DCJ's 2 gal Pico reef jar build!

[DCJ]

Hi forum!

I had to put my reefing on hold while I wrestled with the courts re: disability, but I'm back now!

I'm thinking of trying one of those 2 gallon pico reef jars: little pump in there to move water, tiny heater (not prefixed, I don't like them), an ATO situation, tubing round the jar rim so I can have cords, etc, in and out with squishing them, light, sand, big piece of rock

I also have a Fluval Spec III, which is 2.6 gal but is an AIO, so heater, bottle ATO, pump, etc, is all already in there, as is the light (because I found it!)

I wanted to do all mushrooms with maybe some clove polyps in the 2.6, sexy shrimp, pom pom crabs and one of those teeny tiny nano gobies from Biota - but I can't for the life of me find where I was going to source those from (I'm in the UK. I'm sure I found a website that sold them, but that was a few years ago? IDK) which means I'm rethinking my life

HOWEVER, now that I'm also doing the 2 gal, IDK if I wanted to maybe try rock flower nems or mini maxi nems in one or the other tank, with the sexy shrimp and/or a couple/one porcelain crab.

Maybe try a blue legged boxing shrimp?

I was wondering:

a) which would you put the nems in, if any
b) if no nems, what corals would you try in each?

more importantly:

c) are there any critters that you'd use the chance of an available pico tank to keep, that you couldn't or wouldn't otherwise keep in your other tanks because they don't play well with other critters?

Like the frogfish (in my larger tank), I'm looking for an invert that you might say 'if I had the space for a species only tank I'd keep X' (with the caveat that the tank is like 2 gal, so I'm thinking only tiny inverts)

I've been doing research and come across the usual, blue hermits, red hermits, sexy shrimp, anemone crabs, bumblebee shrimp, etc, but I'm sure here's something I'm overlooking, maybe something not as popular or just not worth it in a larger tank?

Thank you for your help forum!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@Calmwaters dont you have a pico tank?

 

[Calmwaters]

Hi forum!

I had to put my reefing on hold while I wrestled with the courts re: disability, but I'm back now!

I'm thinking of trying one of those 2 gallon pico reef jars: little pump in there to move water, tiny heater (not prefixed, I don't like them), an ATO situation, tubing round the jar rim so I can have cords, etc, in and out with squishing them, light, sand, big piece of rock

I also have a Fluval Spec III, which is 2.6 gal but is an AIO, so heater, bottle ATO, pump, etc, is all already in there, as is the light (because I found it!)

I wanted to do all mushrooms with maybe some clove polyps in the 2.6, sexy shrimp, pom pom crabs and one of those teeny tiny nano gobies from Biota - but I can't for the life of me find where I was going to source those from (I'm in the UK. I'm sure I found a website that sold them, but that was a few years ago? IDK) which means I'm rethinking my life

HOWEVER, now that I'm also doing the 2 gal, IDK if I wanted to maybe try rock flower nems or mini maxi nems in one or the other tank, with the sexy shrimp and/or a couple/one porcelain crab.

Maybe try a blue legged boxing shrimp?

I was wondering:

a) which would you put the nems in, if any
b) if no nems, what corals would you try in each?

more importantly:

c) are there any critters that you'd use the chance of an available pico tank to keep, that you couldn't or wouldn't otherwise keep in your other tanks because they don't play well with other critters?

Like the frogfish (in my larger tank), I'm looking for an invert that you might say 'if I had the space for a species only tank I'd keep X' (with the caveat that the tank is like 2 gal, so I'm thinking only tiny inverts)

I've been doing research and come across the usual, blue hermits, red hermits, sexy shrimp, anemone crabs, bumblebee shrimp, etc, but I'm sure here's something I'm overlooking, maybe something not as popular or just not worth it in a larger tank?

Thank you for your help forum!

I have had a 6 gallon since February of this year but sadly somehow I accidentally turned off the filter and didn't realize it over the weekend and lost the inhabitants other than a hermit crab, some tiny snails that I forget the name of and a red banded trochus. The tiny gobies I had were called upside down gobies and I got them from biota, I also had three sexy shrimp and a porcelain crab I loved my little tank you can find a link to it in my signature if you'd like to take a look. With that being said intanks as small as yours personally I would not add any fish even the upside gobies. The sexy shrimp would probably be OK. In a tank the size of yours I would not do any anenome other than maybe a RFA and I wouldn't add that until several months down the road when the tank is fully cycled and stable as it's been my experience that RFAs do not do well in tanks that are not really well established. I would stick with easy corals such as zoas or maybe smaller leather corals as they are more forgiving of any swings in water perimeters. These are just my opinions and what I have found in my time with my little tank.

 

[DCJ]

@smitten with ocean life thank you for the call to arms, lol :)


@Calmwaters No! I'm so sorry that happened.

Man, I wish I could remember where I was going to get those Biota fish from here, I can't find it for the life of me. The website looked just like Biota's, but there was less stock and the prices were in GBP. I can't source some of those anywhere else here in the UK, and I'd be leery about it in any case - the draw of Biota was that they'd already be used to tank life, which I think would have cut the stress for them in a pico

Did you have any issues feeding the porcelain crab? I took them off because they're filter feeders, but thinking about it, might put them back on

Yeah, I was looking at rock flowers and mini maxis. I've had them before a few years ago the first time this tank was set up, but I had to rehouse them when I moved. The tanks been dry since then and I'm slowly starting to ramp everything back up.

I THINK that little nems, dwarf nems if you will, would be better off in the fluval, only because the AIO filtration set up might be better for them (and there's more room)... although, thinking about it, the only-rock filtration system in the 2 gal jar might avoid them getting sucked into the weir somehow...

then again, I'll have a pump on in the back for flow, and they could just as easily get caught up in that unless I nem-guard it.

Which could be difficult in a small tank, so maybe the AIO Fluval is the way to go for the nems?


Did you have any worries about the leather coral's shedding tendency causing spikes and problems in a pico?

I've been going back and forth on zoas in the pico; their size fits, but honestly, they aren't my favourite coral. I was considering doing a clove polyp/xenia heavy thing in the 2 gal with some macroalgaes (I saw a reef bowl like it before and it was beautiful) but I'm also on the fence about mushrooms too - they're probably one of my favourite corals.

I don't want to put the shrooms in and then have them tromped over by the eventual nems though... Idk.


I'm also thinking harder about the blue banded coral shrimp, which would mean I'd be loathe to put more shrimp in with him just in case.

Ugh, freshwater stocking is way easier than reef! lol

I'm sorry for taking so long to reply, I really appreciate that you heeded the call and popped over to help me, and the time you took to write out a long comment, AND your thoughts :)

Thank you kindly! (and I will check out your build!)

 

[Calmwaters]

@smitten with ocean life thank you for the call to arms, lol :)


@Calmwaters No! I'm so sorry that happened.

Man, I wish I could remember where I was going to get those Biota fish from here, I can't find it for the life of me. The website looked just like Biota's, but there was less stock and the prices were in GBP. I can't source some of those anywhere else here in the UK, and I'd be leery about it in any case - the draw of Biota was that they'd already be used to tank life, which I think would have cut the stress for them in a pico

Did you have any issues feeding the porcelain crab? I took them off because they're filter feeders, but thinking about it, might put them back on

Yeah, I was looking at rock flowers and mini maxis. I've had them before a few years ago the first time this tank was set up, but I had to rehouse them when I moved. The tanks been dry since then and I'm slowly starting to ramp everything back up.

I THINK that little nems, dwarf nems if you will, would be better off in the fluval, only because the AIO filtration set up might be better for them (and there's more room)... although, thinking about it, the only-rock filtration system in the 2 gal jar might avoid them getting sucked into the weir somehow...

then again, I'll have a pump on in the back for flow, and they could just as easily get caught up in that unless I nem-guard it.

Which could be difficult in a small tank, so maybe the AIO Fluval is the way to go for the nems?


Did you have any worries about the leather coral's shedding tendency causing spikes and problems in a pico?

I've been going back and forth on zoas in the pico; their size fits, but honestly, they aren't my favourite coral. I was considering doing a clove polyp/xenia heavy thing in the 2 gal with some macroalgaes (I saw a reef bowl like it before and it was beautiful) but I'm also on the fence about mushrooms too - they're probably one of my favourite corals.

I don't want to put the shrooms in and then have them tromped over by the eventual nems though... Idk.


I'm also thinking harder about the blue banded coral shrimp, which would mean I'd be loathe to put more shrimp in with him just in case.

Ugh, freshwater stocking is way easier than reef! lol

I'm sorry for taking so long to reply, I really appreciate that you heeded the call and popped over to help me, and the time you took to write out a long comment, AND your thoughts :)

Thank you kindly! (and I will check out your build!)

You sound so much like me with the way you word your thoughts. LOL I wouldn't go Leathers in a 2 gallon because of the shedding they do. Xenia would quickly over take a tank that small. You could always just go with mushrooms and no nems or just do a couple of RFAs they would fill out a tank that small nicely I think but you would want to wait several months before adding them. Maybe macroalgea and RFAs would look nice together? Or macroalgea and mushrooms since you said you really like mushrooms. The food I have been feeding is pretty much a powder and so I never had any issues with the porcelain being able to eat it. I can't remember the name right now but I can get you a picture of the food when I get home. And it's freshwater is a lot easier which is why I have only two saltwater tanks and 7 freshwater ones...

 

[MONTANTK]

Honestly, if you wanted a fish, I would look at a white cap goby or maybe a flaming prawn

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Sexy shrimp would be a great addition to those tanks!

 

[DCJ]

@Calmwaters
LOL, no, I'm sorry! I wouldn't wish this brain on anyone, lol.

Yeah, I'm not sure if having a tank chockfull of xenia and some macros would necessarily be a bad thing. That said, I don't think I could bring myself to chop them back like someone actually maintaining a set up like that would ;_;

Maybe shrooms, leaving some space for RFA further down the road? Not that RFA respect things like 'here's space for you' but it's the thought that counts?

Was it reef roids? I could feed that, its really fine powder - I had filter-feeding bamboo shrimp in a FW tank once, I fed them powdered food meant for really new fry and they were really happy on that.


LOL, what do you have FW wise, I'd love to hear! I've had to reset those back up too, but I'm going slow because being disabled is stupid.

I've got chilli rasboras with yellow shrimp in a little 6 gal by the head of my bed and I love watching them at night. I have chronic refractory migraines, so I can't watch TV or go online all the time, but I can watch fish and they're so relaxing.

Also have a couple of shrimp vases, blue and bloody mary types.

I'm planning a brackish tank with knight gobies, indian glass fish and some black mollies to feed the frogfish I want to get in my 26gal reef tank

I've got another 6 gal ready for green neon tetras at floor level so I can see their colours better, and I've been trying to get some sticklebacks because I'd like to try a UK native tank... kind of. The plants aren't UK native.

I wish we had the kind of variety of native fish that larger countries do - I'd do a shiner tank if I was in the right parts of the US. Still might here, but there's something special about doing a tank that reflects pieces of your very own countries rivers and lakes and whatnot

I'm going to keep a snakehead in another tank, trying to get a chiller for an axolotl, and I think I'll try those jade tiger barbs in another tank, because I've never tried them before.

Piece de resistance is going to be a 70-odd gallon African inspired tank, with an African butterfly fish, congo tetras, african butterfly cichlids, some kind of african catfish and cameroon shrimp (I think)

I can't wait. But I have to, because I'm poor and have to clear out the shelf the tank will sit on first.

I freaking love fishkeeping though, wouldn't give it up for the world.


@MONTANTK ooh, you know, I was looking at the flaming prawn gobies.

I can't find good info on how difficult they are to keep though - some people say they're easy, you just never see them in a larger tank, and other people say they're difficult and you never see them in a larger tank, lol

I don't mind cryptic fish at all, so only seeing them occassionally is no big deal (as long as I know they're still alive) but my main worry is feeding them. Tiny fish = tiny mouths, and do they only eat live?

I took them off the list initially because they were so expensive here, but I've been seeing them pop up for more reasonable money now (a few years later) so I've been speculating on them again. I haven't seen any white caps for sale, sadly - there are a whole load of teeny tiny gobies I'd snap up if I wasn't in the UK :(

Thank you for taking the time to comment, it's helpful!

 

[DCJ]

@Gumbies R Us I had a few before when the Flucal pico was up and running before I moved, I love them! Definitely on the list, although maybe not with the blue banded coral (blue coral banded?) shrimp, I've seen some people say they'll eat other shrimp?

I know there's an issue where shrimp will eat already dead critters and an incorrect inference is made that the shrimp must have killed them, but IDK if I'd risk it in a pico, you know?

Thank you for taking the time to reply, it really is helpful! I'm awash in critters!

 

[Calmwaters]

@Calmwaters
LOL, no, I'm sorry! I wouldn't wish this brain on anyone, lol.

Yeah, I'm not sure if having a tank chockfull of xenia and some macros would necessarily be a bad thing. That said, I don't think I could bring myself to chop them back like someone actually maintaining a set up like that would ;_;

Maybe shrooms, leaving some space for RFA further down the road? Not that RFA respect things like 'here's space for you' but it's the thought that counts?

Was it reef roids? I could feed that, its really fine powder - I had filter-feeding bamboo shrimp in a FW tank once, I fed them powdered food meant for really new fry and they were really happy on that.


LOL, what do you have FW wise, I'd love to hear! I've had to reset those back up too, but I'm going slow because being disabled is stupid.

I've got chilli rasboras with yellow shrimp in a little 6 gal by the head of my bed and I love watching them at night. I have chronic refractory migraines, so I can't watch TV or go online all the time, but I can watch fish and they're so relaxing.

Also have a couple of shrimp vases, blue and bloody mary types.

I'm planning a brackish tank with knight gobies, indian glass fish and some black mollies to feed the frogfish I want to get in my 26gal reef tank

I've got another 6 gal ready for green neon tetras at floor level so I can see their colours better, and I've been trying to get some sticklebacks because I'd like to try a UK native tank... kind of. The plants aren't UK native.

I wish we had the kind of variety of native fish that larger countries do - I'd do a shiner tank if I was in the right parts of the US. Still might here, but there's something special about doing a tank that reflects pieces of your very own countries rivers and lakes and whatnot

I'm going to keep a snakehead in another tank, trying to get a chiller for an axolotl, and I think I'll try those jade tiger barbs in another tank, because I've never tried them before.

Piece de resistance is going to be a 70-odd gallon African inspired tank, with an African butterfly fish, congo tetras, african butterfly cichlids, some kind of african catfish and cameroon shrimp (I think)

I can't wait. But I have to, because I'm poor and have to clear out the shelf the tank will sit on first.

I freaking love fishkeeping though, wouldn't give it up for the world.


@MONTANTK ooh, you know, I was looking at the flaming prawn gobies.

I can't find good info on how difficult they are to keep though - some people say they're easy, you just never see them in a larger tank, and other people say they're difficult and you never see them in a larger tank, lol

I don't mind cryptic fish at all, so only seeing them occassionally is no big deal (as long as I know they're still alive) but my main worry is feeding them. Tiny fish = tiny mouths, and do they only eat live?

I took them off the list initially because they were so expensive here, but I've been seeing them pop up for more reasonable money now (a few years later) so I've been speculating on them again. I haven't seen any white caps for sale, sadly - there are a whole load of teeny tiny gobies I'd snap up if I wasn't in the UK :(

Thank you for taking the time to comment, it's helpful!

Freshwater setups are a 125 gallon with angels and various kinds of tetras and cherry barbs, bristlenose pieces, 2 dojo loaches and oto catfish and Cory catfish, a 120 gallon with turquoise rainbows, tiger barbs, electric blue acara, and cories and a bristlenose pleco, 75 gallon with various nano fish like green tetras, royal blue Kerri tetra and others as well as a few yellow shrimp. I want to add more shrimp at some point, a 55 gallon that houses my axolotl Luna, a 40 gallon that only has neon tetras for now, a 6 gallon that's home to my blue betta and at work i have a 20 gallon that has a peach/orange colored betta, fancy guppies, chilly Rasbora, and pink ramshorn snails. All my tanks are planted with real plants and they all also have Malaysian Trumpet Snails. Here's a picture of my office tank for you.

 

[MONTANTK]

@Calmwaters
LOL, no, I'm sorry! I wouldn't wish this brain on anyone, lol.

Yeah, I'm not sure if having a tank chockfull of xenia and some macros would necessarily be a bad thing. That said, I don't think I could bring myself to chop them back like someone actually maintaining a set up like that would ;_;

Maybe shrooms, leaving some space for RFA further down the road? Not that RFA respect things like 'here's space for you' but it's the thought that counts?

Was it reef roids? I could feed that, its really fine powder - I had filter-feeding bamboo shrimp in a FW tank once, I fed them powdered food meant for really new fry and they were really happy on that.


LOL, what do you have FW wise, I'd love to hear! I've had to reset those back up too, but I'm going slow because being disabled is stupid.

I've got chilli rasboras with yellow shrimp in a little 6 gal by the head of my bed and I love watching them at night. I have chronic refractory migraines, so I can't watch TV or go online all the time, but I can watch fish and they're so relaxing.

Also have a couple of shrimp vases, blue and bloody mary types.

I'm planning a brackish tank with knight gobies, indian glass fish and some black mollies to feed the frogfish I want to get in my 26gal reef tank

I've got another 6 gal ready for green neon tetras at floor level so I can see their colours better, and I've been trying to get some sticklebacks because I'd like to try a UK native tank... kind of. The plants aren't UK native.

I wish we had the kind of variety of native fish that larger countries do - I'd do a shiner tank if I was in the right parts of the US. Still might here, but there's something special about doing a tank that reflects pieces of your very own countries rivers and lakes and whatnot

I'm going to keep a snakehead in another tank, trying to get a chiller for an axolotl, and I think I'll try those jade tiger barbs in another tank, because I've never tried them before.

Piece de resistance is going to be a 70-odd gallon African inspired tank, with an African butterfly fish, congo tetras, african butterfly cichlids, some kind of african catfish and cameroon shrimp (I think)

I can't wait. But I have to, because I'm poor and have to clear out the shelf the tank will sit on first.

I freaking love fishkeeping though, wouldn't give it up for the world.


@MONTANTK ooh, you know, I was looking at the flaming prawn gobies.

I can't find good info on how difficult they are to keep though - some people say they're easy, you just never see them in a larger tank, and other people say they're difficult and you never see them in a larger tank, lol

I don't mind cryptic fish at all, so only seeing them occassionally is no big deal (as long as I know they're still alive) but my main worry is feeding them. Tiny fish = tiny mouths, and do they only eat live?

I took them off the list initially because they were so expensive here, but I've been seeing them pop up for more reasonable money now (a few years later) so I've been speculating on them again. I haven't seen any white caps for sale, sadly - there are a whole load of teeny tiny gobies I'd snap up if I wasn't in the UK :(

Thank you for taking the time to comment, it's helpful!

I kept flaming prawns personally and we had them at a store I worked at. They’re really neat! We fed them small frozen foods and I always kept the tank stocked with live pods to be safe. When you scape the tank, I would do it in a way that there aren’t a ton of hiding spots. They do come out, but only a few times a day.

 

[Calmwaters]

@DCJ This is the food I told you I feed my pico tank.
Northfin Fry Starter 50 gram – KJE Aquatics https://share.google/Y9X6GtGMi1OT4DNYt

 

[DCJ]

@Calmwaters gaaasp, the angelfish! I want to try those after my African tank, which will be years away because I don't like setting up then just breaking down a fish tank, you know?
Your tanks sound gorgeous, and your work tank is amazing! So beautiful, I love those chillis! I love cherry barbs too, always had a soft spot in my heart for them.

And thank you for the food link! May try some out.

@MONTANTK oooh, you're REALLY selling me on these guys... did you put them through QT? I wanna Hybrid Tank Transfer Method all my new fish after I had an ich breakout in my pre-move 13.5. they're so small and fragile looking, I worry.

I like that they take frozen though!

 

[DCJ]

Soooo instead of clogging the forum, I decided to change this thread into a build thread for my 2 gal pico reef jar, the trend that I am years behind on, like most things!

I guess now I can learn from everyone else's experiences?

I managed to source the good 'ol 2 gallon Anchor Hocking jar in the UK, and no, I don't want to talk about it ;_;

Got me a little bit of rock in there that I think works nicely! And a tiny pump in the box you can see in the pic (so I do t lose it somewhere)

I've got a hygger 30W clip on light:

And a small aqua el 25w adjustable heater on the way.

Also trying to find some silicone tubing for the edge that isn't too small or too big like I've already done - how big is a mm?? Lol

Got my sand, just gotta give it a rinse, and then all I need is a stand for the thing before I can finally get just 1 of my 5 salty tanks up and running

It'll be really nice to get SOMETHING cycling.

And I'm gonna have to start making actual decisions about coral ;_; so difficult!

 

[DCJ]

Oh, also gonna set up a gravity fed ATO

 

[Calmwaters]

I am excited to see what you do with the jar!

 

[DCJ]

@Calmwaters lol, me too! decisions decisions, I thought getting a Fluval Spec V would make this easier - nope!

I've finally ordered a stand for this thing, and I tested out the light and placement with a much less sturdy stand (thus the need for a new one) and it looks good! I just have to worry about where all those plugs are gonna go :s I've got a 10 gang power strip and it's already close to full!

 

[Calmwaters]

@Calmwaters lol, me too! decisions decisions, I thought getting a Fluval Spec V would make this easier - nope!

I've finally ordered a stand for this thing, and I tested out the light and placement with a much less sturdy stand (thus the need for a new one) and it looks good! I just have to worry about where all those plugs are gonna go :s I've got a 10 gang power strip and it's already close to full!

Kasa power strips are awesome!