.25G Jar

[Wonderboy]

I didn't want to discard the first little hardscape that I made and then removed from the .123G stacking pico...

                                                                                        ...so why not start up another pico!

                                                                                               ...seriously though, this thing:

 

 

I powered it up last night; jar dimensions 3.75"x3.75"x6" - actual water volume <.25G - planning on 100% water changes from the 10G next door. No heater, temporary CFL, LED intended.

 

Also excited to have a little more room to work with this hardscape - left, right, center:

 

It has an undergravel filter made from the perforated-drilled base of a flexible sour cream container, tubing, air diffuser, and a pop-top container. I forgot to take pictures of it before putting everything in; on top of that, some rocks broke free while Santa-ing the hardscape into this chimney, so I glued on some other pieces, and now this thing is not coming apart, sorry. The circulation is working as expected - plenty water column movement (downwards). The sound is surprisingly minimal; I can barely hear it running next to the 10G.

 

Details:

Zip-tie ensures the seal of that diagonal hole - there's also a zip-tie to keep a crack at the top when the lid is levered shut.

 

I still have a larger pico in the design stage; I wasn't expecting to do a smaller pico but was attached to my old hardscape - and now here we are lol

[Tuan’s Reef]

Cool project. What you planning to grow in there ?

[Wonderboy]

@Tuan’s Reef Thank you - I'd be content with smaller softies in this one. I have a couple mushrooms that I brought home for it, but I'm not entirely sure of all options yet, so the 10G is babysitting them right now.

 

Update:

I made a modification to the airline that makes water changes easier. It allows me to syringe and siphon the water out of the jar through the airstone without having to open the lid. This draining technique has the added benefits that most micro-fauna are left in the jar and that it can be drained to well below the sediment level. The jar can then be refilled through the same line by injecting column water from the 10G in through the airstone; this refilling technique has the added benefit of doubling as a top-off line - it has proven convenient to quickly inject RO DI without moving the jar at all to maintain water/salinity level. Picture ASAP...

[Wonderboy]

 

To begin a siphon, I just close the gate valve to the air pump to stop the air and use the syringe to start it. I can also syringe it all out pretty quick. the check valve allows RO DI (or saltwater) to be injected while the gate valve is open. Instead of closing the needle valve and hiding the line, I have just been leaving a syringe of RO DI on the line for even faster topping off lol, and I don't think the entire composure is too obvious in the end:

[Christopher Marks]

More clever inventions @Wonderboy, this is great! 👏

[Wingy]

I like the idea of the syringe.  An infant oral medication syringe will probably be the perfect size for my tiny jar.   

[Wonderboy]

On 12/18/2018 at 4:02 AM, Wingy said:

I like the idea of the syringe.  An infant oral medication syringe will probably be the perfect size for my tiny jar.   

Be ready to compensate with larger syringe options. The length of the line from the syringe uses some volume before the water level in the jar is affected. Also, some air in the syringe is useful for clearing the line before removing it because otherwise the line will back-spray what's in it if the pump is left open. This is useful if accessibility is any bit of complex; if your jar lid comes off easily, topping off from above would be much easier.

[Wingy]

My jar holds 2 cups of water and has no filter or pump.  It has a neck so getting in there is a pain but if I attach a  hollow plastic lollypop stick to an infant oral medication syringe I might be able to get close to the bottom.  I have a cork top but haven't used it.  Suprisingly in 2 weeks there has been almost no evaporation.  

[Wonderboy]

It's all about surface area - I have many contained "eco-systems"/cultures, open and sealed; the narrow neck containers evaporate much slower compared to anything wide. I think that the lollypop stick would be a great micro tool for the circumstance - your experiment sounds pretty crazy like some of mine! You are going to keep opae ula shrimp right? I have wanted to try keeping/breeding those for a while now - would enjoy following a little journal for it.

[Wingy]

Yes, I am doing a Opae Ula jar for my desk at work.  I think the maintenance supervisor will overlook it since it doesn't have any equipment plugged in.  I will start a journal once it gets closer to critter time.  For now it is a jar o water and I am willing algae to grow.  

[Wonderboy]

[Wonderboy]

This jar is still running smoothly, but not much going on in it still. Algae covered the glass slowly, so I added one tiny trochus snail, and seriously the next morning the glass was clear. Only change is I threw in a few brown zoas - also some GSP (as a temporary tenant) - oh yeah, a little bubble tip anemone, too. I moved the porcelain crab into my ten gallon nano to make room for a strawberry crab. I moved the light that used to be over my ten gallon nano to over this jar. Pictures in the morning.

[Wonderboy]

 

 

[Wonderboy]

I've observed something that I wanted to share with anyone.

 

Twice now I have seen a munnid copepod near the surface of the water grab and juggle a micro bubble from the column by using a single antennae. The copepod waits patiently for a bubble to come close and then starts twirling its antennae around and around the micro bubble super fast which seems to allow it to stay suspended in the water by rapidly contacting the surface area of the bubble in multiple directions. Then the copepod casually walks down the glass spinning this micro bubble over its head (likely collecting proteins) and then tosses it near its mouth much like a cleaner shrimp column feeds; the bubble is not visible for a half second and then is ejected and rises to the surface.

 

So, munnids are also micro protein skimmers.

 

I will try to get a video one day.

[Wonderboy]

Quick light off shot:

 

[Wonderboy]

This guy has been leaving polyps and everything else in here alone even with minimum supplementation:

 

Hard to take pics with all the blue and the algae. I keep saying I'm going to get filters... He doesn't like to come out from back here. I'm worried about putting him in a larger setup because I may never see him again, but I know eventually I'll have to say good bye... lol

 

B&W FJS:

 

Thinking of putting the nem back in the 2.5G...

 

[RedCrow]

How did you get ahold of a BTA that small? It looks to be doing quite well in such a small volume

[Wonderboy]

Hi @RedCrow, sorry I took long to notice your post...  this little guy was on some rock that I received when helping someone take down (and purchase) their system. I did not know this person; though I do remember that he told me nothing really did well in it :[  He had taken the time to put the rock into a Brute can [W/LID] providing water movement with the smallest model Koralia; the BTA was in the dark for about 1 week. While moving the rock out for emeresed transfer, he mentioned the only thing that was still alive when he unplugged it was a small anemone that might be in here somewhere, so we looked for it and found it. He carefully rubbed it off the rock into a bag, and we finished loading; I drove home and put it in the jar. It has been doing very well. I've been thinking of removing and manually splitting it because it's getting pretty big, well for the jar that is - I feed it anywhere from 1 - 3x/week. Weekly WCs.

[Wonderboy]

[kurnn]

Glad to see this jar still running, one of my inspirations..

[Wonderboy]

I've been trying to get on here to post an update from a few days ago, finally found time - nem split and the strawberry crab (needs a name) finally molted:

 

 

 

[kurnn]

Wow!!!

It is amazing,,

You have 2 red bubble tip anemones. 

[Wonderboy]

Thanks @kurnn - I was very glad to see it split on its own in here, and I actually saw it mid-process; so, I grabbed my phone and have been editing a video (Blair Witch style, lol - I had to stand patiently for 15 mins recording - film's a little shakey)    :]

[kurnn]

I cant wait to see the video. It is interesting event that should be watched.

[Wonderboy]