Desktop pico system

[VBF]

Hi fellow bros and sis,

after reading and learning so much here and starting a few tanks at home. decided to embark on the unknown and try for a ~2g pico tank for my office desktop. Everywhere is cramp so only got space for hang-on filter. Got one cheap (HBL-301) and so far have not added anything yet. Not even sand and LR. Will be transfering LR , sand, corals and LS from my main tank later.

will change water (DI from my lab wet bench next door, 5-10 percent once every few days). will beusing my desktop light only. wouldl like a skimmer but I dun think there would be space for one. So I hope changing water more often will be good enough.

Unsure of LS to put in, any suggestions?

Will post picture once there is anything to see. thus far I only got tank, water and filter. plus my desk still in a big mess so ...

Please feel free to give your comments!!!

[hammy]

maybe those mini coral goby ... cute and small in size .

but 2g is way to small too small and too challenging .imagine when ur LR are in , the amount of water will even be smaller.

[big_ben102000]

bro u can checkup this nanoreef forum

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

they have insanely small pico tanks

[VBF]

Hmmmm...I was thinking of putting in mainly mushrooms and maybe smallfrags of zoos. LS limited to max of 2 false percula, 1 hermit and 1 srimp. Will transfer them from my current 3 feet and 4 feet. You were saying a goby is good? Will not be putting in sand after some though.

The only thing I can do is change water 10%-15% (or about 1 liter mineral water bottle) every day. maybe start will just 1 fish and monitor the situation first. lucky I got free DI water on hand easily. For the hang-on should I put any thing in? now only got a plastic wool filter.

The FL lamp is right on top of the tank. base on a lux meter, the lost of light from tube to surface of water is very small (10-15%). The water level is hardly 1 foot in depth so I think there should be enough light for the corals? softies only.

Temperature is stable at 24-25 C throughout the day. Water loss due to evaporation is low. need only to top up less than 200ml a day.

Will prepare salt mix with new DI water later and introduce LR tommorrow. will left for the weekend and check water condition next week.

[VBF]

bro u can checkup this nanoreef forum

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

they have insanely small pico tanks

wow thanks bro. Very good infor for newbies like me into extra small tanks.

[VBF]

Decided to up the lights and use a 150W MH instead. Will likely only have 1 x fish , 1 x shrimp only. Will conc on softies.

Monitoring water temperature as the MH is just 3-4 inches away from the water surface Any good interval duration for the MH to be on? I am thinking 1-2hrs in the morning(7-9 am) and 1-2 hrs in the evening(6-8 pm). In between will just have normal FL tube from desktop. Will start of with simple mushrooms first and progess from there.

Any bro or sis got suggestion?

[cdckjn]

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45280

this was an account of my Pico tank 1.5ft - with once a month wate change of about 1litre of newly mixed salt with DI water. But due to the challenges to work schedule the tank was decommissioned after 8 months after it was started up. Well, learnt a lot over the whole experience.

My learning experience, it may be a very good idea to have an external cansister filter (as this will greatly increase the amount of water in the "whole" system) as pico tank the "total" volume of water is very low. no need for skimmer if you feed only sparingly - have clownfishes as they are "cuter" have cleaner shrimps as my colleagues keeps coming to eye at my living sushi pieces.

have simple mushrooms or feather dusters they work well.

Have a desktop lamp, this works well.

Good Luck

[VBF]

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45280

this was an account of my Pico tank 1.5ft - with once a month wate change of about 1litre of newly mixed salt with DI water. But due to the challenges to work schedule the tank was decommissioned after 8 months after it was started up. Well, learnt a lot over the whole experience.

My learning experience, it may be a very good idea to have an external cansister filter (as this will greatly increase the amount of water in the "whole" system) as pico tank the "total" volume of water is very low. no need for skimmer if you feed only sparingly - have clownfishes as they are "cuter" have cleaner shrimps as my colleagues keeps coming to eye at my living sushi pieces.

have simple mushrooms or feather dusters they work well.

Have a desktop lamp, this works well.

Good Luck

ok thanks read it up. You can have 2 true perc and 2 shrimps in a 1.5 g?? and only change water once a month?? wow... I was thinking I can only have 1 fish and maybe 1 shrimp plus loads of softies. The feather dusters are nice too.

Actually I have a canister at home doing nothing but my desk simply got no space left liao. I was thinking of keeping water paramters good by regular water change. alternate days 1 liter or 500 ml each day. Feed only once in 3 days. I want my softies to thrieve, thats why I got a MH.

tested water temp with MH on for 1 hrs. water temp shot up from 27-30. This despite my entire office is in ultra cold aircon....

Will not put in any LS before I can 100% confirm water is stable.

[VBF]

Bad news. My MH may have overloaded the single phase power supply in my office. Whole morning keep tripping. No choice have to take out. Will see if can get a clip on desk lamp. any recomendations?

[Aldaris]

actually, no fishes are supposed to reside in tanks below 5g...

so, please dont do something i wont do.

[Gary]

I did not see any photos of your tank but assumed that your 2g means 2 gallons? If so, MH is an overkill.

[VBF]

Yup, took it out. Using two 50W halogen lamp I got from IKEA now. Will be use in conjuction with the FL already on the desk.

Sorry no photo becasue nothing to see really. cycling tank. Although I use LR, Live sand from my matured tank and DI water to mix the salt, still got NH4 (0.25 ppm) spike. So no LS for now.

Will likely add in a pico size pump for better water flow later.

So Far temp hovers steady at 25-26. Water evaporation is very low. No need to top up anything so far. SG keeping at 1.023

[VBF]

General water stability (Temp 25 -27C, Sal 1.023-1.025, NH4 0, nitride 0, nitrate 0-5 ppm). Tank cycled for 2 weeks with matured rocks and sand.

Added in first live stock. A blood red mantis Shrimp.(dun know what species)

about 4-5 cm. Very curious fellow.

Day 1 > Got mantis, acclimatise over 3 hrs before introduce to tank. Off all ligths. Mantis hide at one cornor the whole night.

Day 2> Started roaming the whole tank. Kick up sand over a flat piece of LR and finally enlarged a hole in a LR and settled in. his home has an overhang which keep it in the shade and usually half the body will be out waiting for food. place a straw near it and it will instantly grab it and look for food. I hope this is a sign that it will take food engerly tommorrow.

It will move out of its home once in a while and roam the whole tank. spar with the thermometer, knock it into the tank than go back to his home, coil up inside for a while than peak out.

Day 3> feeding time??

Will try to feed it pieces of market prawn tommorrow. Anyone with unwanted crab or worms pls let me know.

[hammy]

General water stability (Temp 25 -27C, Sal 1.023-1.025, NH4 0, nitride 0, nitrate 0-5 ppm). Tank cycled for 2 weeks with matured rocks and sand.

Added in first live stock. A blood red mantis Shrimp.(dun know what species)

about 4-5 cm. Very curious fellow.

Day 1 > Got mantis, acclimatise over 3 hrs before introduce to tank. Off all ligths. Mantis hide at one cornor the whole night.

Day 2> Started roaming the whole tank. Kick up sand over a flat piece of LR and finally enlarged a hole in a LR and settled in. his home has an overhang which keep it in the shade and usually half the body will be out waiting for food. place a straw near it and it will instantly grab it and look for food. I hope this is a sign that it will take food engerly tommorrow.

It will move out of its home once in a while and roam the whole tank. spar with the thermometer, knock it into the tank than go back to his home, coil up inside for a while than peak out.

Day 3> feeding time??

Will try to feed it pieces of market prawn tommorrow. Anyone with unwanted crab or worms pls let me know.

wow, blood red mantis though i prefer the peacock mantis. guess that will be ur only tankmate ya . post pic ?

[VBF]

I cannot find the name of this species any where. whole body dark blood red except feelers are white. Try tommorrow bring DC to take some photos maybe the experts here can help me name.

Yet will be only one in the pico tank. Will monitor the tank for water parameters for a while, if all ok , may add in some srooms and maybe marco algea.

Got a 3 feet tank ready at home should this bugger grow too big.

[VBF]

As promised this is a whole tank shot. about 2.8 G (US)

[VBF]

The Tank shot with my "morning and evening lights" I switch them on from 7-8:30 am to wake up my shrimp and on them again from 6-7pm to tell him its evening.

He is responding well to these "wake up and evening calls. He will start to move ard and look for food at both these times. (i feed 3 times a day, alternate days)

[VBF]

Now for the little fellow

A close up!!!

[VBF]

guarding his Den.

[VBF]

full view. sorry this is the best i can take. he is simply too fast.

[VBF]

Last one... on his evening petrol

[VBF]

I know I bored many of you....paiseh....

So Far I still cannot ID him. anyone can help? He is healthy as far as I can tell. Fed him squid piece, live FW prawn, market prawn and krill. He has no fear at all. loves to "engage" his feeding stick.

Quite happy now, made a nice home for himself in a LR which he sort of dug up by himself. He has a nice overhang in front of his hole so he can hide in a nice shade while guarding his home.

PLan to add in some mushroom once water parameter is stable. So far so good.

Nh4 0

nitride 0

No3 5-10ppm.

I do a weekly 10-20 percent water change (drip style). top up about 1/4 cup of DI everyday.

Will appr any comments and advise rendered.