Apoptosis Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 FTS 4-18-10 I happened upon this small 2.5 gal tank just at the same time as I want to build a LED light for my main display tank. So my plan was to build a small light and test it out on a small scale before building a larger one. Then I found the pico contest. The long time frame works out for me as I am interested in long term growth under LED and also I want the challenges a pico tank provides. FTS 2-18-10 Current livestock list:SPS Copper Pocillapora Montipora Digitata Montipora Capricornis (grape) Montipora Capricornis (lime) Montipora Capricornis (brown) Thin branched birdsnest (Seriatopora?) Acropora Tenuis (purple/blue) Seriatopora (white with faint lime green polyps) Softies Red Zooanthids green Ricordea blue/green mushroom Fish Chromis nitida (yellow-back chromis) Inverts Acro crab (HH from the Tenuis) Blue leg hermit Link to comment
Growerguy Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Looks like a good start! Good luck! Link to comment
c_k_kuehne Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Welcome to the contest. Great start. Link to comment
bzphotog Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 awesome tagging along the no feed thing sounds good especially for a small tank bzphotog Link to comment
SmittyCoco Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I love picos. And am an avid supporter of them. If you plan on growing sps in there plan on dosing. Weekly wc's won't keep up. Depending on what and how many different varieties you do put in there. I know from experience. Goodluck with the build . Keep the pics coming. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 I stopped by the LFS today and picked up ~5 lbs of live rock. I'll probably end up taking out a piece or two as It looks really crowded. Still waiting on my AC70 to arrive, then I can mod the hood to fit the filter and epoxy the rockwork together. I was planning on doing the "easy" SPS like Monti cap/digi. Pocillapora, birdsnest etc. Still hoping I can keep stable parameters without dosing. I'll post a pic or two later. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 OK, here is a FTS with the rock in. Keep in mind one or two of these might be coming out. I just didn't have time today in between work, running to the LFS and school tonight to pick and choose what goes where. So I just tossed everything in and called it a day. I hate how yellow and dim the stock light is. Quite the POS. 15 watts of heat producing, yellow crappy light. (LED's hurry up and get here!) Some goodies And another one. Ok, that's enough for now. Link to comment
c_k_kuehne Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Yea I know the feeling about temporary lighting sucking. Mine is the right color but not near enough. Looks like your build is coming along. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Yea I know the feeling about temporary lighting sucking. Mine is the right color but not near enough. Looks like your build is coming along. Thanks! I would think this light is only capable of growing nasty brown/green algae. The worst part is that the rock is fully cured. I need a light so I can start stocking this thing! I'm happy because Heatsinkusa sent this for me today... Sad because I still need my LED's. Link to comment
c_k_kuehne Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Thanks! I would think this light is only capable of growing nasty brown/green algae. If it starts growing nasty things then turn it off. A lot of people cycle with their lights off and without corals this should not present a problem. I would rather go a week or 2 with no lights on LR then fight some nasty algae that took hold cause my lights sucked. Besides it will get some room light and just think of it as 2 weeks of really dense cloud cover Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Yeah, I agree. I don't turn the light on at all. Just for the photos right now. Nothing exciting happening there anyway... Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Its like Christmas all over again! AC70 arrived today along with the thermal adhesive pads from nanotuners. Picked up a soldering iron and misc items and a Dremel 300. Pics to follow. To do list for the next few days: Get AC70 set up on tank Mod hood to fit AC70 Arrange rockwork (remove pieces) then epoxy together Add sand. By the time I'm done with those things my LED's and the other Buckpuck I ordered should be here so I can get started on the light build. I am estimating I'll start working on the light this weekend. Very exciting!!! I'll get some pics up as soon as I can! Link to comment
Amphitrite Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Its like Christmas all over again! AC70 arrived today along with the thermal adhesive pads from nanotuners. Picked up a soldering iron and misc items and a Dremel 300. Pics to follow. To do list for the next few days: Get AC70 set up on tank Mod hood to fit AC70 Arrange rockwork (remove pieces) then epoxy together Add sand. By the time I'm done with those things my LED's and the other Buckpuck I ordered should be here so I can get started on the light build. I am estimating I'll start working on the light this weekend. Very exciting!!! I'll get some pics up as soon as I can! Looks like you have several things marked off your list....a lot more than I have marked off mine! Can't wait to see your rock scape!! Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Looks like you have several things marked off your list....a lot more than I have marked off mine! Can't wait to see your rock scape!! Thanks! It is scaped differently now. I haven't taken a picture yet though. Been busy. And lazy. I was hoping to get a LED lit tank shot soon and use that for my march submission. I am so ready to add livestock. Just no light to properly take care of them. I'll probably start off by stocking with some Zoa's and LPS. Then add in some Monti's and Birdsnest and whatever else. Hopefully I'll have an update for you guys soon! Link to comment
c_k_kuehne Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Can't wait to see it lit -- March pic should be good Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Did a water test today. Figured I should at some point. It is about 1/2 fully cured live rock and 1/2 dry Marco rock. All nitrogen variants are undetectable. PH is 8.2 Cal 400 ppm SG 1.025 (no way of testing ALK yet, working on that one) So basically nothing is happening. Really boring ATM. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Got my LED's! Soldered them into the fixture and everything works first time, first try! IT IS BRIGHT! Pics to follow... Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 LED's are awesome! I can see that I'll have to play around with the dimmers to get the right amount of light in there. Overall I am very pleased. I have 3 RB and 2 CW. Each color is on its own Buckpuck. I also have 2 small computer style fans to draw air away from the heatsink. With the fans off the heatsink stays barely warm to the touch so I may put the fans on a switch so I don't have to hear them all the time. I won't do a whole step by step writeup, but I'll show off some of the pics (cause I know everyone here is a photo-whore!) I added a frag of Montipora Digitata (brown body with green polyps on top and orang polyps near base). This frag was dying when I got it for $5 and I am putting it in here in hopes that the higher light levels may help it recover better. Also put in a Firefish, I wanted to have him in my larger tank but my Trigger had other plans for him. He is much safer in the pico. So much for the "no feed" tank! A frag of Copper Pocillapora (Brown/Orange body with bright green polyps) is also living in the pico now. On to the pics! A gutted ZooMed light fitted with LED parts. No Peanut Butter!!! Link to comment
DaveFason Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Good job on the LED's! Thanks for the feedback! -Dave Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Good job on the LED's! Thanks for the feedback! -Dave Thanks Dave! Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 Did a water change tonight. Added a frag of red Zoas. ~ 25 polyps. Pocillapora is doing fine. I am waiting for some growth from that guy... He just seems to exist. Anyone have any? Are they known as a slow grower or is mine just slow? The Monti Digi is showing new growth in parts I wrote off as dead. I am SUPER happy about that! I promise I will get pics as soon as I can. I am no good usually with a camera and the LED's seem to make it impossible for me to be happy with showing the colors right.... -A Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 12, 2010 Author Share Posted March 12, 2010 NEW FRAGS!!!! Pic of birdsnest with the healing Monti Digi Two new frags of Monti Cap!!! One lime green and one grape Updated pics of Pocillapora and Zoos Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 So, I traded my trigger to one of the LFS for some store credit. Picked up 2 really nice frags. I'll get some pics up soon, they are still acclimating. I got a small colony of Acropora Tenuis and a decent sized frag of Seriatopora. The Acro is purple/blue and the Seria is white with faint lime green polyps. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 Pics, as promised. Link to comment
Apoptosis Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 I changed the scape, took out a baseball sized rock. I am still feeling seriously cramped working with this small of a tank. A 5.5 gal AGA has been on the drawing board for some time. I may upgrade the tank sooner than later to get everything settled in and situated for growout. I will have to make a new light for the tank, but I only need to order 2 buckpucks and a heatsink and I'll be ready. I have also been wanting to try my hand at drilling the back of a tank and making a closed loop. Possibly using a MJ1200? That should be plenty of flow along with using a AC70? Any comments? Link to comment
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