Pico Reef Ideas

[BamboozleBean]

I’ve always been amazed by pico reefs, they look really cool.
I’m tempted to set up one, but I’m not sure where to start. And yes, I am aware of the parameter swings.
Does anybody have a pico reef? Or have any suggestions on tanks or equipment, I’m really not sure where to start.

 

[splitting_lanes]

Search for reef jar or look in the nano tanks forum, there’s a number of people that do pico reefs in jars and vases. Oh, and they are successful at it.

 

[Katrina71]

How pico are you wanting?

 

[Why-Me]

Look for neat looking vases and and lamps etc at craft/artsy type stores.
I've seen some really cool looking picos.

 

[Katrina71]

The jbj cubey is a nice aio.

 

[Why-Me]

@brandon429 any ideas? comments? words of wisdom?

 

[Katrina71]

+1 he's the master

 

[Nano10]

I dont have a pico but have seen some awesome ones. Even sps packed picos. The simplest and most successful approach seems to be simply feed heavy one day a week then do a large 100% water change right after. and that's it. No dosing.

Have you seen those tiny all in one tanks that are like a fraction of a gallon?

 

[BamboozleBean]

I dont have a pico but have seen some awesome ones. Even sps packed picos. The simplest and most successful approach seems to be simply feed heavy one day a week then do a large 100% water change right after. and that's it. No dosing.

Have you seen those tiny all in one tanks that are like a fraction of a gallon?

Yeah, it’s amazing so much life can be sustained in that small of a space.

 

[brandon429]

Hey nice to see someone considering the rule breaking type pico those are so fun

the real hidden trick is that when the lid is matched to the right vase, the evaporation nearly stops (corals don’t mind) and the wild parameter swings stop. Vases are the most stable salinity of any reef on this forum and about a hundred times more stable than the best 300 gallon reef on this site + today’s best auto topoff machinery. That is ironic, possibly offensive to large tank owners lol, but true.

and if you use a square shaped pico, all that becomes null and you must engineer reliable topoff controls because a square tank pico is now much harder to keep stable than any tank, due to evap. It’s still being done here though, with sps. So I’ll link two work examples so each side of pico ness can be seen live time

Ivan’s pico for square tanks

Nano Build - Ivan's pico reef!

Pico tank is looking great as usual. Is it me or do you have the opportunity to change a number of frags around on varying occassion? curious...what kind of work or store do you do? don't say aquarium...as i'll be jealous ;)

www.reef2reef.com

Nathalie Winans for evap controlled vases:

Fish Tales: A Different Way to Reef

By Nathalie Winans Tech-heavy reef systems are all the rage these days. Tanks everywhere are loaded with hardware and software—lighting that replicates tro

reefs.com

 

[BeardedMcG]

I successfully ran a 3g square with a acrylic lid cut to size. No issue keeping corals. I even had a small fish in it for a few months. 100% weekly water changes are key.