IKEA 1.7L Pico Build (Custom PCB /3D Printing)

[Polymate3D]

Hello and thanks for checking my next Pico build!

The intial posts like before will cover the design side, and then it will progress into the running of the tank.

The focus is to improve Pico reef aquariums by making them easier and more cost effective.

At the heart of the build is this custom made board. It deals with the heating, pump and lighting. Future designs add cooling but that will be the focus of the next one once we have established this works even better than in the 0.7L Test.

It sits in the base with the 1.7L IKEA jar placed on top where it fits snuggly. The heatsink is capable of generating up to 4W of heating which will be enough for this size aquarium. Later builds will focus on pushing this up to 7/8W for a 1 gallon or larger build.

The board powers everything using a standard 5V, 2.1A USB charging plug that smartphones and tablets have now used for years. Cheap and cheerful!

There are 2 switches. 1 either side. The left one enables a Pump override which delivers 100% power, which is very aggressive but would help stir up detritus before a water change. This is exactly why it is switch operated.
The right one turns the LED light ON or OFF. This covers 2 LED's, although this build is looking to originally run a single LED.

The LED in question is a 20,000K cold white LED with a peak at 450nm. I will be using my Seneye Reef to capture data before corals go into the aquarium.

The failure point of the original 0.7L build was my little one pulling the thermistor out which was taped to the back of the aquarium. The new one replaces the thin wired, resin bead thermistor with a thick wire, glass bead design which is also housed in its on housing. The wires cannot be pulled out.

This will then make direct contact with the aquarium on the back with thermal tape.

I still need to fit the pump and the LED into the lid, but here is an idea of what this Pico aquarium will look like:

NO cables go into the aquarium, which allows a tight sealing lid to be fitted, preventing big salinity swings.

Any questions / feedback, feel free to fire away. This is a ongoing development and I am using the hands on personal experience to shape the board, pump etc.

The next post will likely focus on the tweaks to my pump design and what I am looking to add to it.

- Paul

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

What corals do you plan to put in there?

 

[Polymate3D]

What corals do you plan to put in there?

The plan is for softies at least initially, I will be taking some PAR readings before making a set decision.

I currently have some Zoa frags, a small Kenya Tree and a couple of different discosoma's, along with some GSP, so they can easily move into here as a new home, permitting lighting and flow is suitable.

Other inhabitants are a unknown right now. I have a yellow goby which seems to like smaller places, so he may go in somewhere down the line, but the focus really is on the board doing a good job.

The 0.7L was capable of keeping the temperature within a +/-0.3c window, so focus is on stability.

Thank you for your question

 

[Polymate3D]

Pump, Lighting & Thermistor

So the 1.7L IKEA Jar Pico is going through its freshwater test run. The pump is now done. It has a screw thread on the bottom for a additional filtration section. Mainly for carbon as I am planning on mainly putting soft corals in.

This is the new impeller design. It copies the 0.7L design one but has a different top to help with preventing any water reaching the motor, and the housing is a tighter tolerance. The pump in its current mode for this aquarium consumes just 0.3W.

The house has a \ jutting out section here which is to act as a water line marker. You fill to this line, and then is any water evaporation is occurring, you will be able to see it from this marker. The lid seals nicely and have a hole which will have a plug. This is for feeding.

Temperature in my initial test topped out at 25.6c, with a ambient temperature of 20.0c, so a +5.6c raise which is in line with the expectations for the 3.75W of heating available to this board. The temperature is now set to run at 25<25.1c. I will see how well it stabilizes at this temperature before running it long term.

Finally for this post, a shot of the thermistor seated on the back of the aquarium. This was the failure point on the tiny 0.7L which was just taped to the back loosely. This is much more robust and the tape used is a thermal tape to help with heat transfer to the thermistor.

In the next update, I will get the Seneye Reef fitted in there and capture some PAR readings. This will then let me know if the light is working as intended. The lighting is a 30,000K LED which is being run at 0.5W.

The entire build is currently peaking at 4.8W which means that it should be possible to run from a 5V, 1A USB power supply instead of a 5V, 2.1A one.

See you in the next one. Any questions as always, please ask away.

 

[FragTomas]

I just checked out your post about that 3D printed design, and it’s exactly what I’m hoping to create for my reef!
I appreciate all the details you shared about the build. If you happen to have the STL files available, that would be a great addition to all the info you’ve provided. I’d love to give it a shot!

 

[Polymate3D]

I just checked out your post about that 3D printed design, and it’s exactly what I’m hoping to create for my reef!
I appreciate all the details you shared about the build. If you happen to have the STL files available, that would be a great addition to all the info you’ve provided. I’d love to give it a shot!

Hey!

Thanks for the feedback. Files are probably a while away for the moment as I don't want to release anything unsafe and can confirm I have tested for a reasonable period of time.

What I can share is this IKEA 1.7L design is intended to have all files released for free down the line, including a control board and code for it. This is the basis of a entry option, with a more powerful one for around 5L planned as more closed.

If the temperature holds over the next 24<48 hours and power draw is consistant, then it will move to having corals in it and running for the period of time to determine it is working as planned.

- Paul

 

[Polymate3D]

LED light testing

So first thing is my Seneye reef was purchased 2nd hand and after months of confusion, I know mine reads around 60% of the actual reading. How do I know this?

1) Compared to a new one
2) Compared to expectations of a Stock Fluval EVO light at various heights
3) By trying to work with the number it actually gives, I bleached 4 SPS corals over a span of 6 months, with the 1st surviving and growing under supposedly 90 PAR

This reading was taken 4cm from the base, so just above the 3D printed rockwork where many corals will start to capture the light.

41 / 0.6 = 69 PAR estimated

So a baseline of around 50 PAR at the bottom and this will be increasing to likely 100 PAR around halfway up. Perfect for the planned soft corals and maybe LPS. Light is on the whiter side as expected, but this was planned due to the corals planned as well. A stronger light and more blue spectrum would make it more ideal for SPS, but I don't currently plan to try SPS on such a small volume of water.

- Paul

 

[Polymate3D]

Corals in. Temperature good

So corals are now in and time to settle. The corals are:

Alien Eye Zoas
BFG Zoas
Small unknown mushroom in with the BFG's
2x Kenya Trees
Gorgonian

These are all coral frags which are not particularly colourful but are hardy so far and are just around in other tanks, so good candidates for this small tank.

Temperature control in freshwater and saltwater tests was exceptional, maintaining 25.1c +/-0.1c. This is why more accurate than we need, and shows the controller, thermistor and code combination is capable of maintaining temperature on small volumes of water really well.

Filtration attachment is still to be 3D printed and fitted, but the space in there ready for it.

The Pico will now run if stable for a while until biofilm / algae starts to grow. A small bit of coral food will be fed, and then I will be trying some inhabitants. The current plan is the following:

1 Yellow Clown Goby

This goby, like previous ones I have owned, was nice and fat in a tiny tank, then in the Fluval EVO remains skinny and more shy. This container is 12cm internal diameter and 16cm tall, so they fit within the calculator on here. I respect I am on the extreme small side, so he will have 2 different aquarium homes that he can move into in a instant if he seems stressed. The idea is he has a small swimming space, places to hide, and will help the corals. If it goes really well I may even try giving him a Pocillipora with a taller 3D printed rockwork. Who knows!

1 Sexy Shrimp

Prior to the thermistor issue before, the Sexy shrimp was perfect in the small 0.7L, and this is over twice that size, so should work well for clean-up.

1 Baby Red Leg Hermit

The LFS get tiny little red leg's in, so once algae sets in, I will get one of these along with some bigger shells. If it grows and becomes too much, I can place in my bigger tanks and get a new one or alternative idea.

1 Asterina Starfish

I have a few in my 2nd aquarium, so once a biofilm has established, I will add one in and see how it goes.


So that is the update for now. Heating works perfectly. Pump generates a nice flow and have headroom to go faster. LED light is simple but covers the spectrum we need and at the intensity we want on this aquarium.

Things are looking good so far!

- Paul

 

[FragTomas]

Hi there!





Your aquarium build looks amazing! I didn’t expect your project to progress so quickly! Regarding the LED lighting, I’ve seen a lot of discussions about pico tank lighting setups on the forums. I’m planning to go with a 1xCW 2xRB combination using a 3-LED-on-one-star setup, but unfortunately, it’s getting harder to find. Which LED setup did you use for your project? Apologies if you’ve already mentioned it, but I couldn’t find the details.

Also, the circulation pump looks like the RC-300 24mm model, at least from what I can tell. I’m glad to hear the temperature issue is sorted; I think that was likely one of the bigger challenges. One more thought: You mentioned keeping SPS corals — have you considered implementing continuous water changes with a dosing pump? A weekly 100-200% water change would be manageable cost-wise and could really help maintain stability.





Looking forward to seeing more updates!

 

[Polymate3D]

Hi there!





Your aquarium build looks amazing! I didn’t expect your project to progress so quickly! Regarding the LED lighting, I’ve seen a lot of discussions about pico tank lighting setups on the forums. I’m planning to go with a 1xCW 2xRB combination using a 3-LED-on-one-star setup, but unfortunately, it’s getting harder to find. Which LED setup did you use for your project? Apologies if you’ve already mentioned it, but I couldn’t find the details.

Also, the circulation pump looks like the RC-300 24mm model, at least from what I can tell. I’m glad to hear the temperature issue is sorted; I think that was likely one of the bigger challenges. One more thought: You mentioned keeping SPS corals — have you considered implementing continuous water changes with a dosing pump? A weekly 100-200% water change would be manageable cost-wise and could really help maintain stability.





Looking forward to seeing more updates!

Hey again!

The 1 white and 2 royal blue is a good combo. In my experience so far I prefer the look of a 6,500K white with the blue if going this way, but I do also prefer a more white look.
In my case I considered a LED driver but due to such low power draw and all the LED's I plan to use will be in the 3.1<3.4V region, I'm just using a resistor as a current limiting circuit.
In this case, a 10 Ohm resistor is fitted after the LED. This is a 0.5W rated SMD resistor and is producing around 0.3W of heat. It is underneath the heating heatsink and so never gets close to its heat limit. The LED is running at 0.5W and so the total circuit is 0.8W. On a larger scale it would be a much bigger issue, but on some LED's even it isn't a issue and a cost effective solution.

Speaking of cost, my target currently for a kit of the board, pump, LED and heating is targeting around $30 so I really am trying to make the concept cheap enough to make a Pico a worthwhile consideration, whilst making them easier to run as well.

You are right. the DC motor is a 300 series motor on a 5V circuit. It is running of the ATtiny IC here so I can use code and a transistor to regulate the speed at which it runs. At full speed it draws 1W, but in this pico it is set to 0.3W.

The water change idea along with others is being considered more for the 5L Pico I will do after this one. Being bigger and slightly higher cost, I am considering what features would be most helpful. I am hoping running this one will enlighten me on what would help most after some longer term real world running!

- Paul

 

[Polymate3D]

Day 2:

Simple update today. All corals introduced are still with us and starting to look a little happier

The alien eyes at the back as you can see look like they was always there. They have always looked dull but was cheap and serving the intended purpose!

Temperature is remaining solid at 25.1c +/-0.1c. Everything is simply starting off smoothly.

I will run it a few more days and then run at tests and see where the water quality is at before taking the next step.

- Paul

 

[FragTomas]

Hey!

I totally agree that using a resistor for limiting current at such a low level is the best and most reliable solution—simple and cost-effective, which is what matters most!

I’m really impressed by how precisely you’ve managed to control the temperature in such a small setup. I wouldn’t have thought it possible. When I go diving, I often feel alternating currents of warm and cold water, and I wonder if corals benefit from this kind of variation, or if it could have any positive effect. Maybe it’s something you could consider adding in the future if it’s feasible in a setup this size.

Just a friendly tip, and I hope this doesn’t offend, but whenever I see bubble algae starting, I remove everything, bleach it, and restart from scratch! Maybe it’s not as notorious as aiptasia or flatworms, but I haven’t found any good way to deal with it yet.

This might just be personal preference, but since I switched to bare-bottom tanks, I can’t imagine going back. After about a year, the tank floor is usually covered by coralline algae and coral growth anyway, giving it a natural look without the substrate, and I feel like it’s solved 90% of my issues.

The idea of using 3D-printed live rock is genius! If it’s well-designed, it can be covered by coralline algae and looks great, plus it makes an ideal habitat for small critters. The only downside, in my opinion, is the lack of buffering capacity. I’ve thought that regularly dosing calcium carbonate could help with that, but that’s just a theory. There are some products out there, like Microbe-Lift Coralline and Coral Life, which might be worth exploring.

 

[Polymate3D]

Hey!

I totally agree that using a resistor for limiting current at such a low level is the best and most reliable solution—simple and cost-effective, which is what matters most!

I’m really impressed by how precisely you’ve managed to control the temperature in such a small setup. I wouldn’t have thought it possible. When I go diving, I often feel alternating currents of warm and cold water, and I wonder if corals benefit from this kind of variation, or if it could have any positive effect. Maybe it’s something you could consider adding in the future if it’s feasible in a setup this size.

Just a friendly tip, and I hope this doesn’t offend, but whenever I see bubble algae starting, I remove everything, bleach it, and restart from scratch! Maybe it’s not as notorious as aiptasia or flatworms, but I haven’t found any good way to deal with it yet.

This might just be personal preference, but since I switched to bare-bottom tanks, I can’t imagine going back. After about a year, the tank floor is usually covered by coralline algae and coral growth anyway, giving it a natural look without the substrate, and I feel like it’s solved 90% of my issues.

The idea of using 3D-printed live rock is genius! If it’s well-designed, it can be covered by coralline algae and looks great, plus it makes an ideal habitat for small critters. The only downside, in my opinion, is the lack of buffering capacity. I’ve thought that regularly dosing calcium carbonate could help with that, but that’s just a theory. There are some products out there, like Microbe-Lift Coralline and Coral Life, which might be worth exploring.

Yeah I think for up to 10W, then LED through resistors is okay. Beyond 10W I would probably look at a LED driver or a different circuit.

I am shocked at how controlled the temperature is as well to be honest. My code does attempt to learn how often it needs to be on overtime in its environment, but I was hoping for +/-0.5c. I chose 25c as it gives headroom to go up due to heat, and down in the event of a power cut. I think a battery backup UPS would be desirable on a more expensive version of the board. Any other things you can think off?

It does not offend me at all, so don't worry about that. It is actually a test I want to do whilst doing this. I had a big infestation of bubble algae in one of my tanks, and then introduced 2 different species of hermit crab. Within a couple of weeks, the bubble algae was only in places they couldn't reach. So I am putting one species in this tank to see if he touches it or not!

In the last 2 points about going bare bottom and the 3D printed live rock, you explain my answer haha.

So I prefer bare bottom as well, but with the main rockwork having no buffering capacity and such a small volume of water, I opted for a base that was 'seeded' from one of my other tanks. That way cycling is not a issue and have buffering capacity. This gives me the creative freedom to design and 3D print a aquascape suitable for such a small tank and the planned inhabitants.

Hope that explains and feel free to ask anything else! It is a project to make this easier for everyone after all.

- Paul

 

[Polymate3D]

Day 4 - Power Usage, Crab introduced along with GSP

So Pico is going well still. Temperature in the same +/-0.1c window so far. Corals all looking good. I added a small piece of GSP on the right hand side which is also looking happy as well.

As mentioned by FragTomas there is some bubble algae on the bottom of the gorganian and the small bit of Cheato. I had this in another tank and the majority was eaten by...something. The only things I did at the time was introduced 2 different species of crab, so with this in mind, I added one of the species into this tank.

Say hello to the little guy. He is a white claw hermit crab. Had great luck with them in the past, and hoping he is the little guy who eats it, so I have taken a picture of the bubble algae around the gorgonian and we will find out. If nothing happens, I will swap the crabs out and see if I can get a answer to what happened.

The final thing to add today is power consumption! The idea around the Pico reef to me, is a low cost entry into the reef aquarium hobby. One aspect of this is power used on a daily basis.

The aquarium over a 24 hour period consumed just 99Wh of energy. Rounding this up to 100Wh and over 30 days(Roughly 1 month), that is still only 3Kwh, or here in the UK around £0.75 per month to run.

Leave it at there today. If things continue to go well and water tests look good down the line, the yellow goby will also be introduced.

- Paul

 

[Polymate3D]

Day 6 - Minor Update

Temperature variance is now 25.1c +/-0.2c as I caught it at 24.9c for the 1st time since the tank started. Still super impressive!

Crab and corals are all doing fine. The right hand side Kenya tree seems to be super happy and actually looking too big so may have to move it. I have some more coral frags heading to me soon so I may do it then.

Since the tank started, I did notice the LED light dip in brightness occasionally. Nothing drastic but it was there, so I did some watching and monitoring power draw and it is to do with when the aquarium is being heated or not.

I had a similar issue with the pump early on, so I am working behind the scenes on a revised code which will improve regulation to Heating, Lighting and Pump to produce a even more stable platform.

For now though the aquarium is just working. It is stunning just how stable and 'easy' this size aquarium can really be.

- Paul

 

[mch1984]

This is awesome and it's great that you will share the files and steps for others to follow. I took an intro into electrical engineering class and hated it, don't understand who would want to be an electrical engineer. It would be fun to build something like this to learn more, maybe I would have enjoyed the class more if we were building pico tanks. I think a pico with nothing but some GSP and maybe a zoe would be great. How often do you need to top off? wondering if I could make this happen at work with the weekends.