My Custom PicO

[Mstefa1]

Wonderful tank! Great coral choices. I especially love the torch. Not too bad for a hitchhiker

 

 

Thank you. I'll be sure to sell him back to the LFS for a nice price when he outgrows my tank, after I frag him that is. lol

 

 

Is your blenny eating?

 

Tried this morning, but he wasn't interested.

[Gramophone]

Tried this morning, but he wasn't interested.

 

What did you use? Mine loves Nutramar Ova. Maybe try that if you haven't.

[SouthFlorida_Tron]

What kind of blenny

[TristanC]

Tried this morning, but he wasn't interested.

When I got mine he stayed completely out of sight for 3-4 days, wouldn't eat, wouldn't move, nothing. Around the 5th day he started coming out little by little and now he is more active than my clown. For food mine loves New Life Spectrum pellets, you have to get the .5mm ones though as the 1mm won't fit in his mouth.

 

Since he moved right as you touched him from the inlet I doubt he was suck as mine frequently like to perch on my inlet as well. Just give him time I'm sure he will perk right up.

 

 

What kind of blenny

It's a Tail Spot

[SouthFlorida_Tron]

my Tailspot enjoys

 

http://www.h2olifefoods.com

[pimp4cheddar]

I really like this tank!

 

I didn't know PicO can make custom tanks...I thought you had to get the standard sizes they had available.

[Mstefa1]

I really like this tank!

 

I didn't know PicO can make custom tanks...I thought you had to get the standard sizes they had available.

 

I don't think he makes customs anymore.

[Mstefa1]

This urchin is pretty awesome. Just have to watch it when you put your hands in the tank!

 

My tail spot blenny is alive and well. He sleeps curled up on the rock and during the day time perches in a vertical fashion on the corner of the tank. Pretty weird guy.

[TristanC]

Glad to hear he is doing well.

[Mstefa1]

When I got mine he stayed completely out of sight for 3-4 days, wouldn't eat, wouldn't move, nothing. Around the 5th day he started coming out little by little and now he is more active than my clown. For food mine loves New Life Spectrum pellets, you have to get the .5mm ones though as the 1mm won't fit in his mouth.

 

Since he moved right as you touched him from the inlet I doubt he was suck as mine frequently like to perch on my inlet as well. Just give him time I'm sure he will perk right up.

 

 

It's a Tail Spot

I picked up some .5mm pellets and he can definitely fit them in his mouth better and he seems very happy. Thanks!

 

Last week, my frag guy got a single head dendro. I've been eying one up for a very long time, but have never been able to find frags locally and I'm not a big fan of paying for shipping a single frag or two. He really didn't want to let it go. He posted a pic of it on facebook for me, and I had to come down and get it. I also picked up a rasta zoa frag. I paid nothing because I traded a few overstock frags for it.

 

Here is the pic he took of the dendro for me. I need to take a few pics, but I'll be going camping at the shore for a week so who knows.

[Mstefa1]

Decided to take some pics. Sorry, but I didn't clean the tank, clean the glass, or even get the tripod out for that matter. Still, I'm sure you will be pleased.

 

Here is my rasta zoa frag. It has 3 polyps, but only 2 have opened.

 

And my sexy hanging out under a fungia.

 

Nothing like a happy dendro!

 

Pic of my tail spot blenny.

 

And another of my TSB

[TristanC]

Yeah those .5 pellets are awesome glad they worked for you too. Great coral shots, I've been thinking about getting some dendros as well.

[Mstefa1]

Yeah those .5 pellets are awesome glad they worked for you too. Great coral shots, I've been thinking about getting some dendros as well.

 

In my area, dendros are extremely hard to come by. I've seen them available online, and other times they are not available at most online retailers. And I'm not a fan of paying for shipping unless I'm ordering a bunch of stuff - which I wouldn't be doing.

 

Thanks for the comments!

[1reefluvr2]

Log the dendros! I shall get another one soon.

[TristanC]

 

In my area, dendros are extremely hard to come by. I've seen them available online, and other times they are not available at most online retailers. And I'm not a fan of paying for shipping unless I'm ordering a bunch of stuff - which I wouldn't be doing.

 

Thanks for the comments!

I feel you on that one, I don't buy online much for that reason..

[Mstefa1]

Tank update, sorry no pictures. The inhabitants are doing very well, sorry no pictures. The past few weeks I've noticed a little cyano. I had it in my Aquapod previously so I knew just what to do. I couldn't eliminate it naturally in my pod but Chemiclean cleaned it up in 48. Now in my PicO I didn't have it bad like in my pod, but I still needed to take care of it. Since it requires a little bit of care, it was just about finding the time to dose, watch, water change. The recommend 20 or 25% water change, however I decided to do 6g on my 15g tank just because. For those of you using Chemiclean for the first time, make sure you read the directions. And since you don't know the exact water volume of your tank I recommend you dose 75% of what you think you need to dose. The only horror stories I've ever heard regarding Chemiclean were believed to be people that overdosed or didn't run an air stone.

 

I'm also packing new supplements. I've picked up BRS calcium chloride and soda ash, as well as the jugs and pumps. While I don't need much dosing yet on my PicO, my Aquapod has been on a parameter roller coaster for quite some time. I didn't get the BRS mag supplements because I picked up a big bottle of Kent Tech M. I need this for the occasional Bryopsis in my Aquapod.

 

Just a couple of notes... My Sexy shrimp is still alive and well. I haven't been able to pick up a few more so he is by himself. He likes to hang out around the corals, but I haven't seen him munching on them. He also hasn't run into my Pistol, although they have been in the same area. My pistol is still constantly redecorating my substrate. He keeps it very well stirred up. The only downside is he constantly puts sand on my plate, and occasionally moves my clam. My plate that I put in here that was troubled due to the parameter roller coaster in my Aquapod is doing very well. He is stlll a slow eater unlike before, but doing well. My TSB hasn't jumped and is full of life. He has some interesting places he likes to hang out in, but they are right out in the open so I can always see him. My gold striped maroon clown is a pig, but aren't all clowns? He is not aggressive at all towards anything else. My long spinned urchin is a neat critter to watch. Occasionally, a I put my hand in the wrong place and touch a spine but I haven't been pierced yet thank god.

[Mstefa1]

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!

 

I've been seeing a bunch of threads where guys are saying their TSB just hides but fortunately that's not the case for me. Mine has a couple of favorite holes in the rock but they are all facing front and he comes out often. Additionally, my gold striped maroon clown is a major swimmer so there is a lot going on. I haven't seen my pistol in a few days but I'm sure he is just fine. I'd love to have a goby to hang out with him but I can't take another fish on the floor.

 

I ran some tests and I was surprised to see such an orange color in my API nitrate test when every other time it was mostly yellow. I couldn't tell the exact color but it looks to be 10-20 and in comparison to my Aquapod which tested yellow or near zero. A water change later will take care of that. I haven't tested phosphate in awhile but I was please to see it at .07, which was substantially less then the double digit numbers I was seeing the last several times I tested. Even with the above, I don't have any algae issues aside from the usual spots on the glass that need to be cleaned.

 

Note that as expected, no signs of cyano in my tank an no critters or coral were affected by Chemiclean. I'd like to mention that several weeks ago I found a single aiptasia on the base of an SPS frag and I zapped it with Aiptasia X. Unfortunately the frag didn't like it and to date I have probably 10-15% tissue loss on that frag - as in the area that got treated with Aiptasia X is bare and white. And it's on the front of the frag so I wish I just super glued the sucker.

 

Summer is coming to a close and I can be confident that no heat issues have resulted from the tank reaching up to 85. Still I'd like to get a clip on fan for next year and I know just the fan. Of course I'd love to have that Apex too but we will see.

 

I need to get a couple of high end zoa frags in here!

[Hexadron]

I've been seeing a bunch of threads where guys are saying their TSB just hides but fortunately that's not the case for me.

 

By a bunch, do you mean my thread

 

Glad to see everything is doing okay. Wow, I didn't realize Aiptasia-X could have that effect. Temp thing always freaks me out too. My tank went up I think max 2-2.5 degrees F. Or at least that's what my thermometer tells me. I don't have a fancy-pants Apex

[TristanC]

My TSB is extreme active, always swimming throughout the entire tank. One if his favorite perching spots is right in the middle if my rics, and that makes me happy haha.

 

+1 to adding some high end zoas, I can't get enough of em

[Mstefa1]

By a bunch, do you mean my thread

 

Glad to see everything is doing okay. Wow, I didn't realize Aiptasia-X could have that effect. Temp thing always freaks me out too. My tank went up I think max 2-2.5 degrees F. Or at least that's what my thermometer tells me. I don't have a fancy-pants Apex

 

I don't have an Apex on my PicO Either!

 

I considered removing the Apex from my Aquapod and putting it on my PicO but then I would need a new heater (don't trust it's built in thermostat) and I would no longer have control of my chiller. Not to mention that I would have to find all the digital timers that I repurposed. In the end it's better left where it's at. Eventually I'll get an Apex JR for my PicO when I have money to burn.

[Hexadron]

I don't have an Apex on my PicO Either!

 

I considered removing the Apex from my Aquapod and putting it on my PicO but then I would need a new heater (don't trust it's built in thermostat) and I would no longer have control of my chiller. Not to mention that I would have to find all the digital timers that I repurposed. In the end it's better left where it's at. Eventually I'll get an Apex JR for my PicO when I have money to burn.

 

Oh crap, I forgot. I just knew you had one somewhere haha

 

Are you ever going to consider an upgrade or consolidation of your tanks? They are both beautiful - but it's gotta be tough managing two, no?

[Mstefa1]

Oh crap, I forgot. I just knew you had one somewhere haha

 

Are you ever going to consider an upgrade or consolidation of your tanks? They are both beautiful - but it's gotta be tough managing two, no?

 

No, it's not bad managing both... Or all 3 if you count my frag tank. Prior to getting my PicO I planned on upgrading the Aquapod to a 40B but later realized I wanted something nicer then an off the shelf tank drilled. In all seriousness I'd probably take down the Aquapod and only keep my PicO but I'd never be able to bring myself to it. There is just so much life in it. You need to set your stuff up to be able to do things quickly when you don't have the time to spend on your tank. Water changes are a breeze because of the reservoir I have set up. In the winter it will take just a tad longer because the water in the basement will be colder so it can't go right in the tank but still I have found it's faster and easier to put the bucket in the utility sink with hot water and getting the temp up in minutes rather then taking hours by conventional heater.

 

And even though I have a couple frags in my PicO that came from my Aquapod they are still two completely different tanks taking upon different appeal. My Aquapod internally looks like a coral oasis yet a hardware nightmare if you take a step back while my PicO just looks stunning as a whole package.

[Hexadron]

That is the one great thing about multiple tanks, is having completely different feels to them and all that. I suppose as long as it's not too much trouble, there's nothing to worry about.

 

My only issue so far with the PicO is room. It's a catch 22. It keeps me from adding too much junk, and letting the reef just 'be' but then again, i love gadgets, and not having room for a useful one pisses me off LOL.

[Mstefa1]

That is the one great thing about multiple tanks, is having completely different feels to them and all that. I suppose as long as it's not too much trouble, there's nothing to worry about.

 

My only issue so far with the PicO is room. It's a catch 22. It keeps me from adding too much junk, and letting the reef just 'be' but then again, i love gadgets, and not having room for a useful one pisses me off LOL.That's where planning comes in. I assumed you never intended on having a skimmer (like me) on your PicO othewise you would have planned for it when you designed it. Frankly there is nothing more ugly then a big plastic thing bubbling crud sticking out the top of your tank, even if it's located in a rear chamber. That's the whole point of an AIO being that you can hide your equipment without having a sump.

 

 

Also, someone in one of our threads mentioned about a skimmer being finicky with changing water levels. I would assume that any internal skimmer that you would get would operate the best with a fixed water height. The benefit of my skimmer located in my Aquafuge is the water height never changes. The reality is that any AIO will have differences in water level as your mechanical filtration gets congested. If your AIO sensor is located in the rear then the display level will raise very slightly. If the water level sensor is located in the display then the rear will lower a little more then slightly. The only way around this is to make sure your mechanical filtration doesn't get congested.

 

There is no greater satisfaction then for a tech savvy guy to program his aquarium controller from his phone. I'm just sayin!

[Mstefa1]

My thread needs more energy so I'm going to see if I can get Metrokat's attention.

 

 

But these babies costs me my reef budget this week. lol