2.5 Mini-Bow Pico Project

[kamalehi]

wow.. such a small tank but soooo beautiful... is there any shrimp or small fishes?

[pet_doc]

Love the tank too

 

Those are some nice zoos! How has the maintainence been so far? I've got a 2.5 minibow w/ the 20 watt coralife by itself, but am waiting to actually get things going until I move. I definitely don't want to go the sump route, but I was wondering what your opinion would be if I should add a hob fuge or some kind of small skimmer or if things should go well enough with just the ac mini. Thanks!

[trekbear]

Great looking 2.5MB there Don!

 

Now, (Because of you )I have to get mine at work converted to SW Reef. Are you using a heater to keep temps stable at night when the lights are off. I didn't see one in your list. If you are which one are you using?

 

Thanks,

TrekBear

[doncb]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

 

To answer the questions:

 

"How is the growth on the macro algea?"

 

It has some new growth and has attached to the rock. Looks nice and should help w/ keeping the water in better shape.

 

"is there any shrimp or small fishes?"

 

There is a scarlet hermit and a scissortail goby.

 

"but I was wondering what your opinion would be if I should add a hob fuge or some kind of small skimmer or if things should go well enough with just the ac mini."

 

In the AC 30 I have some LR chunks and part of a bag of Chemiclean. I also set up an ATO drip and add one drop of iodine and 2 drops of calicium a week. I also change out 1/2g of water 2 times a week. I have a 20w 50/50 on order. The 10w is OK but I think the tank needs more light.

 

"Are you using a heater to keep temps stable at night when the lights are off?"

 

I don't have a heater yet. The tank stays 76 - 78 so it is pretty steady. I know I'll need one this winter though. I was thinking about one of the 25 watt heaters but I don't want it to be very visible.

 

After I get the 20w lamp in I'll post some more pics.

[chipmaker]

Great looking MB 2.5 and I have learned and enjoyed this thread.

 

Not wanting to try and hi jack it, but I just modified my wifes 2.5 MB with a PC 13 watt lamp assembly. I got a great deal on the Deco Art made by Red Sea 13 and 7 watt clip on PC lights. The hood on a MB 2.5 is made just right for an easy retro to them. Just very little trimmin internally is required once the orginal screw in socket and reflector assembly is removed. The hood is styrene as is the Red Sea lamps shade, so model or Weldon #3 or 16 will hold it in place.

 

I clipped off the sort of wing like things on the plastic Red Sea lamp shade and sanded one edge smooth, which fits up tight against the MB hoods straight section. Then remove the flex support of the red Sea lamp assembly. and work the nut off over the PC bulbs connectors......Reinstall this cord through the hole in the MB that its hood lamp wire went through, and secure with nut. I also removed the thumbscrew mount from the other end of the lamps assembly. A dab of hot melt glue on the opposite side of the glued in Red Sea lamp holds it firmly in place. The plastic cover that goes over the socket asembly can have about 3/8" trimmed off the underside so it lays against the bottom of the red sea lamp which further secures it in place. I then bent up a splash shield out of 3/32 polycarbonate . Works great considering I only had to give $10.00 for the 13 watt light and the 7 watt ones were $7.00 as he was clearing them out. Heck the actinic bulb for the 13 watt light cost more than the light assembly with a 10k daylight in it. NIce thing is the ballast is a wal wart so even less heat build up inside tank.

 

FWIW my water temp is holding right at 79.5 deg without a fan on it, with this 13 watt PC 50/50, but we do keep the house rather cold during summer.

[doncb]

chipmaker,

 

Sounds like a good mod to the hood. I had though of using a 13w Pc but decided to go with the 20w Coralife 50/50.

[chipmaker]

I had a few more of those 13 watt light assemblys, and just added yet another to the wifes MB hood........ but now the water is getting much warmer......might be time top play with a fan and see what happens but the color is super.

[doncb]

Here is a pic of the fan mod I did on the hood. It's a small CPU fan running on an adjustable wall-wart set to 3vdc. If the temp gets too high I can bump up the voltage & speed.

 

[robmacy]

that's trick!

[doncb]

New camera! New pics!

 

FTS

 

GSP close-up

 

Zoos

 

Eye to eye with a Hermit crab

 

Now have 29 total watts of light (20w 50/50 & 9w Actinic) and the tank looks so much better. Going to have to start trimming back the algae. Starting to really grow.

[coralcrazy]

I just want to say VERY GOOD JOB!!!. I had a mini-bow like you, but the lighting suxed, so i decided to just get my own tank and get fixtures for it, wish you lived near me so you could have gave me the same lights, anyway i am impressed with the tank good luck with it

[doncb]

Originally posted by coralcrazy

I just want to say VERY GOOD JOB!!!. I had a mini-bow like you, but the lighting suxed, so i decided to just get my own tank and get fixtures for it, wish you lived near me so you could have gave me the same lights, anyway i am impressed with the tank good luck with it

 

Thanks for the complement! This little tank is supprizingly easy to care for. The light mods really make the tank look nice.

[robmacy]

it's almost like being on a dive in Cozumel.

[doncb]

Originally posted by robmacy

it's almost like being on a dive in Cozumel.

 

The camera is an Olympus C5500. Has 2 macro modes and is a 5.1 MP. Really nice camera. My "old" camera was a Sony 2MP. No comparison!

 

I have to give credit for the layout of the tank to my wife. She decided on the stock and layout. If the pico contest ever gets going and I enter, watch out! I'll have my "designer" involved!

[bravoreefer]

Awesome tank, I love how clean it looks. Also, that camera is rockn' with those macros. I am very impressed by both. Do you have any plans for MH lighting on it? =)

[heron]

WOW! it all looks great!

[ADough]

Doncb, Tank looks great!

I'm doing the same thing MB2.5 w/ 20watts.

Are you using the AC 20 or 30, also did you have to mod the hood to fit it on there?

[doncb]

Originally posted by ADough

Doncb, Tank looks great!

I'm doing the same thing MB2.5 w/ 20watts.

Are you using the AC 20 or 30, also did you have to mod the hood to fit it on there?

 

I'm using the AC20. Fits w/o any mods at all. In the filter I have LR chunks, 1/2 unit of ChemiPure & a small piece of scrubber pad cut down to act as a sort of return filter. I change 1/2 gal. of water each week & everything is looking great.

 

You do need to mod the hood to use the 20w 50/50 Corallife screw-in but it is pretty easy. There are some pics in this thread showing the hood after the mod. MB Hood mod The lamp in the pic is a 10watt. The 20 watt is longer, hence the need to move the socket over.

 

Thanks for the complement on the tank too. Be sure to post pics of your's!

[ADough]

Thanks for the quick reply, I've modded for the 20 it fits in there nice although I want to add a 10w act or 50/50 I think that might be an issue b/c I had to CA the socket into place( bad drilling). BTW the MB2.5 20watt mod can be done by a simpleton. I guess to clarify, you needed to modify the hood for the AC 30 but, did not for the AC 20? Also, being summer and hot here in tennessee the A/C runs 24/7 and my tank is staying a little cool, will the AC 20 add the extra temps so there will be no heater needed? I noticed you have a fan. Thanks Doncb and i'll post pics of mine when I have a little more progress, rocks and water right now, I'm taking my sweet time.

[doncb]

Here is a pic of the Drip ATO I made for the MB. It is pieces of an IV drip tube and a 16oz spice container from The Container Store. I drilled a hole in the AC20 cover so it drips into the filter. Works out great. Only have to fill the bottle about every 2nd day. Since the tank is in a bookcase, I set the bottle on the shelf above the tank.

 

[Nanomaniac]

Where did you buy the IV drip tube?

[doncb]

Originally posted by Nanomaniac

Where did you buy the IV drip tube?

 

I, um, er, um, didn't buy it. It, uh, was given to me by someone in the healthcare profession. Yeah, that's it! One day someone in the healthcare profession came up to me and said,"I bet you can use this to make a drip ATO for your pico." Yeah, that's what happened! Well,that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[doncb]

Originally posted by ADough

Thanks for the quick reply, I've modded for the 20 it fits in there nice although I want to add a 10w act or 50/50 I think that might be an issue b/c I had to CA the socket into place( bad drilling). BTW the MB2.5 20watt mod can be done by a simpleton. I guess to clarify, you needed to modify the hood for the AC 30 but, did not for the AC 20? Also, being summer and hot here in tennessee the A/C runs 24/7 and my tank is staying a little cool, will the AC 20 add the extra temps so there will be no heater needed? I noticed you have a fan. Thanks Doncb and i'll post pics of mine when I have a little more progress, rocks and water right now, I'm taking my sweet time.

 

Oops! I made a typo earlier in the thread! I put AC30 when I should have put AC20. First pic in the thread shows the AC20 box! When I put in the 20watt I put in the CPU fan to pull out heat when the lights were on and to prevent condensation at night when they were off. Before I put in the fan there was a lot of condensation up in the bulb area (not good).

 

Hot? You want hot? Come on over to Texas! It's almost 8pm and the temp is still 100 degrees! Yep, we got hot!

[in_flight]

outstanding post and great tank pics

[mushroom head]

Oh thats a cool idea for a ATO. Im going to make one for my 2.5g mini bow when i get it! Hey i just asked my mom to get my that IV drip tubes from her work! She works at a nursing home and they have lots of them!