Jungle John's Clam Cove Pico

[Jungle_John]

Hello everyone

Im starting this thread over in the mishap of last nights forum crash. Hopefully I can make it as good as last time so lets see what happens. And im hoping for many people to follow along with me on this adventure.

 

So lets starts, why a pico? Well, right now I have a 110-gallon tank that I really love. However im going to have to break it down when I move for they wont allow it in my apartment. But will get to that day when it comes. However I was playing around on this site (which I forgot all about long ago I must admit) and I came across this!

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=136990

Yea the coolest pico I ever seen! So from then the idea started flying about getting my own pico. So me and my friend both order one and we got them in a few days ago.

 

So my idea! I want to make a tank that has no plumbing hanging on the back for I dont like the eye sore the tank is going to be mostly SPS with zoas growing between them on the rocks. I have some clams right now that are in trouble from pyramid snails in my big tank, so I want to put them in it also. And last I want 2 mangroves in the tank coming out past the lights.

i know the clams will be very hard to keep calcium up. so i plan on figuring how much they need daily and then buying a dosing system. i wont move the clams in all at once. thats just stupid. i plan on moving them in over time. 2 weeks-1 months apart. as for the plumbing it's actually cheaper for me to make a 5 gallon sump then buy a AC70 for i have all the stuff already. so that $40 save easily can go to the dosing system.

 

So let me show you what I have!

these crapy hand drawing designs

 

you can see that i plan to have 3 holes. one in the tanks corner for overflow, one in the stand for cords and one in the stand for the piping of the return water. all the piping is going to be 1/2"

Also I plan to do an air pump powered ATO system, and all my timers will be mounted upside down(not in photo).

 

So I got my tanks and I started! ive drilled holes before! But am I crazy to drill a JBJ Pico?

yes i am...

 

and i did

the hole in the left back corner

 

The bulkhead (not really the one there is a threaded for the water return, I order a slip one for the hole. Unexpected 2.99 cost.)

 

LIGHTING

as for light i wanted to use these

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalog/c...e=0&offset=

however i called current and there discontinued forever! that hurts me

So im looking for a alternative solution or maybe one on ebay. IDK we will see. Maybe some evil6 LEDs?

 

So so far going according to plan. Im going to come back asap to show you what im doing with the sump. And the stand (which I need to get) and that will probly be my next picture post:)

 

hope you enjoyed and will follow along should be fun

 

POST:

oh for the ones wondering about my clams i have a temporary fix for them. i made a rack for them that free floats touching nothing inside the tank. its suspended by rods out the tank. so the snails have to come out the water and climb down to get to them. im still checking daily to make sure that dosnt happen

 

And the rack has my SPS frags to balance it out, all of that one day will be in the pico... well not all the clams, ill have to find homes for probly at-lease 2.

 

rack photo

pyramid snail photo

[travisurfer]

Wow, I can't believe they canceled the 2x18w...

 

EDIT: It's still on their website...whatever that means.

[Jungle_John]

Wow, I can't believe they canceled the 2x18w...

 

EDIT: It's still on their website...whatever that means.

 

yea every one has it listed but no one has them. i called 27 companies there all sold out. and i called current themself. no more will they make it. i found 1 on ebay. not cheap but lets see if it gets here:-p

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

you could always go with one of these from nanotuners.

 

http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php...;products_id=30

 

or

 

http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php...;products_id=39

[Jungle_John]

SUMP Built

 

So today I sat down and silicone my sump. I originally had the tank and the glass cut awhile back for a 20-gallons sump. The person decided not to do the tank so I was left with the stuff sitting around. Glad I didn't sell it off

 

So as saying earlier this made it cheaper for me to go this way than buying a AQ70.

so heres the stuff i had laying around for a few months

 

Here it is after I silicon everything in place from the front.

 

here it is from the top.

 

So pretty basic. I number the top so I could tell you whats what.

Number 1. Is were the water will come in (there a plate of glass there that will hold the hose). In that chamber will be a egg-crate box holding bio-balls with filter floss on-top to get the junk. I know alot of people don't like bio-balls but I've always liked using them and never had a problem with nitrate gas.

 

Number 2. Enters from camber 1 from the bottom were my chemi pure elite will be waiting its forced entry has to go through it because camber 3 is sealed from the bottom.

 

Number 3. Sealed from the bottom however is 2" shorter that chamber 4 top. Reason for this is I want low flow there and non at the bottom to move the refuge mud ill have there. I also plan to have a few mangroves there with the pico kit light above them.

 

Chamber 4. Gets flow from both chamber 2 and 3. All chamber 4 is a big sponge that will lead to chamber 5 at the bottom.

 

chamber 5. this is were my return pump will be and my ATO switch. i just order my switch, $10 for it and $10 for it's shipping yea i though that was dumb. the pump i have is a CA2200 that i was running on my brother turtle tank. he let his turtle go (thank god) and now i got my pump back. its has PVC glued to it so ill have to cut it and make something work out of it.

 

 

i used a gift card from wally word to order a stand. it was $40 night stand. idk were the gift card came from so im calling it a free be:) along with freebies i found a neon blue closed brain on my yellow figie leather. never new it was there so im nursing it back to health and it will be one of the first corals into this thing

 

so guys i hope ya'll like this so far. let me know what yall think and if have questions on what im doing. i do need help wiring my ATO if anyone has a good and simple way to do it without killing myself

 

thanks for looking also -J0hn

[ulver982]

Wow, I can't believe they canceled the 2x18w...

 

EDIT: It's still on their website...whatever that means.

 

 

Looks like you can still get them here...

[intheb0x]

good luck keeping the water quality up to par for the clams.

 

i have faith in u, but good luck.

[thelowdowndime]

i have the coralife 2x18 and i love it,plus its half the price

[Jungle_John]

well darn i paid 110 off ebay. never saw that company. but alot of other said in-stock and they really didn't have them. soooo hopefully ill get mine in. they said they shipped out.

 

as for water quality i'll be doing 1gal water changes weekly. that be 20%. plus when i figure out my cal dosing lvl im going to get a dossier. it will be tough but ill hang in there till i get it right.

[ulver982]

well darn i paid 110 off ebay. never saw that company. but alot of other said in-stock and they really didn't have them. soooo hopefully ill get mine in. they said they shipped out.

 

as for water quality i'll be doing 1gal water changes weekly. that be 20%. plus when i figure out my cal dosing lvl im going to get a dossier. it will be tough but ill hang in there till i get it right.

 

Ya, I've never heard of them either but apparently they're a new company. They look legit, but sometimes it's hard to tell.

 

I use the 12" Coralife 2x18 watt fixture, it's a good fixture and the reason I got it was because of the price. I would rather have the Current fixture because of the 3 dedicated on/off switches and cords for the daylight, actinic, and moonlight LED

[spanko]

Cool build and will be following along. This lighting will be enough to support clams?

[Jungle_John]

Cool build and will be following along. This lighting will be enough to support clams?

 

i think it will be. it comes out to about 10watts a gallon after the configuration of reflection and absorption form the water. the clams should only be around 6-7" from the light also.

 

only time will tell:)

[zjharva]

wtf is up with those granola bars!?!?!?! looks like a cool build. also, you might want to trim away some of that excess silicone

[Jungle_John]

wtf is up with those granola bars!?!?!?! looks like a cool build. also, you might want to trim away some of that excess silicone

 

haha there yummy

 

but they also make the perfect hight for the flow i want

 

yea now thats its dry i took some of the silicon off and made it a bit cleaner. but im not to worry i rather alot and no leaks then a little and some leaks. not like anyone but me... and yall... will see this

[Jungle_John]

little update. that free-be night stand from wally world was a POS so i sent it back. now im out looking to buy a stand, a set back. ill update when i finish the stand next time.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

i hope to do this myself

 

do a good job! make it look easy!!

[ellio]

Looks like you can still get them here...

 

 

Thank you for the tip. I've been thinking about setting up a Pico for the last year. As soon as I read this Post and your response, I immediately ordered the lightinig. With the exception of LED, I don't see anything on the market to replace these.

[Jungle_John]

UPDATE!!!!

 

so i got my stand in today. a 29 gal oceanic stand, beat to hell and back. was a little pissed about that but i decided to keep it. not like they replace it anyhow for free.

so the tank i decided to make the drain bigger. i re-drilled it for a 1" bulkhead. that went good:) i also added a stick back to it. im thinking of adding 3" of black on each side also to hide the back part of the tank. i probly not ever get it too clean anyhow. ill decide this late.

 

so here my rock and sand being cured, i did drain some water right before taking the picture because i forgot the photo:)

some gear for the plumbing

 

tank with background and new hole

 

sump with stuff in it all but mangroves and chemi pure

 

stand with its new holes

!!!! forgot to shoot the picture lol

 

so tank on stand setup.

sump not with light on

front shot

top

 

 

so thats pretty much it for right now. im going to start on the timer lights and ATO tonight. not happy with the old pump i had, so im going to go get one alot stronger, this one way to week. hopfully it will all go in very soon. as for live stock that be farther down the road. but heres some photos

 

will be back soon with more to come

probly a rock scape change, not to happy with it.

 

hope yall liked

-J0hn

[Lalani]

Cute clams.

[Jungle_John]

Cute clams.

thanks

[Kraylen]

nice

[shahrezsyed]

eagerly waiting for the mangroves

[pismo_reefer]

so am i the only one thats gonna mention the bio-balls?

 

[Jamo]

Hey dude, have you clocked how much Ca the clams use? I ask because I am wanting to get a nice clam for my tank in the future and was wondering about the dosing.

[Jungle_John]

eagerly waiting for the mangroves

yea me to maybe in the next 2 weeks or so.

 

so am i the only one thats gonna mention the bio-balls?

 

on my second post when is showed me building the sump i said i was using bio balls i like them and never had a problem with them housing nitrates. as long as you don't slash them around they never cause problems... for me at-lease.

 

Hey dude, have you clocked how much Ca the clams use? I ask because I am wanting to get a nice clam for my tank in the future and was wondering about the dosing.

yes and no. ive done some calculations but these are only theory until i actually get the clams in there.im going to use a 2 part dosing machine plus Kalkwasser water drip line. together this should be stable.

 

ive added the lights last night and all the timers and stuff and started working on the ATO. not going to post pics because every one knows how they look:-p

im working on getting a new rock scape. i got 2 more pieces of rock i didn't put in, maybe ill work them in some how. also took alot of sand out and put it in the sump.

 

-J0hn