csammis
08/04/2008, 12:56 PM
I just put the finishing touches on the assembly and initial setup of a new nano reef made from a Picotope 3 gal bowfront. I'm starting the thread now and I'll keep it updated with pictures as things progress. I'm really excited about this tank, I haven't had a saltwater tank in a couple years thanks to moving and new jobs :)
I bought a 3 gal Picotope (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15493) a couple weeks ago, intending to use it as a betta tank in my office, but after a very short time I decided to make it a nano reef in the general style of Sandeep's 5.5 gal with in-tank refugium (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265768). I didn't go the full refugium route, but I really liked the idea of partitioning off the hardware with the addition of an overflow.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2730033427_f2c5c98b53.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730033427/)
The bare Picotope, it's about 11" x 8" x 8".
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2730031119_20c472c9d2.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730031119/in/set-72157606531479041)
The piece of plexi I cut for the partition. It's 3/32" thick, with slats for overflow and a hole for the return powerhead. I cut the overflow slats with a Dremel router bit. It's about to be painted with Krylon Fusion flat black and set in the tank with GE Silicone I.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2730037129_d6fbfa3a83.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730037129/in/set-72157606531479041/)
The tank is masked off and ready for the equipment area to be painted with Krylon Fusion satin black. It's not shown in this picture, but I ended up masking off the bowed part of the equipment area so I had a place to look in and make sure things were working okay.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2730047225_99376bdeaa.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730047225/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Looking into the equipment area after the painting. The powerhead (MJ400 or 600, I forget) and the HOB Taam Rio Nano skimmer are visible here. Note the plastic screw on the skimmer - that's not stock. I didn't like the way it was hanging on the back, so I got some little rubber stick-on feet and fixed them to the skimmer against the glass, then used a securing screw from an old HOB skimmer to get a tight fit. No rattling = good :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2730029363_ec8f88d925.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730029363/in/set-72157606531479041/)
The tank on its stand in my living room. The lamp that comes with the Picotope is a 9 watt PC 50/50, which I may be upgrading at some point.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2730070989_a155f56795.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730070989/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Water + sand + rocks from an older tank added. There are a lot of microbubbles, which will hopefully go down as the skimmer activates.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2730059497_0e17d59190.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730059497/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Already churning away!
For stocking, when the time comes, I'll probably stick with mushrooms and zoas. The LFSes in my area (Kansas City) don't have amazing variety, but I'm patient and can spend time looking for some really good specimens.
I bought a 3 gal Picotope (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15493) a couple weeks ago, intending to use it as a betta tank in my office, but after a very short time I decided to make it a nano reef in the general style of Sandeep's 5.5 gal with in-tank refugium (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265768). I didn't go the full refugium route, but I really liked the idea of partitioning off the hardware with the addition of an overflow.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2730033427_f2c5c98b53.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730033427/)
The bare Picotope, it's about 11" x 8" x 8".
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2730031119_20c472c9d2.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730031119/in/set-72157606531479041)
The piece of plexi I cut for the partition. It's 3/32" thick, with slats for overflow and a hole for the return powerhead. I cut the overflow slats with a Dremel router bit. It's about to be painted with Krylon Fusion flat black and set in the tank with GE Silicone I.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2730037129_d6fbfa3a83.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730037129/in/set-72157606531479041/)
The tank is masked off and ready for the equipment area to be painted with Krylon Fusion satin black. It's not shown in this picture, but I ended up masking off the bowed part of the equipment area so I had a place to look in and make sure things were working okay.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2730047225_99376bdeaa.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730047225/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Looking into the equipment area after the painting. The powerhead (MJ400 or 600, I forget) and the HOB Taam Rio Nano skimmer are visible here. Note the plastic screw on the skimmer - that's not stock. I didn't like the way it was hanging on the back, so I got some little rubber stick-on feet and fixed them to the skimmer against the glass, then used a securing screw from an old HOB skimmer to get a tight fit. No rattling = good :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2730029363_ec8f88d925.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730029363/in/set-72157606531479041/)
The tank on its stand in my living room. The lamp that comes with the Picotope is a 9 watt PC 50/50, which I may be upgrading at some point.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2730070989_a155f56795.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730070989/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Water + sand + rocks from an older tank added. There are a lot of microbubbles, which will hopefully go down as the skimmer activates.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2730059497_0e17d59190.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/csammis/2730059497/in/set-72157606531479041/)
Already churning away!
For stocking, when the time comes, I'll probably stick with mushrooms and zoas. The LFSes in my area (Kansas City) don't have amazing variety, but I'm patient and can spend time looking for some really good specimens.