My first pico! Dymax IQ3 now 5 YEARS OLD!

[andrewkw]

Finally got some new decent pics :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

these are not the orange flatworms they are white and don't reproduce like crazy.

 

 

I really should have checked to see if this was straight but took these last night just before the lights went out and didn't have time to retake the FTS

 

[brandon429]

Looks just great. It's amazing the light can go that close the surface that helps me plan what my spacing will be like when I can switch to LEDs

[owlbassboy]

I think I've seen those pics already lol looks fantastic!

[markalot]

Awesome, thanks for the update.

[eklikewhoa]

I like it!!!

 

Love the grandis palys in there

[andrewkw]

I just want to show how much of a detritus trap this tank is.

 

after approximately 55% water change :

 

after half ass cleaning the pico power filter

 

 

I haven't fed the tank in forever and the only invert is a slowly starving (but managing to keep the tank clean) small mexican turbo.

I will change the filter floss again tonight when I change the carbon and gfo. Out of time before work.

[brandon429]

Great post

 

Imagine a sandbed holding all of that !

[andrewkw]

Great post Imagine a sandbed holding all of that !

 

I don't have to image. I lived the nightmare. The tank started with a sandbed. If I still had it it would now be a DDB (deep detritus bed).

 

Here is the filter floss after less then 12hours

 

 

I blasted the tank with a turkey blaster for maybe 2 minutes after the water change and then didn't touch it again.

 

I'm trying to find maybe 2 more corals to add to the tank in the very few empty spaces but at this point most things I add end up being overgrown by existing corals. It was nice to try and jam as many different kinds into the tank but I've now seen what kinds of corals can actually coexist in a tank this small long term.

[brandon429]

additionally your tank has lasted this long and even longer coming up due to unique ways you are taking care of it. predictively vs reactively etc...good illustration of detritus my sandbed is probably crapped out lol. the full water changes make it where you cant tell though at least regarding whats in the water column. I think I regret using my sandbed but what other alternatives was there we used to think that was the bomb.

[andrewkw]

A week later same old story :

 

 

Nothing has really changed with the tank I tried to take a fts but the white balance is way off, here's one in monochrome.

 

[tetraodon]

dude this is an awsome tank, what light is that? im trying to do something like that, but my zoas keep closing

[Atticus27]

I'm putting up a 8gal cube but can't decide to have sand or not, I just don't want debris to be trapped in the sand and causing any spikes in nitrate, etc. In addition, I will also have a AC70 mod into a fuge. What do you suggest? Pros and cons?

[andrewkw]

It's a par30 bulb.

 

in a 8 gallon you can have enough flow for sandbed if you want it. This is the only tank other then my frag tank which I run barebottom.

 

I just got a 8mm fisheye lens. Primarily for astrophotography but here's a shot of my pico with it

 

[x3thelast]

still so freaking awesome man

[lljdma06]

This is one of my favorite tanks here. Beautiful job. Congratulations on its longevity.

 

L

[andrewkw]

I would like to add something to the tank but there really isn't much space. Zoo and single polyp mushrooms seem like the only options.

I also got a new 2.8 40mm pancake lens. It's cute.

Behind the intake of the filter there used to be a monti on the wall. Like all the other SPS I tried in this tank it did not survive. Or so I thought. I actually almost scraped this piece off the acrylic a couple months back. Now it's actually starting to grow :Tough spot to photograph...

 

 

 

 

I just picked up this golden torch colony for my main display however I am tempted to try and cut one head and squeeze it in somewhere.

 

[brandon429]

Its great and perfect deserving totm nice job man.

[andrewkw]

Believe it or not I managed to cram a couple more corals in. I added a favia "war coral" a tiny micromussa frag and some new palys and zoos.

 

Part of the Duncan has basically been consumed by the carpet anemone but the head that is further away is splitting up nicely. Also I did remove some GSP and will have to remove a bit from the side as it will soon grow over the monti on the side.

 

 

getting close :

 

You can see the head in this picture is still alive but obviously not doing well being covered by the anemone and stung most of the day. The other one is doing great. Even the base is very bright green.

 

Sometimes these zoos will be covered by the anemone but for most of the day they are visible

 

 

mico and paly

 

 

closeup :

 

 

We'll see how these guys make out over the next few weeks, however i see spots I can add about 3-4 more little frags, possible zoos and maybe one low light lps and then the tank will be completely full by the time it turns 3 years old.

 

[lnglostsurfer]

Those flatworms you have look exactly what I've had in my pico. They were all over the glass one day when I hadn't kept up with cleaning the glass but now I don't really see them much anymore....kind of a weird little bug, don't seem like they've been effecting anything but I still want them gone. My LFS is going to give me some flatworm exit they have been passing around to dose my tank a few times just to clear them out. Have you had any issues from them or do they kind of leave everything alone?

[pj86]

Pretty cool andrewkw that this little tank is still going. Still looks really nice.

[andrewkw]

Those flatworms you have look exactly what I've had in my pico. They were all over the glass one day when I hadn't kept up with cleaning the glass but now I don't really see them much anymore....kind of a weird little bug, don't seem like they've been effecting anything but I still want them gone. My LFS is going to give me some flatworm exit they have been passing around to dose my tank a few times just to clear them out. Have you had any issues from them or do they kind of leave everything alone?

 

They cause no issues at all. Just another form of micro fauna. Even the regular orange flatworms themselves don't cause any problems unless there is a large die off. They're just sightly because they reproduce so fast. These ones you could count them all in the tank if you wanted to.

 

PJ tank is still going and should continue for many years to come. As long as it holds water. I should even see the par30 bulb burn out in another 5 years or so.

[andrewkw]

Just took some top down pics. I love the look of the tank with the sunlight. The one thing about basement tanks is they never get any sunlight..

Next water change in a couple of days I will maybe try and squeeze a couple more things in. I've really been looking at this tank a lot thinking about what else can go in. Earlier on in the tank I added lots and many things just got grown over by other corals. There is a lobo skeleton you can't even see anymore as gsp completely grew over it. Even the return locline is invisible.

 

 

 

Duncans are really getting squeezed. Carpet covers much of one for most of the day and gsp and psp above. Still they look great.

 

 

The return pump is under there somewhere

 

 

 

Also after wanting one for many years. I finally picked up a Borbonious Anthias. He will be going in the tank soon. Just kidding he's going in my 112 gallon after he passes QT.

 

 

 

[jbb]

This tank is amazing.

 

 

Keep the updates coming.

[Reef Fever]

looks awesome!

[andrewkw]

Getting close to the 3 year mark. Just 3 weeks and a bit to go. I'm doing my first water change in a couple of weeks, a noticeable amount of hair algae has started to grow. Which is interesting because it's been so long since I fed the tank. Today however I am giving the anemones duncans and acans some food. Even the grandis palys seem to have grabbed some pe mysis.

I will do a 1 gallon water change today and probably one more tomorrow. The detritus build up is much greater without frequent water changes. Of course since I'm not dosing the tank water changes are the only way to replenish trace elements. Other then this bit of algae there is nothing really wrong with the tank. Everything is either doing well or it's doing poor because it's being overgrown by another coral. I can squeeze 1 maybe 2 more frags in and then it's completely full. Over time I'm sure more stuff will be overgrown but other then GSP and maybe the purple xenia if it gets really big I don't plan on cutting. Just letting nature take it's course.

I'm going to slightly reduce the light cycle now that the tank gets a lot of daylight that might help control the algae along with a fresh 1/2 tablespoon of gfo. I will take some new pictures shortly.