Joined the forum several weeks ago. Finally got all of the hardware in. I don't see a lot of threads for pico builds, or pico reefs in general, so I thought I'd add some content for those interested.
Tank: Lifegard 3.8 gallon with side filter - peninsula style. Got it at an LFS for a great price. I liked the peninsula style rather than the traditional style with the AIO sump in the back. This is a tiny tank, but it's exactly what I wanted so water changes can be a breeze.
Caddy: Bought an InTank media basket. Planning to put filter floss in the top chamber, Chemi-Pure Blue in the middle, and MarinePure Gems in the bottom. The InTank caddy was actually made for the Lifegard 4.1 with Back Filter. I emailed InTank and they had me verify the dimensions of my chamber. Turns out they are nearly identical so I ordered one. I asked for a discount since I basically gave them the info they needed - but no go. It's a good fit, but the cutout on the bottom of the caddy doesn't line up exactly with the drain hole on the Lifegard tank. I asked if they can modify it, but they just suggested how to DIY the mod myself.... which defeats the purpose of getting a non-DIY caddy... but whatever. Wasn't too pleased with their response.
Filtration media: Chemi-pure Blue Nano and Marinepure Gems. Should I wait to put the Chemi-Pure until after the cycle??
Flow: Replaced the stock pump with a Sicce Nano. The Sicce is supposed to get close to 110 GPH vs. the 70-80 GPH for the stock pump.
Lighting: picked up a Kessil A80 with Spectral controller from a guy on Craigslist who was breaking down his pico. He said his tank was only up for a year. The lights and controller were in great shape and I got it at a killer price. The only thing picking at my OCD is that I can't get it perfectly centered in the back, as the baffle of the chambers is in the way. Not too bad, though.
Heater: Going with a Hygger 50W heater for the display tank. It had good reviews on Amazon and small enough to fit in the rear chambers. I also bought another no-name 50W heater from Amazon for mixing saltwater.
Controller: Decided to get an Inkbird to regulate the heater, making sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold. I can also use the other outlet for a fan (might be needed in the summer).
Salinity Tester: Hanna... because it's easier.
Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro. The thinking here is that if alkalinity gets depleted and/or I happen to miss a water change, the levels won't dip too low.
Cycling: Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria and ammonium chloride.
Sand: 10 lbs Fiji Pink Sand by Carib-Sea.
Rock: 3 pieces of Real Reef Rock (dry and bought used from an LFS that had broken down a tank). Pieces are about 1.5 lbs each. I was going for a minimalist look, since there's not much space in the DT. I think the unique shape of each rock made the scape look OK. I definitely didn't want to stack a bunch of rocks in the back and have slope downward towards the front.
Maintenance: Fipper Nano for the glass and Python Pro-Clean for the siphon.
That's it for now. Hoping to get the tank wet this weekend.
Tank: Lifegard 3.8 gallon with side filter - peninsula style. Got it at an LFS for a great price. I liked the peninsula style rather than the traditional style with the AIO sump in the back. This is a tiny tank, but it's exactly what I wanted so water changes can be a breeze.
Caddy: Bought an InTank media basket. Planning to put filter floss in the top chamber, Chemi-Pure Blue in the middle, and MarinePure Gems in the bottom. The InTank caddy was actually made for the Lifegard 4.1 with Back Filter. I emailed InTank and they had me verify the dimensions of my chamber. Turns out they are nearly identical so I ordered one. I asked for a discount since I basically gave them the info they needed - but no go. It's a good fit, but the cutout on the bottom of the caddy doesn't line up exactly with the drain hole on the Lifegard tank. I asked if they can modify it, but they just suggested how to DIY the mod myself.... which defeats the purpose of getting a non-DIY caddy... but whatever. Wasn't too pleased with their response.
Filtration media: Chemi-pure Blue Nano and Marinepure Gems. Should I wait to put the Chemi-Pure until after the cycle??
Flow: Replaced the stock pump with a Sicce Nano. The Sicce is supposed to get close to 110 GPH vs. the 70-80 GPH for the stock pump.
Lighting: picked up a Kessil A80 with Spectral controller from a guy on Craigslist who was breaking down his pico. He said his tank was only up for a year. The lights and controller were in great shape and I got it at a killer price. The only thing picking at my OCD is that I can't get it perfectly centered in the back, as the baffle of the chambers is in the way. Not too bad, though.
Heater: Going with a Hygger 50W heater for the display tank. It had good reviews on Amazon and small enough to fit in the rear chambers. I also bought another no-name 50W heater from Amazon for mixing saltwater.
Controller: Decided to get an Inkbird to regulate the heater, making sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold. I can also use the other outlet for a fan (might be needed in the summer).
Salinity Tester: Hanna... because it's easier.
Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro. The thinking here is that if alkalinity gets depleted and/or I happen to miss a water change, the levels won't dip too low.
Cycling: Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria and ammonium chloride.
Sand: 10 lbs Fiji Pink Sand by Carib-Sea.
Rock: 3 pieces of Real Reef Rock (dry and bought used from an LFS that had broken down a tank). Pieces are about 1.5 lbs each. I was going for a minimalist look, since there's not much space in the DT. I think the unique shape of each rock made the scape look OK. I definitely didn't want to stack a bunch of rocks in the back and have slope downward towards the front.
Maintenance: Fipper Nano for the glass and Python Pro-Clean for the siphon.
That's it for now. Hoping to get the tank wet this weekend.