El Fab's Pico Reef: 2007–2010

[pschom]

Great thread, although I don't have time to sort all the pages to find the answer to my question: where can I get a glass top for this tank? Thx.

[fmfa0801]

Are you starting up a new tank or getting out of the hobby??

[el fabuloso]

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=223049

[ALNN]

Lol took me a week to plow through this tread jsut to find out it was nomorreee but yah gotta say this tank was awesome. Thinking about starting my own mr.aqua 7.5 pico/ nano now cause of this

 

Great work tho and for sure a legend

 

-Allan

[Ky726]

Hello! I'm new here...VERY...new...anyways, I just wanted to say "thank you" for all the awesome pics of your pico. I've actually been following the progress of it for awhile now. I'm FINALLY starting my first 2 reef tanks (3 gal pico/27 nano) and finally signed up to nano reef.com but have been planning and researching for a couple years now. Your threads are the ones I always come back too. They've been super helpful in several of my equipment & planning choices. I look forward to seeing and reading more. Thanx again

[FLNanoReefer]

I just got a Yasha Goby and wanted to pair him up with a pistol shrimp. What type of pistol shrimp did you have yours paired up with? Thanks!

[--Mark--]

First off, great tank el fab! It, like many others, inspired me to get a pico. It was sad to see it go.

 

And second off, don't you think we've waited long enough for a new pico?! Lets get a new and improved one on the go!

 

 

 

Mark

[Narzyzz_12]

@el fabuloso You sir are truly the King of picos.Ever since I first read your TOTM report I've been dying to set up a pico in hope that it would some day be even a fraction as awesome as yours.Just about a month ago I started reading your thread and set up a tiny Mr.Aqua 3g(actually empty volume 2.5g ),this will be my 4th reef tank. I still have my BC 29,20L and a nuvo 8g it seems I keep going smaller and smaller lol.If your were to start another pico what would you do differently?Anyways can't believe it's nearly been a decade since this Legendary Pico was created.

[Weetabix7]

4 hours ago, Narzyzz_12 said:

@el fabuloso You sir are truly the King of picos.Ever since I first read your TOTM report I've been dying to set up a pico in hope that it would some day be even a fraction as awesome as yours.Just about a month ago I started reading your thread and set up a tiny Mr.Aqua 3g(actually empty volume 2.5g ),this will be my 4th reef tank. I still have my BC 29,20L and a nuvo 8g it seems I keep going smaller and smaller lol.If your were to start another pico what would you do differently?Anyways can't believe it's nearly been a decade since this Legendary Pico was created.

 

I'm actually quite interested to see his answer to this. 

[RayWhisperer]

I'd like to ask him what happened to his joint build with dem bones? 

[el fabuloso]

On 7/9/2017 at 2:26 AM, Narzyzz_12 said:

@el fabuloso You sir are truly the King of picos.Ever since I first read your TOTM report I've been dying to set up a pico in hope that it would some day be even a fraction as awesome as yours.Just about a month ago I started reading your thread and set up a tiny Mr.Aqua 3g(actually empty volume 2.5g ),this will be my 4th reef tank. I still have my BC 29,20L and a nuvo 8g it seems I keep going smaller and smaller lol.If your were to start another pico what would you do differently?Anyways can't believe it's nearly been a decade since this Legendary Pico was created.

 

Wow. Thanks for resurrecting this thread and reminding me how long I've been away from this hobby!

 

That's a really good question and if you had asked me that five years ago, I don't think I would've been able to give you a concrete and honest answer. If I were to start another pico, I wouldn't focus on anything else but that pico. I feel like a big part of what made my tank successful is that I dedicated my efforts into it and as my first reef tank, I gave it my full undivided attention. It wasn't until I had a second tank that the pico started to fall by the wayside.

 

The Red Sea Max was meant to be a grow-out tank. Anything that had overgrown the pico was easily transferred and fragged over to the larger tank and the added space allowed me to play with different ideas that I couldn't otherwise run with in a pico (e.g. larger fish, larger inverts, anemones, etc.). As the pico matured it ran into some growing pains and instead of really focusing on the problem, it was just a lot easier to move things out of it and into the larger tank. It didn't take long for the RSM to become the main star as the pico spiraled into neglect to the point where it just made a lot of sense to consolidate everything into a healthy tank than to try and hold on to one that was clearly on the verge of crashing so I decided it was time to pull the plug and let it go.

 

At first I thought of the RSM as just another pico but bigger and roomier but it honestly did not bring the same joy and satisfaction as trying to squeeze an ocean into a three-gallon glass box. Running a pico requires strong attention to detail and a level of meticulousness that would drive most people insane. Ironically the thing that turned people away from running a pico, was also the very thing that made me happy. It would take another five years for me to realize that.

 

An even bigger factor was the overwhelming pressure of running a successful pico. Starting that tank was largely accidental and I always felt that its ongoing success was just as much of an accident. Maybe it was a case of impostor syndrome but part of me never understood all the attention that the tank had generated. It was my first reef tank and I was just figuring it all out as I went along. Some things worked for me, some things didn't and I was happy to share those things with anyone. My Pico Guide was a hit and everyone was reading it and following my steps and before I knew it, it was being translated into other languages and being shared by people in other parts of the world.  It was flattering but also terrifyingly perplexing and that feeling always held me back from starting over for fear of being exposed as a hack.

 

I secretly tried to restart my pico a few times and never got past cycling. I figured as long as no one knew about it no one had to know if I didn't follow through. But in all honesty my heart was just into it and my mind was somewhere else. Between changing careers, dealing with the passing of a loved one, bouts of depression and alcoholism and ultimately moving cross country, I finally gave up on the idea completely.

 

With that, I miss the hobby tremendously. And after almost ten years after starting that first tank, I feel like I'm ready to start all over again. That people still remember my tank all these years later means that I did something right, no matter how accidental it may all feel. I created a small thing that ended up being larger than myself and that's not a bad thing. Especially if it's something that brought some happiness to me and a lot of people.

 

So what would I do differently? I would focus on the parts that made me happy: having a simple setup that is balanced and finely tuned to creating a harmonious world in a very tiny space. Now it's just a matter or choosing the right time to finally jump back in the water.

 

tl;dr: don't keep all your emotions in a glass box.

[RayWhisperer]

On 7/9/2017 at 8:59 AM, RayWhisperer said:

I'd like to ask him what happened to his joint build with dem bones? 

 

[el fabuloso]

On 7/9/2017 at 9:59 AM, RayWhisperer said:

I'd like to ask him what happened to his joint build with dem bones? 

 

That project is on hold indefinitely 

[RayWhisperer]

Buncha vacillators.

[debbeach13]

Great to hear from you El Fab. When you are ready it would be fun to see your next set up. I was one of the many that followed your pico. 

[Nano sapiens]

10 hours ago, el fabuloso said:

 

Wow. Thanks for resurrecting this thread and reminding me how long I've been away from this hobby!

 

That's a really good question and if you had asked me that five years ago, I don't think I would've been able to give you a concrete and honest answer. If I were to start another pico, I wouldn't focus on anything else but that pico. I feel like a big part of what made my tank successful is that I dedicated my efforts into it and as my first reef tank, I gave it my full undivided attention. It wasn't until I had a second tank that the pico started to fall by the wayside.

 

For anyone with a pico or nano, your statement above is spot-on IMO.  Too often one sees multiple tanks set up in a household and, consequently, attention is spread out too wide and none of them develop to their full potential.  If one desires a really nice small reef tank that prospers for years, it requires sustained commitment...plain and simple.  This can be a fulfilling experience for some...and a torture for others (depending on personality type).

 

Very forthcoming and honest assessment of your pico journey.  I especially liked your reference to the expectations that come with having a well known and successful tank/guide and how that related to your future attempts at starting new small tanks.

 

My personal take on a reef tank (and how it relates to the forums) is that it has to be something that I really enjoy, first and foremost.  If I ever loose that feeling (for an extended period of time), then no matter how well known it might be, it'll be taken down.

 

Best of luck in your future pico reef keeping endeavors.

 

Ralph.

 

 

[Lula_Mae]

When you do start another tank, I hope you'll share it.  Your tank was one of my original inspirations for getting into the hobby and I, and many others, will look forward to following along on your next reefing journey.

[Christopher Marks]

On 7/22/2017 at 10:56 PM, el fabuloso said:

With that, I miss the hobby tremendously. And after almost ten years after starting that first tank, I feel like I'm ready to start all over again. That people still remember my tank all these years later means that I did something right, no matter how accidental it may all feel. I created a small thing that ended up being larger than myself and that's not a bad thing. Especially if it's something that brought some happiness to me and a lot of people.

 

So what would I do differently? I would focus on the parts that made me happy: having a simple setup that is balanced and finely tuned to creating a harmonious world in a very tiny space. Now it's just a matter or choosing the right time to finally jump back in the water.

I love this  

[Weetabix7]

3 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I love this  

 

Yep, this. 

I identify with it too. 

[el fabuloso]

On 7/23/2017 at 2:47 AM, RayWhisperer said:

Buncha vacillators.

 

Millennials… mirite?

[el fabuloso]

On 7/23/2017 at 0:26 PM, Nano sapiens said:

For anyone with a pico or nano, your statement above is spot-on IMO.  Too often one sees multiple tanks set up in a household and, consequently, attention is spread out too wide and none of them develop to their full potential.  If one desires a really nice small reef tank that prospers for years, it requires sustained commitment...plain and simple.  This can be a fulfilling experience for some...and a torture for others (depending on personality type).

 

In my experience a big pitfall in this hobby is trying to play out all the the possible options and outcomes by constantly chasing after certain things. "I want this fish but I need a bigger tank… I need a separate tank for that shrimp… I need a cold water setup for that coral…" etc. And it's a very normal feeling when you're new to the hobby and you get the itch to try your hand at everything. I feel like I'm past that. I haven't kept everything that's out there but I've been through enough to know what I want and don't want.

[JoeR]

Hey El Fab,

You said that you modded an Aquaclear 70 right? The one for 40-70 Gallon tanks with 300 gph flow rate? I just noticed that mine is actually an Aquaclear 20- huge difference! No wonder I'm battling cyano that I can not for the life of me get to go away, regardless of perfect parameters.  You also mentioned you had to turn it to the lowest flow- you think it would be just as good to get the AC 50 and set it to the highest setting? Really don't want to spend another $50 on a filter but I might have to...

 

figured adding a pic of mine might help with your advice...

[MockandRoll]

On 7/23/2017 at 0:56 AM, el fabuloso said:

 

Wow. Thanks for resurrecting this thread and reminding me how long I've been away from this hobby!

 

That's a really good question and if you had asked me that five years ago, I don't think I would've been able to give you a concrete and honest answer. If I were to start another pico, I wouldn't focus on anything else but that pico. I feel like a big part of what made my tank successful is that I dedicated my efforts into it and as my first reef tank, I gave it my full undivided attention. It wasn't until I had a second tank that the pico started to fall by the wayside.

 

The Red Sea Max was meant to be a grow-out tank. Anything that had overgrown the pico was easily transferred and fragged over to the larger tank and the added space allowed me to play with different ideas that I couldn't otherwise run with in a pico (e.g. larger fish, larger inverts, anemones, etc.). As the pico matured it ran into some growing pains and instead of really focusing on the problem, it was just a lot easier to move things out of it and into the larger tank. It didn't take long for the RSM to become the main star as the pico spiraled into neglect to the point where it just made a lot of sense to consolidate everything into a healthy tank than to try and hold on to one that was clearly on the verge of crashing so I decided it was time to pull the plug and let it go.

 

At first I thought of the RSM as just another pico but bigger and roomier but it honestly did not bring the same joy and satisfaction as trying to squeeze an ocean into a three-gallon glass box. Running a pico requires strong attention to detail and a level of meticulousness that would drive most people insane. Ironically the thing that turned people away from running a pico, was also the very thing that made me happy. It would take another five years for me to realize that.

 

An even bigger factor was the overwhelming pressure of running a successful pico. Starting that tank was largely accidental and I always felt that its ongoing success was just as much of an accident. Maybe it was a case of impostor syndrome but part of me never understood all the attention that the tank had generated. It was my first reef tank and I was just figuring it all out as I went along. Some things worked for me, some things didn't and I was happy to share those things with anyone. My Pico Guide was a hit and everyone was reading it and following my steps and before I knew it, it was being translated into other languages and being shared by people in other parts of the world.  It was flattering but also terrifyingly perplexing and that feeling always held me back from starting over for fear of being exposed as a hack.

 

I secretly tried to restart my pico a few times and never got past cycling. I figured as long as no one knew about it no one had to know if I didn't follow through. But in all honesty my heart was just into it and my mind was somewhere else. Between changing careers, dealing with the passing of a loved one, bouts of depression and alcoholism and ultimately moving cross country, I finally gave up on the idea completely.

 

With that, I miss the hobby tremendously. And after almost ten years after starting that first tank, I feel like I'm ready to start all over again. That people still remember my tank all these years later means that I did something right, no matter how accidental it may all feel. I created a small thing that ended up being larger than myself and that's not a bad thing. Especially if it's something that brought some happiness to me and a lot of people.

 

So what would I do differently? I would focus on the parts that made me happy: having a simple setup that is balanced and finely tuned to creating a harmonious world in a very tiny space. Now it's just a matter or choosing the right time to finally jump back in the water.

 

tl;dr: don't keep all your emotions in a glass box.

Very honest and insightful response about life and reefing. Well #@&!, now I have to find the time to read a 61 page thread. 

[teenyreef]

On 7/24/2017 at 4:49 PM, Christopher Marks said:

I love this  

Me too! Reading El Fab's comments hit home with my experience with my 4g pico. I felt the same way, just trying to do something I really loved and somehow make my first reef tank work. Having only one tiny tank to maintain meant it was perfectly OK to spend hours pulling out every rock and crushing every single vermetid worm. Several times a month 

The results were worth it because it was just simply fun to be able to have so much control over every aspect of the tank. I've never done bonsai trees, but I think of it as being something very similar.

Thanks for the great writeup, @el fabuloso, without it I don't think I would ever have started my tank and I probably wouldn't be reefing today!

[JoeR]

4 hours ago, teenyreef said:

Me too! Reading El Fab's comments hit home with my experience with my 4g pico. I felt the same way, just trying to do something I really loved and somehow make my first reef tank work. Having only one tiny tank to maintain meant it was perfectly OK to spend hours pulling out every rock and crushing every single vermetid worm. Several times a month 

The results were worth it because it was just simply fun to be able to have so much control over every aspect of the tank. I've never done bonsai trees, but I think of it as being something very similar.

Thanks for the great writeup, @el fabuloso, without it I don't think I would ever have started my tank and I probably wouldn't be reefing today!

I have and do. Yes they are very similar, and a lot of people who grow bonsai also keep aquariums- must be the common fascination with nature.