ajkochev Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Just started this this week: *.5 Gallon PetSmart TopFin Calm All Glass Betta Tank *DIY Filtration area made out of Black Styrene Modeling Sheets .030" Thick *AquaOne P150 40 GPH powerhead turned way down. *Stock lighting that comes with the tank just added some transparent blue plastic to make it look more blue. *Filtration media is Walmart Aqua-tech Hex 5 filter pad with carbon. (I've used these for years on reef tanks) *In the future I'll be adding a teaspoon each of Purigen and Chempure Elite to a media bag for additional filtration. No heater is in the tank but it is staying n the mid 70's temperature wise which is room temperature. Nothing is glued in the tank everything is removable. I was thinking just having it be a small invert tank but might be able to keep mushrooms in it. What do you think, am I nuts to try this? Thinking just a couple hermits and a small cleaner shrimp for now. I'd like to hear your thoughts. 6 Quote Link to comment
mogul218 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I like it! Keep us posted! 1 Quote Link to comment
Thatfishyguy Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 That's pretty cool man !!! Quote Link to comment
aviator300 Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 will be following Quote Link to comment
Jayy Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Looking great! I think that would make a great inverts tank. You can add a good variety of low light corals as well. Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Ooh that could be very pretty! And it's small enough you could actually find a pom pom crab in it (they like to hang upside down from overhangs, and hide lol). I had a pom pom in 3/4 gallon once temporarily and he would come out and sit on the front rock after lights out, the little cutie! Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 Week one. I made a hood out of 1/2 inch hardwood frame and particle board. Inside painted silver outside black with electrical tape over all the edges to help hide the rough spots. Ecoxotic EcoPico LED White/Blue light I had lying around used. A question on Ecoxotic. How come they have stopped making these and other products their current product line has only three items. I was thinking of setting up another tank like this and using their White/Pink light for a freshwater planted. Why has the company stopped making lights for the hobbyist? 3 Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 A few items added to the tank. Got two small coral frags with lots of life on them. A couple hermit crabs as well. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Very nice! These little tanks fill up fast, don't they? Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 On 2/10/2017 at 0:53 PM, ajkochev said: Week one. I made a hood out of 1/2 inch hardwood frame and particle board. Inside painted silver outside black with electrical tape over all the edges to help hide the rough spots. Ecoxotic EcoPico LED White/Blue light I had lying around used. A question on Ecoxotic. How come they have stopped making these and other products their current product line has only three items. I was thinking of setting up another tank like this and using their White/Pink light for a freshwater planted. Why has the company stopped making lights for the hobbyist? I am in love with this. I have one of those little ecoxotic led strips, but mine is blue. I use it as a supplemental light over my 4g Pico, which also has an 18w Power Compact Perchlight over it. 1 Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 4-11-2018 An update after a year and a month. Most of my zoas died but the green star took off. Had to thin out the xenia last month. Thinking of finding more mushrooms which are my favorite. 6 2 Quote Link to comment
rum_pride Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Awesome looking tank and setup. I’m working on getting a 2.3g AIO put together right now. This is definitely an inspiration. 1 Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 4-12-2018 Some better photos. 7 2 Quote Link to comment
Nelson Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Now the shrimp looks HUGE haha. How do you keep the glass clean with such small space? Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 15 minutes ago, Nelson said: Now the shrimp looks HUGE haha. How do you keep the glass clean with such small space? Everything lifts out. The rock is all one piece and the overflow at the back comes out. Weekly the rock comes out and glass is cleaned for a water change and monthly both it and the overflow pump comes out to get cleaned. 1 Quote Link to comment
Martin Riggs Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Awesome tank. Fills out so well looks bigger. Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 It's great to see this little half gallon pico reef thriving @ajkochev! How long have you had the cleaner shrimp now? Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted April 22, 2018 Author Share Posted April 22, 2018 33 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said: It's great to see this little half gallon pico reef thriving @ajkochev! How long have you had the cleaner shrimp now? He has been in there for about a year now. Gets a very small chunk of shrimp or nori every other day. Only what he can eat all at once so no food spoils in the tank. I'd like to think he is happy, he is very active and like to hang out at the front of the tank mostly. Still I think I should have went with Sexy Shrimp but they are hard to come by in my LFS. 1 Quote Link to comment
devaji108 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 way cool! I love shrooms too! Quote Link to comment
Lorekeeper Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 And I was concerned about adding one of these guys to a 5 gallon... Looks great! Love the little cube. 1 Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted May 5, 2018 Author Share Posted May 5, 2018 My baby brittle star made a full appearance tonight. Usually I just see his arms between the rock work. I got him on a frag over a year ago, not sure which one. By far the best hitchhiker I've ever got. 6 Quote Link to comment
el_ote Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Too cool!!! Love those stars! I want a mini brittle! Quote Link to comment
ajkochev Posted May 6, 2018 Author Share Posted May 6, 2018 The tanks looks really good tonight with just the RGB LEDs on. 5-5-2018 9 1 Quote Link to comment
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