I've been in a rut lately now that my tank mods are done looking for my next project. I have been hoping to put together a larger tank but my reefing budget is nearly exhausted and with Christmas coming my wife has her eye on all the discretionary money right now. I had a great time at Reef Fest yesterday and happened to win the Pico Tank in the raffle.
I have been looking at these and thinking I would like one for my office in CA so I was excited to win it. After getting it home and setting it back up I really like the little tank but It is so small that the Hang On filter, Internal Heater and Power Head take up to much real estate in the tank. I also don't like the cluttered look of everything hanging on and in the tank so I started thinking about how to make it better. The small size present some challenges but I think I have come up with some low cost options that will transform this from an ordinary PICO to an extraordinary display.
Here are my current plans.
1. Drill Drill Drill. In the BRS Group Buy last month i picked up some 1/2" bulkhead fittings and a diamond hole saw. So my plan is to drill this tank and install a coast to coast overflow and an external filter box that will sit behind the tank. This will allow me to get rid of the hang on filter and improve the filtration and flow.
2. ATO. Because I travel so frequently this is a must if the Pico is going to be a success. I haven't worked out just how I am going to do this yet because I want it to look clean and operate without any power. I am planning on using a mechanical float valve from BRS and a gravity feed reservoir as part of the filter box. This will be my biggest challenge.
3. Filtration. I plan to have chambers in he filter for mechanical and chemical filtration in the form of a filter sponge and carbon. Circulation will be provided by 2 small power heads. I have a spare JBJ wave maker I am planning on using to alter the direction of flow and plan to use the laminar circular flow that Jake talked about at Reef Fest yesterday.
4. Lighting. I am thinking about going with LED lighting for this tank. Something like the Taam Rio Mini Sun fixture or the Azoo Neo Light LED. I am hoping on a tank this small they will supply sufficient light to grow corals without adding heat and give a sleek look to the tank.
Let me know what you think of these ideas and any others you think might be appropriate.
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