2.5 pico in progress

[Zoe]

I figured I had enough spare parts around to set up a little pico tank, inspired by some zoa-filled pico tank pics I've seen on nano-reef.com.

Tank: 2.5g glass tank, $10
Filter/pumps: AC30 filled with cheato, small nano pump
43 watt DIY PC light: $8 + bulbs
1 lbs live sand, 3 lbs live rock.





No ammonia readings, but I'm going to get it sit as is for a while, then start adding some CUC and frags.

[KLKelly]

That is the cutest!  Where did you find the light?

[Zoe]

I made it 
You know those metal pipes they use in houses? I got a piece of that ($4) and cut it in half.
Then I took two old heat lamps for reptile cages and attached them to the metal thingy.
Spray painted it black on the outside, put in some hooks, and got some bulbs.  It was really cheap... most expensive part was the 50/50 bulb for $25. Best part is it doesn't look too bad... doesn't look DIY at all if I black those little holes and tuck in all the wires 

[Sharbuckle]

i recognize that AC30

talk about NANO! kinda cool though, i like the DIY lighting, good stuff

[Zoe]

haha, yep, that's the AC!
I call it a pico... barely anything at all really. I hope to use it to make mushrooms attach before putting them in my tank.

Anyway putting together the DIY light sucked, but a fixture of similar wattage costs 50-80$. 

[dan2x38]

Zoe very nice job! Keeping posting pics. Going to add any inverts or fish?

[Sharbuckle]

i was wondering what you were gonna do with it, didnt think you kept freshwater tanks

[Zoe]

Zoe very nice job! Keeping posting pics. Going to add any inverts or fish?

Thanks
I put in a couple hermits tonight... I might get a very small goby sometime, like a clown goby.  No specific plans, though. If I can find a catalina goby, I will get that for sure and do a coolwater setup.

[Sharbuckle]

More Pictures!!!

[dan2x38]

More Pictures!!!

Ditto!

[Zoe]

Here are some pics after getting some new mushrooms:

[KLKelly]

I'm seriously loving this tank.

[Zoe]

  Isn't it awesome?
You should set one up yourself. It was totally cheap!
You just can't ever expect to be able to keep fish, and you have to do daily topups adn water changes.

[gvv]

One word - GREAT!

Now some questions:
What about evaporation? Are you planning to put fish or just corals? Did you use screw in CF bulbs?

[Zoe]

One word - GREAT!

Now some questions:
What about evaporation? Are you planning to put fish or just corals? Did you use screw in CF bulbs?

Thanks!
It doesn't evaporate all that quickly, actually. Not sure why.  When I go to bed at night I do the water change and by the time I get hme from work the next evening, there's maybe 1/2 cm less of water. So top offs are easy, I do them daily, but don't panic about it.

Probably just corals... maybe a really small goby like a clown goby someday, but not solid plans.

One 23W screw-in from Rona and one 20W 50/50 screw-in from BA.  Makes for light that is low k rating enough for growth, but enough 10k and actinic for bright whitish light.

[jeffd]

looking good Zoe. It will be nice to see this progress! The lighting looks nice and bright for this size of tank. Any chance you can take a pic of the underside of your light? Nice work on the diy light too. Your evap will be manageable i think due to your light not being sealed with the tank and the choice of bulbs your using emitting low heat compared to most everything else out there. Pretty well thought out  maybe you could patent your light and sell them on ebay for pico tanks 

[Zoe]

looking good Zoe. It will be nice to see this progress! The lighting looks nice and bright for this size of tank. Any chance you can take a pic of the underside of your light? Nice work on the diy light too. Your evap will be manageable i think due to your light not being sealed with the tank and the choice of bulbs your using emitting low heat compared to most everything else out there. Pretty well thought out  maybe you could patent your light and sell them on ebay for pico tanks 

Spoken like a true businessman
Thanks for the kind words... but a lot of it sort of worked out and was more luck that careful planning.  I'll take a pic of the underside of the light shortly... I don't really think it's nice enough to sell as a real product but it might inspire someone with more of an artistic flair than I myself possess!

[Zoe]

Well these pictures aren't perfect, but they show my frankenstein of a light fixture.  Note: Spray paint scratches easily
I was thinking of getting another piece of that metal stuff and just using it as a mask over the poked holes and scratches and shabby paint job of the original "shell".

[jeffd]

thanks for the pics Zoe. Meh, no worries about the looks as this is just the prototype for the next versions isn't it? As long as it does the job which i think it will for your 2.5

thanks again.

[Tyler.L]

get some sexy shrimp for it they'll do good for the tank, i think really any fish would have nitrates through the roof regardless of what went in there get some sexy shrimp they'll be awsome alot of people on RC try pico's and have crazy evapo. and then add fish ontop of it with 3lbs of live rock wouldnt be able to do that much of a biological filter. I wanna do a pico also but put a 400w halide on it lol. But no picos are sweet i'll do one if i could find someone to get me sexy shrimp i think i've seen them at marinescape once......