Mavvy's 2.5G AGA Pico

[Mavvy]

Ok...this, like many others, is a not-out-of-the-ordinary pico...but, it's mine, and I'm getting happy with it. The tank has already cycled (it was a rather short period...initial water, rock and sand were out of my established 37G). I'm sing an AC50 with IceProbe chiller, 10W submersible pond light, and chaeto and rubble as a 'fuge, another Azoo minifilter just for the flow (and as an extra place for carbon, etc., if needed), and a crappy-looking wooden canopy housing what is going to be a 70W MH unit (right now I'm just using halogen and two computer fans...what an ugly color, but the corals aren't complaining; the 14K is on order, and I have a ballast waiting). Please note...the anemone was a somewhat unwelcome surprise hitch-hiker, but hasn't caused any problems, yet...and probably will be removed later. And, please excuse the poor pictures.

Full Front...

...showing my nasty hood...

...monti or...?

...same question...(no good with names, yet...)

...a nice leather frag...

...part of my collection...

...and, last by no means least, Fred, my shrimp.

 

[Agu]

Nice start :thumbsup:

 

[Mavvy]

Thank you, kind sir. Got a feelin' that it's gonna be an education! I'll probably finish out or redo the hood at a later date. Life bites with all of the stuff it's throwing at me right now, timewise; I finally just took a day off to breathe a little.

 

[Agu]

FWIW an enclosed hood with a 70w MH could create some heat problems on a 2.5 even with fans.

 

[Mavvy]

Yup...that's why I'm using the IceProbe in the AC50, along with the aforementioned fans. The temp topped off right at 81.4F according to this digital thermometer. The apartment is usually set at aboubt 74F. I'm trying to be extra-cautious, and the IceProbe was just sitting in the closet...so...

Oh, and a question for you. Thanks for pointing out the Tunzi Mini to me in the other thread; I'm thinking of replacing the Azoo minifilter with that for flow purposes. Good or bad idea? It would be on the same time cycle as the MH. I have, SOMEWHERE here, a Coralife dual timer, but it was 'iffy' insofar as one of the timer dials properly working; I suppose I could use that instead of the single, and set a 15-on, 15-off 'wave cycle', strictly for the Mini. Your opinion(s) are valued, either positive or negative.

 

[Mavvy]

Okay...I've just been given Maximilian, a green goby. (Those green areas on the lower left of the picture are algae on the tank wall...I'm going to go get a toothbrush or something...) He's in the 2.5G for the time being. I feel a little funky 'bout having a fish in such a small box, even a tiny one like Max...so I'll just monitor his health for the time being.

Max, da goby.

 

[tcmfish]

Looks good, and the second one you called a monti is the first is just some zoo's on a skeleton it looks.

 

[Mavvy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14176593#post14176593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcmfish
Looks good, and the second one you called a monti is the first is just some zoo's on a skeleton it looks.

Thanks, man. These are frags I'm either picking up for next to nothing, or from my established tank...some of them (there's a little red mushroom on the rock to the far left that I forgot to mention) are hitch-hikers.

Some are so small that I just plain don't recognize 'em, and as mentioned before, I'm not THAT good on the names anyway. I'm also trying to keep livestock costs to a bare minimum. (I'm not 'cheap', just financially challenged this pay period. *LOL* I'm trying to purchase a house. Every dime helps.)

 

[Apisto]

Hey Mavvy,

Nice start on your pico. I don't know if I would want to try and deal with such a small system. I would constantly be feeling like one small mistake and...poof, a crash. But looks like things are working well for you; alot of nice color.

Have you tested you nitrates? I am wondering if 2 filters and a goby are pushing the value or whether the cheato, etc is compensating enough.

Neil

 

[Mavvy]

I am, that. Zeros on nitrates and phosphates...and all else is good good. I'm not running ANY filter material...the AC50 is the 'fuge/heater/cooler unit running at half-speed (didn't want to cannibalize an AC20 I have for the smaller rotor unit just yet if I could help it), and the Azoo is just for flow (hence the earlier question on using the Tunzi Mini instead of the Azoo). I'm relying on the live rock to do its thang. And I'll be doing twice-weekly "Big Gulp-sized" water changes; seems like the other stuff is taken care of more by that than by dosing, but that's still out with the jury. Can't be too careful.

 

[Mavvy]

And...can someone PLEASE tell me what this is?

 

[Mavvy]

Crud.

Off-topic...but I just found my scooter blenny/dragonet belly-up and lifeless in my 6G. Of course...he WAS a little over two years old...so...I suppose I should be happy he lived THIS long.

Dang it. :sad2:

 

[Mavvy]

Back to the 2.5G. I think Max was misidentified to me. Looking at online photos, I'd be more apt to think he's a clown. Goby, that is.

 

[Agu]

I haven't used the mini on a wavemaker but feedback I've read somewhere is that it'll handle the on/off cycle.

The hob has many function as you mentioned, could you use the Aquaclear for those functions instead ? Then the tunze as a wavemaker could be a good idea.

 

[Mavvy]

Then I'll do that, when I get a little extra jingle in my pocket for the Tunze. Thanks!

 

[smurph1415]

Very nice. I like the simplicty of the whole inside of the tank.

 

[Mavvy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14181043#post14181043 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smurph1415
Very nice. I like the simplicty of the whole inside of the tank.

Why, thank you, kind poster! Yep...life's complicated enough...this sits on my desk at home, and I work from here quite a bit. It certainly fills the "de-stress" factor. (All the other tanks...there are, at last count, seven more) are in the entryway, living room, and dining area, which is all basically one joined space. My S/O jokes (sorta) that if she'd thought she was signing up for this, she simply would have gotten engaged to the Florida Aquarium. *LOL* She's actually the one that got me re-started in the hobby, on the freshwater side at first, so she's no one to blame but her own sweet self.