Jonny's NANO ADA Waterfall Tank

[JonnyJ]

Hello everyone, Figured i would finally check the site out after speaking with David Via email. I'm not sure if you guys have seen my tank thread on other sites but here goes!


SPECS:


Display Tanks:
Ada 60F 24" x 12" x 7"
Ada 30C 12" x 12x x 12"


Lighting:
4 Evil Par 38's [20k]


Rock:
Foamed waterfall [BRS rock/ Gaps and crack foam]


Substrate:
Argonite sand (medium grade)


Filtration:
20 Gallon Custom Sump (24 x 12 x 17)
Tunze 9002 Skimmer

Circulation:
EcoTech MP10W Vortech [cube], Koralia 1 [shallow] - soon to be mp10
Eheim 1260 for return


Heating:
Jager 150 watt heater

Started the Tank roughly around 04-21-2011

I started off by purchasing two brand new ADA tanks and a fresh new idea. I picked up both the 60-F & ADA 30-C from ADA.​

The original idea was too place the two tanks side by side with a centralized sump underneath. The 60-f on the left and 30c on the right and form a waterfall....crazy idea...

Here was my original sketch...

 

[the.fish.guy]

I'll be following. Can't wait to see this!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Let's see this beauty!

 

[JonnyJ]

As time went on, i purchased everything needed for the build and started to think to myself how am i going to do this?


I started by drilling both of the tanks, There is a lot of speculation on the net whether ADA tanks can be drilled. I assure you they can.

once plumbed an setup -

ADA 2 TANK WATERFALL REEF CONCEPT PART 1 - YouTube



Then i started to see how it was going to be possible to create some sort of a waterfall structure.

I ended up scrapping the above original attempt at making a waterfall and started using egg crate to build an outline of a waterfall. Next, i filled it in with rock and started using foam to fill in the areas. [i have the build photos on one of my backups but cant seem to find them] And heres what i came up with...

Its bulky, ugly and needed a lot of work...[atleast i thought so]

Next i started carving and re-sculpting little by little.

 

[JonnyJ]

Finally starting to look good, i proceeded to keep carving because im never satisfied lol...

Shallow

Next was the cube and i immediate came up with the idea of trying to make this all match and kinda mesh together. I wanted to give the illusion that the rock work is actually attached.
Cube

FTS

Looking at it above i was finally amazed at what this has become, keep in mind this took several months.

 

[JonnyJ]

After Epoxying and sanding everything i allowed it to cure for a few weeks. Next, i decided to run the tank with fresh water for a few weeks to help filter out any crap.

Heres a quick video i had shot to kinda show how it works, i still didnt add sand at this point.

ADA 2 TANK WATERFALL REEF CONCEPT PART 2 - YouTube


Added sand and snapped a few photos

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

That is unique and awesome. LOL!

 

[ryanuy]

Looking good!!

 

[JonnyJ]

Heres a Video of the tank running with Sand.

ADA 2 TANK WATERFALL REEF CONCEPT PART 3 - YouTube


Next i mounted my [4] par 38 lights with track lighting, And started to transfer some of my livestock over.

Lol its a tropical nano heaven...


and of course a video showing the lights and lviestock...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwhIlripJmA

 

[JonnyJ]

Heres two top down shots of the waterfall

And a photo, showing how i mounted the lighting for the time being [plan to move in the next few moths]

All tanks need a cover, but how do you make one for my tank?


3/16" Clear Acrylic Rods
Weld on 3
Mesh
Zip Ties [lol like 200] - could have used fishing line but i plan to remake this in the near future to be smaller anyways..


And a lot of planning/measurements


heres what i came up with.

 

[JonnyJ]

Heres another video showing some of the livestock at the time, please excuse the lack of husbandry... I am actually embarrassed how dirty everything is but people had been requesting an update and fish tanks do get dirty right???. In the video you can see all the waterlines i originall ran to the waterfall[eyesore] and the various types of algae i have been fighting. [still fighting] Cyano, diatoms, and even my cap bleaching... etc... The lights weren't on too long so many of the corals were closed.

It also shows some of my livestock. I would also like to note that Some of the rock in the right tank is out of place because i was trying to clean the side wall. Anyways it isnt the best video but it gives you an idea of how things were growing and coloring up and some of the obstacles i had been facing. At the end it shows my mess of a fuge, I will be making a new stand soon because these deep blue stands make it impossible to work on the sump.




Please note, All corals were donations from friends! alot of the corals are just temporary for now. need to swap/change a lot of things in the next few months.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQjyIzjMqgI...eature=youtu.be

 

[JonnyJ]

And some of the corals/current residents... around a month in a half ago...

Blue Nano Coral Banded Shrimp

Red Fiddler [uca] added 6 females, only have 2 left ;(

1 Blue Fiddler [male]

NEXT, ALGAE AND PROBLEMS!!!!

So here are some photos showing some of the various algae. Week by week this stuff returns, I continuously toothbrush and siphon out everything. It just keeps coming back. Its upsetting because i am always on top of my maintenance.


Here is some photos from a little over a month ago..

the algae makes me cringe!

 

[JonnyJ]

After a month and a half of water changes and wet skimming its finally under control...[somewhat]

Some of the corals do not look happy but an updates an update!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQUbro-v5I...eature=youtu.be

Some of the corals are just fillers, and if you look on the right cube you can see i added some ledges for some future coral additions. I plan to add a nice size dendro later this month under the waterfall. Slowly but surely replacing everything with SPS!

 

[chrisjj625]

Thats awesome, I love the idea. I think I would lose the cover though takes away from the ascetics of the tank.

 

[JonnyJ]

I have gotten used to it, when im home or i have company i remove it.

Otherwise its on 24/7..I would rather not come home to my fish on the floor - especially my girl, she got very upset when we lost out Blue spot jawfish.

And most importantly those crabs would definitely roam lol..

 

[bige]

Thats awesome. The crab in the water fall is cool.

 

[Rhino]

What did you use as a top for the stand? Its a deep blue professional stand correct?

 

[ritter6788]

Something different! I like it. Nice job.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

That is a really sweet tank, the waterfall is cool!

 

[uall8up]

Any recent shots? Love the tank and the waterfall is AMAZING!!