Pico Tank 1G

[Dragen Fiend]

Just started my very first Pico tank. Decided 2 gallon was the perfect size as I wanted to put it on this shelf in the living room.

Undecided on stocking. My current idea is to try a rock flower anemone with 3 sexy shrimp.

Just letting it cycle now. Will see how things go as I may modify the tank depending on how the filtration works out. Hard to beat for a total of $65.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

100 percent every 2 weeks to month based on just rock flower and sexy shrimp with no other filtration. If you add filtration like floss change out monthly with 50 percent water change. You can kind of go with how it looks. I would feed sparringly. Benepets has powder that I use and like. Other stuff out there though.
Looks good so far

 

[Dragen Fiend]

100 percent every 2 weeks to month based on just rock flower and sexy shrimp with no other filtration. If you add filtration like floss change out monthly with 50 percent water change. You can kind of go with how it looks. I would feed sparringly. Benepets has powder that I use and like. Other stuff out there though.
Looks good so far

Thanks! Yea pico tank gotta play the waiting game and see how the chemistry levels out. I initially had 20% every week. ATO for top offs. 50% change once a month and do a 100% change if I see the need. Too eager to stock it but I'll just mess with my other tanks.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Thanks! Yea pico tank gotta play the waiting game and see how the chemistry levels out. I initially had 20% every week. ATO for top offs. 50% change once a month and do a 100% change if I see the need. Too eager to stock it but I'll just mess with my other tanks.

I usually add fritz and live stock same day no issues. My current I just added water and coral same day with no issues. No bottle bacteria, live rock or sand. Nothing in back chambers. Coral brought everything over. I do 100 percent weekly.

But nothing wrong with going slow. Go at your pace and setup for you.

 

[VintageReefer]

I have a 1.1 pico build and you might be able to pick up a few tips from it

Build Thread - 1.1 Gallon Oceanbox P1-G Pico Reef

Starting overdue build thread :) I am the second owner, and am fortunate to have such a cool tank with some useful upgrades The tank with Reefbreeders Pico V2 15w LED Stand is usable space Custom made gravity ato Custom made lid + cooling fan 3 section Media rack

www.reef2reef.com

If anything. Avoid sexy shrimp if you plan to have torches or zoanthids. I introduced a pair and after a few weeks they started eating these corals on me.

 

[Shaina Carey]

Nice. I am a sucker for PICO and nano tanks. My current is an 8 gallon nano tank. My first was a 3.5 gallon Pico

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I have a 1.1 pico build and you might be able to pick up a few tips from it

Build Thread - 1.1 Gallon Oceanbox P1-G Pico Reef

Starting overdue build thread :) I am the second owner, and am fortunate to have such a cool tank with some useful upgrades The tank with Reefbreeders Pico V2 15w LED Stand is usable space Custom made gravity ato Custom made lid + cooling fan 3 section Media rack

www.reef2reef.com

If anything. Avoid sexy shrimp if you plan to have torches or zoanthids. I introduced a pair and after a few weeks they started eating these corals on me.

Yea your build is awesome. Clean layout and the custom gravity fed ATO is a nice touch. I'm planning on a gravity fed as well. But with the AIO back lid covering I'm probably going to mount it behind on the wall or something then feed the tubes. Trying to minimize evaporation as best I can.

How's your water flow? Not sure if the default pump is really enough even for a 2 gallon lol.

That's a bummer on the shrimp eating the corals. Wonder if they were just being ***** or a food problem lol.

I don't mind what I throw in it. Likely something that can handle high light. Defiantly plat to use some magnetic frag holders. What to put is the question. Guess I'll wait until the anemone and shrimp settle in.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Nice. I am a sucker for PICO and nano tanks. My current is an 8 gallon nano tank. My first was a 3.5 gallon Pico

Same I have a few tanks. Started with IM 15 gallon then realized I like small tanks. Easier to manage in my opinion. I started the PICO last weekend. I have my reef casa 12 flat coming this week as well. Can't wait for that one. Shallow tanks are really something. I just like creating different reef scenery. But I will be getting a waterbox 65.4 AIO shortly. I'll stop after that I promise.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I usually add fritz and live stock same day no issues. My current I just added water and coral same day with no issues. No bottle bacteria, live rock or sand. Nothing in back chambers. Coral brought everything over. I do 100 percent weekly.

But nothing wrong with going slow. Go at your pace and setup for you.

Yea my first tank I dropped in corals and inverts after 2 weeks of initial setup. Which no issues. Nothing has died and parameters are stable. Just fighting the ugly phase now... Danm GHA, had to lower nitrates and phos which is now helping after 3 days.

 

[8six0Reefer]

My 1 gal pico with two sexy shrimp , a bumble snail, 1 little hermit. Rock flower and a gsp. Still deciding on what else I’m going to add

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Yea my first tank I dropped in corals and inverts after 2 weeks of initial setup. Which no issues. Nothing has died and parameters are stable. Just fighting the ugly phase now... Danm GHA, had to lower nitrates and phos which is now helping after 3 days.

Did you do ammonia dosing to cycle or existing live rock from an established tank? Sounds like its under control now.

 

[Shaina Carey]

This was my 3.5 gallons. It has a small zoa frag and a small mushroom with a few hermit crabs. Sadly I went away for half a week and my ATO didn't work, so high salinity killed everything except the hermits. I was able to give them to my neighbor who also has saltwater tanks

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Did you do ammonia dosing to cycle or existing live rock from an established tank? Sounds like its under control now.

Dry rock with live sand and because it was my first tank I did the Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water 5 gallon jugs at petco. After 2 weeks nitrates sat at 10ppm and ammonia was barely registering or very low the whole time. Added 3 turbos and 1 blue legged hermit crab as diatomes started kicking in. 1 week later 4 corals. 1-2 weeks later diatoms started getting bad and presence of GHA on hermit crab and corals. Turbos were cleaning everything else fine but sandbed was a mess. Added 2 nassarius snails which made quick work and now nice and clean. Last week was when the bloom really kicked off. Tested my nitrates and they spiked to 26ppm and phos at 0.14. Figured it was the tank equalizing with the bioload. Checked today and phos is at 0.08 and nitrates sitting at 15ppm.

Could also be my tux urchin helping with GHA too lol. All a learning curve that I'm willing to sacrifice money for.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

My 1 gal pico with two sexy shrimp , a bumble snail, 1 little hermit. Rock flower and a gsp. Still deciding on what else I’m going to add

nice magtool 1g tank? Got this one too lol. Using it as a freshwater shrimp tank for my blue velvet shrimp.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

This was my 3.5 gallons. It has a small zoa frag and a small mushroom with a few hermit crabs. Sadly I went away for half a week and my ATO didn't work, so high salinity killed everything except the hermits. I was able to give them to my neighbor who also has saltwater tanks

Nice tank and sad to hear. I plan to keep mine on the low side around 1.023 to combat evaporation creep just in case. Thankfully I have people who can come by if I leave town.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Dry rock with live sand and because it was my first tank I did the Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water 5 gallon jugs at petco. After 2 weeks nitrates sat at 10ppm and ammonia was barely registering or very low the whole time. Added 3 turbos and 1 blue legged hermit crab as diatomes started kicking in. 1 week later 4 corals. 1-2 weeks later diatoms started getting bad and presence of GHA on hermit crab and corals. Turbos were cleaning everything else fine but sandbed was a mess. Added 2 nassarius snails which made quick work and now nice and clean. Last week was when the bloom really kicked off. Tested my nitrates and they spiked to 26ppm and phos at 0.14. Figured it was the tank equalizing with the bioload. Checked today and phos is at 0.08 and nitrates sitting at 15ppm.

Could also be my tux urchin helping with GHA too lol. All a learning curve that I'm willing to sacrifice money for.

I always had issues with "live sand" seems people who use the dry sand and rinse well have less issues. I think possibly due to die off and other nutrients in bag sealed up. Some still have no issues but usually have skimmer and such going. Seems your getting everything down so keep doing what your doing.

Dor evap you can find a lid or have one made. I recomend adding air pump though for oxygen exchange if going that route.

 

[VintageReefer]

How's your water flow? Not sure if the default pump is really enough even for a 2 gallon lol.

That's a bummer on the shrimp eating the corals. Wonder if they were just being ***** or a food problem lol.

My water flow with the default pump was good but had some dead spots. They sell a “flow booster” I’ve never seen it before. I think it’s designed for this pump and I suspect it’s a voltage booster and increases pump output by 50%. That made an ideal amount of flow in this tank once rock and corals were added. However, I don’t think it would be enough for a tank double this size. But if you need a small power head or return pump, it definitely has a good amount of power for its size once you add the flow booster
It’s 1.5”x1” and usb powered

I read many people on them forum have sexy shrimp eat zoanthids. I tried target feeding and 10 min later they are back picking at zoanthids and torch

 

[8six0Reefer]

nice magtool 1g tank? Got this one too lol. Using it as a freshwater shrimp tank for my blue velvet shrimp.

Yes so far I’m very happy with it

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along, I always love seeing what people can do with pico tanks!

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Update: Tank finished cycling last week.

So...I added something I couldn't resist. A baby BTA. Original goal was rock flower nem.

However, my LFS was having a massive sale and I got 3 BTA's all for $30. They are small but I figured if anything goes wrong I'm okay with it.

I originally placed it on the rock. It moved last night and ended on the sandbed. I haven't seen it inflate or deflate constantly. Once the light kicked on this morning it reacted quickly and has since been inflated. So hopefully not stressed but I'm not experienced with these.