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Petolo's first Pico


petolo

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Current Stocking list:

2 - Acans

GSP

Birds Nest

Mixed Zoas

Green Candy Cane

Purple/Pink Snow????

What looks like a filter feeder that hitched on one acan.

CUC - Snails only

Bristleworm hitchikers

 

 

Original post:

Hi all, just figured I'd document my start up on my first Pico reef and maybe get some comments and suggestions along the way. Trying to keep things stock at first so I can get back in the swing of things, it has been 2 years since my last tank.

So far I've got:
Marineland Portrait 5 gal
Live sand
4.5 gal of water

Had an adventure getting the tank too, using Amazon prime had a little shipping issue (packed the tank with nearly no support, lo and behold I received a demolished tank) so I have an extra light, pump, and filter assembly to play with. My thought there is if I need to I can mod the light to add it to the existing one and increase my output or allow for easy use of a timer. Tomorrow off to the LFS for a small piece of live rock and I have some other rock on the way to try and do a little aquascaping. In my mind's eye I see a pillar with a lower arch, kind of like a lowercase h if you will. Pics of the tank with both light settings but very cloudy since I literally just added the water about 10 minutes before the photos.

Long term plan: simple corals, a small clean up crew, and potentially a little scooter blenny or a watchman goby/shrimp combo since the GF likes the fish.

Sorry for the novel, feel free to share thoughts or ideas if you have any, otherwise hopefully I at least get some nice pictures out of this.

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Thanks for the info on rinsing Brandon, but the laziness in my came to bare and I decided I'll try that on the next tank (which if the SO doesn't murder me first will be soon :scarry: )

 

Picked up some Live Rock at the LFS, had never been to this particular one before, but since my old haunt burnt to a crisp apparently, this was next up. Added 4 pounds on the nose, and it dropped my vol to approx 4.25 gal. I'm not entirely happy with the scape though and I have a few pounds of dry coming from BRS, we will see what I can do with that. Once I'm happy I'll glue up so that my fat fingers don't ruin everything when I start working in the teeeeeeny tank. Figure it is 11.7"x11.6"x16" or something like that. As always, comments or thoughts welcome.

 


Above pic was side view, this is front view

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Do you know of anywhere I could check the specs on the light that came with the tank? I've tried researching and come up dry (which is saying something, finding obscure info online is part of my job description)

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I don't know much about that marineland lighting but even after finding the specs I think there's a better way to evaluate nano reef lights in question, finding examples. that's how I always chose my lighting and never off specs interestingly.

 

If you can google/forum search out a pico that took any frag of coral from a small plug to a big one, and see the details of the timelines that earned the growth with your light in question, that's case closed on if X light will work. If you cant find examples, perhaps your tank will become one and you'll tread new ground

 

I was on power compact lighting for 16 yrs and when leds came about ramping up in 2010, I didn't jump too quick as I had few examples.

 

well enough examples were in place by 12 I coulda went lol but did it only last month after finding a landslide of successful sps Kessil 160 tuna blue tanks, so I bought it without knowing the specs. naturally on a one gallon reef, it has to be kept turned down low but its wonderful and was pre-vetted by others so I didn't have to risk the purchase. Maritza the Vase reef was my motivation to go LED and also to make my setup not look 16 years ago lol

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I have done a bit of research like you suggested prior to buying the tank (knowing I was going in the reef direction). Guess I'm going to find out first hand. I have two of the lights so I might do some tinkering in the next few weeks to add it to the current one in case I need it. Like I said, I plan on detailing this tank here so as long as I keep on it there will be a reference for the next guy to try it.

 

On an action note, got some dry rock in from BRS, a heater, and magnetic cleaner. I have to say, I'm super impressed with the low profile of the cleaner, it only sticks up about 1/8'' max, so would be able to get some tight spots if you have them (here is a link if anyone is interested http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JSTHXS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00). Heater is adjustable so I worked it over a day using the digital thermometer, and last I read it I was at 77.9 deg F. Some new aquascaping and I think I'm ready to get a tester and see how levels are looking to hopefully get life in here as soon at it is ready.

 

Essentially I pulled one rock which was the densest with the fewest holes and swapped for a piece I broke off of the dry rock, and scaped a little differently. Leaves me a lot of room at the top of the tank but I like the look.

 

http://s1036.photobucket.com/user/petolo/media/005_zps9fkq59oz.jpg.html]http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a443/petolo/005_zps9fkq59oz.jpg

 

 

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Had to go to three pet stores trying to find a saltwater test kit to see where I lie on the cycle range, finally got my hands on one, will check levels when I get off work.

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Took a test today, not sure if there is much going on since it all looks like zero's across the board to me. Any recommendations against finding something cheap/hardy to put in there and see what happens?

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Yours is turning out nicely also. I am not sure why you don't see more of these tanks. It doesn't look like many people were doing saltwater with this one while I was researching before I got mine. it is a nice little AIO 5 Gal.

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Yours is turning out nicely also. I am not sure why you don't see more of these tanks. It doesn't look like many people were doing saltwater with this one while I was researching before I got mine. it is a nice little AIO 5 Gal.

Thanks! I agree, jury is still out on the light but for $60 it leaves you a lot of room for upgrades in other departments.

 

I picked up a little something today, LFS had these for 10 bucks a piece, not really sure what the polyps are, was kinda distracted when I was buying, but I figured worst case I'm not out much and learn some lessons. Any confident ID's appreciated.

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Plz do not put a scooter blenny in that tank. it needs a constant diet of copepods and is expert only. overall, its looking pretty cool

the first and second are green star polyps and the second is a type of encrusting lps but we need a better pic of it to give you a more exact id

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10-4 on the blenny, would a watchman goby shrimp combo do ok?

 

I saw some white "smoke" coming from underneath the gsp, is that normal?

 

On a side note I was able to separate the led bar from the extra light I have pretty easily, so I'm going to give it a week on stock lights and if that isn't satisfying me I'll add the second light bar.

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FlowLikeWater

Took a test today, not sure if there is much going on since it all looks like zero's across the board to me. Any recommendations against finding something cheap/hardy to put in there and see what happens?

 

 

It doesn't look like your tank has cycled yet. Are you thinking otherwise?

 

^ I agree. I assume there is nothing showing up on his test yet because your just now starting to get an ammonia reading.

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Sounds fair, I'm going to keep testing regularly to get a feel for this tank, I think you are both probably right, impatience gets me itching to add things (even though I've certainly read enough to know I shouldn't)

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http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/page-2#post-2690761

 

 

 

you have mixed groups by the way, both a and b, because of your benthic life you showed in previous pics, those can only come from fully cycled rocks.

 

takeaway from that read is:

-don't use api ammonia for any decisions, only as entertainment and a source of confusion

-whether any fish is right for a pico is independent of cycling status since that is finite, and can be pre-assessed or actually tested, whether a cycle is done is finite, and has a verifiable start date. that part is relevant here

 

by removing all doubt about cycle, you can move on to the right venture in whatever you are hunting. cycle is in doubt currently, and easily discernible.

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Brandon, not entirely sure I understand the line about removing doubt about cycle? Are you saying that because of the first line in your post you are saying the cycle is "complete" (on the fully cycled rocks)? Or simply to be more concerned that levels are right and that I consider the bio load and what I am doing to the tank/inhabitants as I go along?

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my best summary of that thread would be these highlights:

-the true known start point of any reef aquarium is when the system can digest 2ish ppm of ammonia down to zero within 24 hours, a few times. at that point any basic bioload can be ran reasonably.

-api ammonia test kits are prone to always indicating .25 and if you have a good test that doesn't, no prob. but for hundreds they seem to see .25 always, and are always concerning over the cycle status so we thought making the specific endpoint known would help that. many times we need a non api test to know.

 

-when you have organisms living in the tank, no spikes can be made to test for digestion, we must assume cycled at that point so we don't burn them purposely testing.

-any coralline evident on live rocks means those are cycled, without testing. as long as you don't vastly exceed in bioload what a few good chunks of live rock can do, your fine.

-your own tank seems to be a mix of a and b class rocks from the thread. not because all of it wasn't cycled, but because on first view some seems to have coralline and some doesn't, I bet its all live. if your fish were in a tank not cycled, they'd be panting at the top. based on benthic clues on your rock and behavior of the fish, we know your cycle is probably done without any testing.

no coral will open polyps in true .25 ammonia presence...corals are fine benthic indicators of ammonia or not.

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Makes sense to me, appreciate you breaking it down.

 

I have been testing every couple days just to see if anything shows up in case something does spike. Yesterday's test showed zeros across the board still, so I'm either not worried and just enjoying the process, or my tester is whacked out and I'm falsely complacent which might not be bad either. Tank is looking good and clean, and everyone seems pretty happy.

 

I did add the second light to put a little more blue in and the GSPs seemed to like that.

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At the LFS yesterday, couldn't help myself, and the lady saw the pink one so I couldn't argue (especially at the price). I with the added bits and a little movement to see how things are doing this is how things currently stand.

 

Can anyone confirm the name of the pink one, guy at the store called it pink/purple snow. And the other item birds nest

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an acanthastrea and a montipora is what I see if not mistaken, fine pieces to regenerate here. in these smaller tanks you can spot feed these guys and change water extra for 3 mos sustained and build them up nicely

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What sort of food? and just use like a baster or pipette to squirt it at them? I think I need to dip them as well, looks like something is crawling around on them and irritating the pink guys

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