World's Smallest Marine Aquarium Build Thread

[ScubaSteve]

So, I kinda got bored tonight (actually, I'm procrastinating working on my PhD proposal...) and decided that not only could I build the world's smallest aquarium like this guy (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/02/what-is-in-all-likelihood-the-worlds-smallest-aquarium.html), I could one up him and build the world's smallest marine aquarium. I justify this in saying that I'm trying to get more practice on the the CNC mill, but really, I'm just doin' it because I can... and I'm curious...

So what the hell can you fit in the world's smallest marine tank? I'm thinking anything that you'd see in a shallow tide pool... like zoas! I figure I can try a small zoa frag in here on a little rock, a few 'pods and maybe even an itty bitty shrimp if I can find one. I'll give some water movement and aeration with an air pump and I'm going to try to make an LED "fixture" with 2 0.5W to 1W LEDS (1 White/1 Blue). I still have to figure out the heating bit.

This is a total crap shoot and I completely expect this to go to hell, but you never know unless you try, right?

So, here's me milling out my new pico-tank...
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Nergetic/010.jpg

And here is the finished tank hot off the mill. I still have to file off the tabs and flame-polish the tank to get that nice optically clear finish but I'll do that tomorrow. It has a whopping tank volume of 2.25 tsp!
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Nergetic/011.jpg

[lastlight]

Haha that is so cool. Milling is the shiznit.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

this is fun.
you could place a family of these guys and grow to be...":lol:http://www.aboutfishonline.com/images/pacific-tang.jpg
This going to be interesting.

[ScubaSteve]

this is fun.
you could place a family of these guys and grow to be...":lol:
http://www.aboutfishonline.com/images/pacific-tang.jpg
This going to be interesting.

Hahahaha. The Tang Police would sooooo be all up in my ass about that one :razz:

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Hahahaha. The Tang Police would sooooo be all up in my ass about that one :razz:

I will build you a fort with some of my rocks (http://caco3reef.com/caco3reef-base-rocks) to save that tank and the tang:lol: and you will be at the gate :2gunfire:

[apexifd]

Aptasia!!!!!!

[ScubaSteve]

Aptasia!!!!!!

I thought about that too. Wouldn't even need a light! Any other little nems I could put in there that, you know, don't look like death like an aptasia does?

[shootingstar]

aww that's too cute.
How about a pom pom crab?
In this set up you might increase the chances of sightings after putting him in.
Perhaps marginally.

[MarkoD]

i think you should plumb a 30-40 gallon sump. it only makes sense if you're gonna be keeping a tang :lol:

[VFX]

Very cool.

A Sexy Shrimp Boudoir!

.

[phi delt reefer]

well if it doesnt work out you will have a really nice candle holder or shot glass:D

[KevinK]

what skimmer are you planing to put on this thing, as you are familiar with the tools, would be neat to se a custom micro skimmer build to go with it

[Bblinks]

I like it... sure is gonna be cheap on supplies.:mrgreen:

[ScubaSteve]

i think you should plumb a 30-40 gallon sump. it only makes sense if you're gonna be keeping a tang :lol:

Don't laugh but I have actually considered it.

Very cool.

A Sexy Shrimp Boudoir!

.

I think that might actually be the plan.

what skimmer are you planing to put on this thing, as you are familiar with the tools, would be neat to se a custom micro skimmer build to go with it

You should have seen the first version I drew up. It was like a mini biocube with an over flow to a mini rear sump. I was going to make a column that the air stone would go into to lift the water back into the tank and act like a tiny skimmer... then I realized that would be waaaaaay to much work:razz:

[ScubaSteve]

Ok, so today's lesson is: flame-polishing is NOT the method of choice for getting an optically clear finish on a 0.075" thick microtank. What a pain in the freakin' ass that was. Never the less, I was successful (or about as successful as I cared to be).

So here's the tank after it's first test fill (you know, I don't want any major water disasters all over the floor when this bad boy gets up and running) with it's big brother in the background for perspective.

(I should have wiped the finger prints off for this pics...)
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Nergetic/012.jpg

And here's another pic... for fun!
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Nergetic/020-1.jpg

[ScubaSteve]

Water changes are gonna be so easy!

[MarkoD]

top up every 15 min to keep the salinity constant ?

[Lance]

Water changes are gonna be so easy!


You can even afford to go with the really good salt.

[CandyCane]

TO COOL :biggrin: little tiny piece of live rock going to go in it?

[ScubaSteve]

TO COOL :biggrin: little tiny piece of live rock going to go in it?

Ya, that's the plan... problem is I can't find a piece of rubble in my tank that's small enough to fit!

Anyone have any ideas on what I could use as a heater?

[MarkoD]

Ya, that's the plan... problem is I can't find a piece of rubble in my tank that's small enough to fit!

Anyone have any ideas on what I could use as a heater?

a light? or something underneath?

[paddyob]

I thought about that too. Wouldn't even need a light! Any other little nems I could put in there that, you know, don't look like death like an aptasia does?

Majano is nicer ha ha ha ha ha!

[paddyob]

Thinking of shrimp.... as inverts can be sensitive... does anyone think that a tiny tank might not work for him?


Try find someone with clown fish fry or something extra small.

[reefwars]

Ya, that's the plan... problem is I can't find a piece of rubble in my tank that's small enough to fit!

Anyone have any ideas on what I could use as a heater?

what if you made a little mini stand then used a regular light bulb under neathe to keep it warm???


***** edit...damn marjko beat me to it lol******

[ScubaSteve]

Majano is nicer ha ha ha ha ha!

I've got a couple of those I could donate to the cause:twised:. Problem is, I wouldn't care what happened to the tank "Honey, why is your tiny tank in the freezer?"

Thinking of shrimp.... as inverts can be sensitive... does anyone think that a tiny tank might not work for him?

Try find someone with clown fish fry or something extra small.

I'm gonna try a shallow water/tidepool zoa first, something that can stand being in warm, relatively stagnant water. That'll be challenge enough. A fry of some sort would be interesting.

what if you made a little mini stand then used a regular light bulb under neathe to keep it warm???

Like EasyBake Aquarium! I thought about that as well. Only thing that makes me hesitate about that is that I'd have to keep the bulb on 24/7 (fire hazard?) and in a tank with very little water flow the water in the sand would probably get really hot and kill off anything in the sand and create an ammonia spike.

Some things I've thought about:

-Use the real tank as a sump
-Make a mini water pump with a miniature sump where I could have a heater of some sort
-Use a small resistor as a heating element (may be best option? Would have to figure out the math to see what size would be best)

***** edit...damn marjko beat me to it lol******

[CandyCane]

maybe some kind of very small heat coils that could heat the tank from underneith or in the tiny sump