwater test was a failure. I have some weld on #4 and a needle applicator on order to try and get this straightened out as soon as it arrives.

On a happier note, I got a sweet little package at around lunch time . . .



and inside it I found a very pretty skimmer.



I'm resisting all urges to pull everything apart and paint the white parts black with some krylon fusion I have staring me down. Its going to stick out like a sore thumb in my setup with everything being black, but at the same time its not like I want to hide my super cool mini cone skimmer from view.

~Will.

 

I want a review NOW!!!!!!

 

Its definitely a sweet skimmer, that little gate valve is AMAZING for easily setting the water level. The air valve is a nice touch for fine tuning. A really nice bonus was the extra impeller, and having the collection cup pre-drilled for a reservoir with a nice cap and tubing. I have it breaking in on the 125 right now, so I cant really comment on the performance yet. My ATO is out of service, so I'll have to rig up something quick to keep the water level constant.

The build quality is really impressive, and it looks like it would be very easy to disassemble for cleaning. The collection cup worrys me a bit as I'm used to the old quarter turn deal with the ASM, and the SWC just kinda gets wedged on and seals with a gasket.

~Will.

 

Nice report back on the swc skimmer. I've been eye balling them for a little bit now, just been interested on their performance. I'll be following along and looking for more feedback. Nice work BTW on the nano build

 

Finally got my weldon #3 today for the small cracks on the bottom of the tank by the drain bulkhead. Man is this stuff cool, I cant wait to start playing with acrylics now that I have the proper solvents. The tank is all setup and undergoing its 2nd leak test. its been fll for around an hour and so far so good.

I got the doors hung last week, but thats about the only progress. I somehow managed to crack the 20T sump I was planning on using so I'm going out today to try to find a replacement.

~Will.

 

aaaaaaand she's in! I finally got the tank home and stocked it up. not really sure if I like the rockwork, but I need to see how it looks after everything opens up.






~Will.

 

The tank and stand looks great. The way you have the comp mounted on the stand, you can't even notice it. i can't wait for photos of everything open. Why did you chose to do a bare bottom tank?