kimdawg Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Do It!!!! you will have a lot of fun and everyone is very helpful and supporting if you have a problem or just need advice. It is more about the learning and pushing this size tank to be the best it can be instead of arguing over who will win the prizes. 8 Quote Link to comment
Joevember Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Anyone using a fan or chiller? My tank has been overheating a couple degrees on hotter days and I'm concerned that it could cause some damage when it gets too hot. Just want to know how others are keeping their pico cool. Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 If you have a solid top (glass or acrylic), remove it, or replace it with a mesh top to encourage evaporative cooling. If that's still not enough, a fan will help. Keep in mind that you'll be losing a lot of water, and daily top offs would be absolutely critical. An ATO would be a great addition. There are a few chiller options available in the $100 area. However, for a couple degrees, a fan should suffice. 2 Quote Link to comment
Joevember Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 1 hour ago, seabass said: If you have a solid top (glass or acrylic), remove it, or replace it with a mesh top to encourage evaporative cooling. If that's still not enough, a fan will help. Keep in mind that you'll be losing a lot of water, and daily top offs would be absolutely critical. An ATO would be a great addition. There are a few chiller options available in the $100 area. However, for a couple degrees, a fan should suffice. Thanks! I have some computer fans lying around my house, so I can probably figure something out. Or I can buy an aquarium fan. I haven't used any lids on the tank, none of the ones I built looked good. They just don't go with the seamless look on the UNS tanks. I also have a JBJ ATO that I haven't set back up on the pico. Again, it just looks bad... form over function 😂 I top off daily anyway. So I think I'll upgrade the blue InkBird I have to the green one (the one that does heating and cooling, I know it has a model name 🙃) and run a fan on the cooling port. I'm just concerned about the pico overheating later in the summer, Chicago's supposed to be getting hit with 100° for a while. Temp can fluctuate too easily in these small tanks. 2 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 20 minutes ago, Joevember said: Chicago's supposed to be getting hit with 100° for a while. No AC? Quote Link to comment
Joevember Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 5 minutes ago, seabass said: No AC? I don't have control over that 🙄 Quote Link to comment
RudyEnt Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Use a fan across the top of the tank. It should help at least a degree or so. But if the temperature goes up that much it may not do much. Also a bag with ice to help the temp go down for a while will do the trick in a pinch. The reason for the bag or Zip-Lock is that you will not introduce any extra water to the tank. It worked after a hurricane for me. Good Luck. 1 Quote Link to comment
ChristopherDido Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Are we still doing FTSs here? 😁 10 Quote Link to comment
Tigahboy Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 July FTS. Replaced the dragon's breath over the volcano with a torch. 9 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 On 7/17/2019 at 12:46 PM, Joevember said: So I think I'll upgrade the blue InkBird I have to the green one (the one that does heating and cooling, I know it has a model name 🙃) and run a fan on the cooling port. I'm just concerned about the pico overheating later in the summer, Chicago's supposed to be getting hit with 100° for a while. Temp can fluctuate too easily in these small tanks. That should work out great, just plan to compensate for added evaporation. I have a 4w USB powered desktop fan running on the cooling side of my Inkbird controller (ITC-308), it's pointed at my 2 gallon pico jar and helps keep it at 79-80F. Room temp is about 78-79, but the lighting warms it up by the afternoon. If you're buying a new Inkbird, you'll want the ITC-308S with replaceable temperature probe, this is the latest version: https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Programmable-ITC-306T/dp/B07R4Z6C9N/ 1 1 Quote Link to comment
This guy is extra salty Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 July FTS 4 Quote Link to comment
SeaFurn Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 July FTS. (Previously posted on my page a week or so ago) 6 Quote Link to comment
devaji108 Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 man guess I am a day late and dollar short... or a few months and a more than a dollar short... somehow I missed this. was not on NR mush the last few months. missed the last one to. one of these days i'll be able to join in. this sounded like tons O fun too 😞 oh well I guess i'll enjoy through you all. 2 threads down a bunch more to go... 3 2 Quote Link to comment
devaji108 Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 question, as I read through the builds threads i noticed most everyone started with food in there tanks for there dry shoot. I started to think this was part of the rules or entry requirements so i dbl checked..haha so what gives? 1 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Just out of curiosity, how are those tanks doing compared to those which didn't ghost feed (to start the cycle)? I've typically considered it the cause of unnecessary organics and nutrients; however, in such a small tank where large water changes are the norm, this might not be the case. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 My dirty little world!! 10 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 7 hours ago, seabass said: Just out of curiosity, how are those tanks doing compared to those which didn't ghost feed (to start the cycle)? I've typically considered it the cause of unnecessary organics and nutrients; however, in such a small tank where large water changes are the norm, this might not be the case. I started all my rock I own with ghost feeding, never had a problem from it. I do the cycle, do a big water change at the end and it's ready to go. I struggle to keep nutrients up in most of my tanks so I would welcome the organics!! I mean nutrients are good these days, no? I think filtration is just more efficient then it used to be and old methods like jamming rock rubble in the back is mostly gone. Also powerheads are better which gets debris removed into the floss more efficiently which seems huge to me. 1 Quote Link to comment
devaji108 Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 50 minutes ago, Tamberav said: My dirty little world!! love it! I am off to read your build thread...slowing getting through them all. 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 We doing FTS here as well? Cool 3 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 18 hours ago, devaji108 said: question, as I read through the builds threads i noticed most everyone started with food in there tanks for there dry shoot. I started to think this was part of the rules or entry requirements so i dbl checked..haha so what gives? Are you talking about the "start photo of an empty tank with your favorite snack" in it to show starting with an empty tank? Or feeding the tank to start the cycle? 3 1 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 47 minutes ago, debbeach13 said: Are you talking about the "start photo of an empty tank with your favorite snack" in it to show starting with an empty tank? Or feeding the tank to start the cycle? Ah, that makes more sense. I'm sure that I read that wrong. So yes @devaji108, that was part of the rules. 2 Quote Link to comment
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