3 gal picotope (build thread!)

[dingusplease]

Quick update: added a slightly bigger power head in back, added a $0 background , will be doing water tests as soon as I get my test kits tomorrow. From what I know, the cycle should be a little quicker than average because all my LR and sand are from established tanks. Btw, do you think I should move the LR back a bit so there's more space in front? Just a thought. Thanks for looking!





P.s. I'll be adding a cuc soon, along with some zoas and xenia. Stay tuned!

[dingusplease]

What should I put in the fuge? It's 1 gallon and I have some dividers it came with. I dunno what to use yet, maybe chaeto but I don't have a light that would grow it. I've heard about mud and dsb's but don't know too much. Any opinions?

[Frankie_Garcia]

Put some live rock rubble, chaetomorpha, maybe a small bag of carbon.. It's hard to judge with such a small tank.

[Frankie_Garcia]

And it wouldn't hurt to scoot the rock back. Start your corals on the bottom then gradually move them up for adjustments

[dingusplease]

Thanks! I hadn't thought of rubble, but that sounds good too. I have a few bags of carbon, and maybe for the third partition I'll use Chemi-Pure elite.

[Frankie_Garcia]

IMO go with rock rubble in first chamber, then some kind of filter pad in second, then your bag of chemipure elite. That's how id run it with that tank!

[Scottyhorse]

Tank is looking really good! I like the rocks how they are, but scooting them back just a tad wouldn't be bad.

[dingusplease]

Found a brittle sea star this morning! Was moving the live rock back a bit when I noticed this guy. I stopped moving the rocks at that point, so they may still look a little weird. Anyways, first resident! Does this mean anything in terms of my cycle, or is it always this soon that hitch hikers come out?

[dingusplease]

Pictures:





Sorry, he's hard to see in these. Look at pretty much the center of the pic and zoom. He's brownish, like the rock.

[Fishman007]

Looks nice, is this your first reef? I will be getting mine next week off amazon. 50$ there. Where did you get yours? In the fuge i would put chaeto, some live rock rubble, and thats it. As frankie said some carbon wouldnt hurt ether.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by dingusplease

Yeah, maybe some peppermint shrimp. Any suggestions? I haven't kept any shrimp before, especially not in such a small build.

Peppermint shrimp are 50/50 with softies, i had 3 and they ate half of my magician zoas but it didint take long for them to grow back.

[Lepomis]

I wouldn't mess with rubble to be honest. Purigen and Chem Pure elite and water changes about all you will need. Chaeto can be added also but wont' really be needed with the previous mentioned but won't hurt. Some like to use filter floss to remove fines and just chuck every week or so.

With proper water changes many find the use of any chemical filtration media not needed.

Turkey baster is quite handy with pico/nano tanks (or larger).

[dingusplease]

Originally Posted by Fishman007

Looks nice, is this your first reef? I will be getting mine next week off amazon. 50$ there. Where did you get yours? In the fuge i would put chaeto, some live rock rubble, and thats it. As frankie said some carbon wouldnt hurt ether.

Yeah, this is my first one! I got my tank from doctors foster and smith, they have the jbj picotopes with lights and a filter for $40 (free shipping if you have at least $50 of stuff.) It's a pretty good deal if you get other supplies from them for free shipping. Btw, I did put some carbon in the fuge, and I'm probably going to add Chemi-pure ands purigen in the other chambers.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by Lepomis

I wouldn't mess with rubble to be honest. Purigen and Chem Pure elite and water changes about all you will need. Chaeto can be added also but wont' really be needed with the previous mentioned but won't hurt. Some like to use filter floss to remove fines and just chuck every week or so.

With proper water changes many find the use of any chemical filtration media not needed.

Turkey baster is quite handy with pico/nano tanks (or larger).

Filter floss will hold alot of BB, but i would get a fluval sponge instead. Holds way more, or a bag of ceramic media. I use a turkey baster to feed in my 20 and it makes life so much easier. I would also advise getting one.

[dingusplease]

Originally Posted by Lepomis

I wouldn't mess with rubble to be honest. Purigen and Chem Pure elite and water changes about all you will need. Chaeto can be added also but wont' really be needed with the previous mentioned but won't hurt. Some like to use filter floss to remove fines and just chuck every week or so.

With proper water changes many find the use of any chemical filtration media not needed.

Turkey baster is quite handy with pico/nano tanks (or larger).

I added some carbon and filter floss to the fuge this morning, and I will be adding Chemi-pure as soon as it arrives. I agree about the rubble, I already have 4 lbs of LR in there. Thanks for the help! And I like the suggestion of using a turkey baster, I hadn't thought of that.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by dingusplease

Yeah, this is my first one! I got my tank from doctors foster and smith, they have the jbj picotopes with lights and a filter for $40 (free shipping if you have at least $50 of stuff.) It's a pretty good deal if you get other supplies from them for free shipping. Btw, I did put some carbon in the fuge, and I'm probably going to add Chemi-pure ands purigen in the other chambers.

Hmmm im gonna do that instead of getting it for 50$ off amazon and haveing to pay. Can you use paypal?

[dingusplease]

Yeah, I think they take paypal, I might've used it once or twice to buy freshwater supplies a while back. Try it!

Btw, this tank is great. I highly recommend it

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by dingusplease

Yeah, I think they take paypal, I might've used it once or twice to buy freshwater supplies a while back. Try it!

Btw, this tank is great. I highly recommend it

I will def be getting it, already have 4 other SW tanks, 2 reefs, 2 not. This will be the 5th. Been looking for a nice little nano and saw your thread. What brand is your fuge?

[dingusplease]

The fuge is actually a large marina breeder box. I got it from amazon for $12, but you also need an air pump. I already had a tetra 10i pump, and that works fine but you might want a little more flow.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by dingusplease

The fuge is actually a large marina breeder box. I got it from amazon for $12, but you also need an air pump. I already had a tetra 10i pump, and that works fine but you might want a little more flow.

Will be getting that then. Thanks. Ive seen the flow on them and its not that good, so i will be upgradeing it.