Fish's 2 gallon nano tank - 8" cube.

[MrNerfmod]

thats rilly cool man good work!

[earthling1984]

i come back to this vid often just to hear the song :) the tank is beauiful as well :)

[chickenswaffles2]

So is it drilled? Where's it overflow to? How does it work??? haha

[DanJeffery07]

Beautiful, this vid inspired me to do one of these, Ive got a lot of experience with fresh but no salt, how hard do you think this would be if I had something like a 20 gal sump for a 2 gal tank? I can hide a big sump pretty easy in my house. Do I need a filter or just some pumps? Thanks! 5*

[N1njaFish]

@DanJeffery07

A large sump attached to a nano display would be a great system. The only challenge you would have is designing your overflow. If it was me I would have the tank viewable from three sides with a false back wall (black acrylic) serving as an overflow with two bulkheads in the bottom of the tank behind the wall. Two bulkheads would allow you to use a "herbie"-style drain which would be silent/safe/and bubble free without having to mess with a durso-style standpipe. HTH

Chad

[earthling1984]

got a question, as this video has been up for a long time and I have watched it for a long time just to hear this song. This isn't audioswap is it?!? if it is, I need to use it... but my question is, if it isn't audioswap, how are you using it?

[N1njaFish]

Thanks guys!

[psybera1987]

@N1njaFish i came out here in search of a bulletproof aquarium :D i dont like my tank breaking :p

[earthling1984]

I have commented before.. but I come back to this video sometimes just because... it is so beautiful. Great images and great song... Thanks for a great video :)

[reefsforme]

That's 2 gallons? It seems much more. Pretty wild setup. 10 stars for it!

[brandon429]

Buddy a guy offered me 800 for the micro pico at a show and I let him walk off with it then shut down and went to the mall lol

would never fault a man for a business transaction lol but I still keep the vase. I'll click around the sites to see if you still kept one man, if not I know you'll be back soon

I ride a heritage softail 03 man do you do sport bikes or cruisers

any chance a ninja ~ would love to try a rocket. I truly think I could pull a wheelie lol

[N1njaFish]

The heritage softail is a beautiful bike. No, I haven`t owned a ninja (except once in college but that was just to flip to make some cash).

The sale of my nano went to pay for a 1978 cb550f (the same model and vintage as my first bike when I was 14 so I end up buying it every time I come across one)

In the past three years I have gone through a few modern bikes as well: suzuki dl1000 v-strom, honda 919, and kawasaki versys. no harley yet but I would love an xr1200 someday. 

Cheers brother.

[brandon429]

Ninja do I have to pay you to get you to post an update pic or vid lol. please tell me the cube reef is still going man if so that makes it the oldest two gallon reef

man update a '429er pls ~

B

[N1njaFish]

Sorry Brandon, I sold the entire system a while ago when I decided to change hobbies from reefing to motorcycling. I will see if I can get an update from the current owner.

Chad

[D081]

thats pretty cool

but the music made me cwy

[MrTomster93]

this is not a 2 gallon tank lol

[routerguy666]

Such an excellent tank, keep coming back just to be jealous over it heheh.

[TheDattazboi]

wut is the name of that song i keep coming bak to this vid 4 it XD

[N1njaFish]

The song is "Shallow Water" by Sylver

[routerguy666]

This is cool. I just wish you'd dump the music and do some voiceover explaining what went into the setup. Would be really helpful.

[N1njaFish]

Fair enough. After two years I agree the music is getting a little stale.

Chad

[myangel833]

Gotta love those xenia! Tank looks very good

[coralscraftslady]

Fish! I finally hooked up my Filstar filter to my nano! Seems to be flowing much better! How is your nano doing now?

[lgarvey]

now all you need is.... a great big HIPPO tang!

[coralscraftslady]

lol! :)

[brandon429]

great setup fish. I also believe that's the longest time self sustained in a pico, 14 days rocks nice job

[taintedeyez]

Uber cool idea! I love looking at how expansive ocean life is. All you need is to know how to maintain the levels for a habitat and BAM! Crazy life. Its like getting your first sea monkey kit x a billion because live rock may spawn just about anything.

[tushkan22]

amazing

[redgravel92]

excellent job thoe is the eheim filters and stuff not a bit ott for a 2.5 gallon tank ?

[fatboysdsm]

vary nice setup

[letik]

It was quick.

I have prominent gamma/L pump. Model GALA 1601PPE200UD112000.

it does 1.1L/hour at 260psi

The manual for it is huge. Maybe you can do me a favor and look at it.

Since I think it has min 1 stroke per minute then I can make it pump 146ml/day at 100% stroke length.

Where did you get the piping for it? I'm a handy man but buying piping online without trying ...?

Thanks

[N1njaFish]

The pumps best suited are the ones that can be toggle to strokers per hour - because even only one stroke per minute is still 60 strokes per hour, or 60 times as much water as of 1 stroke per hour. It is good that you are running it at 100% stroke length, because that is when these pumps are most consistent/accurate. This is how you can figure out if it will work or not: Take your max output (1.1 liters) and divide that by the max number of strokes that the pump does when at full speed.

[N1njaFish]

That number will tell you how much water is in a single stroke. Now multiply that number x 60 and it will tell you how much water it will pump in an hour at the minimum setting. Multiply that by 24 and it will tell you how much in a day.. if this number is more than 146 ml, than you know if won't work. You could decrease the stroke length (I dont think less than 50% is advised), or think about using a timer to turn the pump off for part of the day.If it can do strokes per hour than no problem!

[letik]

Ninjafish, awesome tank you got! Wanted to ask you. What is the brand name and model of your metering pump??? Thank you

[N1njaFish]

Thanks Letik!

My pump is a Microtron series by Advantage Controls. Each of the metering pump companies will have a model in their lineup that doses smaller quantities, at higher pressures, and feature LCD adjustment instead of control knobs. These models make the best choice for nanos because they are capable of finer adjustments. If you are setting it up on a nano - make sure the pump has the option to toggle from strokes per minute to strokes per hour.

[N1njaFish]

I had my pump set to add 3/4 of a milliliter every three minutes - the exact rate of evaporation in my tank - in real time so livestock never experienced any fluctuation in salinity. I just had to fill up the ro/di reservior bucket every three weeks. I once left the tank completely alone for 14 days when I went on vacation. I filled the topoff bucket and added live snails to the tank for my mantis shrimp (light on timers of course). My livestock didn't even know I was gone! Not bad for 2gal

[Cicada1337]

FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUCCCKKKK

[twatbass]

OMG THATS AWESOME I JUST JACKED OFF

[Jeffwang33]

what's for the lighting?

[N1njaFish]

Lighting is a 70w halide with an electronic ballast and a 20k de bulb that I retrofitted into a desk lamp fixture. HTH

Chad

[JZX100Chaser]

That's a 2 gallon? That's kind of big.

But still, looking forward to see how this goes, and I'm thinking of doing a budget Nano Tank.

[SmexiSimon]

Omg i saw this about a year ago .. i was thinking of getting a new tank , i had one when i was younger in my lounge when i was like 10 ( then i was 14 ) , this vid convinced me , the music.. i didnt have a youtube acc so i did comment but i hunted for this song ( then got it on my phone ) and now im 15 and i got my tank :)

thanx , ifyou hadent posted this who knows if i would ever have a tank right now :P

thanx .. this music has put me to sleep many times while lying down in bed :P

[N1njaFish]

That's great to hear. Thanks! Best of luck with your tank,

Chad

[N1njaFish]

Hi and thanks. My 12" cube is the largest that I ever went (my hearts in nanos), but there are a number of hobbyists who have applied this idea to larger cubes.

- Chad

[coralscraftslady]

Yes, a large filter, but it keeps up with the two fish I have! I just wasn't happy with the one that came in the Bio! It makes a big difference!

[frankster262]

wow nice tank did you put any fish in there? it looks awsome but its just a little small but awsome, have you ever tried this on a larger tank?

[twatbass]

whats up with the fucking gay ass music

[fishunter11]

hahaha that is a massive filter for that tiny tank!

[AIVENDETTA32]

nice tank very well done...Come see my tank just staring

[coralscraftslady]

Thanks! I just converted my Rena Filstar 3 into a filter for my nano tank yesterday, and so far no leaks! At least I know I could figure out how you did that now, with the holes in the bottom. I used to have a refugium with drilled holes, and hardware, that was gravity fed into my main tank. It's kind of fun, inventing new ways to have tanks! :)

[N1njaFish]

Great job! I have always looked at those Renas as being a good deal and wondered how they would work when modded.

[coralscraftslady]

I'm back again! :) Are you using Halogen bulbs on your tank, since it is so small? Or Halide? Where did you find such a nice light? I'm stocking up on ideas! After the house renovation,,,,,,,,hmmmmmmmmmmm­m! :)

[N1njaFish]

You are right on both counts. The light began life as a 150w halogen drafting lamp but after I bought it, I took out all the guts and put a 70w metal halide bulb in it (20k). The electronic ballast for the halide is sitting on the desk like a sweet paper weight in the video. Good luck in your search,

Chad

[jcallesano]

rimless tanks are awesome! Good job.

First postitve comment ive posted on a fish vid in a long time!

[justy308]

Hi- Amazing tank! And great song choice.

How do you keep the sand from being drawn into the filter?

[N1njaFish]

I had to use crushed gravel because it does not get blown around as much. Also, because the water return traveled up through the water column, hit the surface, and swept down the sides - by the time the current gets to the bottom of the tank, it is not going too fast.

Chad

[lttbreno]

Friend! What's this music?

[N1njaFish]

Hi. The music in this video is called "Shallow Water" by Sylver.

Cheers,

Chad

[coralscraftslady]

Still pictures I mean. With my digital camera! Haven't learned how to use the video function yet!

[coralscraftslady]

Thanks for the answer! I guess it was kind of a dumb question, as that is how I built my own cannister filter, but I used a lock lock box from Walmart, and I did cut the end off of the cord, and drill a hole, but I didn't know if the power in the big filter, would make it leak a lot easier from water pressure! Ok, that gives me some ideas! I'd show you my tank, but I can't figure out how to make video with my camera! :) Maybe soon! It's in Reef Sanctuary, under "Kate" :)

[coralscraftslady]

Fish, I built my own cannister filter, for my eight gallon nano, but if I was to use a big one, like you did, how did you get the cords for the light and heater in, without it leaking? Did you cut a hole, or just close it on the cords?

[N1njaFish]

Hi and thanks for the question. It will just leak if you try and close it on the cords. What you need to do is cut the plug off of the end of the electrical cord then drill a tiny hole in the top of the cannister filter (the plastic is softer there and not prone to cracking like the sides). Make sure you make the hole small enough that the electrical cord just BARELY squeezes through. Ideally, it would be tight enough that you wouldn't need silicone...

[N1njaFish]

but still use a lot of silicone around the cord on the inside and outside of the hole. Then, just wire the plug back on and tape it up. I would recommend that you only add the light and then see how your temperature is. Chances are that it will do a good enough job of maintaining the temp. If you can avoid drilling a hole for a heater, then you cut your hassles (and risks) in half. Best of luck!

Chad

[bucc4life]

very nice

[earthling1984]

I have a nano tank too - a 3gallon. I have a question for you, since your tank seems topless; how do you maintain Salt(SG) levels? I would think with the amount evaporating that would be hard. On my nano I have the top sealed really well so the water evaporates very slowly, I barley ever need to top it off.

[earthling1984]

maybe you have a hidden sump/refugium i don't see which contains more water and helps maintain levels?

[N1njaFish]

Hi and great question. You can see a red pump in my videos (the display shows strokes/hour). That pump is a laboratory-grade diaphragm metering pump that I researched for this project. The pump is injecting ro/di water into my return plumbing at the EXACT rate of real-time evaporation (1/3 of a ML each three minutes). I merely fill the topoff reservoir bucket every three weeks or so and the pump does the rest. The result: extremely low maintenance + rock-solid stability. Zero SG fluctuation

[N1njaFish]

The canister filter itself is a "hidden refugium", as you call it. The canister contains more water volume than the nano itself and is packed with LR rubble and chaetomorpha which is illuminated by a submersible halogen light bulb that I retrofitted. I also added a heater to maintain temp.

Summary - my modded canister filter provides all my water movement, hides all the equipment, increases water volume, aids nutrient export through LR and macro algae, and is a place for 'pods to grow, etc

[maromi3nick]

By far the best nano reef i have seen. You show that a nano reef can be done properly and set a good example. Amazing set up!

[N1njaFish]

Thanks for the kind words!

All the best,

Chad

[earthling1984]

I had to respond again since you answered my questions so nicely. This is an amazing setup. Very nice job!

[earthling1984]

;o love the song too for the video :) dunno what it is, but nice and calming :) I should get some music like this to listen to while I watch my fish tanks(which I do quite often, my TV is probably really jealous)

[rustytrombonist2]

im making a 1/16 gal one lol

[pegbinz]

Nice but get a bigger one you will be able to keep evan nicer fish in a bigger one look at a cow fish they get about 18" you prob need 250 mabey 300l tank but well worth it

[maylovedbsk]

wow looks profesional

[wtfshalliput]

All i can say is wow, look how you are rewarded for your efforts... Brilliant, it goes to show it doesnt matter about the size, all that matters if the effort. Great job on the tank, with no equipment showing.

[cobaltftw]

wow thats pretty small

[zephyrus321]

Very Very Very well done, its the best nano riff i ve ever seen. this video is a reason to set up a tank, too.

[demonhordelock7]

Awesome you are a pro !

[coralscraftslady]

That is one neat little set up! I have an eight gallon nano! You can do so much, with so little! :)

[toxmot]

Can you tell me who the singer is? I'm guessing the title is shallow waters? You chose the perfect song.

[N1njaFish]

Thanks! The group is called "Sylver". All the best,

- Chad

[N1njaFish]

Thanks guys! Unfortunately, I am taking a break from the hobby for a while and have sold all my equipment. The dosing pump will be my last item to go up on Ebay : (

Oh well, I'll probably get back into it in the future...

All the best,

_ Chad

[CroyfYohan]

Ive got to say i like your approach with the arrangements with the live rock in the center built up rather than every body else's approach all built up at the back off tank :P i really like how you only see the tank aswell really nice job i've just started out with reef tanks 2 mollies blue legged hermit crab and couple bits live rock to mature the tank for few weeks then goin to build on it

[ryukin84]

Beautiful tank.. i think you have perfected it, lighting and even with the live rocks sticking it all together and getting the filtration right..

[N1njaFish]

Haha thanks. That's the look I was going for: just a glass of water that ran itself. The red pump you see in the video is a laboratory grade metering pump that I used to add ro/di topoff water at the exact real-time rate of evaporation. I once put some snails in the tank for the mantis and went on vacation for two weeks. When I came back, all I had to do was clean the glass! It ran perfectly without me for two weeks... not bad for a 2gal nano.

- Chad

[youngdadd]

is all that filtration necessary for that glass of water?

jokes It's a really really Amazing setup.

[152089pat]

great set up i'm making one t

[My7EatsV8s]

what is the tank itself made from?(glass or acrylic) did you make it

why did you drill the bottom in and out so close together ?

whats the flow like?

does it push the water UP and around the rock?

Is it 1 rock or a stack

sorry about the ???

i just want to know

ill reply a vid of my nano

thanks

[N1njaFish]

The tank is made of starfire glass.

I put the bulkheads in the bottom so close together because that allowed me to hide them better.

The tank has 40x turnover - flow is good. The flow hits the top of the water and then sweeps downwards on every side.

The rock is one peice that I made by glueing together a couple pieces.

All the best,

- Chad

[sparkynfee]

spot on!

[sparkynfee]

NICE!

[PeterYorkProduction]

a poorly placed fart could knock that right off the desk...be carefull

[tcfuturevet]

Good thing jabman was just joking about having a blue hippo, yeloow, and 3 percula clows is a 2 gln. He scared me when i read that but i know i see that he was just joking.

[oakleyguy882]

Wow, thats a MH retrofitted into a desk light? Amazing

[N1njaFish]

Thanks! It was a halogen drafting lamp from staples that I gutted and put in a 70w de halide. I use a 20k bulb which gives really nice color. All the best,

- Chad

[jabman549]

cool tank. I had a 2 gal nano also, but my blue hippo tang, yellow tang, and three percula clown fish just didn't seem to like it. Maybe I had too much live rock in it(?).

just joking, cool tank though.

[andrewtheguitarist]

ok.... well i have like 7503948750893 10-20g tanks in my dads shed. Anyways you have no idea of how much of a help you are to me. I have one last question. How in the heck do you make saltwater though? My dad still isnt convinced so im making a PPT for him. THANK YOU!

[andrewtheguitarist]

thank you. MABIE lol i can convince my mom to help me out lol. But it will definetly be something to save my pennies for. I Might be able to find a cheaper way of getting one. Still though. Its seriously that much for a 2g tank? Stunning. freshwater fish make me look poor. Lol my first goldfish and full setup was $30 US!!!!!!! Wow.... anyways i like south american chiclids...... they are pretty lol.

[N1njaFish]

For sure you don't have to spend a ton of money to do SW. You could set up a 10gal saltwater tank for a lot less. Eg, Tank (free), powerhead ($30), lights ($70), live rock ($50), heater (you already have those). But when I built this tank I used custom starfire glass with bulkheads, metal halide light retrofitted into desk lamp, lab-grade topoff pump, canister filter (modified with submersible lights and heater)... and it added up. : (

[andrewtheguitarist]

i would appreciate some info on how to setup a nano 10g reef and the least amount of money one costs because my mom might get me one for my birthday or something. I cant afford one *im only 11* please tell me how. Plus ive already been a passionate freshwater hobbyist for a long time. Please i would apreshiate the info also how much does this setup cost? My mom would have no problem getting this for me.

[N1njaFish]

Sorry but this tank cost me about $500 and would cost a lot more if I paid full retail on everything. The chemical metering pump that I use to add topoff water is for laboratory applications and costs $1000US (I got it for a lost less). The online forums have a lot of information on setting up a tank, or you could buy one of those all-in-one tanks (ie: aquapod, nanocube, etc) There isn't enough space here to write everything you need. Do lots of reading! Patience is the key. Best of luck.

[slothboy77]

Completely stunning, congratulations, that must have been very hard. Wow, just wow.. amazing.

[N1njaFish]

Thanks! I really appreciate the compliment.

- Chad

[DRISSERY]

Hi Have you had any trouble with bristle worms in the live rock? If so how did you eradicate them!

Simon.

[N1njaFish]

Hi, I haven;t had any problems with bristle worms. I have a few but they are small and i like the diversity. They usually only become a plague if you are overfeeding the tank. I did have a flatworm infestation though... but one dose of "flatworm exit" fixed the problem. Cheers, Chad

[N1njaFish]

Haha thanks Yamaha.

The girl,

The fixture is a halogen desk lamp that I bought from Staples then gutted and added a 70w metal halide retrofit to. I wanted to have a tank that 'fit in' on my desk at my office.

- Chad

[YamahaWolverine350]

will you come to my house and help me set something like that up. nice job!

[thegirlsaidviv]

wow that looks so good ;) what kind of fixture is that? is it just a desk lamp?

[wongthegreat]

nice man how old is that nano! its very impressive. hows the water in it, very stable? i love it man. i dont think my 5 gal nano will ever beat that lol. =(

[N1njaFish]

Thanks. The filter has all of the equipment in it and is all hidden under the desk. The only thing visible in the tank is the intake and return holes for the filter hoses.

- Chad

[paul1122]

That's great! Like a mini-paradise! How did you hide all the wires from filter/heater?

10/10!

Paul

[smartcocker]

very impressive. cool thought. + nice music

[N1njaFish]

Thanks Michelle! The music is by Sylver, the song is "shallow water" I think.

muscho,

It's called 'nano reefing' - an advanced form of marine aquarium keeping.

- Chad

[michelle02wilson]

Gorgeous tank and great music! who is that track by? :o)

[musho3210]

too small tank for saltwater

[N1njaFish]

Thanks! I haven't set up a website yet, just some different threads in the websites I mentioned in the description. Check them out.

[joachimgelhaus]

pretty impressive technology. Is there a website with detailed pictures?