JoJo's 3.8g Pico Horsie Stable - this is not a tank

[JoJosReef]

I won a ReefBreeders Pico LED! What more reason to start a new pico tank? Well, about $1000 reasons. Oh well, might as well start planning the build--I'm sure my black widow will start splitting one of these days and net me a few bucks...

Inspired by @Mhamilton0911 !

Item	Cost
Lifegard 3.8g AIO (Lifegard)	$105.00
RB Pico LED (R2R)	$0.00
Mounting (included)	$0.00
Sicce Microplus (Saltwater or BRS)	$30.00
ATO (bottle)	$0.00
TBS Pico Treasure Chest	$165.00
Eheim (Amazon or Saltwater or BRS)	$20.00
Inkbird (Amazon or Saltwater or BRS)	$32.00
USB fan (Amazon)	$9.00
Lid (Kraken)	$60.00
16 dwarf seahorses (Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy)	$400.00
Botrycladia (live-plants)	$10.00
Sponge Sampler (live-plants)	$20.00
Golden Plume Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Tall Unknown Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Corky-like Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Branching GSP (from 40g)	$0.00
Mushrooms (from 40g and elsewhere)	$0.00
CUC (Reefcleaners)	$40.00
Pedersen (Reefcleaners or Alyssa's)	$15.00
BBS Hatchery (BRS)	$50.00
Total	$956.00

In the meantime, get comfy, this might take a while

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I inspired all the spending??

Awesome build out list and I'm for sure stalking this thread!

 

[Tavero]

I won a ReefBreeders Pico LED! What more reason to start a new pico tank? Well, about $1000 reasons. Oh well, might as well start planning the build--I'm sure my black widow will start splitting one of these days and net me a few bucks...

Inspired by @Mhamilton0911 !

Item	Cost
Lifegard 3.8g AIO (Lifegard)	$105.00
RB Pico LED (R2R)	$0.00
Mounting (included)	$0.00
Sicce Microplus (Saltwater or BRS)	$30.00
ATO (bottle)	$0.00
TBS Pico Treasure Chest	$165.00
Eheim (Amazon or Saltwater or BRS)	$20.00
Inkbird (Amazon or Saltwater or BRS)	$32.00
USB fan (Amazon)	$9.00
Lid (Kraken)	$60.00
16 dwarf seahorses (Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy)	$400.00
Botrycladia (live-plants)	$10.00
Sponge Sampler (live-plants)	$20.00
Golden Plume Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Tall Unknown Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Corky-like Gorg (from 40g)	$0.00
Branching GSP (from 40g)	$0.00
Mushrooms (from 40g and elsewhere)	$0.00
CUC (Reefcleaners)	$40.00
Pedersen (Reefcleaners or Alyssa's)	$15.00
BBS Hatchery (BRS)	$50.00
Total	$956.00

In the meantime, get comfy, this might take a while

H have no knowledge about seahorses. I am surprised you can keep 16 in a pico tank?

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I did try a few of the hatching kits, only one I didn't try was the ziss (?) giant one. I had best luck with a basic jar with a rigid airline tube. I did have to add a heater since the weather changed, so I'm using an ice cream tub with water and the heater, then my jar sitting in the heated water. Keeps it perfect. Oh, and egg quality does matter. I went through a few brands before I landed on the ones I liked.

 

[SliceGolfer]

Why purchase a lid and fan?

 

[JoJosReef]

H have no knowledge about seahorses. I am surprised you can keep 16 in a pico tank?

Alyssa's seashorse savvy has a recommended # od dearf seahorses per gallon. 16 is somewhere in the middle for 3g of swim space. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 16 might change because that was just the # that was on sale right now

 

[JoJosReef]

I inspired all the spending??

Awesome build out list and I'm for sure stalking this thread!

I always wanted to so that in a grocery store since that movie came out. Maybe when I get the grand needed to complete the tank I'll do it.. then run out before they take my grand away!

 

[JoJosReef]

I did try a few of the hatching kits, only one I didn't try was the ziss (?) giant one. I had best luck with a basic jar with a rigid airline tube. I did have to add a heater since the weather changed, so I'm using an ice cream tub with water and the heater, then my jar sitting in the heated water. Keeps it perfect. Oh, and egg quality does matter. I went through a few brands before I landed on the ones I liked.

Yup, I'll have to set up a consulting contract with you when this gets up and running. A long time from now. Shall I add that to my budget?

 

[Mhamilton0911]

Yup, I'll have to set up a consulting contract with you when this gets up and running. A long time from now. Shall I add that to my budget?

Well since I'm not a certified expert, I'll waive the fee.... This time.

But I do grow pretty babies, so there's that.
My shipment had one tiny bb born in the bag. I just barely saw it. Here's a pic in a tablespoon. It was hitched to the tiniest of root of the plant they shipped with. And a picture just a few days old next to an adult for size comparison. But the adults are tiny also. This was the middle of September.

This is the same baby today.

 

[JoJosReef]

Well since I'm not a certified expert, I'll waive the fee.... This time.

But I do grow pretty babies, so there's that.
My shipment had one tiny bb born in the bag. I just barely saw it. Here's a pic in a tablespoon. It was hitched to the tiniest of root of the plant they shipped with. And a picture just a few days old next to an adult for size comparison. But the adults are tiny also. This was the middle of September.

This is the same baby today.

That's pretty amazing, do they continue to breed in a pico tank, or do they need special environment? Does the tank have a filter of any type? Would new babies hitch to something immediately or get sucked into filtration? I'm thinking lots of gorgs and a few macros like Botrycladia and codium for lots of hitching posts since Caulerpa can't be shipped to CA.

 

[JoJosReef]

Bit more about the goals of the tank. First, of course, is an ideal environment for the dwarf seahorses. Second, will be getting some corals I've wanted but not managed yet in the 40g. Mostly shrooms like Neptune bounce, Frankenstein, jawbreakers and dragon lady bounce. Gonna have to start feeding that black widow...

 

[Mhamilton0911]

That's pretty amazing, do they continue to breed in a pico tank, or do they need special environment? Does the tank have a filter of any type? Would new babies hitch to something immediately or get sucked into filtration? I'm thinking lots of gorgs and a few macros like Botrycladia and codium for lots of hitching posts since Caulerpa can't be shipped to CA.

Yes? I've seen mating dances and even had loose eggs floating around, so it indicates a transfer was attempted. I've had my main male swell like he's going to pop then shrink back down days later. No new babies yet, that I've seen. Even in 3 gallons it's hard to see everything when they can be that small. But I think the 'season' kind of ends in October for them so I'm just watching and waiting.

I chose no filter. Partly because I had 2 of the tiniest of babies from day one and was so worried. They are insanely fragile looking. Even the bigger air bubbles from the first micro sponge filter I used were too much. I switched to a stone only for the small tiny bubbles and that's perfect for the size tank I have. You can tell there's mild current by the way the bbs get carried through. But that means more work cleaning substrate and I also need to remove the grown shrimps every 3 days or so with a net. But even with those extra steps, the tank is so small that it's pretty quick to do. I may experiment with other filters or tiny AIO tanks later, but I wanted to master thier care first. They look healthy and active and the babies are growing with the cirri that the parents don't have, which is to match their environment and it's just cool.

I do have several that like to play in the bubbles too. They swim directly in the bubbles and get blown around and orient themselves and swim right back in. They'll do it several times then just hitch next to it and carry about thier day.