1.77 gal pico log

[afromage5000]

yeah mine is pretty strong. probably near 60 gph at the high setting. Is that too strong for zoos?

[Pico Keeper]

It could work. But it does kill space. The little powerhead squirting 60gph really moves around the water in that tiny tank, but 60gph thru a powerfilter its not as intense. Zoos can deal with almost anything you throw at them..

That's why is use the ac20 instead of the ph, plus it holds a little more water and i can add macro, rubble, media, and hide a thermometer probe and heater.

[afromage5000]

those are serious benefits, can u post a link to that product?

[afromage5000]

found an old HOB wisper which could work on this tank with some adjustments so im debating whether to make the switch. My ph is a little low, around 7.9. My buffering capacity seems to drop when my tank gets any higher than 79.5 degrees. What is the best additive to fix this, or do i need to change something in my setup?

[Pico Keeper]

Here's one for only 12 bucks. The only mods to fit it will be making 2 small notches on the top trim, besides that it fits perfectly.


http://www.aquariumguys.com/aquaclear4.html

Here's a pic I took the day I finally got rid of the ph, and started using the pf..

[brandon429]

Hi there. I wanted to chime in on this thread-the start of this pico looks great and I wanted to call a few rounds that I know will help you keep it long term in terms of waste handling stability.

Anything that has surface area that is not cleaned regularly and flushed of debris and detritus will be a nitrate factory upon further breakdown of said material, this is a firm rule because the waste accumulations aren't completely broken down even though most think they are. If they were, you wouldn't see visible material and it wouldn't have colors in it (this is a very general assessment of protein basis, but accurate for the topic of aquarium waste). This includes power filters, live rock, and especially especially the substrate of the system. The wastes associated with aquarium fauna tend to be brown/green/black, and they are definately aggregates of incompletely digested proteins to a decent extent-even when substrate microfauna processes some of this waste, their respective wastes have small bits of protein!! The point of this extraction is keep it out of the system, ammonia is again liberated as bacteria work on reduced waste particles, and the oxidation of this ammonia again lends nitrate to the system as breakdown continues (nitrate factory). Less impactful in a nano-large system, but very impactful in the pico reef. I've logged thousands of hours keeping and building pico reefs, many of the pics are on here, and I can't tell you how rare it is to keep a gallon or sub-gallon system running for one year or more. That should be your goal unless you plan on transferring animals to a larger and more stable system. Almost any pico reef that has basic temp and salinity control will run for 1-3 months, but the reason they crash after that is 99% narrowed down to two factors that aren't as impactful in larger setups-dosing habits and waste control habits.

Water changes aren't sufficient alone in the pico reef. Water flushes are required for long term use, no other way around it if you are packing rock and coral in your tank. Again, water changes that don't disturb detritus stores are the commonality, and so is limited lifespan. The correct way to handle pico reef maintenance is to change water often, flush at least once a month or more if needed. Major tenet: You know you aren't flushing enough if you can dump clean water in your pico and it stirs up a brown cloud. In your case, you aren't using fine sand so anything that gets stirred up will be made of proteins and will certainly generate NO3 if left in there for a week or so.

Flushing:
Pick up your pico, set it in the kitchen sink, pour five gallons of clean SW in it and let it all overflow into your sink. This will carry out the brown stuff ps, I have the unregistered patent on this pico technique and it works wonders but you must do it often.

Simply stated, large system dilute these stored wastes better than picos, and detritus aggregation will crash your tank within 8 months unless you plan around it. Such measures aren't needed if you stock it and feed it certain ways, but for the way most people use a pico reef this, and the dosing (keep it consistent and simple) approach are the keys to long life. By that, I mean a quality and not algae-laden/verge-of-crashing life.

You don't need to add anything to this pico until it's packed with coral and animals, then at that point waste acids (as it ages) will attack your pH moreso than in a large nano, so you better be dosing alk control. And, to keep that balanced with Ca++, you need to be dosing calcium. THe only way to do this in relative balance, without hardcore testing in the pico reef, is to add a small amount of one of the two part dosers at least 3x per week, once again relative to your stony coral loads and waste handling habits. People who don't dose a pico reef, and keep it alive for more than a year, are doing so many water changes they are both replenishing the elements and handling the waste removal secondarily. If you want more moderate water changes, you gotta dose.

Last but not least, I love your system's beginnings and your retrofits, but if you want a much simpler approach remove that CC sandbed, it's the largest detritus trap you can have for that size tank. If you must keep it, clean your system regularly (as it ages) by taking all your rocks out, and the CC, and rinsing them clean in SW until it does not cloud anymore.

I wouldn't trust me for a darn thing in this life other than to tell you what your pico reef will look like in a year addressing these concerns now will ensure you the best chance for sure.

B

[brandon429]

I was re-reading my post earlier and the system won't let me edit a portion of it...when I said add one part of a two part system, I meant to use the two part system at least 3x per week. Use very little to start out, test as you go, and increase slightly as the system ages and becomes more dense with life. As is, the statement looks like I'm saying to use just one part of the dosers, but they must be added in equal amounts.

[afromage5000]

thnx for the input, i've been wondering about dosing, that is something i know very little about. Can you name any brands that carry a 2 part system? I have had doubts about the cc bed from the start so we'll see about that. I have heard of ppl using a turkey baster to blast stuff off rock etc. so i may get one.

[Pico Keeper]

Brandon definately knows his stuff about the pico's. But I have to disagree with the whole flushing thing. If you have a really short sand bed, ditritus will never have a choice to build up.


The ssb in the pico constantly moves around, and doesn't let anything accumulate. In a pico, there isn't much waste to accumulate anyway since there is almost no bioload. 1 snail, 1 hermit, and a shrimp and corals doesn't produce much.. Even in a tiny 1.6 gallon tank.

I baste my 1.6 so that all the detritus gets off the rocks and into the water column, and then I crank the powerfilter to max (100gph), and I throw a poly filter pad in the place where my rock and cheato goes. Remove it right after. Tank is spotless.

I have to agree with brandon on removing the crushed coral, that's the worst thing you can do. Tons of nooks and crannies to fill with waste that you cant get to.


As for dosing? I wouldn't dare dose anything in this little tank. It's a waste of money to be testing alk/calc/phosphates/iodine etc on a religious basis. But then again, alot of pico owners have a larger tank to do water changes from that they know are perfect. If your keeping hardy shrooms, gsp, zoos, etc.. You dont need to dose anything. No need for extra calcium or anything, at most top-off with kalkwasser. I did that for a while when the corralline started really sucking all the calcium out of the water cus it was growing so fast.

[afromage5000]

ok, some viable options here. Thanks for the input. Ill continue reading and proceed with caution from here.

[afromage5000]

are these feather dusters, can anyone tell me a little about them? Their diet, behavior etc?


this one just showed up on the rock on the right of my tank


ive seen this one off and on for a while on the left rock

[afromage5000]

sorry for the grainy shots