It’s jarring... 2g jar SPS Pico!

[hart24601]

After reading about some amazing jar reefs for a couple of years now - Brandon and later Maritza- I finally decided to take the plunge. I had my 120 then tried a 60 cube but I was plagued with problems with the cube and spent around 9k on it and became disheartened. What better way back to the hobby then basics!

Found this jar at target, 2g, nice and thick. $12

I also picked up some silicone to make a “lip” to help seal it up. $4

I had some sand which I was torn on adding, and had a sicce nano powerhead I had not used.

I am terrible at putting even silicone, but once top and bottom skinned well I put the lid on to get a better fit. It’s not gorgeous, but not bad either as you don’t look at the lid.

Here it is the morning. Still bit cloudy, but I am pleased. I ordered a hydro neo them heater. The light will be. Kessil a160 but I don’t have it yet.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

That's so cool! I also really like your discus tank in the background!

 

[hart24601]

Thank you!! It will be interesting to see how this works and what doesn’t work.

 

[hart24601]

Lfs had some interesting cured LR I snagged. Not much life on it, but that’s ok. Glued a smaller piece on it too. So far so good. Just have to wait for the kessil and heater. I am actually enjoying the hobby with this jar more than anything I have done in a long time reefing wise.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What are you doing for flow?

 

[hart24601]

I found a sicce Nano powerhead I had stashed away. 2.8w for 110gph flow. It’s tucked in there behind the rock. Small size, low heat, good flow. Should be a winner I hope.

 

[brandon429]

discus and a bio jar if you will please add Kerry king guitar playing to that mix we might be fine neighbors. I have 1/8th of Lombardo's speed in my drum feet heh. that rascal w run a while even with the lid pressed, that water level creating a little atmosphere above. evap should beat any tank known since its not bubbled, and your refresh rate by lifting the lid is so easy I bet it w run sealed in between normal water changes and that part is the vent. It might not evaporate whatsoever.

 

[hart24601]

That is my hope with the refresh and low evaporation. I am happy to play around with it and just see what works though.

I am planning on doing your system of big feeding once a week a few hours before a 100% w/c and stir up sand then. Might need to dose a bit as time goes on, but will see. Using reef crystals for the higher alk.

Happy to see you here on my thread! I wouldn’t be doing this if not for you.

 

[brandon429]

So glad you posted and I too like rc just fine, I use wherever the lfs has mixed up and they even change it on me time to time no harm I guess

It's fun to try and assess people's cycle off pics of rock..I see a foram and two little hydroids which indicate at least recent submersion...I also think I see some coloration/coralline pigment is that cured skip cycle rock? If not it couldn't be too long since it was submerged?

 

[hart24601]

Good eye! The rock at the lfs is in a huge container circulating and you just grab whatever you want. It’s only was out of the water maybe 15 min in bag on way home. It should be cured.


How do you use peroxide these days in the vases? And what all for inverts? Couple snails only?

 

[brandon429]

Nowadays I only use it occasionally when my tank is drained (wet on a paper towel) to wipe out the inside glass

Once rock is 100% coralline and coral polyps there's no space for algae to grow, the glass will indicate when system needs cleaning.

Bio-rejection in my opinion vs open uncolonized vital space of a new tank... is neat that corals help battle algae in a pico reef bc vital space in short supply, they beef well

never seen algae in the middle of an anemone, or in the oral opening of a huge healthy lobo head. that stood out to me over time. Algae wants the exposed septal areas, the cracks in live rock between patches of coralline.

Vs letting algae set in, then hopefully go away, I refuse it the whole time.

I find adding a lot of frags up front presents the hitchhikers that will test the system all at once... we hand guide it surgically until they're gone, by then you've fragged the coral a few times and no more algae and system is packed with healthy corals allowing no algae growth.

To slowly stock a pico is to endlessly bring in new tests. They're opposite in many ways to larger setups. Snails are optional, flush cleaning and burning of algae takes care of tank work if you like that control method. They'll eat like kings on rip feeding so will any common crab you like, heck of a trick small tankers can do. Blast feed a 150 we'd never get the nitrates down- jar reefs can cheat it's awesome.

peroxide use on the rocks as an emersed spot treatment eventually ends when it all goes purple in my system. I only applied peroxide to the target either during a tank drain, or with rocks removed, never broadcast to the water. I like to use it surgically imo. Zero nontarget contact. Just my way

I cheat the system clean by lifting out rock, debriding the algae off with a metal pick/knife tip, then applying peroxide to the cleaned surface. Rinse, put back in bowl.

We like to blast feed too, over the top vs tiny sparse feedings. When packed with mouths, that jar likes to be fed a grip of frozen cyclopeeze

Then do four flushing tidal zone water changes an hour later exporting all proteins before breakdown, you'll leave only fat polyps and a totally clean system

Can skip feeding another ten days easy and this will pack weight into frags. That's all my cards up front heh.

Not everybody takes this method, we can choose variance too I like that about jars.

Maritza the Vase Reef is the most advanced vase I know of, more coral variety per unit of volume I've seen over any system... Packed zeo type...they're much calmer and hands off (but they don't miss weekly full changes and they feed well just before them) just to show another care range. I'm a mad sandbed rinser. I hit mine with tap during disassembly cleanings. Maritza would never do that, they like the sandbed coloration and biodiversity.

The reason I chose forced clean was so the system runs the longest in between servicing im gone a lot. Every blast cleaning is organic scrubbing + flushing oxygenation, the best ORP setting we're going to see in a system right up until fouling and detritus accum four or so months later.

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Following this - very cool - thanks for sharing

 

[hart24601]

Awesome advise! I have read bits and pieces before but great to have it in one spot and to make sure I am not reading thoughts from 2009, although it’s fun to see the history!

I remember Randy several years ago saying something similar about algae and colonization sites with mature tanks that are packed with coral and have elevated nutrients. Probably just no where to grow!

We have a big frag swap next week so I will snag some montis and birds nests. I love lps like hammers but trying to avoid anything with sweepers here although I do see them in some small systems I don’t want to push it.

 

[brandon429]

That sounds good those swaps coming from reefers who tend to guide their own tanks helps to reduce invader transmission vs in/out lfs

It might not be practical to stock it all at once but even if broken up over two or three additions that's so nice to be done finally vs how I took a few yrs to stop adding things and was duly challenged during that time.

 

[Mikedawg]

Lfs had some interesting cured LR I snagged. Not much life on it, but that’s ok. Glued a smaller piece on it too. So far so good. Just have to wait for the kessil and heater. I am actually enjoying the hobby with this jar more than anything I have done in a long time reefing wise.

Understand; I just upgraded to a much larger Red Sea system, but my nanos will probably remain my favorite tanks. Something about "making it work" in a small tank is very intriguing.

 

[najer]

Very nice.

 

[Dsnakes]

I've seen several of these jar reefs. Very neat concept. Perhaps I'll try some day. Can't wait to see this progress!

 

[hart24601]

So with that little pump the jar seems to hold around 75. I wonder if I even need the heater. Thoughts?

 

[hart24601]

I picked up some coral yesterday from someone local. Mostly various montis, couple psammocora, green BN and a JF sunset stylo.

I might get just a couple more and then I will consider it stocked.

So I chipped in several months ago to be first in like for a JF homwrecker. I don't have a larger tank now, so when the coral is ready I will have a homewrecker in a jar. Ha!

Water temp this morning was 74.5. Still debating adding the heater or not. Every coral had good PE this morning, which is awesome to see, so I will just leave it heaterless for now. I don't want the coral to die at that lower temp, however slowing the growth down is probably a good thing.

 

[brandon429]

I bought new corals too from new lfs in town, had ta. His tanks are isolated pretty well and the hitchhikers in there looked to be the same rascals that grow on my glass, two new corals came home and were washed, scraped well around the plug/hard surfaces.

You bought all pro level corals first go for a jar that's exactly the type of rock n roll that is required for jar reefing heh. I have never seen a homewrecker in a jar, if we fail to cpr that thing into money earned back it could turn into a home troubler if the price of the frag has been disclosed lol.

on heating, especially with all star corals I must recommend thermostat heating. To not wreck your seal, I recommend cut the wire to the heater element with scissors as soon as you open it from the box, instantly voiding the warranty.

Then run the cut lines through grommet using a $10 diamond dremel bit cut into the glass lid, resolder the lines outside the tank and heat shrink all clean the connection (I chose to do this on the outside part of the line not up under the lid)

you still have your seal with full line incursion, some just make a notch in the lid seal part but this hole bit is much better/cleaner and with diamond dremel I was able to make my own holes having never tried it before.

https://oceanboxdesigns.com/product/ultra-slim-mini-50w-heater-wexternal-controller/

after that's installed the room can get as cool as needed I really prefer it this way for the sps in tow in my opinion. I use a neotherm 50 watt in my pico its too big, wedged in sideways, I prefer this one above and w switch to it soon.