My Accidental Nano Build Obsession

[Converted to Saltwater]

Speaking of boxes, I was wondering how warm these leds actually got.
I've never used them to the extent im talking about here.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

So I'm setting up my ten gallon to cycle right after I send this. I have kept it running with two tanganyika wild caught cichlids in it. It has am abundance of green algae very alkaline, I really don't even check the water anymore. I just top it off once every two weeks. I have salt creep running up the heater and HOB, actually even have some crushed coral I collected last trip to the beach in there. This tank is very well established. How about a vote here...
Leave some substrate add saltwater,
Completely clean and start new.
Really do want some opinions because some SW guys are giving me conflicting info on this.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

I had a disaster last night with the QT tank my two clowns were in. I had the small tank set on top of my desk. My desk has a sheet of glass on top of the wood. When I was siphoning the water out of the ten getting ready to clean it, I heard a crack.
I have no clue how but about a 7 by 18 inch piece broke off of this huge sheet of glass. It broke underneath the 5 gallon. Now ever thing was still level but the glass had slid about two inches out. I didn't think much of it other than that's seriously odd. Then I heard water hitting the floor.
The 5 was leaking from the bottom back right corner. This is where it got me anxious.
I saw water running down the drip loops so I kicked the strip plug out of the wall while trying to stop the leak. It was fast and 5 gallons wouldn't have lasted long. The FW is siphoning into the bucket I could have put them in. Tried to carry the tank to the kitchen but moving made it worse. I'm stuck.
My son sees his mom one day every week he had just left. Only me.
Siphon bucket fills up and I'm tied can't move to stop it so I just let it spill over I cant at all move because I was stopping the leak with my thumbs.
I had no choice but to dump them in the FW tank with about an inch and a half of water left because I was loosing SW too fast.
Forgot about the mess rushed and made fresh SW put as many HOBs with foam as would fit and hoped for the best.
Stayed up till 4 did a 50 percent water change got an hour sleep and woke up to two very healthy fish which have been expelling white, ( cytsys? IDK )from their gills.
Can anyone explain this? Also I don't know why but it was a silicone leak, that I just fixed. Really really odd.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I had a disaster last night with the QT tank my two clowns were in. I had the small tank set on top of my desk. My desk has a sheet of glass on top of the wood. When I was siphoning the water out of the ten getting ready to clean it, I heard a crack.
I have no clue how but about a 7 by 18 inch piece broke off of this huge sheet of glass. It broke underneath the 5 gallon. Now ever thing was still level but the glass had slid about two inches out. I didn't think much of it other than that's seriously odd. Then I heard water hitting the floor.
The 5 was leaking from the bottom back right corner. This is where it got me anxious.
I saw water running down the drip loops so I kicked the strip plug out of the wall while trying to stop the leak. It was fast and 5 gallons wouldn't have lasted long. The FW is siphoning into the bucket I could have put them in. Tried to carry the tank to the kitchen but moving made it worse. I'm stuck.
My son sees his mom one day every week he had just left. Only me.
Siphon bucket fills up and I'm tied can't move to stop it so I just let it spill over I cant at all move because I was stopping the leak with my thumbs.
I had no choice but to dump them in the FW tank with about an inch and a half of water left because I was loosing SW too fast.
Forgot about the mess rushed and made fresh SW put as many HOBs with foam as would fit and hoped for the best.
Stayed up till 4 did a 50 percent water change got an hour sleep and woke up to two very healthy fish which have been expelling white, ( cytsys? IDK )from their gills.
Can anyone explain this? Also I don't know why but it was a silicone leak, that I just fixed. Really really odd.

Sorry about the tank leak. Sounds like a disaster. At least it was only 5 gallons and not more. The wonderful people over in the fish disease forum will be of more assistance, but maybe look up some "clownfish brooklynella" google images. I'm guessing it's that, or the FW dip killed some flukes and they are coming off. Usually, they come off in the fresh water and not after.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

Sorry about the tank leak. Sounds like a disaster. At least it was only 5 gallons and not more. The wonderful people over in the fish disease forum will be of more assistance, but maybe look up some "clownfish brooklynella" google images. I'm guessing it's that, or the FW dip killed some flukes and they are coming off. Usually, they come off in the fresh water and not after.

Ill do that. Im just wondering what was in that water that got them pretty much all the way better so fast. I need to patent it.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

Here's an update on my build.
Quiet literally currently im doing more actual building than aquarium management.
But ill start with what's going on in the tank first.
I did scrub the algea off of the inside of the tank. I did this late last night. This was after I found some older blue (don't know what brand, spectrum anything) LEDs. I used some silicone to stick them to the underside of the hood. I have been able to make the PS board operate the lights successfully.
White on one line blues on the other. The fish are still being medicated so I'm not to worried about aesthetics at the moment. I ran the lights both sets pretty much all day today, and I've been gone all day. About 11 hours.
So I just get home and notice that one side of the tank has algea, green algea, growing heavily on it. Just since I was gone.
Did not expect green algae to begin growing in the SW environment, at least not yet.
I was concerned about so much FW substrate being in the tank, but after testing the water a few minutes ago I can find nothing wrong. PH is a little low, but pretty sure that's because of the Hyposalinity. Since much of the substrate at the moment is crushed coral and shells I guess it kind of fits.
Fish are happy and eating well, male does seem to have equilibrium issues, but not badly.
My LFS gave me a decent piece of live rock and it had a white node on it when I put it in the tank. Now it's turning green. Not algae green glowing green. Cannot identify this.

Its something because it was white, now its green. I had the lights off and turned the whites on to take that but it really pops under the more blue light.

They won't stay still but I caught the side of the fish that had the bad white infection no,sign of it now. I also caught the other fish right where I wanted. That spec in his eye concerns me. Better but present still.
Other than that ball is well in the tank.
As for the build, I absolutely cannot spend more on this right now responsibly.
However I decided I am going to use the 5 for a small sump. My post about transferring water with my well pump was no joke. In order to run it continuously and make it quiet I am going to use a washing machine universal motor and an alternator, the alternator keeping the motor running. I've tested it and it works. I've broken down equipment for a cleaning and new bearings.

This has got to be the most unconventional way to build an aquarium. But it'll look pretty retro, and deffinatly unique. And I have spray paint

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

Can't really get a good picture with my phone and that's all I have right now.
Just wanted to show that the fish are not pale anymore. Other looks the same, both doing well and seem happy.
Two more,days of medicating left to go. Im not doing anything to,rhe tank itself as of right now because the only problem I'm having are nitrates creeping up. Small and frequent water changes are all im doing.
I will,be moving southeast of here closer to Florida in about 9 or 10 months. So I did decide to build a cabinet around the tank. I want to insulate the tank also, so I've saved cardboard and am going to blackout three sides of the tank leaving just the front.
I have decided to go with the LEDs that I posted earlier in this thread. And here is the top of the cabinet or I guess hood, canopy, anyway when they get here ill see exactly what size hole I need for them and cut that out. Also I got inlaid hinhes so when I do need to open the top it won't hit the wall.
I've run a thick bead of seal all around the bottom. I wouldn't pit it inside a tank but it will anything. I really want to,do,more with the tank itself but if I hurry it will fail I know.
Ibwent with cabinet grade walnut, stained it black. Here's what I have so far.

Picked up the hinges for $13, wanted to show the seal all, on the OUTSIDE OF GLASS ONLY I high it recommend it.
I'm really chomping at the bit to get in the tank and build it. But since there is no rushing it and since fish are in it, I guess I'm building what I can at the moment. Although I think closing it in will look good and protect in when I move.
Anyway there's my update.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

I've been gone for a few days, but I'm still here.
I've been getting things set in stone for my move later this year. While I was gone I found two decent aquacultured pieces I had to have at the LFS where ill be moving.
I added them to the tank when I got back last night. This rock looked really good (not that I can see bacteria or parasites), and it went straight into the tank.
Ive been following the discussion that the other way to keep a reef (no quarantining) started. Everyone's torn.
I can see the logic deffinatly behind both ways. However since all I have are my two clowns and they are now healthy I decided to put the rock in and see what happens.
In sure some are hating this and I see the logic also behind quarantining.
I've been extremely busy and have a lot of reading to catch up on but just letting everyone know I'm still here, still building, I'll be it slow going. But so far so good.

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

I'm glad to finally have some free time to get back on the forum. I had 63 alerts when I just looked.
To let anyone reading my build thread know it's still in the works, but I have decided to "pause" any further building until I move. Which will be sooner than I thought. A couple of months.
My reason for this is my tank is stable and I don't want to add expensive marine life and have a sump and more equipment to move and potentially crash. I'm figuring its safer to wait, let the tank continue to mature, finish these LEDs I'm building, and then when I move, then add more life.
As all I plan on adding is coral and inverts anyway I REALLY don't want to spend that money and have a catastrophic event ruin everything.
So...so I don't get a cyber spanking for not updating my build thread here's my update. Its on hold.
I do have two MHs that I've put over my tank while I'm putting this kit together (just buy one guys, I like to tinker around but really), and some interesting stuff I cannot identify has come to life on the live rock.
I did change salts I was using and have had no more problem maintaining alkalinity, Reef Crystals is what my budget allowed, working good for me though.
Wanted to make this short so I can catch up on some seriously interesting articles I saw. Be on here a lot more though. Had spread myself to thin and my SW aquarium is the hobby I most enjoy so with a break in a lot of classes I'm looking forward to learning more about marine life. It really is wwaaayy more addictive than FW.