Pastor John's Pico-Reef Online Journal

[johnfmichael]

Entry #001 - 1/15/2025

Hello, fellow forum members! This thread will serve as my public online journal for documenting the development and life of my 5 gallon pico-reef. I'll be posting entries including descriptions, water parameter measurements, thoughts, ideas, photos and video (including some underwater GoPro footage).

After many years of not keeping any kind of aquarium, I have finally made the decision to return to the hobby. Spurred on and with awesome support by my sister, who is very involved in the saltwater reef aquarium community, I have ordered my tank along with other necessities to get started. As I endure the long wait for delivery, I am working on research, relearning what I used to know about reef-keeping, learning what I didn't know as well as what I thought I knew but didn't.

This time around, I definitely want to focus on quality over quantity. My goal is to limit the species in my tank to the specific ones that interest me the most and to learn as much as I can about those species as I care for them and observe their growth, behavior, etc. During this time of waiting, I am reading and making decisions about what I will eventually add, and in what order I will add them, once the cycling process is complete. As of now, my plan is to add them generally in order as follows:

1. Clean up crew: Blue leg hermit and emerald crabs as well as astrea, cerith, dwarf and nassarius snails.
2. Soft Corals: TBD
3. LPS: TBD
4. Fish: Limited to 3 or less. Individual species TBD but will almost certainly include at least one clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Once I have finished populating the tank, I will make a final detailed record of each intentional inhabitant and post it in a future entry.

Another item of importance is maintaining and keeping a detailed record of water parameters. For this I'll be collecting test equipment for important measurements and using a spreadsheet to record readings and to track trends over time. Observation of the behavior and appearance of the inhabitants will be vital in diagnosing problems that may be related to incompatible water parameter fluctuations and/or the progress of disease or introduction of some parasitic element, etc. By doing this, I will, over time, develop a more accurate ability to diagnose the likelihood of a problem through simple observation before performing relevant tests leading to treatment options if needed.

Once the tank is delivered I'll start posting photos and video to help document my progress.

As you may have gathered from this entry, I'm taking all of this pretty seriously. I don't want to have a disaster on my hands the way I did years ago with my first attempt. I am excited and ready to share this journey with anyone who may be interested in following it.

 

[Tahoe61]

You can't put 3 fish in a 5 gallon Pico silly goose. :cool:
Now you might be able to get away with a couple Neon Gobies, or a Cardinal type.
I have a pico 6 gallon cooking, with rock and sand added you're looking at 4.5 gallons.
What are your thoughts on lighting?
Welcome back to the hobby. I look forward to following your progress.

 

[johnfmichael]

You can't put 3 fish in a 5 gallon Pico silly goose. :cool:
Now you might be able to get away with a couple Neon Gobies, or a Cardinal type.
I have a pico 6 gallon cooking, with rock and sand added you're looking at 4.5 gallons.
What are your thoughts on lighting?
Welcome back to the hobby. I look forward to following your progress.

Hello! Thanks for your reply. Nice to meet you. I may not be able to put 3 fish in there but I'm going to try it anyway. What I didn't mention in my initial post is that one of them will be a small goby like a diamond or tiger watchman and I may have to relent and just have the one clownfish instead of two. Then again...we shall see.

As for lighting, the setup I've ordered comes with an 8w LED with built in timer and dimming. I had questioned whether that would be bright enough but other trusted sources have assured me I should be able to grow pretty much whatever I want with it in the 5gal. If it proves not to be enough, I can upgrade later.

Thanks for the welcome and for following!

 

[Tahoe61]

As long as you have an alternative home for them I am all good.
Make sure the Pico is completely established. A 3 month cycle period is not going to cut it.
I can't count how many clowns I have kept. A maturing clown will not tolerate other fish in a Pico long term. They become aggressive as they mature, it's the nature of the beast.
Shoot for a 30 watt like a Fluval 3.0 if you want to keep any LPS.
Please forgive me if I come across as less than encouraging, I want you to succeed with as little disappointment as possible. Forty five straight years in this hobby gives one precepective.


:)

 

[johnfmichael]

As long as you have an alternative home for them I am all good.
Make sure the Pico is completely established. A 3 month cycle period is not going to cut it.
I can't count how many clowns I have kept. A maturing clown will not tolerate other fish in a Pico long term. They become aggressive as they mature, it's the nature of the beast.
Shoot for a 30 watt like a Fluval 3.0 if you want to keep any LPS.
Please forgive me if I come across as less than encouraging, I want you to succeed with as little disappointment as possible. Forty five straight years in this hobby gives one precepective.


:)

I hear you and that's why I am here: to learn from more experienced reefers and be part of a community. The last thing I want is to do something that is going to harm life. I appreciate your advice and will reconsider my initial plans in light of them. Thank you!

 

[johnfmichael]

As long as you have an alternative home for them I am all good.
Make sure the Pico is completely established. A 3 month cycle period is not going to cut it.
I can't count how many clowns I have kept. A maturing clown will not tolerate other fish in a Pico long term. They become aggressive as they mature, it's the nature of the beast.
Shoot for a 30 watt like a Fluval 3.0 if you want to keep any LPS.
Please forgive me if I come across as less than encouraging, I want you to succeed with as little disappointment as possible. Forty five straight years in this hobby gives one precepective.


:)

By the way, how long of a cycle period would you think for the Pico? I had planned to gauge that through regular ammonia level measurement?

 

[Tahoe61]

By the way, how long of a cycle period would you think for the Pico? I had planned to gauge that through regular ammonia level measurement?

How do you intend to cycle the tank? Ammonia and nitrate levels maybe indicate completion of the initial cycle. The biological filter waxes and wanes based on the bioload. Three months is what I shoot for before adding inverts to a nano or a pico.

 

[lil sumpin]

I hear you and that's why I am here: to learn from more experienced reefers and be part of a community. The last thing I want is to do something that is going to harm life. I appreciate your advice and will reconsider my initial plans in light of them. Thank you!

If this is the case pastor John, definitely don't put 3 fish in your pico. A clownfish in a 5 gallon tank is already kinda pushing it. Personally I wouldn't put something as tiny as my quarter sized yellow clown goby in a tank that size.

 

[johnfmichael]

How do you intend to cycle the tank? Ammonia and nitrate levels maybe indicate completion of the initial cycle. The biological filter waxes and wanes based on the bioload. Three months is what I shoot for before adding inverts to a nano or a pico.

Well live sand and rock of course, introduce live bacteria, feed them with an ammonia source, test regularly looking for a rise in nitrates and fall in nitrites and ammonia, then introduce the inverts first, etc.

 

[johnfmichael]

If this is the case pastor John, definitely don't put 3 fish in your pico. A clownfish in a 5 gallon tank is already kinda pushing it. Personally I wouldn't put something as tiny as my quarter sized yellow clown goby in a tank that size.

Absolutely. I've been talking with Tahoe about this very issue. Thank you for replying!

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

The only fish you could add 3 or more of is smaller trimma gobies or the flaming prawn goby. Clownfish will out grow this tank. As long as you have a larger tank available later one small clown goby will be good.

There are also some really small inserts that are awesome. Pederson shrimp, sexy shrimp, pompom crabs, porcelain crabs, anemone shrimp and crabs, pistol shrimp (smaller ones), and many other critters.

For establishing bacteria, there are a few options.

You can start with live rock. You will not have the bacteria establishment phase (cycle) and can add things slowly and same day. You must acclimate the love rock if not using the same salt mix of the rock/s have a lot of life on it.

You can also start with coral. The frag plugs or skeleton on lps bring their own bacteria. Corals produce little waste as well and won't cause problems. Add habitants slowly.

You can add ammonia or nutrient and cycle this way as well. Will take time.

There is also bottle bacteria. Not all are good to use especially those that claim for fresh and saltwater. I recommend fritz. And add things same day but don't overload. Best to spread out.

Lots of helpful advice so far. Looking forward to seeing it.

 

[johnfmichael]

The only fish you could add 3 or more of is smaller trimma gobies or the flaming prawn goby. Clownfish will out grow this tank. As long as you have a larger tank available later one small clown goby will be good.

There are also some really small inserts that are awesome. Pederson shrimp, sexy shrimp, pompom crabs, porcelain crabs, anemone shrimp and crabs, pistol shrimp (smaller ones), and many other critters.

For establishing bacteria, there are a few options.

You can start with live rock. You will not have the bacteria establishment phase (cycle) and can add things slowly and same day. You must acclimate the love rock if not using the same salt mix of the rock/s have a lot of life on it.

You can also start with coral. The frag plugs or skeleton on lps bring their own bacteria. Corals produce little waste as well and won't cause problems. Add habitants slowly.

You can add ammonia or nutrient and cycle this way as well. Will take time.

There is also bottle bacteria. Not all are good to use especially those that claim for fresh and saltwater. I recommend fritz. And add things same day but don't overload. Best to spread out.

Lots of helpful advice so far. Looking forward to seeing it.

Great advice thank you!

 

[johnfmichael]

Entry #002 -- 1/17/2025

Since my first entry, I have been in conversation with my sister, Tian (TTwT) and others on this illustrious forum. As a result, I am slightly altering the initial plan I laid out in my first entry, but am continuing with the overall theme/goals I have set for this 5 gallon pico. Some of my changes will include the nature of the fish I intend to keep in this tank, which I expect to be only 1 to 2 very small specimens with species now TBD. As I mentioned in my first post, the goal here is quality over quantity. Considering the meticulous method I am developing for keeping track of my tank maintenance, I believe I can easily maintain a healthy biosystem for all inhabitants.

I have identified and am collecting everything I will need for startup, cycling, maintenance, feeding, etc. now before the system itself arrives so that there won't be any lag time between receiving delivery and beginning the cycling process. Today I purchased a good aquarium stand -- originally designed for the Coralife BioCube 32g -- to serve as a home for my pico. It will be secure, offer plenty of storage space in the cabinet, and allow for upgrading to (or simply adding) a larger tank in the future if I so desire.

I am looking forward to providing the first photos/videos beginning with an unboxing of the tank/system itself once it arrives.

My reading/research into inverts, corals, and fish species is ongoing. Some of the articles here on R2R have been quite informative and helpful.

Summary: So far everything seems to be on track. The most difficult thing right now is being patient as I wait for delivery.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[johnfmichael]

Following along!

Thanks so much!

 

[johnfmichael]

Entry #003 -- 1/22/2025

Just a brief update: My tank and everything I ordered along with it have finally shipped. They are scheduled to be delivered on Monday. Today the stand will arrive, so I should be able to get that set up to be ready for the tank once it arrives.
The temperature control unit I ordered was not in stock so I received a refund for that. I will have to find a different solution.

There are still several things I need to order before I can get properly into the setup of the tank. I will however be able to get things started. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Later this evening I will post a video and/or photos of the stand.

 

[johnfmichael]

Entry #004 - 1/29/2025

The tank is finally set up and cycling. I am now waiting for testing kits to be delivered for all water parameters and, in the meantime, continuing my research into what inhabitants I will be adding over time.

See photos below, more entries to come...

 

[Tahoe61]

The tank looks bigger than I anticipated.
Congratulations. :)

 

[johnfmichael]

The tank looks bigger than I anticipated.
Congratulations. :)

Thanks! It does seem a little larger than I had expected also. I think it's the perfect size for me.

 

[johnfmichael]

For reference, that floor stand is the Coralife 29/32 Biocube stand.