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Kristoffer's 3g Picotope


kristoffer

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Hello!

 

I've been lurking on the boards here researching tanks for the past year until finally purchasing my very own picotope (after seeing so many successful picos from many users here) this summer.

 

I felt I'm at a point now where I can finally post my own tank. So, I guess this is my own personal tank thread. Everyone on here has been really helpful, and hopefully I'll be able to contribute in some capacity, too. :)

 

History: My mother had a SW tank growing up, but this is the first time I've done it myself. I've mainly played in the FW realm. So, we'll see how I do. :)

 

Tank pretty much follows the same formula as most everyone else's. Pardon the excessive detail. I'm OCD like that. :)

 

Tank Set-Up Date: October 11, 2009

 

Initial Set-Up:

picosetup.jpg

 

Re-scaped (simple "island" theme):

picoaquascape.jpg

 

Current FTS:

fts.jpg

 

Current Side:

picoside.jpg

 

Hardware

  • 3 Gallon Picotope (used)
  • 36 W Dual Satellite (used, plan to retrofit with LEDs)
  • Modded AquaClear 70 Power Filter (OEM impellar, AC30 impellar as backup)
  • 5w Alpine Submersible Fuge Light
  • 25W Hydor Theo Heater
  • DIY Battery-powered ATO with 1g glass carboy
  • Micro-Jet MC 450 Adjustable Flow Pump (117gph)

 

Maintenance/Testing/Food/Etc.

  • Sabon Refractometer
  • Saltwater Reef Master Test Kit
  • Saltwater Master Test Kit
  • Nimble Nano
  • Frozen Mysis
  • Frozen Cyclops
  • Hermit Crab Pellets
  • RO water from Wal-Mart (Culligan)
  • Pre-mixed SW from LFS

 

Filtration

  • Filter Floss
  • Chemi-Pure Elite
  • Rock Rubble
  • Cheatomorpha

 

Photoperiod

  • Daylight - 8:30a - 7:30p
  • Actinics - 8:00a - 8:00p
  • Moonlight - always on
  • Fuge Light - reverse photo period

 

Feeding Schedule

  • Tuesday - Feed all crabs a crab pellet, target feed corals 1 hour after dark
  • Thursday - Feed all crabs a crab pellet, drop mysis for Nass snail
  • Saturday - Turn off Filter, drop frozen cyclo overnight

 

Husbandry

  • Monday - Check tank params
  • Thursday - Check tank params
  • Sunday - Clean tank glass, change filter floss, 10% water change

 

Livestock

  • 5 lbs LR
  • 3 lbs Fiji-Pink Arag-Alive LS
    [*12 Blue-Legged Hermit Crabs
  • 1 Red-Legged Hermit Crab
  • 1 Pom-Pom Crab
  • Lots of Stomatella Snails
  • 1 Margarita Snail
  • 2 Nassarius Snails
  • 1 Oyster
  • 2 Sexy Shrimp
  • 1 Porcelain Crab
  • 1 Yellow Watchman Goby (dead :()
  • 1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp (dead :()
  • 1 Scarlet Hermit (new - 06/12/10)
  • 1 Serpent Star (new - 06/12/10)
  • 1 Peppermint Shrimp (new - 06/12/10)

 

Corals

  • 2 small un-ID'd zoa polyps (came on LR)
  • 1 small frag of hammer coral
  • 1 small un-ID'd Euphyllias coral
  • 1 small colony of GSP, uber green
  • 1 colony of un-ID'd zoas, uber green (new - 05/12/10)
  • 1 colony of Eagle Eye zoas (new - 05/12/10)
  • 2 heads of Candy Cane (new - 05/12/10)
  • 1 small frag of Torch coral (new - 05/12/10)
  • 1 Ricordea (new - 05/12/10)

 

 

Current Params (12/12/2009)

  • SG: 1.025
  • pH: 8.0
  • Ammonia: 0
  • Nitrate: 0
  • Nitrite: 0
  • Phosphate: 0.5
  • Calcium: 400ppm
  • kH: 8dkH / 143.2ppm

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And, you may have noticed that I have a clam in my tank.

 

Before, anyone jumps to conclusions, that is actually one of the first questions I have.

 

I made my first coral purchase today (the GSP, hammer and Euphyllia coral). I didn't notice it at the LFS, but the unidentified (I forgot what the LFS told me it was) coral branch had a clam attached to it! At first, I thought it was a dead clamshell attached to it, but then I noticed it opened up soon after I put it into my tank.

 

Now, given the young age of my tank and my relatively novice level of reef-keeping, I'm a bit apprehensive with this clam. I've searched the forums and the general consensus is that keeping a clam in a small tank is a bad idea, however I have read that there are several people who are able to maintain its health.

 

Should I return the whole branch back to the LFS for trade? Should I try to keep it and see how it goes? I'm a little lost on what to do here. :P

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glad to see your tank finally. looks like you already have a good system going. almost to a science. i wouldn't worry about the clam. as long as it isn't a larger type of family clam (maxima, etc.) then it will do fine. i have one that came in as a hitchiker that is maybe an 1/8th of an inch and it just filter feeds from the water column. awesome start. can't wait to see more!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

If I may, let me ask you a question.

 

I have the same tank, with an AC 50. For some reason, I will get a small drip along the back of my tank, any idea if this could be from the filter?

 

And two, how do you keep your filters orientation constant? Mine can rock back and forth, and usuallyy is slightly tilted back.

 

Thanks

 

BTW, looks awesome :)

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water wicks up under the return and causes the drip along with alot of salt creep. i am currently trying to remedy this. just shy of siliconing the ac70 to the tank i think i am sol.

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If I may, let me ask you a question.

 

I have the same tank, with an AC 50. For some reason, I will get a small drip along the back of my tank, any idea if this could be from the filter?

 

And two, how do you keep your filters orientation constant? Mine can rock back and forth, and usuallyy is slightly tilted back.

 

Thanks

 

BTW, looks awesome :)

 

 

I have the same problem now that I put my AC70 Impellar back on. When I had the 30 in there, I rarely ever got any water splashing back (or any salt creep). It's not so much of a big deal for me, I just wipe it off whenever I change my water. Now, if you're actually seeing water DRIP, well then maybe something is wrong with your filter.

 

As for your orientation. The little tab that installs at the bottom the reservoir. There are several flat edges on it, just rotate it to get the right angle. It took me awhile to figure out I could turn it more ways than one. ;)

 

And, actually, that might solve your drip.

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  • 5 months later...

Haven't updated since January, and for awhile there I was thinking of tearing this thing down, but suddenly got the bug in me to keep it going...

 

So, I purchased some new stuff!

 

additional liverock (came with three stems of xenia, and two small shrooms, but they've since disappeared)

ricordea (came with a small baby ric, but it's also disappeared)

torch coral

peppermint shrimp

serpent star

and something that looks like a blasto or acan (may need help IDing).

scarlet hermit

 

My little peg of GSP has turned into a small forest! Now, I'm not so sure what else to get other than more zoas and some palys. I've been going pretty slow on adding new things. Any recommendations?

 

 

New pics!

 

FTS

IMG_2457.jpg

 

Acan?

IMG_2353.jpg

 

Finally got a pic of my elusive pom-pom.

IMG_2474.jpg

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thesmallerthebetter

looking good :P

 

that coral you have in the sand is a "Candy cane" or caulastrea sp. it will prolly do fine in the sand, but glueing it to the rocks is prolly a tad better :P

 

the tank looks really good :) lovin the pom pom

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coral on the sand looks like Blastomussa to me(only because of the teeth in the mouth), but its up to you what do you think lol? I've never owned candy cane /trumpet coral so idk if they have the same mouth shape as blasto haha.

everything looks great!

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looking good :P

 

that coral you have in the sand is a "Candy cane" or caulastrea sp. it will prolly do fine in the sand, but glueing it to the rocks is prolly a tad better :P

 

Thanks for the reply. It's funny, actually, I had it originally at the top left, near the intake, but after just two days, it started bleaching and showing it's skeleton/teeth around the mouth. So, I'm pretty sure it's not a candy cane. I actually have one of those in the top right portion of the tank! :)

 

I recently moved it back to the sandbed and started target feeding it, hoping it'll grow back over its exposed skeleton. I wish I had such luck with my torch, hammer and frogspawn. They never seem to want to eat!

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thesmallerthebetter

hmmm. interesting.

 

as far as feeding euphyllias (hammers, torches and spawns) ive never had much luck either....if fact, in about 12 billion of those corals, ive never got one to eat a single mysis....never even got a feeding response

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put a mysis on one of those polyps. if the mysis sticks to the polyp then it will likely get eaten, but if the coral just slimes up and the mysis gets trapped in the slime (and likely be pulled away by your foreceps) then you'll probably not be successful in feeding it :(

 

if it was a blasto it would show some small tantacles...is it showing any signs?

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as far as feeding euphyllias (hammers, torches and spawns) ive never had much luck either....if fact, in about 12 billion of those corals, ive never got one to eat a single mysis....never even got a feeding response

 

Maybe I need to get a coral IV drip going. ;)

 

 

put a mysis on one of those polyps. if the mysis sticks to the polyp then it will likely get eaten...

 

if it was a blasto it would show some small tantacles...is it showing any signs?

 

Yeah, I target fed it lastnight, and it ate all the mysis I put on it. With the torch, hammer and grape/frogspawn corals, no sweeper tentacles come out to attach the food to. My grape coral originally started as something incredibly huge.. Now it barely comes out of it stalk. :(

 

And yes! While feeding it lastnight, I saw some small tentacles. Looks like it's definitely a blasto of some sort. Thanks!

 

 

 

Good looking tank so far.

And nice spelling on the name.

 

Hah, thanks! Apparently my mother was a Kris Kristofferson fan.

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bananahands
Hah, thanks! Apparently my mother was a Kris Kristofferson fan.

 

Apparently my mother was just weird.

 

LOL,

Khristofer

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