It’s jarring... 2g jar SPS Pico!

[hart24601]

My thoughts are similar to the master, Brandon, the key things to me seem to be bare bottom, daily feeding of fish and shrimp, which will add nutrients and even small particulates as fish tear and eat food, the poo which can be coral food, and daily siphoning of waste. That is a big statement there. Not sure if the water is replaced with same water siphoned along with detritus, maybe I missed it, but that export before detritus is even broken down is pretty big.

That is a lot of work to me and probably the most effective export there is, just not many want to daily siphon especially long term. I think readers might miss that line about the daily siphoning.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Good points @brandon429 and @hart24601. Just about anything can work on the short term. I read the article on Reef Builders a bit more thoroughly. Apparently at the time the article was written, the tank was 2 years old. The tank apparently gets 10% water changes every day or every other day. If we split the difference and call it 5 times a week, the tank is getting close to 50% water changes every week (2.5g total out of 6 gallons). It's possible that every time the owner siphoned, they replaced the water with new saltwater. That might be part of the daily change.

I might give this type of setup a go. I'm not necessarily looking for decade-long success with this pico. It's more a fun side project. If it can last for at least 2 years that's decent enough for me. I have a 2.5g tank already, so the deciding factor will be if I can get a 5g tank at Petsmart. I have a gift card for there that I've been sitting on for a few months and haven't found anything I want to buy there yet. Thanks for all the input!

 

[hart24601]

From that article I wouldn’t use the w/c % as the take away unless one is also doing the daily detritus removal. Those two things are inseparable imo with a small system, you can’t really just pick which part to do, have to do it all to duplicate a system, but it’s fun to experiment tho!

 

[hart24601]

Not discouraging trying of course!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

For sure, I didn't take it as discouragement

If I did try a 5g, I think I would do daily siphoning and daily/every other day 10% water changes. 5g is a little much to be doing 100% twice a week. But 10% a day is only 3.5g per week. So that wouldn't be too bad.

Like I said, putting the cart way before the horse here. Just trying to think of some different things I could try. Really appreciate the thoughts

 

[Myka]

I totally missed the move out of the jar! This thread is no longer "jarring"!

I have been considering moving mine into a more conventionally-shaped tank too.

 

[hart24601]

I totally missed the move out of the jar! This thread is no longer "jarring"!

I have been considering moving mine into a more conventionally-shaped tank too.

Haha! Sneaky wasn’t it??

The rock and equipment all would still fit in the jar so it’s not totally wrong?

The viewing really is a lot better with the 10” cube I hate to admit!

I guess it’s cubing now?

 

[Myka]

Yes, viewing through flat panes really can't be beat! The spherical shape of my Bubble Pico is probably the next best thing. "Jars" generally have terrible optics!

 

[hart24601]

I ordered a reef glass skimmer, just for fun to play around with. Should be here Friday, I have found I enjoy paying with equipment haha.

 

[Myka]

Wow! You better hope nothing grows! Haha!

 

[jamesgaines]

this makes me want to start my own rock flower garden great tank

 

[hart24601]

Wow! You better hope nothing grows! Haha!

Haha! There is a ton of space! Ok maybe not a ton....

But fragfest is this weekend...

 

[hart24601]

this makes me want to start my own rock flower garden great tank

Thanks! They are pretty cool, I never had any before so hopefully they do well. A couple didn’t make it but the remaining ones seem good.

 

[hart24601]

Reefglass skimmer seems solid!

I did take a nano mag and put inside the tube instead of the bracket and o ring it comes with.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Cool. I just use a tube that reef putty comes in and added a cap. ☺ It is not great yet, but not much in the tank.

 

[jasonrusso]

Reefglass skimmer seems solid!

I did take a nano mag and put inside the tube instead of the bracket and o ring it comes with.

The jar is back!

 

[hart24601]

The jar is back!

Haha. Well done!

 

[hart24601]

Cool. I just use a tube that reef putty comes in and added a cap. ☺ It is not great yet, but not much in the tank.

I was using for fun some 3/4” pvc just to play around with. Harder to adjust the Bubbles but I’m sure would work fine. My fiancé actually really likes the looks of the reef glass which is a bonus.

 

[hart24601]

Who doesn't like more pics?

 

[hart24601]

Update, or lack of update really. The tank seems to be pretty dialed in now, no algae issues that I have had to address the past few weeks besides cleaning the glass weekly. Kalk in the ato seems to be working well, the little skimmer is really dirty so a good W/C and skimmer cleaning seem to be in order soon. I also want to stir up the sand at the next W/C as well, it's a bit harder with the rock nems, they like the sand/rock interface so I can't really pick the rock up out of the water, but I think it should be manageable.

All the acros are alive and well, I should have taken close up pics to see growth. I ramped the kessil up to 100% again, I had it turned down for the nem acclimation as I hear they don't love a lot of light.