pico started

[alicamo]

Got my 5.5 started today, its running without lights or a filter at the moment but it should be fine for bacteria growth. It has flow and heat. I need to go up to Eureka to pick up my light :spin1:

Camera is on the way to me, bought a nikon D40, but it wont be here til Monday. Ill post pics when it gets here (although its not much to look at atm).

Also, I put some pictures of my mantis on the album, and I got one of my very first tank setup. I'll try to get pics of my tank from eureka but there on a dead comp atm. =(

-Troy

 

[Grant W]

Well done Troy. Good meeting you the other day. Grant

 

[alicamo]

Just got the camera so forgive the photographer, the micros were me seeing what i could do. Advise is welcome as always.

pics:
fts
http://img815.imageshack.us/i/dsc0003zh.jpg/
some micro
http://img855.imageshack.us/i/dsc0015m.jpg/
more micro
http://img853.imageshack.us/i/dsc0016fh.jpg/
side
http://img541.imageshack.us/i/dsc0018my.jpg/

Not much atm, much like Nevada. But unlike Nevada, it has potential.(no offense Nevada )

Got the camera Monday but have been busy with stuff, did a water change today and arranged the rock. I like the aqua scape atm, kinda limited in what I can do.

I think I'm gonna hook up one of my HoB's with some filter media and rely on water changes for a filter system. I only plan on having small inverts and corals in there. I should get my lights soon, but wont stick anything in there for a couple weeks.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Troy, the only sugestion that I have is flow, since your tank is tiny, you might want to use less rocks, this way your tank will have a better flow and balance. Maybe even move the rocks away from the back wall and put the pump back there for aesthetic. We will have a meeting about aquascaping so you should come to that one.

 

[alicamo]

Unless something comes up I should be at the meeting. :beer:

I hear you on flow, I was thinking of replacing that Koralia 1 with two nanos to save space and to have more directions of flow, also the 1 may be too strong. The rock in the mid is moved forward about 1" where as the two on the sides are against the glass. So there's potential for water to move back there.

http://img94.imageshack.us/i/dsc0029gs.jpg/

I'll see what I can do about those top two rocks, without them it looks too open (imo).

 

[northbay-reefer]

Yeah the one big pump is huge and doesn't balance with the small tank, two little one would be much better. I used 1 tunze 6025 in my 30 gal frag tank and it provides pretty good flow.

The top part of the tank is going to fill in with corals eventually so you might not need one of the big rock. You know what would look cool? if you use the two big rocks as the anchor and make an arch by attaching the smaller rocks on top using acrylic rod and epoxy turn that pico into a piece of art

 

[GiantBen]

I have a couple k nanos, whose plans are "up in the air". I might use one in my sump, but might not. Check with me before you buy any, and if I have decided I'm not going to use mine, you can have them. I got them new about a year ago, so they should have some life left.

 

[AMAYEU]

Troy. What's the plan with your lights? I just gutted my nano and have all the parts. You can have them if you want. The bulbs are 8 months old. Bad part is the are pc 4 pin square and currentusa. If you want to do led, there are the spotlights and a diy. The diy will cost you about 140-150 for all the parts including shipping. This would be 12 @ 3 watts ea. 6 blue 6 white. Can help u if you need guidance.

What are your plans for corals? Feel free to pm me if you would like some frags to start.

Mike

 

[alicamo]

lol wish I woulda read you post first ben, just bought some a couple hours ago. :spin2: thanks for the offer though.

Amayeu, I was gonna use my 150watt sunpod and just suspend it like a foot off the top. I'm hesitant about LED's, since I've never used them before and I have heard mixed reviews about them but I could give it a try. I was thinking about using some PAR38's(like 2), should I do that or get a diy kit instead?

I wanna do SPS mainly and possibly a clam or two.

 

[AMAYEU]

That's right forgot you said that at the meeting. Yes stick with the sunpod. I went to led for electrical cost. As for led, do the diy. Once the spot light gets put dated you can not upgrade like the diy.

 

[alicamo]

Got some new stuff today:
refractometer, ato and a TDS meter. Mostly just upgraded my equipment (and I had a coupon :spin3: )

I decided to do par38's to try em' out. If they don't work I figure I'll do my HM and save them for later use as supplementary lighting. Ordered 2 bulbs (21x2 watts) 12k and a 20k.
If I can I would like to borrow someones PAR meter or bring the bulbs to the next meeting for testing.

side note:
I was playing with the TDS meter and the RO water I just got from Jofish (yesterday) is measuring at 175ppm, Conversely, a gallon of distilled water I got at luckys is reading 0ppm. Dunno if I like that place much anymore...

 

[Grant W]

Hey Troy sounds like you're off to a good start and yah 175 is basically tap water. You might want to get a small water system for yourself then you have it whenever you need it with no trips required.

 

[Reef Bass]

Wow, I would not call 175ppm water RO water. That may explain their relatively recent algae bloom. I think their water filter components (membrane, carbon, di) may need servicing / replacement.

+1 for getting your own water filter. It's a small cost compared to everything else and important for getting one's water chemistry dialed in. Plus there will come that time when you have an urgent need for water after typical business hours or some other time the store is closed.

With the chloramines that Petaluma uses in its water, you'll want to make sure you have a DI canister on there as well, as one of the byproducts of chloramine breakdown is ammonia, which is bad for reefs. The DI resin absorbs ammonia. One can get color changing DI resin too which alerts one to its depleted condition (you'll also find contraversy about whether the resin is truly depleted or not when the color changes).

 

[northbay-reefer]

I haven't been to Jo fish lately because they are not very good about advertising and working with local club. They have a nice size store and can make a killing if they know how to do it right. It's too bad about the TDS, this shows that they are not doing any testing or monitoring to have the TDS level gets up this high. So sad, I had high hope on them.

 

[alicamo]

Yeah, I'm sad I paid for crap water when I could have gotten that at home for less.

some updates:
I added one of my old HoB filters to have some room and to be able to run filter media through. I swapped my K 1 for two K nanos. I also added the ATO to the mix. Right now its tapping a 2.5 gall distilled water container but ill get something worked up.

Lights get here Tuesday, hopefully. Then I should be fully operational after some water changes.

I could use my old RO unit. I never liked it very much but it works, it needs new filters though:



Current FTS

 

[Reef Bass]

Your old RO system looks like RO only. Sediment filter, carbon filter and membrane. No Dissolved Ion resin.

Being a pico, the 2.5g distilled water option may be your best until you get some sort of filtration going on your own.

 

[alicamo]

Your old RO system looks like RO only. Sediment filter, carbon filter and membrane. No Dissolved Ion resin.

Being a pico, the 2.5g distilled water option may be your best until you get some sort of filtration going on your own.

derp >_< sorry ref bass, I spaced last night about what you said when I wrote that :hmm4: lol I thought about it and I'm going wait a bit and invest in a 4 stage. Space out my investments so I don't have to look at such a big bill all at once

 

[AMAYEU]

I decided to do par38's to try em' out. If they don't work I figure I'll do my HM and save them for later use as supplementary lighting. Ordered 2 bulbs (21x2 watts) 12k and a 20k.

21x2watts? 21 leds driven @ 2watts each, or... each bulb @ 21watts x 2 total bulbs? I think the latter.

What degree optics did you get?

For the RODI, I run a Mighty Mite 50GPD with DI Added for my nanos.

 

[alicamo]

21x2watts? 21 leds driven @ 2watts each, or... each bulb @ 21watts x 2 total bulbs? I think the latter.

What degree optics did you get?

For the RODI, I run a Mighty Mite 50GPD with DI Added for my nanos.

Its two bulbs at 21w each they screw into a standard E26/27. They're both 40 degree optics.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Ecoxotic...f_Aquariums-Ecoxotic-XX06850-FILTBULD-vi.html

That ro/di system looks like it would do what I need and at a good price, gonna check that one out.

 

[AMAYEU]

You will need to have to put the 40 degee optics pretty high above the water level. Be careful with sps b/c you can fry them. Believe me I have.

I run 2 spots at both 60 degrees. 1) 19" from the sandbed + 7" from the waterline. 2) 16" from the bed + 4" from the waterline.