“Old school can be so cool” pico contest entry

[mariahranch]

So today I decided I wanted to build a DIY surface skimmer and give it a try. So here is my attempt, made out of clear poly carbonate or acrylic I had left over from a led lighting project. It's basically just a box with grooves on the front and a notch cut out on the side so it will fit the aquaclear. I have it going almost to the bottom of the tank so that I can keep the heater and ato inside the skimmer. The water height is adjustable but very sensitive with a small movement, so I'm also holding it in place with a magnet tank cleaner too. 

 

 

[748S911]

looks great, I need to do this soon....been justifying oil slick I have going for a  second diffuse for my led lol smh!      

[mariahranch]

Most of the inhabitants seem happy

[mariahranch]

 

[MetaTank]

30 minutes ago, mariahranch said:

So today I decided I wanted to build a DIY surface skimmer and give it a try. So here is my attempt, made out of clear poly carbonate or acrylic I had left over from a led lighting project. It's basically just a box with grooves on the front and a notch cut out on the side so it will fit the aquaclear. I have it going almost to the bottom of the tank so that I can keep the heater and ato inside the skimmer. The water height is adjustable but very sensitive with a small movement, so I'm also holding it in place with a magnet tank cleaner too. 

 

 

Lol looks just like mine now...haha. Only difference is I’m using suction cups instead of a magnet 

[mariahranch]

Had a bit of a set back. With the surface slimmer going I ended up raising the tank water level a bit too much. So when the ATO activated it created a siphon and basically (over some time) mixed a gallon of distilled water in with the tank water causing both the tank and auto reservoir to have matching salinity readings, with a rapid drop in tank salinity. Oops.

 

I noticed while it was happening and was able to stop the pump and do a water change. It looks like the coral and fish so far do not appear any worse for wear but my (“secret”) maxima clam did not survive 😫. Might try again later in the contest because I was really enjoying that guy!

 

[mariahranch]

Well,

According to the other half my tanks were “taking over the house”.

 

Unfortunately have been forced to move to my old hiding spot, the ever so tiny corner in the utility area. The Old School tank now has a tank on each “end”. This area gets zero natural sunlight so all coral will be 100% led supported. Cord management coming soon 🤣

 

[Tigahboy]

At least the tank must've been easy to move?  I like the look with all 3 tanks.  A nice pico trio.

[A.m.P]

Oof that poor shelf...

[mariahranch]

4 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

Oof that poor shelf...

Ah it doesn’t care. It’s rated for 800 lbs 🤣

[mariahranch]

Here’s a video of the tank, and friends:

 

 

[vlangel]

Such a tiny clownfish!  Even the acans are almost bigger, LOL.

[748S911]

Now I want a baby clownfish!

[mariahranch]

3 hours ago, 748S911 said:

Now I want a baby clownfish!

Definitely a personable little fish. It is trying unsuccessfully to host in the mushroom!. I think I should get it a bta or Rfa but don’t know where I would put it!

 

I have a maxi mini in the tank but I pissed it off trying to get it where I wanted it 

[mariahranch]

Well the fish in the tank are doing fine but the tank looks... angry. I’ve had an outbreak of black slime 😱. Never had this in any of my other tanks, so not sure what is going on! 

 

The coral seem especially pissed about the outbreak. I keep removing it with tweezers but it returns... I’ve added a 240gph hydor nano hoping the increased flow might make a difference but it has not.

 

I’ll have to go back to the neotherm heater, the marina heater had the tank up to 84 degreees today and I’m not sure if that’s contributing to the slime. Uggg

[seabass]

I'm guessing it's a form a cyanobacteria.  I'd siphon out the slime, then dose Chemi-Clean.  You might need to add an airstone during treatment.

[asting]

Honestly, sand seems to leach phosphates every time i uses it. eventually it runs it course. As seabass mentioned, chemiclean works decently. I had an emerald green crab that seemed to pull it off the sand, but that's the exception, not the norm.

[kimdawg]

32 minutes ago, asting said:

Honestly, sand seems to leach phosphates every time i uses it. eventually it runs it course. As seabass mentioned, chemiclean works decently. I had an emerald green crab that seemed to pull it off the sand, but that's the exception, not the norm.

I had cyano for 3 months in my 75, but it finally just went away.  I decided to go bare bottom in my small tank because of it.  I have always used sand in my tanks but I like BB in this small tank because it is so easy to get all of the food and dirty out with a turkey baster during water changes.

[Christopher Marks]

@mariahranch We sure missed you over the summer! Whatever became of your old school pico reef? I hope you're well, check back in with us soon ❤️ 

[mariahranch]

On 10/23/2019 at 1:00 PM, Christopher Marks said:

@mariahranch We sure missed you over the summer! Whatever became of your old school pico reef? I hope you're well, check back in with us soon ❤️ 

Hi Christopher, thanks for checking in. To say I've had a challenging summer would be an understatement. I've enjoyed following everyone else's tanks that stayed active, and I did keep this tank wet. But, with working full time, attending graduate school, and separating from my husband of 14 years I temporarily left the tanks behind causing multiple problems. I felt the tank was too ugly to photograph, it really looked that bad. This tank stayed up, but I lost most of the coral before the move, and what was left toasted after arrival to the new place when I realized ALL of my pico tanks were running between 84 and 86 degrees! Yikes!! Thanks to another competitor though, I was able to quickly make fan based nano chillers for all of my tanks-but not until I'd already lost a lot. I did tear down the "it must be free" tank, but I used all of that rock in this tank in the landscape that you see now.

 

The little black and white clown survived and graduated into my now very happy Nuvo 20 and this tank became home to one of my first fish, a blue damsel. The tank is really starting to stabilize now and I'm looking forward to seeing what it can grow. 

 

Current contents include snails, hermits, one blue damsel, one maxi-mini anemone, a piece of red ogo, one RFA, one yuma colony, one duncan with 3 heads, some assorted zoa frags, and a blasto. The filter was replaced for a simple  $8 filter from Amazon that only has a surface skimmer and filter sponge. I think the flow rate is 80 gph on the filter and I removed the power head for a clean look.

 

I know I'm disqualified from the competition but I'd still love to know what people think of the tank now. Congrats to whoever wins!

[A.m.P]

Love seeing all the damselfish in these tanks.

[Poison Dart Frog]

It looks really nice. Curious how you've liked your Fluvial Sea light. I am using that one too. I've found that turning the whites down to about 30 and red to 16 with the others maxed out is a decent way to go that limits algae growth. Love the maxi mini carpet too. 

[Wonderboy]

It looks fantastic - I love that algae under the HOB (thought it was the intake)   :]

[kimdawg]

I am glad you and your tank made it through the tuff summer.  Your tank looks great, I like the rock work it makes it appear much larger than a pico tank.