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The Voodoo Pico 5g Picture Dump!


BuddhaReef

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This is my pico tank that I recently set up using non-traditional methods. All in all the tank has been up for 14 days.

 

S0Lg8no.jpg

 

My set up is in an AGA 5.5g with 4 x 3w actinic leds and 4 x 3w 10000k leds. I use only an Aqueon 500 gph powerhead for flow and have no other filtration than live rock and live sand.

 

On day one I used 10lbs of live sand as well as 9lbs of live rock (from a very very mature tank), filled with Red Sea salt water. I seeded the live rock with BioSpira.

 

On day two I used Continuum Aquatics Bacter gen-m to hopefully beef up nitrifiyng bacterial colonies as well as add some biodiversity. By the evening of day two I was able to add 2ml of ammonia and have it removed in 2 hours, I repeated this twice to be sure.

 

On day three I added my clean up crew and on day four I added my first corals, a zoa colony as well as a nice frag of GSP, both days continuing my Continuum regimen. (hehe)

 

Days five and six were closely monitored three times a day to ensure correct parameters and day seven led to extensive stocking of corals as well as the introduction of a silly yellow clown goby.

 

Day eight and nine were again monitored closely ensuring in-check parameters, followed by two more days of adding a coral here or a coral there.

 

Days twelve through the present have been about closely monitoring the system and ensuring perfect parameters.

 

 

My current clean up crew includes:

-3 nassarius snails

-2 turbo snails

-1 cerith snail

-1 nerite snail

-1 emerald crab

-2 peppermint shrimp

-1 micro bristle star

-a few bristleworms (being watched closely)

 

Corals include:

-zoanthid colony

-green star polyps

-hammer coral

-duncan

-goniopora (really ticked off from being knocked over by my clumsy hand)

-acans of different colors

-monti caps, one green and one blue polyp

-candy cane/trumpet coral

-2 rasta zoa polyps

 

I have one little yellow clown goby who is happy and eating.

 

H0WjZKT.jpg

In this you can see the hammer, rastas, as well as my candy canes with an unidentified fanning worm on its underside.

 

HklJBQd.jpg

 

TxR6uM5.jpg

 

UpEDSBJ.jpg

 

 

I have been keeping up with the Continuum regimen daily, as well as dosing small small amounts of a 2 part system every other day.

 

My maintenance regimen includes taking out one large cup of water amd replacing it with a fresh cup of water daily, as well as adding 1 1/2 cups of RO water at the same time each day to keep salinity in check. The key for me has been stabillity and attention to details with monitoring various tank parameters.

I also add a small piece of live rock from an established tank every time I add inhabitants.

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This is my pico tank that I recently set up using non-traditional methods. All in all the tank has been up for 14 days.

 

S0Lg8no.jpg

 

My set up is in an AGA 5.5g with 4 x 3w actinic leds and 4 x 3w 10000k leds. I use only an Aqueon 500 gph powerhead for flow and have no other filtration than live rock amd live sand.

 

On day one I used 10lbs of live sand as well as 9lbs of live rock (from a very very mature tank), filled with Red Sea salt water. I seeded the live rock with BioSpira.

 

On day two I used Continuum Aquatics Bacter gen-m to hopefully beef up nitrifiyng bacterial colonies as well as add some biodiversity. By the evening of day two I was able to add 2ml of ammonia and have it removed in 2 hours, I repeated this twice to be sure.

 

On day three I added my clean up crew and on day four I added my first corals, a zoa colony as well as a nice frag of GSP, both days continuing my Continuum regimen. (hehe)

 

Days five and six were closely monitored three times a day to ensure correct parameters and day seven led to extensive stocking of corals as well as the introduction of a silly yellow clown goby.

 

Day eight and nine were again monitored closely ensuring in-check parameters, followed by two more days of adding a coral here or a coral there.

 

Days twelve through the present have been about closely monitoring the system and ensuring perfect parameters.

 

 

My current clean up crew includes:

-3 nassarius snails

-2 turbo snails

-1 cerith snail

-1 nerite snail

-1 emerald crab

-2 peppermint shrimp

-1 micro bristle star

-a few bristleworms (being watched closely)

 

Corals include:

-zoanthid colony

-green star polyps

-hammer coral

-duncan

-goniopora (really ticked off from being knocked over by my clumsy hand)

-acan lords of different colors

-monti caps, on green and one blue ringed

-candy cane/trumpet coral

-2 rasta zoa polyps

 

I have one little yellow clown goby who is happy and eating.

 

H0WjZKT.jpg

In this you can see the hammer, rastas, as well as my candy canes with an unidentified fanning worm on its underside.

 

HklJBQd.jpg

 

TxR6uM5.jpg

 

UpEDSBJ.jpg

 

 

I have been keeping up with the Continuum regimen daily, as well as dosing small small amounts of a 2 part system every other day.

 

My maintenance regimen includes taking out one large cup of water amd replacing it with a fresh cup of water daily, as well as adding 1 1/2 cups of RO water at the same time each day to keep salinity in check. The key for me has

I also add a small piece of live rock from an established tank every time I add inhabitants.

Are you taking out and adding salt water each day or taking tank water out and replacing it with fresh water? Just to clarify, so you are basically doing a cup per day water change, right? If so, sounds great and that's something I may try ie: doing a quart daily water change instead of a 2 gal change weekly.

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Yeah sorry, you are correct. I feel that the cup a day helps more evenly export nutrients. I also do a bigger 3 cup change once a week.

 

Also when I say cup in that instance, it's more of a large plastic 30oz cup.

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Pretty sure I identified that hitchhiker, at first I thought (funnily) it was some type of spirobranchus, but I am 98% sure it's a star horseshoe worm.

 

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A little tank update:

I have added in a little more CUC to the tank, a pair of dwarf blue leg hermits and an additional peppermint, as well as another cerith. I have also added a red monti cap, a singular red mushy, a birdsnest frag, as well as another pound of live rock. I've updated my maintenance to using my diy bottle siphon vac to vacuum away the top layer of sand in a certain area every other day during my water changes as well as dosing every day instead of every other. I'm still doing a small WC every day just because it's so easy! Parameters all good and everything was fantastic until this evening.

 

Got home from work tonight to find half of my hammer eaten away, caught my new peppermint shrimp in the act with a "hammer" in his grasp. Fed the tank to keep the peppermint a little less hungry for the rest of the evening and put the hammer in a net in the corner of the tank.

 

While I was attempting to net the shrimp before moving the hammer I knocked over a piece of my new birdsnest coral, so I scooped up the hammer in the net while I hurriedly reached into the tank to grab the birdsnest before it got blown who knows where in the current and of course, displaced about a half gallon of water all over the table and myself. Now I have a birdsnest in one hand, a netted hammer coral in the other, a half of a gallon of saltwater everywhere, and my powerhead is gasping in newly found air, spitting water everywhere and spewing micro bubbles into the tank.

 

All in all a very frustrating evening. Anybody have any suggestions about the shrimp other than find somebody who wants one or take it to a lfs?

 

I'm assuming my tank was just underfed but now I'm just worried that it may consider corals a palpable food source and not stop even if properly fed.

 

I checked to be sure it was indeed a pep, not a camel shrimp and am positive it is a pep.

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I have myself had the exact same problem you had with the Peppermint Shrimp.

I'm sure it was a Pep, and I did catch it in the act.

They don't all do it, but sometimes they do and I don't trust them anymore.

Take it back.

Today was just one difficult day, you've had several other good days with this tank up to this point, hang in there. :)

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I really like your set up, nice job. I have a couple pieces of advice from my own experience. I'd keep an eye on your goby to make sure he doesn't stay perched on one coral because it could stress the coral out too much. Also, you may have too many clean up crew members for your 5 gallon unless you overfeed it. I've had a 5 set up for 2 years and only have 1 nassarius snail, 1 trocus snails, 1 hermit and 1 cowrie snail and have never had any algae problems with it. I would say you might want to consider relocating your turbos and maybe 1 or 2 of your nassarius snails. In the event that some of your clean up crew dies off I wouldn't replace them unless it happens years from now. Best of luck!

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I have myself had the exact same problem you had with the Peppermint Shrimp.

I'm sure it was a Pep, and I did catch it in the act.

They don't all do it, but sometimes they do and I don't trust them anymore.

Take it back.

Today was just one difficult day, you've had several other good days with this tank up to this point, hang in there. :)

Sorry to hear about your coral, but it is somewhat comforting to know it's not just me! And thank you, yeah I seem to have taken the good days for granted and was painfully reminded about the "challenging/frustrating" side of our hobby/addiction!

 

I really like your set up, nice job. I have a couple pieces of advice from my own experience. I'd keep an eye on your goby to make sure he doesn't stay perched on one coral because it could stress the coral out too much. Also, you may have too many clean up crew members for your 5 gallon unless you overfeed it. I've had a 5 set up for 2 years and only have 1 nassarius snail, 1 trocus snails, 1 hermit and 1 cowrie snail and have never had any algae problems with it. I would say you might want to consider relocating your turbos and maybe 1 or 2 of your nassarius snails. In the event that some of your clean up crew dies off I wouldn't replace them unless it happens years from now. Best of luck!

Thank you! Always appreciated.

I was worried the first time the goby perched up on the coral, so I chased him away with my turkey baster! But for whatever reason they find coral more comfortable or homey than the live rock. He spilts his time pretty evenly perched on the montis, the zoa colony or the goni; so far not too much irritation, but thanks to your suggestion I will definitely keep an eye on everybody.

And yeah, I was trying to be cautious with my clean up crew, but may have ended up overdoing it a bit. I feed relitively heavily to keep the goni happy, but even still I feel you are right, I could definitley donate a few members.

 

I don't know of anyone that would want a known coral eater. Take it back to the store.

Somebody with a GSP or a xenia problem maybe? Haha no you are right, I'll have to weather the LFS giving me crazy looks and snide comments. Or maybe mini shrimp cocktail....
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Got the little bugger! Unfortunately I had to remove almost the entirety of the tank to do so, so I approached it as an opportunity to rearrange my rockscape.

 

B7vHpOC.jpg

 

Not sure how I feel about the new scape, but time was of the essence and I did what I could do. Everything is incredibly irrate and sliming everywhere.

 

I used this chance to do a full glass scrub and suck off the entire top layer of my sand bed. I also have the new scape arranged in such a way I can access all walls for maintenance.

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I've seen peppermints do the same thing. Evil little guys.

All in all a very frustrating evening. Anybody have any suggestions about the shrimp other than find somebody who wants one or take it to a lfs?

Somebody with a GSP or a xenia problem maybe? Haha no you are right, I'll have to weather the LFS giving me crazy looks and snide comments. Or maybe mini shrimp cocktail....

Find someone with a predator tank and make a fish very happy?

Love the new scape; makes it look so much bigger.

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Thanks SunWyrm! I was a little worried about it but I agree, makes it seem more spacious.

 

And which coral did you see one munching on, if you don't mind my asking? I'm taking a little mental poll.

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Acans; I worked in a store that had them in the frag section, and they'd always bother the acans. It started with stealing food from their mouths, then graduated to them ripping at the coral's flesh and chowing down.

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Ouch, that can be painful especially with higher end acans, as opposed to a small hammer frag.

Also very coincidental seeing as I watched the same shrimp play tug of war with my rainbow acan frag!

 

HitRHSJ.jpg

 

This is the final set up of scape 2.0, so 2.1 if you will. Everything has adjusted well except for the goni who always takes a day to re-open, as well as the candy canes who are about half way there.

I tested the water after the tear down and reassembly to be cautious, and lo and behold I had an ammonia spike, did a 15% WC to help eliminate that and all params went back down to 0.

 

Csu86Nh.jpg

 

Here is the poor hammer, to which I've sneakily arranged to have his "good side" forward. He seems to be relatively ok and his tentacles are slowly re-inflating. I have high hopes it will make a full recovery.

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A little update!

 

Finally had the nerve to pull out the razor blade and start popping off frags from the plug! Not having anymore frag plugs is awesome, it allows a more natural look and I am better able to strategically place my frags for their flow and lighting requurements as well as compatibility.

 

Also, I saw a gorgeous tank full of finger gorgonians at a local pet shop. I went home and did a little research and realized that the store was seriously under charging for beautiful specimens. I felt that I would be able to provide for it adequately, so I went out and picked up a frag! Got about a 10" multi branching frag for a measly $16 USD.

 

I have it placed dead center in the sandbed, with the powerhead flowing right around it providing a descent flow to prevent algae growth. For feeding, I fashioned a 2L soda bottle into a feed chamber. I cut off the bottom and a rectangular portion off the side that allows me to place the bottle directly around the gorg up against the front of the tank. I cut holes in the bottom half of the aparatus on the side where flow contacts it, creating an upwellong effect in the feeding chamber. I can feed meaty foods directly into the bottle and the up flow allows the food to continuously circulate around the gorg as well as not allowing uneaten food to circulate the rest of the tank and muck up the water. This is something I picked up from reading about goniopora feeding strategies. So far it seems relatively happy, had polyp extension and feeding response so it seems to be off to a great start!

 

I am newly taken by the beauty of rock flower nems, and am seriously debating whether or not to place one in the pico. Anybody have any recommendations about this? I have heard they are relatively non aggressive, so far as nems go, and they have a fantastic reputation for being a hardy nem species. Any worries about one bothering my yellow clown goby?

 

I also picked up a beautiful porcelain crab, who would most likely host the nem and dissuade the goby from perching on it.

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lVQ6iKL.jpg

 

I know my glass is dirty, I am picking up a nimble nano today!

 

Also, my single red mushy blew away, and I have been waiting to see him set up camp somewhere. Today I did! It is in a surprisingly low light area but has awesome extension and seems happy.

 

 

N6W6E6h.jpg

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My goni is super temperamental but when he's open he's awesome. He seems to close up for a few days after feedings (crushed mysis and flake). No frag plugs is great.

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My goni is super temperamental but when he's open he's awesome. He seems to close up for a few days after feedings (crushed mysis and flake). No frag plugs is great.

Which type/color do you have?

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Which type/color do you have?

It's a green one. Took a chance on it from a Petco not really knowing what it was cause it was closed up. Only $15 so I figured why not. I have some pics in my thread.

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I have to say, you're whole setup is really awesome! That goni looks great! Does yours ever swell up when irritated?

 

Another little update:

 

I had a small algea bloom on the glass and I felt just scraping it off, without a filter would add a relatively signifant load to the biofilter,and to help keep up with the extra nutrient load from the extra feedings, I decided to add an AC30. At the moment I am just using the regular media basket with floss, phosguard, purigen, and carbon with the flow full tilt. I also clipped about a centimeter off the blades of my powerhead so I don't blow everything away. Tank seems to love the extra flow, and all the debris from vacuuming the sand and using my new nimble nano cleaner went right in to the floss, which I will rinse or change every other day or so.

 

My hammer shrimp snack seems to be recovering well which in nice, and the gorg is having healthy looking polyp extension, so everything seems good!

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I have been searching profusely for ricordea, and today I finally hit paydirt!

 

Got one yuma and one florida (as far as I am aware):

 

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I have to say, you're whole setup is really awesome! That goni looks great! Does yours ever swell up when irritated?

 

Thanks! Not much swelling. He usually just closes up if something isn't right. Salinity, for example, has an impact on him so I'm looking for a good ATO.

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A little update:

 

The tank is coming along nicely, learning something new everyday. I've found that with a larger clean up crew, I've got a larger amount of detritus than the detritus eaters can handle. I've taken to spot vacuuming detritus on the sand bed each day, as well as the removal of a small portion of sand. My near goal is to get all the sand out, or at least as much as is visible, and run a bare bottom. I feel I have plenty of live rock for filtration, and the sand helps keep detritus stuck to the bottom and out of my filter floss. I'd like to establish a GSP matt on one side and a zoa matt on the other. Any thoughts?

 

I am really liking having the AC30, it traps a lot of crud in the two days I run the floss before changing, and helps further steady the tank parameters. I am continuing daily small water changes, although now it just entails my vacuuming regimen. My Ca levels are suprisingly high, un the 460-480 range, even after discontinuing dosing for a few days, I think it has something to do with the new saltwater I am using Any ill effect at levels that high?

 

My gorgonian started shedding its waxy stress skin, so I helped it along and basted it to remove the layer. It seems to be doing well, feeding response and all.

 

My hammer is a little slower to recover than I had hoped, does anybody have any tips to ensure this little ones healthy recovery? (Munched by a pep, for those who haven't read my long and boring thread)

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