Office Pico Reef (Advance Build) LEAKED!

TonyNguyen · Feb 8, 2018

So I finish plumbing the ATO and almost done with the reactor. It is still a lot of wires to organize, I'm using the wire wrap to make it look somewhat neat.

20180208_140932 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Feb 8, 2018

I also threw in a rock from my main to seed this rock and get things going with beneficial bacterial and pods.

20180208_155100 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Feb 14, 2018

Well, I decided to not use that bonsai rock. I just left my rock from my main system that had bacteria already so I won't get a cycle. I went ahead and place a few test subject in the tank.

Chalice
Purple Monti
Red Monti
Sponge
There even a floater mushroom in there just to see what happens.

The reactor is up and running and I need to test twice a day to see if my calculation per consumption is matching. Just had to run it a different route then planned at first to be under the tank away from site but it would not work out. So its behind the tank and you can see the tubing setup. I'm trying my best to make it not look like a mad science experiment tank. One thing I do like is that even a smallest of frag looks huge in this little 4 gallon...lol

20180214_092853 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180214_092847 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

kanna · Feb 15, 2018

is this a cadlights 4g?

TonyNguyen · Feb 15, 2018

kanna said:
is this a cadlights 4g?

Dude , I been trying to figure this out long time ago. It most definitely looks like it due to the 4 legs I got.

TonyNguyen · Feb 16, 2018

So its day #4 for the SPS corals to be in this tank. They are still alive and have not brown out yet...But When I tested the KH yesterday it was dropping to 6KH. I made some quick RODI with BS to make the jump back to 9.5. So it looks like something is using it fast! I had to adjust the reactor to more than 10% its at 40% now to keep up with the demand. I will test again tonight to see if it is sustaining. Also the algae is going fast on the glass as you can tell in the pictures.

20180216_105943 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Feb 19, 2018

So its day #7 and still no deaths nor browning out. The only problem I'm having is the Alk consumption it's a lot faster than I anticipated. I'm losing 1kh per day
Here are the logs
2-14-18 6kh am
2-15-18 5.5kh
2-15-18 11kh pm (added BS to raise to 11kh) My formula is 1 tablespoon to 2 cups RO water.
2-16-18 10kh am
2-16-18 9kh pm
2-17-18 8kh am
2-17-18 added 2 tablespoon Kalk in reactor in pm
2-18-18 9kh am
2-19-18 8.5kh am

From the look of the chart its most definitely getting used up fast! I only have 5 corals in there. So I will test again at pm to see where it is at. I also crank up my reactor to 100% instead of 40%.

Here is today pics:

20180219_092546 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Feb 21, 2018

Alright its time for a update: Tank is doing well, corals are pretty tick off! I keep taking them out and gluing them in different spot. This should be the final home for them. I added a Digita and some Dragon algae in the background for some color decor. The alk is still getting suck up and I have to maintain it daily for now until I find a solution.

20180221_171936 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

chefjpaul · Feb 21, 2018

Looks great. Keep it up and keep us posted

Ranjib · Feb 21, 2018

I think the tank is an imagitarium 4 G,
May be its too early for the sps .. monti's are pretty hardy though

TonyNguyen · Feb 21, 2018

Thanks, these are frags off from my main so they are test subject. Just haven't put any acro yet until I get it super stable.

Also I just google imagitarium 4 G, it doesn't look like that. I will get a good picture of the 4 legs on the bottom. That IM tank only has 2 in center which is weird on the placement. Maybe I'm wrong also...

TonyNguyen · Feb 22, 2018

20180222_114510 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

Here are the legs:

TonyNguyen · Feb 24, 2018

Alright I must admit I have sticky fingers and I can't stop messing with the nano....=(..... I need help with being patience!
So I check the levels and its been 2 days without being drop or moved seems pretty stable so I cut a nub from my GS and stuck it on top...

20180224_144015 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Feb 28, 2018

Its time for a update its been 2 weeks and no death..Knock on wood! Everything seems to be happy, tank is stable just did a 1 gallon water change. Also I would like to give a small tip for those who wants to start a Pico tank. Make sure you have some water on hand so when you test each time your removing add the same amount in. Each time I test is 10ml a day so if you times that by a week it add up and your salinity level will be affected since its such a small tank. Just a FIY!

Cheers!

20180228_130226 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Mar 3, 2018

Got some new life in the tank, 4 red leg hermit and added a purple and green monti. I am placing them in a very Japanese style coloration and orientation so when they grow out it should look very colorful. I really want a fish in here but it's way too small for any fish.

20180303_114105 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180303_114114 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180303_114119 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

Also I thought I share my old tanks

Bosnia Island tank: Crashed during Hurricane Harvey ...=(

2017-12-12_06-21-42 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

acrylic semi-cube: Shutdown due to moving

2017-12-12_06-21-29 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Mar 8, 2018

I had a minor accident with the dosing pump. it didn't go well jump my KH to 17! Now I notice that my digi is not happy at all! But hopefully it will get back to the range of 9. I been looking into a cleaner shrimp but I have such bad luck with them never could keep them alive either gets eating up or died. Anyone got some tricks to getting a healthy one? They don't show sign of sickness like fish and corals... How would I pick out one that is in good shape? Color? Size? Thanks!

TonyNguyen · Mar 10, 2018

Green slimer show signs of healing and polyp on the cutted part...=)

20180310_135102 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

Dump a nems photo also from my 210G

20180307_182124 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Mar 20, 2018

3-20-18 Digi is encrusting more now.

20180320_163448 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180320_163439 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180320_163503 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180320_163454 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Mar 24, 2018

3-24-18
Green monti not doing well maybe cause of the shade of the other two on top.

I pulled the trigger on a Fire Shrimp...=)

20180324_105149 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180324_105145 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

TonyNguyen · Mar 27, 2018

This morning I went to my office and notice my Blood Shrimp was dead! Then I took closer it was just a shell...Scared me right there and then.
on the other hand, I had seen a Emperor Angel at my local fish store. I wasn't planning on adding anymore fish to my main tank but I really want a that angel! I have mainly SPS in there and some LPS - Zoas garden. So all those LPS and Zoas had to be moved in order to bring home my new baby. You can now see that there isn't anymore room for more larger corals in future in my office tank...=( Maybe I can squeeze in some more SPS on top. Some sad news most definitely the green monti didn't make it...

20180327_124337 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180327_124352 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180327_124451 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr

20180327_125752 by Tony Nguyen, on Flickr