Pico reef

[jeffmr4]

I added a small red starfish today. I also changed the pump out for a Nero 3 because its speed can be customized down to 1% flow. It seemed like Marooned was having a little trouble at night sleeping because of the pull of the hygger. The pictures don't show the Nero 3 yet but will come in the future. Enjoy!

 

[silent1mezzo]

Poor fish. It looks so cramped

 

[jeffmr4]

I have had diatoms and now some green algae on the glass starting. I've been reading about people vacuuming the sand bed and am thinking I'm going to start doing this. I have some protein foam on the surface and I think the sand has quite a bit of junk in it.

My rocks cover most of the sand. My question is, what is the best way to vacuum the sand? If I remove the rock and coral while I do this (which I will have to), I will never get them back in the tank the way they were before. This is the only way I can think of to do this.

I can do a quarter or half of the tank each week but won't this disturb the corals such that they won't multiply?

This is what I have worked out,

1. Mix up some saltwater to put the rock and corals into while I vacuum the sand.
2. Mix more saltwater in case it takes more than a gallon (what I'm able to take out at a time) to complete the vacuuming.

Is there an easier way to do this? If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know.

As an aside, I've also added an xp aqua duetto 2 ato to maintain the water level.

 

[goosemans]

Certain death for the starfish

 

[jeffmr4]

The starfish didn't make it.

 

[VintageReefer]

The starfish didn't make it.

That starfish would have trouble surviving long term in a 40 gallon tank

Is the clownfish doing ok?

In the videos I watched he was swimming a little strange. Like physically yes he can swim. But if you watch him behaviorally he’s restless.

Clownfish don’t really swim and explore. They pick a spot and hover around it.

Fish also “chasing” or playing with their reflection is a sign of fear and stress. And fish are sensitive, prolonged stress causes death.

The tank looks great but I would suggest researching future livestock’s needs a little more before buying another creature. We all want you to succeed and have a healthy tank with healthy inhabitants

 

[stewy14]

im sorry, but you really gotta make some effort into research
this tank, should not house fish
it should house coral, inverts and that is all
that wavemaker should not be in there at all
I have a 10 gal, and a wavemaker going in there at the lowest setting is still too much for my frogspawn(he HATES FLOW)
that clownfish will either
1: kill himself
1B: get stuck into a rock
1C: jump out of the tank
2: die from stress
3: die from disease
4: idk, die in general
this is animal abuse lol, this is not connected to our oceans and us keeping whatever, cuz that helps, the ocean is dying, and you have millions of people keeping corals alive and fish alive, so we are slowly but surely contributing to coral restoration, we, could send frags in to somebody who can then plant those in the ocean and make a whole new coral colony, this, this tank supports your point of hurting marine life and damaging marine ecosystems, you should, no you HAVE TO get that clown out of there and into a new home, 10-15 gallons+
plz

 

[jeffmr4]

For those following in good spirit, continuing on. : )

 

[stewy14]

For those following in good spirit, continuing on. : )

Everyone is telling u this tank is too small for anything u are putting in
U are being abusive to these animals
This is like a petco/petsmart thing
It’s a cool idea, Ik, to have a small slice of the ocean, but you gotta size the tank up, I too have the same issue, I want more fish in my tank, but can’t, it’s just like that, after a while, I now accept it and just walk away

 

[Polymate3D]

I have already made my view on specifically a Maroon Clownfish in there, especially if it was planned long term. I don't believe no fish could work though on a 3 gallon.

A Yellow tail damsel or other same damsel on its own would be pretty happy in there. The other better options are a 2 spot blenny or a smaller goby species.

I had a yellow goby in the past which loved its own little 3L home when it became ill and recovered twice, but was shy in a 13G and kept jumping into the back filtration section.

I should of just setup the 3L long term for the little guy, and it's part of my Pico controller development from that experience.

So I am in the 'Maroon Clownfish' should be rehoused, but I think there are some fish options.

- Paul

 

[jeffmr4]

New video! (For some reason it keeps buffering here, hopefully that will clear up.)

 

[stewy14]

New video! (For some reason it keeps buffering here, hopefully that will clear up.)

ngl, the tank looks awesome! but there is too much flow for that nem, turn flow off from the wavemaker for a day and see what happens, the nem is most likely gonna open, and plz, plz get that clown out of there, plz
its like keeping a betta in a small little waterbowl

 

[stewy14]

u could make a really really cool heavily infested sps tank! make it look like u cut a big colony of it and put it into that tank!

 

[jeffmr4]

Hey Stewy. The light I have could handle SPS but I've done them before and don't really want to do them again as they require very specific and exacting water parameters. Hard in a tank this small to give them the kind of stability they would want (although not impossible : )). Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[stewy14]

Hey Stewy. The light I have could handle SPS but I've done them before and don't really want to do them again as they require very specific and exacting water parameters. Hard in a tank this small to give them the kind of stability they would want (although not impossible : )). Thanks for the suggestion.

np man!
what about
hmmmmmm
idk
lps dominated? with euphilyias mainly?
u can also try slimers, and stylos, those r pretty easy
but plz no fishy
and u could try a bta centered tank?

 

[jeffmr4]

Hi Stewy,
I didn't see your first post after the video I posted. Thanks. I think you might be right about the anemone getting too much flow. My worry is that the other coral like the flow a lot and lowering it will encourage more algae growth (which I already have a lot of). Its hard to make everything happy in a mixed tank. Not sure what I'll do about the anemone. The fish is staying, unfortunately, until he looks unhappy or grows too big. ; )

 

[stewy14]

Hi Stewy,
I didn't see your first post after the video I posted. Thanks. I think you might be right about the anemone getting too much flow. My worry is that the other coral like the flow a lot and lowering it will encourage more algae growth (which I already have a lot of). Its hard to make everything happy in a mixed tank. Not sure what I'll do about the anemone. The fish is staying, unfortunately, until he looks unhappy or grows too big. ; )

he already is unhappy man, everybody is telling u that
would u like to be trapped in a small ah box, the only thing I can do is run around?
and np, I also have a mixed reef, so so so annoying

 

[jeffmr4]

I'll add that the anemone looked good in the beginning, even with the flow. I think my sexy shrimp might be bothering it. That's another guess at why it is small.

 

[stewy14]

"

If they become desperate for food they may turn to feeding on the anemones protective mucus which changes the relationship from symbiotic to parasitism – with the sexy shrimp effectively becoming the parasite!"
in that small of a tank, there must be not much food
ignore the photo

 

[jeffmr4]

I read that too. I have been feeding reef roids, mysis shrimp, added a bunch of pods and have dosed phytoplankton. But more recently I've backed off on the feedings because I'm getting more algae which leaves me to believe there are quite a few nutrients in the tank.