teenyreef Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 The TeenyCookie Jar retired on June 13, 2018 after almost eight months. Thanks to everyone who followed along! Jar Journal Index: Initial setup with light, heater and air pump: page 1 First wet Full Jar Shot (FJS): page 1 Gluing the rocks: page 2 First corals : page 2 First algae : page 2 Video of pods in the jar: page 3 PAR38 light socket extender: page 3 Detailed coral pics including the incredible reglued bubblegum monti that I broke again the next day : page 4 Link to ABI Tuna Blue bulb on Amazon: page 4 Giant bristleworm, more new corals: page 5 My only video of the jar so far (I hate doing videos): page 5 More new corals: page 6 Black Friday - bunches of corals bleached and dead overnight due to the light staying on: page 6 Emergency backup corals to the rescue!: page 7 Final contest FJS: page 7 More coral pics and contest write-up: page 8 Detailed water change write-up: page 8 Ugly post-water change picture: page 8 Contest Winner!!!: page 8 Jar retired: page 9 2018-06-13 Final TeenyCookie Jar FJS: 2018-06-13 Final TeenyCookie Jar Top Down: 2018-03-31 TeenyCookie Jar FJS: 2018-03-31 TeenyCookie Jar Top Down: 2018-02-27 TeenyCookie Jar FJS: 2017-12-25 FJS: OK, I'm in! Here's my super simple super cheap creative container contest entry, a 2g cookie jar from Walmart. I'm still planning the details, but my main goal is to put this together using only things I already have, as much as possible: Light: ABI Tuna Blue PAR38 LED Light Heater: 50w Finnex with external controller Circulation: air pump and stone, exactly which of the five air pumps I own is TBD. I'm hoping not to use a powerhead. Update: the cheapest one, the Whisper 10, works fine. No air stone. And ummmm....I guess that's it for equipment I'm a little behind getting started on this because I've been busy at work, but my goal is to get all the equipment selected and put the jar in place this weekend. I plan to use rubble rock, glued together into one or two "big" pieces that can easily be removed, or held in place with one had, so I can dump all the water out at once for a 100% water change every week. That means it will be bare bottom too. For now, I've put the rubble rock in the back chamber of the 40g tank so it can start to get seeded with bacteria. As far as stocking goes, no fish. I've thought about getting a sexy shrimp or pom pom crab, but since I'm trying to do this with stuff I already have, I may just grab a small blue leg hermit from one of the other tanks. Or maybe just go corals only...something I've never done before. Likewise, I'm hoping to just use corals I have from my other tanks already. My main goal with the jar is to experiment with keeping a coral reef while spending as little time and money on it as possible. Although the on-hand equipment won't cost me anything, I'm going to keep track of what I originally paid for everything so I know what budget would be needed to duplicate this jar. The next big task is to figure out where I'm going to put the jar. You'd think that would be easy since it's so small, but nothing seems to be quite right. As of now, I'm thinking I'll put it on my desk, on the other end from the 10g tank. Which means I have to clean off the desk for the first time in about a year Maybe in the little alcove below the shelf in the left side of this picture, where the scissors are? 16 1 Quote Link to comment
pappadumplingz Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 I'm expecting you to turn this into a mini Great Barrier Reef. Can't wait! 4 2 Quote Link to comment
spectra Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 1 hour ago, pappadumplingz said: I'm expecting you to turn this into a mini Great Barrier Reef. Can't wait! Me to I saw this was like Aw...................................Teeny is going to nail it.........................l Good luck! 4 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 28, 2017 Author Share Posted October 28, 2017 Thanks, guys! There's no telling how it will turn out, but I guarantee it will be cheap 1 2 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Welcome to the Anchor Hocking jar club! 1 Quote Link to comment
TFish77 Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Disqualified! Double stuff oreos are not a condiment Seriously though can't wait to see how this one turns out! This competition is going to produce some really amazing picos by some really talented people, yourself included. 2 2 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 28, 2017 Author Share Posted October 28, 2017 34 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said: Welcome to the Anchor Hocking jar club! Cheap. Clear. Should be easy to clean and to get stuff in and out of it. What's not to love? Did I mention it's cheap? 32 minutes ago, TFish77 said: Disqualified! Double stuff oreos are not a condiment Seriously though can't wait to see how this one turns out! This competition is going to produce some really amazing picos by some really talented people, yourself included. Lol, I'm pretty sure that filling goes well on everything 1 3 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Welcome teeny! I disagree about double stuff oreos not being a condiment, they go with everything, especially milk! 2 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 13 hours ago, vlangel said: Welcome teeny! I disagree about double stuff oreos not being a condiment, they go with everything, especially milk! Thanks Dawn! You totally get me 1 Quote Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I'm so excited you joined! This is gonna be colourful! Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 1 hour ago, fishfreak0114 said: I'm so excited you joined! This is gonna be colourful! Thanks! Hope you are doing well, I am so far behind in everybody's threads In the meantime, I got the desk cleaned off today, and set up the light. I'm not sure I'll keep the architect style lamp holder, as it looks a little weird, but at least I can adjust it a little bit if I need to. I may switch to a hanging pendant style so I can move it up and down depending on how bright I need it to be. I checked the PAR with the lid off, and it is super bright, about 350 PAR at the bottom (no water). But with the lid on, it drops quite a bit right under the lid handle, and a bit less everywhere else. I think between the lid and the water, there will be enough loss that it won't be too much light. I'll probably keep things on a short light cycle to start with. 3 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 I also set up the air pump and the heater today, but I won't be able to plug them in to test things out until the jar is wet. I'm probably going to wait until next weekend, so the rubble rock can get a good week in the back chamber of the 40g to get seeded. I'm using a small air pump (a Whisper 10), and (I hope) no airstone. Airstones tend to get clogged and I want the ultimate in low maintenance so I'm going to try just straight bubbles. I'm keeping the air pump on the floor behind the desk, so I added a cheap plastic check valve just to keep the water from siphoning back down the air line. Here's a closer picture of the check valve: I zip tied the air line to the heater power cord to keep it in place, and just dangled both over the edge. The weight of the heater keeps it in place. 7 Quote Link to comment
pappadumplingz Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Very nice, can see a mass spawning event happening in the bowl 2 Quote Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Good idea zip tying the airline tube to the heater cord! I may have to do that, mine keeps getting moved around. 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 I do that on a all my aio tanks, it also helps keep things from falling down behind the tank when I undo just one thing. 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 Ok, the rocks have been cooking in the back chamber of the 40g for close to two weeks, so tonight I put them into the jar and filled it with water from the 40g tank. I just piled the rocks up around the heater and air line and tossed in a couple of test frags. 2017-11-09 FJS: I used an air valve to slow down the bubbles, even with a small Whisper 10 they were to fast and too loud. I'm really happy with how it turned out, the bubbles run fast enough to move the water around but it's very quiet and there's no splashing. I won't have super high flow, but from what I've seen from successful pico jars in the past, that's not so important when you do a weekly 100% water change and get everything really well washed off in the process. This weekend I'll start gluing up rocks to make a scape, and go coral "shopping" in my other tanks 11 Quote Link to comment
pappadumplingz Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Lookin' great! 1 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 1 hour ago, teenyreef said: Ok, the rocks have been cooking in the back chamber of the 40g for close to two weeks, so tonight I put them into the jar and filled it with water from the 40g tank. I just piled the rocks up around the heater and air line and tossed in a couple of test frags. 2017-11-09 FJS: I used an air valve to slow down the bubbles, even with a small Whisper 10 they were to fast and too loud. I'm really happy with how it turned out, the bubbles run fast enough to move the water around but it's very quiet and there's no splashing. I won't have super high flow, but from what I've seen from successful pico jars in the past, that's not so important when you do a weekly 100% water change and get everything really well washed off in the process. This weekend I'll start gluing up rocks to make a scape, and go coral "shopping" in my other tanks Those zoas look so huge! 1 Quote Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 I love those Zoas! 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Things are moving along for you. I am anxious to see your scape! 1 Quote Link to comment
pappadumplingz Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 7 hours ago, vlangel said: Things are moving along for you. I am anxious to see your scape! It will be an underwater masterpiece haha 3 Quote Link to comment
JcSH2o Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Count me amongst the eager followers! Can't wait to see this come together. Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted November 11, 2017 Author Share Posted November 11, 2017 56 minutes ago, pappadumplingz said: It will be an underwater masterpiece haha I'm thinking "massive wall of corals." Or maybe "itty bitty wall of corals." 1 3 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 1 minute ago, teenyreef said: I'm thinking "massive wall of corals." Or maybe "itty bitty wall of corals." Gluing corals to the wall? 2 Quote Link to comment
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