New Tank: 1 Gallon all in one reef aquarium
I have decided that it’s time for new tank. Over the last few months, I have been spending a lot of time of the Nano-Reef.com forums, specifically the pico reef section, which deals with mostly sub 5 gallon reef systems. Now, you might think that the smaller the tank, the easier it is to keep, right? Wrong! This is a very common misconception. Just like our large aquariums, these tiny reefs need to keep temperatures and chemical parameters very stable to thrive and grow. Because these sub 5 gallon systems are so small, it is very hard to stay on top of everything and even the slightest deviations from normal conditions can cause a fatal crash.
The aquarium I have chosen to for my 1 gallon reef is the Tom Aquatics Mini Deco aquarium, which comes with a small filter, small pump, and an inefficient for coral light. most of this will be tossed out as I am planning to make this an all in one tank, which means no hang on the back filters or external sumps. I plan to do this with sheets of acrylic from home depot, some aquarium safe silicone, and a little DIY guess and check. I have always been the type of person to buy a fully done item, but the bug has bit and I want to try some custom stuff.
Here, I will record all of my trials and tribulations concerning this tiny tank.
Pics of what I’ll be working with.
It looks a little dirty, but nothing a little vinegar and some buffing wont fix. Stay tuned!
The Build
Day 1 – Cutting acrylic and silicone baffles
Day 2 – Re-doing silicone and preping for painting
Day 3 – Reviewing the paint job and ordering new equipment
How To: Do it yourself automatic top off system
Day 4 – Aquascaping and coral additions
Tagged 1 gallon AIO Pico Reef, 1 gallon all in one, 1 gallon all in one pico reef aquarium, 1 gallon DIY AIO, tom aquatics mini deco 1 gallon
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3 Comments
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jeffry r. johnstonFebruary 19, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Awesome! Best of luck. Look forward to hearing more. A few employees had these tanks on their desks before we changed buildings. Good things come in small packages!
adminFebruary 20, 2010 at 5:29 pmAuthor
Yea they are pretty nice little tanks with a lot of potential. Although it is pretty hard to work in such a small space. Hopefully I can get an update in on the little tank soon, I have made some good progress so far.
CathleenOctober 10, 2010 at 11:25 am
Those little tanks can be quite rewarding but it can be a chore keeping up with the ongoing “balancing act”. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.