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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 7:11:05 GMT -5
So I'm thinking about doing a tiny "cookie jar" reef. My concerns:
None of these micros have water movement
No filtration
How to maintain temp?
I'm thinking of a cheap beta set up and modify the led fixture, or a clear glass mason jar or cookie jar with a sealed top. And maybe a heat pad?
I know macro algae plays a huge role in maintaining these tiny tanks, so I want something really pretty, anyone got anything? I'm thinking red or something bright in color. And for coral I think I'm gonna stick to zoos and shrooms, easy corals that are fairly tough. I hear these micros done right don't need water changes for months at a time, tho I would do one tiny one once a month anyway.
Any thoughts on one of these?
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Post by jasonandsarah on Nov 21, 2013 7:29:32 GMT -5
I think there awesome. Ever since I saw that one on Brs reefers challenge. Now the heating mat is the first heater I thought of to but these are pretty small to. (See pic below) and also Stephen had dragon's breath last time I was there.very vibrant red with stems that are shaped like fire! Awesome looking stuff does the micro algae in a tiny reef like this supply oxygen? Clean (filter) the water to I'm sure? Now just a thought could you do a closed loop of sorts? Drill a hole in the lower half of the jar seal a hose into it and hook it to a Tom's aqua lifter to push water to the top(where you could also drill a hole for the hose)? Tom's only push a small amount of gph and you could get a ball valve and dial it down? Plus I think it would give you a option to filter or run carbon etc etc? And I'm sure with the right placement you could hide all of it so the cookie jar looks normal.
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Post by jasonandsarah on Nov 21, 2013 7:39:49 GMT -5
These are pretty small. They also have inline heaters and if you did the aqua lifter thing you could use one of those so there's no heater in the tank. Attachments:
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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 7:52:15 GMT -5
The sealed reef has nothing more then the light. I've read most people keep them at room temp. Most of us stress temps, but in my own experience, I'd rather have a to cold tank then hot. Most coral and livestock will survive temps as low as 60° but most everything will die much above 80°. Just found the damsel I thought had died in my ten gln tank that was holding some cold water crabs (from the ocean here). He's alive and well and that water was freezing!
I hope to visit Stephen this wknd so may pick up some that dragon's breath. It is pretty. I've got some red type growing on my aog's to so I'll just add those it.
One of the things I've noticed is most of these tanks have no sand beds, this makes me curious.
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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 7:54:36 GMT -5
And yes the macro is pretty much what keeps these little tanks stable. They double as nutrient export and provide oxygen
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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 8:39:54 GMT -5
Sent from my HTC ONE Attachments:
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Nov 21, 2013 9:57:32 GMT -5
I would think I'd be hard to keep the water parameters stable in such a small environment.
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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 10:32:56 GMT -5
That's what I would think, but from what I read the tighter the seal the better, and no fish/crabs/shrimps etc. Just low maint corals. I think if you get into lps that require feeding it would be much harder since the food and waste would create a bioload that can't be easily removed.
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Post by jess on Nov 21, 2013 12:09:32 GMT -5
www.reefs.org/forums/topic72558.htmlThis would be what I'd love to have, literally just pick it up and go, complete with canopy!! But I would have to get someone to build the canopy cause I totally can't. Basically sealing the tank as tight as possible keeps water from evaporating and throwing off the parameters. I think I like the idea of creating a false wall with a tiny power head and cheato and such back there, but that requires handiwork with drilling and such that I know, ha! Sent from my HTC ONE
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