1/2 gallon pico

[sdunkin]

I am thinking about turning a 1/2 gallon red sea deco art acrylic tank as a pico. It has a small HOB filter on it (not sure how good of a filter), and a 7 watt (7200k) florescent light. Would the light be enough for some easy corals? Would I need to add anything else to it? I don't think that I will need a heater, as the room that it will be in stays at about 78 degrees all of the time, but would I need an additional powerhead?

 

I don't want any fish in it (the tank is way way too small), but I thought about putting a sexy shrimp or two in it, would that be okay? I mainly want color in it, so I would be happy with just corals if that is all that I could put in there.

[MDeth]

Need more light, and I wouldn't waste my $ on that tank.

The filter is HORRIBLE and shuts off randomly

 

I'd get a JBJ picotope

[sdunkin]

I already have 2 of them from back in the freshwater days (I got them on clearance at Petco for $4 a piece ), and I have some extra live sand so I thought about going ahead and setting it up. I would have to buy LR and then any other live things that I would want in the tank, but other than that I already have everything. I don't remember ever having problems with the filters at all, but it has been a little while since they were up and running.

[mushroom head]

Yeah i have one of those filters and i have no problems with it, but i would set it up for fun. You could put some zoas and some shrooms in there. Make sure to post pics!

[sdunkin]

Yeah i have one of those filters and i have no problems with it, but i would set it up for fun. You could put some zoas and some shrooms in there. Make sure to post pics!

 

I was just thinking about setting it up because I already have most of the stuff to get it going. My other tank is still cycling, so I thought about setting one of the 1/2 gallon ones up just for grins and giggles. I wonder if I could put chaeto in the HOB filter?

[epicfish]

No. Not gonna be enough to help. It won't get any light either.

 

I'd put a few sexy shrimp in there and maybe try a mushroom to see if it lives.

[yankeereefer]

Here's a link to the pico I did with that same tank you're working with.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...mp;#entry887691

 

YR

[shiveley]

that's so small...hope you don't mind topping it off every other day. I have a 3G and it's hard to keep the water level consistent, I can't imagine that it would be an easy feat to keep a 1/2G stable.

[sdunkin]

Here's a link to the pico I did with that same tank you're working with.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...mp;#entry887691

 

YR

 

Thanks yankeereefer! I'll have to try cutting down the stand thingy on the light so that it is closer to the tank. I think that I will just set it up and see how it does. I think that I will get a mushroom to start out with and then see how it goes. How long will it take to cycle if I am using cured live rock, and sand/water from a mostly established (4 week old) tank? How long until I could put the shroom in? Could I try a Ricordea, or would it not have enough light?

[fxman]

Hey Sdunkin,

I be watching your progress. I just picked up a 1/2 gallon tank also.

Good luck with your project.

[sdunkin]

Hey Sdunkin,

I be watching your progress. I just picked up a 1/2 gallon tank also.

Good luck with your project.

 

Good luck with your pico too!!!

 

I think that mine will be my project for this weekend, and I will post pics when I get it running. I am going to have to steal some of the live sand out of my 12, and then use water from the 12's water change, in the hope that it will cycle a little faster. I am going to have to get more live rock (which I need for my other tank too), but other than that I think that I have every thing that I will need to set it up. Plus, if I like this one I have another one that I can set up!

[yankeereefer]

Your ric should be fine - I had a purple yuma in mine when it was running.

 

Your cycle should be small if at all - Make sure you keep topped off. Get yourself a toothbrush to clean the tank walls.

 

YR

[sdunkin]

Thanks again yankeereefer!

 

I set up the tank today, so I figured that I would post some pics. I think that it needs more LR in it, so I will probably go get some more for it this week. It has about 1/2lb of live sand in it. I took the sponge out of the HOB, and I am just running it with a small bag of purigen at the moment. I was going to cut down the stem to the light, but I think that I am going to wait a few days to see how the tank does with it as it is.

[irishtexan]

That looks really good! Yeah I wouldnt add at ton of rock so you can still clean the glass easily. Toothbrush works well for that.

 

For the rockwork, I think it would look cool with a little mound of rock in the middle;or have the rock up the back wall; or have the rock built up on the back wall and sides.

 

What are you planning on coral wise?

 

 

-texx

[sdunkin]

That looks really good! Yeah I wouldnt add at ton of rock so you can still clean the glass easily. Toothbrush works well for that.

 

For the rockwork, I think it would look cool with a little mound of rock in the middle;or have the rock up the back wall; or have the rock built up on the back wall and sides.

 

What are you planning on coral wise?

-texx

 

Thanks. I am not planning on adding much more, but I think that it looks a little bare with only one rock. I figured that I would get another couple rocks that are about the same size as the one in the tank now and mound them in the middle, so that it will be easier to clean.

 

I think that I am just going to start out with a ricordea or mushroom of some kind, and maybe a zoanthid that can take lower light conditions. I was looking on sealifeinc.net and there were some deep water zoas that I hope I have enough light for. I don't have any experience with corals, so I want to get some that are fairly forgiving.

 

Another pic:

[fxman]

Hey has yours cycled? My nitrates are still at about 15-20. I took rock and water from my Bio, but there was a little sand in there when I bought it. I added a little from my main tank to try to activate it.

 

Hey has yours cycled? My nitrates are still at about 15-20. I took rock and water from my Bio, but there was a little sand in there when I bought it. I added a little from my main tank to try to activate it.

[sdunkin]

Hey has yours cycled? My nitrates are still at about 15-20. I took rock and water from my Bio, but there was a little sand in there when I bought it. I added a little from my main tank to try to activate it.

 

To be honest, I haven't tested it yet. I threw a little bitty piece of shrimp in it earlier today and will probably test it tomorrow and see where it is at. Plus, I am planning on adding more live rock. I used everything from my mostly cycled eclipse 12.

[sdunkin]

The tank has shown only little signs of a cycle, but I am going to wait at least another few weeks to let it mature and make sure that it will be okay. I tested the water params today, and everything was normal. I do have to top it off twice a day, but so far so good.

 

My only question is why is it getting a foggy clear slime on the top of the water and what can I do to remove/prevent it?

[Matty1124]

that is surface scum.... that is the reason people use surface skimmers... you can make it so that your filter draws from the surface and not middle of the tank it will take care of it

[sdunkin]

Just an update: The tank seems to of balanced out already and I am getting a small diatom bloom right now. I added another small piece of LR the other day. I think that it is done with what little cycle that it had, and I am just letting in mature a week or two before I try putting anything in the tank.

 

I have a bunch of red hair algae growing on one of the rocks, what should I do about that? It is growing really slow, but I am afraid that it will compete with some of the corals that I would like to put in there.

[Matty1124]

do you have any CUC up there? i would throw in a snail or two

[sdunkin]

do you have any CUC up there? i would throw in a snail or two

 

Not yet, but I ordered some hermits and snails today so I will probably throw one of each in there (at least for a while) when I get them.

[irishtexan]

So hows everything going so far? What are you planning on adding coral wise?

 

Also, I think a couple sexy shrimp would look awesome in there.

[sdunkin]

So hows everything going so far? What are you planning on adding coral wise?

 

Also, I think a couple sexy shrimp would look awesome in there.

 

The tank seems to be doing good It is getting a small diatom bloom now, so I am assuming that it is getting close to finishing the cycle, but I am going to test it later to see where it is at.

 

Coral wise, I haven't made up my mind yet. I am thinking about a ricordea, a mushroom, and maybe some zoas, but I really don't know. The main problem that I am having is that I really don't know the sizes of some of the potential corals. There really isn't any LFS in my area that sells corals, so I am going to have to order online and I am afraid that I will over-order.

[lil'wrasse cool]

clean the algea off the first rock it could take over your whole tank.. red hair algea?