The Poopico, my bathroom tank

[MainelyReefer]

Established: February 20th, 2016

 

 

 

My LFS had the Innovative Marine Pico 4g for $99 still boxed and I noticed it was a discontinued tank(which makes it like a unicorn) and best of all my girlfriend approved. My Goal was to upgrade my dresser from the 25g FW tank of my childhood, to a more sleek reef tank that left room for stuff on the top of the dresser, BEHOLD THE PICO 4G! Initially I pitched the idea of keeping it cheap and remaining within the parameters of the stock equipment by keeping mainly softies, gorgs, and macros. Well the idea changed and its not so cheap anymore  and it's in a bathroom.

 

 

Display: Innovative Marine Pico 4 gallon

Lighting: Kessil A80 on 10" gooseneck with spectral controller

Filtration: Custom caddy w/ filter floss, carbon impregnated floss, and chemipure blue nano(redundant I know)

Heater: Cobalt Aquatics Neotherm 25W

Circulation: Upgraded to the stock pump from my IM10

ATO: VRATO (Vacuum Regulated Auto Top Off) custom made nalgene bottle

 

Aquascape: 2 pounds "ultra" live rock(looks spray painted purple and pink), 4 pounds bimini pink live sand and also the live rock that the Xenia is on which looks like a dead coral colony.

 

Inhabitants:

Sgt. Donny Donowitz- Green Pistol Shrimp (AKA the Bear Jew)

 

Corals:

Pulsing Xenia

 

Inverts:

1 nerite snail

A ton of Limpets

 

Side FTS

 

View from the throne

[MainelyReefer]

Planning to actually update this thread for my own purposes of tracking tank happenings.  The tank has been limping along since its birth as I moved 4 times but this past June I finally moved into my own house!  Not that home ownership is all that fun but having free reign on where tanks go is epic.  On this final move it was imperative that I remove my pistol from my 40 as he went rogue and started snapping the mandarin's fins to shreds so this tank was redesigned to accommodate his needs.  I also chose to relocate my Xenia colony into here as the rock they are on is exclusively Xenia and it's covered.( can't get rid of it as the Xenia and the rock were a valentines gift from my wife two years ago when we started reefing.). So essentially this is my banishment tank and I look at it while on the toilet. THE POOPICO!  Pictures to follow, I never clean the glass in an attempt to boost copepod population but will today for a photo shoot I suppose.

[TatorTaco]

Dude, where's the pictures you promised?  I love the tank name.  

 

From a practical standpoint, I'm surprised your wife let you put this on the bathroom counter.  My wife wants one there too, but logistically, it'd be a nightmare since the outlet she uses to blow dry her hair would be occupied.  Plus, it'd be on HER side of the counter (Jack/Jill counter).  Plus, she uses every surface area of the counter for makeup, combs, etc. 

 

Now I'm considering a IM10 with nothing but Xenia.  UGH!

[Cannedfish]

21 minutes ago, TatorTaco said:

Dude, where's the pictures you promised?  I love the tank name.  

 

From a practical standpoint, I'm surprised your wife let you put this on the bathroom counter.  My wife wants one there too, but logistically, it'd be a nightmare since the outlet she uses to blow dry her hair would be occupied.  Plus, it'd be on HER side of the counter (Jack/Jill counter).  Plus, she uses every surface area of the counter for makeup, combs, etc. 

 

Now I'm considering a IM10 with nothing but Xenia.  UGH!

Agreed. Similarly, our bathroom counter follows the Field of Dreams rule: if there's space, it will be used. I feel like there enough creams and pastes that I could adequately moisturize the Sonoran Desert.

[vlangel]

Ha ha, I love the new updated thread name!  I think its hilarious.  Has the pistol shrimp ever had a goby buddy?  Or is he doomed to be a bachelor forever.

[MainelyReefer]

Here's some pics, nothing special just off my iPhone like usual.  The pics in the first post are up to date too 

The BearJew in his cave

he stores food down here by grabbing it elsewhere, returning here where the flow won't drag it off then searching for more, he made this cave himself by jamming shells between the glass and rock then back loading with sand and debris and it remains the one sand structure he maintains constantly in the same way.

this is the tank I'm most afraid of putting my hand in, even more than the mantis tank.

2" of sand shifting death

he used to have a Yellow Watchman Goby but that was the deciding factor on his removal from my 40.  One day the YWG had a huge welt down his side, and I watched the pistol attack him subsequently, sadly the YWG died shortly after removing the pistol, I almost think there was an element of depression from the YWG who would always feed him but the pistol was a free spirited dick.  That was a blow because the YWG and him were added in the first stages of that tanks development. I have a feeling he feels no remorse or loneliness and almost prefers his miserable existence watching my family use the loo 

[Nola Bear]

46 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

I almost think there was an element of depression from the YWG who would always feed him but the pistol was a free spirited dick.

Greatest line of the night!

[TatorTaco]

You wouldn't happen to have a video or a gif of the tank would you?  I have a similar sized tank that I wouldn't mind having nothing but a shrimp/goby pair stuffed with xenia and nothing else. I'm just trying to visualize it. 

[MainelyReefer]

On 12/14/2017 at 2:30 PM, TatorTaco said:

You wouldn't happen to have a video or a gif of the tank would you?  I have a similar sized tank that I wouldn't mind having nothing but a shrimp/goby pair stuffed with xenia and nothing else. I'm just trying to visualize it. 

I'll try to grab one today

[Christopher Marks]

On 12/13/2017 at 6:37 PM, GraniteReefer said:

This is incredible, I don't know that I've ever seen one build a burrow up against the glass for such easy viewing! A rare opportunity. A video would be so cool!

[MainelyReefer]

Video as promised, unfortunately it would take awhile to get a video where anything exciting happens as it's pretty mellow in the Poopico.  Donny molted yesterday so he's not as active today, and I think my adding of shrimp pellets more consistently has finally paid off where he doesn't come snapping at the whole tank to grab one, Donny might be full for once.

I'll clean up the nail clipping under the tank one day(no one said the Poopico is clean!) and try for a more eventful video.  Also I took these on my wife's new iPhone 8 to try and achieve better quality but I think it was lost in the uploading process.

[Christopher Marks]

LOL @ the nail clipping! A good video tour nonetheless!  The mantis den is so cool.

 

The iPhone 8 should work well for low light video, try it with the flash turned off on the camera and all the lights off.

[MainelyReefer]

Xenia are really happy after a big 50% WC.  I took my spectral controller offline and hand spun the knob to show its range, the iPhone obviously trips out at its bluest points.

Also disappointed in its upload quality as it is crystal clear on my phone, anyone have suggestions on how to maintain quality during the uploading process? maybe download to the computer and then upload from there? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[TatorTaco]

Hi there!  I was in the bathroom this morning staring at my counter and remembered your tank.  Just wanted to shoot a quick message to see how the tank was doing? 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

On 12/18/2017 at 3:58 PM, GraniteReefer said:

Video as promised, unfortunately it would take awhile to get a video where anything exciting happens as it's pretty mellow in the Poopico.  Donny molted yesterday so he's not as active today, and I think my adding of shrimp pellets more consistently has finally paid off where he doesn't come snapping at the whole tank to grab one, Donny might be full for once.

I'll clean up the nail clipping under the tank one day(no one said the Poopico is clean!) and try for a more eventful video.  Also I took these on my wife's new iPhone 8 to try and achieve better quality but I think it was lost in the uploading process.

What's your channel name so I can sub? 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

On 1/9/2018 at 5:30 PM, GraniteReefer said:

Xenia are really happy after a big 50% WC.  I took my spectral controller offline and hand spun the knob to show its range, the iPhone obviously trips out at its bluest points.

Also disappointed in its upload quality as it is crystal clear on my phone, anyone have suggestions on how to maintain quality during the uploading process? maybe download to the computer and then upload from there? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I edit through iMovie on mac and just select 1920x1480 (I think is the highest it'll) do when I upload to YouTube from it. 

[MainelyReefer]

3 hours ago, TatorTaco said:

Hi there!  I was in the bathroom this morning staring at my counter and remembered your tank.  Just wanted to shoot a quick message to see how the tank was doing? 

The Poopico is flattered it gets thought about by reefers on toilets far and wide. Here’s a top down picture

The Bearjew continues to dominate the tank shifting the sand a few times a week, tank has been dirtier than normal as I have some easy to feed sinking shrimp pellets and I feed them with my son to have fun while brushing, the pod population has been booming in response and algae too.  Dollar store toothbrushes(4/$1) make great glass cleaners and fit the rooms decor too.  The tank lighting situation may be undergoing some changes as I will likely be robbing the A80 on April 1st for my reef bowl, I just ordered a Kessil 360 for the 40 so I can rob the ai prime off that to go on this.... I think.

[Cannedfish]

6 hours ago, TatorTaco said:

Hi there!  I was in the bathroom this morning staring at my counter and remembered your tank.  Just wanted to shoot a quick message to see how the tank was doing? 

Weirdly I’ve done the same thing. 

[Tamberav]

Lol! I love it! Xenia is my fav, they always die on me though