The Pico vol. 2

[sr2z]

4 hours ago, Leo_ian said:

I’ve said this a lot, if you have snails, no hermits, they kill for shells

Actually, my single hermit is behaving super well so far. The cerith is too big for him, and the dove snails are too small... And I really don´t mind if he snatches a dove snail or two, just because they are breeding very well in my tank. But thanks for your warning! I really appreciate it!

[Murphs_Reef]

5 hours ago, Leo_ian said:

I’ve said this a lot, if you have snails, no hermits, they kill for shells

I've never had that issue and have both lots (to many) hermits and a lot of snails of differing types.

[Tired]

You need a lot of empty shells for the hermits. Of course they'll kill snails otherwise- they need shells to live in. 

[Murphs_Reef]

33 minutes ago, Tired said:

You need a lot of empty shells for the hermits. Of course they'll kill snails otherwise- they need shells to live in. 

I have 2 empty shells, which are too small.

 

They crabs like picking at each other but don't bother anything else... It 50/50 with them.. mine are well behaved... That in mind it's the same as emerald crabs with algae 🤣 

 

This is as close as mine get, pick the algae off the shell of a Cerith then piss off 🥺

[sr2z]

I think the crabs should get on just fine with my snails, as long as I provide them some shells...

 

Merry Christmas folks! Here is a Christmas tree for you: (it´s also in the gallery)

[Leo_ian]

Scarlets, candy canes, blue stripes and zebras are the smaller ones. 

[Tired]

Scarlets are the most well-behaved hermits, but are wimpy enough that they shouldn't be mixed with other hermit species, and are a bit fussy about shells. You can look at pictures of them online to see the shell shape they want- basically every hermit in any google search of "scarlet reef hermit" is wearing the shell in question. They like those heavy shells. I've seen mine trying new shells on, and I swear they actually lift the potential new shell up with their claws and then lose interest if it's not a heavy one. Little ones like cerith-style shells, but bigger ones ("big" meaning the shell is at most the size of a small walnut) seem to really like those particularly bulky shells you can see online.

I have a theory that they live somewhere with a lot of wave action, and thus have been selected for ones that prefer particularly durable shells. Something to back that up- they hold onto something when you try to pick them up, instead of hiding in the shell. 

 

Blue-leg hermits and zebra hermits are both viable for reefs as well, but can be a bit more trouble. They stay a tiny bit smaller, and will wear just about any shells they come across. They can be more aggressive, though, and more prone to killing a snail to check if the shell fits. I don't know what a candycane hermit is- maybe another name for a red leg? People mostly don't seem to have those, I think they get slightly larger. 

[sr2z]

2 hours ago, Tired said:

I don't know what a candycane hermit is- maybe another name for a red leg? People mostly don't seem to have those, I think they get slightly larger. 

I have never heard about them myself too, but I guess they exist: https://reefbuilders.com/2017/02/01/candy-cane-hermit-crab/

[Leo_ian]

yea candycanes are prob going to be impossible to aquire...

[Tired]

Oh, those? Those are really cool, but I don't think they're really... available. And if they were, I'd be more inclined to put them in a specialty tank, probably a cold one. I also don't know where you'd get more empty shells for them. 

[sr2z]

I have bad news... The Tailspot Blenny I wanted for this tank won´t be available anytime soon... 🙁The only "small" blenny that I could buy right now is the Linear Blenny. I like it as well, but would the size (3,5") be too much for this tank?

[Tired]

I don't know how active they are, so I would be a little hesitant to put a fish that size in a pico. Bioload could also be an issue. 

[sr2z]

6 minutes ago, Tired said:

I don't know how active they are, so I would be a little hesitant to put a fish that size in a pico. Bioload could also be an issue. 

Well, because they are combtooth blennies, they are more like the "perch all day, occasionally grab som algae" type of fish I guess. The second option was a GCG, but I´m afraid about them nipping the SPS I might add into the tank... Or maybe a Yellowstriped Cardinalfish?

[Tired]

Cardinalfish are definitely a no-go for a pico, unless it's a baby in there temporarily. Green clown gobies are a bit hit-or-miss with SPS, but frequently don't do too much damage even if they start nipping. 

 

Can you get any of the little shrimpgobies, like antenna gobies? 

[sr2z]

14 minutes ago, Tired said:

Can you get any of the little shrimpgobies, like antenna gobies? 

I can´t :( They are incredibly rare here in normal times, and the coronavirus pandemic got very bad here, so there are a minimum of fish imports. The same for Trimma and Eviota gobies... Incredibly hard to source, and if you manage to find one, it´s insanely overpriced... Like, oukey, there are some goby species available here, but mostly firefish (I love them, but they´re not suitable for this tank size) and bigger watchman gobies. Even neon gobies are quite rare. I think I made a list of available fish and posted it here somewhere... Anyway, I´m not underestimating the choice of fish for this tank, there can only be ONE and I want to get it right.

[sr2z]

Oukey, a monthly update:

 

I know, the photo is a little bit dark, but that´s because of my camera settings... Still no fish 😞 I decided to wait for the traditional February import. Unfortunately, the only interesting fish is this one:

A Pixy Hawkfish

As you can see, it´s a beauty, but I guess it´s toooo big (3", they say) , right? Nah, this chase for a unique pico fish on a budget is starting to get me tired. 😂🤦‍♂️

[Leo_ian]

On 2/16/2021 at 4:33 AM, sr2z said:

Oukey, a monthly update:

 

I know, the photo is a little bit dark, but that´s because of my camera settings... Still no fish 😞 I decided to wait for the traditional February import. Unfortunately, the only interesting fish is this one:

A Pixy Hawkfish

As you can see, it´s a beauty, but I guess it´s toooo big (3", they say) , right? Nah, this chase for a unique pico fish on a budget is starting to get me tired. 😂🤦‍♂️

Bit big- 

[Leo_ian]

Do you have other tanks?

[sr2z]

5 hours ago, Leo_ian said:

Do you have other tanks?

Unfortunately, only freshwater ones... I´m only a high school student at the moment, so I cannot really afford and manage more saltwater tanks... But after college, there are BIG plans.

[sr2z]

Well, after a few months, I think a growth comparison would be nice...

 

November:

 

Today:

You can notice, that the BamBams haven´t grown at all, as well as the Jungle Juice. The Lime Chillies on the other hand... Well... they are growing generously. As you can see, they have also expanded their tentacles.

 

The GSP are... well.. GSP

The GSP are growing well. Just like any other GSP 😂