my 2.5 gal Nano build up

[weaselnoze]

i started with a 2.5 gal pet store tank and built a 20w (2-10w CF) combined light hood/canopy.

Flora - Anachris (sp)
Brazilian Microsword

Fauna - 5 Danio Choprae
2 Ghost shrimp (soon to be 5ish Red Cherries)

Substrate - some kind of small black gravel

Driftwood and some river stones

Filtration - Azoo Mignon 60 HOB

Any suggestions/comments will be appreciated!!

[weaselnoze]

here's the breakdown of the build..

Hardscape



The entire hood is made from plexiglass and painted

building the sides


fitting the sockets


testing the bulbs


it fits!


wiring it up parallel (first in home electrical project, how'd i do? )


omg no one died from electrocution! phew..


genius at work...


seal up that electrical box good!


fitting the top. starting to look like a hood!


sand it down. sorry dont have a picture...


prime it for good stickage!


a few coats of flat black and we're cherry


add a reflector for extra reflectiveness. i used a piece of dryer duct. 2.79 at ACE hardware


and we're done! how'd ya like that? go ahead, critique me

[Hoppy]

Beautiful project, nice wiring job, but why did you get a geek to pose for the one photo???

Did you epoxy the "reflector" in place? And, will this get too hot and cause the acrylic plastic to melt? If so, a little cooling fan would fit in pretty easily.

[weaselnoze]

i had the setup running for about 10 hours today and closely monitored the temp. doesnt seem to affect it a whole lot. the temp is raised maybe 4F. that put me in the 76-78 range which is perfect. we'll see what it looks like come summer time tho..

[fish_lover0591]

nice job. i like it alot i never knew danios looked so cool . good job on the hood hope you don't have any melting issues though. I might just steal your idea oh what about condensation on your bulbs ? that sort of shortens their life but they are cheap.

[weaselnoze]

it generates heat however not a whole lot. they are fluorescent so they wont create as much as an incandescent will. ya 5 bucks a piece. i look from time to time and dont see any condensation on the bulbs. the hole in the back for the filter lets out a decent amount of humidity im sure. these are glow light danios. the coolest and the only kind i would recommend!

[fish_lover0591]

good to hear now you have me thinking about setting up a nano but i have a few other things to do b4 i can

[Rion]

Nice setup and build! I'm tempted to try this on a larger scale on my 29 gal when I end up redoing it. how much did the electrical supplies and plexiglass run you?

[Subotaj]

Superb!

[weaselnoze]

Originally Posted by Rion

Nice setup and build! I'm tempted to try this on a larger scale on my 29 gal when I end up redoing it. how much did the electrical supplies and plexiglass run you?

plexiglass aint cheap, so if you can find a different material go for it. i have tons of it around the house. you could even use thin plywood such as underlayment. if i did this over again i'd prob go with that. then you can use a waterproof stain on the inside and stain or paint the outside. the sockets were both 1.99 a piece (rip off). im sure u can get them for a buck somewhere. the cord and switch were from an old incandescent lighthood i found in the basement. i spent the most on the epoxy and the silicone.

[Rion]

Yeah I was thinking about plywood and just water proofing the heck out of it, they are usually just a polyurethane mixture, right? I'm gonna have to visit the electrical section next time I'm at the hardware store. My build won't be for a few years though. Thanks for the info and build!

[weaselnoze]

so the microswords are looking a bit sad. starting to lose the green color.. i think its time to start dosing. can someone help me get started?

[Hoppy]

Go to Dry Fertilizers and buy one pound of KNO3, of KH2PO4, and CSM+B (or substitute Flourish or TMG). Then go to Aquarium Liquid Plant Supplements at Big Al's Online and buy Seachem Flourish Excel, and, if you don't use CSM+B, buy either Seachem Flourish or Tropica Plant Nutrition Liquid (TMG).

Get 2 little plastic bottles, such as the ones saline nose wash solution comes in at the drug store. Clean the bottles well. Check how many capfuls of water it takes to fill the bottle, then multiply that number by: 1/60 tsp for KNO3 and by 1/240 tsp for KH2PO4. Add those amounts of those ferts to one of the bottles. Fill the bottle with water and shake it up. Dose one capful of this every other day. For the other bottle, multiply the capfuls per bottle by the recommended on the bottle dosages of the trace mix and of Excel and add that to the bottle. Fill with water and shake it up. Dose this every other day between doses from the first bottle. (You could add the Excel to the first bottle if you prefer - I do.) If you use CSM+B, use the capfuls per bottle times 1/240, and add to the second bottle, fill with water and shake up good. Dose instead of the other trace mix.

I find this to be an easy way to dose. I write the amount of the ingredients on each bottle, so a refill is easy to do.

[weaselnoze]

ok this is gonna be a lil confusing. i will order the stuff first then come back with dosage questions. what would be the cheaper route? CSM+B or Flourish? also what is the difference btw Flourish and Flourish excel?

[Hoppy]

CSM+B is by far the cheapest, but none are expensive for a nano, because you use so little of any of them. Flourish is a trace element mix, comparable to CSM+B, only in liquid form. Flourish Excel is a source of carbon for the plants, a substitute for CO2. Seachem calls all of their plant nutrient substances "Flourish XXXXX". There is Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish Nitrogen, etc.