Pico update

[jaysonsd]

Been awhile since I updated on my tank and there's been a lot of changes. I really wanted more sps so I tried to accomidate. So what do sps need? Stability, mh, skimming, and random flow. Needless to say, this is damn hard w/ such a small tank .

Grabbed a 70 watt mh 14k setup that sits ~5 inches from the surface. Temp control is ghettoed out with a big wall fan nearby set on the same timer as the mh. Gravity ATO with a small amount of kalkwasser (learned the hard way not to mix high strength kalk, and wouldn't use it if there weren't so many sps in the tank now).

I ditched the big fuge AC30 and nabbed a rio nano skimmer. It was only 10 bux used but I can honestly say to anyone and everyone DON'T GET ONE! Yeesh, its the most ineffective and tempermental piece of machinery I've ever owned. Microbubbles are controlled with a ton of filter floss, and it still leaks out a little. I don't think it would effectively skim anything larger than a 5gal .

The flow is somewhat randomized b/t the rio and a the mini powerhead. I threw an old hob powerfilter on the side to stick some macro and phosban on an alternate light schedule.

Water changes are 30% 1-2x a week, scripps. Keeping a hungry sun coral, mini carpets, gonio, and carnation is damn difficult with the sps; but the water changes seem to help.

[DaChrisDude]

breathtakingly beautiful. Amazing that it's such a small tank, wow.

[demetre]

Definately wow. Your tank is what definately made me think about going smaller instead of bigger, when I had a 50-55 I could have gotten up and running. Just completely gorgeous!

I've been having better luck with the Rio nano skimmer, myself. I have two, one each for my 12 and 5. Got the 5 gallon's Rio from someone else who said it was really temperamental. The key, I've found is not cleaning it out too often, I always get around a tablespoon of green-brown skimmate every 2 days from both of 'em, and no problem with Microbubbles after the first week's running. I try not to break it down much.

[SDguy]

Awesome! I thought my tank was full Watch the hydno...from the pics anyways, it looks really close to some SPS.

[Nick_Kun]

very nice, I can't believe how many sps frags you have in there. Looking good. BTW, is that frag on the right the BB frag you got from me?>

[Direct Marine]

all I can say is

KICK A$$!!! its hard to believe the tank is so small!!!

-Jerehmy

[Chanas4]

That sure has come a long way. Beautiful

[jaysonsd]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate compliments

demetre: think mine is just a bad quality one, rarely clean it, but I do notice it gets better the dirtier it gets, wierdest thing huh?

Peter: the hydno is actually sweeper free as long as nothing touches it, the tricolor I nabbed from you has been more aggressive!

Nick: the austera is yours and encrusting reminds me you have a humilius with my name on it I think

[Nick_Kun]

Thought it looked familiar, the humilis are encrusting already.

- Nick

Thanks everyone, really appreciate compliments

demetre: think mine is just a bad quality one, rarely clean it, but I do notice it gets better the dirtier it gets, wierdest thing huh?

Peter: the hydno is actually sweeper free as long as nothing touches it, the tricolor I nabbed from you has been more aggressive!

Nick: the austera is yours and encrusting reminds me you have a humilius with my name on it I think

[nitrogenbubbles]

You have made it work, keep up the husbandry and enjoy I could never keep a small tank, not home enough to keep the peri in specs...Kudos man, and keep up the great work....even the small can be a piece of 3 diminsional heaven

[seahorse_man]

Looks good You still have the baby plate?How many gallons it that? Keep up the good work

[demetre]

demetre: think mine is just a bad quality one, rarely clean it, but I do notice it gets better the dirtier it gets, wierdest thing huh?

Sorta, but you also gotta monkey around with the water flow for each tank. Like my 12 has it going on full blast, while my 5, I cut down severely. I also check the air vent itself every week at least, or if I notice a lack of skimmate, 'cause the thing sometimes starts shutting itself off, and just a small little tweak will get the bubbles working again. It's a decient skimmer for the money, DEFINATELY better then the POS Fission nano skimmer I tried beforehand(you want a problem with micro bubbles? get onea those, also, suction cups on the thing dissolve within 6 months!), though, if I really had the money to blow, I'd try to locate a Nano Remora.

[pirate2876]

sweet nano.love all the sps.it looks like that blue digi has come a long way