Starting a pico reef of about 0.6 gallon

[Jakuson]

Hi, bros and sis...

Need some help on keeping a pico. A couple of qns to ask. any help will be appreciated. Haven started yet, but planning ahead so as to not have any problems. I am planning on keeping a 0.6 gallon pico.

1)I am wondering if tap water will be fine?

2)Is Instant Ocean a good marine salt to use? How much will 5 gallon of instant ocean salt costs?

3)How frequently should I do water changes?

4)Will I be able to keep 1 clownfish in it?

5)What other things can I keep other than the clowfish? Like some soft corals and invetebrates?

Any other important advices will be good too...

[iantoh]

dear jakuson,

hi.

1) tap water- ideally, you ought to use RO/DI water or distilled water, and for a pico tank, that wont cost much at all. tap water contains high levels of chlorine, chloramine, nitrate, as well as phosphates that are not just detrimental and even poisonous for your fish, corals and inverts, but also fuels nuisance algae growth. i'd recommend using distilled water as its easily available and affordable for a small setup, with tropic marin pro reef salt. its one of the best salts available, and should be cost effective for a small set up. note: always add salt to water, never the other way, as otherwise.

2) instant ocean is a reasonable salt, and a 5gallon packet ownt cost you much at all. to mix up 5g of seawater id estimate youd spend less than $10 for even the best salts. do buy a larger packet as theyre cheaper, for use during water changes.

3) for a small tank, it depends on your bioload and what you wish to keep. if you just wish to keep a pair of cownfish, then one fortnightly should do, though with a pico tank, id recommend you keep a pail filled with ready mixed saltwater. just leave a small pump running in the pail, and you can change some water out from your tank on a frequent basis, say a small scoop daily or on alternate days. a small tank has a small water volume and thus, its parameters are prone to shifting much more drastically than in big tanks, so frequent water changes aids to prevent the build up of any harmful chemicals, etc.

5) you may keep corals and inverts of course, but youd need to monitor your parameters to ensure ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are within check at all times, as one dead fish in a pico can raise these levels to toxicity within a day and cause the wipeout of your tank. frequent water changes help, as does protein skimming. for equipment, id recommend say getting a second hand red sea prizm skimmer with overflow attachment. the overflow attachement is crucial because in a saline condition, organics and nutrients will float, as opposed to sink, as in freshwater conditions, so its necessary to filter and export these nutrients before they break down in your tank. a hang on back skimmer like the prizm, or deltec MCE series, or even the Jebo HOB will serve your needs. do make sure to have good flow too as flow is needed to keep shit and detritus stirred up such that it gets to your skimmer to be skimmed. inadequate flow only allows crap to settle and decompose.

well, hope that helps you somewhat. do read up more on the net and through sites like these to find out more before you begin ya.

cheers,

ian

[Jakuson]

Thanks alot ian... Went to reborn and paradiz reef which is around lavender street area... Saw some pretty nice corals and fishes there...