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My 5g Ecoxotic "EcoPico" New Pics/Question!


malibukay

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So I finally decided to set up the ecopico i purchased! I'm still debating on what lighting to do, I know I want to stick to LEDs but I'm not sure if im gonna try DIY or have someone make it for me?

 

Here's my equipment so far:

 

5g Rimless EcoPico Tank

Fluval C3 Filter

Custom Acrylic Overfow (Filter intake sits inside) Thanks glazer!

Custom DIY LEDs x3 CREE XR-E Royal Blues, x2 CREE XR-E Cool Whites, x1 CREE XR-E Warm White Custom Fixture Thanks glazer!

ADA glass thermometer

50w Heater

5lbs Live Rock

4lbs Live Sand

MP10 should arrive soon!

Snapshot_2011_03_20_13_57_42.tiff

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looks good really clean but does the heater fit in side the HOB?

thanks! no the heater is hidden behind my liverock its not too noticeable

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Nice! I did the overflow thing too. But I only had clear perspex for it. Works fine until evap causes slurpy slurp. Great idea for surface skimming help.

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Nice! I did the overflow thing too. But I only had clear perspex for it. Works fine until evap causes slurpy slurp. Great idea for surface skimming help.

yeh im really happy with it! and especially since i dont have a sump or anything! glazer actually made me this overflow! did an awesome job!

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Nice job Kay... clean little setup. Maybe it just looks that way in the pics but that little light actually looks pretty bright. What is that arm for the light made out of, plastic? I was trying to roll/bend a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum into that exact shape and snapped by whole vise right off the bench top... do over!..lol

 

 

Steve

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Welcome to the club! :D From the pic it looks like you have the stock LED strip on your hood. The stunner strips are much more intense/expensive (although what you have is still stunning :D).

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Thanks Steve! Yeh it is pretty bright, the fixture is made from aluminum I think in powder coating.

Nice job Kay... clean little setup. Maybe it just looks that way in the pics but that little light actually looks pretty bright. What is that arm for the light made out of, plastic? I was trying to roll/bend a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum into that exact shape and snapped by whole vise right off the bench top... do over!..lol

 

 

Steve

 

 

 

Thank you! Yeh I have the stock for now, once it cycles I'm planning on adding or just getting another fixture. Any recommendation?

 

Welcome to the club! :D From the pic it looks like you have the stock LED strip on your hood. The stunner strips are much more intense/expensive (although what you have is still stunning :D).
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Thanks Steve! Yeh it is pretty bright, the fixture is made from aluminum I think in powder coating.

 

Thank you! Yeh I have the stock for now, once it cycles I'm planning on adding or just getting another fixture. Any recommendation?

 

I like the smaller quantity of rock you've chosen. The tank is smaller than it seems and yours will be easy to clean :D Were you planning to mod the stunner line of strips onto the hood or were you just planning on updating the ecopico line of strips? The tank is perfect for the stock or a separate fixture. I'm not even sure how big the stunners are, technically, or whether they'd bleach anything on top of the tank, though :P

 

I have five of the ecopico strips on the stock fixture. There's a link in my sig and a picture of what it looks like somewhere towards the end. With all five going strong there is no risk of overheating. The light produced is STRONG, but the full white strips are a little too much color-wise for my tastes. I took one full 12k, two 12k/acttinic mixed, and two full actinic strips. If it's not sufficient lighting for the types of critters/corals appropriate for such a small tank I'll be surprised. I don't have the specs on the lights offhand, but I don't feel like I'm lacking in that department after covering every available inch of the fixture in LEDs. Hehee.

 

The only real issue is needing three power sources to get a good three-part lighting cycle and not having a horrifying mess of wires in the back! I've got two at the moment but back-burnered dealing with the issue until I have more living things going on.

 

I'm 25 days in and have had zero issues with the tank. Probably a good idea to use a different filter, although I'm comfortable with the stock filter even during gross diatom blooms/etc. during cycling. Filter floss has helped. Sometime this week I'm going to add some chaeto to starve some GHA but other than that, this tank has been very easy.

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Yeh I checked your thread! It looks very good, I'm debating if I should purchase more stunner strips or just get a new led fixture or maybe just DIY LEDs

 

Yeh I didn't want too much clutter in my tank

 

 

 

 

 

I like the smaller quantity of rock you've chosen. The tank is smaller than it seems and yours will be easy to clean :D Were you planning to mod the stunner line of strips onto the hood or were you just planning on updating the ecopico line of strips? The tank is perfect for the stock or a separate fixture. I'm not even sure how big the stunners are, technically, or whether they'd bleach anything on top of the tank, though :P

 

I have five of the ecopico strips on the stock fixture. There's a link in my sig and a picture of what it looks like somewhere towards the end. With all five going strong there is no risk of overheating. The light produced is STRONG, but the full white strips are a little too much color-wise for my tastes. I took one full 12k, two 12k/acttinic mixed, and two full actinic strips. If it's not sufficient lighting for the types of critters/corals appropriate for such a small tank I'll be surprised. I don't have the specs on the lights offhand, but I don't feel like I'm lacking in that department after covering every available inch of the fixture in LEDs. Hehee.

 

The only real issue is needing three power sources to get a good three-part lighting cycle and not having a horrifying mess of wires in the back! I've got two at the moment but back-burnered dealing with the issue until I have more living things going on.

 

I'm 25 days in and have had zero issues with the tank. Probably a good idea to use a different filter, although I'm comfortable with the stock filter even during gross diatom blooms/etc. during cycling. Filter floss has helped. Sometime this week I'm going to add some chaeto to starve some GHA but other than that, this tank has been very easy.

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Yeh I checked your thread! It looks very good, I'm debating if I should purchase more stunner strips or just get a new led fixture or maybe just DIY LEDs

 

Yeh I didn't want too much clutter in my tank

 

My opinion is that the regular LED lighting you can buy from ecoxotic is cheap, bright, attractive and a ton of it fits on the stock hood. A DIY LED project would be AWESOME, but I wouldn't go through the hassle. I'd also probably electrocute myself :P

 

I'm still confused as to whether you are putting actual stunner strips (http://www.ecoxotic.com/stunner-led-strips.html) or if you are referring to the LED strips that are made for the ecopico (http://www.ecoxotic.com/products/led-aquariums/ecopico.html). They're totally different and maybe you're just using the name interchangeably. I think two stunner strips would probably do the job of five of the light LED strips on this tank if you were actually planning to build a different larger light fixture. I think those strips are longer than the tank is wide anyways.

 

I'm rambling. Sorry. Excited about your tank. o.O

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My opinion is that the regular LED lighting you can buy from ecoxotic is cheap, bright, attractive and a ton of it fits on the stock hood. A DIY LED project would be AWESOME, but I wouldn't go through the hassle. I'd also probably electrocute myself :P

 

I'm still confused as to whether you are putting actual stunner strips (http://www.ecoxotic.com/stunner-led-strips.html) or if you are referring to the LED strips that are made for the ecopico (http://www.ecoxotic.com/products/led-aquariums/ecopico.html). They're totally different and maybe you're just using the name interchangeably. I think two stunner strips would probably do the job of five of the light LED strips on this tank if you were actually planning to build a different larger light fixture. I think those strips are longer than the tank is wide anyways.

 

I'm rambling. Sorry. Excited about your tank. o.O

wait so your not using the strips made just for the ecopico? your using the stunner strips?

 

Looks Good!

thank you!

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wait so your not using the strips made just for the ecopico? your using the stunner strips?

 

 

thank you!

 

No, I'm using the strips made for the ecopico. The stunner strips are the heavy duty LEDs that Ecoxotic makes. But you keep saying stunners and I thought you were implying you were buying the 12.5'' strips called stunner strips for your tank? I was secretly excited to see some insane light fixture above your tank :P I was confused because the picture you showed doesn't appear to have a stunner strip on the hood.

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No, I'm using the strips made for the ecopico. The stunner strips are the heavy duty LEDs that Ecoxotic makes. But you keep saying stunners and I thought you were implying you were buying the 12.5'' strips called stunner strips for your tank? I was secretly excited to see some insane light fixture above your tank :P

haha i got myself confused then! im using the ecopico strips for now, but im working on a little surprise fixture ;)

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haha i got myself confused then! im using the ecopico strips for now, but im working on a little surprise fixture ;)

 

There we go. I thought I was crazy. Can't wait to see it!!!!!

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:D, did you get a clean up crew yet?

 

Not yet. I am blooming diatoms and GHA left and right but still showing a pinch of ammonia. Nothing good happens fast, I try to remind myself. Need to hit up my LFS for a few things and will get some macro in there. If the tank is supporting as much green hair algae as I'm seeing come and go during the cycle I'm sure some chaeto it will survive/help starve the algae/put good things into the water.

 

Been thinking about what to get, probably just some dwarf ceriths. Don't want any true omnivores like hermits in such a small tank, even though they are so cute.

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Not yet. I am blooming diatoms and GHA left and right but still showing a pinch of ammonia. Nothing good happens fast, I try to remind myself. Need to hit up my LFS for a few things and will get some macro in there. If the tank is supporting as much green hair algae as I'm seeing come and go during the cycle I'm sure some chaeto it will survive/help starve the algae/put good things into the water.

 

Been thinking about what to get, probably just some dwarf ceriths. Don't want any true omnivores like hermits in such a small tank, even though they are so cute.

yeh it takes a while, but well worth it in the end!

 

im debating on what i want my CUC to be eventually as well =/

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