Newbie with 4 gal pico reef

[joshbbert]

Well I suppose for starters I could say that I got a lot more than I bargained for with this reef I thought start small then go big fell in love with a small reef at a lfs and was immediately hooked. Unfortunately for me I didn't realized I had a pico reef instead of a nano and all my research, while enlightening, wasn't really applying all that well to my reef as I didn't understand at the time that sometimes smaller ment more challenging. I feel like I have it under control at this point thanks to uncle google and the tanks running strong for two months now I know in this hobby that's not very long but considering what the tanks been through I feel confidant I can start to upgrade it so im starting this thread to get any input I can to keep this tank running strong while being on a serious serious budget (not easy with reef keeping) so here's what I'm working with, being new to the craft and this being my first forum ever, I ask that you bear with me

Aqueon evolve 4 gallon
Stock pump 98 gph
Stock light
Beamworks 11' led light (arrives tomorrow)
Aquaclear 20 filter (100 gph)
No heaters live in az

Water changes done every other day at 50% sometimes more. Nitrates tested and ammonia I water change so often I feel other tests are a waste of time as my ph, calc, dkh and phosphates never change all within an acceptable range. Water temp 78-80°

Livestock

What I think is blasto wellsi
2 small duncans
Ricordea florida
Green star polyps
A small frog spawn
Small zoa colony
2 blue hermets
2 margarita snails
I small purple hitchhiker urchin I've yet to identify
A mini brittle star hitchhiker
And a bristle worm hitchhiker

That's it thanks for listening and any input you have will be greatly appreciated

 

[joshbbert]

 

[joshbbert]

Identified the urchin!! It has to be a banded urchin can't find anything else even close to his color pattern

 

[joshbbert]

I've since upgraded to an aqua clear 20 as well as stock pump so in moving 200 gph in my 4 gal seems to be enough I'd like to mod the aqua clear to a fuge if anyone has any ideas. I'm new to forums as this is my first sorry about any breaches of protocol lol any imput on future upgrades on a budget would be greatly appreciated but as I said im on a huge budget and I know that's never good in this hobby lol

 

[joshbbert]

Still new and im not a fan of my aquascape so nothing is glued down and im still looking for the "perfect" live rock

 

[fishhuman]

Very pretty and i bet it will look enen better when the coral fills out. Although 4 gallons is to small for fish you could keep a nice invert reef in there with sexy shrimp and pom pom crabs.:fun2:

 

[joshbbert]

That's what I was thinking! I love those sexy shrimp not familiar with the pom poms ill have to look into that. No fish in this one building a 50 for them

 

[joshbbert]

Started my aquaclear 20 fuge mod. Was giving it a cleaning and cracked it some how so I figured now is a good time I just cut the basket into three pieces and used silicone to glue it then hung the stock light on the back to light it up, 24 hours for the silicone to cure so im going to add the macro algae tomorrow and don't judge my shoddy gluing job

 

[joshbbert]

So far so good its been round 27 hours so I broke up a piece of live rock as this filter is too small for any kind of sand bed, and put it inside in place of the sand. No leaks so far can't wait to add chaeto!

<br/>

 

[joshbbert]

At this point I know im talking to myself but I guess it's worth a shot.
Should I add a Sand bed in the built in overflow since I've removed the filter pad? It's more like a two stage back there so I was thinking put the carbon back there, some filter floss and bio pellets in the back and the micro algae and live rock in the aquaclear. Idk I'm just jerry rigging things at this point any input?<br/>

 

[racin_33]

Nice looking little set up.

 

[joshbbert]

Fuge is finished lights upgraded and new friends added

 

[joshbbert]

This light is stupid cool real time weather with lightning storms fully adjustable spectrums so cool my camera hates it though

 

[joshbbert]

Is it possible that by adding this hob fuge and chaeto I've begun cycling again? All of a sudden my nitrates are up and I'm having an algae bloom! My tanks been cycled for a while now but it feels like it's doing it again.

 

[Reef Frog]

Don't put bio pellets in the fuge! They need to be used in a reactor & there's no need for one on a pico. Water changes should be able to control nitrates esoecilh since your feeding should be light with no fish.

The biggest challenge youre likely to have is maintaining salinity as water evaporates.

 

[joshbbert]

Don't put bio pellets in the fuge! They need to be used in a reactor & there's no need for one on a pico. Water changes should be able to control nitrates esoecilh since your feeding should be light with no fish.

The biggest challenge youre likely to have is maintaining salinity as water evaporates.

Pellets are in the back in the 2 stage should I remove them? I have carbon back there as well

 

[Reef Frog]

Yes remove them. You don't have a nitrate problem & if you did they are to be used only in a reactor. Otherwise they will become a slimy mess & a danger to your critters.

 

[joshbbert]

Pellets have been removed thank you, and yes feedings are light and done only a few hours before each water change

 

[joshbbert]

Mr crabs first appearance

 

[joshbbert]

Some new editions 2 sexy shrimp and a new Frogspawn since my hermits bulldozed the last one, they're no longer with us either
And a maxi mini carpet me and my brother cut up a few days ago from his tank