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  #1  
Old 12/06/2007, 03:48 PM
Sandeep Sandeep is offline
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Location: Canada
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My 5.5g pico with built in refugium

Here is my 5.5 gallon standard tank that I modified to have a built-in refugium. I wanted a clean and uncluttered look in the main tank without intake valves, powerheads, heaters and wires all over the tank. A couple of pieces of plexiglass to create the partitions of the fuge and a piece painted black taped to the front of the tank to cover the refugium.



I placed a coral island in the middle of the tank for a zen like uncluttered look with plenty of clearance on all sides allowing me to keep the glass clean from all sides and get to any detritus material easily.



It was pretty easy to make the surface skimmer intake using a hot knife placed on a oven element for a few minutes. It easily melted the slots in the plexiglass. I drilled a hole on the other side for the maxi-jet 400 out which provides the perfect amount of circulation and current in the tank. The fit is snug and the maxi-jet can easily be removed for cleaning and slid back into the hole in the plexiglass. You also see a nice ultra tiny Finnex Titanium heater in the powerhead compartment. Love the Finnex, especially the temperature control unit which is outside the tank.



The divider between the two compartments does not extend all the way down allowing water to flow from one compartment to the other. Here is a diagram I came up with which should make pretty clear how this works and how to build it with the 2 pieces of plexiglass required.



The top of the tank is covered with a piece of glass to significantly cut down on evaporation and placed on top of that is a Current USA 12" Dual Satellite hood which has two 18W Power Compacts. Here is what my desk looks like with my 5.5g pico on the left (with front black plexiglass cover removed) and my 20g nano on the right.

  #2  
Old 12/06/2007, 04:14 PM
Agu Agu is offline
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Nice work
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  #3  
Old 12/06/2007, 06:39 PM
3fins 3fins is offline
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WOW! That is WICKED SWEET!!
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  #4  
Old 12/06/2007, 08:39 PM
Agu Agu is offline
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I tried to restrain myself but I have to comment. How do you dare put those tanks on that table ?

If it was just water you'd have over 200 pounds on there so obviously there's more weight than that on that table, and it's not evenly distributed.
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  #5  
Old 12/06/2007, 08:59 PM
buttons buster buttons buster is offline
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ya it looks a little flismy
  #6  
Old 12/06/2007, 09:46 PM
Michael L. Michael L. is offline
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Location: Nanaimo B.C. Canada
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I'm working on the exact same thing with a 10 gallon, except I painted the side black instead of plexiglassing it, and my tank will be designed to be viewed from the side instead of the front so it's more symetrical.
  #7  
Old 12/07/2007, 12:54 AM
thrillreefer thrillreefer is offline
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Beautiful work, very sleek and clean. Striking contrasts and colors.

Come on guys, give him a little credit here. It looks like the table actually has wrought iron legs (if you look below it on the left side I think you can see some thin metal cross pieces (though it could be wires)).
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  #8  
Old 12/07/2007, 09:44 AM
Sandeep Sandeep is offline
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Yeah the table looks flimsy but it's actually not. It's got 5 steel legs which help distribute the load effectively. (I was a structural engineer - design of building & bridges, in my previous career, so no worries).
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5.5 gallon pico reef
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265768

20 gallon nano reef
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265753
  #9  
Old 12/07/2007, 07:02 PM
Capt_Cully Capt_Cully is offline
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How do you get anything done on your computer??? I'd just stare at those tanks. Nice Job!
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  #10  
Old 12/08/2007, 02:22 AM
thrillreefer thrillreefer is offline
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No kidding. No wonder he's only got 8 posts so far...
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  #11  
Old 12/08/2007, 08:06 AM
warr40 warr40 is offline
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WOW what a great looking tank...i wish my 10g looked like that
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  #12  
Old 12/14/2007, 02:02 PM
Husky_1 Husky_1 is offline
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Nice setup
  #13  
Old 12/14/2007, 04:03 PM
AVALover5498 AVALover5498 is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sioux City, IA
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Wow, I really like that 5.5, Very nice!

-Chris-
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  #14  
Old 01/07/2008, 12:53 PM
Sandeep Sandeep is offline
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The crabs in my 5.5 gallon pico-reef tank including an emerald crab, two porcelain crabs and a hermit crab. Here are some photographs of them.







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5.5 gallon pico reef
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265768

20 gallon nano reef
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1265753
  #15  
Old 01/07/2008, 02:07 PM
mokujin22 mokujin22 is offline
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Very well done! I love the simplicity of the design.

It's a nice inspiration.
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26 gallon bowfront sps: 10 gal sump/fuge w/ MAG 5 return on SQWD, SEIO 820, 2 MJ900s and MJ600 on wavetimer, CPR HOB skimmer, Aquamedic 250W 15K MH, URI 18" VHO x2
  #16  
Old 01/07/2008, 02:29 PM
thin crust thin crust is offline
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ooh la la, me likey!
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  #17  
Old 01/08/2008, 11:57 AM
mathias999us mathias999us is offline
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Wow, I'm SO going to duplicate that. Nice job.
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