The Smallest Reef in the World

I'm not making any assumptions on how long it will work, or even if it will work. If all goes to plan this will be the smallest fully sealed no maintenance reef in the world (to my knowledge.)

So without further a due, my 9 fluid ounce reef tank. I gutted a light bulb for this project. This was by far the fastest build I've ever worked on and will be complete as soon as I hear some feedback from the community.

I currently have: caulerpa, 1 hermit to trim the caulerpa, 1 dwarf cerith to clean, metallic green button polyps, and tons of pods that hitched in on the coral.

My plans are to seal the top and never top it off. My theory behind this is that the caulerpa will create enough O2 to support the creatures and the creatures will turn it back into plant food. I built a small stand for the bulb when I want to display it and also built a small stand that can dangle it in my sump to keep it warm and supply light from my fuge lighting.. Water movement doesn't seem to be needed. If you look close enough you can see that the movement of the crabs arms keeps the water constantly stirring. It feels like there's something I'm missing so before I seal it I want to put this up for the critique of the forum. Give me any thoughts, concerns, or ideas you may have.

-Mike

 

COOL!!!!!! Now that is outside the box......Just screw it into a socket, and you will have heat and lights!!!!!;D;D;D

 

sounds cool as heck... i can't see the pick though....

 

effin sweeeeet

 

I fear the worst here. This is only a guess, as I'm not a physicst or chemist. Even though you suspect a circular phenomenon with CO2 and O2, the plant life utilizing the carbon dioxide, and the crab and snail utilizing the O2 produced by the plant--in real life actual gasseous exchange is probably necessary. If you seal up this mini ecosystem, I fear all will crash in short order.

Additionally, not to shoot your idea down, but what food will there be for your snail and crab? Are you assuming that whatever food they eat will be replenished as quickly as they consume it?

Assuming everything in there eats and breathes, and sanitation is accounted for; what's to foster the nitrogen cycle?

Maybe others can chime in.

 

Mike I wouldnt go much smaller than this.

YouTube - 1 gallon Reefbowl I, half gallon completely sealed SPS pico reef tank

 

Sounds like a really cool idea. A couple things I would be concerned about though. I don't know the answers to these questions so just trying to help make sure the bases are covered.

Your CO2 in the system may be used up fairly quickly for the caulerpa to respire.
I think you may have trouble processing waste from the hermit and the zoos. Specifically you will have nitrate getting built up and no anoxic zones for denitrifying bacteria to exist. Even if you did they would be producing nitrogen gas that would need to be used/vented somewhere, maybe the algae would use it all but I'm not sure about that.
Are you sure that hermit will eat caulerpa?
Most hermits are omnivorous, not purely herbivorous are you sure it can survive purely off of algae?
If it does well the zoos will cover a good portion of the inside of that bulb fairly quickly which will prevent light from getting in to keep the caulerpa going.
Although zoos are not hard corals they may still need some calcium/alkalinity to survive. I've noticed in the past that my zoos tend to close up and shrink when my alk gets too low. Maybe it's due to other aspects but it is something I would look into.

 

interesting

 

ill be watching but this sounds awfully a lot like biosphere :/

 

I have the same fear, but my curiosity is outweighing it for now.

I'm banking on the crab trimming the caulerpa after it gets hungry enough. If it doesn't the entire idea is shot, because it will soon overgrow the bulb. As for the snail I assum there will be enough algae on the glass for it.

There's a small amount of sand from my reef in the bottom and the caulerpa's second purpose will be to eliminate any nitrates.

I'm betting on this failing, but who knows.