Building a nano - Doing It (lots of pics)

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Hmmm - I just found out that the sheet I ordered, was 1/100 of the size I thought, because I misread the size...

I hope they cancelled the order, since the sent me an e-mail, wondering if what I ordered was correct...
I wrote back the instant I saw it, and asked them to cancel it...

Otherwise I just threw out $100 ... for 3 sheets the size of a book.

[Matthew Mahling]

Hey, Is that a Coralife bulb that you have for this project?

[Anti-Pjerrot]

No - its a Daylight 20W CF bulb 6000-6500K - the brand is called Daylight - $17. (Im in Denmark ...)

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Well, just got a mail, and they cancelled the order - so luckily I still got money to buy polycarbonate sheets...

[Sietch31]

Hello !

just a quick question : why polycarbonate that seems to be expensive to you (100 US$ ) and not glass ??

4mm is more than enough for that size and costs almost nothing...
Plus one silicone cartridge (worth 4-5 Euros) and that would be it...

You cannot drill the filter intake as you planned it but just let it open, with one glass strip at the bottom (height same as your gravel thickness) and above separation on top, leaving 4-5 cm open in between....

[Anti-Pjerrot]

100 US$ was for my order and 2 of my friends' - we ordered together, since the shipping is 30 US$ alone...

Since the polycarbonate will now cost 65 US$ (Only 35 US$ more) for 1/4 of the sice I thought I ordered, im going for a glass aquarium.

Its 3.1 gallon (lxwxh: 12"x7.5"x8") and then im just putting in a false wall, so the size will be aprox. the same, only about 2" deeper... The tank only costs 22 US$, but then I dont have material for the hood.
But I guess I can find a solution to that.

Any good ideas for materials for the hood? I still want the same design as before...

[Sietch31]

Hello !

Well nice saving I guess !

For the hood I think that thin plywood (5mm) will do the job.

You can protect it with aquarethane varnish : this is made for humid places such as bathrooms and has been used successfully by lots of people for aquarium hoods I've learned that on french forums.
You should be able to find that in DIY stores (I don't know what brands you have in Denmark)

You also have the idea of going to Ikea and pick up one of their square vases, one guy did that on a french forum and I think it is looking great !http://www.forumaqua.com/topic-42624-26.html
It is in french but pictures are speaking for themthelves !

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Got - IT!

I got glass for 2 aquariums and polycarbonate for 2 hoods FREE!!!

One of my friends got a glassshop, and had some 3mm polycarbonate and some 4mm glass... I cut the polycarbonate my self, and he cut the glass... No charge...

I got silicone FREE! - Since im making 2 aquariums; 1 for me, 1 for a friend... He payed for the silicone...

And I got the pump and filtermateral for 18 US$. (still in the postoffice though)

The pump, filtermateral and the bulb (18 US$... )will be delivered tomorrow hopefully, and I can start putting it all together...

I just need some black foil, to cover the hood and back, and some grid for the moss.

And I need plants.... But that can wait...

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Heres some of the stuff im going to use for my nano:

Filter: Spongefilter, ceramic pipes and filtercotton.
Pump Tunze Mini pump 5024.04

Substrate: JBL Florapol and floodsand 2-3mm.



Heres one of the hoods, hold together with tape.



And heres 2 hoods, just glued with aquariumsilicone - Its 3mm polycarbonate...

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Oh - when dry and grinded - the hoods will be covered in black foil.

[Anti-Pjerrot]

I got one tank siliconed.



I placed masking tape on the inside, to make nice small seams, The cuttings are so I could remove the tape faster ! DONT do that... Its easier to start from the top... the cuttings make everything more diffucult.



Ok - First I placed a line of silicone around the bottom, and then raised the sides and clamped them together with a sheed between to keep the distance.
Then I ran a line of silicone on the vertical edge on the sides i just raised, and the I raised the front and back end and clamped them in place.



Theres maybe 1/10mm of silicone where the glass meets (Only because its a 2.1gal tank)

Then I ran my (Soapwater wet) finger on the inside to straightenout the seams, and the I removed the tape.

I can see some wery small bobbles in the seam someplaces, but since this is the fist tíme, im not worried.



I'll start on the other one and wait to see if this one is a redo!
Hopefuly its ok, since it just needs to hold 2,1 gal of water...

[Anti-Pjerrot]

the second one is much better - no bubbles - clear seams

[Sietch31]

Hi Anti-Pjerrot !

Any updated photos ?
I am dying to see these completed !!!!

Sietch

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Im kinda bussy in the moment (visiting family for easter, and studying for exams) - Im struglin to get a decent bulb with a temp, over 2700K... Everyting is like that.
I want a 6500K or more...

But i completed the 2 tanks and hoods, and Im waiting for the silicone to harden. I got all the stuff I need but the bulb - and as soon as the silicone is good, im going nuts!

See u around

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Ok - I made the filter and the grid for the moss.

I bought a Red Moor root, expensive I tell you. The single most expensive part of my project - about $15 - even the pump was a little cheaper... But its better the anything else i could get.

I also bought some petrified wood/red stone (called indianwood) but im possibly changing them, since it possibly got a lot of Calcium Carbonate in them... (bad for CO2).

I dont got pics of the root and stones yet - cause im soaking the root right now.

Heres a pic of the tank with the filter in:



And heres one from the front...
Im possibly going to switch the placement for the sponge and the ceramic pipes.


Heres a shot of the grid in place, im buying some christmas moss - to completely cower the back side, so only the output can be seen - Its a piece of PU - hose i bend and cutted. Im thinking of doing a CO2 output just before the pump intake (inside the filter) - so the CO2 could diffuse better - but right now my minds put up for to find a bulb and make the lamp - witch issent going to cower the top - but hang 7-8" over the tank...
Im letting the root stick out of the water...

Heres front shot with the grid on.


and another one with the grid:



Im posting some more pics when i get the bulb, and has made the lamp. Maybe in the end of next week.

Later