2.5 gal Pico - Tank update

[SavaS]

So today is finally here, today I move from the original Pico to the new one. I figured I would start a new journal and detail it from now as well as go into more detail about the setup, what was built and what was bought. 

 

FTS 3/14/18

 

 

FTS 10/8/17

 

 

More to come... 

Set up consists of :

-2 X 2.5 gallon aquariums (Total tank volume after rock and media displacement is roughly 3 gallons)

-Roughly 5lbs of live rock

-256gph pond pump with two outlets - one up top for surface tension, one lower for flow through middle of tank

-Diy led, 4 blue, 6 royal blue, 4 warm white and 3 cool whites on 3 channels powered by laptop power supplies and dc motor dimmers.

-LEDs are 3 w, 3v ordered off ebay, non branded

-Tank was drilled with a dremel and Bulkheads are made from male and female pvc adapters  (After tank was drilled and bulkheads were siliconed in I mixed and poured a two part epoxy resin about 1/4 inch thick to reinforce the glass and pcv)

-Sump is a simple 2 chamber design, water flows through filter floss-chemipure-a box of MarinePure biofilter media-purigen-return pump

-DIY ATO - Float switch connected to DC 12v relay which controls a 40gph pump in the reservoir

-Temperature controller is a 5$ board bought off ebay, set temp and a fan will kick on when needed, it sits directly over the return side of the sump. Keeps the temperature between 79-81

 

Coral list:

Hammer 

Candycane /trumpet

Kenya tree

Pink xenia

Duncan 

GSP

Clove polyp

Purple gorgonian 

Orange rhodactis mushroom

Green rhodactis mushroom

yellow/green plate coral

five kinds of palys - will update closeup pictures for help with identification 

eleven different types of zoas - will update closeup pictures for help with identification 

*when it comes to zoas and palys I have come to learn that most of them have made up names. My 'laser lemons' were actually purple people eaters... *

 

Any questions about the setup, feel free to ask.

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by SavaS
Update FTS

[SavaS]

So all the corals were removed, each one, as well as every piece of rock was inspected, hair algae was treated with peroxide and given a scrub and rinse. Turns out the gorilla crab is still alive. He lived in the AC70 and now is in the sump. 

[SavaS]

So the move has officially happened! Here is a very rough picture, but it will work for now. My back is screaming from being stooped over for the past few hours. Picked up two new frags as well, more pictures after everything opens up more. 

[SavaS]

Well everything has pretty much opened up, just waiting on my purple people eaters and one of the new zoa frags. I'm pretty surprised how quickly they are open considering the amount of slime that was produced and the fact most of them were exposed to air for at least ten minutes, although I was using a spray bottle to try and keep them wet. My hammer hasn't looked this good in weeks. 

[SavaS]

So far everything is looking good, tomorrow I will redo the timers for the lights and hopefully the last two zoa frags will be open. Mushrooms didn't fully extend but they might take a while so I'll see. All in all I'm happy thus far. I love that my hammer is really extending again, what a difference. I will add more information on the build when I sit down at my computer tomorrow. Not a great picture but if you compare it to my other thread it's a huge difference. 

[SavaS]

Random pictures... This is my Aqua clear 70, the only filtration on the original Pico, look how much coraline as well as other algae managed to grow in the months it was in use. It is getting a deep clean at the moment. 

[SavaS]

So everything seems to be going well today, corals are open and the emerald crab is out and about picking at the rock work.

Going to post some pics of the total setup:

 

Inside the stand, plumbing, wiring and of course-the sump. 

 

Any thoughts or suggestion/questions feel free to comment/ask.

[Lula_Mae]

Looks good!  Glad everything made the transfer ok.

[SavaS]

So my scarlet reef hermit molted which is awesome because I was convinced he mysteriously disappeared, glad to see that he is healthy. Last night after lights out I was using a flashlight to view the tank and caught my emerald crab picking at a Frag of zoas, actually picking the polyps apart so using tweezers I shooed him away and gave him a few pellets to distract him. These polyps have yet to open since being in the tank even though every other zoa is looking good, should I take this as a sign something is wrong with them? The emerald has never done this before, yet I know they are capable of it. Also I need to move my Kenya tree as it ended up mounted upside down... 

[Lula_Mae]

3 hours ago, SavaS said:

So my scarlet reef hermit molted which is awesome because I was convinced he mysteriously disappeared, glad to see that he is healthy. Last night after lights out I was using a flashlight to view the tank and caught my emerald crab picking at a Frag of zoas, actually picking the polyps apart so using tweezers I shooed him away and gave him a few pellets to distract him. These polyps have yet to open since being in the tank even though every other zoa is looking good, should I take this as a sign something is wrong with them? The emerald has never done this before, yet I know they are capable of it. Also I need to move my Kenya tree as it ended up mounted upside down... 

My guess is the emerald may have decided on them for tasty noms...may have to rehome him in the sump or something.

[HarryPotter]

That plumbing is awesome for a 2.5g!

[SavaS]

Well the emerald crab now lives in the sump with the gorilla crab, maybe they'll be friends. Today was day two of him picking on the same zoa Frag so out he came. 

 

Thanks @HarryPotter it does the job, it's not perfectly silent but is close enough. 

[cfaye@Delaware]

Wow !!!! I'm having a terrible time trying to digest the builds, they are so clean......I still can't figure how you do that.....I mean like to me the builds are far better than them 100 plus gallon tanks......and it works, the corals look happy. It looks like a huge tank. 

[SavaS]

Thanks for the compliments @cfaye@Delaware I never quite get the real thing to look like the image in my head but it works and you're right, the corals are happy and that's what matters. Eventually I want to build a series of picos into the wall that way I don't have to dress up the sides

 

In other news I plan to tweak the plumbing a bit, going to remove the ball and check valve and replace with unioned ones that I can clean and service from time to time. 

 

My gorgonian has finally finished shedding its old skin and the polyps are crazy extended. My candycane is adjusting and starting to swell and extend its tentacles at night so I fed it this morning. Still waiting on the one Frag to open. I need to add a coral list, might do that while I'm sitting here waiting on concrete for a hour and a half... 

[SavaS]

My Duncan is growing a new head! It is crazy extended as well. Also the candycane coral is doing great. On a side note, the cleaning of the AC70 is complete, what a difference. The new head is coming in at the base of the centermost Duncan. 

[Utahpico]

On 10/8/2017 at 5:13 PM, SavaS said:

So everything seems to be going well today, corals are open and the emerald crab is out and about picking at the rock work.

Going to post some pics of the total setup:

 

Inside the stand, plumbing, wiring and of course-the sump. 

 

Any thoughts or suggestion/questions feel free to comment/ask.

That's awesome! There are so many different ways to be successful in this hobby, you and I have taken completely different paths and both work. 

[SavaS]

Thanks @Utahpico! That is so true, there are as many variations as there are variables in this hobby. There will always be a battle between functional and personal taste, as long as the corals and critters are happy I see no issues with using them like paint on a canvas. (just takes longer for the colors to blend :p) 

[cfaye@Delaware]

Looking Good !!!!!

First I was thinking you should put a link in your signature line to the very first build post because that one was also AWesome !!!!!

I forgot how to do it......LOL.......

Next, tearing out walls for tanks.......NOT ????

Make a long wooden cabinet type thing that would hold up to three tanks, make it heavy duty, sturdy, w/ doors. You could leave some of the back open for air for equipment plus the regular ventilation equipment......Then above the long wooden cabinet you could put very strong shelves ???? Make all of this portable so you can take it with you......Then you could also put locking wheels on it maybe so you could move it around.........DOn't like no holes in walls big, big, mess.......LOL.....

Just a little thought.......

[SavaS]

Tank is doing well, trucking along. Swapped out the float switch so the ato is up and running. Added some new coral, the first was sold to me as a acan but I think it is a favia, good a blue mushroom and some pink zoas. Also added a few macros, we'll see how that goes. 

[SavaS]

Added some cheato to the sump and built a little led array to hopefully keep it growing, time will tell. My corals are doing well except for the two rhodactis mushrooms, they just don't seem to spread/extend at all. I feel like they are in a area of less light and no improvement whereas when they got more light they stayed shriveled. Any tips would be greatly helpful. Also switched the ball valve from the return to a unioned one so I can remove it for cleaning and had to turn down the flow from the pump, what a difference it made. 

[SavaS]

Tank is doing well, stopped by the lfs today for snails and hermits, came home with some free zoas and palys and this mystery fish, cost 2$. If anyone has an ID on him please let me know. Thanks

[fishfreak0114]

Gorgeous tank!  I have no idea what that little fish is, but he's cute!

[Droy008]

Your mystery fish looks like a sailfin Blenny.

He might grow out of the tank sooner than most. But they are generally good citizens.

Nice setup btw!

 

[SavaS]

Thanks for the compliments! Thanks @Droy008 for the info, another member has suggested it is a seaweed blenny so I'll do some reading and narrow it down. 

[SavaS]

New corals arrived today, everything came in looking great, the new zoas were opening in the tank in a matter of minutes. The all favia tank is doing well, they were all dropped onto the sand bed and I'll place them in their final spots in the next few days. I love this zoa here, called sirens song, though I doubt that is it's only name. I'll post more pictures once everything is fully opened.