2g pico cylinder tank. help would be appreciated

[portabuddy]

I have a small cylender, OK well HUGE in terms of a acrylic cylender.

Its actully lexan, used in a HD HWY truck aplication for a high pressure grease pumper and is subjected to about 100PSI. its 13" tall and 7" ID, i was planning on making a presurozed hydrogen generator for my car, but its not like my car is ment to be fuel efficent anyway.

I dont remember what i originaly got it for but i have it now. and here is what i plan to do with it...


I have been entranced by the pico tanks of the internetz , i want to do my part and make something too... but i need some help. pico isnt my thing, perhaps you guys can recommend some things. like lighting and filtration.

I would like to have some coral, reef formost and livestock second. but i would like to have a few clams, a cleaner shrimp or two and a seahorse. as i think thats all a tank like this can handle. basicly i want it as a alarm clock for my bed side since i wake up at ^30 in the morning i cant think of anything nicer to wake up to.


as a filter i was thinking of a sized down skimmer made out of one of the graval vaccumes that are 2-3" in di. cut down with the collection basket hidden in the hood. the skimmer draining into a rounded round refugen(sp?) that is 1/4 the size of the tank(5-6"ID and 7-8"OD), like a pi slice about 3in thick draining into the main tank. Giving the refug tank a total of 1.2 gallons. or about half of the main tank.

What to put in such a small refug. i would need help in.

If anyone has any sugestions to lights that can fit into a hood that is about 6-8" in di and about 2-3" tall, that would be nice, i was thinking CF tubes, like for desk lamps or those magnifying lamp dealies that you use while soldering or that jewlers might use. I can hide any ballasts or exciters in the base that i will build that will also house the water and air pump(s).

here is a pic of the Cyl. in question, just needs to be polished up a bit as there are a few scratches...

 

[Stingingrays]

I would think it is too small for a seahorse.

 

[BIGgourami]

It is indeed too small for pretty much any fish

I'd also rethink the cleaner shrimp idea, and instead do either sexy or zebra shrimp

The tube is very tall an not at all wide, a horrid shape for any type of livestock. I don't know how you're going to overcome hypoxia in such a tank

If you could find some type of cone shaped rock I suppose you could keep some mushrooms or zoos. things like xenia, snake or button polyps would probably overgrow the tank

 

[portabuddy]

I would think it is too small for a seahorse.

this is my insparation and casper was alive and well for a good long time.
http://www.melevsreef.com/pico.html

only 2 gallons large, Im planing on making a base for it aswell to have a good 2-3" of arg. live sand sand at the bottom aswell so it would have a total of gallons of water. You do realaze that soe horses like to live alone and there are really small ones.???

It is indeed too small for pretty much any fish

Although this might be true, there is a large pico comminity that tends to disagree. the other alternitive is a pea puffer that would get lost in a tank this size.

I'd also rethink the cleaner shrimp idea, and instead do either sexy or zebra shrimp

you might have a point here, i think a Zebra would be better.

The tube is very tall an not at all wide, a horrid shape for any type of livestock. I don't know how you're going to overcome hypoxia in such a tank

I plan on useing a powerhead to transfer water from the refugen to the tank and this should preovide enough water movement to break surface tension and oxegenate the water. i dont know but wouldnt the use of a Skimmer also oxegenate the waater?

I can add a reacter on the other sside to introduce O2 into the water, Like a calc reactor.

If you could find some type of cone shaped rock I suppose you could keep some mushrooms or zoos. things like xenia, snake or button polyps would probably overgrow the tank

I was thinking of making my own useing crushed coral and concreet Fourming a few stagered shelves, then curing it for a month or so. Finaly attatching a few pieces of coral.



What elso can be a problem you guys think?, so far this is alot to think about.

I siliconed the plastic cylender to a piece of glass that i had. just to see what it looks like filled. It might look like crap? i dont know. I think the silicone is cured enough for a test fill...


Anyone want a few filled pics?

 

[FuzzyPinkSeahorse]

I would not do a seahorse. Not even a dwarf seahorse. And about the link, I don't think this person knows too much about seahorses. He has multiple stinging corals in a tank with a seahorse that could reach 8"-10" long. Not a wise choice.

Personally, I would go for some shrimp or maybe an ornamental crab of some sort. Finding liverock, or any rock for that matter, for such a small tank is going to be very difficult.

 

[portabuddy]

hmmm... good point. thanks.

 

[portabuddy]

so i did a test fill with water and it looks good...

Is there something that i can stock it with that is really lazy? or doesnt move much like a coulourfull clam, shrimp, crab that sort of thing?

here are some pics one of my cmallest rocks from my 60G wouldnt fit...


so i improvised with a badtaistbear...

 

[micstarz]

No seahorse. That guy's tank was the same size in gallons but had a different footprint.

Just throw in some macroalgaes amd a hermit crab...

 

[BIGgourami]

Although this might be true, there is a large pico comminity that tends to disagree.

didn't say it was imposible.. i have a green striped goby in my 2 gallon

the other alternitive is a pea puffer that would get lost in a tank this size.

HA!.. i had a pair in a 25, believe me they didn't get lost, but that's beside the point



I plan on useing a powerhead to transfer water from the refugen to the tank and this should preovide enough water movement to break surface tension and oxegenate the water. i dont know but wouldnt the use of a Skimmer also oxegenate the waater?

I can add a reacter on the other sside to introduce O2 into the water, Like a calc reactor.

forgot you were running a skimmer, nvm on the O2 thing



I was thinking of making my own useing crushed coral and concreet Fourming a few stagered shelves, then curing it for a month or so. Finaly attatching a few pieces of coral.

sound like a pound


What elso can be a problem you guys think?, so far this is alot to think about.

I siliconed the plastic cylender to a piece of glass that i had. just to see what it looks like filled. It might look like crap? i dont know. I think the silicone is cured enough for a test fill...


Anyone want a few filled pics?

sure

 

[BIGgourami]

what is that particular bad taste bear doing? i can't see