1/4 Gallon Open Top SPS Cube

[hurricanefan1281]

That is such a sick pico! if i had a pico like that i would totally want one of those pumps! they are awesome! Cant wait to see how your tank does!

[thesmallerthebetter]

please pm me how you made that pump i would love to make one for my nano without having to spend all that money on those vortechs! that's just to amazing for words! nice tank

 

yeah I can't wait to see some DIY details. It is pretty inspiring

 

just hold your horses fellas at least for a few months......

 

 

this is so cool, im so impressed, especially the the pump do hicky!! can i ask where you got the MR16s and a link if you could?

 

the MR16s are from a ebay vendor (unfortunately he no longer carries these exact ones) but they are 1W leds, not the great all mights 3Watts, but the hope is that with the corals so close to the lights these will work.

 

 

think people you to say you should go smaller than 55 gallons and now we have tanks that hold a quart of water

 

amen to that...i have larger tanks, but i actually like to keep my reefs smaller, it makes it more interesting to me, as well as lets me observe the animals more up close.

 

One round of tests for calcium, alkalinity and mag. and you have done a 10% water change. lol

 

 

hehehe i go two water changes a day....its 180ML to a 50% change....three syringes full with my "dendro feeder" hahahaha

[thesmallerthebetter]

my CUC arrived today i ordered 10 juvi ceriths from reefcleaners and instead was sent at least 40! thanks to everyone over there for that. i will be ordering again for certain

 

just in time too....the algea was startin to bugggg meeeeee

 

 

in other news, the corals were added back a few days ago (some were swapped around for better frags) and ive been testing. with bidaily water changes my calc has remained on the low side, but stable, and im noting some coraline growth on the rocks and around the base of a few of the frags

 

pics up as soon as the CUC shakes off their jetlag and takes on the beastly algea thats all over my glass haha

[mxpro32]

One round of tests for calcium, alkalinity and mag. and you have done a 10% water change. lol

 

yeah, then the results are all thrown off and you have to test again...

[Zo0k365]

Updates??

[thesmallerthebetter]

Updates??

 

 

ask and you shall receive

 

Current Stock:

 

Non-Photo:

Mini Orange Dendrophyllia

 

Acroporas:

ORA Blue Bellina

Phils Green Granulosa

 

Other:

Ponape Birdsnest

 

CUC:

5 Mico Ceriths

 

 

 

So far everything is great, tests indicate that calc hovers around 360-400 with one water change every day.

 

have a few lingering patches of algae (some residual cyano and brown film from the cycle), so ive turned the photo period down a couple hours to try and kill it off.

 

im also noting some furiously fast calcification on the lower rockwork, its spreading a few millimeters every day very happy bout that

Edited June 3, 2010 by thesmallerthebetter

[RyanR1212]

holy jesus!! what you have done with 1/4 gallon of water is better than what i could do with 125 gallons... i really like the DIY pump. thats pretty crazy. i also love how you glued some sps on the back wall. that will look really cool when it starts incrusting on it. all in all great job with everything. just watch temp. you prob have thought this out and have something for it but the temp could go up just by blowing on the glass...

 

Good luck with everything!!

 

-Ryan

[thesmallerthebetter]

holy jesus!! what you have done with 1/4 gallon of water is better than what i could do with 125 gallons... i really like the DIY pump. thats pretty crazy. i also love how you glued some sps on the back wall. that will look really cool when it starts incrusting on it. all in all great job with everything. just watch temp. you prob have thought this out and have something for it but the temp could go up just by blowing on the glass...

 

Good luck with everything!!

 

-Ryan

 

thanks

 

i actually have a small heater rigged up under the tank and tied into a thermostat temp hovers at 78.3 at all times

[Squared]

Pure awsomeness .

 

I know some people would think I'm crazy for saying this...but maybe 1 fish. I mean a microscopic fish. Like a panda goby, they grow to like 1/2 inch and feed off acro slime (so my LFS said).

[thesmallerthebetter]

Pure awsomeness .

 

I know some people would think I'm crazy for saying this...but maybe 1 fish. I mean a microscopic fish. Like a panda goby, they grow to like 1/2 inch and feed off acro slime (so my LFS said).

 

im toying with the idea of a tiny fish actually....

 

i just dont know yet....thinking about an Aioliops megastigma, but not certain i wanna stress the system that much :/

[Squared]

Well if you can keep a dendro in here I guess you could keep a micro fish...cause won't the dendro eat and poo more than a 1/2 fish?

Edited June 6, 2010 by Squared

[thesmallerthebetter]

i suppose youre right. i feed the dendro a single mysis every morning, sometimes i skip a day tho.

 

if i can find me a micro fish ill try it for sure tho. would just mean more water changes i guess

[Squared]

How many water changes do you do a week? And what amount?

[thesmallerthebetter]

i do a single 25% or so water change every day about an hour before lights out. some days i do an extra one too tho. they mainly function as mineral replenishment rather than nutrient export tho, hafta keep the calc up for the acros.

[thesmallerthebetter]

Was up taking a few pics tonight....mostly playing with the camera settings to try and get clearer, more true to color shots of the corals under the LEDs.....

 

didnt have too much success.....but this is what i got:

 

 

Also uploaded another vid:

 

Edited June 6, 2010 by thesmallerthebetter

[Squared]

Does this tank have a filter of some sort?

[brandon429]

a fish will live in there for a period of time. then without drastic changes to the tank husbandry it will crash the whole tank with an algae outbreak long about month 4 -if- the fish lives that long eating only copious acro slime. I have never seen a panda eat that, they are eating the floc and associated fauna with the acros but I got mine to eat cyclopeeze. Good luck feeding a tank this small with a fish, watch what happens!

 

 

I did some work with a panda in a 1/2 gallon, and have not found a way to do it legitimately but if there is a way Id consider it again. Check even the TOTM's on this site for updates, and how many are still around with their glorious fish loading.

 

Some are, the vast majority are not. they were right when they said pico reefs model large ones only quicker, on every thread on the entire internet I claim we cannot find a gallon or less reef with a fish in it living longer than 8 months with picture documentation. This is not to say that algae-ridden, cyano bacteria dominant tanks are not out there for the photographing, I mean a clean nice reef. not being mean Im just telling you what the three month mark holds by all means test it and beat it if possible I always wanted to be able to keep a small fish over the long haul.

[Squared]

I almost got a panda. Then my LFS sold them all. Nice fish.

[RedMan25xl]

I too was thinking about a panda goby. very tiny indeed

[thesmallerthebetter]

Does this tank have a filter of some sort?

 

no filter, i just keep the particulate in suspension with flow and remove it with water changes

 

a fish will live in there for a period of time. then without drastic changes to the tank husbandry it will crash the whole tank with an algae outbreak long about month 4 -if- the fish lives that long eating only copious acro slime. I have never seen a panda eat that, they are eating the floc and associated fauna with the acros but I got mine to eat cyclopeeze. Good luck feeding a tank this small with a fish, watch what happens!

 

 

I did some work with a panda in a 1/2 gallon, and have not found a way to do it legitimately but if there is a way Id consider it again. Check even the TOTM's on this site for updates, and how many are still around with their glorious fish loading.

 

Some are, the vast majority are not. they were right when they said pico reefs model large ones only quicker, on every thread on the entire internet I claim we cannot find a gallon or less reef with a fish in it living longer than 8 months with picture documentation. This is not to say that algae-ridden, cyano bacteria dominant tanks are not out there for the photographing, I mean a clean nice reef. not being mean Im just telling you what the three month mark holds by all means test it and beat it if possible I always wanted to be able to keep a small fish over the long haul.

 

i do remember seeing your little fish, always wondered what happened to him.

 

im not sold on the fish just yet, i am pretty sure it would wreak havock on my poor system.

 

although, one thing to consider that might aid in decreasing nutrient load would be adding a large-ish feather duster, or similar animal, with the intention of it consuming and thus binding the fishes waste products fast enough to not allow a spike?

 

I almost got a panda. Then my LFS sold them all. Nice fish.

 

I too was thinking about a panda goby. very tiny indeed

 

an LFS by me has them frequently, often times so small that its like a little black and yellow pod haha

 

 

PS: brandon, one of your comments on youtube was removed...was it you or youtube that did it? just curious and thanks for so many kind words i have a long way to go yet. im just glad this contest came around to give me the motivation i need

Edited June 6, 2010 by thesmallerthebetter

[brandon429]

the only things you can add to bind fish waste are plants, not animals. animals liberate ammonia via protein digestion as a rule...feather dusters add to bioloading like a fish or any other respirative animal, they absolutely do not live solely on fish waste hence the reason no one can keep them long term in a pico. they have notable feeding requirements for long term (more than 6 month) success...

 

You'll notice in truly aged pico reefs the only feather dusters are the ones that self-selected for growth on live rocks or not, depending on food diversity. that's because if we are lucky, that's the max amount of healthy suspended feeds we can sustain in a pico reef but we cannot provide yet for larger ones, other than for that temporary TOTM photograph lol ouch

 

sure feather dusters and fish can be had in these, but anyone attempting to do so better get really friendly with the 100% water changes I try to sell you guys or at least partial ones that you never ever skip...

 

Im all for experimentation and there's so much more headway to be had, so don't let me stifle anyone!

Edited June 6, 2010 by brandon429

[Squared]

Did you come up with the idea of the mini vortech yourself? Or did you find instructions on the internet? I would love to make one for my nano cube? How much did it cost?

 

Can you give me link if there are instructions on the internet?

Edited June 6, 2010 by Squared

[thesmallerthebetter]

the only things you can add to bind fish waste are plants, not animals. animals liberate ammonia via protein digestion as a rule...feather dusters add to bioloading like a fish or any other respirative animal, they absolutely do not live solely on fish waste hence the reason no one can keep them long term in a pico. they have notable feeding requirements for long term (more than 6 month) success...

 

You'll notice in truly aged pico reefs the only feather dusters are the ones that self-selected for growth on live rocks or not, depending on food diversity. that's because if we are lucky, that's the max amount of healthy suspended feeds we can sustain in a pico reef but we cannot provide yet for larger ones, other than for that temporary TOTM photograph lol ouch

 

sure feather dusters and fish can be had in these, but anyone attempting to do so better get really friendly with the 100% water changes I try to sell you guys or at least partial ones that you never ever skip...

 

Im all for experimentation and there's so much more headway to be had, so don't let me stifle anyone!

 

yea, i get what you mean.

 

i maintain a 6 gallon non-photosynthetic tank and have to dose zoo and phyto plankton in huge concentrations nearly constantly to maintain it. that and water changes are a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH

 

ive toyed with adding some algea to the display. mainly calcified species, in the hopes that it would out compete the micro algaes we try to avoid. i would build a fuge to the same avail, but dont really think i could integrate one into the system effectively while maintaining the "clean" look i have now.

 

idk. alot of this is still experimental for me. this is my first LED lit reef, the first time in gone under half a gallon, and the first time ive EVER had any kind of acropora show encrusting growth of any caliber

 

Did you come up with the idea of the mini vortech yourself? Or did you find instructions on the internet? I would love to make one for my nano cube? How much did it cost?

 

Can you give me link if there are instructions on the internet?

 

first, not to sound rude. but this pump should not be reffered to as a DIY or mini Vortech. Vortech is a trademark of Ecotech marine, and not something i want to invite confrontation from. While my design does center around the magnetically coupled design of some labroatory stirrers, and bears superficial resemblance to a "Vortech" it differs in a handful of ways.

 

one: it is suspended not "Soley" by magnetic force. i utilize a small strip of rubber adhesive to hold the dry side to the tank in a semi permanent fashion. the magnets MIGHT ( ) suspend the pump alone tho

 

two: my pump isnt controlled by a fancy wave driver, tho, i would love to partner up with someone with the knowledge to help with that. im just a hardware guy, not really an electrician or programmer (tho quite a bit of electronics fabrication went into this tank haha).

 

that being said, mine was built from scratch. i got inspiration from a thread on here and the need for this design. a quick search on this board for "DIY Vortech" and u shud find something.

 

and as i hinted at a few pages back. if you are patient enough to wait a few months....you might be pleasantly surprised....

[brandon429]

great job balancing your innovation with all the legal wrangling thats a tight rope I know. Work respected man, free of name brands, we'll leave it at that!!!

B

[thesmallerthebetter]

so, just a little update here:

 

so ive been working alot lately, but the tank is still trudging along very happily.

 

i recently made a few changes, the acropora that i had glued to the side glass has been removed (and transported to a little side project of mine to be unveiled shortly). i made my decision because it was one of two frags from the same colony, and since both frags were doing wonderfully (encrusting their bases, showing wonderful polyp extension, holding color), i think that that particular spot would be better saved for another variety of coral.

 

also, the granulosa has shown very quick encrusting growth over the ugly mass of glue that it is attached with, im pleasantly surprised with that.

 

my little tiny dendro head is also seeming happier, ive finally got it opening during daylight hours, and taking a single mysis every other day or so. id love to see it start to reach out over the rock next to it and attach itself.

 

coraline has started to sprout up on almost every rock, and is growing nicely. i picked a few specks of it to monitor for growth over a week and they seem to double in about 6 days but oddly i havent noticed any encrusting of the glass yet has anyone experienced issues with getting purple coraline to grow on acrylic? ive had oodles of the green coraline crap on past systems, but never purple like this. idk why tho haha.

 

so with the stocking deadline creeping up im hoping to fill this bad boy up soon, i want a few more acros, at least one monti, and a couple polyps of zoas, so that i have a nice rounded off stocking list.

 

ill try and snap pics soon, but the progress is so tiny that its not really much to look at haha

 

ps: Brandon, i stumbled upon a little virtual argument u had on another science related forum, and i really wanted to jump in and give ya some back up....but i wanted to ask your permission before i stirred the pot any more than it already is....

Edited June 16, 2010 by thesmallerthebetter