Jump to content
SaltCritters.com

dgphelps' 3 gallon Marineland Contour pico


dgphelps

Recommended Posts

Current FTS - April 13, 2015:

4130042.jpg

April 6, 2015:

4060013.jpg

March 27, 2015:

32700391.jpg

On Day 1 - February 22, 2015:

IMG_2854.jpg

I've decided to move the gorilla crab hitch-hiker and some other "pest" livestock to this 3 gallon pico for my son. Maintenance is 100% water changes on a regular basis (every 1-2 weeks) and regular feeding. Dosing with Reef Energy A&B and Phyto-Live on a regular basis along with flurry feeding of DIY food.

Livestock:

Tuxedo Urchin

Xenthid crab (gorilla crab)

Eunice valens (bobbit worm)

Pink star polyps

Zoanthids

Majano Anemone

Mushroom coral

Pink Anthelia

Chaeto

Flourishing pod/rock life

 

Equipment:

Marineland Contour, 3-Gallon

Aquatop NP-302 118-130 gph

Hydor 25W Submersible heater

Quad Band 3 white/2 blue LED E27 base

 

After many years out of the hobby, I have decided to dip my toes back in with a small reef pico. The hobby has changed a touch since I last kept a tank.

 

I've been researching to get back up to speed - it seems the hobby is still fraught with differing opinions so I've taken on the things that make sense to me and are within my means and budget.

 

I found a 3 gallon Mainland tank for a steal on Amazon Warehouse, $32 shipped. Of course I had to upgrade the pump, add a 25w heater, and am in the process of getting LED lighting from China. I have a simple 3 white, 2 blue LED now and it is fine with a loss of light near the edges. I have a 7 LED 21w on order with a standard bulb base to put into a gooseneck desk lamp sitting over the tank.

 

I removed the media and just have it flowing through the empty back area with only the powerhead and heater.

 

In the tank is roughly 1 pound of sugar sand with a touch of crushed coral in the high flow areas. I think I am turning about 170 gallons an hour with the Rio 210 powerhead with flow turned down. I have live rock from a friend's sump, not the purplest but it is filled with life. I went heavy on live rock, I would guess about 6-8 pounds? After rock, sand, and equipment I have just over 2.5 gallons of water.

 

I plan to do 100% water changes weekly following a reasonable to heavy feeding the night before. I am using RO/DI water and Instant Ocean salt mix.

 

The only live stock is a small frag of green star polyps, a tiny bit of xenia, and whatever life is in the rocks (I have seen multiple micro brittle stars, small bristle worms, feather worms, and pods). I also have a tiny ball of chaeto in the main tank area as a safe spot for pods not nutrient exporting. I plan to add some zoanthids and beyond that it will be based on how things go for stocking. Obviously no fish in the plans, maybe one day some sexy shrimp? Not sold on anything at this point.

 

The photos below are from week 3, I had to rescape slightly when I upgraded the pump so I will post some new pictures tonight.

post-87047-0-04868200-1423515416_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-26817300-1423515431_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-09347500-1423515432_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

A few shots of the updated rock-scape. The GSPs continue to look happy as do the feather duster worms but the xenia is not. I had to return the RIO (rattle was unbearable) and am waiting to receive an Aquatop 302 to replace it. The flow max is less but the Rio was way too powerful for such a small tank anyway.

post-87047-0-88841900-1423580887_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-15100800-1423580896_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Roland-Berlin

After many years out of the hobby, I have decided to dip my toes back in with a small reef pico. The hobby has changed a touch since I last kept a tank.

 

I've been researching to get back up to speed - it seems the hobby is still fraught with differing opinions so I've taken on the things that make sense to me and are within my means and budget.

 

I found a 3 gallon Mainland tank for a steal on Amazon Warehouse, $32 shipped. Of course I had to upgrade the pump, add a 25w heater, and am in the process of getting LED lighting from China. I have a simple 3 white, 2 blue LED now and it is fine with a loss of light near the edges. I have a 7 LED 21w on order with a standard bulb base to put into a gooseneck desk lamp sitting over the tank.

 

I removed the media and just have it flowing through the empty back area with only the powerhead and heater.

 

In the tank is roughly 1 pound of sugar sand with a touch of crushed coral in the high flow areas. I think I am turning about 170 gallons an hour with the Rio 210 powerhead with flow turned down. I have live rock from a friend's sump, not the purplest but it is filled with life. I went heavy on live rock, I would guess about 6-8 pounds? After rock, sand, and equipment I have just over 2.5 gallons of water.

 

I plan to do 100% water changes weekly following a reasonable to heavy feeding the night before. I am using RO/DI water and Instant Ocean salt mix.

 

The only live stock is a small frag of green star polyps, a tiny bit of xenia, and whatever life is in the rocks (I have seen multiple micro brittle stars, small bristle worms, feather worms, and pods). I also have a tiny ball of chaeto in the main tank area as a safe spot for pods not nutrient exporting. I plan to add some zoanthids and beyond that it will be based on how things go for stocking. Obviously no fish in the plans, maybe one day some sexy shrimp? Not sold on anything at this point.

 

The photos below are from week 3, I had to rescape slightly when I upgraded the pump so I will post some new pictures tonight.

 

 

Hello,

 

differing opinions in our hobby? Yes, there are a lot of subjects need to be discussed, many prejudices need to be reduced and even some fairy stories should be unmasked. I believe, that such a forum is a good place to enhance the hobby. So go on doing things, that makes sense to you and tell us about your success or (at least as important) about some failure.

I am curious about your reef evolution.

 

Greetings, R.

Link to comment

Welcome back to the hobby! I like the gsp up there, once it takes off maybe you can train it to grow on the back wall. I like that you're taking things slow and not making things overly complicated. Can you show a picture of the light a fixture above the tank?

Link to comment

Thanks! I'll get a pic with the light soon. It's just a gooseneck desk lamp sitting on top - I want to get a better setup for the led bulb soon.

 

I'm worries something is up. The gsp is looking wilted a bit and the Xenia is fully contracted. I did a tiny target feed today and several worms, pods, and feathers came out to eat. I turned the pump off and let them all eat. I noticed one micro brittle star along the back on the sand bed. Not sure if it was eating or if something was wrong. They always act a bit funny.

 

The water parameters are all normal, I worry it is too clean. Heater at 78 F, salinity at 1.024. I know gsp needs to acclimate to light so I turned them to shorter periods for now. The Xenia, I never have great luck with it even though others treat it like a weed. The feather dusters are all happy and opening regularly, a few are constantly open. Not sure if this is just an acclimation thing or a problem. :(

Link to comment

Here is a full tank shot. I am looking at a taller desk lamp I can use without needing to sit it on the tank.

 

I did a full water change in case there is an issue my tests aren't seeing. I noticed the salinity was a bit lower after calibration at 1.023 but nothing crazy. I bumped it up to 1.025 with the water change.

 

That micro brittle star is still on the sand grasping a sliver curl of chaeto. It is moving but strange it isn't hiding for over a day to me. The corals are still retracted but the feathers are all out and active as were several pods and worms this morning. Hope it's just a funny brittle star and corals adapting to the new lights.

post-87047-0-38021400-1423769561_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Noticed some algae growth. Most almost looks like coraline algae growth, it isn't fuzzy but calciferous. There is one fuzzy dense mat though confined to one to rock. I did a heavy feed with Sally's plankton and 5% spirulina powder I pureed in the blender on Saturday and did a 100% water change today. Everything is looking great and the pods, worms, etc are all looking happy.

 

I did a full water parameter check 48 jours after feeding and it was all in check. The odd acting brittle star is hanging in a rock on the sand bed. It's very active and looks good.

post-87047-0-15569500-1424114517_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-42956600-1424114530_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-59186700-1424114542_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

hey that looks nice, the rocks are really clean and the coralline is starting to color up. looking good

 

that algae doesnt look bad to me, it adds to the biota and if it ever seems to pop up else where or seem annoying you can simply lift out the rock and scrub it off or apply any number of additives to kill it

 

you will certainly still get algae doing full water changes

 

algae is not strongly linked to perfect water params, its how we stay so busy in the peroxide threads perpetually year after year.

 

 

it does respond well to nutrient overstripping to some degree if that can be balanced against coral loss. starting with a lower dose of GFO or known phosphate binders is a great idea, and not relying on them solely for algae control is the other part. they are preventers, we have the choice to remove or not.

.

all the big water changes do is allow you to feed like a monster and fatten up corals. what controls algae is if we simply choose to leave it in or kill it.

Link to comment

Welcome back to reefing! You've got a nice start with this pico :)

I plan on switching my current acrylic 3g to this glass 3g, do you like the back chambers? Or it is too cramped?

Link to comment

Thanks Brandon! It doesn't look problematic yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it. I'm all about prevention so I'll look into GFO now to work it into the program.

 

Hi Yoshii! I really like the tank, the 5g seemed too deep but now I wish I had gone a touch larger. Oh well. I love the back, hides the heater well and the upgraded pump. Also have space for the filter holder to pop some foam and or polishing pad in briefly to clean out any leftover food or detritus build up. In fact, I was thinking of building a little eggcrate holder to put something in for pod production. I feel like there is wasted space! Not sure exactly what to do. I also considered running a modded aquaclear fuge for the same purpose, more podz and critters!

Link to comment

I placed an order for a phosphate test kit and have GSO on my to buy soon list.

 

One thing to note, the purple looks better in the photos. My iPhone seems to want to render the rocks a bit nicer than my eye does. Not a huge difference, but I feel the need to call it out.

Link to comment

Got a decent picture of the brittle star and his duster cohort.

 

The frozen cubes are my first batch of DIY reef food. I thawed 6 cubes of Sally's Plantkon and rinsed well after a few soaks in cold filtered water to get out the binder. I then blended 4 of them with a touch of filtered water along with spirulina powder, about a teaspoon. Then I mixed by hand the larger plankton chunks in and put into an icecube tray. I added a few grains of frozen yeast into each just before they froze. Then chopped into 4ths when fully frozen and voila!

 

I'll likely add some marine snow type product and cyclopeeze or microalgal paste later.

post-87047-0-13196000-1424202327_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-36545000-1424202339_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Uh oh. I decided to stop by the LFS with my boys. I wanted to see if they had any small zoanthid frags. Well they did, and the guy gave me a really good deal. I'll get some photos when they open up, I believe I have something like 4-5 different colors - there were a few unopened at the shop so it'll be a surprise.

 

One of the rocks had a gorgeous green (almost GSP colored) majano in the midst of some green zoanthids that were all open and looked to be coexisting fine. I am thinking I might do a small majano jar. When I put the rocks and frags in my tank I noticed several really nice feather dusters, different than the white and reds I have already. My son then pointed at the CRAB, I thought he was joking but no, there is some hitchhiker crab in the majano rock. I need to get a picture to ID him. I was considering getting some inverts, though wasn't sure I'd go with a crab. I guess it depends on how it is. I could also try to adopt him out.

 

Edit - got a good look but no picture - definitely a xanthid crab (gorilla hairy style). Going to try and get him out and put him in my live rock storage tank in the garage.

Link to comment

Yes, hoping to get the new zoanthids to open tomorrow so I can take some photos. Unfortunately, I think my deal at the LFS may be ultimately detrimental. I noticed several small nudibranchs after lights out tonight, along with some weird pill shaped (cylindrical) bright green pods with cool antenna. They were like tiny, tiny green tic tacs with alien antenna. I ended up pulling out the rock with the magian and the crab and putting into a .5 gallon reef jar quarantine for tonight. I'll try to move the crab to my live rock holding tank tomorrow. I think I will risk keeping the majano. I really, really like it. If I had the money and energy I would be tempted to build a pest tank and just stock it with this type of stuff and brown zoanthids, etc. I'll clean up the few pictures I got today and get some up shortly.

Link to comment

Here are the ones I was able to get tonight.


Lots of tank shots and the new zoanthids, majano, duster, and crab. Some macro algae as well, tough to get off but I removed as much as I could and will likely keep at it.

post-87047-0-46844000-1424239673_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-14410600-1424239676_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-19591700-1424239678_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-33980200-1424239680_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-13644600-1424239681_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-35149900-1424239757_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-16683900-1424239760_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-66908600-1424239762_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-66852900-1424239764_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-56916100-1424239847_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-43114000-1424239848_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-22753700-1424239851_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-89020500-1424239900_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-71418000-1424239901_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-01037400-1424240029_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Quick list of all the living stuff I have seen in the tank since setting it up:

  • Aeolid nudibranch (remove?!)
  • Zoanthids
  • Xenia
  • Green Star Polyps
  • Amphipods
  • Copepods
  • Bristle Worms
  • Ulva sp. macro algae
  • Chaeto macro algae
  • Stomatella snail
  • Collonista snail
  • Coralline algae
  • Fan worms (Feather Dusters)
  • Foraminifora sp.
  • Porofera sp.
  • Majano anemone (remove?)
  • Brittle stars
  • Clam
  • Mussel
  • Xanthid crab (remove?)
Link to comment

Pulled out half of my macro kit (not the lights) and snapped some pictures of the nudis I have siphoned out. I have 5 out of the tank and from within/between the zoanthid polyps. I am so tempted to leave some but I want the zoanthids to do well. Maybe I will setup a zoanthid and nudi pest tank. One had made it's way to my GSPs, that would look pretty cool with the GSP coloring!

 

 

post-87047-0-04580100-1424284320_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-91030900-1424284320_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-89998800-1424284323_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

thats a helpful set of pics

 

 

very nice high quality corals and rock very purple nice

 

 

that brush algae should be killed. regardless of ID ive seen it become a prob and yours is easily killed using 10 diff methods of choice, select and apply.

 

the tank is off to an excellent start, theres pretty much no amount of coral you can't support that will physically fit in the tank with this kind of feeding and wc schedule. its simply off to a perfect start.

Link to comment

Thanks Brandon, I hope so! Any thoughts on removal of the nudis and the crab? I hesitate on having a wide range of diversity and a show tank. I doubt a crab and some nudibranchs would eat ALL my coral faster than it can grow. BUT, I'm leery no matter how nice those little slugs can look with some coloring.

 

I was planning on taking a flat head screw driver to the brush algae and just chipping that section off. There is also a reddish macro, just a touch, on another piece I might have a go at. I am ok with the chaeto and ulva, those can be easily controlled, but not sure about the others.

 

I also have at least one live rock too many now. I might have to make some choices on which to keep and which goes into the tub in the garage of live rock. Someone gave more than I needed and I can't bring myself to kill it. I plan on picking a nice piece for a small jar for my office. Maybe I'll pop some zoanthids and the nudis in that with a nice LED. My office is between 65 - 70F and without really being able to heat the jar I'm not sure how they'd do. Better than flushing them though I guess.

Link to comment

the chipped removal is one of the ten, its what cavemen and women used to do to get algae out in ancient times :) since it counts as biomass removal its golden idea. ive done it too. whatever makes it gone is exactly the right step, independent of nutrient measures as yours are ideal going solely off care method being tops in effort.

 

I had those nudis and I left them in and the rascals died lol its ok to take or leave them in my guesstimate

 

the macro is ok either way, it responds well to peroxide if it ever gets mean its not hard to set back if needed. for my own tank, id remove any macro and any algae simply because i want the most hands off experience i can get and those will work ya eventually but they look nice and are a totally normal inclusion on the real reef

Link to comment

Sometimes having kids is very helpful. My oldest son decided he wanted a reef tank to keep the gorilla crab hitchhiker. Somehow that translated into me getting an upgrade to the 5 gallon version of this tank.

 

So, I will continue to maintain this tank after moving several of the corals and rock pieces to the new tank. The live rock I have in reserve in a heated and circulated tub in the garage (also with worms, and pods and such) will be used in this tank to house the crab and other pests we come across with some corals that ideally grow faster than they are eaten. Say some GSP and Zoanthids. I really want the majano in my main tank (the new 5 gallon) but I think I'll let it live with the crab in this tank, at least for now. Hmm, decisions.

 

I plan to maintain both as outlined before with a 100% weekly water change following a generous feeding.

Link to comment

A few more tank and livestock shots. I really like the pale Zoanthids, they are really cool looking. The rest are reluctant to open and while predominately reddish/brown I notice some nice greens, reds, and oranges in them. Hoping with good lights and feeding they color up.

post-87047-0-17851100-1424411985_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-80233500-1424411988_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-17112400-1424411994_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-07667400-1424411997_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-43914400-1424412052_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-31600400-1424412053_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-51493100-1424412056_thumb.jpg

post-87047-0-37389100-1424412250_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Yes that is nice ! I miss the days where I had a bunch zos

 

I let red mushrooms run wild and they stung or blocked out a huge amount of my corals lol

 

I broke my own rule and w pay dearly: see an invader, remove an invader. Hesitate and pay the price

 

Shoulda chipped it out man lol

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...