NZ 2 Gallon Pico Reef

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:11 PM

Due to the fact that it might be a while until I buy a house and setup a new large tank, I decided to experiment on the other end of the scale and built a 2 gallon pico reef.

I've done quite a lot of research online, and there's some quite impressive tanks in the 2 gallon range - some of which are quite established.

Here's what I started with:

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:13 PM

The light's a Coralife 2 X 9 watt Actinic / 10,000k. This is going to be coupled with the Aquaclear mini HOB which will run Chem Zorb when needed, and will hopefully provide enough circulation for such a small tank.

Here's the light that I pulled apart, reassembled, and tidied up the wiring.

Henry22 · 09/06/2005, 03:14 PM

looking good. Are you making the tank yourself and what do you plan in it.

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:15 PM

These are the freshly sanded base and lid - ready for staining and oiling.

The finished woodwork. I stained the wood with a dark wood oil-based stain, and then oiled it with 4 layers of Danish oil. The Danish oil has a great satin finish, especially when wire-wooled in-between coats - it's also quite a resilient finish that should stand up to the occasional soaking of saltwater.

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:16 PM

The inside of the hood.

It was quite tricky to fit all of this in and still have room for the HOB filter. I kept the ballests at the back, and connected the fan to a variable power AC adaptor so I can play around with the fan speed. There should be enough space to keep the high temps in check - these small lights are notorious for kicking out a lot of heat.

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:19 PM

The first full tank shot.

I managed to get some really nice LR pieces, and I'm quite happy with the aqua-scaping.

The lights look great and give me around 9WPG as a rough guide of illumination. I'm still experimenting with the fan speed to keep the lights on and off temps pretty stable.

I added three blue LED's for the moon lights - I'm pleased with the effect.

Conceyted · 09/06/2005, 03:21 PM

wow that looks great so far. i love the stain you used.

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:21 PM

Henry22 - My plans are pretty flexible at the moment. I think I'd like a shrimp of some description with a couple of hermits and snails. Coral wise I'd like the centre piece to be a torch coral, and then probably a collection of Mushroons, Rics, pulsing Xenia and Zoos surrounding.

Henry22 · 09/06/2005, 03:26 PM

very nice
you want to build a hood for me, where did you get the supplies for the hood and stand and how much did it cost and what equipment was needed.

Mork · 09/06/2005, 03:32 PM

If I built you a hood - it would cost you a fortune after sending from New Zealand.

The wood is cheap pine board - 1400mm and 10mm thick - you could pick that up at Home Depot (or equivilent store).

I glued it together and clamped it - very simple. For a bigger tank I would have probably reinforced it with corner joints - but for this size it's fine.

Henry22 · 09/06/2005, 03:58 PM

haha, did not realize you were from new zealand, sweet country btw. Anywas i think i might upgrade to metal halide and buy a retrofit kit and build a canopy but thats later on.

shouldabenacowboy · 09/06/2005, 10:05 PM

very very nice!!!!

Kigs · 09/06/2005, 11:10 PM

That looks soo good... I'm jealous

Mork · 09/06/2005, 11:43 PM

Thanks guys - it should look even better when there's something in it

I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Mork · 09/11/2005, 06:57 PM

I thought I'd add a couple of 'before' shots so I can track the progress of growth and how the tank matures.

Kigs · 09/11/2005, 07:50 PM

Looking great!

CPT. MURPHY · 09/12/2005, 12:05 AM

Very nice tank!

CPT.

yardboy · 10/04/2005, 08:28 PM

Your tank looks great Mork. How's it progressing? Got enough flow from the hob filter?

TCU Reefer · 10/04/2005, 08:40 PM

Sweet setup. Now get some corals in there!

talksalt · 10/04/2005, 08:47 PM

Lovin the liverock! Nice Hood & tank. I am now inspired to build my own base and hood similar to yours.
Good Job

-Dave

Mork · 10/04/2005, 09:15 PM

yardboy - The flow from the HOB seems to be pretty good, if I went any bigger I would have to put a small PH at the back of the rockwork to circulate the dead areas. I think I'll raise the HOB slightly to give a little boost to the flow.

TCU Reefer - Coral should hopefully be going in this w/e. Funnily enough - in my area of New Zealand (Wellington) there isn't really an abundance of LFS (i.e. none), and we pay a lot more for Coral. Saying that, New Zealanders seem to have a natural instinct to help people out - so you'll always have someone sorting you out with frags.

talksalt - Go for it. You have much greater satisfaction from building something from scratch. I'm always fiddling with something, I love it. This tank hood and base is suprisingly simple - I just glued it together (clamped) - and then used a stain and oil. The danish oil gives a beautiful finish.

dreamersdisease · 10/04/2005, 11:43 PM

kick a** job on the stand. let's see a pic of the back with the filter. did you put live rock in there. or are you just using the filter as it came?

Mork · 10/05/2005, 12:07 AM

Thanks - I'll take a pic of the back once I've finished the mods off, In the HOB I have Pho-Zorb, Live Rock, and half a sponge that I change every week.

stretch415 · 10/05/2005, 04:11 PM

Very nice. I wish I was that crafty with wood

Mork · 10/24/2005, 08:15 PM

Here's some updated shots, I will take some more this week as I have a few more additions.

The Mushrooms are looking great and the leather is already branching out - It'll have to be fragged down soon.

The Yellow Polps are spreading out nicely, They are starting to interweave with the rock which is looking very natural.

I've left these small guys to attach themselves to some small rocks so I can attach them in place in a few weeks.

09/06/2005, 03:11 PM	#1
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	NZ 2 Gallon Pico Reef Due to the fact that it might be a while until I buy a house and setup a new large tank, I decided to experiment on the other end of the scale and built a 2 gallon pico reef. I've done quite a lot of research online, and there's some quite impressive tanks in the 2 gallon range - some of which are quite established. Here's what I started with:

09/06/2005, 03:14 PM	#3
Henry22 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 712	looking good. Are you making the tank yourself and what do you plan in it. __________________ 15 Gallon Tall Reef w/ a lonely orange spotted watchman goby Current Tank Info: 15 gallon Tall Reef

09/06/2005, 03:21 PM	#7
Conceyted Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 1,248	wow that looks great so far. i love the stain you used. __________________ -Chris and Jaime Current Tank Info: 29g Biocube

09/06/2005, 03:21 PM	#8
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	plans Henry22 - My plans are pretty flexible at the moment. I think I'd like a shrimp of some description with a couple of hermits and snails. Coral wise I'd like the centre piece to be a torch coral, and then probably a collection of Mushroons, Rics, pulsing Xenia and Zoos surrounding.

09/06/2005, 03:26 PM	#9
Henry22 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 712	very nice you want to build a hood for me, where did you get the supplies for the hood and stand and how much did it cost and what equipment was needed. __________________ 15 Gallon Tall Reef w/ a lonely orange spotted watchman goby Current Tank Info: 15 gallon Tall Reef

09/06/2005, 03:13 PM	#2
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	The light's a Coralife 2 X 9 watt Actinic / 10,000k. This is going to be coupled with the Aquaclear mini HOB which will run Chem Zorb when needed, and will hopefully provide enough circulation for such a small tank. Here's the light that I pulled apart, reassembled, and tidied up the wiring.

09/06/2005, 03:15 PM	#4
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	These are the freshly sanded base and lid - ready for staining and oiling. The finished woodwork. I stained the wood with a dark wood oil-based stain, and then oiled it with 4 layers of Danish oil. The Danish oil has a great satin finish, especially when wire-wooled in-between coats - it's also quite a resilient finish that should stand up to the occasional soaking of saltwater.

09/06/2005, 03:16 PM	#5
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	The inside of the hood. It was quite tricky to fit all of this in and still have room for the HOB filter. I kept the ballests at the back, and connected the fan to a variable power AC adaptor so I can play around with the fan speed. There should be enough space to keep the high temps in check - these small lights are notorious for kicking out a lot of heat.

09/06/2005, 03:19 PM	#6
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	The first full tank shot. I managed to get some really nice LR pieces, and I'm quite happy with the aqua-scaping. The lights look great and give me around 9WPG as a rough guide of illumination. I'm still experimenting with the fan speed to keep the lights on and off temps pretty stable. I added three blue LED's for the moon lights - I'm pleased with the effect.

09/06/2005, 03:32 PM	#10
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	If I built you a hood - it would cost you a fortune after sending from New Zealand. The wood is cheap pine board - 1400mm and 10mm thick - you could pick that up at Home Depot (or equivilent store). I glued it together and clamped it - very simple. For a bigger tank I would have probably reinforced it with corner joints - but for this size it's fine. __________________ Chris Waind Graphic Art Prints http://www.etsy.com/shop/chriswaind

09/06/2005, 03:58 PM	#11
Henry22 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 712	haha, did not realize you were from new zealand, sweet country btw. Anywas i think i might upgrade to metal halide and buy a retrofit kit and build a canopy but thats later on. __________________ 15 Gallon Tall Reef w/ a lonely orange spotted watchman goby Current Tank Info: 15 gallon Tall Reef

09/06/2005, 10:05 PM	#12
shouldabenacowboy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Where am I today? Posts: 529	very very nice!!!! __________________ They're selling make believe, and I don't buy that anymore They're trying to put an end to guys like me - Gary Allan Cuz there aint nothing funny when a soldier cries - John Michael Montgomery

09/06/2005, 11:10 PM	#13
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,280	That looks soo good... I'm jealous

09/06/2005, 11:43 PM	#14
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	Thanks guys - it should look even better when there's something in it I'll keep you updated on the progress.

09/11/2005, 06:57 PM	#15
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	I thought I'd add a couple of 'before' shots so I can track the progress of growth and how the tank matures.

09/11/2005, 07:50 PM	#16
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,280	Looking great!

09/12/2005, 12:05 AM	#17
CPT. MURPHY Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,148	Very nice tank! CPT.

10/04/2005, 08:28 PM	#18
yardboy Advanced Bewilderment Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Panama City Florida Posts: 558	Your tank looks great Mork. How's it progressing? Got enough flow from the hob filter? __________________ Ya gotta be tough, if you're gonna be stupid! Current Tank Info: 200g shallow cube, prop tank

10/04/2005, 08:40 PM	#19
TCU Reefer Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 1,046	Sweet setup. Now get some corals in there! __________________ Steve - DFWMAS Member Click on the red house to view my build thread Current Tank Info: 215g starboard SPS in-wall, AC Jr, 3 x 250w MH's, 10k Reeflux, 320w VHO actinics, closed loop w/ Sequence Dart and OM 4-Way, Tunze wavebox, VorTech, 2x modded MJ 1200's, ASM G4 recirc/meshwheel, Geo 618 Ca reactor, custom Melev sump, Mag 9.5 return

10/04/2005, 08:47 PM	#20
talksalt Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Port Richey, Florida Posts: 44	Lovin the liverock! Nice Hood & tank. I am now inspired to build my own base and hood similar to yours. Good Job -Dave

10/04/2005, 09:15 PM	#21
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	yardboy - The flow from the HOB seems to be pretty good, if I went any bigger I would have to put a small PH at the back of the rockwork to circulate the dead areas. I think I'll raise the HOB slightly to give a little boost to the flow. TCU Reefer - Coral should hopefully be going in this w/e. Funnily enough - in my area of New Zealand (Wellington) there isn't really an abundance of LFS (i.e. none), and we pay a lot more for Coral. Saying that, New Zealanders seem to have a natural instinct to help people out - so you'll always have someone sorting you out with frags. talksalt - Go for it. You have much greater satisfaction from building something from scratch. I'm always fiddling with something, I love it. This tank hood and base is suprisingly simple - I just glued it together (clamped) - and then used a stain and oil. The danish oil gives a beautiful finish.

10/04/2005, 11:43 PM	#22
dreamersdisease Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: houston,tx Posts: 12	kick a** job on the stand. let's see a pic of the back with the filter. did you put live rock in there. or are you just using the filter as it came?

10/05/2005, 12:07 AM	#23
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	Thanks - I'll take a pic of the back once I've finished the mods off, In the HOB I have Pho-Zorb, Live Rock, and half a sponge that I change every week. __________________ Chris Waind Graphic Art Prints http://www.etsy.com/shop/chriswaind

10/05/2005, 04:11 PM	#24
stretch415 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 70	Very nice. I wish I was that crafty with wood

10/24/2005, 08:15 PM	#25
Mork Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	Here's some updated shots, I will take some more this week as I have a few more additions. The Mushrooms are looking great and the leather is already branching out - It'll have to be fragged down soon. The Yellow Polps are spreading out nicely, They are starting to interweave with the rock which is looking very natural. I've left these small guys to attach themselves to some small rocks so I can attach them in place in a few weeks.