Camilsky's 45g. Nano Cube

Dear Friends!
I was previously running 75 gal tank! However, numerous problems with algae blooms, bryopsis outbreak and problems with sump installation convinced me to change to different system! As a result I purchased a 45 gal nano cube by Sera Marine. Here are few shots together with brief specification:

Side view


Tank Cover and Lihts 2x24W PC White/Blue


Skimmer / Filter Compartments



Cabinet


Front View

Tank specs:
Dimmensions: 22.5" x 22.5" x 24"
Total Capacity: ~ 45gal.
Filtration: 4 stage integrated back filter with overflow (8 gal. capacity)
Light: 2 x 24W PC White/Blue. Electronic ballast + cooled with temp. sensitive FANS. 2 x moonlight LEDs.
Accessories (default):
- 160 gph circulation pump
- 6W UV sterilizer connected
- 100W titanium heater
- Various filtration media
- Sera 130 PS skimmer

Additional accessories:
- 2 x Koralia 3 pumps hidden in rock lanscape

Fish:
2 x Percula Clowns
1 x Yellow Coral Goby
1 x Tiny Yellowtail Blenny
1 x Young Lawnmower Blenny
1 x Young Diamond spotted Goby

Invertebrates:
1 x cleaner shrimp
1 x peppermint shrimp
1 x fire shrimp
1 x blue legged hermit crab

Corals:
1 x green star polyp colony (recovered from old tank)
1 x small kenia tree

LR/Sand:
44 lbs Base Coral Rock (recovered, disinfected/bleached old rock)
35 lbs of Caribbean Live Sand

Tank has been running for 3 weeks. I've used water from my old tank. It has been filtered through molecular sieve (sephadex column) that is normally used in laboratories to separated ion-rich water and buffer solutions from protein/lipid mixtures. Bacteria were re-seeded from stock solution used by my collueges from marine biology lab. Moreover, I'm dosing small portions of liophilized coraline algae spores, also donated from people from marine-ecology lab. Tank went thrugh standard ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle and now I'm facing nitrate build-up.

All in all, it's a good setup, however:

1. skimmer is too small! It's a pico skimmer, not nano . I've ordered new external unit: Aqua Medic Turboflotor 1000 Blue, rated for 125 gal.

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2. Lights are weak! As for the lights I'm adding 2 x 24W Deep Blue PC on independent ballasts.

3. I've also ordered quite nice calc/nitrate reactor running sulfur beads, rated for 100gal.

Water parameters are fine, except nitrate! I've managed to bring down the level from 100mg/l to 20 mg/l doing standard water-changes. I hope my investment in sulphur-based denitrification system will pay-off. Moreover, I'm considering playing around with small EtOH (ethanol) dossing. We shall see! I will post updates as soon as I get listed components and new inhabitants (5 additional crabs + extra peppermint shrimp)! I'm expeting my new equipment to arrive next week.
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Boy that sure takes up a lot less space. Looks very nice.

 

45g isnt considered a nano. 30 and less=nano

 

Sweet tank.... Looks awesome...

 

Hey! Thanks for comments chaps! I'm very excited!

 

I was thinking the same thing. When does a nano stop being a nano? Never the less, it looks great Camil, I hope you have better success with this unit. I want sooo much to get a nano for an Octopus tank. Maybe some day. Luna

 

octopus are sweet they like to hide alot though, and require oxygen saturation

 

I had one many yrs ago and I loved it until the 5 fiddler crabs per week werent enough and started eating everything else. But it was awesome to watch him come out of his "nest" after throwing the 5 crabs in and how he "preyed" on them like a cat. Changing his colors to through the crabs off and watching the crabs "run" for their lifes. I may just ask Santa for a nano this yr......lol Luna

 

Thanks for comments Luna! I hope Santa will bring you a nice gift

 

Nice and compact and very neat! I gotta ask. Is that a plastic cover? does it cover the whole tank? Are you not afraid of the gases building up?