5 Gallon Pico Reef

[Reef of Fillory]

Just set up a 5 gallon top fin reef.
Tank began 1/26/2019.

Picked up the tank for $38 on sale, cut out the AIO divider and added a modded Aquaclear 70 filter.

I cut the A70 media basket and glued the bottom grate to the outflow. I cut two grooves into the grate so that I can slide the side panels in and out. This allows me three compartments. One for filter floss and chemipure (1st compartment where the water is pulled into the filter). Then a heater section which can be made large if needed by moving to the second notch. And the third section for a refugium.

I also covered the A70 in Black duct tape to prevent any light bleeding from the refugium light. Threw some live Rock in the tank and rubble into the filter and called it good.

I won't be using any power heads in this tank. All flow will come from the A70.

Have an AI prime in the mail now coming for the tank. Will have to make a DIY screen top for the tank once I get a fish or two in it.

The main focus of this tank is going to be low maintenance, low tech and affordably stocked.

Total tally:

$38 Tank
$6 Duck tape
$50 Aquaclear 70
$6 5 lbs sand
$52 7 lbs Live Rock
$30 100w heater (from previous tank)
$18. Refugium grow light
$130 Used AI Prime HD+
$18. Power strip with individual switches
$7 . 2 astrea snails, one blue and one red legged hermit crabs

$360 set up

$40 local refer frag pack coming soon


Will also be adding an ATO, but have not committed to which model yet. Likely going to go with the hydrofill titanium as I've had great experience with it in the past.

 

[Gonebad395]

Sounds great can’t wait to see pictures of this following along

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I'm not in love with the current aquascape. I feel like it's cluttered and flat. Thr pieces that I got were all too large so I broke them apart. That ended to with lots of very small pieces that are kind of just stacked in a pile.

Any suggestions? Willing to use glue to make an aquascape.

Also looking for stocking suggestions (fish and inserts)

 

[Gonebad395]

In the hob your fuge? Are you a filter floss type of media ?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

In the hob your fuge? Are you a filter floss type of media ?

The HOB is essentially everything for this tank. Water comes in on the left and will pool on that first section where I'll have chemipure blue and then filter floss. Then the water will move passed the heater, and then to the refugium and Rock rubble section.

Then the water flows out of the filter, to the tank creating all of the flow for the tank.

 

[Gonebad395]

Hey man that’s really cool I’m following along seems like a great little project. I’m wondering how evaporation is going to be. My 29 gallon goes through about 3.5 gallons a week give or take

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Hey man that’s really cool I’m following along seems like a great little project. I’m wondering how evaporation is going to be. My 29 gallon goes through about 3.5 gallons a week give or take

The tank came with a glass top and holders for the glass. Of course with the filter on the back, it doesn't fit any more. Thinking about going to a glass shop and having them cut me a piece of glass the right size and same thickness as the one that was included. That'll help keep evaporation down. Once I get my AI Prime in, I'll be modding the filter top so that the filter is completely covered as well.

 

[Gonebad395]

Right on I use the micro ato on my tank might be something to look into but with everything covered up I doubt it will be bad. Will the glass top allow for gas exchange? Sorry for all these questions but this build really peaked my interest.

 

[Katrina71]

You had me when I saw your equipment list included duct tape.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Right on I use the micro ato on my tank might be something to look into but with everything covered up I doubt it will be bad. Will the glass top allow for gas exchange? Sorry for all these questions but this build really peaked my interest.

No worries, I am an inquisitive person as well! I'll be counting on the filter, low stocking level and refugium to provide the oxygenation for the tank.

I also might add in a reefglass skimmer if not to clean the water, purely to oxygenate it.

You had me when I saw your equipment list included duct tape.

Duct Tape works on everything

 

[DeniseAndy]

Love picos. I have a traveling 6g one. I like the modified HOB. There is a HOB filter with protein skimmer built in. I have one. It did surprisingly well. I have two different types. One I use in qt and I was surprised it did anything at all. One I use sometimes on my pico. I go back and forth on liking it.

Cool build. I would try to scape the rock a bit more hidy holes for shrimp if you get some. JMO

 

[Captain Quint]

Nicely done. I really like it.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Love picos. I have a traveling 6g one. I like the modified HOB. There is a HOB filter with protein skimmer built in. I have one. It did surprisingly well. I have two different types. One I use in qt and I was surprised it did anything at all. One I use sometimes on my pico. I go back and forth on liking it.

Cool build. I would try to scape the rock a bit more hidy holes for shrimp if you get some. JMO

Thanks! On my previous 13 gallon the skimmer worked great - but a 1 gallon jug of water as a water change would take 2 minutes and be a 20% change once a week/every other week, so I don't feel that a skimmer would be good for anything but aeration. My tanks have always ran very low nutrients [i've had to dose N and P over the last 1.5 years] so i'm hoping that by going small and simple, that I can prevent having to babysit parameters and corals losing color due to stripped nutrients.

I do plan on using the Red Sea Colors program on this tank [because I have some from previous builds]. I'll be using such a small amount that what I have left over should last more than a year LOL

When I broke the rock apart to make what the aquascape is now, the rocks fell apart more than I thought they would. I'm going to wait until my wife is home from her work trip to start gluing the rocks together for a new aquascape [i'll need her help!].

I'm leaning towards a taller mound or "cove" in the back with a small island in the front. Not sure if i'll go for an arch in the center or not [Wife likes arches in aquascapes] but we'll see.

Nicely done. I really like it.

Thanks! I appreciate you stopping by! I've always complicated my tanks in the past [Reefkeeper, Apex, drilled with a sump, MP10's, SPS/Acros etc. So i'm looking forward to seeing how low maintenance I can make this tank. I'll be journaling it in this thread more closely than I have in the past.

I'm picking up some corals tonight, so we'll see some color other than purple shortly!

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Well I did a really good job of keeping this updated! The 5 gallon didn't last long. Had too much noise and hassle with the HOB filtration and we didn't like the aquascape. With that said, we found a 10 gallon AIO for sale online locally and picked it up with a stand.

Bought a Kessil A160 (I think) to put on it and haven't been happier with the colors we've had in any tanks previously.

I'm sold on the Kessils after this experience!


I'll just be honest, I've been very lazy with this tank and have zero issues. Never test, do about one or two water changes a month and I just added kalkwasser to the ATO last week.

I do occasionally dose a little vibrant aquarium cleaner, and I feed the clownfish pair every day (formula 1 flakes)