1 Quart Pico Reef!

[SnowShiva]

What about a small external water block like what you can use for water cooling a computer, a pipe into and out of the waterblock but instead of radiating the heat away it goes into the water.

 

If you had an acrilic one that ran over or near a small heat source like a bulb or some resisters then the heat could be dumped into the tank.

 

Even running a length of tubing over an external heat source would work.

[DementedLullaby]

bull. df's only need 1/2 gallon each and bettas only "need" enough water to keep them wet to survive. only a few years ago bettas used to be shipped OVERNIGHT rolled in wet paper towels and piled in oygen filled bags. and a clown goby could do OK, as long as there was plenty of live rock to support the bioload.

 

LoL sure they can "survive" in barely enough water to keep them covered but how happy do you think they are? Shipping them in paper towels? Can you say stressed out fish? 'Cause I sure can.

 

Do a search on ADF's and you will find they are very very messy creatures, hence the water requirements. You'll be doing daily 100% water changes if you keep either creature in such a tight space.

 

Go ahead and torture your animals but don't go around telling other people it's right.

 

The "tank" is looking sweet man. I like the contrast between the black substrate and LR.

[Argent]

thanks -- I think I may pick up the larger LED assembly like kmitch did to see if it will light the tank better. The 8 led assembly like I have would make nice moonlights (if they were blue) because they aren't super bright.

 

As for keeping the tank warm, I'm still using a 75w regular bulb in a gooseneck lamp (generates nice amounts of heat) but I don't want that to be a permanent solution - too bad they don't make heaters about the size of a pencil.

[BckPckr]

I think I have a solution Argent; Conduction. Take a thin copper pipe and "wrap" it around the base of the acrylic area, leave one end trailing of somewhere and heat that end with something. Heat would travel up the pipe and warm the tank. From the top down it would look like a ?.

[Argent]

the other thing I've thought of -- are the small nocturnal reptile heat lamp bulbs and some sort of two way dual bulb desklamp thingy and run one 50/50 and one nocturnal heat -- turn the 50/50 off at night and let the nocturnal run 24-7. If the light is kept far enough above the tank, it should only transfer so much heat to the tank.

[schaadrak]

Argent do a search for Aqualifters. It looks to be the same size as an air pump and has a input and output for ¼" tubing. Might even heat the tank some.

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=OE1137

[Fishfreak218]

ya... i suggested that before.... he went with the air lift though

[Argent]

Ooooooo interesting -- it appears to have an inlet and outlet next to each other -- if its small enough it would do just what I was hoping for AND you're right -- it might just generate enough heat to heat the water as it goes through the pump.

 

you did Fishfreak? hmm I must have missed that -- I found the dimensions for one 4.5" x 2.5" x 2" so I'll have to measure the pump I have and the base of the tank -- will probably still have to externally plumb the tank with it - unless I find/build a slightly larger diameter base to use.

[KMitch]

So I got to thinking about the heating/lighting issues.

 

What if you put your tank in a window sill? It would be warmer with the sunlight (just have to watch it) and then the sun would add to the LEDs to really light that tank. Someone did a sunlit tank in the Pico Contest (Tinyreef maybe?) Would that work? How about placing it near a source of heat like a computer?

 

Just trying to think about solving this dilemma.

[NanoClown]

maybe if u have a reptile heating pad or somethin... maybe itll work

[Argent]

keeping it warm during the day isn't my problem -- it's keeping the tank warm at night when the lights off.

[Obsessed Reefer]

Well if you only need it at night, why dont you get that heating pad?

 

Put it on at night, and take it off when you wake up/

[Argent]

talking with the guy at the LFS -- if I go with like a margarita snail - they like cooler temps -- same with softie corals (shrooms, zoa) and he said even a hermit should be fine.

 

So I think I'll start looking at stocking this tank soon!

[NanoClown]

has it cycled yet?

[Argent]

it was near the end of it's cycle on Saturday - I'll test the water again this weekend to verify.

[NanoClown]

im nearing the end but i have so much live critters in there its gonna be a week or so more

[Argent]

So it looks like I'm going to get a custom 40 LED board to ligth this with (32 White & 8 Blue)

 

I'll post pics after I get it

[NanoClown]

i hate waiting for the CYCLE! lol i think the LED lights are gonna be great i think that this should be a zoa tank...... i like zoas!

[Argent]

Yeah I'll probably try and find a nice solomon island zoa frag for the tank, along with a margarita snail and some sort of small hermit.

[NanoClown]

sweet!

[irishtexan]

Awesome! Post some pics when you get it.

 

texan

[Argent]

couple new pics -- couldn't live without something in the tank for a whole weekend so I brought a blue leg and a small hitchiker snail out of my 3 gallon tank

 

 

 

FTS!

 

[irishtexan]

Awesome! So when do you think you will add the zoo's?

 

texan

[Argent]

I don't get paid till Wednesday so it wouldn't be before then -- and even that is if I can find some nice ones at the LFS (they are usually just brown ones)

 

plus I think I may wait until I get my new lighting for the tank.

[KMitch]

Is it just the pic or is your water murky?

 

looks really good. Keep us posted