Lifegard 3.8g pico reef

[Poliwag]

Hey Everyone,

I've been lurking on this forum for a while now, and this past summer I finally decided to start my very own pico reef.
The tank is about 6 months old and I wanted to make a journal to keep track of my progress (good and bad).

Tank Specs
Display: Lifegard 3.8g Peninsula
Lighting: Kessil A80 with Spectral Controller (might switch to AI prime 16HD)
Return Pump: Mini-Jet 606 with RFJ nozzle
Heating: Pulaco 25w heater from Amazon
Filtration: 3D printed media basket
Filter Media: filter floss, carbon, and Seachem Matrix
Aquarium Lid: Saran wrap until I get an ATO
Doser: Kamoer x1 pro 2
Dosing: Tropic Marin All for Reef

Livestock
FISH

• Clown Fish

CLEAN UP CREW

• X2 Gold-ring Cowrie
• Hermit crab
• Anemone Crab

Corals
SOFTIES

• Yuma mushroom
• Zoas (utter chaos, armor of gods, sunny Ds, rainbow incinerator)
• GSP

LPS

• Green Candy Cane
• Torch (pink tips green)
• Hammer (purple tip and neon)
• Favias (dragon soul and a no-name)
• Red blasto
• Red goniopora
• Acan (red/purple and green/purple)
• Duncan

SPS

• Plating (green and starburst)
• Purple bonsai
• Montipora Digitata
• Birdsnest

 

[PeterC99]

Wait - that’s only 3.8 gallons? It looks so much bigger and very impressed with how well stocked it is!

My wife is going to kill me but I want one! What’s your secret? I know saltwater aquariums and this can’t be easy?!?!

 

[Poliwag]

Wait - that’s only 3.8 gallons? It looks so much bigger and very impressed with how well stocked it is!

My wife is going to kill me but I want one! What’s your secret? I know saltwater aquariums and this can’t be easy?!?!

Thanks and yes only 3.8 gallons as my first ever reef tank haha.

Honestly no secret here, I just leave it alone as much as I can. Heck, I only test for alk, and water change happens when the glass gets dirty (every 3 weeks or so).

I do regret putting a clown in as it bothers any coral that flows. Not sure what I'll be replacing it with.

 

[Raph]

Thanks and yes only 3.8 gallons as my first ever reef tank haha.

Honestly no secret here, I just leave it alone as much as I can. Heck, I only test for alk, and water change happens when the glass gets dirty (every 3 weeks or so).

I do regret putting a clown in as it bothers any coral that flows. Not sure what I'll be replacing it with.

you good go with a shrimp? it would still add some movement to the tank!

 

[Poliwag]

you good go with a shrimp? it would still add some movement to the tank!

Yeah, I was thinking a few sexy shrimps or a pair of clown gobies (not sure which color yet).

 

[Poliwag]

Just a little update. Added a Japanese long tentacle toadstool today (picture below) and it’s already opened up.

Also started to dose some ATI nutrition nitrate and phosphate last week to keep my levels from bottoming out.

 

[snakemau]

WOW! Nice looking tank! I just received mine...but what did you do with the bottom plug? Seems you sealed that? or are you using any of the 2 plugs provided?

 

[Poliwag]

WOW! Nice looking tank! I just received mine...but what did you do with the bottom plug? Seems you sealed that? or are you using any of the 2 plugs provided?

Thanks! I used the full cover plug that was provided.

 

[snakemau]

Did you leave the sponge under the pump?
Your light is great! I have an old PAR 30 (3 blues, 2 whites) but not sure if that’s enough for some corals besides softies/mushrooms….

 

[Poliwag]

Did you leave the sponge under the pump?
Your light is great! I have an old PAR 30 (3 blues, 2 whites) but not sure if that’s enough for some corals besides softies/mushrooms….

I didn't keep the stock sponge. I just have a flat one under the pump to keep vibrations at a minimum.

As for the light, you can always try it out and see how your corals respond. If it's not enough, add another or upgrade.

 

[snakemau]

ok sounds good! Where did you put the heater? I have the same one and if I use the intank filter media basket that’s it, there is no room for it and it doesn’t fit in the middle mini “chamber” and the return by area will not hold that much water to cover that heater up…..so inside the tank?

 

[Poliwag]

ok sounds good! Where did you put the heater? I have the same one and if I use the intank filter media basket that’s it, there is no room for it and it doesn’t fit in the middle mini “chamber” and the return by area will not hold that much water to cover that heater up…..so inside the tank?

Heater is in the return chamber. I just added more water until it was submerged. That didn't seem to raise my display water level so you could try that and see what happens.