Budget 2.5 Aqueon Pico Tank (KISS method)

[Dilan Patel]

Goal: Set up a thriving pico tank for $30 (including tax) or less excluding material I already have. Needs to be able to be broken down and set back up within 1 hour and all contents fit in a 5 gallon bucket. This tank is being set up 3.5hrs away from my main displays. Need to skip the cycling process and immediately introduce coral.

Planned Inhabitants: Soft corals only as these are the corals I believe will handle the stress of the tank being broken down and set up the best. I am not planning on doing any testing, dosing or water changes to this tank since they do not typically utilize alk and calc. No fish will be present in the tank. Only thing "dosed" will be Live phytoplankton which is cultivated by me for my other tanks. This will help add biodiversity to the tank while feeding the coral/pods.

Tank: I bought a 2.5 gallon Aqueon tank for $10.98. Will be bare bottom to ease in breaking and setting up the tank efficiently. Live rock will be extra pieces in my main display tanks broken up and glued together to make one solid piece that can be lifted out all at once. Flow will be provided by a 95gph adjustable pump off amazon for $8.63. No mechanical filtration will be present. Coupled with the established LR I will be adding Saltwater from my reef tank which will house pods and other beneficial bacteria to help avoid a cycle. Lighting will be provided by an aqua knight previously used in a sump on the display. A top will be added to reduce evaporation and a couple gallons of RODI water will be brought with me to top off the tank.

Remaining budget: $10.39 for anything else I may need. I am hoping the pump creates enough heat to keep the temp stable but will run an experiment to test it out and see if I need to get/find me a heater.

Coral: Will be sourced from my main displays as well as traded for im hoping to have about 10-15 different types of coral in here in mid-march.

Looking toward to how this Budget reef comes together!

 

[HD_Reefer]

Interesting build! Thanks for sharing!

 

[JacobPF14]

Haha let me know how it goes! Def is gonna cost more than $30 though. Fun little tank!

 

[revhtree]

Cool! Can’t wait to see it and a BIG ROLL TIDE!

 

[Dilan Patel]

So this will be the last update for a few weeks until I come back up to nashville to get the water, rock and coral basically the stuff to make this a reef tank lol. I have been saving up my milk jugs as a "free" way of transporting water instead of 5 gallon bucket making it easier to top off evaporated water. Super excited. So far still under $30

 

[Dilan Patel]

The time has finally come! Tank will be up and operational hopefully tomorrow. The plan is to build the aquascape and secure it so it all can be removed at once. Once I get that done coral will start to be picked out and attached to the rockwork. Will update with pics soon. maybe ill get the aquascape done today who knows.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

The time has finally come! Tank will be up and operational hopefully tomorrow. The plan is to build the aquascape and secure it so it all can be removed at once. Once I get that done coral will start to be picked out and attached to the rockwork. Will update with pics soon. maybe ill get the aquascape done today who knows.

You better get it done today!!!!!!!

Also, how ya been? Hadn’t seen ya at Emerald Bay in while.

 

[Dilan Patel]

I know right I gotta lot of stuff to do in 2 days lol. Been good man, been up in Tuscaloosa for the past few months. Ill be up at EB Tomorrow afternoon! Hope everything been going good man.

 

[JacobPF14]

I know right I gotta lot of stuff to do in 2 days lol. Been good man, been up in Tuscaloosa for the past few months. Ill be up at EB Tomorrow afternoon! Hope everything been going good man.

Haha I was curious how this was going. My 2.5 gallon pico is doing great, so I'm curious how this one will turn out. As a funny side note, get a lid.. I only have to top this off twice a week, works really well with barely any salinity swing

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I know right I gotta lot of stuff to do in 2 days lol. Been good man, been up in Tuscaloosa for the past few months. Ill be up at EB Tomorrow afternoon! Hope everything been going good man.

It is going good, and I may be able to swing up there as well.

 

[Dilan Patel]

Haha I was curious how this was going. My 2.5 gallon pico is doing great, so I'm curious how this one will turn out. As a funny side note, get a lid.. I only have to top this off twice a week, works really well with barely any salinity swing

Yeah I couldnt get it up and going since all the rock/water and coral are in Nashville haha just been getting stuff ready to get it going since its going to be setup quick. And Yes a lid was planned got same spare acrylic Ill cut to size and put a hole to pick the entire lid up as well as one to run cables through. Im hoping it won't need to be topped up but every 1-2x a week. If so I may make a gravity fed ATO in the future out of a 2L bottle.

 

[Dilan Patel]

It is going good, and I may be able to swing up there as well.

for sure man the plan is to be up there anywhere from 1-2.

 

[Dilan Patel]

Haha I was curious how this was going. My 2.5 gallon pico is doing great, so I'm curious how this one will turn out. As a funny side note, get a lid.. I only have to top this off twice a week, works really well with barely any salinity swing

Lets see a pic of the 2.5!

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Here is my home for hated critters 2.5 lol.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

This is going to be a cool build, I have always wanted one for my desk. But it's to cluttered all the time

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Here is my home for hated critters 2.5 lol.

What is that coral/invert on the bottom left corner? Also thats a pretty nice feather duster. Aiptasia i can understand is in the "hated critters" tank.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

What is that coral/invert on the bottom left corner? Also thats a pretty nice feather duster. Aiptasia i can understand is in the "hated critters" tank.

Far left and green is a majano.

No feather duster. That is a Calliactis tricolor aka hermit anemone. Stings everything it touches when the snail or hermit carrying it moves around a tank.

And even aiptasia can be pretty with the right light and a good camera.

 

[Dilan Patel]

Aqua scape was done EARLY this morning and it now has water. Waiting to get my light stand built and then I show the tank before I start filling it with coral

 

[Azedenkae]

By the way out of curiosity, what is the KISS method?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

By the way out of curiosity, what is the KISS method?

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Means keep it super easy.