Ultimate Desktop 4.9 (April FTS + )

I'm baaaaa AAAA aaaackuh!

I've got a little Aqueon 8 that I picked up to replace the 90 gallon which was in my store for 2 years. We moved (again) to a larger sales area and I just didn't want to move that tank again so I sold it. Some of our regulars were disappointed that the tank was gone so I took the opportunity to give a nano reef a shot. Or maybe it's a pico...I don't know where the line is drawn that defines the two. LOL
I had everything but the aquarium on hand.
So here's the break down.



Aqueon Evolve 8 gallon desktop AIO This is surprisingly a very nice little tank. The price is right and the little pump does a good job quietly (I believe it's 80 GPH) and there is a through wall flared nozzle that is jointed so it can be aimed. The return areas have quiet a bit of room, I easily hid a 75W heater and other equipment back there. The CONS as I see them are that the tank is acrylic. We all know scratches appear on this material just by looking at it wrong. (Well easily anyway.) Also the LED that comes with the tank would be worthless IMO.
Lighting Stock light out, DIY 48W LED in. I hung it on a DIY hanger arm. The LEDs are 8" above the surface of the water.
4" X 4.25" heatsink
12V cooling fan
DIY Splash guard
Drivers One Meanwell ELN 60-48P on each string.
String 1 driver is set to output 600mA
String 2 driver is set to output 1000mA
Channel 1 2 Cree 3W blue xp-e, 4 Cree 3W royal blue xp-e and 2 Philips Rebel 3W violet.
Channel 2 1 Cree 3W neutral white, 1 Cree 3W cool white, 6 Cree 3W royal blue.
Control BoostLED Typhon in a cut out project box.

Filtration Eshopps Nano Skimmer. It fits nicely in the return area. I'll be reviewing this skimmer after it breaks in.

Roughly 7lbs of rock I had stored in a box from previous builds. I used a 10lb sledge on a football sized piece and got some pretty interested shapes.
There's approximately 4lbs of sand that I skimmed from both my established 75G and 9 month old 20 gallon. Quite a few Medusa Worms, two N. vibex and a few dwarf ceriths made the trip along with the sand.
I filled the tank with water taken from my 75 during a water change.

At first I was going to set up with some H. zostrae but decided that I'm just not "into" this hobby as aggressively as I once was. (I have 75 predator reef in progress, scaped and sandy but sitting dry for months now) So I probably not take on the requirements of those little cuties. It wouldn't be fair to them.
Instead I've decided to go mixed mini-reef. It will be an interesting challenge for sure.






And here are some PAR numbers taken with my MQ-200. I don't have a sensor stick so the in tank readings my be skewed. It was hard not to shade the probe.
I used the first pic I took of the aquascape as the background. It was taken before the LEDs were up.

 

There is one specific I should have mentioned in the opening post...

I had to use a step drill bit and move the return line flare nozzle to the left, closer to center to get the Eshopps skimmer to fit back there. From the factory the return is 1/4 off center right and would not allow the pump on the skimmer room. If you look closely at the pic of the skimmer cup in the back you can see a grayish "circle shape directly below the cup and on the back wall. That is the tube chair arm end cap I used to plug the factory hole for the return.

 

This is just a cool build. Like your DIY led, and thanks for the idea on that Typhoon enclosure. I've been wanting to build a faceplate out of acrylic to go over mine but didn't know how to cope with the buttons, it never crossed my mind to drill holes like that!

 

More flow will be needed when I begin to add coral and since I had an MP10 on my 20G FOWLR I decided it would be put to better use on this tank. The wave in the tank is created with the driver set at 50%.

 

Cool tank Mike.

I will be interested to see how that skimmer does.

Sure seems like an MP10 would be more than sufficient.

 

Great work Mike, glad to you back.

 

Thanks. I'll tell you what on that project box for the Typhon...
That is actually the second one purchased. I tried to make the cuts in the first with a Dremel. The end product was so ugly IMO that I junked it. I cut the second by hand. I used a utility knife to score through enough so that the opening would pop out. It suh uh uhcked. It took about one half hour, made my forearm ache and I broke out in a sweat. BUT the cut was perfect, the fit was perfect, it looked perfect...until I began drilling for the buttons and the bit slipped, throwing the perfect line outta whack. :-/ LOL

Thanks Cheryl.
The skimmer has been on for 2 days and between you and me is already beginning to break in/produce foam. There's some things I like about it, some I don't.

The pump may be bit overkill but it was going to waste on a FOWLR. At first I had a Evo Nano 425 in the little tank but it looked so goofy! A black egg sticking out of the side with slots cut in it is what I'd say it most resembled. Plus, the flow wasn't what I wanted and there was no way I was adding my other one.
I had a Hydor Evo Pico 180 in a shopping cart on DFS but after reading some reviews that those are noisy I decided to just gnab the vortech and save some cash for frags.

Thanks John.

 

sweet little tank for sure

 

I ordered an ORA yellow assessor, a halloween hermit, & a few coral frags today. I asked that they be delivered 2/5 because that is the middle of a little warm up

 

I realize that an Assessor is "rated" at tanks of 30 gallons minimum BUT there are some things to factor in before jumping to conclusions....
The fish I'm getting is only 1.25" long right now and this species is a slow grower.
The fish will be the only fish in the tank.
This species is not a "ranging" fish when it swims. They stick close to overhangs and holes that they are familiar with.
Though they grow to lengths of 3.5" in the wild, this species rarely attains lengths greater than 2.5" in home aquariums. There are many gobies in this size category that would be viewed as acceptable fish for a tank this size by "conscientious" hobbiests.
If/when the fish reaches a size that causes signs of stress, poor health etc., I already have other aquariums into which it can be relocated.

So now that is out of the way...

The corals and fish were ordered from salty underground. I've never ordered from Lisa before but have only read good things about her business.
Along with the Assessor is a green and pink ric, a frag of GSP, a rooted halimedia spp. and 2 mystery corals. I do so love a good mystery....
It seems like a little for the money I spent but as far as coral is concerned I have plenty in my 75 to frag if I want.
Actually I do have some BamBams and Purple death encrusting pieces of rubble along with a big frag of LengSy (I wish but it is ultra green w/ purple rim) monti and a couple other sps frags that have totally encrusted the plug.