My 4G Office Pico

[Firestarter]

I've started a pico tank in my office after stopping for half a year.

Today marks the first day of my office pico.

Equipments:

4G Tank 12" (L)

HOB filter

9W PL B/W light

Skimmerless

Water parameters:

Temp 22'C

SG 1.022

Liverocks 1.5kg

[Firestarter]

FTS

[Firestarter]

Double post.

[Firestarter]

Hitchhikers found:

An orange starfish 1.5" wide

Apista? Found some of these of my LR, seems bleached, but they do not close up quickly when touched. I'm thinking it could be some bleached out zoos or polyps. Anyone here can advice?

[illumnae]

Those are what I found on my LR too! I thought they are aiptasia.

[Firestarter]

Went to buy a small pump for circulation. Its a Boyu SP-601.

Here is a pic of the pump with comparison with a AA battery. Really good for small tanks.

Have yet to run it though.

[Firestarter]

Just placed the pump into my tank. Really disappointed as it was not as powerful as expected. More suitable for smaller tanks, 2-3 gallons perhaps.

[illumnae]

What's the flow rate on that pump? I'm going to buy a Tunze mini over the weekend to upgrade my system from the stock 200l/hr OF pump provided with the tank

[Firestarter]

What's the flow rate on that pump? I'm going to buy a Tunze mini over the weekend to upgrade my system from the stock 200l/hr OF pump provided with the tank

Here are the specs for the pump:

Boyu SP-601

Volt 115V

Freq 50/60Hz

Power 6W

Flow 200L/h

Weight 0.14kg

Size 47.5 x 43 x 57.5 mm

[MadScientist]

tunze mini is rated at 300 though. dymax makes many small sized powerheads with a quite a few ranges of flowrates.

[Firestarter]

I might change to a 300L/h pump...

[Firestarter]

Came back to office this morning and was surprised to find white specks floating in the water.

Turned off the HOB and saw that they were live and swimming... it resembles a mosquito larvae and it has a tail.

I'm suspecting it could be baby brine shrimp or some pods that hatched?

[illumnae]

Just to add on the topic of pumps, I dropped by AquaMarin on Saturday and picked up a Skimz pump - the one they use for their larger iBox Nano. It's a variable flow pump that runs from 200-600L/Hr. I have it running at 400L/Hr in my OF Nano2 (24 litres)

[MadScientist]

Just to add on the topic of pumps, I dropped by AquaMarin on Saturday and picked up a Skimz pump - the one they use for their larger iBox Nano. It's a variable flow pump that runs from 200-600L/Hr. I have it running at 400L/Hr in my OF Nano2 (24 litres)

Any pictures of the pump?

[Firestarter]

Just to add on the topic of pumps, I dropped by AquaMarin on Saturday and picked up a Skimz pump - the one they use for their larger iBox Nano. It's a variable flow pump that runs from 200-600L/Hr. I have it running at 400L/Hr in my OF Nano2 (24 litres)

What is the dimension of the pump, and also the cost?

[Firestarter]

Some updates..

Bought some blue mushrooms and a rock of star polyp.

I cut out some star polyp and placed it on another LR for it to propagate. But during the weekend it fell off the rock and nicely attached itself onto the tank base.

Hopefully it will grow and fill up the bottom.

My blue mushies... not doing well after a FW dip to get rid of flatworms. They have been like that for a week. Only 1 head seems to be doing fine.

And lastly, a pic of my star polyps. I hope they will turn green after some TLC.

[Firestarter]

Some new additions

FTS as of today

[slapper]

Your tank is building up nicely. Go for some colorful low maintenance corals like blastos and suncorals! And you may want to put some coral chips as a base if sand is too messy. But with coral chips, you won't be able to keep pistol shrimps and shrimp gobies.

[Firestarter]

Your tank is building up nicely. Go for some colorful low maintenance corals like blastos and suncorals! And you may want to put some coral chips as a base if sand is too messy. But with coral chips, you won't be able to keep pistol shrimps and shrimp gobies.

Bro slapper, thanks for your comments.

Currently I'll stick to soft corals as I want to keep it a low maintenance tank. I'll slowly build up confidence to keep LPS later. Its kinda hard to find small coral frags too.

I do have coral chips and I'll consider adding them in if the star polyps can't spread enough. I'm also having trouble thinking of what fishes to put inside...

[slapper]

Bro slapper, thanks for your comments.

Currently I'll stick to soft corals as I want to keep it a low maintenance tank. I'll slowly build up confidence to keep LPS later. Its kinda hard to find small coral frags too.

I do have coral chips and I'll consider adding them in if the star polyps can't spread enough. I'm also having trouble thinking of what fishes to put inside...

I would suggest low maintenance fishes like green chromis and clown fish. Avoid territorial ones like blue damsels. Since you have live rocks, tail-spotted blennie is a good option as well. For the cleaners, get yourself an algae blennie and cleaner shrimp.

[Firestarter]

Thinking of putting a yellow wrasse and a purple firegoby.

For CUC just some bumblebee snails and a turbo snail that I already have.

Not sure if the yellow wrasse will whack cleaner shrimp but might add one also.

[allantang]

tank too small for firegoby.. it will jump

[slapper]

Thinking of putting a yellow wrasse and a purple firegoby.

For CUC just some bumblebee snails and a turbo snail that I already have.

Not sure if the yellow wrasse will whack cleaner shrimp but might add one also.

I would avoid invertebrates unsafe fishes if I were you. 6-line wrasse would be a good option. But it is semi-aggressive to other kind of wrasse. With other fishes, it is fine.

[Firestarter]

Time for some updates.

Things that I've done to the tank:

1. Added my first swimming LS - an azure damsel. Yes I know that damsels are gangsters. But I wanted a fish that had a nice colour contrast, swim around alot, and are hardy. Considering adding a orchid dottyback in the future. Max would be 2 fishes for this tank. I also got some mushroom frags...

2. Install a DIY PC fan (for weekends/after office hrs)

3. Install a ATO drip

4. Added a beta box for coral frags

FTS. Had to dim the lights by adding a piece of paper under it so my new mushrooms don't get shocked, thats why the pic look washed out.

[Admiraltian]

Time for some updates.

Things that I've done to the tank:

1. Added my first swimming LS - an azure damsel. Yes I know that damsels are gangsters. But I wanted a fish that had a nice colour contrast, swim around alot, and are hardy. Considering adding a orchid dottyback in the future. Max would be 2 fishes for this tank. I also got some mushroom frags...

2. Install a DIY PC fan (for weekends/after office hrs)

3. Install a ATO drip

4. Added a beta box for coral frags

FTS. Had to dim the lights by adding a piece of paper under it so my new mushrooms don't get shocked, thats why the pic look washed out.