Lifegard 4.1 pico tank

[danieyella]

What zoas are growing on Buddha

I think he may see the sexy shrimp on the Buddha. That’s what I see on it in that pic.

Yes, there's a sexy shrimp on him, and some macro algae behind him.

 

[lazy josh]

Came across your thread today and I must so this tank looks awesome went through and read everything

awesome job will be following from now on!

 

[danieyella]

Came across your thread today and I must so this tank looks awesome went through and read everything

awesome job will be following from now on!

Thanks and welcome!

 

[danieyella]

@Battlecorals delivery came today! I went ahead and squeezed everyone into this tank since the ones placed in here last round are doing better than the couple in the big tank. I ordered 4, ended up receiving 6 (because Adam is awesome).

So, the extras I got were a "super shaggy" stag and a "serious circus" acro. The only one who showed up looking stressed from FEDEX not delivering until 5pm (delayed flight) is the serious circus, but also it's pink so maybe I'm crazy and it's not actually looking stressed and I'm just used to darker colors lol

Other receipts were a smooth skin acro "soda popinski", a secale ( "bc secale"), "teen wolf", and a "red hot hat" digi.

I pulled the echinata from this tank as he was starting to sting the nearby zoas, and I placed him over in new rock land near the stunner in the big tank. They can duke it out. I also pulled the pocillopora from this tank as he was looking bleached, moved him to the bigger tank as well where it's a little lower par in hopes he recovers and thrives.

For right now everyone is kind of in a temp space while I watch to see if anyone needs to be moved up or over anywhere. Seriously considering trying to snap a few plugs and glue to the back wall as well. 2 of them are posed on Buddha - we'll see what happens.

This photo is literally right after I turned flow back on so we'll see what happens in the next few days. Probably some moves. Lights are also in a ramp down phase so no one is popping like usual.

 

[lazy josh]

@Battlecorals delivery came today! I went ahead and squeezed everyone into this tank since the ones placed in here last round are doing better than the couple in the big tank. I ordered 4, ended up receiving 6 (because Adam is awesome).

So, the extras I got were a "super shaggy" stag and a "serious circus" acro. The only one who showed up looking stressed from FEDEX not delivering until 5pm (delayed flight) is the serious circus, but also it's pink so maybe I'm crazy and it's not actually looking stressed and I'm just used to darker colors lol

Other receipts were a smooth skin acro "soda popinski", a secale ( "bc secale"), "teen wolf", and a "red hot hat" digi.

I pulled the echinata from this tank as he was starting to sting the nearby zoas, and I placed him over in new rock land near the stunner in the big tank. They can duke it out. I also pulled the pocillopora from this tank as he was looking bleached, moved him to the bigger tank as well where it's a little lower par in hopes he recovers and thrives.

For right now everyone is kind of in a temp space while I watch to see if anyone needs to be moved up or over anywhere. Seriously considering trying to snap a few plugs and glue to the back wall as well. 2 of them are posed on Buddha - we'll see what happens.

This photo is literally right after I turned flow back on so we'll see what happens in the next few days. Probably some moves. Lights are also in a ramp down phase so no one is popping like usual.

Looks great!

 

[fishguy242]

MMnnn..;Drool;Drool;Drool acro's...very nice..i am hoping to be back in the sticks by july..fingers crossed

WAIT.."I am in the sticks";Facepalm

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Nice build.

 

[danieyella]

Tomorrow I start dosing this tank w/ the moonshiner dailies (waiting on dropper bottles to arrive). With running 2x the dose on the big tank all levels are still undetectable - so I know they're not getting into the pico when I do the weekly water swap.

Will probably do the liquid mud as well.

Also I miss having a fish in here

 

[danieyella]

Iced coffee and baby doses of moonshine dailies to start my morning.

 

[MERKEY]

Iced coffee and baby doses of moonshine dailies to start my morning.

Was thinking of going this route....how are you liking it?

 

[MERKEY]

MMnnn..;Drool;Drool;Drool acro's...very nice..i am hoping to be back in the sticks by july..fingers crossed

WAIT.."I am in the sticks";Facepalm

What do you look for in your tanks to let you know ypu are ready Frank? Besides coraline and a little time ;Hilarious

 

[sfin52]

What is moonshiners?

 

[danieyella]

Was thinking of going this route....how are you liking it?

Made a huge difference with the one acro in my big tank that survived me trying a year ago to grow them. Also see significant growth in my gorgonians since starting moonshine. I like how customizable and controllable it is. When I started this tank I was just making fresh water with basically a 100% water change weekly. Now I swap the water between the two tanks instead and the acros in here are doing significantly better.

What is moonshiners?

Different kind of dosing method for elements. Instead of using an all in one, you test & dose to correct only what needs corrected. I was using an all in one that I really liked when I started and realized after my first ICP test with that, that several of my elements were depleted while several others were extremely high. So I stopped the all in one, and initially only dosed to correct the depleted ones while allowing the others to naturally drop. The idea is that everyone's tank uses in different concentrations and this way you're only doing what your tank truly wants and needs. You can maintain nutrients whatever way you want, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium are up to you as well to maintain in your own way that works for you. It's just everything else you're looking at.

Here's my collection:

most months I only use three of those, some months it varies. some people who are better at this than me instead of doing monthly corrections have pretty much got their tanks nailed down and turn their monthlys into weekly or daily corrections. My tank isn't stabilized to that point yet with anything but 2 of the correction elements. Believe it or not, I'm still waiting on some of the excessively high ones to drop into the correct range.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. And my tanks really thrive with it so far.

 

[danieyella]

There are 4 daily elements I have hooked up to a doser on the big tank, those are the ones that I just put in dropper bottles for the little tank. I also do the liquid mud daily in both, and My big tank gets iodide and vanadium daily as well. But I cannot convert those into small enough concentrations to be safe for this tank.

It's purely luck that the dosage for the dailies in 2.5g ends up equating to a drop.

 

[danieyella]

Here's a 2 month photo set of the random acro that lived in the big tank brown for over a year with zero growth.

Here it is today, along with the piece I broke and glued in next to it. Been on shine since October.

Mind you, I have no idea what this thing is supposed to look like. My phone & filter don't pick up the color very well. It's green, a peachy orange, and a light purple coloration now.... instead of brown.

 

[fishguy242]

What do you look for in your tanks to let you know ypu are ready Frank? Besides coraline and a little time ;Hilarious

coralline,stable ph gettin up my vho's,couple trial frags..good to go

 

[danieyella]

In the last month I've been suddenly dealing with surface buildup in this tank. My return nozzle is breaking the water surface & my tank isn't filled past the max point so should be draining from the surface as well as lower in the tank.

Last week I adjusted the nozzle to disrupt surface even more and it's still oily and filmy - which is extra frustrating as I don't put my hands in this tank like I do the big one...

A protein skimmer on a tank this size isn't really practical. Not to mention it's getting water changed weekly and this is still a problem.

Surface skimmer might be doable like we did in freshwater planted aquariums, but those usually hooked up to canister filters instead. A very tiny canister filter??

Will printing a variable flow nozzle maybe help instead?

 

[Erin O]

In the last month I've been suddenly dealing with surface buildup in this tank. My return nozzle is breaking the water surface & my tank isn't filled past the max point so should be draining from the surface as well as lower in the tank.

Last week I adjusted the nozzle to disrupt surface even more and it's still oily and filmy - which is extra frustrating as I don't put my hands in this tank like I do the big one...

A protein skimmer on a tank this size isn't really practical. Not to mention it's getting water changed weekly and this is still a problem.

Surface skimmer might be doable like we did in freshwater planted aquariums, but those usually hooked up to canister filters instead. A very tiny canister filter??

Will printing a variable flow nozzle maybe help instead?

Have you looked into the Tidal HOB? I have a Tidal 35 on my 10g, and it seems to do well. It might be too big, though

 

[danieyella]

Have you looked into the Tidal HOB? I have a Tidal 35 on my 10g, and it seems to do well. It might be too big, though

Hmm that might be doable, and easier to maintain than a little canister would be for sure. I'll have to see with the tank configuration (that weird back space) if I can make this work...

 

[danieyella]

Have you looked into the Tidal HOB? I have a Tidal 35 on my 10g, and it seems to do well. It might be too big, though

Lots of reviews suggest on the lowest setting it's fine for 5.5 and not overkill. So I would think I'll be fine on this one as long as I can get it to fit inside with that back bit. I have plenty of space behind the tank so that isn't a concern at all, just if it'll fit with this situation. I can move the light and still keep it centered since the neck is flexible.

Maybe I'll purchase through amazon so I can return hassle-free if it doesn't work.