New plans on pico tank

[gen]

Hello, 

 

I initially planned to change my main tank (dennerle 60 liters) when moving and for some reasons (neverending hesitation) I stocked with it. Forced me to rethink the aquascape, in the end I m really happy with it (you can see it on my nano journal). 

 

Anyway now I m hesitating again with another tank : AIO pico, around 13liters (3.4g?) I got it new for a nice deal. 

The setup itself is nice (will change the return when I m motivated), but right now, I m hesitating between making it :

• a pico reef (that's the current setup, used it for storing corals while moving) 
• A pico freshwater shrimp tank (red cherry or blue velvet with black sand and a few plants) 

 

What would you guys do? I might follow any ideas I find challenging. 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by gen
Change of plans

[gen]

So... I really had a hard time deciding. 

 

Started to cycle it as a freshwater tank (for shrimps) and for some unknown reason my substrate went badly (will avoid the details but something wasn't right). I was forced to empty it ans start again. 

I interpreted it as a sign and 2 weeks ago I went back to the initial plan and put back some rocks and SW in it. Got some chaeto from the 60liters and now it's settling in nicely. 

 

Had to modify some things :

- especially the holes that allowed water to go directly to the return pump (avoiding the filter in the process). 

- added the magnet holder from an old flow pump, planning to attach a rock, but I haven't figured the rockscape yet. 

 

As a second project, I find it way easier to be patient with it. It's ugly at the moment but doesn't bother me. 

 

[Ratvan]

Looks good, would have liked to have seen a FW Shrimp Set up. What went wrong with the substrate by the way?

What make is the tank? It looks very nice

 

[gen]

Can't really tell what happened, but I did wash my substrate (blackish) before putting it in. Also added some moss /anubia I had sitting around in a jar. 2 or 3 days later I ended up with some red/brownish deposit everywhere, thought it would go away with some mechanical filtration but it kept getting worse. 

Took it all out on the balcony (planning a small pond) for later.

With such a small volume it is easy to change things rapidly. 

 

I m not totally over the shrimp idea, thinking about a small Thor setup to be honest. 

 

It's the Superfish IQ13 reef or something. I like the design, just need so get use manipulate rocks in a small acrylic container. 

 

[Ratvan]

59 minutes ago, gen said:

Can't really tell what happened, but I did wash my substrate (blackish) before putting it in. Also added some moss /anubia I had sitting around in a jar. 2 or 3 days later I ended up with some red/brownish deposit everywhere, thought it would go away with some mechanical filtration but it kept getting worse. 

Took it all out on the balcony (planning a small pond) for later.

With such a small volume it is easy to change things rapidly. 

 

I m not totally over the shrimp idea, thinking about a small Thor setup to be honest. 

 

It's the Superfish IQ13 reef or something. I like the design, just need so get use manipulate rocks in a small acrylic container. 

 

Oh I've seen the Superfish Cubes before and they look really nice, might keep my eye out for one. Seems like a nice compromise between the Fluval Spec 3 and V

 

I had Red Slime Algae in a FW set up before, came in on one of my plants.

 

Make sure you get it off the plants otherwise you'll add it to the next tank that you add the plants too, You can do a bath with diluted H2o2 (10% bleach 90% Treated Water) for about 5 minutes and gently rub the leaves and stem 

[gen]

Some frags kept being pushed and moved around in my other tank, so I ended up placing them in the pico. 

Not my best shots, the blue is kinda strong on my current light setting. 

 

Both zoas and sinularia seem to be happy. 

I plan on letting the sinularia growing in the middle to be the centerpiece. Not sure about zoas placement yet. 

 

 

[gen]

This journal is now closed, the story of this tank will continue here