1gal picoglobe - no shaking!

[ninjafish]

Hi all,

I am just wrapping up my last project and have started to plan this pico globe. All I need to do is drill the bottom of it and find a submersible pump for inside the sump. This isn't quite as cool as my office cube but it does have the potential of being even more bullet-proof because it can be tied into any sized system ie, use a 120gal reef as a water supply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

 

- Chad

[calvin]

is that completely enclosed? very cool! now if you could just fit a tang in there...

[ninjafish]

Calvin,

Haha funny you should mention that... at one time my office cube was sporting a couple tangs

 

Yup, the globe is completely enclosed, infact is has to be. It stays full as long as the effluent and return lines are both below the water level in the sump. Any air that gets into the globe will drop the water level.

I was planning on some softies and maybe a shrimp or a small arrow crab.

 

- Chad

[tinyreef]

so it's tied into the flows of a bigger system like a bump along a closed-loop? do you have a picture of the in/out?

 

or is it completely off on its own and only occasionally tied into the bigger system for wc's or current?

[ninjafish]

A bump along a closed loop, ya that's a good way of looking at it.

Right now it is seperate because I am trying to find a pump with the right output. The plumbing is just two hoses that come out the bottom and are plopped into any sump you want to use (with the pump connected to one of them).

I am looking at a 10 or 20gal tank to use a s a sump because it needs to be big enough that the entire globe can be submerged when it is opened for maitenance (that way no air gets it).

 

- Chad

[Darold]

What are your plans for algae control? It seems like a single snail would be able to clean that tank over until it starves. Do you plan on opening it up and just wiping it down? Just curious.

 

Awesome idea by the way. Under your plan you could set up an infinite number of species tanks without significantly bumping up the maintenance.

[ninjafish]

Darold,

My plan was just to wipe the glass down when it needs it. That is the reason that I tracked down a water globe with a rubber gasket type seal that can be quickly popped on and off - makes maitenance easier. Thanks.

[Kogut]

Chad, I never thought I'd see a nicer pico than your starfire cube... You proved me wrong. That looks incredible. I, too, would love to see how you plumb it in w/ everything. Awesome work!

 

~Connor

[ProFlatlander15]

how are you going to open it? wouldnt the water pour out?

[ninjafish]

Originally posted by Kogut

Chad, I never thought I'd see a nicer pico than your starfire cube... You proved me wrong. That looks incredible. I, too, would love to see how you plumb it in w/ everything. Awesome work!

 

~Connor

 

Conner,

Thanks man. That's probably the best compliment I've ever gotten in this hobby. I will fire up some more photos soon.

[ninjafish]

Originally posted by ProFlatlander15

how are you going to open it?  wouldnt the water pour out?

 

You bet it would. I open it the same way that I sealed it without getting any air inside: fully submerged in my main tank :

 

- Chad

[ProFlatlander15]

oooo....ok, thats a beautiful tank in tour atavar, i followed that thread. good to see you followed it up with something as unique as this project, good luck, i like it.

[ninjafish]

Thanks bro. The cube is my main tank now and I really only started this project to prove that it could be done. After this tank was built I was going to fill in the holes in the bottom and turn it into a real snow globe for my daughter. She said something about a castle and a dragon...

Now though, I am thinking about keeping it as a reef and seeing how far I can take it.

 

- Chad

[mushroom head]

How do you clean the inside of the tank with the rocks in the way?

[ninjafish]

The tank has been torn down for a while now but to clean the glass I had to open the bottom while it was underwater and then pull the rockwork out and run a spounge around the inside. I bit of a pain.

Cheers,

 

- Chad

[mushroom head]

I wanted to set up one of these tanks but i think that would be to much work for me. Ill just try to make a flexible magnetic cleaner so it can clean the tank walls.

[coralcrazy]

Jesus fish, the pico award if there is such a thing should go to you. Good job, do you randomly get ideas at work?

[ninjafish]

Thanks .

I think it is just that I spend huge amounts of time daydreaming about nano tank designs . While I'm driving, at work, while my wife is talking, etc...

It is a little difficult now because I have already had five saltwater tanks and my wife is not very supportive of new projects (an understatement X) ).

There is one idea that I have always regretted not trying. It was a acrylic cylinder tank on a motorized turntable with mh desk lamp and chaeto 'fuge cannister filter. I described it a bit in my office cube thread on RC:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...25&pagenumber=9

I think the neatest thing about nano tanks is you can try different designs without it being a major undertaking. It isn't very hard to impress a person who isn't in the hobby, but when you can get a fellow reefer to look at your system and ask "now how the heck does that work?" - that's a pretty good feeling.

Thanks again for your kind words.

- Chad

[TheCoralReef731]

I AM BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

[six_line]

Hey Chad

"Now how the heck does that work?"

Great job.....again!!!!

 

John

[ninjafish]

LOL

Thanks John!

 

And thanks peterk... I think

 

 

- Chad

[angelfishlover]

Very nice, but how to you access the inside of the globe?

[mushroom head]

To access the globe tank he has to fully submerse it in his main tank.

[wmfsoll2]

Nice globe! You do have some great ideas. Keep it up!