My Custom PicO

[buddythelion]

I just float the bag, open it and then clip it on to the tank (bag still in tank), put some water in the bag, and repeat until it's about 3x what the water originally was from the store, and then the livestock is good to go.

[nicholc2]

So u don't care that your lfs keeps their fish tasks @ 1.021 and u keep your reef @ 1.025?

Most of the time when I grab fish (due to running a nano and not a large tank) I've bought fish housed with inverts or corals which would carry the same salinity. That being said, I believe that in years past when I've purchased from fish only tanks, I haven't drip acclimated, but instead the ole add a half cup, wait, repeat method. Either way, no issues.

[Mstefa1]

There's probably a dozen different ways to do it. My fish don't die, plain and simple so I'll continue my methods.

 

Transferring coral from one of my tanks to the other, I just toss them in as they all have the same conditions. Inverts are treated with a little more care. I wouldn't bother testing the water the fish came in. Acclimate them, toss them in, and enjoy them!

[NanoReefAquariums]

cool build..apart from the insane price for that light!!

[Mstefa1]

when did nano tanks become pico tanks lol

 

cool build..apart from the overkill on lighting !!

 

What do you mean overkill on the lighting? I was initially concerned that I wouldn't have enough spread but my fears of that quickly dissolved. What's overkill on lighting is JDH having a Maspect Razor on a 10g. lol

 

Also, incase you didn't know, PicO Aquariums is a manufacture

 

A pictope would be a tank smaller than a nano.

[Hexadron]

No such thing as overkill

 

They didn't have the nano when I ordered mine...

[nicholc2]

What do you mean overkill on the lighting? I was initially concerned that I wouldn't have enough spread but my fears of that quickly dissolved. What's overkill on lighting is JDH having a Maspect Razor on a 10g. lol

 

Also, incase you didn't know, PicO Aquariums is a manufacture

 

A pictope would be a tank smaller than a nano.

As a fellow AI Nano owner, I can say it's definitely not overkill. With the controller you can control it so affectively it's worth every penny. If it's one thing I've learned over the last 14 years of reefing, lighting is very important. A cheap light will hurt you in the long run for sure.

[TristanC]

The nano is definitely not overkill. I have mine almost at 40% and judging by my coral they love it.

[BadCrab]

My sand looks so happy at 20/35/35 w/b/rb

[nicholc2]

My sand looks so happy at 20/35/35 w/b/rb

That just made me laugh out loud on a conference call at work. People were probably like "wtf?". LOL

[NanoReefAquariums]

wow !! apparently I didnt make myself as clear as I should have

 

I do not think that the illumination is overkill...I was referring to the price...am I mistaken to think the AI nano with controller is upwards of 370 dollars?

 

We are talking about a barely 15 gallon tank... and that is not a Pico where I'm from lol

[Hexadron]

wow !! apparently I didnt make myself as clear as I should have

 

I do not think that the illumination is overkill...I was referring to the price...am I mistaken to think the AI nano with controller is upwards of 370 dollars?

 

We are talking about a barely 15 gallon tank... and that is not a Pico where I'm from lol

 

Regardless of tank size, do you want a tank with healthy thriving corals, or a tank that looks nice lit up, but less than stellar unhealthy corals. There's definitely a price to pay for healthy corals, and since the majority of corals are Photosynthetic, light is an important factor.

 

Can you go cheaper, and still have your corals survive? Sure. But, you are also paying for controlabillity and packaging. There is also a factor of R&D you are paying for with fairly new technology vs Metal Halide etc..

[nicholc2]

wow !! apparently I didnt make myself as clear as I should have

 

I do not think that the illumination is overkill...I was referring to the price...am I mistaken to think the AI nano with controller is upwards of 370 dollars?

 

We are talking about a barely 15 gallon tank... and that is not a Pico where I'm from lol

You are correct on the price. However, with LED the fixture will last for years without the need for bulb replacement. Also, the controller gives so much control over what you can do. IMHO if you're lighting (even with a nano) an aquarium with livestock worth potentially thousands of dollars, what's 370 lighting to give it the best shot at being the best it can be. Corny I know, but true. On my tank initially back in 2000 I ran the PC's that came with the hood. Then years later I put a 150w MH over it. In both cases one of the things that I discovered was when the light source started degrading the algae started appearing in force. A good light source is priceless and worth the expense. I'm not saying you can't get quality LEDs for cheaper, but I and my corals are 110% happy with this fixture and what it brings to my tank.

[Deleted User 4]

wow !! apparently I didnt make myself as clear as I should have

 

I do not think that the illumination is overkill...I was referring to the price...am I mistaken to think the AI nano with controller is upwards of 370 dollars?

 

We are talking about a barely 15 gallon tank... and that is not a Pico where I'm from lol

 

This tank is custom hand made in the U.S. by Christopher, who came up with the picO brand.

http://picoaquariums.com/en/

[BadCrab]

I went with an AI Nano (and would have went with any equally priced LED) for a few reasons:

It would literally be criminal to light such a beautiful handmade tank with anything else. Also I don't know the definition of literally.

Controllability appeals to me very much, as do "fluff" features like ramp up, moonlights, weather effects, and real-world weather

AI (and other high-end LED manufacturers) stand behind their products for years, offering upgrade kits and services while expanding features of products through firmware updates.

I could re-use the light later for any number of projects, or easily sell it and feel confidant it will retain a pretty steady second-hand market rate.

[Mstefa1]

wow !! apparently I didnt make myself as clear as I should have

 

I do not think that the illumination is overkill...I was referring to the price...am I mistaken to think the AI nano with controller is upwards of 370 dollars?

 

If we are talking lighting the tank and nothing else, I would have rather tossed a 70w MH on it as I love my 150 MH on my aquapod. But there will be no chiller here so that is out of the question.

 

I could have taken a heat sink and tossed a few LEDs on it for a fraction of the cost but it would look like crap. And if I did all the goodies to make it look nice with a makers led heat sink, all the trimmings, etc the price soon skyrockets. And if I wanted to control my DIY led electronically I'd either have to hookup an arduino (which I have several on hand) or get a vdm for my apex.

 

For my Pico, I wanted something that was aesthetically pleasing to not just the tank, but to the eye for the entire setup.

 

 

We are talking about a barely 15 gallon tank... and that is not a Pico where I'm from lol

 

And sorry for the confusion but a PicO as in PicO Aquariums is a manufacture of custom tanks.

 

A pico or a picotope is a small tank.

[NanoReefAquariums]

For 99 dollars your could have a 20 inch T5 bulb that would do just fine for a 15 gallon tank....

 

 

But more power to you if you want to spend 300 dollars on a light for a 15g

[NanoReefAquariums]

I personally have a 48 watt AquaticLife T5 on my 15 and I have tons of GSPs, Mushrooms, Xenia, Kenya Tree, Hammer, Zoas....

 

It was 105 from Maine Depot

[Hexadron]

Don't forget with T5's and MH you have to replace bulbs, which can get costly over time. Another reason you pay higher prices for LED's is their longevity.

 

All three choices offer something different. You should go with T5's NanoReefAquariums. Save some money, maybe?

 

I wouldn't drag on the fact of what Matt chose though. He's happy with his purchase, So What?! Who cares? (Joy Behar reference - SNL)

[Mstefa1]

For 99 dollars your could have a 20 inch T5 bulb that would do just fine for a 15 gallon tank....

 

 

But more power to you if you want to spend 300 dollars on a light for a 15g

 

Well 2x18w would only give me roughly 2.4w / gallon which doesn't fly in my opinion. That being said, I'd need the 4 bulb setup to get 4.8w / gallon which is still is under what i'm used to and the price for that is $249.99 @ marine depot and I still have to replace the bulbs every 6-9 months. Remember I have 6.25w / gallon on my aquapod so less power is not acceptable to me.

 

I do realize that the watts / gallon is not exact comparison between MH and T5 but it gets you close. I also know it doesn't apply to LEDs

 

I'm sure it's a great fixture but when you compare $249 and having to change the bulbs regularly with $299 good for 5+ years it's a no brainer. The extra $80 was for the controller and that was an add on expense just for more control which shouldn't be considered in the comparison because it is not required part of the light.

 

You also need to consider that I've never had an LED setup and I specifically wanted to try out a quality LED fixture so I could see if I want LEDs over more of my tanks in the future.

I personally have a 48 watt AquaticLife T5 on my 15 and I have tons of GSPs, Mushrooms, Xenia, Kenya Tree, Hammer, Zoas....

 

It was 105 from Maine Depot

 

That's awesome that it works for you. I'd love to see you tank. Everything you named I don't want in my PicO as they are all common corals. Remember I already have a tank stocked with just about everything. This tank is about elegance and mushrooms, Kenya trees, and green star polyps just won't satisfy me.

 

Don't forget with T5's and MH you have to replace bulbs, which can get costly over time. Another reason you pay higher prices for LED's is their longevity.

 

All three choices offer something different. You should go with T5's NanoReefAquariums. Save some money, maybe?

 

I wouldn't drag on the fact of what Matt chose though. He's happy with his purchase, So What?! Who cares? (Joy Behar reference - SNL)

 

I hate my purchase now that they offer it in black. lol!!!

 

Seriously, you can't discount the fact that my entire top is open which I love. What's the point of a rimless if I'm going to stick a light on top of it? All things considered, if I had money to throw away I would have gotten the larger sol. Why? Just for the hell of it and because they offered it in black at the time of purchase. Sure I could have gotten the Tunze nano ATO and reallocated that hundred bucks to the light but I've been completed satisfied with my full Tunze osmolator and I didn't want to shortcut 1 for the other. Everybody assured me that the AI nano was enough for this tank and I fully agree with them. Remember that my display is 20x10" which isn't exactly cube shaped. Thanks for watching my back Jordon!

[Hexadron]

Seriously, you can't discount the fact that my entire top is open which I love. What's the point of a rimless if I'm going to stick a light on top of it? All things considered, if I had money to throw away I would have gotten the larger sol. Why? Just for the hell of it and because they offered it in black at the time of purchase. Sure I could have gotten the Tunze nano ATO and reallocated that hundred bucks to the light but I've been completed satisfied with my full Tunze osmolator and I didn't want to shortcut 1 for the other. Everybody assured me that the AI nano was enough for this tank and I fully agree with them. Remember that my display is 20x10" which isn't exactly cube shaped. Thanks for watching my back Jordon!

 

Well it's more of common sense than anything. i think you made a very wise choice. The AI Nano was on my list of equipment for my build as well. It's truly a great fixture!

 

I know what you mean about it coming in black though. The nice thing is you could always sell it and make your money back. Not sure if it's worth the hassle for you or not though.

 

Not to mention the AI Nano is a sexy little beast.

[Deleted User 4]

I think the ai nano sol looks better in white....but to match it with the picO tank ( black silicone, black back wall) then you're better off with the black ai nano sol? Not so sure to say that..

 

I like the white more.

 

I think the white ai vega looks better than the black casing vega too. The black vega casing looks super cheap in my opinion.

[Mstefa1]

Sorry guys, no pics today. My blasto hasn't regained it's brilliance from being face down in the sand in my other tank, but it is looking nice and happily ate today. My family was rather pleased by it's luminescence under the blues. My zoas seem happy as ever - so happy that I may have to grant asylum and give it permanent residence here even though it's not one of those special corals the tank is intended for.

 

I've also did an invert inspection today... I dropped a couple pellets on the sandbed and immediately the nassarious popped up so he is obviously on the prowl. A moment later my hermit came crawling down the rockwork strutting his stuff. The larger snail spent most of it's time at the waterline but I'm pleased to report that he hasn't climbed out. I fully expected to wake up this morning to my dog toying with the snail. Once the lights went out the ceriths were all accounted for. So far we have a very happy beginning!

 

I've been toying with the idea of putting a Picasso clown in here but I would be heart broken to find such an expensive fish on the floor being topless. I'll make that decision after vacation. Anyone running an open top with a Picasso want to chime in?

 

I'm also considering QT any newly purchased corals in my frag tank or my Aquapod prior to putting in my PicO. I'm not worried about pest in any way as a standard dip covers most things. My concern is nuisance algae. In my experience any issue with my pod could have been preventing with a 1-2 week observation period. I think this just makes sense considering I already have the hardware in place so hopefully I can stick to it. For now, I'll probably toss a few more frags into my PicO to give it some life even if those corals may not be intended for that tank long term.

[Mstefa1]

I think the ai nano sol looks better in white....but to match it with the picO tank ( black silicone, black back wall) then you're better off with the black ai nano sol? Not so sure to say that..

 

I like the white more.

 

I think the white ai vega looks better than the black casing vega too. The black vega casing looks super cheap in my opinion.

 

Are you going to give me some lighting guidelines? I'm currently 22cw, 18b, 18rb @ 7.5" above the waterline on a 20x10" display aiming for 10hr lighting. I'm currently going a little whiter during the day because I see plenty of blues during the ramp up/down. Besides, that's the beauty of LEDs because I can control the spectrum at my fingertips! Right now I just have the basic timed function setup but eventually I'll set the individual programs.

 

Thanks!

[Hexadron]

Very nice post.

 

I'm very glad everything seems to be chiming away nice and happy. I have to agree on the idea of QT the coral for a small period of time. Even if it isn't for pests, like you mentioned, there is also nuisance algae to search and destroy before it takes hold.

 

What do you dip with? Sorry if you mentioned it before, I forgot.