German 1 gallon

[cpeluso]

Michael James (wrote a great article in SeaScope, Vol. 20, Issue 3, on Asparagopsis taxiformis) came back from a recent trip to Germany excited about a popular nano system there. He helped me set one up today. Here are some basic details: 1. One gal. rounded bowl (Got mine from "Michaels" for $2.50). 2. 1 lb. piece of live rock with 9/16 rigid tubing inserted through drilled hole in rock (top to bottom - top just below water surface). 3. Airline tubing inserted through side hole near bottom of tubing and connected to small air pump (air adjusted to minimal bubbling). 4. 1.5 lbs sand from established tank. 5. Water taken from established tank. 6. Lighting - open for experimentation. They're using halogen desk lamps in Germany! I'm trying a 19 watt, 6,500 K, Home Depot spiral flourescent in a desk lamp.
7. Livestock - open for experimentation (aside from a fish ban!). I attatched 3 mushrooms to the rock with needles, added a small snail (can't remember the species) and some red and green macro-algae.
8. Maintenance - open for experimentation. Michael does 100% water changes weekly with water from an established tank, but he feels this is probably excessive. His only additive is a miniscule amount of liquid food weekly. I'll keep you all updated. [/i]

 

[brandon4291]

Does he use a lid or any type of salinity control? controlled drip topoff is a neat way to run picos if one has access to a metered pump.

Welcome CPeluso, its always nice to see a new member on board. I am also going to dig for a link I saw on the net about an Italian pico reef made in a tiny glass sphere, it was using a type of compact lighting I hadn't seen before. I was impressed. soon companies like Azoo will have tiny parts like miniature thermostat-controlled heaters (2") (hopefully)

Brandon M

 

[cpeluso]

Brandon,
Thanks for the welcome! My name is Chris (you don't have to call me "cpeluso" anymore). Your best bet for contacting Michael James is through his business at http://www.aquatouch.com/. Although he is an accomplished reef-keeper and lecturer, he is brand new to nano-reef keeping. The 1 gallon in his store, which I copied, is his first attempt. I'm sure Michael would be more than thrilled to correspond with you.
At this point, he is not advising any calcium dosing or alkalinity adjustments aside from a weekly 100% water change with water from an established tank and a daily "squirt" of RO/DI water. His reefbowl (and now mine) has a 7 inch diameter opening at the top with no covering whatsoever. He has no experienced with closed or semi-closed systems but believes they would be very difficult to maintain. Im sure you could provide him with a great deal of new information about this strategy.
I'm really looking forward to being a part of this forum.
Chris

 

[Algae Blenny]

Brandon,
Was this the link of the Italian pico you were looking for?

http://www.hobbyanimali.it/news/script/ ... NewsId=571

Bob

 

[Algae Blenny]

Brandon,
Was this the link of the Italian pico you were looking for?

http://www.hobbyanimali.it/news/script/ ... NewsId=571

Bob

 

[cpeluso]

Bob,
Thanks for the link. I only wish that I could read Italian. The bowl looks exactly like the one I'm using.
Chris

 

[brandon4291]

Yes that is the one, doesn't it look great? Wherever he got that LR must be a primo connection. Now there is still the other fifty percent of the equation--longevity. This should be the basic measure of any pico system, because we really are trying to entice the organisms to prosper in these tiny tanks and not just live for two months or so. Not saying that system is limited, I wish I had one!

The lighting is really outstanding, never seen bulbs like those before. But it appears to be noncirculated right? I wonder how the palythoa and mushrooms are doing in a still tank--perhaps they don't mind all that much. If you guys find success in a still environment, I'd say that is a serious advancement in pico reef design :idea:

Chris it would be neat to see some pics of your setup, how do you deal with internal algae film? If you don't have one yet, let me post a thread about an internal cleaning magnet the size of a pencil eraser--you'll find it terribly handy in such a small tank.

Brandon M.

 

[cpeluso]

Brandon,
No algae film yet. The way that Michael (my mentor for this reefbowl) currently does maintenance is to simply lift out the central piece of rock to which most of the lifeforms are attatched, siphon out all the water, do a manual algae wipe, replace the rock, and then replace the water from an established tank. The bowl used in the "Italian Pico" reef looks exactly like the one I'm using - available from "Michael's" arts and crafts supply (a national chain) for less than $4.00. I'll do my best to post pics ASAP.
By the way, have you used needles to attatch "mushrooms" or other organisms? Michael recommended this to me. So far, so good.
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that link Bob. I don't understand how a coral can survive with no water movement. There must be some way of moving the water. I'll get my brother to translate if possible.

The method of doing 100% WCs works well for mushrooms and zoanthids, but I wouldn't try it on anything harder. Rob used to have a 6 gallon here that he did just that with--drain the tank weekly and fill with natural sea water. No fuge, no skimmer, just a powerhead.

 

[cpeluso]

Bob,
I couldn't tell from the posting (since I don't read Italian!) if this system involves any sort of water movement. The "German" pico system I'm trying (with a bowl that is identical to the Italian pico) involves a one pund central rock with a 9/16" hole drilled through the center (top to bottom), a rigid piece of tubing inserted, airline tubing inserted in a hole drilled near the bottom of the tubing, and a small airpump connected with air adjusted (with a vent) for slow air-bubbling.

The other question I have about the Italian pico reef is about the tiny "hood." I have no idea what type of bulb is being used, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't tend to significantly raise the water temperature.

One more question. Does anyone have experience with using "Super Glue" gel to attatch mushrooms, star-polyps, etc. to rock?
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

cpeluso - my experience with attaching mushoom type corals with super glue:

- if you can remove the mushroom and pat dry the foot/area you are gluing and get it attached to the rock it may take.

- generally they seem to slime up too much and detach after being glued.

- I used thread/fishing line or mesh to hold the shroom on till it attaches.



you can also let them attathc to a piece of gravel and then glue that - works fairly well with ricordeas.

 

[Anonymous]

"MOVIMENTO ACQUA: tramite aereatore, il tubicino è anch'esso inserito da un foro nel "

My brother lived in Italia for two years, but I can't catch him when he's near a computer. Anyway, I'm guessing this means that the water movement is accomplished via an airstone. There was also mention of a "7w6500K" light.

 

[Algae Blenny]

The light they use is bizarre it looks like a Christmas light.

Bob

 

[cpeluso]

Thanks for the advice, Technoshaman! Like so much else in the early days of this hobby, I guess we'll all just have to keep experimenting. I've been told that the Germans simply stick needles through the shrooms and into the rock and leave them there until they attatch. I tried that - looked like "Frankenstein reef" and the shrooms seemed to find a way to detatch themselves from the needles.
Chris

 

[cpeluso]

Brandon,
As you requested, here are a couple of pics of my German 1 gallon pico at 8 days old (one day after 100% water change and Superglueing star polyps and a couple shrooms).
Chris

 

[brandon4291]

I really am impressed at how nice yours looks as well Chris! Thanks for the pics.

Looks really nice, your GSP's are extended along with your mushrooms in the globe. PS, thats a cool container.

looks great

B

 

[cpeluso]

Thanks for the compliments, Brandon (but it's Chris, not Charles!). I was wondering if you felt that there were any disadvantages in having as much macroalgae as I do? Also, what are your thought about calcium additions to a bowl like this if I don't add any stony corals? The guy (Michael) who showed me how to set this up, also adds "a touch" of liquid phytoplankton each week. What are your thoughts about this?
Chris

 

[brandon4291]

Sorry, name mistype


I recommend regular additions of calcium and alkalinity in pico reefs. Coralline growth can be completely regulated by these two factors, in my reefs there are growths of it so thick I can't chip it off the walls for fear it will break the container. Also, small nanos/picos tend to accumulate 'waste' acids over the course of a week or so, enough to cause notable pH fluctuations. Regular additions of (pH9-12) alkalinity/carbonate liquids or powders help to offset this tendency while maintaining the needs of calcifying organisms.

I also like to add suspended phytoplankton supplements to my small reefs, you will notice a boom in tiny fanworm populations. Dt's phytoplankton and others like it tend to accumulate on the inner glass sides, making for a tough scraping removal in about a month.

Your macroalgae looks nice in there, and very full. It will have the physical effect of producing oxygen surpluses during the day, and oxygen deficits at night (oxygen is consumed during night phase). I too have kept a macro forest in a small tank, and I think the organisms for the most part can tough out any nightly oxygen stress. I found it to be more of a pruning chore, so eventually I quit using macroalgae unless it was housed in a baffle refugium where growth was controlled.

Tried that red gracillaria once and couldnt keep it very well, it looks outstanding in your bowl! Red reef organisms are especially nice IMO...

 

[cpeluso]

Brandon,
I was given a couple sprigs of grape caulerpa (?SP) and within a week it began attatching itself to everything in the bowl. I removed it immediately, but remember what a pain it becomes. I wish I would have never added any since I'm sure it will soon start reappearing in my bowl. It's illegal to even possess this stuff in CA now because it's become such a nuissance. Please be sure to check out my "nano heater" posting from this evening. Is this possibly the heater you've been waiting for?
Chris

 

[Algae Blenny]

Is there any way you can post a picture of the tank and what its sitting on to see how small it really is? It looks great BTW.