need stocking ideas for my new picotope

[new-b-reefer]

So I finally got one of the jbj 3 gallon picotopes. I have always love these little setups. Just the concept of keeping a reef in such a small space and the fact that I puts more focus on the critters that you wouldn't normally pay attention to in a larger system. I set it up memorial day 5-31-2010. 3 lbs live sand, 2.5 lbs live rock, so far I really only plan on zoas and some shrooms so I am going to stick to the stock light and I have another of the same picotope light I aquired a while back so I may add that on there for a total of 18watts cf. But for now, sticking to stock setup. (Key words "for now")

 

So now to stocking plans, the other reason for the post the plan right now is a simple CUC 1 astrea snail, 1 nassarius, 1 hermit crab. But I am trying to figure out what I want for the main focus critter so to speak. I was possibly thinking a porcelain crab or coral banded shrimp. I wanna keep the bioload low so I was going to try and stay away from little gobies and what not. Inverts only. But I am open for suggestions. Any one have stocking ideas? Please?

[new-b-reefer]

So I finally got one of the jbj 3 gallon picotopes. I have always love these little setups. Just the concept of keeping a reef in such a small space and the fact that I puts more focus on the critters that you wouldn't normally pay attention to in a larger system. I set it up memorial day 5-31-2010. 3 lbs live sand, 2.5 lbs live rock, so far I really only plan on zoas and some shrooms so I am going to stick to the stock light and I have another of the same picotope light I aquired a while back so I may add that on there for a total of 18watts cf. But for now, sticking to stock setup. (Key words "for now")

 

So now to stocking plans, the other reason for the post the plan right now is a simple CUC 1 astrea snail, 1 nassarius, 1 hermit crab. But I am trying to figure out what I want for the main focus critter so to speak. I was possibly thinking a porcelain crab or coral banded shrimp. I wanna keep the bioload low so I was going to try and stay away from little gobies and what not. Inverts only. But I am open for suggestions. Any one have stocking ideas? Please?

 

anyone, no stocking ideas from anybody?

[DazSH]

CUC im still undecided defo hermit crab or two but critter wise i really want a pom pom crab.

 

I seen one in a mates tank and it was so cute with its medusa looking hands.

[new-b-reefer]

CUC im still undecided defo hermit crab or two but critter wise i really want a pom pom crab.

 

I seen one in a mates tank and it was so cute with its medusa looking hands.

 

lol i thought about one of those too. i actually havent seen any at the lfs i go to in a while. they are pretty neat though. hahaha "medusa looking hands" i like that. any other suggestions?

[new-b-reefer]

anymore stocking ideas anyone? any soft coral recommendations. here is a pic, day 2 of the pico...

[DazSH]

I just found a pom pom crab 20 miles from my home for £11.99 popping down on saturday..

For corals i cant really advise as im a newbie only say what im aiming on doing but obvious choice would be some colourful zoas or mushrooms. Seen some intresting zoa in other tanks on this forum just not any in my lfs .

 

I will be constantly checking your post for ideas for myself lol.

 

Also what circulating pump and filter are you using in the pictures and how do you find them? thx

[n00bferlife]

Let me see....

 

Sexy shrimp, emerald crab, porcelan crab, harlequin shrimp( they only eat starfish) starfish( serpent?) yellow tang.

 

I personally have kept pistol shrimp/ goby pairs, ycg, linkcia stars, yellow tail damsel, cromies, banana wrasse( it was temporary), cleaner shrimp

 

I have seen

people keep everything. Clowns. Gobys. Shrimp.

[new-b-reefer]

I just found a pom pom crab 20 miles from my home for £11.99 popping down on saturday..

For corals i cant really advise as im a newbie only say what im aiming on doing but obvious choice would be some colourful zoas or mushrooms. Seen some intresting zoa in other tanks on this forum just not any in my lfs .

 

I will be constantly checking your post for ideas for myself lol.

 

Also what circulating pump and filter are you using in the pictures and how do you find them? thx

 

hello and thanks for the reply. i stopped by my lfs yesterday and no pom poms unfortunately . gotta keep my eyes out. as far as the pumps go, right now i am using the factory HOB filter (40gph) and a small Rio50 (69gph) powerhead i had lying around. i have an aquaclear 50 that i may be doing a fuge mod on but that is still up in the air but i may switch to that in the future which will out law the powerhead and increase the water volume. the only reason i may not do the fuge is that the tank is on my night stand and i dont want a fuge light on all night right next to my face while i sleep :I

so yeah, right now, the stock filter and a rio 50 powerhead for flo the rio 50 can be found at i would think almost all lfs. everyone i have been to has had them. not petco or petsmatr but local fish stores they are cheap too. i think i payed like $13 for mine or just under that

[new-b-reefer]

Let me see....

 

Sexy shrimp, emerald crab, porcelan crab, harlequin shrimp( they only eat starfish) starfish( serpent?) yellow tang.

 

I personally have kept pistol shrimp/ goby pairs, ycg, linkcia stars, yellow tail damsel, cromies, banana wrasse( it was temporary), cleaner shrimp

 

I have seen

people keep everything. Clowns. Gobys. Shrimp.

 

thanks for the ideas, i like how you threw the yellow tang in there lol ihave seen damsles and baby clowns, chromis, baby blue tangs > and even a 1" baby humu triggerfish. clown gobys and all that.

now when you had the pistol and goby pair, what did you do to keep the goby from jumping. what kind of goby? i like the look of a damsel but there is a voice in the back of my head that keeps saying, "stick to inverts, less bio load!"

what about coral banded shrimp in a picotope? i have a cleaner shrimp in my NC28 reef and seriously, people get more of a kick out of watching him than the fish lol, but thats an idea. i have always liked the coral banded shrimp, how hardy are they?

and please keep the ideas coming

[.Newman.]

a glass cover kinda makes it hard for them to jump

[new-b-reefer]

a glass cover kinda makes it hard for them to jump

 

ah good point. may i ask where you got the glass cover and around how much, i really want one, also to help cut down on evaporation

[.Newman.]

get it custom cut at a glass/mirror store. costs around $14 is youre lucky. bring them a cardboard cutout of the cover your want +the dimensions just to be sure.

[new-b-reefer]

get it custom cut at a glass/mirror store. costs around $14 is youre lucky. bring them a cardboard cutout of the cover your want +the dimensions just to be sure.

 

thanks for the tip. i will definitely look into that

 

any other stocking suggestions?

anyone?

[.Newman.]

ONE coral bandd shrimp

or

one skunk cleaner shrimp

0r

one peppermint shrimp

or

2-3 sexy shrimp

0r

one clown goby of some sorts

0r

one neon goby

0r

Trimma goby

or

RedSpot goby

 

 

Those are the permanent residents that are suitable for the 3 gal. the rest (clowns, harlequin shrimp, wrasse, damsels, chromis) are no good for permanent residence, since they will have to be moved as they grow and they generally produce too much waste for a small system such as this.

 

if you are adventurous you can probably combine a clown goby with peppremint,or sexy, or skunk shrimp and still have a good pico.

[new-b-reefer]

ONE coral bandd shrimp

or

one skunk cleaner shrimp

0r

one peppermint shrimp

or

2-3 sexy shrimp

0r

one clown goby of some sorts

0r

one neon goby

0r

Trimma goby

or

RedSpot goby

 

 

Those are the permanent residents that are suitable for the 3 gal. the rest (clowns, harlequin shrimp, wrasse, damsels, chromis) are no good for permanent residence, since they will have to be moved as they grow and they generally produce too much waste for a small system such as this.

 

if you are adventurous you can probably combine a clown goby with peppremint,or sexy, or skunk shrimp and still have a good pico.

 

nice thanks. thats what i was looking for

i have always like those little clown gobies. now i know there are quite a few different clown gobies and some get larger than others. gosh, it looks like you may have talked me into considering a tiny fish after all. we will see. if i do do with a clown goby, any particular one you would recomend. i do like the green ones and what are the trimma and red spot goby?

[.Newman.]

Clown gobies that will work with your tank:

Green clown goby

Yellow CG

Brown CG

Black CG

Citroen/Citrinis CG (only one and no shrimp with it)

Trimma goby

Spotted Trimma

[new-b-reefer]

Clown gobies that will work with your tank:

Green clown goby

Yellow CG

Brown CG

Black CG

Citroen/Citrinis CG (only one and no shrimp with it)

Trimma goby

Spotted Trimma

 

cool, that pretty much sums it all up

now also earlier i thought you mentioned keeping linka stars or some typ of starfish in a picotope, how well did that work out. i thought the linka stars grew rather large. i know there are some stars that stay small (other than the hitch hiking mini stars) but i thought stars in general didnt do well in nanos let alone picos. other than mini stars of course

[.Newman.]

someone else mentioned serpent stars. I've only kept the little asterinid stars in my pico if you asked me.

ok my bad, idk anything about those lincia stars or w/e theyre called

linckia stars are not permanently housed in a 3 gal

[new-b-reefer]

someone else mentioned serpent stars. I've only kept the little asterinid stars in my pico if you asked me.

ok my bad, idk anything about those lincia stars or w/e theyre called

linckia stars are not permanently housed in a 3 gal

 

oh ok, my bad for confusing the user responses lol. ok i was sure the linckia stars would get too big. are the asterinid stars the mini stars? the hitch hikers? if so then i just learned the technical name lol. learn something new every day.

[.Newman.]

yes they are. I have awesome white ones with aqua splotches and neon orange spots on them

[new-b-reefer]

yes they are. I have awesome white ones with aqua splotches and neon orange spots on them

 

oh sweet, and those were just hitchhikers on the rock. hope i get lucky and have some with color. i have a bunch in my NC28 but just plain grey ones. still cool to see them though. i would like to have some of those micro brittle stars. maybe i will get a couple of those by chance

 

here is and update. i added a little more rock, some fully cured live rock from my 20 gallon long fowlr thats been up and running for some time now. put that in to help finish things off. everything that i have put in the tank has been cured so i would be suprised if i see a cycle at all. maybe a very little one. i also put in a small frag of galaxy coral. just to start and see how things go. hardly noticed this frag in my 28 but it stands out well in a pico with nothing in it so far, lol.