Josh's 4 gallon pico reef

[joshbbert]

This is my first tank ever, started 5/4/14 and I thought I was doing myself a favor getting a small one, I was wrong! While a small tank is rewarding it is also difficult to learn on as every thing happens very fast in such a small space. Got my new light yesterday so I thought if start a tank journal.

Tank:
15 liter aqueon all in one
Stock pump 98gph
Aquaclear 20 hob (converted to fuge) 100gph
At hydra 26 led

Parameters:
8.2 ph
Alk 10dkh
Calc 420ppm
Salinity 1.025
Nitrates 0-0.5 (sometimes 10 with heavy feeding)
Phos .25
I do water changes every other day at 50% and have since stopped testing everything but ph and salinity. With water changes being done so frequently my parameters never change and with supplemented salt it seems there is no reason to supplement at this point. As I said this is tank#1 and I learned pretty **** quick that if you want to keep things alive with 15l of water or less water change big and often, so far so good =)

Livestock:
2 margarita snails
2 blue hermits
A few types bristle worms
Tiny brittle star
Rock boring urchin
Nassarius snail
Emerald crab
Skunk cleaner

Corals:
Frog spawn
Blasto welsi
Assorted zoas
Mushrooms red and blue
Ricordea florida
Green star polyps
2 small Duncan heads
I target feed with reef roids just before each water change and frozen silver sides for the boys.

Going to change my scape next and glue everything down

 

[joshbbert]

 

[Mike in CT]

You are doing a great job especially considering it's your first tank and it's a pico. Have you considered what fish you might add? I imagine at 4 gallons your choices are a bit limited, but a big decision non the less!

 

[Rob&Gab]

Try if you can to bring your dkh to 8-8.5 and your phosphate should be at 0-0.4 what test kits are you using API test kits are no good to use if you want get a few salerfert et test kits.


Anyways beautiful I love how you turned the HOB into a fugue looks killer. Grey work all nano a are somewhat hard to take care of.! Can't wait too see updates of it starting to grow!

 

[joshbbert]

Thanks guys! I would love to give my little shrimp a fish buddy I just worry its too small ate there fish that would do well in a 4 gallon? I would imagine a bigger tank is coming soon lol. Rob, I am using api =( so phosphates high? Just keep water changing our is there something else I need to do?

 

[revhtree]

Looking great! Welcome to R2R!

 

[Rob&Gab]

Thanks guys! I would love to give my little shrimp a fish buddy I just worry its too small ate there fish that would do well in a 4 gallon? I would imagine a bigger tank is coming soon lol. Rob, I am using api =( so phosphates high? Just keep water changing our is there something else I need to do?

I don't like to use chemicals but sometime people use them . Keep up with your water changes also where are you getting your RODI WATER. From? A fish store , household tap, rO unit , or bottled water? Be sure if your getting rodi from a fish store that there TDS is testing no more then .02 if it is higher stop getting from them. When the time comes and you are glued I to this hobby the best equipment you can own is a good test kit and lights and a skimmer as well as knowledge you get from other members/friends so never be scared to ask any questions even if it's a silly one.

 

[joshbbert]

I make and mix my own water so my water can stay consistent as I do many water changes very often I did just add the fuge mod some carbon and bio pellets could I be having a mini cycle? My nitrates were a bit high last night as well so I did a big change and all is well now

 

[joshbbert]

RO water and instant ocean ( I know it's cheap but so far so good) my lfs is an hour away unfortunately

 

[joshbbert]

Is it possible that by adding this hob fuge and chaeto I've begun cycling again? All of a sudden my nitrates are up and I'm having an algae bloom! My tanks been cycled for a while now but it feels like it's doing it again.

 

[joshbbert]

rahrahrah king in the castle

 

[joshbbert]

Dkh 8.4

 

[joshbbert]

Mr crabs first appearance

 

[joshbbert]

Commencing operation die rock worm die, wish me luck

 

[Unknown]

Commencing operation die rock worm die, wish me luck

Good luck!

 

[joshbbert]

after days of trying to bait this worm out and a few beers, I finally got the little bugger with a piece of dead rock and I silverside I stuffed inside. I put the rock next to his home and waited. R.I.P. eunicid worm.
Lost my frogspawn to a bulldozing blue legged hermit who is no longer with us, while out of town for a few days. The frog was able to propagate its self before I removed it but I got a new one anyways. Also added a pair of sexy shrimp and a maxi mini carpet me and my brother cut up.

 

[joshbbert]

Actually had to move the frog as it was rubbing on the rock so new home seems to like it

 

[joshbbert]

 

[joshbbert]

Power outage!!! My power was off for about 14 hours yesterday and since I live in Arizona I spent 14 hours sitting next to my tank babying it. It was 111 degrees yesterday so after 2 hours it was quickly 90 degrees in the house so I started bagging ice and putting it in the over flow had to replace the ice every hour to keep the temp low then I started thinking about water movement so I grabbed my drip hose I use to acclimate, stuck it in the tank and siphoned the water into the hob and bam I had flow with no power!!! Everything was a little unhappy but no deaths! Even my sexy shrimp made it! Hopefully they have a better day today

 

[Mike in CT]

Keep us updated! Keep that water moving to keep oxygen from being depleted! Good luck!