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jcastle's picotope


jcastle

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Hey guys here's my pico so far. still waiting on a few items like the par38 bulb but other than that all i need is LR and water!! exciting

 

here's what i have:

Picotope 3 gallon

mini canister filter

25 watt heater

aqueon 30 powerhead

rapid led par38 80 degree bulb with arm lamp and dimmer

 

 

 

post-70302-1319827739_thumb.jpg

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actually i think i'm going to do away with the mini canister and get a aquaclear 30 and mod it for the heater....more room in the tank

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actually i think i'm going to do away with the mini canister and get a aquaclear 30 and mod it for the heater....more room in the tank

 

:welcome:

Go with an AC 50 or 70. you can easily mod it into a fuge and still have room for a heater. They are adjustable so you can increase or decrease your water flow as needed. Turning them into a fuge is an easy DIY project.

 

Hope this helps, keep us posted.

 

Rob

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rapid led par38 80 degree bulb with arm lamp and dimmer

 

Hi nice start. just an FYI, most of the par bulbs out there (at least the ones from boost, rapid, nanocustoms etc.) are NOT dimmable unless they specifically say the are. Although it doesn't say directly on rapid's site, I'm pretty sure it's not so you might want to double check first just incase. Wouldn't want you to void your warranty and have to get another one.

 

But yeah just a heads up. Best of luck on ur pico!

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:welcome:

Go with an AC 50 or 70. you can easily mod it into a fuge and still have room for a heater. They are adjustable so you can increase or decrease your water flow as needed. Turning them into a fuge is an easy DIY project.

 

Hope this helps, keep us posted.

 

Rob

 

so the ac 30 isn't a good choice?

 

 

Hi nice start. just an FYI, most of the par bulbs out there (at least the ones from boost, rapid, nanocustoms etc.) are NOT dimmable unless they specifically say the are. Although it doesn't say directly on rapid's site, I'm pretty sure it's not so you might want to double check first just incase. Wouldn't want you to void your warranty and have to get another one.

 

But yeah just a heads up. Best of luck on ur pico!

 

 

oh ok that's cool, i had a lamp dimmer already and i was just going to use that so if it's not dimmable i just won't use it. thanks!!

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so the ac 30 isn't a good choice?

 

Bigger, in this case is better. It allows for more room and adds a bit more water volume. More water volume in a small tank is always a good thing. If it was mine, I'd go with the AC70. Check out my " In the Beginning" post for pics of my modded AC70

 

rob

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Bigger, in this case is better. It allows for more room and adds a bit more water volume. More water volume in a small tank is always a good thing. If it was mine, I'd go with the AC70. Check out my " In the Beginning" post for pics of my modded AC70

 

rob

 

 

well i wasn't going to mess with the fuge i was going to use chemi-pure and purigen. i was going to mod it a tiny bit so i could put the heater in the filter...are fuge's that much better than chemical filtration??

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well i wasn't going to mess with the fuge i was going to use chemi-pure and purigen. i was going to mod it a tiny bit so i could put the heater in the filter...are fuge's that much better than chemical filtration??

 

There a probably many different opinions on this topic. Hopefully others will chime in on it as well. A fuge in my opinion is a more natural approach. I like to go as natural as possible, although I am considering using Chemi-pure Elite and Purigen. Perhaps you could try doing a Refugium search and see what others say about it.

 

Rob

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i think my powerhead is too big for the tank....i looks bulky but it puts out a lot of GPM anyone have a suggestion on a smaller one that isn't a wimp? lol

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If i'm correct, you wouldn't even need a powerhead if you went with a ac 70. That would create as much flow as you would need just by having that HOB Filter.

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thadscottmoore

I run an AC70 modded and also utilize a pico evolution power head to direct flow into the back of the tank- no dead spots...

 

Nice start!

 

my pico build is in my signature forum

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If i'm correct, you wouldn't even need a powerhead if you went with a ac 70. That would create as much flow as you would need just by having that HOB Filter.

 

due to lack of space behind the tank and not being able to move it any further forward i went with an ac 30. i checked and it's a perfect fit. i'm not doing a fuge mod i'm just going to us chemi-pure and purigen and also putting the heater in there. i'm not concerned with the "natural look" really other than the look of the display so thats why i want a small yet powerful powerhead.

 

I run an AC70 modded and also utilize a pico evolution power head to direct flow into the back of the tank- no dead spots...

 

Nice start!

 

my pico build is in my signature forum

 

thanks a lot!! i saw your thread b4 i started thinking about doing one, yours and a few others were my inspiration to start haha. thanks for the input, i'm going to look in to that powerhead or maybe just save my money and use the one i have which is a very good one but a bit bulky.

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is it ok to leave that old coralline on the power head when i get the live rock and fill the tank? or should i chip it off?

 

it's YEARS old lol

post-70302-1319867867_thumb.jpg

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is it ok to leave that old coralline on the power head when i get the live rock and fill the tank? or should i chip it off?

 

it's YEARS old lol

you can soak it in a vinegar/water solution for a couple hours and it will come right off... but no harm if you leave it like that. It will just turn completely white and then algae will start forming on it again

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i recommend the K-nano 240 for the picotope. dont run it until you have rocks to break the flow though. same goes for that AC50/70.

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i recommend the K-nano 240 for the picotope. dont run it until you have rocks to break the flow though. same goes for that AC50/70.

 

i think i'm going to just use the powerhead i have to save on a little bit of money, it's a good one so i'm not using any crappy equipment. but i'll wait until i have rock (and water) in there to turn them on.

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got my par38 bulb in the mail! it's really heavy, i don't know if my lamp is strong enough haha anyone have a arm desk lamp with any ideas on keeping it from falling in the tank? lol i was thinking of getting a couple stronger springs and attaching them to it for a little extra strength

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bought an RO/DI unit from ebay so i dont have to rely on the LFS to get my water and i can mix it myself and have more control over the conditions!! $79 not bad!

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at this point i can't think of anything else i need to buy (as far as equipment is concerned) so i think/hope i'll have myself a successful pico!

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thadscottmoore

I am looking forward to seeing future updates on this tank! I need to take some photos and update my own build forum. maybe this weekend I will...

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