So after not much deliberation at all I decided I wanted a picotope. So Michael  ordered one and it came in today! I'm very excited to say the least. I've been bouncing up and down since it was ordered waiting on the UPS man to drop off a box if I'm truly honest about it. Haha  Since the start of the discussion about ordering one we've been deliberating lights, filtration, heat/cool, what I want to grow in it, a stand, and sumping it... AND what size sump we think it should have. He's changed his mind a dozen times about lights, I've changed my mind a dozen times about sumping it, and we've been going round and round about what kind of stand we think it should have or we should build and how we're going to mount said lights....  So having said that... We've decided we're going to build an LED light fixture, I bought a powerhead (Koralia Pico 180) through work, and we're still trying to decide on how to mount the lights and the stand... One thing is certain about the stand though, we're agreed that it needs to be on a piece of wood that's been grooved around the edge of the tank because the tank itself is slick and tends to slide. We're still deliberating sumping it as well. Honestly I think Michael and Blake just want to drill something glass. *shrugs* I may be wrong.  I'll continue to post pictures at this project slowly takes place. It's going to be a lot of work for a mini (hopefully) primarily SPS tank.
I kinda like these small tanks. I just set up a 14 biocube for a wartskin frogfish. I'm trying to go smaller after the move.
The only thing that I have found hard about these little tanks other than a cup or two water change a day with a larger stable tank is cleaning the glass..... I really like them too but I am not real good with my husbandry for a tank that needs the attention these do.
I use the same hydor in my 5 gallon fluval edge, I am using the little spinning adaptor currently which works great for my acros but is a bit of an eye sore. and I agree with reefmann, a cup a day from my 55 and then a one gallon water change once a week and your good to go glad to see someone else joining the pico reef bandwagon!
Thanks y'all! We have one at work and I love watching it. James' little tank does so well that it sorely tempted me into jumping into this with both feet. I'm still debating a slightly larger tank as well like your new one, Norman. I've always thought they're really cool but around here we've always had larger systems and I've managed to avoid the call of the mini systems until now. We're working on ideas for an ATO which will be really realy cool. Also, there's a two little fishes nano mag float like thing for maybe $8+/- I plan to order as well to clean the glass and to keep the algae off the glass I'm debating a teeny tiny urchin. I know he'll outgrow the tank fairly quickly but it'll work for a litle while. We're basically treating this project like we would treat a big tank project. The back glass is getting painted, and we're working on a lot of other ideas to make this itty bitty tank as stable and as fascinating to watch as a large project. I'm uber excited to say the least. I plan on taking TONS of pictures.
Before we got to work on the tank stuff tonight we made a run to harbor freight and lowes for more supplies for random parts of this project and random other things. Man land was invaded and I survived I'm quite happy to say. However, I won't claim I wasn't traumatized. 200 fricken rows of screws, plumbing, wood, and random other things men drool over. I just don't get the appeal.  So after our foray into the pits of hell we put sides on the little table/drawer thingy I had laying around the house and stained it and also cut the plank for the top of the little table thingy. It got stained too. The little table was a hideously ugly brown/maple finish so it got sanded off over the last two days and tonight a red mahogany got slapped on. LOTS of work on Michael's part. I basically stood there and muttered encouraging phrases like "Hmmm..." and "Urm... Sure."while he was trying to explain to me what he was doing and what the current plan is for the lights/canopy (at least until the heatsink and stuff gets here and he changes his mind again).  I also played official drink grabber and resident nag about the safety glasses while he was using the router and sander. Handy with power tools I am not so he was on his own. Also... I discovered that staining.... I pretty much stink at it. So don't ever hand me a foam brush and a can of stain. You'll regret it. Michael does.  Attaching a couple of pictures of random power tool usage by Michael tonight. You can see where the safety glasses wound up. More to come later after the next coat of stain goes on... And after the mess i made with said stain is cleaned up. Â
So first I must say that my Jenkins... he rocks with a paint brush, router, saw, drill, and an impact driver. He took a butt-ugly dinged up, beat up wicker basket holding wood table thing and made something I don't even recognize as said butt-ugly table thingy. He made it pretty as it never was when I got it in a yard sale for absolutely nada. Add some sides, a few coats of polyshades stain in bombay mahogany, some more wood for the wood bracket the light will suspend from when it's done and I'm a happy girl. There are for sure perks to being the crash test dummy for a custom/DIY LED setup and favored female/chief cook and laundry washer of the household.  Now we're waiting on the LED's to actually make it here (still), finishing up the pint sized ATO, and he's got a few ideas in mind for the AC50 filter he intends to use as a mini sump/heater holder/whatever else he can squeeze out of it, AND.......  He painted the back of the tank LIME GREEN! Which while slightly tacky and an obviously questionable choice is my favorite color.  haha So thrilled? Yep, I sure am. Big Big thanks to him for his patience and lack of snapping/yelling/rolling his eyes at an obvious DIY idiot and for answering my billions of questions about what the holy hades he thought he was doing with my tank. Oh and for not being a total grump when I got camera happy. Ha!Â
as you can see this is no longer a "mini" project.... but as this may be the last surviving tank in the house i thought it outta be nice here's some things im looking for.... a top off container Approx 7" x"7 X @24" high... 12vdc wal warts multiples of these (old cell chargers and such) Old car stereo Amplifiers NOT working ... Old busted computers /electronics for gutting . Canister Filter....dimensions needed also. (space limited) please Pm if you have any of that to donate/sell cheap /etc.
After a few problems with the dimable drivers for the LED's he ordered some new ones and got them installed. I must say I never expected for these little lights to be so insanely bright or so cool. Granted there are only 12 3W LED bulbs on this itty bitty tank but they're BRIGHT. Very very bright. The par meter can't measure the par right at the bulb, on the top of the water its well over 250 (at 10+ inches off the top of the tank) and at the bottom of the tank I'm getting about 200 dead center and 150-175 in corners. I'm impressed with them.  The previous drivers had a defect and the par wasn't anywhere near as good as it is now, but it kept a candy cane coral going for about three weeks until the drivers were replaced so they weren't horrible, they just weren't going to support the SPS that I knew I wanted to add to my tank. Since the addition of the new drivers I've added ponape birdsnest, hyacinth birdsnest, various acros, a duncan, and a couple other things. Now to just hope I don't botch it too badly and they'll grow. So far so good with almost a week in on the acros and a couple of days on the birdsnest. Everything has it's polyps out so I'm assuming they're doing ok at this point.  I also added a teeny tiny 1/2 inch pink skunk clown as the only fish I plan to keep for a while, a small urchin, some nassarius snails, some teeny tiny other snails, and some itty bitty crabs. The hang on back filter that got modified got a ball of cheato. Total live rock poundage is just over 9 (a little overkill) and all tests save the alkalinity are coming out at normal ranges. Alkalinity was a little low at 7, but i've been dosing for that and it's now standing steady. Overall it's an awesome little tank. It looks really nice for as tiny as it is... at least to me. The only issue I've got with the whole thing is the blasted rock started tipping over and I got a little heavy handed with the epoxy and I can see it for now in one spot. Haha At least until the monte grows around and hides it.  Now for pictures....
