29g tank custom built drip dose system and recirculating protein skimmer

[322sheffield]

nice tank, how did you figure out the dosing?

[hugo2x]

@322sheffield Dose, test, dose, test. after a while, I knew how much was needed daily.

[John8785]

damn, that must have taken a lot of work. Looks good!

[00APrilAq00]

I like your Drip system. I wanna make one. I'm in the process of getting the stuff ready for my 50G setup.

[184445]

So there not attached to any studs in the ceiling?

[hugo2x]

@184445 nope, I just used the same anchor and chain that's used for shop lights.

[184445]

Nice tank. Just had a quick question on how you hung the lighting. Did u have to find some studs in the ceiling or just used some of those hooks that buttery open after you screw them in the dry wall?

[hugo2x]

@184445 yeah, I used dry wall anchors with expanding wing nuts

[NFaix11]

my clown fish jump out of my tank ;) you must use something to block him !

[hugo2x]

@NFaix11 I had two clowns commit suicide : (

[NFaix11]

@hugo2x sry :(

do you use a diy protein skimmer?

and you got a very nice tank !

i got the same volume and i try to eliminate cyanos for now! keep it up!

[ildefonsoisais]

Thanx G..

[ildefonsoisais]

Bro ...is there any way you Could help me make my sump work n look like urs...i have 50 gal. Tank and a 20 gal. Sump with a refugium build into it...i just started with salt water fish about one year ago...let me know pls.

[hugo2x]

@ildefonsoisais LimpitsReef here on youtube has an excellent video on how to build a sump. Thats the video I watched when I made my sump.

[JelleGuitarMusic]

That looks really good man!

[ssverton]

Dude ur awesome!! Great job

[mkh4n]

Awesome settings. It's the best system someone can have.

[TheDeltaFlight]

Great tank? do you use a chiller?

[hugo2x]

@TheDeltaFlight I use an AC fan over the sump for evoportative cooling.

[hugo2x]

@TheDeltaFlight I use an AC fan over the sump for evaporative cooling.

[eyesonyou2ube]

Wow that tank is quiet !!!!!! great diy work there!!

[TheWarOrphan]

what kind of actinics are you using? they look like 450nm more than my purple coralife actinics.

[hugo2x]

@TheWarOrphan I think are in the 450-475 range in this video, the actinics were Current brand

[observer855]

Great job. Looks beautiful.  how long has it been up and running?

[hugo2x]

@observer855  over two years

[maxx56dog]

nice job man. You should be proud

[poisonXvenom]

have you ever had an accident where the pvc pipe failed and tank overflowed?

[hugo2x]

@poisonXvenom No, the only accident I ever had was when the skimmer outlet got blocked and the collection cup overflowed. I got about 10 gallons of smelly salt water all over my carpet :(

[tkdhav]

pretty nice dude!.

[rtavila]

Great set up, really beautiful. Quick question: What did you use to mount the refugium light on the ceiling of the cabinet? I am trying to find some way to mount my fuge light in my stand such that it is strong enough so the light won't fall into the sump.

[hugo2x]

@rtavila I first a piece of galvanized steel at a 90degree angle, they are the ones used for attaching 2x4's together. Then I used a simple clamp on shop light with a CF bulb.

[80jcesar]

Hi, about how much does the tank cost, with every thing,tanks,,

[hugo2x]

@80jcesar  I don't know exactyly, probably around $700

[80jcesar]

@hugo2x thank you .,,,,,

[Tetragagaca]

@hugo2x

700 Really that is Super,

Man i wish i could get a tank like this... drool drool

[tiburone9162003]

I like that, can I ask u few question, r u on any forums? Let me know..

[hugo2x]

@tiburone9162003 Sorry I'm not on any aquarium forums but you can go to my youtube channel page and send me personal messages

[MrChadillac420]

How many times did he just say custom?

[jmclark]

Love the tank mate, my 8 footer is nearly ready for water, cant wait

[sexy52637]

You must get free electricity!

[duffthebeast]

lmao i thought my iphone was ringing

[juan1976]

NICE

[ricohorton]

nice work on your tank

[layonda]

Really good work !!!

Im going to start mounting my first marine acuarium. 300 L

And yours will be my inspiration.

Thanks for the video and on behalf of the fishes. xD

[keegano2007]

Your tank was the motivation to make my tank system that works great! Thank you for the video.

[KrYlOnWoNdErS]

that's a real cool set up. I was wondering I have to dose two part in my tank everyday and its 10ml each day. I was wondering how much do you does each day?. I am using b-ionic and it seems to be working good for me so far, it's only been 4 days of dosing though lol.

[hugo2x]

@KrYlOnWoNdErS I dose about 11ml a day. I just bought two of the individual 1 gallon jugs of it. The price break is excellent!!

[EcBuddy123]

um im afraid of drilling the tank.... but i do want to sorta copy ur idea, imnew to marine tanks but it seems sumps are the best and im geting a 29 or 30 gallon tank, for my first tank, and i was wondering can u help me make this sump? i sorta wanted to get a refrugurium (or how ever its speled) can u help me? im afrad of like water overflowing the sump which is why im afraid of sumps, but im up for it so can u help?

[hugo2x]

@EcBuddy123 Youtube is a very good source of information. I used this video (SEARCH "Reef Tank D.I.Y. Sump part 1") when I built my sump. also there are many good glass drilling videos. but if your just not comfortable drilling glass you can always get an overflow box.

[EcBuddy123]

@hugo2x cool but i have heard that the sumb box has to be the right size or else it dont work right is that true? or how does that work?

[hugo2x]

@EcBuddy123 they work by some sort of siphoning method. I don't know much more than that. however, a overflow pipe (drilled tank) is a much simpler method of return water to the sump and there for more reliable.

[EcBuddy123]

@hugo2x ok i guess i will drill then? l0l but how do i know wat size to make it? and how do i put something on the hole for water wont come out?

[hugo2x]

@EcBuddy123 Look on ebay, search for " Bulk head " fitting, it will connect with any standard PVC pipe. Then look for diamond glass drill bits, look for the size recommended for the size bulkhead your using. Use at least a 1 inch diameter "slip" fitting for the bulk head.

[RAILKING25]

@EcBuddy123 only in terms of cleaning ...ie. a 450 gallon reef needs a huge sump to house the amount of copepods and algae and thousands of other forms of life it needs to support the fish and display. a 75 gallon reef can rock with a 29 long no problem , but a rule of thumb is get the biggest one you can stuff in your stand

[mconroy17]

Your clownies look hungries ^^  I love it

[hanaans]

Good job mate looks amazing 

[bananatree94]

this tank is so pretty :)

[Nugburner420]

when you put your hand over it... it takes a finger... :) looks sweet! i need to add another fan to my t5 also

[animaloverforever]

what did you use to stop the fish from getting sucked in the pvc overflow

[hugo2x]

Its called Gutter Guard, its made of plastic and you can find it in the gutter section at Lowe's/Home Depo

[kyleeurenius12]

dude this tank is fuckin sick how much did u pay for this custom tank let me no

[hugo2x]

less than a thousand

[joshisacoolkid]

u should get some more flow in there you want more surface break to exchange co2 and increase your redox. they meaning corals and fish would be alot happier just my 2cents

[ollieflp]

Is it better to use plastic tube as oppose to hosing? an why?

[hugo2x]

PVC pipe is more readily available and comes in larger diameter pipes.

[ollieflp]

thank you.

[mysteryimpt]

Simply Amazing!

[SeanoHermano]

Pet Supplies Plus-This is a decent company with good pricesabout $4/lb live rock and some branches very well managed and will help you out while others have no clue what they are looking at in they're very own fish tanks. If you are experienced you may go here If not I'd question it.

ebay-Not a god Idea. It may sees ok for some things, but for aquarium supplies not so much. I would not suggest ordering form here at all as these are individual sellers and you never know what you could be getting

[hugo2x]

@SeanoHermano True, you need to research your sellers well and make sure they have a good track record. The case I bought was exactly the same that my LFS sell's (box and everything).

[iwimp1994]

this whole system looks great, ima try to make my 10g a lil more like this. it just looks amazing.

[jaybig43]

Nice!!! Were did u get your live rock.

[hugo2x]

All the nice Tonga branch I got at my now closed LFS. I also ordered a case of 50lbs of Fiji base from eBay

[mussedeq]

Maybe your next project would be to grow some mangroves that would be awesome!

[KingBonacci]

Also, what lighting is that? I think I have the same purple mushrooms you do and mine are responding horribly to my new lighting which is T5HO. They did better under stock aquarium lighting.

[hugo2x]

the more powerful lighting may be too much for your mushrooms, you should move them lower in the tank. If the are already near the bottom, try arranging them so that they are partially in the shadow of the liverock/coral in the upper regions of the tank.

[KingBonacci]

Nice, I've actually thought about that. Right now they are about as low as they can get but I will try shadowing them with some live rock. TY

[KingBonacci]

very nice setup, is your protein skimmer sitting right on a sand bed?

[xgame2kk]

i like the drip system idea.

[Avnish76]

Dude, this is probably the best custom refugium ive seen for a 29g tank. Really nice set up perfectly explained. im looking to do the same to my redsea max 29 gallon tank. any suggestions. I was going to get a customized tank made for the cabinet?

[hugo2x]

@Avnish76 make sure you get bulk head fittings of at least 1.5 inches, I started with 3/4'' bulk heads and caused myself a lot of unnecessary work.

[Avnish76]

Hi Hugo thanks for the Tip. Ive been researching on the Web. And from what ive seen I can only see Overflow units thats take 3/4" bulkheads not 1.5" What do you think of the CPR CS50 Overflow Box - I have to use something like this as my Tank is not drilled and Im going to integrate this Sume/fuge with the RSM's own system.

[hugo2x]

you can find both the 2 3/8 (60mm) glass bit and the 1.5'' bulkhead on eBay, that's ware I got mine.

make sure when you search you put in bulkhead as one word

[hsrwp]

nice tank dude, I like your dosage custom, really awesome, best regards...

[talaythai00]

Sorry but im going to steal the dosing idea. Best idea i seen by far!!

And nice tank looks cleaner than mine.

[crzyp852]

nice system looks better then most professional systems i seen.i have a question what kind of frame did you us to build the stand. 2x4 or 4x4 i have a 29 gallon and want to build a stand as well any tips...Thanks

[jetd24]

Very nice work. I'm surprised you didn't make your own live rock as you seem to be pretty handy. I just made about 80lbs of aragocrete from basic Home Depot supplies. So far my tank is pretty steady after a month.

[hugo2x]

If I was to rebuild a new tank I would build my own live rock sculpture for the back drop of the tank and hide all the pipes and power heads.

[StumpDaddy38]

Super Nice..... Great Job

[RedCadiz2]

kickass system! I maybe steal some of your ideas. ha =P

[1foreverwakeboard]

nicest custom built tank i have seen

[hugo2x]

Thanks!

[michaelmp5]

@hugo2x Do you have a calcium reactor?

[hugo2x]

@michaelmp5 I use B ionic

[michaelmp5]

Just googled it.... it was my one concern of getting corals etc. was that i would have to buy a calcium reactor. How much more expensive is it to go reef over fish only?

[hugo2x]

A calcium reactor is only necessary for high carbonate/calcium demanding systems with animals like SPS corals and Gigas clams. If you are new to marine aquariums, its best to start with soft corals such as mushrooms and polyps. as long as you have good lighting/parameters they will do fine. Corals also make good bio-indicators in your tank, so as to warn you of problems with the water quality.

[michaelmp5]

Thanks so much for your help.

I'm gonna get me some corals!

[ashwinisidhu]

Looks like you have put a lot of dedication, hard work & man hours into the tank set up.

A background on the back wall would look good ..

The clown fish was playing at 2:00

[hugo2x]

If was a fun build

[SteveMLloyd]

you have a gorgeous tank!

[all20009]

nice

[40Cal100]

what protean skimmer is that and how much is it whats the name of the protean skimmer cause i wanna buy one and how much is it

[hugo2x]

the skimmer is a semi-custom build. I started with a sea-life systems skimmer, then cut down a bit so it would fit in my sump. I then drilled two holes and added a 300gph pump for recirculation.

[40Cal100]

does all that burns alot of electricity

[hugo2x]

it's not as bad as you'd think. most aquarium equipment is very energy efficient.

[riptor3086]

Man save up some money and ditch that ghetto ass light, get a Giesemann.

[hugo2x]

I have a Hamilton HQI now

[LUCKY4908]

what does the cooling fan to cool for? 4:32 thanks !

[hugo2x]

to run air over the water and cool the tank by means of evaporation

[LUCKY4908]

nice set up !! i cant wait to build mine

[saltwaterfishguy427]

ohhhhhhhhhhh my god i love your tank i have a 29 gallon with two compact florescents cant wait to get coral

[Tmiller19931]

yea... your tank looks perfect!

[MrEwots]

nice set up, prety sweet.

[hugo2x]

thanks

[lolustupid]

btw amazing refugeum.

[lolustupid]

i agree that the aquarium looks realy cool from the top but if you have an open top your fish can jump out.

[ub3rl33thax0rz]

Nice refugium dude :)

[hando7183]

wow very nice set up!!!! all you need is a master computer build in then you are super pro.

[crazyinliner545454]

Dude this guy is a fucking master!

[AesirSovann]

teach me! do you use ph test kits? how many degrees? for the heater.. :) thanks. i really want to make one nano but im afraid that the fish would just die.. and it cost a lot need to be prepared for everything

[observer855]

read read read read and then read some more.

Don't expect to be able to learn what you need to know over youtube.

[akcessdenied]

Nice setup... I luv the sump. Do you dose both of the A and B parts at the same time? I never used that stuff but have been thinking about getting some.

[hugo2x]

yes you can, just make sure not to mix the two parts directly together. check out my (how to increase coraline algea part 1&2) to see how it works

[eggerstout]

iphone in the background

[boombadan]

Love the drip doser. inspired me to make one. Lots of reasearch and moneysavers, i like it :)

[christopherstan]

great looking tank mate! however if i were you i would remove the u.v. as it takes all the phytoplankton out of the water, which your clam needs to feed on.

[hugo2x]

that is one down fall by using UV, I have to supplement my tank with manufactured Phyto, but I think its a reasonable trade off.

[gatomimoso]

Job well done.

[silvacpocket]

Wow man you did some work on that thank, what makes me glad its you know how to save some money, I wish you could tell me more about your lighting system, nice job.

[buki671]

thanks for the post.. this was a very helpful video.. i'm currently working on creating my salt water tank...

[hugo2x]

Glad you liked it. Good luck setting up your tank

[SpitRhyma]

I wish I could see how you made your drip system. I don't have sound so I'm going solely on visuals.

Check out my DIY water change system. not fully automatic though.

BTW: If that's a cover with multiple power cables in it then you should run the cables along the chains and put the cover around the chain AND the cord to make it more symetric and clean looking.

Cool SW tank! Maybe some smaller fish instead of the clowns? Clowns would be happier in a 55G+ don't you think?

[hugo2x]

They'll do fine, as long as they pair up properly.

[quadrunner706]

do u think that the PC lighting could support a Bubble tip anemone cuz i have a 40g deep and i dont want to spend the money on a MH and i already have 1 coralife double compact hood 192w

[hugo2x]

I would strongly discourage putting anemones in nano tanks. They will move around, sting other corals, get into powerheads, and if they die, they can wipe your tank out.

[quadrunner706]

well its not exactly a nano its a 40 gallon breeder that im slowly making a reef tank

[observer855]

breeding clowns I assume?

[duartedl]

ur tank kick ass this is such a bad ass tank, good job you must have workerd hard congrats

[Eroborus]

Absolutly fantastic!

It must be very handy being good at DIY, I'm struggling to get a sump together for my tank myself, so I can appreciate how proffesional and well made your setup looks

Kudos son!

[Rodsfam]

nice job, congatulations !!

[rtrally]

good job,  your tank is great

[quaqa88]

How does the B-Ionic drip into the sump without the use of your hand pushing down on the syringe to push out it's contents into the tank?

[CoralMan24]

I really like your setup. I think I'm gonna have to borrow your syringe idea for one of my setup's great DIY project. cant wait to see your next video.

[fihsboy]

Very impressive. I have a similar setup, and its irritating as hell that no one will make a stand for a 29 and a 20 sump. I have the same setup. Your tank looks really healthy. Very impressed.

[cancereaterhaho]

That's a great set up! Good job.

[derekdicenso]

do you think your fish might jump out of the tank.nice tank!

[briishspy]

you know the overflow pipe where the air outlet is, did you put a bend in in so salt residue wouldn't form on the air outlet from water being splashed up from flowing down the t piece

[hugo2x]

yea, it really works well. I used a 45 instead instead of straight pipe for the vent so that all the splashing water will hit the side of the 45 and drip back down in the system.

This way you can use filter pad to dampen the sound of the vent with out it getting completely saturated with salt creep.

[paintballmaniac2008]

no any tank up to 50 gallons

[omgomgomg12321]

anything more then a 20 gallon is not a nano but great tank

[1legions]

thats dedication yes great tank, but not picking up your cel so the video comes through, lol..thats nice:)

[kickflipross]

absolutely incredible. well done

[jillianmarquett]

This is outstanding! You REALLY know what you're doing.