KcDragonfish13's 2gal Pico Reef build

[kcdragonfish13]

Hey guys I just got a new Aqueon Evolve 2 and decided to turn it into a pico reef. I just have some questions before i go spendin' . I put some sand from my biocube in it ( about an inch) along with a little water from the cube and water I freshly mixed to jump start the cycle.

For filtration I was thinking of using carbon, and some live rock rubble in the extra area, and possible a hang-on refugium. Do I really need a fuge? I will put some live rock into it later either from my lfs and a few peices also from the biocube.

I think I want to upgrade lighting to a wavepoint LED clamp fixture. Has anyone had experiense with these fixtures? I want to be able to support lps corals and a few sps. Is the stock aqueon LED fixture good enough for corals?

Heres the tank after I set it up

Thanks for any responses, and I look forward to what this pico can become!

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Not real sure about the back of that particular tank but I bet inTank makes a media rack for it. I would not put rubble back there though, it will most likely trap detritus. I would skip the fuge to, with picos wc's will be your best friend, I have. 3G pico at work and I just change out a red solo cups worth of water every day. It's a pretty easy tank to run. For lighting I've not seen those, but I am using a coral compulsion par30 and it works great

 

[carey]

The stock lighting is only good enough for softies pretty much. The wavepoint clip on fixtures i have been looking at as well, the 8watt one might do the trick. Not sure if it will support sps though.

 

[kcdragonfish13]

Thanks, guys. The back of the tank is pretty weird, though. It has only a tiny little ledge for carbon and a small area for the pump. The ledge covers half of the back, so I cant put cheato, but I thought I could use some live rock rubble or bio balls.

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[saltwaternewbie12]

Following along! I did a 2 gallon evolve once and an 8 gallon evolve... They were my favorite tanks by far!! I also did a small daily water change, about a cup a day, and never had any issues

 

[kcdragonfish13]

Following along! I did a 2 gallon evolve once and an 8 gallon evolve... They were my favorite tanks by far!! I also did a small daily water change, about a cup a day, and never had any issues

How did u set up your 2 gallon?

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[saltwaternewbie12]

I used all stuff from my 40b.... I also used water from that for my water changes..... I used the pump and back compartment like it was, but cleaned it once a week. Replaced the light with a led clip on from aqua traders..

 

[kcdragonfish13]

I used all stuff from my 40b.... I also used water from that for my water changes..... I used the pump and back compartment like it was, but cleaned it once a week. Replaced the light with a led clip on from aqua traders..

What corals do u have with that light?

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[kcdragonfish13]

Update- I put some live rock, a snail, and hermit in there. I am already growing algea.... from the biocube, I had an algea issue in the biocube and its starting to grow in here from the sand...yay :/ . Btw, my hydrometer says the salinity is 1.018-1.019 . Is this too low for the hermit and snail? Theyre in there mainly for cycling perposes, but I would still hate to see them die. For now I am doing daily/weekly cup water changes. Im keeping the stock light for now, but when I focus on corals, im gonna upgrade it. Thanks for your responses!

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[dingusplease]

Update- I put some live rock, a snail, and hermit in there. I am already growing algea.... from the biocube, I had an algea issue in the biocube and its starting to grow in here from the sand...yay :/ . Btw, my hydrometer says the salinity is 1.018-1.019 . Is this too low for the hermit and snail? Theyre in there mainly for cycling perposes, but I would still hate to see them die. For now I am doing daily/weekly cup water changes. Im keeping the stock light for now, but when I focus on corals, im gonna upgrade it. Thanks for your responses!

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How's the SG now? I would say anything below 1.022 is getting uneasy, below 20 is way too low. If you haven't already, I would recommend doing topoffs with saltwater, until the SG is up to 26.

 

[dingusplease]

Btw, your tank is looking awesome! Nice LR

 

[kcdragonfish13]

How's the SG now? I would say anything below 1.022 is getting uneasy, below 20 is way too low. If you haven't already, I would recommend doing topoffs with saltwater, until the SG is up to 26.

My lfs says salinity is good around 1.021, and thats about what it is. I keep anding a little more saltwater ar a time, and the hermit crab is getting a littel more active. So I think its working a little.

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[dingusplease]

Glad it's coming up. Btw, what I meant is that for a reef tank (with coral) your SG should be above 22 for sure. I would keep on topping off with saltwater until it's up there around 23. Good luck!

 

[saltwaternewbie12]

What corals do u have with that light?

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I know it's been a while, but just saw this.... I only had zoas in mine..... I'll see if I can find a pic..... I had a little zenia too, but ripped it out

 

[kcdragonfish13]

I know it's been a while, but just saw this.... I only had zoas in mine..... I'll see if I can find a pic..... I had a little zenia too, but ripped it out

That's cool