Ok, here we go! Brand new Lifegard Aquatics 7.4g "side filter" tank. This is my second reef tank, and will be very different from anything I've done before.
I hope to keep some softies, LPS, and a couple SPS if I'm lucky. A troop (?) of sexy shrimps, and probably one fish... Maybe a clown, because that is a family favorite.
Constraints
I am sheltering with family during COVID-19. I don't intend to take the tank back home with me when I return... I can't reasonably expect my family to learn all the minutiae of reef keeping, though they'll probably cooperate with some regular (light) maintenance, and guidance by phone if something goes wrong. I also plan to find a local service "just in case".
This detail presents two important requirements. First, the tank needs to get up and running and see stability as fast as possible. I don't know how long until things blow over, and I can't leave a tank behind that's not stable. That said, I do think I'll be here long enough to pull it off, so long as I move quickly and deliberately.
Second, the tank must be low maintenance and "bulletproof". If regular maintenance requirements are too high, they'll be neglected. Further, things that might be obvious to a reefer won't be to others. For instance, accumulation of detritus leading to excessive nutrients would be difficult to diagnose over the phone. In another example, water level slightly high or low, or heater cycles becoming longer or shorter, are all likely to go unnoticed.
In working with these constraints, I'm aiming for a high degree of safety and redundancy. A small amount of automation for common tasks (e.g. ATO), and a custom stand with a built in mixing station for low overhead water changes.
Managing the Constraints
There are a lot of special considerations to this build given the constraints. In this section, I attempt to explain the steps I'm taking to work within them.
Flow
The tank came with an underpowered return, which I am upgrading to a sicce micra 158gph pump. I thought I might get away with that being the only source of flow, perhaps with an upgraded loc line, until I considered return pump failure.
To ensure flow in the event of return failure, I bought a small powerhead (technically a wavemaker I guess), a Current USA eFlux. It was more expensive than I'd hoped, but was the smallest one I could find with an acceptable minimum flow rate. It will live inside the display.
Heat
I'm going with two undersized heaters to account for two of the three known heater failure modes (the third, of course, being "catastrophic").
Having two heaters in such a small tank is tough. At least one will have to be in the display. The smallest heaters often lack a thermostat, and are cheaply made... I greatly fear a catastrophic failure, but I haven't figured out how to better mitigate that risk just yet...
Anyway, since they lack thermostats (I wouldn't trust it even if they did), they'll both have their own inkbird temperature controller.
Light
A kessil A80. I love the fanless design. I'll need a controller eventually for a predictable recurring photoperiod. A simple timed outlet could work, but I worry about my ability to keep SPS without dawn to dusk... Anyone have any success on that front?
The kessil controller feels like overkill for my needs. I guess I'll need to research my options.
ATO
An ATO will be critical as manual top ups are way too consuming. I found a micro ATO that uses an optical sensor the size of a penny. Perfect for my limited space build. It has a timer failsafe, which is also critical. Nothing will spell death for The Burry faster than a flood .
Of course, the small size comes with tradeoffs. The ATO has only a single sensor, and even though it has a built-in failsafe, I was still uncomfortable with the possibility of a flood. For instance, an obstructed overflow could lead to lower water levels in the back where the sensor is, and higher levels in the tank, which might cause a flood as the ATO tries to fill the back compartment.
To mitigate this risk even further, I've purchased an additional failsafe which will cut power to the ATO if the water level rises too high. The failsafe sensor will sit in the display somewhere.
Mixing Station and Water Sources
As I mentioned previously, I am looking for the lowest maintenance overhead possible. This requirement effectively mandated a small tank. At 7.4 gallons, I am hoping that actual water volume (after rock etc) will be closer to 5 gallons, allowing for a ~100% water change with only one (or two) buckets.
I purchased a stand from Walmart that was originally intended as an audio cabinet. I plan to tuck away all the electronics inside, as well as an ATO reservoir and a mixing station.
For the mixing station, I envision a board in the bottom of the stand mounted on sliding rails with a bucket holder bolted to it. The bucket will have a heater and a pump with some tubing attached to it. Water change should be as simple as sliding the bucket out, pouring in a predetermined amount of water and salt, and flipping a switch to turn on the heater and pump. The bucket can then be slid back into the stand and closed up while the water mixes and heats.
Once the water is ready, the bucket can again be pulled out, and the tubing unrolled so it can be placed in the top of the tank. I am still thinking over the easiest way to deal with the waste water, as well as cleaning of the bucket and equipment inside it.
Since the tank is so small, my current plan is to rely on store bought distilled water. My family can simply pick up a few gallons whenever they go to the grocery store. More interestingly, there is a natural spring here at our house, and I have sent the water for ICP. There is certainly no chlorine in it, so I am hoping that the spring water can be used in a pinch, perhaps with some prime.
Regular Maintenance Procedures and Considerations
Maintenance must not be too involved (do I sound like a broken record yet?), and anything that might turn into a problem requiring reefer knowledge later on down the road must be avoided at all costs. As such, the tank will be bare bottom. I plan on scaping with epoxy and super glue, then drilling into the bottom of the rocks to insert acrylic rods. This will allow the scape to sit up off the bottom, hopefully preventing detritus from collecting around the base.
With sand and detritus out of the way, the remaining concern is water quality and parameters. To deal with this, I am aiming for weekly 2 gallon water changes, which I think should work out to 30% or better when accounting for rock and equipment volume. My hope is that this (relatively) aggressive WC schedule will eliminate the need to closely monitor the parameters. I don't think I can ask my family to regularly test the water, but once in a blue moon if/when a problem is suspected is probably OK.
The jury is out on how long the filter media will be able to go. I guess I'll have to play that aspect of the maintenance plan by ear.
Quick Cycle
A normal 30+ day cycle is super nonideal, as it significantly delays my progress towards stability. I am trying to see if I can get TBS live rock in small quantities. I also purchased Dr Tim's as well as the brightwell cycle stuff. I read that Dr Tim's says bare bottom is a lot harder to cycle because the bacteria have less substrate to live on/in, so I'm going to try a double dose.
Aquascape
Bare bottom tank, with the rockwork raised up off the glass. I would like to have one large-ish "main" structure at the back of the tank, up against the back glass. Something open and air-y that will still allow flow to pass through, kind of like what is done in this video.
Then I'd like to have somewhere between one and three small "islands" in front of the main structure, coming out towards the front glass. No surprise that the family likes wavy corals, so I hope to be able to tame a few on isolated outcrops.
I'm hoping to secure some live rock, but have purchased dry rock just in case. Since the tank is new, I figure I can place LR in and monitor for any critters that come off it. With such a small volume, and no sand, I am thinking this should be relatively effective for controlling the introduction of pests.
Does anyone know if I can cut up live rock and what the impact might be?
Livestock Introduction Plan
As soon as I get through the cycle, I'm going to introduce some softies. One thing I'm not sure on is the nature of the nitrogen cycle in a coral only tank. I assume that I need to do some broadcast feeding in order to produce nutrients for the bacteria?
Once the softies are happy, I will introduce 3-5 sexy shrimps. I'll feed them lightly to keep the nutrients up a little bit. Finally, I will add a small fish and some LPS. If I'm very lucky, and am able to reach stability/maturity as fast as I'm hoping to, I'll finally add a couple hardy SPS, maybe a monti.
Request for Comments
See anything here that could spell trouble? Think I may have missed something, particularly certain failure modes? Have any equipment suggestions, tips or otherwise? Or even any questions? Please do leave a comment and let me know!
Summary and Current Progress
A pico reef tank with very low maintenance overhead, and a high degree of safety and redundancy. Every non-living piece has been ordered. All have been received with the exception of the rock and cycling bacteria. I am still in the process of trying to secure some live rock. The stand has been received but not assembled.
I will be posting updates as I go along, with plenty of pictures! Stay tuned, and happy reefing!
I hope to keep some softies, LPS, and a couple SPS if I'm lucky. A troop (?) of sexy shrimps, and probably one fish... Maybe a clown, because that is a family favorite.
Constraints
I am sheltering with family during COVID-19. I don't intend to take the tank back home with me when I return... I can't reasonably expect my family to learn all the minutiae of reef keeping, though they'll probably cooperate with some regular (light) maintenance, and guidance by phone if something goes wrong. I also plan to find a local service "just in case".
This detail presents two important requirements. First, the tank needs to get up and running and see stability as fast as possible. I don't know how long until things blow over, and I can't leave a tank behind that's not stable. That said, I do think I'll be here long enough to pull it off, so long as I move quickly and deliberately.
Second, the tank must be low maintenance and "bulletproof". If regular maintenance requirements are too high, they'll be neglected. Further, things that might be obvious to a reefer won't be to others. For instance, accumulation of detritus leading to excessive nutrients would be difficult to diagnose over the phone. In another example, water level slightly high or low, or heater cycles becoming longer or shorter, are all likely to go unnoticed.
In working with these constraints, I'm aiming for a high degree of safety and redundancy. A small amount of automation for common tasks (e.g. ATO), and a custom stand with a built in mixing station for low overhead water changes.
Managing the Constraints
There are a lot of special considerations to this build given the constraints. In this section, I attempt to explain the steps I'm taking to work within them.
Flow
The tank came with an underpowered return, which I am upgrading to a sicce micra 158gph pump. I thought I might get away with that being the only source of flow, perhaps with an upgraded loc line, until I considered return pump failure.
To ensure flow in the event of return failure, I bought a small powerhead (technically a wavemaker I guess), a Current USA eFlux. It was more expensive than I'd hoped, but was the smallest one I could find with an acceptable minimum flow rate. It will live inside the display.
Heat
I'm going with two undersized heaters to account for two of the three known heater failure modes (the third, of course, being "catastrophic").
Having two heaters in such a small tank is tough. At least one will have to be in the display. The smallest heaters often lack a thermostat, and are cheaply made... I greatly fear a catastrophic failure, but I haven't figured out how to better mitigate that risk just yet...
Anyway, since they lack thermostats (I wouldn't trust it even if they did), they'll both have their own inkbird temperature controller.
Light
A kessil A80. I love the fanless design. I'll need a controller eventually for a predictable recurring photoperiod. A simple timed outlet could work, but I worry about my ability to keep SPS without dawn to dusk... Anyone have any success on that front?
The kessil controller feels like overkill for my needs. I guess I'll need to research my options.
ATO
An ATO will be critical as manual top ups are way too consuming. I found a micro ATO that uses an optical sensor the size of a penny. Perfect for my limited space build. It has a timer failsafe, which is also critical. Nothing will spell death for The Burry faster than a flood .
Of course, the small size comes with tradeoffs. The ATO has only a single sensor, and even though it has a built-in failsafe, I was still uncomfortable with the possibility of a flood. For instance, an obstructed overflow could lead to lower water levels in the back where the sensor is, and higher levels in the tank, which might cause a flood as the ATO tries to fill the back compartment.
To mitigate this risk even further, I've purchased an additional failsafe which will cut power to the ATO if the water level rises too high. The failsafe sensor will sit in the display somewhere.
Mixing Station and Water Sources
As I mentioned previously, I am looking for the lowest maintenance overhead possible. This requirement effectively mandated a small tank. At 7.4 gallons, I am hoping that actual water volume (after rock etc) will be closer to 5 gallons, allowing for a ~100% water change with only one (or two) buckets.
I purchased a stand from Walmart that was originally intended as an audio cabinet. I plan to tuck away all the electronics inside, as well as an ATO reservoir and a mixing station.
For the mixing station, I envision a board in the bottom of the stand mounted on sliding rails with a bucket holder bolted to it. The bucket will have a heater and a pump with some tubing attached to it. Water change should be as simple as sliding the bucket out, pouring in a predetermined amount of water and salt, and flipping a switch to turn on the heater and pump. The bucket can then be slid back into the stand and closed up while the water mixes and heats.
Once the water is ready, the bucket can again be pulled out, and the tubing unrolled so it can be placed in the top of the tank. I am still thinking over the easiest way to deal with the waste water, as well as cleaning of the bucket and equipment inside it.
Since the tank is so small, my current plan is to rely on store bought distilled water. My family can simply pick up a few gallons whenever they go to the grocery store. More interestingly, there is a natural spring here at our house, and I have sent the water for ICP. There is certainly no chlorine in it, so I am hoping that the spring water can be used in a pinch, perhaps with some prime.
Regular Maintenance Procedures and Considerations
Maintenance must not be too involved (do I sound like a broken record yet?), and anything that might turn into a problem requiring reefer knowledge later on down the road must be avoided at all costs. As such, the tank will be bare bottom. I plan on scaping with epoxy and super glue, then drilling into the bottom of the rocks to insert acrylic rods. This will allow the scape to sit up off the bottom, hopefully preventing detritus from collecting around the base.
With sand and detritus out of the way, the remaining concern is water quality and parameters. To deal with this, I am aiming for weekly 2 gallon water changes, which I think should work out to 30% or better when accounting for rock and equipment volume. My hope is that this (relatively) aggressive WC schedule will eliminate the need to closely monitor the parameters. I don't think I can ask my family to regularly test the water, but once in a blue moon if/when a problem is suspected is probably OK.
The jury is out on how long the filter media will be able to go. I guess I'll have to play that aspect of the maintenance plan by ear.
Quick Cycle
A normal 30+ day cycle is super nonideal, as it significantly delays my progress towards stability. I am trying to see if I can get TBS live rock in small quantities. I also purchased Dr Tim's as well as the brightwell cycle stuff. I read that Dr Tim's says bare bottom is a lot harder to cycle because the bacteria have less substrate to live on/in, so I'm going to try a double dose.
Aquascape
Bare bottom tank, with the rockwork raised up off the glass. I would like to have one large-ish "main" structure at the back of the tank, up against the back glass. Something open and air-y that will still allow flow to pass through, kind of like what is done in this video.
Then I'd like to have somewhere between one and three small "islands" in front of the main structure, coming out towards the front glass. No surprise that the family likes wavy corals, so I hope to be able to tame a few on isolated outcrops.
I'm hoping to secure some live rock, but have purchased dry rock just in case. Since the tank is new, I figure I can place LR in and monitor for any critters that come off it. With such a small volume, and no sand, I am thinking this should be relatively effective for controlling the introduction of pests.
Does anyone know if I can cut up live rock and what the impact might be?
Livestock Introduction Plan
As soon as I get through the cycle, I'm going to introduce some softies. One thing I'm not sure on is the nature of the nitrogen cycle in a coral only tank. I assume that I need to do some broadcast feeding in order to produce nutrients for the bacteria?
Once the softies are happy, I will introduce 3-5 sexy shrimps. I'll feed them lightly to keep the nutrients up a little bit. Finally, I will add a small fish and some LPS. If I'm very lucky, and am able to reach stability/maturity as fast as I'm hoping to, I'll finally add a couple hardy SPS, maybe a monti.
Request for Comments
See anything here that could spell trouble? Think I may have missed something, particularly certain failure modes? Have any equipment suggestions, tips or otherwise? Or even any questions? Please do leave a comment and let me know!
Summary and Current Progress
A pico reef tank with very low maintenance overhead, and a high degree of safety and redundancy. Every non-living piece has been ordered. All have been received with the exception of the rock and cycling bacteria. I am still in the process of trying to secure some live rock. The stand has been received but not assembled.
I will be posting updates as I go along, with plenty of pictures! Stay tuned, and happy reefing!