My .094 (11.83 oz) pico reef

[Melbourne]

Hi,

I decided to post up a log of a experimental tank I'm setting up.
Its a pico tank aproximately 11.83 oz empty. I'm basing it off a plastic tank kids toy called Antworks.

Tank dimensions 6.5"x 5.5"x 1.25" - the tank volume calculator does not calculate the volume correctly. I measured the tank volume and it came out to 450 ml.

Challenges of such a small tank are stability and circulation.

Circulation is via a custom airlift that I built.
Water will be kept at ambient room temperature to avoid the need for a heater. Water changes will be 100 % at a yet to be determined interval.

Pic of Antworks

Pic of the tank cleaned up (removed logo and Ant food gel)

Pic of custom airlift running - provides tank with a nice slow circular flow. The airlift directs the water out to the right. Flow is controlled via controlling the air going into the lift (via adjustable valve inline with air pump).

Tank is sealed with a lid with a small hole for the rigid airline which feeds the lift. The clear lid itself is sealed with a teflon gasket to keep evaporation down.

 

[Melbourne]

Next step was the wrap the airlift in liverock to both serve as filtration and hide the airlift itself. I wrapped it using liverock rubble and epoxy and super glue gel.

Next pics coming soon.

 

[calvin415]

With a sealed lid how will you have any gas exchange?

 

[Melbourne]

Hi,

Its not a perfect seal - there will still be gas exchange however I'm not sure if it will be enough. The main source for evaporation and gas exchange is going to be through the hole I drilled for the rigid airline.

 

[Melbourne]

Shot of tank with airlift + additional liverock + sand.

Water is still cloudy due to sand and I scratched the left side of the tank getting the airlift in.

The flow is interesting the watch with the sand in now. Periodically the airlift will pull in a few grains of sand and shoot them out the top.

Size of tank compared to 9 volt battery

 

[silver17jo]

What are you going to keep? It does look interesting!

 

[aural]

i think he should put a powder blue tang in there.

 

[sullyfish]

very interesting set-up. As for inhabitants might I suggest sexy shrimp

 

[wetWolger]

Humm, intresting I like your idea but do you truly think you can do such a small volume? And the idea of a SW aquarium at room temprature, not sure how well that will work. I would think about drilling the bottom and going to a modified canister filter that contains carbon, and a heater. Then have the return go from the canister to a valve (to turn down the flow), and then back into another hole that is drilled in the bottom. You can keep your airlift (great for gas exchange) but this would provide more volume, more flow, filtration, and a heater. Plus if you had it on a desk where you could drill a couple holes it could make a very sleek, and clean looking setup. Just my suggestion.

 

[Melbourne]

Tank update

The cycle has finished - bit of diatom that still needs to clear up then I will look at stocking. Sand bed is starting to get colonzied since I see little worm tunnels now. Added in a bit of bubble algae for coral and two zoa polyps.

Not sure if I will be successful but so far the tank has been able to sustain some level of life at the pod / macro level.

 

[tripstank]

Wow.. Looks great!

 

[markandkristen]

def. do halides for lighting. just kidding

so thats less than a 12 ounch coke can

 

[markandkristen]

so a 50 gallon bag of salt should last you oh ...about a lifetime

 

[1SickReefer]

whats your electric bill on thast bad boy!!

 

[aural]

i'm guessing about $2/ year.

 

[mr pink floyd]

hahaha id walk around with it in my pocket to show people, be liek yea i got a 1 gallon.. .you wanna see it?

pull it out of pocket haha

you should put some zoos and yellow polyps, maybe gsp if its a tiny frag, yuo can try tp grow it on the wall maybe?

but it would take over in baout 2 days haha

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

wow that is so cute lol I'll tag along

 

[mr pink floyd]

hehe it looks liek a claymore!

 

[Melbourne]

Thanks,

Tank update - added in a micro blue leg to help clean up the tank a bit. I also placed two Seachem Matrix Carbon balls behind the macro algae on the right, and one small ball of Phosguard. I found the Seachem Seagel product worked well in my 2.5g so I thought the added benefit of some chemical filtration would not hurt this small tank. Another nice thing about matrix is that its not suppose to effect PH and its not dusty like normal carbon and the round compact form makes it easy to place/replace on a periodic basis.


FTS 04-08-06

Little hermit at work

A days progress

Macro rock also holds the Seachem Seagel

Hermit's Mount Everest

Picture of a Seachem Matrix Carbon ball next to air input for tank

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

are you going to add some more LR?