Burningbaal Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 This will be my tank thread for the cold-water "Femto" tank that is my entry in the under-gallon contest gearing up. I bought a 1/2gallon vase at goodwill that will be the display, and will use an aqualifter to pump water through a dorm minifridge. Fridge will have a bucket of tap water to help conduct heat through the tubing and hold the fridge temp more stable. 50ft of 0.15 ID tubing will be coiled in the bucket to allow plenty of time in the fridge. Water should be in the fridge for about 4minutes and the whole 'system' will be turned over every 15 minutes or so Planning to buy a 2-diode moonlight kit from rapidled, but one diode as cool white instead (anyone have a moonlight kit or coole white bulb to sell used?), about 6w of led for 1/2g tank...should be plenty, esp for a temperate tank. Planning a shrimp and nemes unless I can find a vertical rate or star that stays small enough Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 A quick pic of the vase for good measure [ATTACH]12820[/ATTACH] Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drunkreefer Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 WELCOME TO THE DARKSIDE!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaticEngineer Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 This will be my tank thread for the cold-water "Femto" tank that is my entry in the under-gallon contest gearing up. I bought a 1/2gallon vase at goodwill that will be the display, and will use an aqualifter to pump water through a dorm minifridge. Fridge will have a bucket of tap water to help conduct heat through the tubing and hold the fridge temp more stable. 50ft of 0.15 ID tubing will be coiled in the bucket to allow plenty of time in the fridge. Water should be in the fridge for about 4minutes and the whole 'system' will be turned over every 15 minutes or so Planning to buy a 2-diode moonlight kit from rapidled, but one diode as cool white instead (anyone have a moonlight kit or coole white bulb to sell used?), about 6w of led for 1/2g tank...should be plenty, esp for a temperate tank. Planning a shrimp and nemes unless I can find a vertical rate or star that stays small enough Sent using Forum Runner Is your house temperature controlled? My first ever attempt at a coldwater tank back in highschool I made a mini fridge chiller and it worked out Ok, but it was in my parents house that they kep at 68F year round. Does your fridge have a freezer compartment built into it? If it does, I would use heavily salted water, a propylene glycol mixture, or a glycerol mixture in the internal bucket to lower the freeze point. I froze a couple buckets of water in mine before I finally ended up using a mini freezer and a bucket of non-toxic antifreeze. Just keep in mind that these style chillers are the least efficient way to chill a tank, but definitely the most cost effective for short term. Fridge compressors just aren't designed to be chill things constantly, so if the water in the tank has a larger thermal gain than what the fridge can handle chilling than your fridge compressor will run almost constantly. The good thing is you can get a mini-fridge just about any day of the week for under $20 or free on craigslist As for livestock...............we got lots of small Sitka Shrimp and small anemones. We can get small starfish for you as well, just let us know when you want them The starfish we would get for a small tank like yours would likely be these: Leptasterias aequalis, Common Names: Colorful six-rayed star, six-rayed Star, broad six-rayed star, delicate six-armed star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaticEngineer Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Also, tigriopus californicus make a great micro/pico tank feeder. I have a bunch you can have as well as live phyto to feed to you tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 I like it! I'll probably be up for rock, sand and water on the 23rd, possibly this Saturday and mid to late July for livestock I like that star, very cool! I was thinking about vegetable oil for coolant since it conducts heat better, maybe antifreeze would be good though. I'm hoping it will hold temp, but if I keep this up longer Han the comp, I may do a 'real' chiller for it instead. Thanks for all the help! Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 K, my better half is really opposed to the minifridge being in the house and I think a 'real' chiller is out of the price range...it's about 99% sure I'll be closing this thread and starting one for a tropical 'femto' Probably a teeny goby, sexy shrimp and a little rock with zoas? May add a dwarf hermit or two and trocgus snail or two... Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 K, my better half is really opposed to the minifridge being in the house and I think a 'real' chiller is out of the price range...it's about 99% sure I'll be closing this thread and starting one for a tropical 'femto' Probably a teeny goby, sexy shrimp and a little rock with zoas? May add a dwarf hermit or two and trocgus snail or two... Sent using Forum Runner Couldn't you build a nice cabnet around the fidge? It would look like a table so it wouldn't be an eye sore. I don't think you would have to take that out of your budget (my vote atleast) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Maybe, but I'm not sure I'm for all that project with the yard work and kitchen remodel on my list. Not to mention venting would be an issue (gotta get the fridge coils fresh air or it doesn't work well). Unless she changes her mind in the next day or two, I think it'll have to happen Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Omg, you guys have officially jumped off the deep end... Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Omg, you guys have officially jumped off the deep end... Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2 Why thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaticEngineer Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 For the tank size you are planning on doing, have you asked around to see if anyone has a used Iceprobe chiller they may part with for cheap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hadn't looked at ice probes, looks like they need a hole for the bulkhead tho, not sure how to swing that in a vase... Sent using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drunkreefer Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Stew has a small little under two gallon tank that you could drill? All ask him about it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaticEngineer Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Yeah I have a couple small acrylic cubes that are gathering dust if you want em to play with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaticEngineer Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 So this may be your solution for a tiny tank chiller without having to drill at all. http://salem.craigslist.org/hsh/3035517874.html You would just have to keep a contained bottle with one in and one out sitting in the chiller. You could use a small pump like an aqualifter to move water and the container in the wine chiller should hold a constant temp of chilled water that feeds back into your main tank. They even have a 2 bottle version: http://eugene.craigslist.org/app/3071247708.html And those are both cheap options at $10 and $25 dollars, and are much smaller and quieter than the mini fridge, and are designed to run all the time since they are TEC cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 now that, Stew is a distinct possibility. I checked with my better half and sent an email to one in salem...here's hoping! a thought I had: I'm concerned that if I set the chiller to 55 degrees, it won't actually cool the tank to that temp, so I'd have to set it lower...but then what happens when the room gets hot? so I'm toying with using radioTrash parts to build a little doohicky that uses the cheaper temperature controllers ($30ish) that is meant to kick on a heater, but to flip it so it would kick on a chiller instead...whatdyathink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 now that, Stew is a distinct possibility. I checked with my better half and sent an email to one in salem...here's hoping! a thought I had: I'm concerned that if I set the chiller to 55 degrees, it won't actually cool the tank to that temp, so I'd have to set it lower...but then what happens when the room gets hot? so I'm toying with using radioTrash parts to build a little doohicky that uses the cheaper temperature controllers ($30ish) that is meant to kick on a heater, but to flip it so it would kick on a chiller instead...whatdyathink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 That is an exceptionally cool idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 That is an exceptionally cool idea. maynot work anyways...none of the 'cheap' heater controllers go that low...the JBJ goes down to 32f, but the others stop at 60-70. I might be able to make 60 work, CWMA says 55-60, so maybe if it's set to 60, I'll be ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 This is what they usually use with the Iceprobe chillers, it's pretty expensive for out budget though: $56.00 http://www.amazon.com/Nova-Proportional-Temperature-Controller/dp/B001EU5S34/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339521163&sr=8-4&keywords=iceprobe+chiller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 a bit spendy and the minimum set temp on that is 65...I found one that's set to 60...I may just run the wine chiller w/o any backup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramy Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Simple build your tank in a wine bottle =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Don't tempt me, Jeramy... Simple build your tank in a wine bottle =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Simple build your tank in a wine bottle =) That actually would be pretty cool (daz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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