TeenyReef's 4g PicoParadise

[Sunstar]

anemone crab :3

[Newstead]

Oh no. Sorry about the ycg. Have always wanted one. Love this frag tank idea.

[vlangel]

Sorry to hear about the goby teeny. I love those little yellow clown gobies but they can be tough to get settled and acclimated. I had thought of getting several for the seahorse tank some day.

 

Have you considered acclimating fw mollies to saltwater. They are excellant algae eaters and good poopers too. I think 1 would be fine in 4 gallons.

[teenyreef]

Sorry to hear about the goby teeny. I love those little yellow clown gobies but they can be tough to get settled and acclimated. I had thought of getting several for the seahorse tank some day.

 

Have you considered acclimating fw mollies to saltwater. They are excellant algae eaters and good poopers too. I think 1 would be fine in 4 gallons.

Thanks, Dawn! That's a great suggestion since I have bunches of them in my FW tank. I think I'll try that and if it doesn't work out, maybe a tail spot blenny.

[Evanski9]

It's hard to say for sure since I'm doing frequent water changes, but my nitrates are almost always at zero or below 1. So it seems to be working well. But I still get algae so it could be the algae sucking up all the nitrates.

 

I have one in the 40g and it works great there, though.

 

 

I am breaking down my 26g tank due to work and it getting GHA and bubble that is out of control. I was thinking of throwing the Biobrick in the sump to get some bacteria on it and moving it my 10g I am going to set up to hold my fish while I nuke this god dam 26.

 

hmmm decisions decisions

[teenyreef]

 

 

I am breaking down my 26g tank due to work and it getting GHA and bubble that is out of control. I was thinking of throwing the Biobrick in the sump to get some bacteria on it and moving it my 10g I am going to set up to hold my fish while I nuke this god dam 26.

 

hmmm decisions decisions

I think it depends on how long you want to leave the brick in to get seasoned. I started mine by soaking it in old tank water with MB7 for 24 hours (per the directions). But if you can leave it in the sump for a couple weeks that would jump start it a lot faster.

 

Of course the risk is that it picks up something nasty from your 26 tank and carries it over to the 10g

Thanks, Dawn! That's a great suggestion since I have bunches of them in my FW tank. I think I'll try that and if it doesn't work out, maybe a tail spot blenny.

I went by the lfs after work today and picked up some pods for the 10g, and got one black molly for this tank. He's acclimating now. Or she. I didn't bother to look

 

I guess if it doesn't work out I'l be out $1.99

[teenyreef]

Hmm, two dead mollies later, I think I'll give up this experiment. I've been able to introduce mollies successfully before, but I don't want to keep killing fish.

 

I did a big water change and cleaned everything out again, and I've been keeping up on cleaning the plugs every time I see any sign of algae. The monticaps are pale but everything else is doing OK.

[teenyreef]

I took a quick picture after the weekly water change. Every time I get discouraged about getting this little frag tank to run algae-free, I look at the colors that develop in the tank with the Nanobox light and I get excited again

 

2017-01-16 Cadlights 4g FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[teenyreef]

I went out of town for work all last week, and was pleasantly surprised to come home to a clean, algae-free tank. The nasty bryopsis/dino/cyano looking stuff that keeps growing on the frag plugs and frag rack is all gone, and the only algae growing now is the usual brown film stuff that normally grows on the glass and power heads, which is easily scraped off or eaten by snails.

 

It's only been about a week and a half now since I last had to scrub and/or dip the frag plugs but it really seems like the tank has finally gotten into a good place. Even more telling, the monti cap frags are coloring up relative to last week, which is something that has never happened ever since I set this tank up as a frag tank!

 

Coincidentally, this seems to have happened when I came back from my trip with a new frag tank. Maybe the tank knows it's got a new competitior?

 

Once I get the new frag tank going, I will tear down this one, and shut down this thread. It will be a little bit of a sad day, as this was my first ever tank and first ever tank thread on N-R, and it's been going for a long time. But who knows what will happen, as I don't plan on getting rid of the tank right away. Maybe I'll set it up again some day.

[Droy008]

Nonono, you just need to setup ANOTHER tank.

I feel like 4 SW tanks is a nice round number.

[teenyreef]

Nonono, you just need to setup ANOTHER tank.

I feel like 4 SW tanks is a nice round number.

Hah ha! But no. No way can I keep up with four

 

Besides, I have to reuse the Apex and the dosers and the bio brick in the new tank

[Droy008]

Well if you sell it, make sure to sign it. This tank has become a small legend in its own rite.

[teenyreef]

Well if you sell it, make sure to sign it. This tank has become a small legend in its own rite.

some people change tanks like they change pants, but I have a sentimental attachment to this one.

 

I've started a build thread for the new frag tank! http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/379846-teenyreefs-db30-frag-tank/

[teenyreef]

With the new frag tank up and running, I've transferred everything over and shut down this tank. I soaked it in vinegar and cleaned it up, now it looks brand new again. So tempting to fill it back up again and just do something simple . But for now it's shut down. This tank had a great run and there's nothing quite like having a very small pico tank - I will miss it.

[jack1978]

With the new frag tank up and running, I've transferred everything over and shut down this tank. I soaked it in vinegar and cleaned it up, now it looks brand new again. So tempting to fill it back up again and just do something simple . But for now it's shut down. This tank had a great run and there's nothing quite like having a very small pico tank - I will miss it.

[RIP Sebastian]

This is a sad day.

[drgibby]

this is still the tank that inspired me to reef. I still want my pico to be just as filled and good as this one...ill be sure to send my addiction bill to you teeny

[kimberbee]

Freshwater shrimp tank!

[teenyreef]

Thanks everyone!

Freshwater shrimp tank!

Hmmmmmm....

[RIP Sebastian]

Thanks everyone!

Hmmmmmm....

 

Uh-oh.....

[aviator300]

Thanks everyone!

Hmmmmmm....

Hey Teeny, I'm going to put together one of these Cadlights 4s for a frag tank. What replacement pump would you recommend for stronger flow that would fit?

[teenyreef]

I used the Marineland Mini-jet 606 and it worked great. I bought a couple from StevieT at InTank before they ran out after they stopped making them.

 

Apparently they are going to start making them again: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/356539-marineland-mini-jet-606-notice-updated-111116

 

But StevieT recommends the Aqueon 600 as a substitute if you can't wait.

[OldManSea]

Very sad indeed. My two new reefs, one pico and one nano, were inspired by this tank. Evolution I suppose.

[teenyreef]

Very sad indeed. My two new reefs, one pico and one nano, were inspired by this tank. Evolution I suppose.

Wow, thank you! It's humbling to hear how many people were inspired to keep a pico tank after seeing this one. I hope your tanks are both doing well!

[OldManSea]

Wow, thank you! It's humbling to hear how many people were inspired to keep a pico tank after seeing this one. I hope your tanks are both doing well!

 

I have lurked for a couple of years. Saltwater 40 years ago - very different then but freshwater since. I have considered setting up for a while; moving to Puget Sound has convinced me to ultimately add a coldwater reef to my several large Discus tanks and small killifish tanks. Decided to convert a 5.5 gallon AIO from killi's into a pico reef 2 months ago based on being mesmerized by your 4g. It has done remarkably well with several nice corals, more to be added this weekend from the Bob Moore Frag trading event that is yearly here. I will set up a build thread after that. At the store, I saw a RedSea Max E-170 with enormous red bubbletip anemones with clowns. I bred those decades ago and would like to do designer clowns so bought an identical setup that is cycling.

 

The killi's and discus will have to watch out, this little pico is very cool and I have 15 more of them occupied by killi's at present....

 

I am sure that your 4g tank, along with several others that I follow closely, has brought many of us into the picoreef fold. I have read through your thread in its entirety 3 times. Interestingly, the 2 local reef stores I go to are highly familiar with Nano-Reef Forum and enthusiastic about it but one has as its smallest display reef a 180 gallon and the other a 240 gallon. They would pull in many new customers if they installed picoreefs.