InnerSparks Mason Jar

[innerspark]

Hey guys. Was walking around a hobby store with the girlfriend today and found a 1 gallon Masson Jar. Decided it would make a sweet little pico for my desk. Here's a few photos of it. I've already started cycling it from new salt water and rock from my refuge. Still have some research to do on the lighting but I plan on building some LED's into the aluminum top.

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[SchnitzelReef]

What do u plan on putting in there??

1g is pretty small for a sw tank

 

[innerspark]

Zoas, pulsating Xenia's, and maybe single acro once it's been running for some time. I'm not sure if it will ever have a fish.

Edit: all of these will be fragged from my main tank.


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[innerspark]

For all you guys out there that have done a pico whats your opinion on "TOM Aquarium Mini Internal Filter 45gph adjustable flow"?

 

[innerspark]

So I started researching my lighting a but more today. After talking via chat to Mike at RapidLED I'm going to be going with 3 Cree LED (RB,CW,RB) with a Dimmable controller. I'm going to build it into the lid of the jar. As far as a pump goes I'll be picking up a Hydro Pico 200 (not the exact name) that pushes 70 gph. Since picking up the jar I have had 2 small pieces of live rock (taken from my Refug) and water being pushed around by a pump that's a bit to much power but at least it's cycling with half mixed salt water and half tank water. Man I can't wait to start putting a few polyps of my Zoa's in there and watch it grow.


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[reefes pieces]

Nice! Good luck with the mason jar! Would be cool to look at the LED LID when its done. BTW what about gas exchange with the lid on? Is it going to completely cover the mouth of the jar? Worse case you can always drink sweet tea out of it!

 

[innerspark]

Nice! Good luck with the mason jar! Would be cool to look at the LED LID when its done. BTW what about gas exchange with the lid on? Is it going to completely cover the mouth of the jar? Worse case you can always drink sweet tea out of it!

The one thing I actually like about this lid is that it is not air tight. It just has a lil rubber peace to hold it on. I'm also trying to figure out how to make a mount of sorts to allow some air flow between the top of the jar and the lid.


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[innerspark]

Looks like the link to my photo at the top got broken so here it is.

Working on some ideas tonight of how to configure the lights. I am thinking a star pattern for the 3 lights, plexy glass between the LED's and water for protection and drilling 3 wholes in the top for the heatsinks to come out of. Then I will have the wires run out a small hole on the side of the top. Now for gas exchange I am thinking about building a little false stand that will house a fan blowing across the top of the water when the LED's are on and also hold the light fixture in place. I will try and sketch something up in the next few days but I am going to need to look keeping it cool some how as I came home today with the water nice and warm.

 

[innerspark]

Just got my lights in from Rapid LED yesterday and started to build them.

Now I just need to figure out how to get these heat sinks to stick out the top and stay in place.


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[Leo G]

Sweet built

 

[innerspark]

Thanks! Does anyone have any great ideas on how to fuse the heat sinks to the aluminum lid?


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[robert_ellis]

Solder them so maybe cool air across the lid will draw heat from the sinks.

 

[innerspark]

Solder them so maybe cool air across the lid will draw heat from the sinks.

That's why I was planning on drilling holes for them to go in and have half the sink sticking out the top. But will solder hold them in place?


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[reefes pieces]

Before you solder anything maybe do a test run with the leds on and over the jar without the lid. Something tells me that those LEDs are going to seriously throw some heat in the jar and cook the contents. May even have to consider drilling holes in the lid and put the leds on top of the lid. But I'd jimmy rig them and play with the height over the jar and take temp readings before fusing them on to the lid

 

[robert_ellis]

Solder should. I mean it holds the copper pipe in your house together. Could also braze it but I think you would kent the lid with the torch for
Brazing.

 

[innerspark]

Before you solder anything maybe do a test run with the leds on and over the jar without the lid. Something tells me that those LEDs are going to seriously throw some heat in the jar and cook the contents. May even have to consider drilling holes in the lid and put the leds on top of the lid. But I'd jimmy rig them and play with the height over the jar and take temp readings before fusing them on to the lid

I've been thinking the same thing about heat and I have been doing a ton of reading about how to cool a super small tank like this. In the winter time I think it will be fine but on those super hot summer days I'll need a fan over the top for sure.


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[kylelaflamme]

awesome build and ideal

 

[innerspark]

Picked up a pump finally and now I have the water cycling. It's going to need a water change this weekend as there was some bristle warms that got chopped up by the pump.

 

[innerspark]

Well I could not sleep this am so I decided to be productive. I got my lights all soldered up and have to order a new white LED. Anyways here is a preview with just the blues.

Full power on the 2 Royal Blue LED's

 

[reefes pieces]

actually looks pretty cool with the lights up. Almost has that lava lamp effect. Nice!