my super low tech reef jarquarium (with diy pj reef)

[new-b-reefer]

Hey new b, I decided against the pump from amazon. I am still considering making a small flow pump with a 6mm micro motor and a 3d printed housing/impeller.

 

What are your thoughts on sand? Like 1/4 -1/2 inch?

Did you say 3D printer? Woot woot! I am drafter/designer so i can appreciate that for sure

 

As far as sand, I have done with and without in different jars. If you do it I would use a small amount however I find mine being without is doing really well and makes for extra simple maintenance. Us not having to feed these jars keeps bioload to a minumum but there are still detritus that acumulates on tje bottom of mine over time, having no sand makes it easy to remove the rock with coral attached, dump water and detritus out, wipe cleane, put rock and coral in and refill. Sand could add some visual appeal but I feel will make more work and having little to no flow, would be extra easy for different undesirable algae to take hold.

That said, I also encourgae the trial and error method. Let us know if you try and how it goes

[obeythefro]

Drafter/designer eh? What field? I do design engineering myself. www.adm-works.com

[obeythefro]

My light arived today! Woohoo! Tomorrow is time for shopping at the LFS. Ill post some pics once I get everything set.

 

I noticed that you said you used cured live rock, so instant cycle. But did you wait at all to put the frags on, or did you do it all at once?

 

Micromotor is on its way from China, so maybe in a few weeks I will have a cool pico flow pump to show you guys. I am thinking it will probably be about 1/2"x1/2"x7/8", so it should fit in quite nicely.

[Halo_003]

Micromotor is on its way from China, so maybe in a few weeks I will have a cool pico flow pump to show you guys. I am thinking it will probably be about 1/2"x1/2"x7/8", so it should fit in quite nicely.

WTB.

 

Please do share when you get it in hand.

[obeythefro]

WTB.

 

Please do share when you get it in hand.

Wil do!

[new-b-reefer]

 

Drafter/designer eh? What field? I do design engineering myself. www.adm-works.com

Oh nice, your company looks like what i originally wanted to get into. Love the 3d mechanical drafting. What cad software are you guys using, solid works?

im in the power delivery division in my company http://bv.com/. We deal with high voltage electrical substations. Also for a time was working with the solar division on a huge solar generation station in the desert

[new-b-reefer]

My light arived today! Woohoo! Tomorrow is time for shopping at the LFS. Ill post some pics once I get everything set.

 

I noticed that you said you used cured live rock, so instant cycle. But did you wait at all to put the frags on, or did you do it all at once?

 

Micromotor is on its way from China, so maybe in a few weeks I will have a cool pico flow pump to show you guys. I am thinking it will probably be about 1/2"x1/2"x7/8", so it should fit in quite nicely.

I did the rock and frags all at once. Everything was cured

Very interested to see the micro pump. Something with that small foot print sounds like it would be a perfect fit for a reef jar.

[obeythefro]

Oh nice, your company looks like what i originally wanted to get into. Love the 3d mechanical drafting. What cad software are you guys using, solid works?

im in the power delivery division in my company http://bv.com/. We deal with high voltage electrical substations. Also for a time was working with the solar division on a huge solar generation station in the desert

That is sweet! The solar stuff is pretty cool. We have a big parking lot installation happening down the street from us.

 

We use Catia primarily, which is also made by dassault. It is just a far more powerful software. For my personal projects I use solidworks mostly, and sometimes rhino. I will probably use solidworks for this micro pump. I'll keep you guys updated!

[new-b-reefer]

That is sweet! The solar stuff is pretty cool. We have a big parking lot installation happening down the street from us.

 

We use Catia primarily, which is also made by dassault. It is just a far more powerful software. For my personal projects I use solidworks mostly, and sometimes rhino. I will probably use solidworks for this micro pump. I'll keep you guys updated!

Oh way cool. I have used inventor. Havent had a chance to mess with solid works. Im boucing between using AutoCAD and Microstation on a regular basis though. Most electrical utility clients choose those programs. Mostly all 2D, I usually do my 3D modeling on my own time and personal projects and on occasion with detail drawings. And of course when I come up with another aquarium idea

[obeythefro]

Here is my jarquarium! Thanks to new-b for the inspiration and info! I feel like the zoa colony might be a bit large, but they seem to be doing ok. I need to get some more red macro, I only have a small dragon tongue clipping.

 

Also, my micro motors arrived today! Micro pump pics to come!

 

[FlowerMama]

is that a tiny rock flower or a mini carpet?

[obeythefro]

is that a tiny rock flower or a mini carpet?

It's a rock flower! He likes to move around.

[NanoClown]

thats awesome! I love the nem

[FlowerMama]

It's a rock flower! He likes to move around.

 

They grow fast if you feed them but you should feed it minimum once a week.

[obeythefro]

 

They grow fast if you feed them but you should feed it minimum once a week.

That was the plan. I guess if it grows too fast, I might have to get another aquarium. Darn...

[okijarman]

I appreciate all your post and information OP! I have been lurking here for a couple months looking to make the jump from fresh to salt water however I wanted to start small. After seeing this and others reef jarquariums I am ready to make the jump.

 

The hunt is on for equipment just having issues finding good quality clear jars and a light. I live in Okinawa and there are some things I can get off the local economy however lights are not one of them (to damn expensive). So what I can get Ill order offline and have shipped over.

 

Again thanks for the awesome info/pictures, love em.

[Carebearcatz]

Thrift stores are great places to look for good jars. In the last couple of weeks I picked up a large glass cookie jar and marinara sized jar with no designs except on the very top. Dunno if there are good thrift stores in japan though. Good luck on your jar. I'm totally in love with mine. I've had it for 2 weeks and I keep finding new critters in it. Today I spotted a giant anthropoid (a couple of cm at least) and a bristle worm. I'm currently enjoying it more then my actual tank xD

[Halo_003]

That is 1000% awesome!!!!!!!! How is the rock flower doing?

 

They grow fast if you feed them but you should feed it minimum once a week.

 

What if you don't? Will it just grow slowly?

[obeythefro]

That is 1000% awesome!!!!!!!! How is the rock flower doing?

 

 

What if you don't? Will it just grow slowly?

Rock flower is doing well! Have been told that they are ok to live light only, but I know that they do better being fed.

[new-b-reefer]

Here is my jarquarium! Thanks to new-b for the inspiration and info! I feel like the zoa colony might be a bit large, but they seem to be doing ok. I need to get some more red macro, I only have a small dragon tongue clipping.

Also, my micro motors arrived today! Micro pump pics to come!http://s9.photobucket.com/user/ericschwartz3/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140906_145405_zps92b0e36c.jpg.html'>

 

looks amazing. Love the little nem

 

I appreciate all your post and information OP! I have been lurking here for a couple months looking to make the jump from fresh to salt water however I wanted to start small. After seeing this and others reef jarquariums I am ready to make the jump.

 

The hunt is on for equipment just having issues finding good quality clear jars and a light. I live in Okinawa and there are some things I can get off the local economy however lights are not one of them (to damn expensive). So what I can get Ill order offline and have shipped over.

 

Again thanks for the awesome info/pictures, love em.

 

welcome to our little addiction

 

 

And again thanks to everyone for the kind words, I am honored to be considered an inspiration.

[Halo_003]

Well no pictures tonight but an update. The jar I set up for my dad is SWARMING with pods, hermit is alive and well (surprisingly!!!), it's very active and is really cool to watch. Right now the jar is on our mantelpiece but Saturday morning it's going to Philadelphia with him. This week I did the first water change, cleaned the jar out some, and glued down some LR rubble bits with various zoas, a mushroom, and some GSP.

 

I also picked up a couple of larger jars to play with. One of which is a ~4.5" diameter, 9" tall one. The other is 6" diameter, 15" tall. Plan is to use the shorter one as a micro reef for ME, and the larger one will be a small FW planted tank, with some cool shrimp maybe. I was thinking of either covering a tiny pump like this in LR rubble pieces and dropping it in the bottom of the reef jar, or maybe using an aqualifter to give 3.5GPH flow. I would like to try a birdsnest frag in it once it's well established, so some flow would be cool I think.

[new-b-reefer]

Awesome. Looking forward to pics

[Spenseriana]

Whoa! So cool. I just found this thread and will be tagging along. Maybe I can start my own jarquarium next month. Maybe someone asked this and I missed it, but are you cycling the rock somwhere before putting it in the jar? Some of your rock looks like the straight-from-the-gulf stuff, so I was curious. It seems these are more interesting if the rock goes in after it is already encrusted with biodiversity.

[brandon429]

it is very important to know that aquarium curing can be a deal breaker for still tanks, if we use uncured oceanic rock that comes from highly oxygenated, moving waters and place it in a still tank, we have to guide the aquarium curing part it can't just be left still to do so.

 

water changes

 

before these systems are left totally still w no water changes, we should do several full changes to export any dying material being adjusted to o2 flux environments (night phase in a still tank is very low o2 due to respiration from animals and corals in the tank)

 

for sure many setups using lucky good aquarium cured rocks can be still right from the bat, this is a newer evolution in pico reef keeping but it doesnt really break any rules as the animals being stocked here, and typically the live rock curing state, is adaptable just because they have it in the genes to deal with tidepool living under some conditions

 

just wanted to add that there's no solid reason to deny water changes on these kinds of tanks if you want them to live past 5 mos. up until then, they'll appear strong, and then crashes can set in depending on tank variables.

 

smelling the water regularly at the end of a few days run time, and watching for cloudiness, are two great indicators of more curing time and more aggressive water changes needed before the system truly runs long term as a tidepool setup.

[new-b-reefer]

Whoa! So cool. I just found this thread and will be tagging along. Maybe I can start my own jarquarium next month. Maybe someone asked this and I missed it, but are you cycling the rock somwhere before putting it in the jar? Some of your rock looks like the straight-from-the-gulf stuff, so I was curious. It seems these are more interesting if the rock goes in after it is already encrusted with biodiversity.

I use and recomend to all for these little reefs, fully cured rock. It makes for an instant reef and nothing needs cycle. Even getting a rock with a frag attached is a good way to go. I attached all my own frags. Cool thing is with this small amount of rock, the cured good stuff isnt a pain in the wallet and you can shop around for the one rock that makes your whole scape

Happy reefing