JR! Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 most people don't do them right.but thats just my opinion 100% agree with that Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Knew you couldn't keep your feet dry.... once you taste salt water you don't stop.... I am itching to see this pico :3Soon...My vote is for JBJ picotope with your aquaclear 70. I really enjoy mine.It is a strong contenderim fan of the 18x11x12 ADA tank. with sand and waterline, you can create a roughly 1:1.618 ratio tank. it's also wide enough to allow negative space and has enough depth for equipment. Not a big fan of cubes, most people don't do them right.but thats just my opinionI agree whole-heartedly on the cube. I have trouble aquascaping, and really want to get the right from the beginning, though I have never heard of the 1:1.618 atio tank tbh. I know it is the golden ratio, but I have just never seen it applied to tanks before. I'd love to be able to do the ADA you mentioned (always been a fan of ADA) but it has to be less than 5g for the office at work. Link to comment
supernip Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 just tell them it's 5L, aint no scientist gonna know what a ####ing gallon is. they'll just think it looks like 5 beakers and leave you alone Link to comment
aviator300 Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 just tell them it's 5L, aint no scientist gonna know what a ####### gallon is. they'll just think it looks like 5 beakers and leave you alone Totally agree. We all know that a 5 gal tank only holds about 3.5 to 4 gal of water after sand, aqua scaping, etc. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 just tell them it's 5L, aint no scientist gonna know what a ####### gallon is. they'll just think it looks like 5 beakers and leave you alone Think I could get away with the Tide and AC70 on the ADA 18"? Also - most of the people I interact with now are businessy types - no lab connection right now. Probably wouldn't even bat an eye. Link to comment
metrokat Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 You're taking this 5G thing too literally. Get a 10 and say it's a 5. Done. What are they going to do, make you take out each gallon to count? Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 You're taking this 5G thing to literally. Get a 10 and say it's a 5. Done. What are they going to do, make you take out each gallon to count? Would the ac70 and mini tide work on the ADA nips mentioned? I really dont want to buy lots more stuff Link to comment
metrokat Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Can't help you there Doc, never used an AC70 sowwy Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Can't help you there Doc, never used an AC70 sowwy Pretty sure the AC70 would work, and I have a koralia nano 240 I could use. I am more concerned with lighting Link to comment
supernip Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 you could do the cube as you first intended. aquatop even sells 8 and 10inch cubes. both are comfortably in your size range. I just happen to think they look crowded but if you want that packed look, why not? Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 Spent the last 24 hours in and out of doc offices and hospitals. Will worry about the tank later! Link to comment
teenyreef Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Spent the last 24 hours in and out of doc offices and hospitals. Will worry about the tank later! Hope everything's OK! Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 Hope everything's OK! Thanks. Things are ok, at least with my wife and baby-to-be. 2016 has been a rough year for the family, though. Everything I have from my tanks is sold at this point except the nanobox with the storm controller and bluefish mini, the tunze 3152 ATO, and my AC70/intank basket/AC70 and AC30 impellers. I'm setting this up at work, so while we have wifi connections, it's unsecured and I'm not sure I trust it to use the bluefish mini. Any advice Jedimasterben? lol I still haven't decided on a damn tank, but I am seriously leaning to the JBJ 3g picotope. I just love that little tank. $55 for it seems a bit steep considering I only really want the tank and I can get a 4g (12" cube) deep blue tank locally for ~$36. I'd really prefer a shallow "cube" style tank, but likely won't get one for ~5 gallons or so. Basically my tank options are: 3g JBJ picotope 4g Deep Blue Cube ADA or Do!Aqua tank (website is giving me trouble, but it'd be under 5g) CADLights 3g Zen - customer service is bad, but apparently when buying a tank only, and a small tank at that, they are fine. Plus I've gotten some names to ask for when working with them, so we'll see. I feel like there was another tank somewhere someone mentioned but I can't seem to find it Link to comment
aviator300 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I just received a beautiful, little tank from Cadlights. It is my first tank since I stopped moving around for the last 8 months or so. It is their 5 gal Zen series but only holds 4.2 gal topped out according to the dimensions (13.4 X 8.2 X 9.0). It is the perfect pico size for me (Slightly bigger than a Picotope but much higher quality with low iron glass). The silicone work is top quality and seams are flawless. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 The low-iron glass sounds nice, but I'm not sure on a pico it's worth the extra bucks. Not sure how much there is to see. Maybe, though... Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Ok so tanks I am looking are now between the following: Jbj 3g picotope (~$55) Do!Aqua Mini-S 3.5g ($45) - ADA version $66 Do!Aqua Mini-M 5.4g ($50) - ADA version $75 CADLights Zen 3g ($50) CADLights Zen 5g ($65) I am leaning to the JBJ and the Do!Aquas largely because of price - low iron glass is really nice but honestly for such a small tank at work it seems not worth it. The Do!Aquas I think I need to buy a crate too for shipping or something? That may push them out of my price range for the pico. Calculated out dimensions for 1:1.618 ration for all of these tanks. Link to comment
HarryPotter Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Hey why not a classic fusion 10? Just tell them it's 5g. No need got external filter and more quiet so probably better for work Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Is that extra 10 dollars really going to break the deal? I think the CAD 5g has the best dimensions and quality. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Hey why not a classic fusion 10? Just tell them it's 5g. No need got external filter and more quiet so probably better for work I just sold my IM 10. Do NOT like that tank at all. No more AIOs for now Is that extra 10 dollars really going to break the deal? I think the CAD 5g has the best dimensions and quality. No, but it might not be worth it. CADLights just has a bad rep for customer service and it's giving me a bad feeling. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I just sold my IM 10. Do NOT like that tank at all. No more AIOs for now No, but it might not be worth it. CADLights just has a bad rep for customer service and it's giving me a bad feeling. Yeah that I agree with but they seem to have solid build quality. I think any of the 5g would be better than the 3gs just because you will have more space to work with. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Yeah that I agree with but they seem to have solid build quality. I think any of the 5g would be better than the 3gs just because you will have more space to work with. A number of people have had issues with glass not being cut properly - I think mainly with AIOs, but still. Link to comment
teenyreef Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 I never had to deal with customer support for my Cadlights 4g AIO, but I can say that the low iron glass looks really nice even in a 4g tank. Not that this makes the decision any easier Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Do!Aqua and ADA do not require a wooden crate for shipping unless you get their 75-P tanks or larger - they responded to my email SUPER quickly. That doesn't help my decision either, and Teeny your damn reef has me even considering the 4g AIO still - how DARE YOU????? I kid, but damn. I cant quite pull the trigger. Might mean I'm not ready for a tank yet. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Had a busy weekend but hoping that things will settle down now. Drove to NC Friday night, and got in around 10:30pm. Slept on the floor - got up super early and finished packing/loading my car and Dad's truck - all remaining furniture and stuff. Cleaned the townhouse, left NC and drove back to Atlanta, getting in around 11:30pm. Slept, woke up early again and unpacked at my new place. Finished assembling furniture and worked on unpacking, installed a new fan. It's been a busy few weeks but I sat down with my wife and I discussed my tank goals (Really I just told her what they were and what I needed to do to achieve them). Still not sure when the actual set up date is going to be, everything needs to settle before I am ready to pull the trigger, but I am hoping soon. I need a hobby to give me some kind of refuge from all the work I have to do. Goals: Within 6 months to have a thriving pico. Do regular maintenance 1x a week (water changes, media as needed, etc.) Vinegar bath for stuff 3-4x a year Items I have: Nanobox Tide w/ storm controller and bluefish mini (have to figure out wifi issue at work if I'm going to use the bluefish) AC70 AC70 and AC30 impellers inTank media basket for AC70 25w heater Tunze 3152 ATO Refractometer (picked one up cheap after my last one broke) Filter floss Need to buy: Tank, under 5g media (still debating on what to use for this little pico, CPE, CPE blue or Carbon/purigen) Rock - 2-3lbs, not sure if I go live or dry RO/DI water Salt - 25g box, IO regular Jug for mixing water Jug for ATO Test kit for cycling purposes Thermometer Coral and inverts once cycle is complete Things I want to buy but maybe not needed: Aquascaping tools (forceps, tongs, etc.) AC70 skimmer box (reduces the profile of the AC70 intake tube) Reef roids Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 No tank progress. Metrokat was in Atlanta this past week and we were going to try and meet up, but it didn't end up happening. Sadface.jpg Baby news - our son will be entering the world some time in the next 14 days. Due date is a week but the hospital will induce if my wife goes a week over. Pretty exciting! Random thoughts as I have been lurking in various forums, threads, articles, etc. - I really wish I had the room and money and time to have a dedicated reef tank experiment lab/room where I could experimentally test the random claims people come up with (oxydator, nano-bubbles, etc. I am lookinn at you...) Link to comment
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