Round Pico?

[Mr Miagi]

I bought two AquaOne 101's the other week for $2 AU each at a garage sale, LOL. They look roughly the same size and design and are rated for 400lph Max, with a high and low setting. They dont have any filter media though, not that that would accomplish much I dont think. Just that powerhead, with some LR rubble, and your bowl would be done!

 

[Donya]

I totally struck out on finding a suitable bowl of the type I was wanting. The glass was either too thin for my comfort zone, or it was some artsy bowl with crud engraved into the side to make it cost a lot, or it was a bad shape. Or the glass quality was carp. The only "roud" bowls that I found were basically a sphere cut in half...too much surface area relative to volume. Evap would be nuts in something of those dimensions...and a HOTB wouldn't have fit the strong curvature (I measured).

I'm a bit dissappointed, but I'm going to give a try with this thing:

Not what I was originally wanting, but I'll see how it goes. At about $5 it wasn't a huge money sink lol so if it doesn't work out, it's not the end of the project...the glass quality is ok, but not wonderful. I may change anyway for that reason if I can find something better at a reasonable price. I'm also struggling with the fact that my pump isn't really cooperating (there's a flat surface, but the cord...).

 

[Donya]

I conquered the pump, and I'm starting to like the shape...

Running temperature tests on the thing currently. It's 82 right now, which is a tad high...not real happy about that, but it's probably the fact that I have a MH desk light. I may have to move it around so I have less direct light on it (it's directly under the MH now)

Substrate may be an issue. I have way too much gravel-ish aragonite sitting around unused, so that's why I put it in, at least to run the parameter tests (waiting to see how steady the pH holds with it while the rock cures). I decided I am going to put my big bristleworms in there eventually, so they should keep the substrate well churned whether I keep what's in there now or switch it.

What do you guys think of the limestone? I tried to pick out a nice looking chunk but I might not have enough in there.

(edited for typos)

 

[AMS]

Looks good so far Donya. Wal-Mart has some fully round glass bowls, they are only a gallon or so though. I am not too crazy about the limestone, but whatever floats your boat. Will the pump create any surface agitation that low in the bowl? Planning on any corals?


If your bowl experiment doesnt turn out well, there is a 3 gallon pico tank system available. I am so impressed by it, I am going to purchase one myself. Quick overview of the system:

Acrylic-Seamless- 13.5 x 5.5 x 12.25
3 gallon volume
18 watt PC fixture designed for this tank's dimesnions
A built in over-flow style filter installed in the back with bio-media. Can remove bio media and put LR rubble.
Return Pump in the over-flow filter designed to fit this sized tank (I dont know the GPH rating)

Here is a link to this awesome 3 Gallon Pico System.

 

[Donya]

Walmart is a fairly long haul away from me unfortunately...distance-wise it's pretty close but the traffic is a standstill all the way there and back lol.

Will the pump create any surface agitation that low in the bowl?

That is in fact a problem I'm running into. I'm probably going to wind up moving the pump around (if it'll stay put) to accomplish that, or hiding it behind the rock and direcing the current with airline tubing. There is visible surface agitation, but I don't think it's enough since the evap is less currently per gallon than on my 5-gallon.

Planning on any corals?

Not at the moment...my coral experience is practically nill, so I think I would be taking too big of a risk there. So far nothing has backfired, but it'll take a while for that limestone to cure, so I will have time to ponder what all to do with it past having a bristleworm or two.

Acrylic-Seamless- 13.5 x 5.5 x 12.25
3 gallon volume
18 watt PC fixture designed for this tank's dimesnions
A built in over-flow style filter installed in the back with bio-media. Can remove bio media and put LR rubble.
Return Pump in the over-flow filter designed to fit this sized tank (I dont know the GPH rating)

Here is a link to this awesome 3 Gallon Pico System.

Nice! I'll haev to see if my LFS has those. Is there a glass version? I've had bad luck with acrylic in the past...either I'm extreemly clumsy or have really bad luck with scratches that's why I went with glass this time around. I may look at something like that for the future, since I like the built-in lighting.

 

[AMS]

Nice! drool.gif I'll haev to see if my LFS has those. Is there a glass version? I've had bad luck with acrylic in the past...either I'm extreemly clumsy or have really bad luck with scratches confused.gif that's why I went with glass this time around. I may look at something like that for the future, since I like the built-in lighting.

They are pretty new, so it will be pretty difficult to obtain one from an LFS, an internet order is your best option. I am not positive, but I do not think there is a glass version. Also there is a 5 gallon pico from aquatraders. It is also acrylic, seamless, and measures 10.5 x 11 x 12.5, and comes in silver or black. It also comes with a 25 watt incandescent, and internal filter. I am not too keen about incandescents, but it will do the job. I am sure the internal can be filled with PhosBan or something. Here is the link to this 5 Gallon Pico System. The best part about it though, only $20 for the whole system! A steal and a half!


EDIT: I have been looking at pico systems myself, and I have a lot of other links to full systems as well if you are intersted.

 

[Donya]

The best part about it though, only $20 for the whole system! A steal and a half!

!!!

Well now I feel like an idiot...that would've been well worth the money even if it isn't round or glass. Rats.


New as of today: I think anything that is strongly photosynthetic is ruled out for my fishbowl experiment...I've established that my nice MH lamp is massive overkill and even makes me too hot when I'm sitting next to it (arg! Maybe I can put it on my 12g...). I'm testing out a smaller "critter keeper" style light right now, and unless I can find a way to prop it up above the surface more, it still seems to build up heat a little much. Light intensity would be enough for some of my beloved macro, but not enough for anything else, and I wouldn't want to leave the light on without me sitting here to monitor it. I will be getting a new thermometer today though, since the one I've been using is telling me it's around 4 degrees too hot in the room right now.

I could always turn it into an Aiptasia tank to have that polyp appearance LOL those and brisleworms

 

[JJ1234567]

Now...I know you already have this round goldfish bowl. But if your looking for something diferent at all. Local retailers have various size tanks that are acrylic in sizes from 1-6.6 gallons. wal-mart and meijer both. Uhh I know you said walmart was a haul, but they have these nifty tri-angular ones and some hexes too. uhh the hex is 5 i think and the tri-angular is like 2? Just some food for thought. I can get you exact product names for you to look up if interested.

 

[bunjiweb]

please tell me you are planning on putting a few small pieces of live rock in that tank!

Ben

 

[Donya]

please tell me you are planning on putting a few small pieces of live rock in that tank!

Depends on how fed up I get with curing the limestone using pieces of popcorn shrimp. If I add more rock, I don't want cured LR going in until I know I won't cause excessive dieoff from bad tank params. I'm still messing with basic stuff like lighting, temeprature swings, and topoffs.

 

[bunjiweb]

Put the LR in, let the tank cycle, do small water changes a couple of times a week and you should be able to keep on top of it. You will be able to tell the most from how the tank is doing if stuff on your live rock is living and not just dying off.

Lighting I would go for a small desk light, or alternatively you could retro-fit a small halogen bulb to the top.

Also I would have thought a custom-made air-stone uplift would provide more compact water movement and surface agitation. You could make one from some 4mm air-line and some 15-20mm piping. block one end with a piece of coarse filter media and have the other end open 1-2cm below the wate-line.

Just some thoughts!

Ben

 

[Donya]

Er...the reason I don't want anything living in yet is that I shot the tank temp up from 75 to 90 in an hour while messing around with lights. I'm checking to see what factors push the tank out of survivable limits so I don't have any "oops" or "whoops" moments after there's something in there that I want to keep if I get LR I don't want to kill it and have to re-cure it after every test.

The main reason I opted out of an airstone is salt spray. I tried that out in a separate container off my desk, and had salt deposites showing up in strange places nearby within a few days. If I could completely cover the top, that would eliminate the spray issue, but then heat buildup problems are intensified...plus I'd have to get a new airpump that wouldn't send any vibrations through the desk.

I have a couple desk lights but I'm having trouble with the heat output from them. One gets so hot I can't touch it to turn it off at the switch...ideally I'd like a light that I can use both for my own sake reading at night and to light the tank during the day when I'm away. I may have found one solution that allows me to provide low lighting while not raising the temperature...but it's clunky and I can't use it as a reading light (hence I am not happy with it).

 

[OohFeeshy]

Could you come up with a cunning use of a fan of some sort? PC cooling fan, perhaps? Yuo can get ones with blue LEDs attatched, be a cool night light.

 

[Donya]

Using a fan is not beyond possibility. I may have gotten the lighting solved (hmm...how many times have I said that now? LOL). Needs another day or two to test but I acheived stable temperature with a long lighting test period. They trick seemed to be the location of the blub relative to the opening in the bowl. Indirect lighting worked best, and current light level should support macro.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Cunning, OOI, what sort of volume does that have? Over here, anything like that is only 1/2g max.