REEF VASE: Have you ever consider keeping a reef in a vase, jar, bowl etc? Check these out!

Have you ever consider keeping a tiny reef in a vase, jar, bowl etc.?

  • Yes in a vase

    Votes: 20 5.2%
  • Yes in a jar

    Votes: 48 12.4%
  • Yes in a bowl

    Votes: 26 6.7%
  • Yes in a (tell us on the thread)

    Votes: 11 2.8%
  • NO

    Votes: 282 72.9%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    387

NCK

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SHNICI

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@Darsh check eBay 10W fish tank heater or 15W fish tank heater just have on mind, most of them are preset at 25deg C. you can find many, check and Amazon if you wish, just can't give advice for that one. depending on the fish tank, you can use and 10-15-20 W Vivarium heating mat depending on what tank you are using (rectangular or circle, but for them you need to put under it cork or Styrofoam for insulation between the surface you put the tank on and the heating mat, and you will need and thermostat/temperature controller.
Personally I prefer the heating mat, because isn't taking any space in the tank, only thin wire/cable with thermo sensor in the tank.
 

Darsh

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mmmm, for the build you are talking about ? (what's the h of this tank you have)
@Darsh check eBay 10W fish tank heater or 15W fish tank heater just have on mind, most of them are preset at 25deg C. you can find many, check and Amazon if you wish, just can't give advice for that one. depending on the fish tank, you can use and 10-15-20 W Vivarium heating mat depending on what tank you are using (rectangular or circle, but for them you need to put under it cork or Styrofoam for insulation between the surface you put the tank on and the heating mat, and you will need and thermostat/temperature controller.
Personally I prefer the heating mat, because isn't taking any space in the tank, only thin wire/cable with thermo sensor in the tank.
Not sure yet as I still haven’t found a jar with the correct diameter to fit the reefsmart pico pro led in Poland. I suppose it’ll be about 30cm high.
Yea I was thinking about the heating mat, sounds like a great idea. I wonder is it a similar calculation to water heaters ie 1w per liter??
 

SHNICI

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Not sure yet as I still haven’t found a jar with the correct diameter to fit the reefsmart pico pro led in Poland. I suppose it’ll be about 30cm high.
Yea I was thinking about the heating mat, sounds like a great idea. I wonder is it a similar calculation to water heaters ie 1w per liter??
Not completely the same, as the heater is in the water and all the energy from it will go in the water, but the heating mat have to spread his energy around itself, so the bottom side will have some part of loosing heat (say 5-10%) depending on the insulation you put under it, the Cork is good insulation for that purpose if it's over 5-7mm thick, you will have some heat loosen when the heat go thru the glass or plastic (depending what do you use), plastic is better insulation than the glass, so the glass will provide more energy to the water in instead of the plastic.
For Example, if you have tank similar to the BIORB, say the tank is glass, at the bottom you have dish like if the mat is between them (closed completely and there isn't gap tp ventilate), but the "dish" is cork (or other/better insulator) the heat loosen will be less because the "dish"will provide more heat to go to the glass.
So from 15W heating mat (rounded or no) if it's completely in contact with the bottom (if glass) will have near 10W heating energy to the water.
I'm telling all this if you can and wish to DIY, can't buy something like, you will have to modify the things to match and to work properly for you ;)
 

Darsh

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Not completely the same, as the heater is in the water and all the energy from it will go in the water, but the heating mat have to spread his energy around itself, so the bottom side will have some part of loosing heat (say 5-10%) depending on the insulation you put under it, the Cork is good insulation for that purpose if it's over 5-7mm thick, you will have some heat loosen when the heat go thru the glass or plastic (depending what do you use), plastic is better insulation than the glass, so the glass will provide more energy to the water in instead of the plastic.
For Example, if you have tank similar to the BIORB, say the tank is glass, at the bottom you have dish like if the mat is between them (closed completely and there isn't gap tp ventilate), but the "dish" is cork (or other/better insulator) the heat loosen will be less because the "dish"will provide more heat to go to the glass.
So from 15W heating mat (rounded or no) if it's completely in contact with the bottom (if glass) will have near 10W heating energy to the water.
I'm telling all this if you can and wish to DIY, can't buy something like, you will have to modify the things to match and to work properly for you ;)
Thanks for all that, and yes I love to DIY! Check out my build thread lol!
I have to look into the mat, I’m wondering about temp sensors and controllers for it now haha
 

SHNICI

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Thanks for all that, and yes I love to DIY! Check out my build thread lol!
I have to look into the mat, I’m wondering about temp sensors and controllers for it now haha
Look at this one STC 1000 easy to find, cheap enough, and do the job better than anything else ;)
( was trying many and different temp controllers, expensive, cheap, popular and completely non branded. That one Is the best for all my purposes, it have control of heating and cooling as well.Once you set up the desired temperature, it always will keep it (and there the minimum is +/- 0.3 deg C which is best for me to keep the temps at point) + it have calibration for the sensor (it's good to have never mind is it calibrated or no.
Plus it have small T sensor and the wire remain flexible in my system after 3 years of constant usage. And the other think it can be reprogramed (you can change the firmware on it), which you can easy find in the beer home brewers forums and in most aquatic forums as well.
 

H3rm1tCr@b

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I have one at the moment, but I'm not gonna show it as it is uuuugggglllyyy right now. Covered in algae. But the mantis shrimp and other misfits love it.
 

Darsh

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Look at this one STC 1000 easy to find, cheap enough, and do the job better than anything else ;)
( was trying many and different temp controllers, expensive, cheap, popular and completely non branded. That one Is the best for all my purposes, it have control of heating and cooling as well.Once you set up the desired temperature, it always will keep it (and there the minimum is +/- 0.3 deg C which is best for me to keep the temps at point) + it have calibration for the sensor (it's good to have never mind is it calibrated or no.
Plus it have small T sensor and the wire remain flexible in my system after 3 years of constant usage. And the other think it can be reprogramed (you can change the firmware on it), which you can easy find in the beer home brewers forums and in most aquatic forums as well.
Okay nice, thanks!
I have this one on my main tank the best part of a year and it works great, WiFi enabled too ;)
Sonoff
 

SHNICI

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Okay nice, thanks!
I have this one on my main tank the best part of a year and it works great, WiFi enabled too ;)
Sonoff
don't know it :) but look fine, only one big negative it have (I think) the metal part of the sensor if it's china made.., then check it often.
I got few different which I'm been testing during the years in salt water, and almost all of them appear the metal cover of the thermocouple (or the sensor) to appear copper base with some other metal over it, which for 2 years it just start to corrode and I saw what's the main, it was releasing Copper for about 2 months in the salt system... (3 different thermostats together was controlling the temperatures and both was with that type of sensors, both start to core, but happy me only the one got more corrosion and release copper.
After I left with the STC 1000 and that's it, later on I include second STC 1000 to be protection for the controller if something wrong happen with to can get the action, not to fry my tank or to freeze ;)
 

Darsh

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don't know it :) but look fine, only one big negative it have (I think) the metal part of the sensor if it's china made.., then check it often.
I got few different which I'm been testing during the years in salt water, and almost all of them appear the metal cover of the thermocouple (or the sensor) to appear copper base with some other metal over it, which for 2 years it just start to corrode and I saw what's the main, it was releasing Copper for about 2 months in the salt system... (3 different thermostats together was controlling the temperatures and both was with that type of sensors, both start to core, but happy me only the one got more corrosion and release copper.
After I left with the STC 1000 and that's it, later on I include second STC 1000 to be protection for the controller if something wrong happen with to can get the action, not to fry my tank or to freeze ;)
Yes I shrink wrapped the sensor :)
I have an eheim jager as a heater so it’s thermostat is the main one and the sonoff switch is the backup in case the eheim fails :)
 

SHNICI

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Yes I shrink wrapped the sensor :)
I have an eheim jager as a heater so it’s thermostat is the main one and the sonoff switch is the backup in case the eheim fails :)
Ok, I see.
I prefer in your case the Sonoff to be the main controller, the heater thermostat only for second protection, Everybody know all this type of heaters don't have that precise thermostat, the difference there is about +/- 1deg C, on most +/-1.5deg C, and from there you have big difference 2-3 deg. C up and down, It's BiMetal strip. If I want maximum stability in the water specs I'll count no more than 1 deg C up and down(my one is 0.6deg C), because with changing the temp. is changing the Salinity, the Ca the PH the Oxygen and so on... Always the Temp play big role in the stability.
About the thermal shrink I'll use superglue to completely seal it on top and bottom (the sides which aren't sealed, or will heat it a bit more and will squish it a bit to seal it self completely (if you aren't), because still can get water in to the metal.
 

Kehy

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Ok, I see.
I prefer in your case the Sonoff to be the main controller, the heater thermostat only for second protection, Everybody know all this type of heaters don't have that precise thermostat, the difference there is about +/- 1deg C, on most +/-1.5deg C, and from there you have big difference 2-3 deg. C up and down, It's BiMetal strip. If I want maximum stability in the water specs I'll count no more than 1 deg C up and down(my one is 0.6deg C), because with changing the temp. is changing the Salinity, the Ca the PH the Oxygen and so on... Always the Temp play big role in the stability.
About the thermal shrink I'll use superglue to completely seal it on top and bottom (the sides which aren't sealed, or will heat it a bit more and will squish it a bit to seal it self completely (if you aren't), because still can get water in to the metal.

I can't say much about the equipment, but having used superglue extensively as a finish for wood working projects, it will eventually leak and weaken. I know we use it all the time in the reef, but typically it's for things that we don't mind having moisture on either side of the seal. I wouldn't use it as primary moisture protection.

Edit: Perhaps resin? I use UV resin for fishing lures
 

Darsh

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Ok, I see.
I prefer in your case the Sonoff to be the main controller, the heater thermostat only for second protection, Everybody know all this type of heaters don't have that precise thermostat, the difference there is about +/- 1deg C, on most +/-1.5deg C, and from there you have big difference 2-3 deg. C up and down, It's BiMetal strip. If I want maximum stability in the water specs I'll count no more than 1 deg C up and down(my one is 0.6deg C), because with changing the temp. is changing the Salinity, the Ca the PH the Oxygen and so on... Always the Temp play big role in the stability.
About the thermal shrink I'll use superglue to completely seal it on top and bottom (the sides which aren't sealed, or will heat it a bit more and will squish it a bit to seal it self completely (if you aren't), because still can get water in to the metal.
Yes it’s secure, it’s heat shrinked and folded over and melted again, I’d say that’s more secure than super glue. The jager heaters need to be calibrated before use so I think they’re pretty accurate but to be honest I haven’t recalibrated it again since the first time.
I don’t trust any measurements 100% in this hobby but as everyone always says here, stability is key ;)
 

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Also, how much can salinity change with a 1 degree change in temp?
Tried to find the answer online but to no avail.
 

SHNICI

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Also, how much can salinity change with a 1 degree change in temp?
Tried to find the answer online but to no avail.
for example: if you have 25deg C and sal: 34.86, at 26deg C will be 35.27, at 27deg C - 35.69, 28 - 36.12. So 1.26 for 4deg C. in my system I test only with Hidrometer which is calibrated for 25deg C, and on my max and min temp is 0.6deg C difference, and the salinity I'm getting is 0.24 up and down. for 10deg C (from 25C - 35sal. to 35C - 39.57sal. )difference you will get 4.57 difference in the salinity.
I hope you got it.
Have calculator where I put the parameters and it calculate it for me and there always the salinity is dependent on the temperature. With changing the temperature is changing and the oxygen levels, on higher temperature the water can carry on less oxygen.
 
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mzaslove

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I am discovering an unexpected consequence of the small size and the use of the air bubbler for flow: my dang trochus! That obnoxious guy (twice now) steamrolls into the airline in the middle of the night, knocking it every-which-way, and I wake up with water all over the place because it's bubbling too high and sending water over the top, or sideways, or something! I am supergluing the line to a magnet (as was suggested) and placing the magnet high on the line near the lid in the hopes the stupid trochus will leave it be. We'll see. Never had this problem in a tank with wavemakers, etc. Never even thought about it! I shall not be outsmarted by a snail!!!
 

SHNICI

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I am discovering an unexpected consequence of the small size and the use of the air bubbler for flow: my dang trochus! That obnoxious guy (twice now) steamrolls into the airline in the middle of the night, knocking it every-which-way, and I wake up with water all over the place because it's bubbling too high and sending water over the top, or sideways, or something! I am supergluing the line to a magnet (as was suggested) and placing the magnet high on the line near the lid in the hopes the stupid trochus will leave it be. We'll see. Never had this problem in a tank with wavemakers, etc. Never even thought about it! I shall not be outsmarted by a snail!!!
with magnet it's good way to keep it stable on place, and using good suckers too, but the snail.... it don't have brakes where can and cannot go ;) And because of the construction of his shell, it's able to pull it up easy.
 

Darsh

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for example: if you have 25deg C and sal: 34.86, at 26deg C will be 35.27, at 27deg C - 35.69, 28 - 36.12. So 1.26 for 4deg C. in my system I test only with Hidrometer which is calibrated for 25deg C, and on my max and min temp is 0.6deg C difference, and the salinity I'm getting is 0.24 up and down. for 10deg C (from 25C - 35sal. to 35C - 39.57sal. )difference you will get 4.57 difference in the salinity.
I hope you got it.
Have calculator where I put the parameters and it calculate it for me and there always the salinity is dependent on the temperature. With changing the temperature is changing and the oxygen levels, on higher temperature the water can carry on less oxygen.
Good knowledge! Thanks!
 

mzaslove

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with magnet it's good way to keep it stable on place, and using good suckers too, but the snail.... it don't have brakes where can and cannot go ;) And because of the construction of his shell, it's able to pull it up easy.

It's gonna be him or me!!!
 
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