Diggman's 2gal Pico

[airangel]

Following along as I'm about to do nearly the same thing. Black sand but from the get go. I heard you seriously need to rinse and re rinse it though.

 

I'm planning a 3.6g Pico as I've got a lot of little frags getting lost in my 24gAP. Will be watching this to see how things work out with the black sand if you do decide to do it, not many threads of black sanded tanks out there.

[diggman08]

thanks for following my thread airangel... you talking about it makes me just wanna suck it up make the Switch ill probably just do it... my tank is only 1 month old.. so its not going to have a huge spike or anything..i really wanted the black sand anyway.. i was just impatient at the time of setup and alls they had was the white seeded sand....

 

ill have some pics up this evening as is sits currently..

 

i have a question for you guys.. i have 1 Scarlet Hermit, 2 blue legs, 1 red leg, and 1 Emerald crab... is this too much for my Pico.. i had 2 snails in also , but they didnt last long with the army of crabs.. should i take some out???

[airangel]

I wish they sold the black sand in smaller bags....best price online I found the #20 was 12.99 (plus ship), I do have a bunch of tiny tanks though

 

I just bought spray paint & masking tape.....too hot to spray tank in yard right now, but think black back, black trim and black sand will look really nice.

 

I wonder too about a CUC and inhabitants as my tank won't be all that much bigger than yours. I'm thinking about 2 snails, 2 hermits and thought about an emerald crab and wondering could I add anything else. I have a ycg who will go into the tank also. So following for responses on your question.

[Matty1124]

i have seen the black sand in small bags... cant remember where though... i know they sell them

[diggman08]

yeah they sell them at my LFS.. but it is not that Taihatan moon sand.. its some other brand... not as fine and black as the tahiatan.. lucky me rehype is sending me a small bit of the tahiatan he has left over along with the light

[airangel]

If my LFS carries it, its the same #20 bag but sold for a lot more than the $12.99.

Mebbe I'll go into business selling smaller quantities out of my #20 bag, lol. Gotta finance this hobby some way.

I did hear the tahitian is sharp grains, wonder how that will fair with snails and such?

[diggman08]

yes it is very abrehsive.. its not actually from the ocean.. it comes fom volcanic whatever...

 

 

anyway here some pics..

 

scarlet hermit crab

purple green Yuma

green clown goby ( what you lookin at)

green clown goby

i got this cool rock out of BC29 when i was breaking it down.. it was shoved under the sand bed... i like it alot... ( blue/orange Yuma, and Green Florida Ric)

FTS with the new aquascape and coral placement.

as you can see the rocks are getting that color too them.. i know the tanks on its way now!!

thanks guys... the next set of pics will be with the NEW LIGHTS and Maybe Black Sand..

[divecj5]

Rock and roll man...tank looks awesome. I really really like that purple yuma that you have. Is that I hold over from the 29 or is that something you got recently. I would love to setup one of these small tanks and just have a ric garden in there. I just have a bit too much flow and light in my current tank for them to really thrive.

 

Love the fish pics....that goby pic is classic.

[diggman08]

THANKS DIVE.. YEAH ALL 3 RICS/YUMAS ARE FROM THE BC. COMPLIMENTS OF ZOANUTS.. IVE BEEN HAVING THEM SINCE PROBABLY DECEMBER IF NOT LONGER.. ILL GET A BETTTER PIC OF THE ORANGE BLUE ONE.... ITS LOOKS THE BEST IMO... I CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY LOOK UNDER THE NEW LIGHTS WITH THE ACTINICS ....

[Matty1124]

the black sand would really make the colors pop on those rics... only problem that i see is your going to have a tough time removing the sand and adding new sand with out some type of cycle... the sand you have looks pretty established meaning if you take it out at once it will be a shock to the system... and since your going with another color sand it will be tough to swap out alittle at a time

 

 

anyway the moon sand (volcanic sand) is rough but if you dont have any sand sifting critters you will be fine... i think the main concern is with sand sifting fish and the sharp corners cutting their gill plates

[tarajean0627]

thanks for following my thread airangel... you talking about it makes me just wanna suck it up make the Switch ill probably just do it... my tank is only 1 month old.. so its not going to have a huge spike or anything..i really wanted the black sand anyway.. i was just impatient at the time of setup and alls they had was the white seeded sand....

 

ill have some pics up this evening as is sits currently..

 

i have a question for you guys.. i have 1 Scarlet Hermit, 2 blue legs, 1 red leg, and 1 Emerald crab... is this too much for my Pico.. i had 2 snails in also , but they didnt last long with the army of crabs.. should i take some out???

 

 

In my 4 gallon I have 2 hermits 5 snails (1 nass 3 cerith and 1 I don't know) and one emerald crab. In a 2 gallon I would go for 2 hermits and maybe 3 snails and deepeneding on how much GHA you have you can get a emerald crab too.

 

Buy the way I love your aqua scape and your corals look great too! Will be following along also!

 

Sarah

 

PS I also have a GCG and just love him/her. Do you know how to tell if they are a boy or a girl? Or are they like clowns and don't do that till they pair up? I only ask cuz I am trying to name mine and it is diffucult to do when you don't know if it is a boy or girl. LOL I know cheesey right?

[diggman08]

thanks matty

thanks Tarajean i think im just gonna take one of the red leg herms out and get some very small snails..

i dont know if my GCG is a boy or girl because IT never comes out of the rockwork..unlesss it wants its picture taken.... just name yours TOBY it could be a boy or girl name

 

i just look at your thread.. your GCG looks to be alot greener than mine.. mine is like a teal blue.. yours is strait up green.. could be a gender difference?? who knows

[diggman08]

ok.. so im thinking of selling my whole BC setup and getting ANOTHER PICO.... im hooked on these things now... IMO there much more exiting then the larger systems... although when i get a new crib i will be getting a 120G or bigger(lord help me).... i may save the light and black sand thats coming and just use it for the new pico i want to set up.. and keep the other as is.( and let the ole lady take care of it and be for her.. which was the original plan..... the new one is gonna be for MUUAHH... 3gal JBJ glass with the 36ww Current lights, AC 70 modded to fuge, back glass painted satin black, and tahiatan black sand cant let the woman out due me come on now..hehe j/k

 

so im thinking of making the new one a all shrooms tank... or all clove/daisy/glove polyps tank.. (all of different varieties) and a catalina goby maybe.

 

FIctions 3g pico is one of my inspirations to do another pico.... his tank is amazing

[airangel]

Digg

Plans sound good. Can't wait to see yours (got my tahitian sand/36w lite/HOB ordered) and what you end up doing with it. I like the shroom tank or clove tank concept. I may end up having a few as you're planning as well due to getting 20lbs of the sand.

Will be eagerly watching to see your new Pico come to life.

[divecj5]

Sounds like a plan to me. Would be really cool if you could get something together similar to Fiction's daisy/clove pico.

[diggman08]

thanks Angel when are you setting up your 3.6g pico?

 

thanks dive..

 

i plan on taking my time with this.. be very selective on coral i put in it.. since its so small.. i want it to have top notch pieces..

[airangel]

Hi Digg

Yes slow and thoughtful is the way to go. I've got my tank (not the 4g Finnex or Jalli as I had planned) painted and waiting. Gear was ordered this week. Lite will be on its way. Established & seriously alive rock is on its way. So.....once the sand arrives, the thread will go up. Stuff will sit in dishpan buckets or a HD 5g bucket till the sand is washed and in the tank. I expect a cycle but hoping its small.

 

I'm mainly going to use mine for the smaller frags that the CUC keep knocking over in the bigger tank. Top notch pieces sounds nice...lol perhaps if I get yet another set up (probably could set a total of 4 up with 20 lbs of sand) oh noooooo......

[diggman08]

ha yeah 4 picos... they would be awesome.. talk about some serious top-offs.. i think id rather water the garden everyday..

 

hey you ordered 20lbs of the tahiatan black right?? well if i dont get enough from this guy... since your only gonna need about 5lbs of it... would you be willing to send me some??

[airangel]

Yeah scary thought, 4 picos.

Don't recall but did you set up an ATO system (too lazy to re scroll). May need to do one on the 3.6g

 

I've already got 4 tanks running now (only 1 salt). I do think I can use the black sand for freshwater set up, cheaper alternative for small tank than another marine tank (already have a ton of fw lighting).

 

On the sand aspect, lemme know what you end up getting from your guy and how short you are when its set up.

[fiction101]

Tank looks great, do you have any inverts in it yet?

 

Have you thought about getting a ADA nano tank? Their a little bit bigger then the picotope I think and obviously they look really good.

[diggman08]

thanks airangel.. ill let you know.. no im just doing weeekly top-offs.. not too bad..

 

thanks fiction yeah i have 2 blue leg herms, 1 red legs, 1 scarlet herm, 1 snail, 1 emerald crab.. green clown goby, few coral..

 

what is a ADA nano tank?? i think im getting the jbj 3gal like yours for my second pico..

[CL_]

thanks airangel.. ill let you know.. no im just doing weeekly top-offs.. not too bad..

 

thanks fiction yeah i have 2 blue leg herms, 1 red legs, 1 scarlet herm, 1 snail, 1 emerald crab.. green clown goby, few coral..

 

what is a ADA nano tank?? i think im getting the jbj 3gal like yours for my second pico..

they are top of the line aquariums with incredibly small silicone seams, they are all the rage for fw planted tanks, heres a link- http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_pa...amp;cPath=25_30

[airangel]

Hey Digg

What kinda lite you getting? Also...does your emerald (you did say you already have one right?) crab bother your corals? I just got 4 seriously LR in anticipation for my Pico Reef (in bucket with powerhead right now) and there is a patch of GHA and a few bubble algae on it. Want to nip things in the bud and wondering what I will need to get to combat both. So far on the rock I've seen a feather duster (supposed to be another as well as a Ric), and some stars.

My Black sand won't be here till around the 16th or such so am in limbo getting the tank set up. Figured to scroll thru the Pico threads again in anticipation. Still have NO clue where I will be setting this baby up.

[TUDIZZLE]

well shoot.........been throwing around the idea of setting up a pico now I just may have too. Looks like you are having soo much fun and I don't want to miss out!

 

 

I have been looking at using these elongaged glass blocks that are hand blown, no seams. Not sure if they are reef safe, is there glass that is unsafe to do a reef in?

 

Following along for inspiration. Like the black sand idea but I was thinking covering the bottom with LR rubble and then eventually having it all covered with shrooms or rics anyways.

 

 

Also really want a harlequin shrimp in the mix

[diggman08]

heck yeah TUDD that would be awesome.. the LRR idea.. im liking it.. glad you could follow along.. im about to have 2 Pico threads in one.. im going to have my 3gal JBJ fully customized,, and my GF Tom 2gal which is the one above..

 

Airangel.. when you pic of that bubble algae.. be very carefull not to bust it because it will spread everywhere..and the GHA just pick it off the best you can..

my emeral crab does Not bother my coral.. but i think he is the murderer of my green clown goby i found him dead and nothing left but the bones yesterday... i suspect the crab because he was tryin to nip at it the other day...