The journey of a 2.5G Pico reef (DIY/AIO)

[Squid_reef]

Hi, fellow reefers.

I'm stoked to join the forum/community.
I had a 40G Reef (Methode Jaubert) a decade ago... and I'm only getting back to it now after I (managed to ) convince my missus to get a pico tank .
I'm over-excited to get back to this really - Things have changed (myself included) and I can't wait to get everything kicking and get feedback/advice from the community.

I will be hosting the evolution of the tank on Instagram under the name Squid_Reef.

Below are some pictures of the progress so far - it's still very early days! only been up and running from yesterday,
Now comes the cycling (which I won't rush), I'm only planning to grow corals with some invertebrates.

As it was part of the deal, I've tried to get as much of it automated, so it's a bit of an overkill in terms of setup but the plan is to move onto bigger some days.



SPECS:

Pump: DC Runner 1.3
Bit of an overkill tbh - but wanted the remote control - works great so far and create a nice flow, I'm actually running it between 30/40% (One thing to note is that the minimum power the pump can run is 30%

Lighting: Fluval Marine LED
Aiming at using the Seneye to calibrate this

Heater: Aquael 25W

DIY SUMP
Mechanical Filtration system with 3 racks.
Foam/Phosguard/Carbon

MONITORING
Seneye


Here's the pictures of the progress, I hope some of you will make the journey on Instagram to support and share tips/advice.

Carib sea live rock

Making of the Sump

Making of the Sump

Making of the Sump

Leak test & Coral positioning.

Filtration in place.

Cycling has started.

TBC...​

 

[Adrift]

Nice pick tank. Welcome to R2R glad you joined us.

 

[Squid_reef]

Thanks Adrift!

I'm impressed by your setup, that's quite something - looking forward to see it under water!

 

[Squid_reef]

So, I wasn't 100% pleased with where I placed the Pico originally (having some electrical equipment nearby was stressing me out)

I've bought a small cabinet which fits in nicely, making more room for all the bits and bobs.
Other than that, the cycle is still on - I dosed some Dr Tim's Ammonium yesterday to help with the process and have the RedSea starter kit to complete it all.

 

[Squid_reef]

Quick update.

The cycle is at it's tipping point, Ammonia is dropping hard since a few days (I'm taking things really slow with that tiny cube), Nitrites & Nitrates are already there as well.
Thanks to the Seneye I'm able to follow the whole journey.

My PH however is not yet stabilize nor is high enough.
Which make me think I would need to laser cut the lid to convert it to a mesh screen instead.

Spoiler alert - I'm not planning to add any lifeform before at least January as I'm going abroad very soon, so it will just be the tank as it is with the bacterias doing their thing.


In the meantime in order to keep me entertained I have built a quick lid to prevent any splashes & to reduce evaporation.

 

[Squid_reef]

Happy New Year everyone!

heck of a start for me as I've introduced the first corals to the Pico over the past weeks.
I went to my LFS and grabbed two Torches, a few Zoas and one Candy Can.

I've also introduced a Blue hermit crab and a Sexy shrimp.

Here's a few snaps of their introduction to their new habitat