Looking for self contained Kitchen aquarium
- Thread starter djh
- Start date
Not sure what size you are looking for, but I set up a five gallon bowfront Galaxy (Eclipse) in the corner behind my kitchen sink. It houses the filtration and lighting in the hood. I don't use a heater because the volume of water is so small that it stays at the right temp. And I do a small water change every other day to keep from using a skimmer. So far it is looking great.
I actually set it when I decided to exile a nasty little damsel, but I am having alot of fun with it.
Just my $.02.
Jen
I actually set it when I decided to exile a nasty little damsel, but I am having alot of fun with it.
Just my $.02.
Jen
I have a three gallon eclipse in my kitchen right next to the sink. Next to it are a two gallon explorer (same as an eclipse but no light) and also a one gallon hex (no light) that I'm using to grow caulerpa. I have a three foot grow light under the cabinets about ten inches over the tanks. The hex gets indirect light from the kitchen window (metal blinds on window) as well. Everything is doing great. I'm having a lot of fun with it, especially the eclipse. I did take the biowheels out of the eclipse tanks though, they were making the nitrates high. I don't have protein skimmers because it's just too easy to do a weekly water change with the tanks being right next to the sink for drainage. As soon as I can find a heater small enough, I will be putting heaters in the tanks.
I really enjoy the little eclipse tank with the light. It's not very high flow or vho lighting, but for the macroalgae, live rock/sand and dwarf seahorses it does great. If you get anything really teeny to live in there, though, you'll want to cover up the intake with sponge so nothing gets sucked up.
For some reason, I have little amphipods (I hope I have the right word--the little shrimp looking dudes, but they're not shrimp)that also like to live in the filter up in the hood. Apparently they get plenty to eat up there. They just lay flat along the top of the filter pad, and if I take them out they swim right back in. So I just leave them there now.
I really enjoy the little eclipse tank with the light. It's not very high flow or vho lighting, but for the macroalgae, live rock/sand and dwarf seahorses it does great. If you get anything really teeny to live in there, though, you'll want to cover up the intake with sponge so nothing gets sucked up.
For some reason, I have little amphipods (I hope I have the right word--the little shrimp looking dudes, but they're not shrimp)that also like to live in the filter up in the hood. Apparently they get plenty to eat up there. They just lay flat along the top of the filter pad, and if I take them out they swim right back in. So I just leave them there now.
I was thinking more on the lines of a 20 gallon. I scene a 44 gallon pentagon at a fish store. I think it was made by perfection. I was wandering if anyone had scene a 20 gallon like that. I figure I could run a tunze on top and no sump. Maybe light it with PCs or a 175 MH.
Canadawest:
I bought he CSL 32 watt "upgrade" for my eclipse. With the smartlite it looks like less light than the one 50:50 and one 10K NOs that I had in the standard hood. By moving one set of brackets over as far as possible I was able to add the 10K with the smartlite. Now it looks like a small improvement in lighting. The smartlite alone was far to blue for me.
I bought he CSL 32 watt "upgrade" for my eclipse. With the smartlite it looks like less light than the one 50:50 and one 10K NOs that I had in the standard hood. By moving one set of brackets over as far as possible I was able to add the 10K with the smartlite. Now it looks like a small improvement in lighting. The smartlite alone was far to blue for me.
I have a Eclipse System Twelve (12 gallon bowfront) that I use as a hospital/breeding tank as well as for growing caulerpa.
Great little tanks, all you need to do is add a litte sand, rock and a 50W heater. If you have live rock in the tank I also recommend taking the bio-wheel out, it's not needed.
No skimmer on it, and I do a small water change once every week or so to keep the nitrates down.
There is also a great 32watt PC upgrade kit available for it from CSL that I will be getting soon.
Great little tanks, all you need to do is add a litte sand, rock and a 50W heater. If you have live rock in the tank I also recommend taking the bio-wheel out, it's not needed.
No skimmer on it, and I do a small water change once every week or so to keep the nitrates down.
There is also a great 32watt PC upgrade kit available for it from CSL that I will be getting soon.
djh, here is an idea for you.
Go with a 20 standard glass tank. Use black acrylic to partion 1/4 of one end of the tank off. This can serve as your sump. Slots in the acrylic let the water overflow from the main tank into the sump so you get surface skimming and keeps a constant water level in the main tank. Put your heater, return pump, carbon etc. in this sump out of sight. Plumb the pump return back through the acrylic divider. Cover the sump portion of the tank with black acrylic or similar to make it look cosmetic. Go with a 175W 10K MH or PCs. No need to use a skimmer with this setup, just change 1 to 2 gallons of water a week. If you want, you can fit a small skimmer in the sump area. I have a setup like this at work and it has been going great for almost 3 years now. I originally had a small homemade skimmer, but have long since disconnected it. It has been the lowest maintainance tank I have had. I don't even add any supplements, just top off the water every few days.
Here is a pic viewed from the end of the tank. You can see the acrylic divider and pump return in the back.
--- Ken
Go with a 20 standard glass tank. Use black acrylic to partion 1/4 of one end of the tank off. This can serve as your sump. Slots in the acrylic let the water overflow from the main tank into the sump so you get surface skimming and keeps a constant water level in the main tank. Put your heater, return pump, carbon etc. in this sump out of sight. Plumb the pump return back through the acrylic divider. Cover the sump portion of the tank with black acrylic or similar to make it look cosmetic. Go with a 175W 10K MH or PCs. No need to use a skimmer with this setup, just change 1 to 2 gallons of water a week. If you want, you can fit a small skimmer in the sump area. I have a setup like this at work and it has been going great for almost 3 years now. I originally had a small homemade skimmer, but have long since disconnected it. It has been the lowest maintainance tank I have had. I don't even add any supplements, just top off the water every few days.
Here is a pic viewed from the end of the tank. You can see the acrylic divider and pump return in the back.
--- Ken
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