Fun idea's for two new picos..need input

[Darold]

In the nano section of the "other" forum there has been some mention of having a friendly contest to create some new tanks and keep journals of them.

 

I have a lot of equipment and two tanks lying around. With the motivation of the before mentioned post, I want to set up two relatively easy, yet still unique/interesting tanks.

 

I have been able to keep both a 5.5g and a 2.5g (even a .75g pico for a few months before tearing it down). I am ready to re-commit myself to the higher maintenance of these tanks. However I want their designs to be as close to a self sustaining eco-system as possible. (again, no flames, I still plan on doing the water changes)

 

 

2.5G FOWLR and Macro non heated tank

-Live Rock

-Macro in tank

-NO heater

-Catalina Goby

 

Questions:

1) Should I use live sand from my established tnak or get some black sand? Is the black sand considered live? I have heard it does not buffer PH as well as the other sand I am using, Is this true?

 

2) Will room temp be cool enough for the catalina goby? My apartment is kept at 75F.

 

5.5G monopoly tank

 

I want this tank to be overgrown with one or two of the folowing:

-Xenia/Mushroom/GSP/Zooanthids

 

I also have a tube anemone that would look great in this tank. Macro would be kept in the CPR aquafuge from my 20L. I am hoping to try mud filtration out in this as well.

 

Livestock:

-dwarf zebra hermits, arrow crab, coral banded shrimp, anemone shrimp, cleaner or fire shrimp

 

 

Questions

 

1) Again, should I use black or regular sand?

2) Would this tank have enough "interest" without any fish?

 

 

3) Should I switch my ideas? I mean, should I do the 2.5g as the monopoly tank, and use the 5.5g for the cooler goby tank? I chose the order I did since I would be able to hide the heater inside of the refugium that can fit on the 5.5g.

 

 

Thank you in advance for your advice/input.

[Darold]

Just ordered a canopy for the 2.5g. Seems like this purchase would be a waste if I don't put coral in it now. I might make the 2.5g a mushroom and the 5.5g zoo/xenia tank.

 

Any other suggestions? I am trying to be creative and have a somewhat original tank. Is there anything else I could do to keep the maintenance down down on these low gallon tanks?

[tinyreef]

i'd swap the 5.5 and 2.5 to fish and species-tank, respectively.

 

the more volume will allow the fish to move about.

 

the smaller tank allows for easier viewing onto whatever you decide on keeping.

 

sexy shrimp are always cool. on a black sandbed they would really stand out. i'd been thinking of that myself in fact. my previous sexys have always become lunch for one creature or another.

 

mantis tanks or lobster tanks are cool too. predator crabs are pretty nasty too. any of these are good choices if you want to watch bloodshed on a regular basis.

 

a single clam under a 70w mh is also nice looking. a croc or max is very pretty as the center piece.

 

how about just having a sandbed and some interesting sand-burrowers? (e.g. big bristleworms, nass snails, shrimp, horseshoes-they get big, etc.)

 

it'll be like creatures rising up from the muck (anyone remember star trek II: wrath of khan?). yikes or ewww!

[Daemonfly]

Why not combine the two into a 5.5g main tank with 2.5g fuge?

 

About the "live sand", it doesn't matter what KIND of sand it is, the "live" part is just doe to the sand containing bacterias (at least) and critters. Also, any sand will become live in a short while anyway.

[Darold]

I am leaning towards swapping the 5.5 as the fish and the 2.5g for something else. Since I have a CPR refugium for the 5.5g, it will be able to hanlde the higher bioload as well. However, the 5.5g also already has decent PC lights that seem like they will be going to waste. I am afraid of the tank getting too hot for the catalina goby.

 

I love the idea of having a black sandbed, however, will it be the same quality as the CaribSea's Arag-alive that is already in there from the last time it was set up?

 

I have already experimented with a mantis tank. It was a lot of fun, I would recomend it to everybody. Its nice to interact with things in your tank. However, I want to try something new again.

 

a single clam under a 70w mh is also nice looking. a croc or max is very pretty as the center piece.

 

-Now this is a fun idea. I have wanted a clam for a while now, but have always been afraid of their higher needs. I like this idea and might run with it.... If not this time, then some other time.

 

Speaking of fun things in the sand (black sand?), i think Dwarf Zebra Hermits are going to really stand out on black sand if I decide to go this route.

 

Why not combine the two into a 5.5g main tank with 2.5g fuge?

 

I have actually already done this. Sorta... I had the CPR Aquafuge on the back of my 5.5g. This left no room for a mechanicle filter etc, so I plumbed the 2.5g next to the 5.5g. This created just under 10 total gallons of water, with a refugium, and two seperate tanks (one mantis/mushroom, the other reef/pseudochromis).

 

As you can see, I never got the plumbing to look clean, and eventually sold the mantis, and moved everything else into my new 20L.

 

 

And finally....going back to the black sand... I am mainly concerned with its PH buffering ability. I heard that Caribsea's sand has the ability to help buffer the PH, but this particular style cannot do that... True/False/ or is it not that important?

 

 

Again, thank you for your time.

[Carinya]

I have a particular soft spot for catalina gobies and IMHO if you have a room temp of 75 and then add pump heat, light heat to the equation, you're likely going to be too hot. If you're REALLY into them, I'd consider an ice probe. If you're not, there are lots of other types of colorful gobies.

 

Ah, so many species tanks I'd like to set up...so little time & money! Catalinas would be one, that's for sure.

 

C

[Darold]

What if I left the lights completely off the tank? Also, how much are ice probes? I would really like to go with one, however, there are so many other options. I found an amazing decorator crab that looks more decorated than my live rock at the LFS for $14. It is about the size of aq gold ball with legs. I would need to keep it from moving rocks around, but it was so intruiging.

[Daemonfly]

The black sand shouldn't have any buffering capability, at leat if it's the Tahitian Moon black sand brand available at petsmart, etc...

 

Thats the only black sand I have experience with, aside from the even cheaper stuff at Petsmart that just plain sucked (it constantly floated...).

[burnah]

id say get the decorator crab and some sexies for the 2.5 on black sand that sounds so good id like to start it for myself right now

[Darold]

I found some live "black" sand, however it was white sand with black sand mized in. Not exactly what I was hoping for. I think I will get just a little bit of the Tahitian Moon Black for the 2.5g, and use the regular Fiji Pink for the 5.5g. I have just put a larger piece of live rock in the 5.5g, and am trying to see where it is in the cycle. The rock came from my 20L, so it shouldn't take too long until I can add some livestock. I went to go visit the decorator crab again. Not sure exactly what, but it had living organismes on it. When it is still it is gard to see, but when it moves it has this "presence" to it. Very impressive. I decided to keep the 5.5g under my 20L, and run the lights on a reverse schedule from the main tank. I do this because I have no more light timers, and my powerstrip has two open spots, but they are timed to only work on a reverse schedule from the other two plugs used for my 20L. This will work out well, because I will always have something to look at. I will place the refugium on the back of this tank, since the refugium lights up the bedroom all night hanging on the back of the 20L. When it is moved to under the stand it should be easier to sleep.

 

The 2.5g looks like it will be resting on my kitchen bar. Since this is the tank with black sand, I was thinking of a black/white reef. Zebra hermits and lots of bright white xenia. This will become the monopoly tank. However, where can I get a tiny heater for the 2.5g? None of the LFS's have anything of acceptable size?

Room temp is always mid to upper 70's and this will have decent lighting and a hood. Do I even need a heater? If I decide to throw in a fish to this tank, it will most likely be a Red Headed Goby. Other than the red face, and coraline, I hope to keep this a B/W tank. Haven't seen one like that, so I hope its original.

[Darold]

New Plans:

 

2.5G Black and White Monopoly Tank

 

- Black Hood W/lighting fixture

- Black Sand

- Dwarf Zebra Hermits

- Bright White Xenia (Allow it to cover all of teh rock work)

- No Macro needed - Xenia will be the primary exporter of nutrient

- No Heater, Room Temp/Lights should keep it 76-78

- Possibly eventually add a Red Headed Goby (I have red hair too)

- If I feel the need for more color, a Halloween Hermit could be used

- Powerhead

 

5.5g cool water mountain tank

 

- One single large piece of LR to prevent the large crab from

moving things around

- Spider Decorator Crab

- Catalina Goby (If water temps stay cool enough)

- Firefish as backup plan to the Catalina Goby. I have wanted one for a while, however my 20L is not covered, and this fish will jump out. The 5.5g is almost completely covered.

- CPR Aquafuge

- Powerhead

 

-Do these plans sound better? Any more ideas? I apprecite your advise, as I think this sounds like an even better setup.

[Darold]

So, I am begining to second guess my decision of the black sand. I know that it collects detritous easily, and that its fine grain causes it to get stired up too easily. Does anyone know of a large grain of black sand? If not, another idea has come to mind...

 

Barebottom! I would probably never do this with a main display (but you never know). Black starboard (or similar item) would allow for easy cleanup of detritous. Where can I purchase this pre-cut for a 2.5g tank? I do not have any powertools yet. WOuld it be easier to just paint the bottom of the tank?

 

And finally, I have been considering adding a very small Longspine Sea Urchin to the tank. I have always been fasinated by them. Once it gets too alrge I can move it to a friends 75G FOWLR.

 

Any more ideas? You have all been very helpful in perfecting my goal with these tanks.

 

 

PS- The 5.5g already has the monster rock in it and I am watching for any cycle. The rock is from my main display, and has a cave in it that has proved to be a favorite hiding fish for my shrimp in the 20L. I will try to get pictures up as soon as I get the refugium moved.

[tinyreef]

check the fw substrate sections at the lfs or ols. they usually have much more selections available than the sw. color, shape, sizes.

[Darold]

I heard that the Tahitian Moon sand if a larger grain, and less likely to be sitred up. If I remember correctly, we sold this as a sort of Ciclid substrate for FW. Now that I know black sand won't be as hard to maintain as I had previously thought, I am torn between sand/ black barebottom.

[alans22]

i had a harlequin shrimp as the only creature (besides hermits and a snail) added to a 2.5. All other creatures came from the live rock. The most interesting being a tiny sand anenome and a spaghetti worm (very cool check them out if you havent seen them) This worked very well because the only feeding i had to do is the starfish for the harlequin, which produced very little waste from what i could tell. Also i had this tank for several months without adding anything and it was very "interesting" seeing what new life popped up no matter how small, the struggle of amphipods and copepods is always interesting and amusing.

[Darold]

Haha, yes, this is what I am hoping to see with the 2.5g. I think I may be "giving" my 5.5g setup to a friend for a while. He wants to get into the saltwater and possibly reef thing. Since I have the whole setup lying around, I will let him use it until he upgrades.