RobD's 1.5g Pico

[RobD]

The tank has been up for about a month and I'm starting to get some encrusting of the GSP and Montipora (Digitata and Capricornis) onto the rock.

 

I started this thread in another post, but the title wasn't right, and I couldn't figure out how to change it after the fact. Here's the Original Thread:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=73800

 

Anyway, here's an update picture from 1-15-2006

 

 

Edit 3/19/2006:March Updates are at the bottom of this thread.

[sammycai]

The tank has been up for about a month and I'm starting to get some encrusting of the GSP and Montipora (Digitata and Capricornis) onto the rock.

 

I started this thread in another post, but the title wasn't right, and I couldn't figure out how to change it after the fact. Here's the Original Thread:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=73800

 

Anyway, here's an update picture from 1-15-2006

 

Nice pico!

[Haagenize]

man its real nice and clean looking. I like it

[RobD]

Here's an update. The tank has been running for about 3 months. (the photos were taken 2/20/2006)

 

Sorry that the photos are not as clear as they could be, my camera doesn't have a great lens on it. I tried to get a shot of the montipora encrustation and the sexy shrimp as well as an overall tank shot.

[brent-konieczny]

Other than the crushed coral I really like it.

[clown fish rule]

nice tank i like it

[RobD]

Other than the crushed coral I really like it.

 

 

I've been thinking the same thing. When I set it up I wanted to try a 50/50 mix of refugium sand and crushed coral. I thought maybe it would make for a more varied substrate and not clump.

 

I have a few more things that I already am working on redoing, like the sump, but I'm hoping to come back around to this as well.

 

Anyone with suggestions on grain size and types of sand, or mixes of types?

[RobD]

Here's a couple of current shots. The tank looks a little washed out in the photos. It's not quite that bad, but I do need to increase the dosing on suplements, since I'm getting a little coraline loss. The montipora is growing very well, and the Capricornis is starting to get a bit of a green sheen over it. Strangely the Purple Tip is growing a lot more vigorously than the Orange Montipora Digita.

 

I've got a bag of sand, and plan to swap out the crushed coral, but I'm running out of weekend to do it.

 

Yesterday I added a blue line pipefish, but it's still shy. It came out after the lights went off last night and did a good survey of the tank, so I hope within the next week it will get settled in.

 

I completed the new sump and fresh water top off tank, but haven't finished the plumbing part of it. That should give me a over a weeks worth of top off water, so I can take off during the summer.

 

Here's the update pictures.

 

[brent-konieczny]

Looks really good! You should add some bright zoos in between all the monti for better contrast to their brown.

[RobD]

Looks really good! You should add some bright zoos in between all the monti for better contrast to their brown.

 

I ended up gluing some on, as you suggested.

 

I was able to swap out the substrate more easily than expected, and I glued up some of the small frags onto the rock at the same time. Everything is still pretty cloudy and not opened up yet, but it looks much better.

 

The big secret on it being so easy to change substrate was, I bought an extra tank when they were closing them out for $6. So I could rinse out the substrate, put it in the new tank. Pull the rock out, and glue on some more frags, then transfer water from the old tank till it was full. Not too hard to transfer the livestock at that point.

 

I ended up using a 200ml liquid measure worth of substrate, I think that's around 3/4 of a cup to a cup.

 

It's CaribSea SeaFlor Special Grade.

 

Here's the pics I took right after.

 

[brent-konieczny]

Wow, that sand looks so much better. Can't wait to see it clear up and grow in a little now.