My Nano 15L refurb and DIY light

I really like a good looking nano and i asked on this forum a little while ago if anyone had one for me. Luckily @Whipme (THANKS A MILLION) had a really nice one for me.
Originally i was planning on going the LED route, but this was just too costly for the good stuff as i was not convinced that the led light strips would be very effective as i want to plant this nano and have a decent growth rate.
anyways here is where I am with the project at the moment.

Originally the nano came in a sturdy black box of which im still using the base but have removed the hood, this is because after a trial run there was WAY too much condensation getting trapped in the hood causing mold and wood problems , not to mention a wet desk surface from all the condensation. so i had a think about what to do about it, i decided to go open top instead of solving the condensation problem with a fan, i especially like this as it gave me the option to forget about the LEDs and instead go for a more traditional lighting method.
So as another member i have seen do, i chopped up a gutter and now have a lamp structure. Painted it with enamel gloss black and then sanded it finely and will spraypaint the lot with a gloss black.

to be continued....

 

All the pieces are finished, now to put them together.

And here is the finished product.


Lighting: 1*18w phillips cool daylight 6500K cfl
Filter: Sump like system with 2 compartments at back of nano, with ceramic tubes filter floss and filter pad.
Flow: 200L/h water pump
Heating: 50W heater
Substrate: undecided want to go PFP and chemicult but researching into leaching as i dont want a tannin water here.

 

last pic.
Now to figure out how to scape it....

 

nice work
I love these little nanos .It looks great.

 

I used PFP and Nutrifeed capped with PFS in my 1.2 and it hardly leached - max 2 water changes and it was clear. However, I don't know if you have enough space to put a thick enough layer of PFS. You could try the new Tropica substrate that The Planted Tank is bringing in.

 

@Jenn how thick was/is your cap?

 

For PFP not to leach you need at least a 4cm cap and then still you leach some 2 or 3 waterchanges

 

Why not try a mineralised topsoil route? I'm trying that on my 1ft tank as an experiment...

 

My cap is +/- 2.5 cm.

 

@Firefly what is the recipe for your mineralised soil?

 

I found it on the internet. It was 3 parts soil to 1 part clay or something like that. Basically you moisten the soil and let it dry, repeating for a couple of days to get organics out. Then add clay powder or pottery clay to the mix. Get a gooey mix and add under substrate. Don't know how well it work but that's why I'm experimenting.

 

Love the DIY on the housing for your CFL ... Good Job !!

 

Oooh that's a good effort so far. Looks really good

 

I saw in another post you were asking about Nutrifeed. Nutrifeed used to be called Chemicult and they are the same thing. When I was looking for Chemicult I ran around all day trying to find it but NOBODY had it so I went home empty-handed. Then I did a bit of hunting on the inter-web & found out they are the same thing. :stupid: I had actually had the Nutrifeed in my hand earlier in the day and decided it would not work. It was in stock at the first place I went to. So, don't make the same mistake.

I would give you some of mine, but I don't think it would be worth the petrol. It doesn't cost that much.

 

@Jenn i have also realised that nutrifeed/chemicult are the same thing after reading the thread on ask the professor about the PFP, but what i am a bit confused about is the hydroponics nutrifeed or is it normal nutrifeed not too sure which one i should get!! and another question are you happy with the results for your PFP setup?

 

I have found the using pfp in a nano tank is an algae outbreak from an explosion. I personally feel that a good light plus good water column dosing on a nano is more than sufficient, and if you absoutely had to go with something for the substrate, either go for a complete substrate like seachem, or ada, or go with an inert substrate and use root tabs.

 

Considering I am not using CO2 and have only been dosing with DSD for the past 3 weeks, I would have to say yes. I have low maintenance plants - java fern, crypts, vallis and sword plants. The crypts are doing really well - never experienced crypt melt and very soon started sending out new shoots - even before I started ferts. The vallis is spreading nicely. The sword plants' colour is better since I started ferts. I put nails under the PFS - which is probably why the crypts are doing so well. I have noticed a slight green sheen on the rocks since I started with the ferts - I'm watching that.

However, this is in a 1.2m tank. I would take heed of what Zoom said about PFP in a nano tank. I have no experience of that.

 

I think in that thread somebody put a picture of Nutrifeed? Mine looks exactly like that. On the bag it says it can be used for hydroponics or in soil.

 

Man nice DIY i like it good luck

 

@themasterofSAURON

I'd be interested to hear the story of that particular nano you have. Now that I look at the pictures closer, that design looks almost dead certain to be one of @Vis tanks that he made when he was still in Ermelo. I had a tank EXACTLY like that which I donated as I had no need for it. I wouldn't be surprized if this is the same tank!

And that is the tank I tried PFP in... it was a disaster... don't even try.