My 2.5g Pico with built in Sump/Refugium

[Sandeep]

Following the great success of my 5.5 gallon pico with built in refugium/sump

see http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=132714

 

I thought I would give it a try on a smaller scale and apply the same design principles to a 2.5 gallon pico for that clean front to back look with no wires, nozzles, heater and other visually distracting crap in the main tank.

 

This is the tank all siliconed and water tested after a few days (for details on how it works see my 5.5g thread which has schematics and more build details as well).

 

 

Just like the 5.5g build, I used a hot butter knife to create the surface skimmer intake slots. I managed to create 4 slots in the space. This time I used a hot phillips screwdriver to melt a hole and then used a knife to expand it to the snug fit diamater for the outflow pump.

 

 

For the pump, I wanted to keep things simple and standardized on the easily available Maxi-Jet 400 pump that worked so well in the 5.5g pico build. Of course the flow would be too strong for the 2.5g, so I opened it up and using a box cutter knife trimmed off 2 of the 5 impeller fins to reduce flow. I tried it and found it still too strong, so I cut it down to 2 impeller blades and the flow is just perfect with no sand blowing around.

 

 

 

When testing I found that the Maxi-Jet 400 was pumping out water faster than it was taking it in creating a bit of a high water level in the main display tank part at the back right corner. This was easily rectified by creating some intake holes below the surface slots and water flow is now perfect. Since all partitions are now glued in place, the easiest way to do this I found to create the intake holes was using a hot soldering iron to melt the holes, worked well.

 

 

This is what's going on in the sump/refugium compartments. I have a bag of purigen and some micro algea and a piece of coral rock in the refugium compartment. In the sump compartment I have a 25w Finnex titanium heater and the Maxi-Jet 400 pump with a sponge on it's intake. I have the same sponge on my 5.5g and have not found it to be a nitrate factory, so applied it here as well. The sump/refugium and main tank partition wall has been made big enough to allow for easy removal of the maxi-jet for weekly cleaning. If you make these compartments too small, thinking that you want more real estate space for the main tank compartment, the fit will be too tight not allowing for easy removal of the maxi-jet for cleaning a very important thing to keep in mind.

 

 

 

Just like in the 5.5g pico build the top of the tank is covered by a piece of glass to cut down on evaporation which can have a big effect of salinity stability and also to keep dust out of the tank. I don't like open tank tops as is the current fashion. The light here is the Current USA 12" 18w PC with a bulb which is half actinic and half 10,000K. It's a perfect fit and sits on top of the glass with it's rubber feet.

 

 

And finally here is what the tank looks like after 2 weeks of cycling with it's coral island. Like the 5.5g the coral island has been placed here allowing me to keep the front, back and side walls of the tank clean. I've added a couple of hermit crabs and will slowly add some coral over time. Like the 5.5g I'll probably cover the front of the refugium with a piece of black spray painted acrylic for a nicer less distracting look.

 

[Formatsreef]

awesome pico

[BKtomodachi]

I really like it! To remove the pump, do you just pull the nozzle out and remove it altogether?

[phil121]

Wow. Very cool and very well done. Great job. Can't wait to see some pics with some corals in it.

[evilc66]

Sandeep, you do a better job of siliconing than AGA does

[Sandeep]

Yes the pump fit is snug in the hole in the acrylic, you just wiggle it to remove the whole maxi-jet and then can clean it's intake weekly. Keeps things simple rather than the complex plumbing with tubes I've seen on other tanks.

 

I really like it! To remove the pump, do you just pull the nozzle out and remove it altogether?

[el fabuloso]

Very nice! Makes me wanna go out and set one up myself. Though I'm sure I'd probably do a crappy ass job.

[keeperofthereef]

I'm reading this going hey I just did that build!!!! haha looks great cant wait for corals!!!!!

[LukitaZ]

Very nice, but is necesary got an a refugium?.

 

Bye.

[Sandeep]

Not necessary to have a refugium, but the Chaeto algae and microorganisms in the refugium are very beneficial for the water quality and health of the tank.

 

Very nice, but is necesary got an a refugium?.

 

Bye.

[Lalani]

Very nice, I'm sure it will look just as great as your other pico.

Do you mind if I ask what camera/lens you are using? Your photos are so sharp.

[Sandeep]

I'm using a Canon EOS 20D body and a 55mm f2.8 macro lens for most of the shots.

 

Do you mind if I ask what camera/lens you are using? Your photos are so sharp.

[Lalani]

Thanks.

[BKtomodachi]

How did you cut your sheets of plexi? Razor blade or saw of some sort perhaps?

[Sandeep]

At Home Depot where I purchased the acrylic, they sell a blade for cutting it for a few dollars. Like glass you etch a deep line and than apply pressure on the acrylic to snap it, with it breaking along your etched line.

[Daemonfly]

I'm surprised you're not getting extra noise or vibrations from that propeller. You should have shaved down the height of the blades, not removed them entirely. Doing so will keep the impeller properly balanced. You may notice the impeller wear out quite a bit faster.

[Dixon1990]

Im making a tank basicly the same sometime in the next few weeks, except im going to have a nano skimmer in the sump. And its going to be about 4-6G.

[m1ndee]

Im making a tank basicly the same sometime in the next few weeks, except im going to have a nano skimmer in the sump. And its going to be about 4-6G.

 

Noob question, but how does the water get from the refugium to the pump? Is there a gap underneath the plexiglass or does the water travel back around the tank?

[Hoosierfan]

Noob question, but how does the water get from the refugium to the pump? Is there a gap underneath the plexiglass or does the water travel back around the tank?

 

There is a gap underneath the plexiglass. Pretty standard as far as built-in refuges go.

[Sandeep]

Yes there is a gap between the two compartments at the bottom. This illustration which I drew for my 5.5g thread should help you see what's going on.

 

[m1ndee]

Ahh thanks, I'm giving it a go

[ganja]

Im new to SW and this inspired me to build one. How much did this cost you total?

[GHawsJR]

Im new to SW and this inspired me to build one. How much did this cost you total?

 

I would love to see some updated pictures on the 2.5 gallon. Is it successful so far? What are you putting in it? Could we get some measurements on the space you left for the pump/heater to go in and out?

[Sandeep]

Tank is doing fine, quite stable and has life in it. I'll post some pics this week.

 

I'll post the dimensions tonight.

[GHawsJR]

Tank is doing fine, quite stable and has life in it. I'll post some pics this week.

 

I'll post the dimensions tonight.

 

Awesome. Thanks so much. How much water changes do you do a week? Do you check parameters often?

 

You do well with these small tanks. Some people its tough to tell if they are just pouring money into their aquariums and putting new stuff in the picos every two weeks. I know fish stores do that. They make these 3 gallon open top aquariums seem super easy but in reality stuff dies and they just keep restocking. Your 5.5 seems like you have just done a great job maintaining it and stuff has been growing in there for a while. Too bad you couldn't get a clam to work with the 18watt light on that! Or even the 36watts over the 5.5...