Pico for Plates?!

[DesertReefOasis]

Hey All! I've recently learned about the diaseris plate corals species that can be fragged, and even sometimes frag themselves! I'm buying a frag of two different color variants and thinking of starting up a pico tank devoted just to watching these mystical creatures grow and propagate! I know, nerd status 100.

 

I just got into reefing last year, and quickly went from making fun of my boyfriend for wanting one to having 2 tanks of my own.. making this my third! I'm really intrigued by these plates, and thus wanting a separate little pico tank just for them so they aren't disturbed in their healing/growing process and I can really "study" them. 🙂

 

These are the plate frags I'm starting out with (not yet in my possession, but ordered from Kush Corals):

 

(This is the mom > )

 

  (Don't have a mom pic for this one)

 

 

A guy I've bought frag racks from recently put together a custom tiny AIO frag tank that further sparked my idea in this pico plate tank idea. This one was only about 1.2 gallons measuring at 12"x12"x4".  I'm thinking 14"x18"x6" to get at about 5g.  Though I would love suggestions if different measurements would make better sense for my concept.

 

It is acrylic which I'm not stoked on, but I figure it being so small and what I'm using it for shouldn't have too much of an issue with scratches. 

 

So far I'm thinking of a crushed coral/rubble bottom, not a fine sand and a couple mangroves.  I'm debating live rock in the display, but would do bio balls for bacteria surface area in the little overflow area.  For maintaining an ecosystem, I'm debating adding a small fish like a tail spot blenny and a snail or two, but I have no clue if that's necessary or even a good idea in such a small tank?

 

Input is mucho appreciatedo!

[A.m.P]

I recall something about either avoiding or sticking to barebottom with fungia plates, but I cannot for the life of me recall which direction it was in. I personally prefer no substrate and with so little vertical real estate I think it'd be worth considering.

 

Otherwise a shallow setup sounds like a solid idea for plats of all kinds, although they may not necessarily play nice with each other if they get too close so I would try to maximize the footprint.

Oh, and you can use normal magic erasers to clean acrylic without too much hassle, I also just use the back of my nail to abrade off coralline. 

[DesertReefOasis]

37 minutes ago, A.m.P said:

I recall something about either avoiding or sticking to barebottom with fungia plates, but I cannot for the life of me recall which direction it was in. I personally prefer no substrate and with so little vertical real estate I think it'd be worth considering.

 

Otherwise a shallow setup sounds like a solid idea for plats of all kinds, although they may not necessarily play nice with each other if they get too close so I would try to maximize the footprint.

Oh, and you can use normal magic erasers to clean acrylic without too much hassle, I also just use the back of my nail to abrade off coralline. 

 

I definitely want to avoid vertical real estate.  I watched a few youtube videos, and what I've gathered is that fungia plates are best on crushed coral/rubble.  Not bare bottom nor fine sand.  I believe that was from a Tidal Gardens video.

 

Good to know for cleaning tips, thanks!

 

By chance any tips on other livestock in this little system? If a small fish and/or snails would be a good or bad idea?

[A.m.P]

Snails won't care, Turbo's are probably too big, small fish is a bit trickier because you're in trimma goby or or barnacle-blenny territory. 

 

This list is pretty okay

I'd also add Starry goby and Caribbean sailfin blenny to the list and their clownfish recommendations are a bit questionable, but it's an old list lol.
Definitely going to want a top with any fish in there, you could try to find something super-small like Chrysiptera Traceyi.

[Tired]

Bioballs aren't terribly useful and can be nitrate factories. If you're doing a crushed coral substrate, you should be OKish on surface area for bacteria, though I might chuck in one nice rock. 

 

You'll want snails for some cleanup. I would just get dwarf ceriths from ReefCleaners or similar, to do multi-purpose algae and detritus reduction. A fish is absolutely doable, but would need a rock or something to hide in. If you only have one rock, make sure to get a good one with plenty of holes and crevices, and ensure that a cave is present. A few large shells could also work. You basically just want boltholes.

 

[DesertReefOasis]

43 minutes ago, A.m.P said:

Snails won't care, Turbo's are probably too big, small fish is a bit trickier because you're in trimma goby or or barnacle-blenny territory. 

 

This list is pretty okay

I'd also add Starry goby and Caribbean sailfin blenny to the list and their clownfish recommendations are a bit questionable, but it's an old list lol.
Definitely going to want a top with any fish in there, you could try to find something super-small like Chrysiptera Traceyi.

Awesome, thanks! If I don't need snails I'm absolutely fine visually without them.  A fish would be cool, but not stuck on having one either.  I just figured it would help round on the ecosystem.  Definitely love a little goby idea.  Actually always wanted a green banded goby, but hard to come by around here.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[DesertReefOasis]

24 minutes ago, Tired said:

Bioballs aren't terribly useful and can be nitrate factories. If you're doing a crushed coral substrate, you should be OKish on surface area for bacteria, though I might chuck in one nice rock. 

 

You'll want snails for some cleanup. I would just get dwarf ceriths from ReefCleaners or similar, to do multi-purpose algae and detritus reduction. A fish is absolutely doable, but would need a rock or something to hide in. If you only have one rock, make sure to get a good one with plenty of holes and crevices, and ensure that a cave is present. A few large shells could also work. You basically just want boltholes.

 

Awesome, thanks for the input! Maybe I'll do a little rock structure by the overflow area.  I would love to throw a mangrove or two in there to disguise the overflow area as well and have read they help filter through a little nitrate too.

[A.m.P]

13 minutes ago, DesertReefOasis said:

Awesome, thanks for the input! Maybe I'll do a little rock structure by the overflow area.  I would love to throw a mangrove or two in there to disguise the overflow area as well and have read they help filter through a little nitrate too.

I wouldn't count on the mangrove to do much for nitrate.

[DesertReefOasis]

3 minutes ago, A.m.P said:

I wouldn't count on the mangrove to do much for nitrate.

For sure.  It's just an excuse I tell myself for why I need one.  I also just really like the visual effect it has as well.

[A.m.P]

If your friend just has a bunch of cheap scrap going around see if they can frankenstein something that suits your own visual taste or space well, otherwise I'd think 16x14x5 would give you a pretty big footprint for 4.5 gallons and you could honestly go 5.5 or 6" high and still just-hit 5ish gallons after factoring-in dead space up-top and the walls.

[DesertReefOasis]

Just now, A.m.P said:

If your friend just has a bunch of cheap scrap going around see if they can frankenstein something that suits your own visual taste or space well, otherwise I'd think 16x14x5 would give you a pretty big footprint for 4.5 gallons and you could honestly go 5.5 or 6" high and still just-hit 5ish gallons after factoring-in dead space up-top and the walls.

Right on, I just realized that I had a typo in my original dimensions.  I am thinking 14"x18"x6" high.  Then I think with dead space I'd be right around 5g like you said.  I'm thinking of putting this little guy in the corner of nook in my wall, so I have options on which side to put the overflow area.  Would it make a big difference to put the overflow on the shorter or longer side for a setup like this?

[DesertReefOasis]

Also, any suggestions for lighting? Nothing more and nothing less than a plate coral would need?

All I've ever had in my short reefing experience are the RedSea LEDs which I'm not sure is necessary for just plates in such a shallow tank?

[A.m.P]

Could do an ABI Tuna blue PAR bulb, just mount it up fairly high and maybe rent a par meter from a local to check.

[Tamberav]

Plates are one of my favorite corals. I have 5 of them currently. They are not the fragable types though but have been wanting some of those. 
 

You will need a lid if you do a goby or blenny. They will jump out.