Cookie jar dwarf horse build w/ closed loop refugium

revhtree · Dec 18, 2015

Looking forward to see what become of this!

David M. · Dec 18, 2015

Thanks! It's going to be a few weeks until I actually start building it. Leaving for 2 weeks on monday. But when I come back, it's on!

David M. · Dec 18, 2015

Hmm not sure why it won't let me edit my original post. Putting this here so I remember it later. Final choice for bulkhead and return pump.

3/8" Quick connect bulkhead: x2
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=60898&catid=915

1/2" -> 3/8" reducer:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=60923&catid=915

Hydro Pico 180:
Link above

David M. · Dec 19, 2015

Found a hydroid in my reef yesterday. Looks like I'll definitely be treating everything before it goes in.

David M. · Dec 28, 2015

Found some awesome rimless Pico tanks at a fish store in California. Trying to figure out how to get it back to gorgia safely on a plane is the next issue. If I go this route it will end up being about 5-8 gallons of display area, which I think will be better.

AaronGRL · Jan 3, 2016

dam where is this updates?!?!?!?!

Id love to do this too.

David M. · Jan 3, 2016

AaronGRL said:
dam where is this updates?!?!?!?!

Id love to do this too.

I'm still in California, sorry! I'm going to go pick up a Pico tank tomorrow and hope it survives the plane trip. Once I get home the build will be in full swing!

David M. · Jan 4, 2016

Ended up getting 3 Pico tanks. Couldn't hold out any longer! 3g 1.5g and 1/2g. Not sure exactly what I will do with them. But the 3g will probably be the horse tank. All 3 tanks are packed together. Hopefully they survive the plane trip.

Chrisfish · Jan 4, 2016

Looking forward to seeing what you do with these picos!!

David M. · Jan 4, 2016

Me too! The wife wants one to be a planted tank. She may be claiming the 3g but I don't know yet haha.

Chrisfish · Jan 4, 2016

KirbyM said:
Me too! The wife wants one to be a planted tank. She may be claiming the 3g but I don't know yet haha.

I started out with a 3 gallon dwarf puffer tank, fresh water, that changed to saltwater pico reef and now waiting for my 30 gallon jbj rl, lol. It's an addiction. And btw the puffers are now in a 10 gallon planted aquarium.

David M. · Jan 4, 2016

This doesn't look suspicious going through airport security... Right? Lol

revhtree · Jan 4, 2016

Oh yea!

Chrisfish · Jan 4, 2016

Haha, not at all

David M. · Jan 7, 2016

Might be getting a 19x19x7 frag tank today... I'm thinking it would make a pretty sweet shallow dwarf horse forest

Hopefully it works out. I'll update later. I'd also like to start constructing the rock work this weekend. But that depends on which tank I use.

David M. · Jan 7, 2016

This one. I'll know soon if I'm getting it.

David M. · Jan 7, 2016

I need some ideas on how to make hitching posts out of live rock. What can I do so their tiny tails will fit around it? I still want it to look natural.

David M. · Jan 7, 2016

Looks pretty good!

The main issue right now is location. I have (almost) 2 year old twins and things will definitely get thrown into the tank where it sits. Anyone with kids know how to solve that issue? I want it to be top down viewable. It has to stay in this room because the rest of the house gets pretty cold. Any ideas?

Also wondering if it's too big... 19x19x7

I'm going to home Depot tomorrow to get some drill bits and slap some holes in this sucker.

What size holes should I drill for a 1 inch bulkhead? This will be my first time drilling a tank.

Will a 1 inch bulkhead be good enough or should I go smaller?

vlangel · Jan 8, 2016

Actually I have been reading a thread on seahorse.org that has 6 dwarf seahorses in a 40 gallon. That goes against conventional wisdom because of feeding bbs in enough density. They combat that with having live mysis that are spawning in the tank and also they culture pods. She does move the fry to a smaller grow out tank though.

David M. · Jan 8, 2016

vlangel said:
Actually I have been reading a thread on seahorse.org that has 6 dwarf seahorses in a 40 gallon. That goes against conventional wisdom because of feeding bbs in enough density. They combat that with having live mysis that are spawning in the tank and also they culture pods. She does move the fry to a smaller grow out tank though.

Oh wow, so I shouldnt really have to worry about a 10 gallon then. I do plan on getting around 10-15 dwarfs to start off, since I will be using a 10g refugium as well I'll probably have tons of pods. Even if I have to turn off the return pump for feedings it should work... Do you have a link to that thread?