Pico Reef Contest Ideas 🤔💭💡

[righttirefire]

I like the idea of "aio" insert it was my original idea for this. But i have an ac50 and think the skimmer mods are pushing the wall and divider limits. CM you need to weight in on this

[Justind823]

16 minutes ago, righttirefire said:

I like the idea of "aio" insert it was my original idea for this. But i have an ac50 and think the skimmer mods are pushing the wall and divider limits. CM you need to weight in on this

Yea same

I've had a subcurrent filter sitting in storage for years and I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to break it out again. 

 

[This guy is extra salty]

3 hours ago, seabass said:

It is that different than an AquaClear with media basket?

Well it’s like a AIO insert how is this not taking away from the general appearance of the tank?

[This guy is extra salty]

5 hours ago, righttirefire said:

 

  https://oceanboxdesigns.com/product/magnetic-surface-skimmer-overflow-box-aquaclear-ac50/

 

I was going to use one of these... but its a divided chamber.

 

Maybe you need to stay in minicomplete sump zone @jbb_00, pico might not be your thing. lol

50$ for 2$ of material and solvent? 

🤣

[jbb]

6 minutes ago, This guy is extra salty said:

Well it’s like a AIO insert how is this not taking away from the general appearance of the tank?

It's low profile against a portion of the back wall and can be hidden with scape / coral. It doesn't take up a majority of the tank or alter the view in any way. If the back glass is black, it will blend in . 

[DPRoberts]

I have an idea!

Chris said that the main point of interest is the "viewing window" of roughly 12" x 6" x 8"

Why not limit the rules to just that?

 

ACTUAL TANK VIEWING WINDOW.

If you want to make an AIO out of a 10 gallon tank, or have a sump, or plumb it to a 300 gallon system, whatever... it just has to be a 12" x 6" x 8" viewing window.

Personally, I'm not a competitive person. I don't care about winning the contest. I just want to see how creative everybody gets within that restriction. We all know that more volume = more stability, but can you do that without making it look like a science experiment? If we care about making it a contest, maybe that's one of the factors that could be used - the appearance & growth of corals within that viewing window, but also the overall look, ease of maintenance, cost, etc. Those elements wouldn't be restricted, just used for evaluating the winner. I'd vote for somebody who created something amazing out of limited components over someone that put $1000 into something ridiculous.

[jbb]

6 minutes ago, This guy is extra salty said:

50$ for 2$ of material and solvent? 

🤣

And Labor, cost of cnc, marketing, sponsorship to help keep this site running for you to enjoy...

 

should I continue ? 

[This guy is extra salty]

Sure go ahead and continue

 

im laughing cause I have built/made something similar out of scrap acrylic 

 

[Tamberav]

You noobs and your filters pfft.

 

2 hours ago, jbb_00 said:

If done as a traditional aio then I agree , but a 3.5"x2.5" box in the rear corner isn't really going to change anything. The add on surface skimmers pretty much take up the same room.

Maybe you could call that a internal filter cuz pretty sure those are allowed.

[jbb]

3 minutes ago, This guy is extra salty said:

Sure go ahead and continue

 

im laughing cause I have built/made something similar out of scrap acrylic 

 

Yeah out of scrap . You had to purchase the original material , and the solvent.  Guarantee you didn't get it for $2.  You also needed the tools to cut it , you spent time coming up with your measurements, etc. 

 

All that stuff adds up , and he isn't doing as a hobby . Obviously he can build multiple units out of a sheet of material, but every business operates that way they are in it to make money not break even.  People such as yourself that have the skill / knowledge / material to make their own might look at it as too expensive, but those who can't are willing to pay for the knowledge / skill of others. 

[MainelyReefer]

If a sponsor of nanoreef makes an item that is viable in this contest it should be allowed.  Mimicking items should also be allowed but supporting those who support the website should 100% be a given, that way in future contests them sponsoring the contest with prizes is more likely. Oceanbox does great work as does Intank which is why I like the aquaclear for the HOB as it gives both vendors a chance to make a sale.

[A Little Blue]

48 minutes ago, DPRoberts said:

I just want to see how creative everybody gets

This is the ONLY thing that interest me. 

Couldn’t care less about trophies, prizes or bragging rights. I don’t care about overdone scapes, bonsai crap or color themes (vendors do all that in two days during any reefing show event). 

[MainelyReefer]

41 minutes ago, A Little Blue said:

This is the ONLY thing that interest me. 

Couldn’t care less about trophies, prizes or bragging rights. I don’t care about overdone scapes, bonsai crap or color themes (vendors do all that in two days during any reefing show event). 

Overdone scapes, bonsai themes, color themes..... are these not creative? With creativity being the ONLY thing that interests you? Even my 2 year old laughs about this irony

[Tamberav]

1 hour ago, A Little Blue said:

This is the ONLY thing that interest me. 

Couldn’t care less about trophies, prizes or bragging rights. I don’t care about overdone scapes, bonsai crap or color themes (vendors do all that in two days during any reefing show event). 

You are going to hate my tank

 😄😝😜🤪🤭

[MainelyReefer]

A 3” or 4” piece of pvc cut into 1/4’s then fastened to the corner would be considered a viable surface skimmer? Either the intake on the HOB could be placed inside or a pump.  I think all contestants who plan on running a pump stand to benefit from an agreed upon macgyver for homemade surface skimmer. Here is an example from last contest, even though the very next post back then was me complaining it wasn’t allowed... how embarrassing 

 

[This guy is extra salty]

2 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

A 3” or 4” piece of pvc cut into 1/4’s then fastened to the corner would be considered a viable surface skimmer? Either the intake on the HOB could be placed inside or a pump.  I think all contestants who plan on running a pump stand to benefit from an agreed upon macgyver for homemade surface skimmer. Here is an example from last contest, even though the very next post back then was me complaining it wasn’t allowed... how embarrassing 

 

Isn’t that the same as an AIO insert? Just renamed as surface skimmer

[A Little Blue]

10 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

Overdone scapes, bonsai themes, color themes..... are these not creative? With creativity being the ONLY thing that interests you? Even my 2 year old laughs about this irony

Your 2 year old laughs at boogers funny shapes too. 

[A Little Blue]

11 hours ago, Tamberav said:

You are going to hate my tank

 😄😝😜🤪🤭

No hate. It’s just not my thing. Unless it was an aquascape competition. Than sure, make it pop. 

[MainelyReefer]

1 hour ago, A Little Blue said:

Your 2 year old laughs at boogers funny shapes too. 

He definitely does! Proud parent moment while off topic... he snowboards from mountain top to bottom at 2 (I’m that guy with a kid on a leash and a giant smile on my face)

4 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

Isn’t that the same as an AIO insert? Just renamed as surface skimmer

The way it’s proposed is hard to understand what a surface skimming modification is.  I figure an overflow with a single chamber is hardly an AIO as no readily available AIO has only one chamber(can you find one?). If someone wants to try to cram filter floss, a heater, pump, and ATO sensor into a one chamber overflow that sounds harder than putting it in a HOB to me(assuming the chamber size was restricted).  HOB users could still do the same thing yet benefit from only having to put in ATO, heater, and intake tube.  Again everyone stands to potentially benefit and the mod is cheap, fun, and easy.  

[seabass]

I guess I have to agree.  @Christopher Marks, we need some clarification.  With internal submersible filter pumps, media baskets, and surface skimmer mods being allowed, we need to define what crosses the line into an AIO.

 

Would it be a baffle that divides the tank?  What if the divider was diagonal on a back corner (leaving the full front of the tank unobstructed?  Also, is custom DIY equipment approved as long as it falls within said definitions?

[righttirefire]

2 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

(I’m that guy with a kid on a leash and a giant smile on my face)

If i have leash my dog in public, you should have to do the same with your kids.

[JBM]

Interesting.

 

I have some ideas.

[Eric_n_ga]

On 3/1/2019 at 7:06 PM, GraniteReefer said:

I can’t even get 50$ for my Kessil a150🤣

 

[MainelyReefer]

Does anyone know if the seachem tidal 35 is <.5g

[JBM]

On 3/9/2019 at 12:06 PM, righttirefire said:

Can we have rocks in other tanks? To shorten the cycle?

 

well, this is my plan. As i have a bunch of rubble in my 80g. SO, whenever contest officially begins. I will be plucking said rubble and 2g of water from it.