Snake's 20g Nano Build thread

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I do side work setting up and maintaining tanks. I only have a handful of tanks that I do. I'm actually a taxidermist by trade.
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387674/snake-s-20g-nano-build-thread/40#post_3415235
I do side work setting up and maintaining tanks. I only have a handful of tanks that I do. I'm actually a taxidermist by trade.
Oh that's cool... my sister also had a side business doing stuff with tanks and I did it with her but now she got accepted to veterinary school so she's dealing with all the entrance papers, etc... so in taxidermist you mean like stuffing animals?
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Yes, I preserve God's creatures for a living.
So anyway, may I direct everyone to a thread that I started having to deal with the microbubbles in my sump creating a problem in my display tank? Take a look! https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/387823/microbubble-problem
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
So, overall I didn't get much done to the aquarium this weekend. I think I am going to build a box next to the aquarium that will house all of my electrical equipment. That shouldn't be too hard. I'll post some pics of that build when I get the time to do it.
This Monday my live rock ships out and I should be getting it by Wednesday. I have to go tomorrow to see a man about a job offer. I'll be working two jobs for a few months while my dad is recovering from a heart attack.
By the way, I just wanted to post my e-mail for people who are interested in talking to me about aquarium related stuffs who may be too timid to post on here themselves or who don't want to create a member account to post. If you can't find something that you are looking for, I might be able to help. My e-mail is SnakeBlitz33@gmail.com Very simple, eh? And to all the spammers out there - I have pretty good filtration on my e-mail account, so don't bother. :D
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387674/snake-s-20g-nano-build-thread/40#post_3415600
So, overall I didn't get much done to the aquarium this weekend. I think I am going to build a box next to the aquarium that will house all of my electrical equipment. That shouldn't be too hard. I'll post some pics of that build when I get the time to do it.
This Monday my live rock ships out and I should be getting it by Wednesday. I have to go tomorrow to see a man about a job offer. I'll be working two jobs for a few months while my dad is recovering from a heart attack.
By the way, I just wanted to post my e-mail for people who are interested in talking to me about aquarium related stuffs who may be too timid to post on here themselves or who don't want to create a member account to post. If you can't find something that you are looking for, I might be able to help. My e-mail is SnakeBlitz33@gmail.com Very simple, eh? And to all the spammers out there - I have pretty good filtration on my e-mail account, so don't bother. :D
So nothing much will be happening until your live rock comes in, right?
Anyways, you are a very nice and helpful person on this site.. unlike some others here.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Hah, thanks Traveler. I appreciate it.
Well, I jumped off the deep end and opened up an aquarium maintenance business. Yay. lol. I got started on it today, and hopefully I'll have a couple more clients by the end of the week. It's a good thing when you can use your own personal knowledge and experience to help others. Makes me feel good. :D
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387674/snake-s-20g-nano-build-thread/40#post_3415902
Hah, thanks Traveler. I appreciate it.
Well, I jumped off the deep end and opened up an aquarium maintenance business. Yay. lol. I got started on it today, and hopefully I'll have a couple more clients by the end of the week. It's a good thing when you can use your own personal knowledge and experience to help others. Makes me feel good. :D
That's pretty cool... as I said me and my sister had a similar business before she went to vet school...
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I pretty much eliminated my microbubble problem. I'll have to check it all out again soon to make sure. I put a small piece of filter floss on the top of my middle baffle. It's just laying there, not really filtering the water but collecting bubbles. I also zip tied a piece of filter floss to the bottom of the algae scrubber, so that even more bubbles are eliminated from the system. The home made bubble tower is starting to overflow a little bit, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I think I'm just going to monitor it for a little while.
My little side business isn't taking off yet. I have done a few things to advertise the business but nothing that is getting me some clients yet. Maybe I will put some ads in certain places. When it comes to advertising, I'm at a complete loss on what to do. Anyways, I'll get it figured out.
I'll be getting my live rock tomorrow! I got the tracking number and everything, so I'll be tracking it all morning! lol. I can't wait to get it in and set up. I guess it's an ok time right now to be off of work so much. I'm getting the house cleaned, advertising my business, setting up my tank, researching corals and being on here. Eh, I look at it like an unpaid semi-vacation.
I'll post pics tomorrow with the live rock so that ya;ll can see my aquascape and the quality of the rock. :D
 

sweatervest13

Active Member
Congrats on the business start-up!! Remember it takes time to get a book of business going, and generally the best advertising is word of mouth. Just keep doing a great job and the clients will come.
I am excited for you to get your rock, its like getting a nice birthday present. How much did you get? We are all looking forward to seeing pics of your aqua scape.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Hah, I don't have much time to aquascape because I have to get back to work soon. I don't know why anyone would want to see pics of my tank? heh. I did put all the rock in my tank and some in my sump though. Here's a few pics. Oh, and I bought 40 pounds of Caribbean live rock. Awesome quality. Coralline all over everything, a few free hermits and snails, some clams even. The fan worms are covering it and most of them are already out and trying to filter feed. Sponges galore and no sign of bad algaes like batafora or anything. 40# for $140 with free shipping. :D :D
Here they are. Note: My aquascape is not done yet.


 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I know your supposed to put your rock down first but sand was already in there and I don't plan on having any fish that will dig under the rock. I highly doubt that nassarious snails will create any problems. I'm happy with the quality of the rock. It's much, much better then what I have received in the past.
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Yay! It looks good! Glad to see that it is coming along... now we have to wait a long time so it can cycle.
On advertising your business... here are a few tips that are good in this business:
-a website... easy to do... just around $10-30 a year on web hosting
-business cards... local advertising shops or vistaprint...
-make flyers and put them in bulletin boards at pet shops...
-Go around to businesses like hotels, restaurants, places that might want a fish tank, and hand them a flyer and business card and describe how a tank could benefit them...
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Lol, Traveler - lets see if we can stay on the subject of my 20g reef tank for a little while? PM me if you have any other suggestions that don't relate to my tank on this thread. I do appreciate your help and advice on the subject, but I don't want to muddle up the thread with other conversations. Thanks!
 

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387674/snake-s-20g-nano-build-thread/40#post_3416808
Hah, I don't have much time to aquascape because I have to get back to work soon. I don't know why anyone would want to see pics of my tank? heh. I did put all the rock in my tank and some in my sump though. Here's a few pics. Oh, and I bought 40 pounds of Caribbean live rock. Awesome quality. Coralline all over everything, a few free hermits and snails, some clams even. The fan worms are covering it and most of them are already out and trying to filter feed. Sponges galore and no sign of bad algaes like batafora or anything. 40# for $140 with free shipping. :D :D
Here they are. Note: My aquascape is not done yet.



Looking good Snake. I like the aquascape, especially that little arch/cave in the front right. Starting to come together real nice.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Updates!
My wife asked me why I didn't put my aquarium in the living room, and I thought she didn't want me to, but she said YES!!! woohoo! So, Sunday afternoon I took my aquarium down and set it back up in the living room! Thank God it's only 20g with a 10g sump! Hah, I might have reconsidered if it was more than that. So, here are the move pics...

This is my work area after I changed out the outlet from a regular ungrounded 20amp outlet to an ungrounded GFCI Unit. GFCI's do not have to have grounds, and it's better to have an Ungrounded GFCI unit, rather then a two prong standard ungrounded unit. In the future, probably not in my current apartment - I will definitely have to make sure that all the outlets in the house are grounded. I guess I'm just paranoid. :D

This is the area all cleaned up and prepped for the move. The electrical cord is actually running to the tank in the other room.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member

Stand almost in its new place. Electrical work is all messed up.

Pic of inside the stand, with the return hose and everything in a complete and utter disaster.
During the move, my salinity dropped from 1.024 to 1.020-1.019 for some reason. I guess I was loosing some saltwater somewhere when I was putting the rock in, and the same when I did the move. Oh well, I'll get the salinity up over the next week or so. Just gotta make up some saltwater for top offs.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member

Filling the tank back up, a powerhead running in the water to keep it stirred.

Everything up and going. A new Coralife digital timer/powerstrip installed. I hate the look of the cords coming out beside the aquarium.
 
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