Sub-gallon stacking system .123G PICO

[NY_Caveman]

I was trying to think of what corals you could do in that size and was at a bit of a loss. If it were me, I think I would consider Mojano anemones. They are considered pests, because they propagate so fast, but they are actually quite beautiful creatures and resemble BTAs. For your size they would work quite well.

 

[chefjpaul]

Single Ricordea and sexy shrimp would be cool in that

 

[Wonderboy]

Thanks everyone

@chefjpaul I initially thought a about keeping a sexy shrimp, but this thing really only has 1/4" - 7/8" space between the rock and the acrylic, so I would feel pretty bad for the shrimp. I originally wanted to do a a few ricordea, but after the hardscape happened, I think even one would look too slammed in. If I end up removing the hardscape, I will make sure there's room for one or two in the new one.

@NY_Caveman That is an awesome suggestion - I have never seen a mojano anenome, but looks like something that could work quite well; my only concern is that do you think they are large enough to accidentally plug up the 3/8" drain or pump inlet? I came across graceful anenome as an option, but I am definitely worried about their size.

I thought about doing something that encrusts. Montipora a bit much? Just zoas?

The Bayite temperature controller is working well, but it seems to read and adjust temperature at .2 degree intervals as opposed to .1; I don't think this should be a problem for the price, but will be watching. Temp is holding at 77.5-77.9 w/o lights.

I'm also going to try putting an inline usb voltage meter before the pump so that hopefully I can see if the pump is having issues before it fails (I have a couple stored for spares).

 

[NY_Caveman]

my only concern is that do you think they are large enough to accidentally plug up the 3/8" drain or pump inlet?

Possibly. I had a few when I set up my tank that were 1/4 - 1/2”. They detach pretty easily too. In fact, I found I could just suck them up with a turkey baster to remove them as opposed to Aiptasia anemones where I had to remove the rock and hit them with boiling water (before I had corals).

 

[Wonderboy]

Possibly. I had a few when I set up my tank that were 1/4 - 1/2”. They detach pretty easily too. In fact, I found I could just suck them up with a turkey baster to remove them as opposed to Aiptasia anemones where I had to remove the rock and hit them with boiling water (before I had corals).

Too bad, I was starting to look forward to having something in here larger than a zoa.

 

[btmedic04]

Very cool little setup! I think some dwarf cerith snails and maybe a designer zoa would look great in there! Just keep an eye on that heater, I had 2 on separate 1.5g betta tanks go out on me, fortunately in the off position

 

[Wonderboy]

@btmedic04 Thank you! I am worried about the heater, too! Glad your fish were okay. It was half price somewhere sometime ago, so I figured I'd grab it for future needs. Because of the product's reputation, and the worry of rapid temperature fluctuations, I made sure to incorporate a temp controller; it's operating off of it now, so if it does fail, an alarm that is set at .5 degree over/under preferences will notify me.

Edit: A couple dwarf ceriths is a good idea; also thinking about virgin nerites, but worried about eggs. I am starting to think a nice cluster of zoas would be best, but we will see...

 

[Wonderboy]

The chaeto came in the mail a couple days ago; I decided to try seeing what a water change would be like before putting any in. The diversion line can pump out 325 mL before the pump runs dry - that's 26% of the system's actual volume; I think that is a decent amount for weekly or so changes. Since the drain line is 1/4", it holds excess system water after closing it off; the flush option came in handy, I just inject RO DI after use to keep it clean.


Then I added ~325 mL conditioned saltwater from the top and plugged the pump back in - note the flow.


After checking the salinity after the wc, apparently I was short saltwater volume, and the res auto-filled with freshwater; the salinity after was down to 1.022 g/cm3. To adjust, first guessing, I added 1 gram of salt mix to the display, waited, and took a reading with about a .0005 g/cm3 increase - awesome - added 4.5 more grams, waited, took reading: 1.0245 g/cm3 and time to add the chaeto. Turn off pump, remove display, 2 tsp algae!


Reassembled:


I am working on something to reduce the flow in the display a little because the water from the pump touches the lid and a plethora of salt is creeping out; if I rotate the supply nozzle in the display, the pump has enough power to dig in the sand. I have something in mind...will update with pics of the modification when finished.

 

[Wonderboy]

The flow in the display has been much better; it doesn't touch the lid anymore. I finished the modification to decrease the velocity a couple days ago.


The modification is simply a T off of the supply line to some type of chamber that I haven’t entirely decided what to do with yet.




The original plan was a calcium reactor. After the attempt to keep this thing compact was achieved, I became concerned that this size of a calcium reactor might decrease the system’s pH in the end. I still might try to do it though. It is placed so that water from the pump will flow down through potential media in the test tube while a line near the bottom of the device can dose CO2 (or liquid? if not a cal reactor).

On a side note, I adjusted the pico's temperature range to be more relaxed. I allowed the system to run without its temperature control to see where it would fluctuate to with room temperature control under normal operation. After finding the higher, lower and average values, I set the pico’s temperature controller to the average and am allowing the temperature to fluctuate almost to its threshold before the controller implements a control device. The allowed fluctuation is now 3°F under, 4°F over. Since adjusting the controller and with my room cooler’s wireless thermostat placed next to the pico, the temperature controller has barely had to do any work.

 

[Wonderboy]

I wanted to take the time to update the journal with a these few processes:
Been using Microbe-lift Special Blend since start-up
(also had used it in a led lit bucket of water w/sand and rock I had set up prior to pre-cycle some aspects for this thing - water, sand, pods).
Added Special Blend each time after four 25% water changes so far.
I had added one pellet of food to the system each time I added Special Blend.
Introduced five amphipods and one additional tsp of chaeto to the fuge yesterday.
First reading tonight: ammonia just over .25, no readable nitrite, nitrate at 5.
The entire system (pump, lights, temp control) is running off of an APC back-UPS for a home network/pico aquarium.
Here's a shot of that madness:

 

[Katrina71]

Your "madness" is genius.

 

[Wonderboy]

System update before I forget what's happened:

I set the cooling fans aside because they never come on, but I set the high temp alarm at a lower tolerance on the controller so I can monitor it more closely. I've still been using a goose-neck lamp and small grow led for the refugium; will be until other projects let off required funding.


Oct 28 After noticing brown algae starting to accumulate in the display, I added one dwarf (or tiny) cerith snail to the display. Also introduced one blue-leg hermit crab to the refugium. I was relatively confident that this thing cycled already (start-up: Oct 12) being that it is ~1250 mL volume. I found out that the diversion line from the pump (made for water changes) is clearly awesome for drip acclimation.

I have been working on adding a second chamber to the "calcium reactor". 1st attempt I broke the 1st chamber's test tube, remade everything. 2nd attempt sprung a leak, which was kind of a big deal; luckily I caught it before the salinity was greatly affected. I disassembled the system, rinsed the outside of each section, reassembled and remade the faulty rubber insert. It's running with the additional chamber now; it's still in testing and still in test tubes.

Nov 1: More brown algae in the display. Since the hermit and dwarf cerith were still doing well, I went out for another dwarf cerith, but couldn't find one. I did introduce one nassarius snail to the refugium and one burrowing brittle star to the display, though. I was thinking that something should be photosynthesizing in the display to start competing with algae at this point; I want to try cryphastrea or maybe montipora when I have a better influence on most elemental parameters. For now, I decided to try something "tolerant" - found a 2 polyp frag of rasta zoas that seemed appropriate as the guinea pig. Dipped with diluted H202, placed in display:


Everything is still well today - watching the zoas closely; they were fine day 1, but have been temperamental since day 2 - skirts usually only peaking out. It could be that I haven't really fed the system in a while, so I'm going to try that today. It may be light intensity. It may be the change in light cycle... this pico's light cycle is unique to this system. I have been theorizing one of the reasons that micro volume aquariums (especially reef) are difficult to make low maintenance and near self sustained/contained because of the attempt to keep them in tune to acquainted circadian rhythms, which on these scales should probably be much different. With the fuge and display lights alternating the standard 12 hours each, I was concerned about the fluctuation potential of the pH in this volume because there might be a high capability for organisms to excrete or consume a plethora of elements in too little of an area given too ample of a time period. My theory is that by limiting the amount of time that all organisms are subjected to photosynthetic light, I may be able to avoid this threshold accumulation. So, the pico circadian rhythm is like this: light over display from 1-5:15am, 9am-1:15pm, 5-9:15pm ~ light behind refugium from 5-8:20am, 1-4:20am, 9pm-12:20am. Fifteen minute wake up period for the chaeto, a shorter cycle for the it to keep over-consumption (competition for nutrients) less likely, and a short all-lights-off period because the algae will finish off its photosynthetic exhaustion for a little while after light isn't present. There's a display/fuge lighting overlap for extended coral photosynthesis, plus this thing looks good with both lights on lol. Trying not too move the zoas, just going to see if they adjust in 2 weeks or so.

 

[Wonderboy]

Quick updates:

The pump ceased - switched to the spare and need to apparently buy another; hoping one lasts somewhere more sufficient.

Bought a teeny tiny blue hammer frag; introduced to display - seems to be doing okay, pic soon. Planning to move it to larger system when ready.

Burrowing brittle star died - watching parameters, nothing seems abnormal.

Display led failed - ran it with cfl 4 days - purchased this and put it over the system tonight

Finished upgrades to the calcium reactor; there was a persistent slow leak that, in the end, required sealant - now waiting on the media.

 

[NY_Caveman]

That is tiny.

 

[Katrina71]

And awesome!

 

[BigJohnny]

Quick updates:

The pump ceased - switched to the spare and need to apparently buy another; hoping one lasts somewhere more sufficient.

Bought a teeny tiny blue hammer frag; introduced to display - seems to be doing okay, pic soon. Planning to move it to larger system when ready.

Burrowing brittle star died - watching parameters, nothing seems abnormal.

Display led failed - ran it with cfl 4 days - purchased this and put it over the system tonight

Finished upgrades to the calcium reactor; there was a persistent slow leak that, in the end, required sealant - now waiting on the media.

So cool, what are you using for co2?

 

[Wonderboy]

So cool, what are you using for co2?

Thank you - we'll see if it works - for the scale, I am going to try a setup similar to this thing. Nice explaination here.

Pics of that soon, too.
Cooling fans back in operation, AC mostly idle - cooling during winter needs to be minimal.
Working on a video.

 

[Wonderboy]

A lot of my time has been going into several other projects; a 5' x 7' frilled dragon terrarium/paludarium has been the most time consuming. Been planning to make a video for the pico as soon as the calcium rector is in place (3M 5200 sealant curing; media in mail).

I haven't done a water change on the pico since the pump was replaced (I have ordered more, just in case). Planning for WC tonight.

The nassarius didn't make it; I spotted the hermit crab sporting its shell yesterday. I'm suspecting not enough larger particulate food made it down to the fuge for the nassarius - so I think I'll try another in some time. The dwarf cerith or baby cerith is still doing well. It is bigger though....

The calcium reactor media is in the mail, and I have been playing with a setup similar to this thing for CO2. I am trying to see if I can get it to let out just one bubble at a time lol.

The zoas lost almost all vibrancy after being semi-closed for a while and dealing with the lighting changes. I have a cfl next to the actinic led for a broader spectrum, but I am still thinking the setup can be better.

The hammer looks to be doing okay though.

Here's the zoas:


Here's the hammer:



FTS:

 

[Wonderboy]

Stocking update:


cyphastrea
(possibly 'JF leap frog'):


leptoseris (JF Jack-o-Lantern):


Some orange-skirt zoas:


Also, managed to squeeze a splitting ricordea in here (temporary until another setup is ready)

Still waiting on reactor media, and still playing with the "diy" CO2 approach.

 

[JasonK84]

Look at those giant coral colonies you have in that tank!!

That is a pretty cool setup.