Hi, Im starting a 5gal pico tank this time

Reefnman2 · Feb 8, 2020

Welcome to R2R!

LiveWire · Feb 8, 2020

Welcome to the REEF!!

AllSignsPointToFish · Feb 8, 2020

Welcome, Joe!

Pickwun · Feb 10, 2020

Joe1400 said:
Can I find a pic of it easy?

Best pic I've got at the moment. I was actually showing off my ATO (the clear box on top). It was close to bedtime so everybody is a little closed down.

Joe1400 · Feb 10, 2020

Pickwun said:
Best pic I've got at the moment. I was actually showing off my ATO (the clear box on top). It was close to bedtime so everybody is a little closed down.

Cool, mine is similar, I can easily remove the rockwork,,space around it for flow. Just a nice simple package.
I'm still trying to get a ballpark idea of whether my light, circulation or so forth, is going to be limiting.
Experimenting with the little tank is just fun, because it doesn't imply massive expenditures of money n energy.
Acropower is seeming to be a helpful nonpolluting food ,because I won't be having much fish feeding going on.
Soon will need to come to some plan for CA and alk.
And wondering if crushed oyster shell is ok as a substrate, since mine is bare bottomed right now.

Joe1400 · Feb 11, 2020

My tank, last night , (started up first week of Jan) .

Pickwun · Feb 11, 2020

Joe1400 said:
Cool, mine is similar, I can easily remove the rockwork,,space around it for flow. Just a nice simple package.
I'm still trying to get a ballpark idea of whether my light, circulation or so forth, is going to be limiting.
Experimenting with the little tank is just fun, because it doesn't imply massive expenditures of money n energy.
Acropower is seeming to be a helpful nonpolluting food ,because I won't be having much fish feeding going on.
Soon will need to come to some plan for CA and alk.
And wondering if crushed oyster shell is ok as a substrate, since mine is bare bottomed right now.

My lights are the 12" BeamsWork unit from eBay plus a strip of 420nm leds. I just use a few drops of Kent MicroVert every couple of weeks. I put a few drops of CoralVite in the ATO box. I check with API test strips every week.

Joe1400 · Feb 11, 2020

Pickwun said:
My lights are the 12" BeamsWork unit from eBay plus a strip of 420nm leds. I just use a few drops of Kent MicroVert every couple of weeks. I put a few drops of CoralVite in the ATO box. I check with API test strips every week.

Sounds a lot like my own , I went with the 30 watt lumini pixie as an upgrade .. Im not sure of what settings I will be using. And I like the API test strip too, for its simplicity and good color match -strip to bottle. Im thinking I am seeing a real difference with more aminos , I read Salifert is very good, (but at this point I dont really even know what is in the Brightwell premixed water.) I didnt do sps last time.

reef lover · Feb 11, 2020

Welcome to r2r!

Joe1400 · Mar 1, 2021

reef lover said:
Welcome to r2r!

Thanks, the tanks been fine, had a little issue with flatworms, the brownish ones with three orange and white rear appendages.
I saw here , the general approval for flatworm exit, .. the first store I went to didn't have it, so I just adopted a false percula.
The next day, I went to another store , bought the FW Exit, and was going to do the application the following morning.
The flatworms were nowhere to be seen!
Dunno if it Was the clown, but if so, its an inexpensive fix, and the fish is so tame I could just net her out.

But no , Karma the clown can stay. Why should all the care be reserved for rarities ? She's earned her keep.

ShepherdReefer · Mar 2, 2021

Hello and welcome to the channel.

Jimbhoy13 · Mar 2, 2021

Joe1400 said:
Sounds a lot like my own , I went with the 30 watt lumini pixie as an upgrade .. Im not sure of what settings I will be using. And I like the API test strip too, for its simplicity and good color match -strip to bottle. Im thinking I am seeing a real difference with more aminos , I read Salifert is very good, (but at this point I dont really even know what is in the Brightwell premixed water.) I didnt do sps last time.

Salifert are good, Red Sea titration test kits are good, Hannah are easy to use especially for ultra low phosphate and for alkalinity tests.

Jimbhoy13 · Mar 2, 2021

Welcome to R2R and back to the salty world joe. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed. Also good to see you bring your own experience to the forum.

Manny’s Reef · Mar 2, 2021

That's awesome. Welcome.

Jekyl · Mar 2, 2021

Joe1400 said:
I was thinking I should say hello rather than lurk unseen like a shadow. Ive had a 55 gal reef tank many moons ago , and decided to get back into the hobby at small scale this time. Last time I used the Tampa bay saltwater method using wild rock from the bay, which was a lot of fun. I am really liking the small 5 gal size this go round and using more traditional methodology.
Any info I could offer would be anecdotal , but I have made most of the mistakes that one can,and which may turn out to be helpful to others.

Welcome!