Cheve's 2.6 Gallon Pico

[ajkochev]

The next adventure starts today!  6-5-2018

 

Tank:   Aquamaxx 2.6 gallon 12x7x7 inches
Light:  Aquamaxx Prism 300
Filter: AIO overflow and chambers made with .30 inch Black Styrene made for an end to make a penisula tank.
 with Two VicTsing Ultra Quiet 80 GPH powerheads.

 

The tank will have a reverse refugium powered by a couple of USB lights. I like the Walmart Hex 5 Filter pads and will have an area for one of these and space for Chem Pure Blue and Phosguard.  There is a lot to do before the tank starts cycling.  I need to make the overflow first.  I'm going to test the heat produced by the light for a few weeks as it would be best if I could make a hood for this.  We will see if this is doable with the right ventilation.  Second pic is of the tank with water to check for leaks and to play with the light.

[k4ndyk1ng]

Cute tank cant wait to see it progress

 

[ajkochev]

More work done on the tank this past week. After a couple of days of water in the tank to show it wouldn't leak, I decided to work on the bottom. While I am planning to have a 1/2 inch layer of sand on the bottom. I decided to paint the outside bottom with a textured rust oleum paint called Caribbean Sand. I also wanted the tank raised and a bottom edge like another tank I have. So some black painted wood attached with double sided tape to attach it was used so If I want to I can remove it. The bottom paint turned out really good and looks like almost like sand.

 

[Lula_Mae]

That textured sand paint is pretty neat!  @vlangel did something similar, I think, in her seahorse tank so she could keep it barebottom and still have the look of sand.  She recently added some sand to the tank.

[ajkochev]

Well, it has been almost a month of the tank being wet.  It has been a rocky couple of weeks.  I've had to redesign the filter partitions and redo the shell on the hood.  I've also had to create a ATO system.  After two weeks parameters where good and transferred the contents of my 0.5 pico.  I didn't check salinity because I thought it was stable.  My mistake I grossly underestimated the amount of evaporation and my salinity was off the gauge!  This was after a week of no corals opening up and a dead baby brittle star.  I thought it was the light as it is quite bright.  I corrected salinity over the course of a day but still must have done it to fast as my shrimp died.

Anyway here is the tank up and running as of 7-9-2018.  You can see the frame of the hood before adding the shell.  I added another shelf under the light.  I made a rectangular PVC pipe ATO container you can see it in the inside of the hood.

 

[ajkochev]

I'm also happy to report that I 3D printed these and they work great. I had to remove the vortex nozzle stirred the sand to much. Would work great in a larger tank. I am using two of the connector nozzles to point the flow towards the surface.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1784377

[mtgmichaelg]

1 hour ago, ajkochev said:

I'm also happy to report that I 3D printed these and they work great. I had to remove the vortex nozzle stirred the sand to much. Would work great in a larger tank. I am using two of the connector nozzles to point the flow towards the surface.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1784377

What type of plastic did you use to print? 

[ajkochev]

10 hours ago, mtgmichaelg said:

What type of plastic did you use to print? 

PLA

[mtgmichaelg]

Thanks

[SavaS]

In my picos I keep the tempature of the lights down by sealing the lights from the surface of the water with plexi. I then set several fans (40mm or 80mm cpu fans) to blow across the lights and cut a vent hole in the top of the lid. This drops the temperature significantly because the air is forced across the lights and out the vent hole. The lights run cooler and the tank isn't heated as much as a result. This also allows you to have a lid that isn't so tall. Maybe your ato tank could be built into a wooden frame underneath the tank? If this isn't useful info ignore me 🙂 I can post a few pictures if it makes more sense.

[Reefkid88]

I love these tanks !!! 

[ajkochev]

Started: May 2018

Tank: Aquamaxx 2.5 gallon rectangle

Light: Aquamaxx Prism 300

Pump:  Generic 60gpm powerhead, set to 30gpm

Filtration area: DIY AIO Filter Area made of Black styrene sheet and plastic mess netting.

Filtration: Hex 5 Filter pad, 1 Tsp each: Purigen, Phosgaurd, Chem Pure Blue.  Reverse light refugium with Cheato lit by USB light.

ATO made of PVC pipe.

Hood made of sealed basswood, black styrene sheet and various screws.

 

[Tamberav]

very nice!

[ajkochev]

FTS 6-30-2019

[RickvD]

Are you planning on keeping livestock? Snails?

[ajkochev]

41 minutes ago, RickvD said:

Are you planning on keeping livestock? Snails?

They are there.  Two astreas and a couple hermits and a porcelain crab along with the clownfish.

[whitemoose]

This looks amazing, i like the idea of hiding the low tech top off inside of the hood.   I would love to see where/how it filled up.

Is there just the one down pipe to fill and break suction at the right height?

[ajkochev]

1 hour ago, whitemoose said:

This looks amazing, i like the idea of hiding the low tech top off inside of the hood.   I would love to see where/how it filled up.

Is there just the one down pipe to fill and break suction at the right height?

The May 20 post last picture shows the back of the tank.  You can see the back of the tank.  The PVC ATO slides out and you fill it with the cap on the end.

[ajkochev]

FTS 8-2019 Things are doing good. Having to dose 2 part and kalk in ato to keep up with SPS demand.

 

[Wonderboy]

Just outstanding work - that's so tricky to get all of that coral on both sides of the rock to fit in such a small space - love the ATO - and the merletti 👍 

[ajkochev]

Tank is doing well.  Lots of coral growth.  FTS 10-11-2019

[This guy is extra salty]

This is way too cool 

I like the custom AIO insert with the mini refugium in the back

bravo, 👏

 

what is your routine maintenance?

[ajkochev]

Maintenance:

Feed twice a day.

Two part once a day with Kalk+2 ATO.

2 cup water change twice a week with filter pad cleaning.

Change all media out once a month.

[OldManSea]

On 10/11/2019 at 1:34 PM, ajkochev said:

Tank is doing well.  Lots of coral growth.  FTS 10-11-2019

Tank is looking spectacular!

[Reefkid88]

I had no idea that .5g betta tank was yours !!! I loved that thing. I have always wanted to do one for a full acro tank lol. 

 

 I think I commented on this tank on R2R (Steven Garland) over there. This tank is moving along so nice. Glad to see the Aquamaxx light is growing those Monti's like crazy.