Reefing on the Edge: Part I

By Brian K. Griffin
 

In this series we are setting up the Fluval Edge as a nano reef tank. Other articles in the series are here : 
•  Week 2.
•  Week 3.
•  Week 4

When the Fluval Edge was released by Hagen, I fell in love with it—a cantilevered, seductive "floating" glass box of water—and decided immediately that I wanted to try to set one up as a nano reef. 

I knew there would be some challenges with this tank with its unusual configuration that would make it even more interesting and intriguing to set up as a reef tank. (Hagen is marketing it as a freshwater system.)  The goal of this project is to turn an Edge into a viable reef ecosystem without changing the unique and extremely appealing, clean design. 

We are setting out to do that here, together.  If you have questions regarding anything that is done or said, please don’t hesitate to send an email to brian@oceangalleryii.com.   I’ll answer the questions in the next issue.

Nano Simplicity
While I’ve had a few reef tanks over the last 20 years, small aquariums have been some of the most fulfilling. My first nano or what some may call a pico was an AGA (All-Glass) 2.5 gallon about 10 years ago. It was simple, a couple pounds of live rock, no skimmer and a 150W Iwasaki metal halide hanging over the top. I did weekly water changes and kept it up and running for almost a year. 
 
The Fluval Edge was released by Hagen in 2009. It is a 6 gallon glass aquarium that brings cutting edge style and design to the “nano” tank category. The most intriguing and unique aspect of the Edge’s design is the glass top. The aquarium is completely sealed with the exception of an opening located in the back center on the top of the tank. 

The raised opening is hidden under the canopy and allows for the water level to hide above the viewing area of the tank. This creates a clean and modern floating “water cube” effect devoid of traditional rims. Out of the box, the Edge comes equipped with the Fluval Edge filter (a version of the Hagen AquaClear line), which features full 3-stage mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration out of the box. The filter is completely hidden from view but is easily accessible and easy to maintain by removing the top canopy. 

It also sports a unique halogen light fixture built into the canopy of the aquarium. Powering two 10W halogen light bulbs, the hinged fixture can be lifted out of the way while the user does maintenance on the aquarium. The Edge is available in three different colors, Black, Pewter and Burnt Orange.

Let’s get this party started!!  When my Fluval Edge arrived at Ocean Gallery,  I opened up the box and found everything was packed well, it was almost as if it had been put together in the box.

The stand of the Edge is made up of three parts: The base which the aquarium sits on; the back, which houses the filter; and the canopy which hides the aquarium opening, the filter and the lights. The lights are MR11 style halogen lamps which are installed in an arm that extends over the tank.
 
The power button for the lamps is located on the top of the arm.  While it appears convenient, it’s actually cumbersome to have to remove the top to turn off the lights.  I would have preferred to see a switch on the cord itself.  According to Hagen, “cord switches are a no-no when water is involved. All it takes is a little water to get on the cord and it runs down the cord and get in the switch. UL, ETL and CSA forbid most line cord switches.  While there are some out there that work, it would probably add $20 to the cost of the unit.”  A simple timer resolves this issue.

The filter used is a small hang-on-the-back unit complete with “Edge” embossed on the cover. Included is a small sponge and bio-media. I’ll use the sponge but not the bio-media.

So that’s pretty much the contents of the box.  Putting it together was a snap and took maybe 15 minutes.

The Setup
Working in a store as large as Ocean Gallery makes setting up a nano really easy.  Most of what I need is in the store so I just need to grab it off the shelf or out of a tank. 

I debated with myself about whether or not to have a sand bed. I wanted to use the new MP10ES from Eco-Tech Marine, I knew that I would have a problem with the sand moving around and wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with the problem.  I have a love for pistol shrimp and gobies and knew that this was the perfect tank for the pair.  I also enjoy watching amphipods swimming and moving around the substrate, so in the end I opted for the sand. 

I initially planned to use live sand from our reef tanks, but, in the end decided to use Arag-Alive from CaribSea. It's a great size sand contains plenty of live bacteria to get this tank off and running. I used a 10-pound bag which gave me a little over an inch of sand throughout the tank.

Since I didn’t need a lot of live rock, I decided to just grab a few pieces from the reef tanks in our store.   It’s fully coralline encrusted so it provided a little jump start in the looks of the tank.
 
Now that the live rock was in the tank, it was time to setup the new MP10ES Vortech pump from EcoTech Marine. [A little history: Ten years ago Tim Marks use to hang out and visit when I was running Reefers. Who would have known that he would become the man behind EcoTech Marine and their great line of Vortech pumps?]

The MP10 with the EcoSmart controller sports a new look and many new features.
During the next couple of weeks, we’ll play around with these new features and some of the old ones. For now we’ll use the new EcoSmart TSM (Tidal Swell Mode).  This EcoSmart mode is used to create a harmonic balance in your aquarium reminiscent of the changing flow condi¬tions that would be found in nature. It has two phases, the first one consists of the pump pulsing at an expanding frequency so as to achieve a resonant wave in the aquarium. 

The second phase or nutrient flushing cycle is used to export nutrients and debris in the water column which can be captured by your protein skimmer or other filtration.  Of course, in this Edge we won’t be using a skimmer and only a small foam sponge for mechanical filtration.  I installed the MP10 in the back corner of the tank.  This should cause the water to flow in a circular motion around the tank. The live rock will break up the flow so that it is not laminar.

Once the MP10 was in place it was time to fill the tank with water. Since I had just made 300 gallons of water for a water change for the reef system at the store, I filled up a salt bucket with water and used that to fill the Edge.  Instead of just dumping it in the tank through the small opening, I set the bucket above the tank and using a siphon hose, let the water drain into the tank over the rock so that the sand wouldn’t be disturbed.

Once the tank was filled, we primed the filter, plugged it in and let her rip. The tank must be filled up to about ¼” above the edge in order to get all the air bubbles out of the top.

Once all was running we noticed that a rock was a bit out of place, I did what was natural and stuck my hand in the tank to rearrange things.  WRONG MOVE!!  As full as this tank is, there is no room for a hand, and the water displaced immediately overflowed.  In the future whenever I need to do something in the tank, I’ll have to drain water off, do what needs to be done and then put the water in. It’s a small price to pay for this beautiful tank.  Here’s what the tank looks like after turning the lights on.

All in all it was a pleasant experience setting up this new tank. I have a few challenges ahead which we’ll explore together.  A successful reef tank requires good lighting, water movement and water quality. We’ll be able to explore all three with this tank over the next few weeks. 

It’s obvious that lighting is going to be one of the biggest challenges with this tank.  It will be easy to retro fit a light over this tank, but that would detract from the sleekness of this design.  We’ll try and come up with a way to light this baby maintaining the current look and feel.  Stay tuned…this adventure has just started.

Next Episode:
Reefkeeping on the Edge: Week 2
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Griffin setup his first saltwater aquarium back in the mid 70's while attending Florida State University. From that moment on, he fell in love with the hobby. Over the years, he's have had many reef aquariums, the largest being a 8'x4'x2' lookdown system with a total volume of just over 1,800 gallons.

He became known in the industry when he started Reefers – A Marine Aquaria Store back in 1999. The company closed its doors in 2002, but he's been active and in touch with the industry and has had the pleasure of rubbing elbows with some of the greats associated with this hobby.

Besides his two sons and women, he has an undying passion for the hobby of reefkeeping. He worked with ZeroEdge Aquarium and helped them bring the ZeroEdge name to a new level in the industry. Today he "resides" at Ocean Gallery II located in North Plainfield, NJ, doing what he does best, helping people set up successful reefs.