2.5 Gallon RBTA Pico Reef

[peterchann86]

What's up guys, I finally decided to post my new tank. I had a 10g and 15g once but both crashed due to an aiptasia outbreak. I managed to salvage some corals and I decided to put them in a 2.5 gallon tank because I was simply too lazy to start up another "big" tank. Hopefully you guys will enjoy what I have so far. Well, anyway... here's the details of the new tank.

 

Equipment

• 2.5 Gallon Deep Blue Aquarium (aka Betta 3) w/ black silicone + de-(t)rimmed
  Aquaclear 20 w/ Chaeto + submersible pond light
  Hydor Theo 25 watt heater
  2 BoostLED Par30 LED bulbs
  Nimble Nano
  Coralife Digital Thermometer
  Coralife Digital Timer
  About 2 lbs of Live Rock
  About 3.5 lbs of Carib Sea Arag-Alive Sand
  

 

Live Stock

• 2 Sharknose Gobies
  Rose Bubble Tipped Anemone
  Emerald Crab
  Dwarf Cerith Snails
  Nassarius Snails
  Virgin Nerite Snailes
  

 

Corals

• Duncan
  GSP
  Christmas Favia
  Blue Anthelia
  Pink Xenia
  Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
  Rasta Chalice
  Red Mushrooms
  Rainbow Ricordea Yuma
  Green Button Polyps
  Lizardskin (Teal) Palys
  Sunny D Zoanthids
  Purple Death Zoanthids
  Nuclear Green Zoanthids
  Armor of God Zoanthids (Supposedly)
  Some pink splatter-looking Zoanthids (Will ask for an ID later)
  

 

Here's a teaser pic for now. I'll post some more later.

 

[iDream]

 

are you worried about the rbta getting the little sharknoses? I would be

[jgpico]

You have a RBTA in a 2.5? You're crazy lol. I wanna see this fts!

[MGDMIRAGE]

Wow, great idea, not.

[JPF]

Sounds like an interesting build. I remember when people scoffed at all nanos. Those people were wrong of course.

[Xavier613]

i think people are a little judgmental of things they dont know...

 

Personally I think it sounds awesome... cant wait for more picutres

[.Newman.]

probably looks good, but will run out of room real fast and fish will become lunch. smaller space - more likely.

I like the idea of keeping RBTAs. I would want to try one in a 10 gal or larger tank with some clowns eventually. if you keep yours with success for a long time, I would be interested in hearing about what kind of light it likes and what it eats, etc..

[Euphyllia]

... I hope you keep up with water changes... Even more so than usual pico owners do.

[adinsxq]

I had a 10g and 15g once but both crashed due to an aiptasia outbreak.

wat?

[.Newman.]

too many aptaisas in there, they sting stuff to death

[michelleshusband]

show us how its done

[peterchann86]

Wow, great idea, not.

I love waking up to the words of a doubter.

 

Sounds like an interesting build. I remember when people scoffed at all nanos. Those people were wrong of course.

 

i think people are a little judgmental of things they dont know...

 

Personally I think it sounds awesome... cant wait for more picutres

But it's even better to see some believers in here.

 

... I hope you keep up with water changes... Even more so than usual pico owners do.

I change about a pint a day, a Poland Spring Water Bottle size amount. I've had this tank running for a couple months and everything looks like its doing fine.

 

But anyway...

 

 

 

Watch the Throne.

[KissMyDSM]

Looks like a work of art.

[twiggyb]

That last pic makes the tank look huge! Looks good

[iDream]

That last pic makes the tank look huge! Looks good

^This

 

I saw the front shot and though "man is this tank dinky" but then the side shot makes it look huge.

 

Looks awesome, if the rbta stays there then keeping corals on the sand/lower parts of the tank should be no problem

[.Newman.]

it looks very good right now. let's see how it lasts the entire year and beyond that.

If you have little trouble keeping this up, then we will be really impressed

[JBM]

looks purdy

 

best of luck

[chilled_fire]

I was skeptical about BTA's in my 15gallon, but this one takes the cake !

great job so far and i hope you succed..

[xxbrianxx]

how'd you get the bta to stay in that spot?

[MGDMIRAGE]

Not a doubter, its just not a practical long term tank (since the RBTA will be bigger than the whole tank eventually). I will admit it is gorgeous while the RBTA is small, nice job.

[peterchann86]

Looks like a work of art.

Thanks, this means a alot coming from someone with a tank setup as masterful as yours.

 

^This

 

I saw the front shot and though "man is this tank dinky" but then the side shot makes it look huge.

 

Looks awesome, if the rbta stays there then keeping corals on the sand/lower parts of the tank should be no problem

I shouldn't have too much of a problem with the RBTA moving because he's been on that rock since I got him from the LFS a year and a half ago, even through the two previous tanks. Through experience, as well as trial and error, I think I've been able to provide it with conditions that it likes (moderate flow coming from behind, medium-high lighting). I've even had him split before and the main piece stayed within the rock.

 

it looks very good right now. let's see how it lasts the entire year and beyond that.

If you have little trouble keeping this up, then we will be really impressed

This is the type of criticism that drives me, inspires me. A little bit of skepticism yet still giving me room to work... room to breathe. I plan to keep Nano-Reef posted on what happens with this tank from now on and hopefully a year from now this tank will be thriving and hopefully this "controversial" tank inspires others to bend the rules once in a while and lands me a featured TOTM sometime in the future.

 

Thanks again for the kind words and the support, I'll be sure to keep you guys updated whenever I can.

 

And sorry, no photo updates on the tank at this time but I'll leave you with a photo I took that should be just as inspiring as my tank will be someday.

 

[jgilvey]

Nice! Can you link me to that tank?

[peterchann86]

Not a doubter, its just not a practical long term tank (since the RBTA will be bigger than the whole tank eventually). I will admit it is gorgeous while the RBTA is small, nice job.

That's a respectable response. I understand where you're coming from. And when the day comes and the RBTA is overwhelming the tank I'll be sure to upgrade and accredit you for the forewarning. Thanks for the concern.

 

Nice! Can you link me to that tank?

There must've been some misunderstanding in my last post but the tank I'm referring to is the current tank I'm showcasing on pg. 1.

[castiel]

Very unique and I love it! I like when people push the boundaries of what is possible and not, while not harming or being cruel (eg damsel in a 2G). Keep us updated!

[anemone fan]

Not a doubter, its just not a practical long term tank (since the RBTA will be bigger than the whole tank eventually). I will admit it is gorgeous while the RBTA is small, nice job.

They get 12"+, it will take over the tank someday.

 

[clipped]...I plan to keep Nano-Reef posted on what happens with this tank from now on and hopefully a year from now this tank will be thriving and hopefully this "controversial" tank inspires others to bend the rules once in a while...[clipped]

Hopefully not in the same way (BTA in a 2.5), don't get me wrong it looks real nice here, but if everyone tried this they wouldn't have the same success and nems are doing to good in the wild so losing nems is not a good thing. Hope everything works out for you, one thing you could try is cutting it in half every time it starts getting too big and selling one half. Good luck.