~6Gal Reef - Work Tank Pico

MarsRover · Apr 30, 2016

I think its time to start a thread to watch the growth of this tanks now that it is done cycling and i'm beginning stocking.

About 3 weeks ago I got a couple zoanthus frags.

Then i picked up a coral banded shrimp and two, twin dot gobies (Signigobius biocellatus - bonded M/MF pair!) about a week ago.

Yesterday i picked up the leather, the star polyp looking thing (ID?), and the blue gorgonian yesterday with the Onyx snowflake percula.

Lighting: Coralife 24" T5 fixture

Filter: penguin bio-wheel 75

Skimmer: AquaC Nano Remora

Alisha · Apr 30, 2016

Awesome, I have always wanted to have a Nano tank at work but I always hear that when the tanks are that small they are very hard to take care of. What are your thoughts?

jsker · Apr 30, 2016

Nice tank

MarsRover · May 2, 2016

Alisha said:
Awesome, I have always wanted to have a Nano tank at work but I always hear that when the tanks are that small they are very hard to take care of. What are your thoughts?

Well, when you have a smaller water volume, if something dies and nukes your tank, the ratio of volume-of-death vs volume-of-water is much much bigger (bad thing...). If you have a small leather or something, say, die in your 50 gal vs your 6 gal, the relative nuke size is massive.

That said, I think it's totally doable. But, for how slow you have to go with larger tanks, go even slower with a nano/pico. Don't even bother trying to take hard things like SPS or clams or anemone's. Stick to easy to care for softies. I am NOT saying these things cannot be kept in nano/pico, they most definitely can be kept successfully, but it is multiplicatively harder in a smaller tank requiring enormous commitment of care that you certainly don't want to be dealing with at work! Formy work tank nano/pico, I think I'm going to make it mostly a zoanthus/softie garden, I probably will break my own recommendation and get an anemone of some sort for my ocellaris. I also sincerely recommend a skimmer if you can fit it. Between my Macintosh Classic Pico, and this rimless work tank pico, the skimmer keeps things stable. In such a small tank, overfeeding is nearly impossible to avoid IMHO, having a good skimmer to skim out the junk keeps the tank that much more stable and hassle free.

my 2cents, i say go for it alisha!

Alisha · May 2, 2016

Sounds good thanks for all the info, I appreciate it!

revhtree · May 2, 2016

Cool tank!

MarsRover · May 3, 2016

you all think this 24" T5 will be enough?

might be time to bust out the ol' PAR meter

MarsRover · May 7, 2016

So, i unfortunately have been struck down by illness in the tank. Took out my clown and my two spot gobies. Quarantine didn't even save them. Pretty sad about this.

Luckily my flametail blenny is still healthy and well.
That said, look who has decided to rear its head!

people are telling me they are mejanos :/ ugh. i hate killing things.