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tmendeol
08-06-2006, 06:49 PM
I'm so excited...I setup my 2.5 gallon pico just a few minutes ago at work. I picked up two excellent peices of live rock with great coraline algea growth on them. Here's what I've got going on with this tank...

The tank itself is an Azoo Magic Box http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14009&N=2004+2033+2020

13" 24 Watt PC by Odyssea

Bio-Activ Live Aragonite by Nature's Ocean for the sand bed...I had a 10 pound bag and I'm guessing there's only 2-3 pounds unused so, I guess you could say I laid down a healthy san bed that looks to be about 2.5 inches thick.

AquaClear 20 filter on the tank with Chaeto in the area where the filter would be. I did something kinda cool with the filter too. One of the guys at work setup a really cool surface skimmer and I copied the setup for my tank because it just makes sense. Here's what I did...I got 3/4" PVC pipe and fittings so that in one corner of the tank is the PVC pipe pointing straight up at the lights. There's a coupler on the end of the pipe that I cut 3 slits in so that water from the surface will fall down into the pipe. I had to drill about five holes in the pipe so that I was getting water from both the surface and the middle of the tank height (Adding the holes also got rid of the gurgling sound it made before during testing). The pipe then follows down to the bottom of the tank and along the bottom back edge. Then the pipe bends straight up and connects to the pickup tube of the AC20. So, now I have a surface skimming filter on my 2.5 gallon pico tank :D

That's about the jist of it right now. I'll see if I can take pics of it tomorrow. I can't begin tell you how excited I am to finally have a piece of ocean at my desk...this is awesome!

-Tim

DaChrisDude
08-06-2006, 07:49 PM
Lol! Sounds pretty darn cool Tim!

Can't wait to see pics of this baby..

tmendeol
08-07-2006, 11:55 AM
OMG, check this out...I just tested my water params and...

PH - 8.0 but, looks between 8.0 and 8.2 so, I'm callin it 8.1
Ammonia - 0ppm, no question
Nitrite - 0ppm, no question
Nitrate - closest to 0ppm but could be ever so slightly between 0 and 5ppm

I can't believe it. I think I cheated the system and here's why...the live rock I picked up from a board member was in a fully established, super healthy, tank and he gave me the majority of the water I needed to fill my 2.5 gal with. I'm guessing that I only had to top off with 3/4 gallon of Scripps water.

So, with the live sand, live rock, and chaeto in my filter I think I've cheated the cycling process. However, just to make sure, I'm going to run my tank as is for at least the rest of the week and test params each day to see how she goes.

-Tim

P.S. My test kit is the "Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit" by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals...I figured someone might ask ;)

DaChrisDude
08-07-2006, 07:53 PM
Sweet!

tmendeol
08-07-2006, 08:54 PM
Here's a link to some pics... http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank/?

tmendeol
08-07-2006, 09:10 PM
Bravo Tim, looks like you put alot heart into it. Good job.

Thanks!

-Tim

DaChrisDude
08-07-2006, 09:19 PM
lol! that's awesome Tim!

Can't wait to see some more stuff growing in there!

If you ever find your self up here in Escondido, let me know and I'll give you a small zoo frag or two to get ya started...

tmendeol
08-07-2006, 09:26 PM
So, so far I've been able to see that I have two mushrooms, one fanworm, another fan worm looking guy that's red and tiny, a Stomatella snail and an Astroidea star.

I have to get a refractometer...the swingarm hydrometer works but I would rather use an eyedroper amount of water than dipping that whole hydrometer in the water :(

-Tim

tmendeol
08-07-2006, 09:32 PM
lol! that's awesome Tim!

Can't wait to see some more stuff growing in there!

If you ever find your self up here in Escondido, let me know and I'll give you a small zoo frag or two to get ya started...

Thank you :D You know, I have a cousin up in Escondido that I should probably pay a visit to...lol! I would love to get a couple of zoa frags from your tank, that would awesome :)

-Tim

onad75
08-07-2006, 11:48 PM
Vey nice set up Tim !

great job !!:D

Nick_Kun
08-08-2006, 06:02 AM
Makes me want to setup one. Very nice.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank/CIMG1306.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank/CIMG1304.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank/CIMG1303.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank/CIMG1300.jpg

tmendeol
08-08-2006, 09:43 AM
Thanks onad75, I figured you would like it...especially the rock ;) This is going to be my peaceful getaway here at the office. It's already very soothing to look at. You guys should start one too!

-Tim

tmendeol
08-08-2006, 09:47 AM
Thanks Emoezekielsr5! Some of the other cool things about having this tank at work are that I'm not paying for the electricity :rolleyes: and since the temperature is pretty well regulated I don't need a heater. Once I start getting some corals in here more of you guys are gonna want to set one of these picos up...I can tell the future, lol!

-Tim

tmendeol
08-08-2006, 04:19 PM
Second full day of being up and the params have not changed. Me likey. If this keeps up by the end of the week, I'm going to call in a frag offer :D

-Tim

tmendeol
08-13-2006, 06:31 PM
After one week of solid water params...I got some frags from Onad75. Thanks Onad75!!! Check out the pics...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%20%2008-13-2006/CIMG1321.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%20%2008-13-2006/CIMG1318.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%20%2008-13-2006/CIMG1316.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%20%2008-13-2006/CIMG1320.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%20%2008-13-2006/CIMG1322.jpg

onad75
08-13-2006, 11:04 PM
Looking good Tim, just to give you an idea of what kind of lether is on that shell here is the old pic of the colony of that frag. I also have a tiny frag of orange cup just pick it up when ever you want.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/onad75/DSC00033-1.jpg

DaChrisDude
08-13-2006, 11:31 PM
shrooms and GSP... its a REEF!

tmendeol
08-21-2006, 09:18 PM
I made an ATO based on the DIY here: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29093&b=1&st=&p=&#entry

Works pretty good too! I chose to use an Azoo air pump instead of the hagen with a 3 liter soda bottle: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3693&N=2004+113402
Here's where I got the float switch from: http://www.aquahub.com/store/ifloatfloatswitch.html

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1330.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1331.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1334.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1337.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1335.jpg

Here's the tank under purple light...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20ATO/CIMG1338.jpg

tmendeol
08-21-2006, 09:27 PM
I'm starting to get a good bit of copapods in the tank...I'll take that as a good sign. I bought a Calcium and Kh/Alk test kits today and as I suspected, I'm pretty low on both.... 330-340 Calcium and 5.1 Kh. But I also just got my two part Calcium/Alk juice the other day so I can start dosing every day now. Here's the stuff I'm using: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12804&N=2004+113458

Things are coming along rather well and I'm really happy with the tank. I have so much fun modding the tank...hehe.

-Tim

DaChrisDude
08-21-2006, 09:43 PM
WTG Tim! It's looking awesome and I love all the DIY! Good job.

tmendeol
08-22-2006, 11:46 AM
WTG Tim! It's looking awesome and I love all the DIY! Good job.

Thanks! :D

-Tim

tmendeol
08-28-2006, 11:47 AM
Well, I guess I should give an update too! Here are some pics...

Look at the difference in coraline algea after less than a month of startup http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/collage3.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/collage2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/collage1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/collage.jpg

My crown astrea snail, Nimble and float switch for my ATO http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/CIMG1364.jpg

Almost an FTS http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/tmendeol/Pico%20Tank%2008-26-2006/CIMG1365.jpg

I know the corals don't look all that special but I had just added the zoos, rics, water and the tank had been in moon mode for an hour before I took the pics so....I'll have to take more later when everything is openned up.

-Tim

whatever
12-30-2010, 11:11 PM
updates?