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Eclipse's secret lagoon old school pico


Eclipse522

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This will be my first pico tank but not my first saltwater tank. I want to grow some macroalgea that I cannot keep in my main tank. Snails and urchins love to eat my nice and not so cheap macroalgea. 

 

Equipment

 

Aqueon glass aquarium  2.5 gal 12 x 6 x 8

Aquaclear 30

Tetra ht10 50 watt heater

Light is a reefstar I bought used a while ago 

 Diy temperature monitor 

Top off will be manually or gravity feed

 

Livestock I don't know yet

 

Dry/live sand and live rock

 

Hopefully tomorrow I will add the sand rock and water. 

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  • Like 8
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Welcome to Nano-Reef! And glad to have ya in the competition! Looking forward to seeing how you set everything up, it's so much fun seeing all the different setups using very similar equipment for the most part

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Thanks everyone. No mod with the filter but my heater will be inside of the filter.  I will have other organisms but sure what they are yet. Just need to get my hands on different types of algea.

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Your rock scape looks good!

Just a warning caulerpa is a PITA!

The only type that wasn't so invasive & I could keep to the sand bed was cactus.

I had some grape culerpa take over an island of 3 rocks & deep rooted into all of them pretty much adhereing the rocks together. They mowed over all corals as well!

Now red grape caulerpa is a different story, it was never as fast a grower for me.

Also, dosing nitrates & phosphates will help get growth. It's been a few years for me so not sure what products are out there now.

I can't wait to see how your macros progress!

  • Like 2
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Ooo a macro tank! I have always had a soft spot for macro algae. 😍

Clown gobies are always fun in these tanks. All the algae tends to grow lots of pods, my old yellow clown loved it!

 

20 hours ago, Wendy said:

Your rock scape looks good!

Just a warning caulerpa is a PITA!

The only type that wasn't so invasive & I could keep to the sand bed was cactus.

I had some grape culerpa take over an island of 3 rocks & deep rooted into all of them pretty much adhereing the rocks together. They mowed over all corals as well!

Now red grape caulerpa is a different story, it was never as fast a grower for me.

Also, dosing nitrates & phosphates will help get growth. It's been a few years for me so not sure what products are out there now.

I can't wait to see how your macros progress!

I had the same issue with grape caulerpa- red gracilaria too, come to think of it. Iron dosing helped them from getting pale/clear and melting away. Not foolproof though. Could never keep the darn stuff alive :sad:

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21 hours ago, Wendy said:

Just a warning caulerpa is a PITA!

I ruined my first saltwater set up with that stuff....lol it was everywhere in the rock, around corals, on the fish lol.  

Forgot to tell you I really like the scape!

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7 hours ago, 748S911 said:

I ruined my first saltwater set up with that stuff....lol it was everywhere in the rock, around corals, on the fish lol.  

Forgot to tell you I really like the scape!

I think I am on my way to emulate that 

My Grape has gone transparent/sexual this morning. Waiting to see if dosing helps. Otherwise i'll be ripping it out.

Ironically enough the Caulerpa Prolifera is sending out new growth like crazy, this si the one i thought i'd struggle with.

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I had lots of grape caulerpa in my main tank but  it started going sexual so I had to pull a lot out. I feel it is easy to control. If it started to grow where I do not want it or go sexual, I just trim it. I don't think it is bad. I am still waiting for my order of macro from algaebarn. If anyone knows of a good place to order macroalgea, please lot me know.

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I second Live-plants.Com

Years ago I got tons of cool stuff from them!

 

I did order some things from reefcleaners too, but it's hit or miss what he might have available.

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Thanks, that was really helpful. I have been to these sites before but was not sure about them. I think I will order something from live-plants. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is what the tank look like now. I do want to get some more zoa's. I did have an issue with the tank being too more so I set my controller lower and added a fan. I am not sure if my hairy mushroom or my blue xenia are happy. The mushroom or xenia have not fully open. They might need more time to adjust to the tank. All other corals are doing great. I just added more macroalgea, so time will tell if it will survive. I remove one of my feather duster because I was not sure if it was die. He finally come out so I will add him/her/it back into this tank tomorrow. Almost done adding to this tank. I have two snails and two scarlet hermet crabs in there.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Eclipse522

Here is my May report. So far nothing has die but my macroalgea is looking pale. The light I have over it is too strong, so I plan on getting a new one that I can control. The mangrove looks like it is doing well because I see new roots growing. I have been doing big feedings twice a week. Then a water change 10 to 15 minutes later.  I have yet to buy more zoa's. I found some I liked but they were on a big rock that I would have trouble breaking up. But I am still planning on getting more zoa's.  I think I will use this tank to quarantine one or two tiny captive bred green mandarin dragonette. My previous scooter benny bloated and die a few weeks ago. I had him for a few years. Anyway, I am afraid the littles ones will get lost in the main tank. They are tink. Since this tank is so small, I will be breeding some copapods on the side. These guys are captive bred so they should eat prepare foods as well. This will be his/her/ their home for 30 days.

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Hi Eclipse522, I have been negligent about meeting new folks in this contest.  Sorry, its a busy time of year but thats a poor excuse.  I also love macro algae tanks so of course I wanted to follow your progress.  I feed my pico every day and actually added feeder shrimp so the macroalgaes would not get pale.  My algaes improved immensely after I did that.  I still only do a water change once a week but the shrimp help keep hair eradicated.  Best of luck to you with your first pico!

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MainelyReefer
18 hours ago, Eclipse522 said:

quarantine one or two tiny captive bred green mandarin dragonette.

I would reccomend not QTing them and put them right into their prospective long term home

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SliceGolfer

What is the food source for your macro? I would presume any free nitrate/phosphate is being consumed rapidly on such a small tank. A few drops of liquid nitrate (NeoNitro or similar) and maybe a drop of iron supplement would green things up a bit?

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Eclipse522

I am using my main tank water for my water changes. I will try iron and feeding the tank a little more. Would envy for plants from aquavitro be good macroalgea? This is what I have on hand for my freshwater tank. I would still have to buy some iron. I was just afriad of adding too much nutritious into such a some tank. Food source is from corals, hermit crabs, and fish food.

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