And now for something completely different...

[Stang67]

So out of the blue I stumbled on a posting on FB for a 10g tank. I have been kicking around some ideas for my FW 55g and my old 29g and never thought of going smaller. I offered the guy 50$ thinking there is no way he would take it. Turns out not only did he take it but he lived about 5 doors down the street . So I am the proud new owner of

That's right ladies and gents. For 50 bucks no less. Has everything but a light and wave maker too. Just so happens I have a spare of each that will work for the initial start up. Going to set it up in the home office. It is in nice shape too. No scratches and just needs a little cleaning up and this bad boy is ready to go! I am off to amazon to find a stand so I will update as I go. Super excited to start my 3rd build thread. Not what I had planned but sometimes you cant always get what you want, you get what you need.

 

[Stang67]

Stand ordered should be here by end of the week. Cleaned out the tank today with some water and vinegar and it looks brand new. Now I will need an ATO so that will be Black Friday. They are running a deal on the one I have for the 65 and I really like that one. It hasn't given me any issues for the time I used it on the 29 and now the 65 so I may just bite the bullet and get another one. Esp for a small tank I am going to need it. I hated topping off the tanks in the past. I know it will be worth it. Then I might as well get a good(ish) light the one I have will work but it wont be ideal. There is no way I am spending anything over 100 on that either. Also gonna need another Kasa strip. I have one on the 65 and one on my freshwater and i tell you what they make it so much easier to control things. ching ching ching......

 

[Stang67]

Think we are going with this light.....

 

[Stang67]

Sorry here is a pic of the stand

 

[Stang67]

So it's all assembled. Ordered my light off amazon. The nicrew 30w gooseneck led with the controller. Should be here tomorrow. Couldn't pass up the deal on the ato going on now either so ordered that as well. May head out to my lfs this weekend and see about some rock or may just wait to see if it goes on sale with everything else. Going with Marco this time. Used the generic stuff for my other tanks and really didnt care for how it turned to mush in some spots.
I have some filter sponges that have been curing in my sump for about 6 months now. So I was going to use those to seed the tank along with some live rock enhance that I have in the fridge. Have a couple bits of rubble I can move over for coraline.
Now all I have to do is figure out what I am going to put IN it.

 

[highest_tides]

Looking good! Sounds fun

 

[Stang67]

Looking good! Sounds fun

Thanks. This will be my 3rd tank set up and it is my favorite part. The patience it takes is good exercise for my rat race brain.

 

[Stang67]

I have been wasting the day looking at aquascapes to get some inspiration.
I would like something similar to stalagmites that stick up from the sandbed like fingers.
3fingers should be good all different heights maybe. Thinking of buying a bag of rock rubble and a very large bottle of super glue and going to town this weekend.......

 

[Stang67]

Oh and I installed the cbb light. Bigger then I thought it would be. Got the timer controller thingy too and although a bit clunky is worth it as you can set it up however you want both by time and intensity ramp up and down.
Pretty nifty. For 70$ I am not about to complain.

 

[Stang67]

Ordered some rock rubble and found EXACTLY what I was looking for. A NSA. And low and behold BRS has a video on it. So we have the scape. Stocking thanks goes to SWA and Mr. Saltwaters videos on office tanks. We will be getting a goby shrimp pair. I cant stand serpent starfish though they give me the heebie jeebies so we will be going with a pink streak wrasse.

 

[Staindsoul]

Nice find! Can't wait to see it stocked up.

 

[Stang67]

Ok so the first attempt is not quite what I was going for, but I do like the idea. I will have to admit trying to scape this 10g is proving to be a challenge. It's just so small. But is is very helpful thinking about where things will be getting put on the scape. It's hard not thinking all the little ledges look stupid, that's where all the coral will be. I want it to be just a bit taller though say 2-3 inches for each one. And I am going to have to get some permanent concrete. I have broken off more then one bit and ledge multiple times. I did try different sticky stuff. Plain glue, glue with baking soda, putty, that weird heat activated stuff. It was fun and messy and frustrating. So here is what we have to start with.

These NSA's are fun but take terrible pix. Thoughts?

 

[Stang67]

So I finally just broke down and ordered the CA glue and accelerator off amazon. And yes it is the best method of gluing for a nano NSA scape. The accelerator smelled a bit like carb cleaner. Yes I know what carb cleaner smells like but that is a different thread on a different site. The scape looks amazing to me. All these little nooks and crannies, like an English muffin. I really put some thought into where I was going to put coral too so there aren't alot of shaded spots. I also set it up so that the primary viewing angle would be from my office chair, not straight on. I am really proud of it. Anywho, it is done and it holds water, the return pump works (after a bit of cajoling) and its heating up now. Will get better pix when the murkiness is gone.

 

[Stang67]

Front

Right side

Left side

 

[Stang67]

Salinity is good. Ato is set and good to go. Added some ammonia and 3 sponge filters for the bacteria seed from my dt sump. Now we wait. Lights on only for dramatic affect.

 

[TJflip44]

Looking good. I am currently setting up the water box 20 cube for my sons first tank. I wanted to do a NSA scape as well but came up with a descent looking scape with the rocks as they were so I didn’t dare bust them up in case the NSA didn’t turn out.

 

[Weasel1960]

Looks great keep us posted on the progress

 

[Stang67]

Looking good. I am currently setting up the water box 20 cube for my sons first tank. I wanted to do a NSA scape as well but came up with a descent looking scape with the rocks as they were so I didn’t dare bust them up in case the NSA didn’t turn out.

Its weird with the NSA it looks absolutely dreadful in the pix but in person its pretty cool. My boyfriend said it looks like 2 rock transformers in battle.

 

[Stang67]

I do need to figure out something to help reduce the shimmer this light throws off. Think I will just start with reducing the intensity and then go from there. I am not naming my first fish in the tank Tony Manero.

 

[TJflip44]

Its weird with the NSA it looks absolutely dreadful in the pix but in person its pretty cool. My boyfriend said it looks like 2 rock transformers in battle.

I think yours turned out really nice I joust worry about mine not turning out well and not being able to go back to the scape I have worked out now.