New Pico Aquarium

[MickoftheSea]

To start off, I am brand new to reef tanks! I wanted to start small so I got myself a cheap 1 gallon off brand minicomplete tank. With the help of my roomate I was able to get water made, live rock, and live sand. I plan on getting another piece or two of small white live rock to add for more surface area. I don’t plan on putting any fish in this tank, only invertebrates and coral. Currently I got a good salinity, low flow, 10w heater on a Nicrew regulator, and only stock lighting that came with the tank, and I’m doing 1 week 1 gallon water changes from an established source. I was looking if anyone has words of wisdom, tips and tricks, constructive criticism, and things to look out for.

 

[Peace River]

#WelcometoR2R!!! I'm not sure if you've seen the following R2R article, but you may find some helpful tips here:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[MickoftheSea]

#WelcometoR2R!!! I'm not sure if you've seen the following R2R article, but you may find some helpful tips here:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

Yes I checked it out! I’m just looking for extra help from the community!

 

[MickoftheSea]

Update:

I got some more dry rock as you can see and I put the live rock shown earlier into the sump. I also got 2 tiny hermits with shells in the tank as well. It’s gonna take some time but I’m excited to see this dry rock turn into live rock and more progress on my first reef tank.

 

[skylar]

Just to be clear, it's a 1 gallon tank, but you're doing 1 gallon water changes a week? Just watch out for algae bloom, cyanobacteria, etc. Those are the usual culprits that discourage most reefers. Don't quit! Looks good.

 

[MickoftheSea]

Just to be clear, it's a 1 gallon tank, but you're doing 1 gallon water changes a week? Just watch out for algae bloom, cyanobacteria, etc. Those are the usual culprits that discourage most reefers. Don't quit! Looks good.

My mistake, I did not mean to say 1 gallon water change. And thank you for the tips!

 

[MickoftheSea]

Tank Update:

Just over a week in and I already have algae growth. I finally named my two hermits, Darth Goober and Obi-Wan Crabobi. For some reason Darth Goober loves to climb into the small area in between the pump and the tank. He has done this several times and I think he just loves riding the flow. I blocked off the top so he can not get in anymore, so in anger he tried to dig under, break into the chamber, and finally roll around run laps around the tank before moving on. He has defiantly earned his name. Obi-Wan Crabobi has been vibing, constantly burying himself in the sand and jumping off the high ground, loves to hid in the rocks.

Pretty soon I am going to get a snail or 2 to start cleaning my glass, I am waiting for more algae so they would have a good food supply.

Might pick up my first coral soon and don't know what to get. Feel free to drop some recommendations!

 

[ChaosAquaculture]

I love the mini aquascape! picos are my favorite - kali

 

[piranhaman00]

I cannot grasp the size of the tank, put something near for reference

 

[MickoftheSea]

I cannot grasp the size of the tank, put something near for reference

It’s a tiny boy, here is a reference.

 

[MickoftheSea]

Tank update:

I got a free Xenia I put in the tank. I did all the acclimating right and he still looked alittle angry, but after a day he is looking better! The algae is getting pretty bad, but I’m happy to know I got growth in my tank. To combat it I got Nerite snail to add to the clean up crew. (Seen on back wall in the picture above.)

Cool story:

On Friday I took some rock out to make room for the Xenia. Little did I know, Darth Goober was on one of those rocks. So Darth Goober spent the weekend in a red solo cup with only enough water to barely submerge him. Not only that, but the apartment temperature was 68 degrees all weekend. So come Sunday night, I just so happened to look in the cup and almost cried when I saw the empty looking shell. In a panic, I grabbed him and threw him back in the tank. To my surprise he popped out and went on a rampage, where he beat the crab out of some rocks and buried himself. Needless to say, I’ll die for Darth Goober.

 

[MickoftheSea]

Thread update:

I am moving my updates to the nano reef forum. I have a thread posted there and the link is a below. Newest update is posted So check it out!

Nano Build - New reefer with a 1 gallon pico

Hey everyone, check out the beginning journey of my first tank! Its a 1 gallon pico. Check it out here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-pico-aquarium.857960/ Updates will now be posted here!

www.reef2reef.com