Sons Pico Tank

[Nitroq2]

After hearing all the talk about how much light and flow affect a tank I decided to do some testing. We made my son this pico pictured below I guess over a month ago. The tank is a 1.5 gallon plastic cube. We had the tank from when my son had his frog from school so we just left the existing black gravel in the base and added water from my 90 gallon to get things kicked off along with a rock of two. Please note that this thread is only to document results. At first I had the softies (Xenia, Kenya Tree, and some almost dead mushroom from my other tank) in there for about 2 weeks, with just the 10 small leds that comes with the tank. The softies grew fine under that light and seemed to respond well. The only thing on this tank is an airbubbler filter (which is equal to Zero Flow), and a small heater. Although it was a short time, it was still looking ok. So then I decided lets do this, I have one of those swing arm desk lamps that is like 8 watts of 6500k. So I added it as well as some easy stonies (Green Digitata and golden Monticap). I can say for a fact the color is horrible yet the corals are responding and have good polyp extention about 10 days in. I am going to run it like this a while and will document the results. I don't expect much as far as color goes but this is only to research. If the corals grow in a month then I am going to swap to a 50/50 20 watt bulb and get some color out of it. But for now I am only testing the high lights and flow theory. Here is a shot of the tank. My son is maintaining it.

 

[stolaas]

Sounds interesting, looking forward to the results

 

[Nitroq2]

Just thought I would update progress. SPS didn't fair well under the pc lighting. No growth and some color loss. So I pulled them out and put them back in the main tank as not to kill them. The other items seemed to of faired well. Notice the xenia in the pic has better than doubled as well as the kenya tree. The zoas were just added as well as the catilina goby. Other zoas in the tank are doing well. Tank temp is down to about 76 degrees going to ride it there for a few days and monitor the corals then I will move it to 74 and again monitor the corals and continue down. The goby is a cold water species so I am going to lower the temp for him. I did see one in a tank with 78 degree temps and it was huge and healthy and had been there a long time. I am going to try to get the numbers right so that both the fish and the corals can do well so I will lower the temp until the corals seem to be affected. One problem that I am having is the cheap acrylic used in these aquariums scratch easy. So I gave up on not scratching it as you can tell by the small magnet cleaner. Another issue that is killing me is the salt creep within a few days its creeping over the edge of the tank and looks bad. I will continue to update with changes. Everything else has stayed the same as far as hardware is concerned. I am dosing phyto and the shrooms that were looking bad in my 90g are looking alot better in the pico. Also they have made new shrooms. Pod life has exploded in the gravel bottom as well as the bristle worms if you look you can see both in the picture.

 

[kiran523]

The tank looks good Allen. I like the Catalina goby, where did you get it from? I'm not sure about the Avocado twister palys but the AOG's closed up and atrophied when I had them under just PC's. It looks good right now but I would keep an eye on it.

 

[Nitroq2]

My little tank that could is still here after all these months can't see in too well but its got alot of xenia and kenya tree in it. Still with the small reading light as its light source. Problem with it was couldn't clean it without scratching it due to cheap plastic. Thinking about moving it to some tiype of small glass contrainer. Tomoko how is yours I know you started one about the same time but I think you went with glass right? Also I should say, there is no filter in it for about 3 months now well let me rephrase that there is a filter one of those little small hang on the back jobs but it has no filter in it I only use it to circulate. no power head on it and I haven't had a heater on it for over 4 months. The little catalina didn't fair to well should have known it wouldn't but it died about 1 month into the project. Not sure what the temps go up and down to as I pulled the thermometer back when I pulled the heater. The only life in there is the corals, a snail, two hermit crabs and an abundance of pods, micro stars, bristle worms, and the little white star fish, and I do mean an abundance. I have never done a water change on it however I did pull out the zoanthids but left some palys and they are still alive although they could use more light I think. When the water level drops about 2 inches, I add more water that is it. So far so good. Just updating, I will try to clean enough to get a pic if nothing else maybe a top down. Also the light unfortunately has never been put on a timer and sometimes it stays on 12 hours and sometimes I walk by and realize it hasn't been turned on in a day or so. Again this was only a test, but it seems to mirror my work in my 90 gallon. Unfortunately in it I have found that with my lack of time and effort I can't keep stonies (You gotta work your tank with stonies they wont live like this tank) But everything else in that tank looks super, including the algae that I decided I would live with it until it decided it didn't want to live in the tank.

 

[Nitroq2]

Double Post Sorry

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Hi Allen,

My pico tank is doing well. It's an acrylic tank, but I haven't had a scratching issue so far.

Zoathids and pink pompom xenia in the pico are growing well and the tiny Eviota goby and two sexy shrimp are looking fat and happy. I see some pods and micro stars here and there.

My tank has a nano HOB filter (no skimmer) stuffed with chaetomorpha in place of filter media. No powerhead. The chaeto is still alive there amazingly despite very low light and small Halimeda bushes on rocks are growing well enough to require periodic pruning. I sense that these macroalgae are keeping the tank water clean enough to preclude algae outbreaks. Whenever I do a water change to my 120 and 15 (every two weeks), I try to do a water change on this one, too. It's been forgotten more than a few times so I cannot say I do regular water changes on this one.

I have no salt creep on this tank. The only issue is the top off. No auto top off here. I have to add a small amount of water every morning. Luckily it's right above the kitchen cabinet where my RODI unit is. I just grab the tubing from the unit and open its valve for a few seconds to top off.

I started this tank for my office, but it's still sitting on the eat-in counter in my kitchen. I may have to set up another one for my office

Tomoko

 

[timrandlerv10]

(hijack alert!)

what eats hair and/or bubble algae that could be put in a 10g bare bottom with regulated temp, flow, and about 2 pounds of LR?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

An Emerald crab may be a good candidate for bubble algae. A Rainford's goby is my choice for hair algae in a 10 gallon aquarium. Dolabella auricularia seahare is another one if you don't have a powerhead or its intake is covered with sponge. Lucy's Lagoon seem to have them periodically.

Tomoko

 

[timrandlerv10]

that rainford's looks great--BB ok? how else do i start a nano? or is 10g pico? i need to give nitroq his thread back...

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I suppose that a 10G is considered a nano reef. How else do you start a nano? Just like any reef tank, but in a much smaller scale. Rainford's goby does not care if your tank has a sand bed or not.

Tomoko

 

[Nitroq2]

Tim your fine, as for the terminology 10 would be considered nano. I have a 10 gallon just starting back up as well, that I will be using as a Frag tank (or that is/was the plan). Just remember that going smaller your livestock must be smaller and in very few numbers. But they can make for some of the best tank, usually fairly easy to maintain. This Pico was only to test theory on lighting and now temperatures. all seems well so far.