SaltyBuddha Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 SaltyBuddha’s Floating Islands Equipment Tank: Clear Dome Vase Flow: Tetra Whisper Air Pump, 10 Gallon Light: ABI 12W PAR38 Tuna Blue LED Heater: Betta Fish 10 Watt Heater Controllers: Inkbird Temperature Controller Corals Green Star Polyps Toadstool Leather Birdsnest (?) Zoanthids (?) Invertebrates In consideration Goal Simplicity while turning a pico into a macro landscape. The most complicated part of this tank will be the initial aquascaping. After that, I will let the corals do their thing and hopefully fill the tank out by the end of this competition. Concerns #1 Cat – Our feline companion is aptly named Floki. He likes to drink out of my freshwater tank and has broken my RO/DI filter once by pushing it off a shelf. This pico will be on our desk so we will see what he does. Unfortunately, he already loves the Tuna Blue light. #2 Temperature – Big temperature fluctuations in Southern California. I am hoping I can convince the wife to let me use the AC. #3 Aquascaping - I have a few ideas on how to put this together; acrylic rods and fishing line. I will elaborate more when I have it completed. #4 GSP - Main coral will be the GSP. Obvious problem will be it overtaking the main toadstool. Inspiration Most Recent FTS - 10/22/17 Contents Raising of the Floating Islands - Construction Week 0 Update - The Cycle Begins! Week 1 Update - The Competition Officially Starts Week 2 Update - The Cycle Really Begins! 5 2 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 This looks like it'll be really cool! Tagging along! 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I like the idea and will enjoy following. 1 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 22 hours ago, Lula_Mae said: This looks like it'll be really cool! Tagging along! 17 hours ago, vlangel said: I like the idea and will enjoy following. Thanks, guys! Got the bowl yesterday but the stem was broken Actually a good thing because it was a bit bigger than I expected. Coming in at 3.5 gallons but I was able to get a full refund I ordered a new style of vase that should work just as well but is definitely within range AND my cat should not be able to knock this one over if he tried Next up a condiment shot and an official entry in the contest! Biggest concern is which condiment gets the showtime 4 Quote Link to comment
Kellie in CA Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 So Cal weather is making this hard. Back up to 100 next week. What the heck? It's the end of October! Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 1 hour ago, Kellie in CA said: So Cal weather is making this hard. Back up to 100 next week. What the heck? It's the end of October! Man, that is crazy. Wish you didn't tell me! Quote Link to comment
Minmay Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 On 10/17/2017 at 12:00 PM, SaltyBuddha said: SaltyBuddha’s Floating Islands I should have my bowl tonight so I can upload the condiment photo. Bowl broke in transit. New design this weekend hopefully Equipment Tank: Clear Dome Vase Flow: Tetra Whisper Air Pump, 10 Gallon Light: ABI 12W PAR38 Tuna Blue LED Heater: Betta Fish 10 Watt Heater Controllers: Inkbird Temperature Controller Corals Green Star Polyps Toadstool Leather Birdsnest (?) Zoanthids (?) Invertebrates In consideration Goal Simplicity while turning a pico into a macro landscape. The most complicated part of this tank will be the initial aquascaping. After that, I will let the corals do their thing and hopefully fill the tank out by the end of this competition. Concerns #1 Cat – Our feline companion is aptly named Floki. He likes to drink out of my freshwater tank and has broken my RO/DI filter once by pushing it off a shelf. This pico will be on our desk so we will see what he does. Unfortunately, he already loves the Tuna Blue light. #2 Temperature – Big temperature fluctuations in Southern California. I am hoping I can convince the wife to let me use the AC. #3 Aquascaping - I have a few ideas on how to put this together; acrylic rods and fishing line. I will elaborate more when I have it completed. #4 GSP - Main coral will be the GSP. Obvious problem will be it overtaking the main toadstool. Inspiration I just love your cat's expression 1 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Oh....so cool!!!!! I love GREEN . 1 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 19, 2017 Author Share Posted October 19, 2017 4 hours ago, Minmay said: I just love your cat's expression Honestly, that is him all the time. Ill be cooking dinner, look over and he is upside down with his body doing a 180 on top of the cat tree. Staring at me 3 hours ago, gena said: Oh....so cool!!!!! I love GREEN . So. Much. Green! Even have a green birdsnest I am debating on putting in. It will probably like the Pico better than my "dirty" IM10 lol 1 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 14 hours ago, SaltyBuddha said: Honestly, that is him all the time. Ill be cooking dinner, look over and he is upside down with his body doing a 180 on top of the cat tree. Staring at me So. Much. Green! Even have a green birdsnest I am debating on putting in. It will probably like the Pico better than my "dirty" IM10 lol 14 hours ago, SaltyBuddha said: Honestly, that is him all the time. Ill be cooking dinner, look over and he is upside down with his body doing a 180 on top of the cat tree. Staring at me So. Much. Green! Even have a green birdsnest I am debating on putting in. It will probably like the Pico better than my "dirty" IM10 lol Do it!!!!! I think a green theme would be awesome. I know green is the most common color in nature. That's probably why I love it so much. My parents painted my bedroom walls green when I was a kid...before I had a say in color (too young) so maybe that has something to do with it too. Green walls with one wall having a green rose wallpaper on it as well. They made me love green . Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 19, 2017 Author Share Posted October 19, 2017 Quick update My new container should be here tomorrow. Let's hope it comes in one piece. I'm itching to get this thing together. Liverock - I will be using coral skeletons from a friends FOWLR tank. It was shut down a while ago so I will have to cycle them. Unfortunately, they are leaching phosphates 1ppm into RO/DI water in 36 hours. I'm going to keep soaking them. Hopefully by the time they are cycled in my container the phosphates will be down. Weekend plans I am quite obsessed with my first tank. It is the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check before I go to bed. Also the first thing I check whenever I get home. Needless to say, my wife is a bit jealous. Though she has grown fond of the IM10 so I hope the same happens with the pico. I always work on the tank or some aspect of the aquarium on the weekends. To make it productive I usually have a list. And, besides, who doesn't like finishing a good checklist? Replace outlet (our apartment outlets are really old; replaced them for my IM10 & FW) Set-up light & timer Set-up airstone Set-up Inkbird & heater DIY Lid Mount rods/line for floating islands Cord Management Wet the tank and add some bacteria MAKE EVERYTHING CATPROOF* *The only way I can think of completing this task is to get rid of the cat. I'll keep thinking on it. For the most part, this tank should be very easy and carefree once up and running. Maybe I'll document the growth on the corals to pass the time. New Ideas I've also been throwing around the idea of adding some colored LEDs to light up the bottom of the islands. Only issue would be that it might make the acrylic rods more visible. Unless I only used fishing line... Do it!!!!! I think a green theme would be awesome. I know green is the most common color in nature. That's probably why I love it so much. My parents painted my bedroom walls green when I was a kid...before I had a say in color (too young) so maybe that has something to do with it too. Green walls with one wall having a green rose wallpaper on it as well. They made me love green . Alright, I'll stick it in there and see how it does! I'm kinda thinking about putting it on the left front rock. Bought to much stuff at RAP anyways so my IM10 is getting really crammed lol also, the goni was open even more this morning. Let's hope the trend continues! 5 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Does your cat chew on wires? I have 2 two year olds and they still chew on wires so we have to put wire protectors on pretty much everything, including fish tank wires. 4 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 27 minutes ago, gena said: Does your cat chew on wires? I have 2 two year olds and they still chew on wires so we have to put wire protectors on pretty much everything, including fish tank wires. He has done it once or twice but he has not made a habit out of it Mainly just knocks stuff over and tries to fit in everything. Pretty clumsy so he will trip over wires and knock over anything attached to them lol comical if nothing is damaged 3 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Love your idea. It's very Zen! Can't wait to see it. Your cat is adorable. I have 3 cats. 1 is still a nut. Crazy really. He goes after anything that is a wire....5 cell chargers, tablet charger, speaker wire, lamps...every wire is cat proofed. ? 5 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 I am glad that we have a shih tzu who only wants to snuggle! 4 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 9 hours ago, Clown79 said: Love your idea. It's very Zen! Can't wait to see it. Your cat is adorable. I have 3 cats. 1 is still a nut. Crazy really. He goes after anything that is a wire....5 cell chargers, tablet charger, speaker wire, lamps...every wire is cat proofed. ? Thanks! We only have the one cat, but we also have a dog. They get along great. Geez, I really hope he doesn't get an affinity for wires... 4 hours ago, vlangel said: I am glad that we have a shih tzu who only wants to snuggle! I'm totally a dog person! But the wife is a cat person, so we compromised and got both lol 4 hours ago, metrokat said: Cats! 'nuff said **cat emoji here** 2 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 You are probably safe with wires if it hasn't been an issue already. 1 Quote Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I love this idea!! I can't wait to see how it turns out! GSP is a favorite of mine. And your cat 2 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 50 minutes ago, fishfreak0114 said: I love this idea!! I can't wait to see how it turns out! GSP is a favorite of mine. And your cat I'm really excited for it! Unfortunately, the vase did not show up today. Ill start on the lid and keep soaking the coral skeletons. Hope to have it cycling next week at least. My cat will be an integral part of this thread. If only we had a cat emoji.... 2 1 Quote Link to comment
Mariaface Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Oooh!! I hope the fishing line treats you well 1 Quote Link to comment
Friendly Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 hey buddha, how do you intend on making the islands 'float' so to speak? 1 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 8 hours ago, Mariaface said: Oooh!! I hope the fishing line treats you well Me too! Not expecting too many issues 7 hours ago, Friendly said: hey buddha, how do you intend on making the islands 'float' so to speak? Fishing line. Originally acrylic rods but I have an idea where they will not work as well. Ill make a post about exactly how I do it. I was hoping to get it done this weekend. But my vase never showed up 2 Quote Link to comment
Lisa166 Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 This seems super awesome! Def. Following 1 Quote Link to comment
SaltyBuddha Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Guys! Vase showed up yesterday. Spent a ton of time today scaping. Ill post all the details soon. In the mean time, check out the initial scape. Should have a gel filter soon to help with pictures. 4 3 Quote Link to comment
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