Show me your pico tank setup! Need inspo for 4g shrimp tank

[shrimplover]

Hi guys and girls,

I have set up a 4g pico tank (no sump) a while ago since I wanted a home exclusively for my sexy shrimps. I thought I had it all worked out with a skimmer and HOB filter solution but with the shrimps in I just can't make it work. I have bought so many dif things by now (airstone filter, internal filter, hang on filter) without really nailing it. Either too much flow, too little, too chunky, too something. Currently I have an airstone and the Oase 350 skimmer in. Skimmer is causing sooo many microbubbles. And yeah I'm obviously missing filtration.

So I'm looking for inspiration especially for filtration but light could also be nice.

Anyhow I would love to see YOUR setup and hear your thoughts on why you set up your tank the way you did.


Thank youuuuuu

 

[Tavero]

Hi guys and girls,

I have set up a 4g pico tank (no sump) a while ago since I wanted a home exclusively for my sexy shrimps. I thought I had it all worked out with a skimmer and HOB filter solution but with the shrimps in I just can't make it work. I have bought so many dif things by now (airstone filter, internal filter, hang on filter) without really nailing it. Either too much flow, too little, too chunky, too something. Currently I have an airstone and the Oase 350 skimmer in. Skimmer is causing sooo many microbubbles. And yeah I'm obviously missing filtration.

So I'm looking for inspiration especially for filtration but light could also be nice.

Anyhow I would love to see YOUR setup and hear your thoughts on why you set up your tank the way you did.


Thank youuuuuu

I would consider removing that airstone. It will just reduce pH unnecessary. Also forget about nano skimmers. They are all junk.
Many surface skimmers are working suboptimal too, but one with an outlet on the front instead of on the bottom would produce more controllable flow. I don't own the oase surface skimmer but I am using an eheim eheim skim350 for my 6g frag tank. It works fine for the most part but is prone to sucking in animals so I had to 3d print another inlet. The mounting solution of these surface skimmers are all junk too and the suction pads have stopped working after one day so I had to print a bracket.
You can also just use a tiny fountain pump.

I also recommend starting with live rock instead of dry rock. This will reduce a lot of future issues. Such a small tank needs every help with its microbiology that it can get.

What light are you planning to get?

 

[shrimplover]

Hi Tavero!

Thank you very much for your input! I have actually already removed the airstone an skimmer just a few hours ago. The suboptimal flow was bad on that Oase skimmer (great mounting and suctions cups though). I chose that one over Eheim and Blau because it was super easy to clean. And it sure was but yeah that output wasn't working.

Actually so funny you mention fountain pump cause I found an Aquael mini pad filter in the back of my closet. When you remove the sponge pad it looks and works like a fountain pump. Added padding inside of the intake latice (that holds the sponge) to avoid animals getting sucked in. It agitates the surface and the flow is adjustable so for now it will do.

Ideally I would find a nano HOB with built in skimmer like the Tidal 35 (it's really perfect) I already have on my 13 gallon, so I wouldn't have to add a separate skimmer. Also I would like to have a place for a bag of Matrix.
What's your opinion: Would you think a skimmer like Eheim and the "fountain pump" would be sufficent or would I need more in terms of filtration eventually?

I actually do love my dry rock. I like to know what's in my tank - from the start at least... If I were to start with live rock I would dark cure it for months but I don't have that kind of patience I haven't run into too many diatoms with my other tank.

 

[shrimplover]

I would consider removing that airstone. It will just reduce pH unnecessary. Also forget about nano skimmers. They are all junk.
Many surface skimmers are working suboptimal too, but one with an outlet on the front instead of on the bottom would produce more controllable flow. I don't own the oase surface skimmer but I am using an eheim eheim skim350 for my 6g frag tank. It works fine for the most part but is prone to sucking in animals so I had to 3d print another inlet. The mounting solution of these surface skimmers are all junk too and the suction pads have stopped working after one day so I had to print a bracket.
You can also just use a tiny fountain pump.

I also recommend starting with live rock instead of dry rock. This will reduce a lot of future issues. Such a small tank needs every help with its microbiology that it can get.

What light are you planning to get?

oh forgot - in terms of lighting I have NO idea yet. I have Fluval nano marine on my 13 gallon and I'm not totally in love. I would want something that is app run, that is all I know for now....

I actually went for the Redsea Max 50 for the other one first but my glass was too thin and it was just impossoble to mount it elegantly

 

[Tavero]

Hi Tavero!

Thank you very much for your input! I have actually already removed the airstone an skimmer just a few hours ago. The suboptimal flow was bad on that Oase skimmer (great mounting and suctions cups though). I chose that one over Eheim and Blau because it was super easy to clean. And it sure was but yeah that output wasn't working.

Actually so funny you mention fountain pump cause I found an Aquael mini pad filter in the back of my closet. When you remove the sponge pad it looks and works like a fountain pump. Added padding inside of the intake latice (that holds the sponge) to avoid animals getting sucked in. It agitates the surface and the flow is adjustable so for now it will do.

Ideally I would find a nano HOB with built in skimmer like the Tidal 35 (it's really perfect) I already have on my 13 gallon, so I wouldn't have to add a separate skimmer. Also I would like to have a place for a bag of Matrix.
What's your opinion: Would you think a skimmer like Eheim and the "fountain pump" would be sufficent or would I need more in terms of filtration eventually?

I actually do love my dry rock. I like to know what's in my tank - from the start at least... If I were to start with live rock I would dark cure it for months but I don't have that kind of patience I haven't run into too many diatoms with my other tank.

No idea if that's enough filtration for a dry rock tank. I have set up all of my tanks with live rock and it is responsible for the majority of filtration and nitrification. No need to dark cycle or cycle at all. I was able to instantly put in animals from day one.

When it comes to pests, sooner or later you will get them too. It's better to have a healthy biodiversity from the start so the pests can't take over the empty tank.

Sadly not a lot of options for nano reef lights if you are also looking for app control.

 

[shrimplover]

No idea if that's enough filtration for a dry rock tank. I have set up all of my tanks with live rock and it is responsible for the majority of filtration and nitrification. No need to dark cycle or cycle at all. I was able to instantly put in animals from day one.

When it comes to pests, sooner or later you will get them too. It's better to have a healthy biodiversity from the start so the pests can't take over the empty tank.

Sadly not a lot of options for nano reef lights if you are also looking for app control.

Did you watch the big BRStv biome test on Youtube? They set up 16 tanks with dif rock and sand types and approaches. Experiment showed that dry rock /live sand combo actually did better in many biome aspects and were able to fight off many pests better than live rock. It's very complex, too complex for me to explain here. You should watch it! It's an amazing experiment.

I have thought about the Popbloom light but I have no idea if it's any good. You are roight, not many options if you wan tapp control. Sigh..

 

[Tavero]

Did you watch the big BRStv biome test on Youtube? They set up 16 tanks with dif rock and sand types and approaches. Experiment showed that dry rock /live sand combo actually did better in many biome aspects and were able to fight off many pests better than live rock. It's very complex, too complex for me to explain here. You should watch it! It's an amazing experiment.

I have thought about the Popbloom light but I have no idea if it's any good. You are roight, not many options if you wan tapp control. Sigh..

I did watch a brs cycling tank video but have drawn a different conclusion. They started the tanks with only a pair of clownfish and the rockscape. If you start a tank empty, obviously it will look cleaner for a longer period of time. But as soon you'll put corals into it you'll also introduce all sort of things. Also, measuring the biome of the water column doesn't relate to the biome and free surface that's available on the rock.

There are dry rock tanks here on reef2reef, which even after one year, still aren't finished cycling. Dark curing also doesn't make sense. You'll just delay algae growth. Well it's your choice but I prefer to take my chances with pests than battling with an out of balance tank for a year.

 

[shrimplover]

It's not the BRS cycling video. It's the 16 tank biome experiment. It's a series. You should relaly watch it!

My 15 gallon is fully cycled, totally in balance and it's filled with macroalgea, shrimps and fishes. Works absolutely great!!!! So happy with my dry rock and live sand

 

[shrimplover]

Aynone wants so show off their pico tanks - and not discuss dry rock vs live rock?

 

[lil sumpin]

Nothing to show off here ahah but I’ll start er up one day

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Before the accidental freshwater mix up lol

And my prior

air stone with 100 percent weekly water changes. Ai prime light. No issues with airstone. Drilled lid to control evap on both.

You can do live rock and start instantly or dry rock and fritz and start instantly either way works. One is not greater over the other. More diversity on live rock is all.

 

[Digimes]

I went with an internal skimmer pump. No shrimp at the moment but that's my end goal. 1g PICO as a mini frag tank for now. Had to fishing wire the top of the overflow to keep the snails out.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Looks good. Have a lid to help with evap? Or just going to manually top off when needed?

 

[VintageReefer]

1.1g

 

[littlefoxx]

Hi guys and girls,

I have set up a 4g pico tank (no sump) a while ago since I wanted a home exclusively for my sexy shrimps. I thought I had it all worked out with a skimmer and HOB filter solution but with the shrimps in I just can't make it work. I have bought so many dif things by now (airstone filter, internal filter, hang on filter) without really nailing it. Either too much flow, too little, too chunky, too something. Currently I have an airstone and the Oase 350 skimmer in. Skimmer is causing sooo many microbubbles. And yeah I'm obviously missing filtration.

So I'm looking for inspiration especially for filtration but light could also be nice.

Anyhow I would love to see YOUR setup and hear your thoughts on why you set up your tank the way you did.


Thank youuuuuu

What kind of shrimp are you getting?? Shrimps are fun

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

1.1g

Looks really nice