Pico Build Help Please

[Ghxst]

Hello all,

Do any of you have warnings, recommendations, etc on keeping a pico?


I am putting together a pico build for my brother and need some help. I was going to set him up with a nano 10g because I have the stuff laying around but realized its not a great fit for his lifestyle as he moves about once a year (or less). He currently helps maintain a 100g at his friends work and helps with maintenance on mine when he is visiting so i know he can handle it. What size pico's have you had and is there a "best" size to have? What type of lighting is good for the standard open top pico?


Here is what I have at the moment

2 gallon bowfront tank
50w heater
Fluval 30 filter
Temp controller/powercords/timer

and the live sand and a nice small LR that fits in perfectly.

What I need to get for it still that I am aware of is a ATO system and a Light. Thanks in advance for some advice!

 

[Balz3352]

When I was toying with the idea of setting up a 2 gallon fluval I was going to get an ecopico led. Check that light out might work for you

 

[jda123]

Hard to keep parms stable with true coral using them up - it can be hard enough once coralline starts to grow. Softies are easier so choose your inhabitants wisely. Keeping it cool can be an issue if they house gets hot in the summer.

 

[Ghxst]

Balz, im thinking of getting that one or the bigger one for my tank as moon lights. For this I was thinking something he could mount on the back or clip to hang off something.

Jda, I think you knew what I was going to ask! He lives in an apartment that will be stable temp (72f) year round in superior. If all there was in there was 1 kenya tree middle, 3 mushrooms bottom, and 4 zoas in open spaces (to make a little coral scape) on the one rock, this should be just fine right? He can monitor the tank a lot, he doesn't have much going on. Plus with 1 liter water changes 2 times a week not much else is needed, unless im missing something. I figure he can set it up and ill check on it in 3 months, if its good ill give him the mushrooms and Kenya tree.

Would this light be okay for that? I saw it recommended on another post here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZK80YG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_w1DIub1F9G7PQ

 

[Ghxst]

I am open to any criticism or thought, I don't want to do something that wont work out or kill stuff, this is what it is going to be so far to get it up and going:

-2.5g plastic bowfront tank, it looks like something bought at a petshop chain
-Marine land Peguin 100 I think? The Fluval was too big if the light is going to fit. He can cycle the tank with this at least right? Ill just tell him to hold off on running activated carbon in the filter until the cycle completes. We can look at upgrades in a couple months.
- The led linked above, if a shop has one lemme know. I know there is much better out there but Charles gave this one the thumbs up for the application.
- Precycled sand and live rock that's good to go.
-50w Heater with temp control.

Everything in this set up is going to be re-purposed stuff, except the light. I was thinking of getting an led light that he can put into a clamp light but the aesthetics are kinda working with the above light. That's it for now, I've got a couple of days to put it together. Any recommendations for change would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jda123]

Keeping the temp stable and alk demand low is the key to a nano. Ammonia spikes can happen too if somebody overfeeds just once. If he is on the money with everything, then it will likely be fine.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Do you have room for a sump? Just something for water volume... 15 gallon Rubbermaid tub or something?

 

[lkoechle]

I had a 4 gallon aqueon evolve. Its pretty much plug and play. I replaced yhe stock pump added a heater but the stock light is strong enough for some soft corals. My rics multiplied like crazy under it. Some zoas did well but not all. I kept softies and a green clown goby in it. There a ton of hacks out there for the evolve. A lot of people are using them for pico reefs. You can replace the stock light with a wave something or other, but i never switched mine out. Personally, i think 2.5 gallins is too small. 4 gallons gives you more room to work with and more corals. An ato would be terrific too, that was a pita.

 

[Ghxst]

I wish he did, if that was the case I would set up a 20l with a 20g sump. I will look into a bigger tank, I was hoping for 5g originally. He is super excited about it and I am sure he will keep up with maintenance.

 

[Ghxst]

Oh and an ATO is in the works, this seems critical.

 

[Ghxst]

Went with the 5g its all set up in his apt. He wants to get a 50 fuge for it Ill help him do that when he can but hes on the 3rd floor of an apartment and cannot this year. His room mate said the noise bothers him so we have to adjust the filter. Also the ATO I had boxed for years worked last moth when testing but didn't when we set it up. Any suggestions on nano atos? something that wont take a lot of room

Ill get pics next time im over

 

[Matt_Arian]

Let's see some pics!

For an ATO, what about a Hydor Smart Level? Not too expensive ($90) and uses optical sensors, no floats.

 

[kmellon]

Pico's can be a real challenge. I ran a 6g Fluval Edge for almost a year. The biggest thing was the evap and keeping it topped off. I swapped out the halogen bulbs with some basic white leds and added a few strips of automotive blue flexible led strips for color only. I only had softies but most of the things I had grew well even under the conditions. I did weekly water changes which were always a pain, but I got it down pat towards the end. The last issue was water movement. The tanks are just too darned small for most internal pumps, but if you have the coin, pick up an mp10 to keep things moving around. I kept a maroon clown, yellow clown goby, red scooter blenny, yellow watchman goby, ghost pistol shrimp, camel hump shrimp, and a serpentine starfish in it and it was fine, but 2 gals will be a little tighter. Best of luck

 

[Ghxst]

One full month in and everything is going great. 5g with a AC 30, 2 rocks that fit comfortably in and a micro led light that is way too blue. No ato yet as the homemade one didn't work and were both strapped for cash. But he says every day evaps about 4 ounces of water and he has not seen any fluctuation as long as he adds some water in the morning before work and at night. He keeps letting me know every time he sees something move in the tank LOL, it sounds like he has a large amount of amphi and copepods and a couple small bristle worms. When will the cycle happen? The rocks I gave him were about 7 years live that I know about but the sand should have triggered something right?

 

[lkoechle]

Might not have one in sucha small tank with live rock and sand

 

[Ghxst]

Matt-

When I get over there I will take a pic, the ones he sends me is a blue light haha.

Kmellon -

Impressive! I let him know if he goes a year with keeping some softies alive I will get him 1 sexy shrimp. The AC 30 puts out enough flow in the 5g, if I had an mp10 it would go in my tank

 

[NightHawk]

I setup an aqueon evolve 8 its not the greatest by any means but i have a shrimp/goby pair in there and a mushroom, gsp, kenya tree, and candy cane and everybody is alive! The light i run is perfect its a beams work led basically a 25$ marine land knockoff on Amazon. It sounds like a joke but its been working for me now about 6 months!