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Before I am blasted for this project, I am already aware of the low volume making me subject to fast swings. I also want to be clear that no "fish" will be living in this tank. It is a temporary home for RCS, a mini hull tank between my 5G RCS breeder and 5G "live-out" tank where my hulls eventually end up. My 5G breeder is in my bedroom, and I keep this pico hull tank next to it on my desk. My 5G live-out tank is downstairs in my grandmother's apartment, so I hull out shrimp at night and move them downstairs within the following days typically no longer than a week.
I started with a 0.5 gallon Marina tank, it has a deep center section that I was able to put dirt in keeping only gravel in the shallow outer ring. I also found this quite quiet AquaCulture pump, which is quieter than the Whisper 3i pump.
I needed to build a sponge filter for this tank if I wanted it to be functional at all, so I went to the travel/trial section and found 2oz and 3oz bottles. I already use the 3oz bottles to store liquid ferts in...here is a purple 3oz bottle inside the tank and I feel it is too large.
The 2oz spray bottle is perfect, compared to my 3oz bottle on the right.
I had a Whisper 3i laying around, so I removed the bottom air lift tube which has a nicer design than just an airstone in a tube (diy version). I cut the spray bottle down, made a hole for the air tube then drilled out the spray head base to snugly fit the lift tube. I made a sponge to fit with enough sticking out of the bottom for shrimp to graze on, but I will experiment with different sponges.
I tested this cap I made in a bowl of water to see if it directed the water to one side and it did not work it just made it louder, I have another idea I think will work better to allow the air to escape above the water but the water to leave out of one side. For the time being I cut the lift tube flush with the sprayer base and am using it capless while I fetch more caps to experiment with.
In the meantime I scaped the tank with a few rocks and some planted tank substrate that was given to me a while back...it is rocky black substrate with shiny tiny grains of a black glass material mixed in. As I said I put a small amount of organic dirt in the center probably no more than 1/2" or so. I left it this way for a week under high lighting so that the moss would grow faster having greater access to oxygen, I top it off using a turkey baster with water from my 5G breeder tank. I have some updates coming soon of the tank filled!
I started with a 0.5 gallon Marina tank, it has a deep center section that I was able to put dirt in keeping only gravel in the shallow outer ring. I also found this quite quiet AquaCulture pump, which is quieter than the Whisper 3i pump.


I needed to build a sponge filter for this tank if I wanted it to be functional at all, so I went to the travel/trial section and found 2oz and 3oz bottles. I already use the 3oz bottles to store liquid ferts in...here is a purple 3oz bottle inside the tank and I feel it is too large.

The 2oz spray bottle is perfect, compared to my 3oz bottle on the right.

I had a Whisper 3i laying around, so I removed the bottom air lift tube which has a nicer design than just an airstone in a tube (diy version). I cut the spray bottle down, made a hole for the air tube then drilled out the spray head base to snugly fit the lift tube. I made a sponge to fit with enough sticking out of the bottom for shrimp to graze on, but I will experiment with different sponges.


I tested this cap I made in a bowl of water to see if it directed the water to one side and it did not work it just made it louder, I have another idea I think will work better to allow the air to escape above the water but the water to leave out of one side. For the time being I cut the lift tube flush with the sprayer base and am using it capless while I fetch more caps to experiment with.


In the meantime I scaped the tank with a few rocks and some planted tank substrate that was given to me a while back...it is rocky black substrate with shiny tiny grains of a black glass material mixed in. As I said I put a small amount of organic dirt in the center probably no more than 1/2" or so. I left it this way for a week under high lighting so that the moss would grow faster having greater access to oxygen, I top it off using a turkey baster with water from my 5G breeder tank. I have some updates coming soon of the tank filled!



