365 Day Challenge: 1G Office Ocean

[SaltyGallon]

1 hour ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Purple? YASSSSS!!! 

 

I love purple/blue. Tank looks sleek and adorable too! 🥰

This made me laugh! I'm a bald and beardy bloke and I've just pulled the trigger on an "adorable"  purple pico - it's a funny old life! 😂

2 hours ago, karisma said:

Haha! Anxious a tad? It will look great wherever you put it.

... Only a little haha! I'm planning on running the filtration similar to other nanos I've kept and I'll be hitting the pico with a 50% water change every week (a big 1.5L!). My salinity should be relatively stable with the lid and my office is pretty well climate controlled, so we'll just have to wait and see - if I can keep my hands out the tank I'm kind of hoping I'll have most bases covered and everything should take off. Famous last words...

[karisma]

8 minutes ago, Azur said:

This made me laugh! I'm a bald and beardy bloke and I've just pulled the trigger on an "adorable"  purple pico - it's a funny old life! 😂

... Only a little haha! I'm planning on running the filtration similar to other nanos I've kept and I'll be hitting the pico with a 50% water change every week (a big 1.5L!). My salinity should be relatively stable with the lid and my office is pretty well climate controlled, so we'll just have to wait and see - if I can keep my hands out the tank I'm kind of hoping I'll have most bases covered and everything should take off. Famous last words...

Thats good that its climate controlled. Amd the lid will do wonders. I used to top off three times a day. Now with a lid i do top offs lightly once a day. Its hard to keep your hands outta the tank. Always wanna move things and what not hahaha!

[SaltyGallon]

2 minutes ago, karisma said:

Thats good that its climate controlled. Amd the lid will do wonders. I used to top off three times a day. Now with a lid i do top offs lightly once a day. Its hard to keep your hands outta the tank. Always wanna move things and what not hahaha!

That's it isn't it, there's always something to be tinkered with. My plan for this is to set it and forget it... A couple of zoas, GSP, softies, and maybe a bit of LPS - a hammer would be brill but I'd have to start with a tiny tiny head and then worry about alk/ca. Either way, hopefully in nine months it will all be a chaotic green mess! The only thing which kind of sucks is not having random flow/wavemaker, but I think for the stocking list it's no biggie. The pump still provides 80x turnover!

[karisma]

14 minutes ago, Azur said:

That's it isn't it, there's always something to be tinkered with. My plan for this is to set it and forget it... A couple of zoas, GSP, softies, and maybe a bit of LPS - a hammer would be brill but I'd have to start with a tiny tiny head and then worry about alk/ca. Either way, hopefully in nine months it will all be a chaotic green mess! The only thing which kind of sucks is not having random flow/wavemaker, but I think for the stocking list it's no biggie. The pump still provides 80x turnover!

Sounds like a good stock list. I will be following :)

[SaltyGallon]

A couple of Mean & Green pay day purchases! Three rasta zoa polyps, two goblin fire zoa polyps, and a nice "toxic green" discosoma. The picture of the shroom isn't the best but I'm hoping it'll really pop under blues. Unless I find another ultra shroom that's my stocking list just about complete - I've got a neon green kenya tree, dragon eye zoas and papaya cloves and GSP ready and waiting at home 😎

 

Toying with the idea of some of the super green palys but think they'll end up being too invasive? / don't really fancy their toxic effects in a 1G of water haha!

 

[debbeach13]

Can't wait to see every thing once they settle in.

[aclman88]

Looks awesome!

[SaltyGallon]

My house move is going ahead this Friday so I'll get the tank set up at home next week when I've got a quiet moment - really looking forward to it, esp as having seen some of the other great tanks in the contest. 😎

 

A question which has been bugging me which I hoped some other pico tank owners might know - it seems like weekly 100% water changes are the done thing, but does this have any negative effects on inverts? I wanted to keep two or three sexy shrimp in this tank but am a bit worried that big water changes might be a shock to their little systems!

 

Cheers.

[Ratvan]

3 minutes ago, Azur said:

My house move is going ahead this Friday so I'll get the tank set up at home next week when I've got a quiet moment - really looking forward to it, esp as having seen some of the other great tanks in the contest. 😎

 

A question which has been bugging me which I hoped some other pico tank owners might know - it seems like weekly 100% water changes are the done thing, but does this have any negative effects on inverts? I wanted to keep two or three sexy shrimp in this tank but am a bit worried that big water changes might be a shock to their little systems!

 

Cheers.

Mine were fine with large water changes. I left an inch at the bottom for the livestock to stay in. Probably closer to 80-90% than 100% water change. Just make sure that your new water matches the old as closely as possible with Salinity and Temperature

[aclman88]

13 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Mine were fine with large water changes. I left an inch at the bottom for the livestock to stay in. Probably closer to 80-90% than 100% water change. Just make sure that your new water matches the old as closely as possible with Salinity and Temperature

What I was going to say. Just temp and salinity match and should be good. Your other params won’t really change much with just a few softies in there. 

[SaltyGallon]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

Mine were fine with large water changes. I left an inch at the bottom for the livestock to stay in. Probably closer to 80-90% than 100% water change. Just make sure that your new water matches the old as closely as possible with Salinity and Temperature

51 minutes ago, aclman88 said:

What I was going to say. Just temp and salinity match and should be good. Your other params won’t really change much with just a few softies in there. 

Thank you kind sirs! Temp match will be the big kicker I think... I might have to buy one of those digital ones, rather than guesstimating!

[aclman88]

1 hour ago, Azur said:

Thank you kind sirs! Temp match will be the big kicker I think... I might have to buy one of those digital ones, rather than guesstimating!

A cheap digital thermometer would work I think to ensure you are close enough to match the display.  The heater you are using is a preset heater, correct?

[SaltyGallon]

9 minutes ago, aclman88 said:

A cheap digital thermometer would work I think to ensure you are close enough to match the display.  The heater you are using is a preset heater, correct?

Yes indeedy, preset at 78.8F or 26C. I've seen lots of the little digital probe ones on Amazon pretty cheap, a good investment for this I reckon 🙂

[aclman88]

5 minutes ago, Azur said:

Yes indeedy, preset at 78.8F or 26C. I've seen lots of the little digital probe ones on Amazon pretty cheap, a good investment for this I reckon 🙂

Definitely not a bad investment.  You could also look into an inkbird temperature controller which will also act as a failsafe in case the heater fails in the on position.  Just food for thought.  I'm really excited to see how this turns out; I love the purple and green color combo so, in my opinion, this is going to look pretty slick.

[karisma]

Just bought a digital thermometer myself. Its a good cheap investment....

[SaltyGallon]

1 hour ago, aclman88 said:

Definitely not a bad investment.  You could also look into an inkbird temperature controller which will also act as a failsafe in case the heater fails in the on position.  Just food for thought.  I'm really excited to see how this turns out; I love the purple and green color combo so, in my opinion, this is going to look pretty slick.

Thanks, I'll look in to it! I always thought "inkbirds" were silly expensive but they actually look pretty reasonably priced. I certainly hope so 🙂 

[Ratvan]

Just now, Azur said:

Thanks, I'll look in to it! I always thought "inkbirds" were silly expensive but they actually look pretty reasonably priced. I certainly hope so 🙂 

Make sure you get one with the Aquarium Probe, not the bare metal one!!

[aclman88]

27 minutes ago, Azur said:

Thanks, I'll look in to it! I always thought "inkbirds" were silly expensive but they actually look pretty reasonably priced. I certainly hope so 🙂 

They also have one with a cooling and heating element, in case you need cooling.  I have a pico at home and I am planning on getting an inkbird since I use a small usb computer fan over the HOB filter to cool during the summer.  Last summer I ran the fan 24/7 but the controller would extend the life of the fan and the heater while adding an additional layer of protection.  If you have high temps at all it is worth thinking about.

 

Not sure of a uk link but this is the one I plan on using:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R195CQF

 

[karisma]

7 hours ago, Azur said:

My house move is going ahead this Friday so I'll get the tank set up at home next week when I've got a quiet moment - really looking forward to it, esp as having seen some of the other great tanks in the contest. 😎

 

A question which has been bugging me which I hoped some other pico tank owners might know - it seems like weekly 100% water changes are the done thing, but does this have any negative effects on inverts? I wanted to keep two or three sexy shrimp in this tank but am a bit worried that big water changes might be a shock to their little systems!

 

Cheers.

Im still on the fence about 100% weekly water changes for the moment. I do 10% twice a week. Its been working for me.

I use chemipure blue and dose microbactor 7 

[SaltyGallon]

15 hours ago, aclman88 said:

They also have one with a cooling and heating element, in case you need cooling.  I have a pico at home and I am planning on getting an inkbird since I use a small usb computer fan over the HOB filter to cool during the summer.  Last summer I ran the fan 24/7 but the controller would extend the life of the fan and the heater while adding an additional layer of protection.  If you have high temps at all it is worth thinking about.

 

Not sure of a uk link but this is the one I plan on using:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R195CQF

 

That's a nifty little addition and good to know, thanks. I only ran a fan for one day last year, we're not blessed with warm weather here in the UK haha 🙂

13 hours ago, karisma said:

Im still on the fence about 100% weekly water changes for the moment. I do 10% twice a week. Its been working for me.

I use chemipure blue and dose microbactor 7 

Hmm, difficult. Is that in a pico? 100% does sound a bit severe, I'd be much more comfortable with e.g. 50% weekly, but 100% seems 'the done thing' on here.

[Ratvan]

35 minutes ago, Azur said:

That's a nifty little addition and good to know, thanks. I only ran a fan for one day last year, we're not blessed with warm weather here in the UK haha 🙂

Hmm, difficult. Is that in a pico? 100% does sound a bit severe, I'd be much more comfortable with e.g. 50% weekly, but 100% seems 'the done thing' on here.

As soon as I get more livestock I'm going to switch to smaller more regular water changes, something like 20% per change, maybe twice a  week (or whatever the AIO back chamber holds) or whatever the corals tell me they need

[karisma]

1 hour ago, Azur said:

That's a nifty little addition and good to know, thanks. I only ran a fan for one day last year, we're not blessed with warm weather here in the UK haha 🙂

Hmm, difficult. Is that in a pico? 100% does sound a bit severe, I'd be much more comfortable with e.g. 50% weekly, but 100% seems 'the done thing' on here.

Yes its in a pico. 4 gal. There is ppl doing 100% changes and its working for them which is great for them. For me i will stick to my 10% twice a week for now as this has worked for my system. 

[Ratvan]

1 hour ago, Azur said:

That's a nifty little addition and good to know, thanks. I only ran a fan for one day last year, we're not blessed with warm weather here in the UK haha 🙂

Hmm, difficult. Is that in a pico? 100% does sound a bit severe, I'd be much more comfortable with e.g. 50% weekly, but 100% seems 'the done thing' on here.

Also with regards to the heat and pico tanks. Make some RODI ice cubes to drop in the AIO section for when it gets too hot

[SaltyGallon]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

As soon as I get more livestock I'm going to switch to smaller more regular water changes, something like 20% per change, maybe twice a  week (or whatever the AIO back chamber holds) or whatever the corals tell me they need

59 minutes ago, karisma said:

Yes its in a pico. 4 gal. There is ppl doing 100% changes and its working for them which is great for them. For me i will stick to my 10% twice a week for now as this has worked for my system. 

Thanks guys. Softies aren't exactly gunna be stripping stuff left right and centre from the water column, either. I think the take home is let's just listen to what the corals are saying, mannn ✌️

[debbeach13]

If I remember correct. The 100% water change became popular during the creative contain contest. I think some of the containers that ran with out filters where pretty much emptied into a bucket while the container was cleaned. Then every thing put back in with all new water. A bunch of rule breakers. Even rinsing out the sand with tap water!