Sexy Pico Reef .68 gallon

[Anonymous]

Here's my:
Sexy Pico Reef

Tank Specs:
Started: October 2003
Tank: Red Sea Candy Combo XL
Size: 6”x 6”x 6”
Capacity: 0.68 gallon
Temperature: 76F / 24.4C
Heater: 25 Watt, 6” Thermal Compact
Filter: Azoo Nano Power Filter
Lighting: PC 7 Watt 7200 K "Dragon Fly" clamp-on
S.G.: 1.024
Live Rock: 0.25 lbs.
Substrate: Mixture of Aragalive Indo Pacific Black Live Sand, and Kent Mineral Mud, 0.75”
Corals:
3 Mushroom anemones
3 Purple branch gorgonian frags
8 Button Polyps
1 Tiny toadstool leather
2 Kenya Tree Coral frags
Critters:
3 Sexy Anemone Shrimps (Thor amboinensis)
2 Bumblebee Shrimps (Gnathophylloides mineri)
2 Miniature sea star (Asterina sp.)
Many tiny limpets
Macros:
Caulerpa prolifera
Cladophora sp. (?)
Red kelp

I do daily 150-ml water changes with water from my 65-gallon tank, and top off with a small turkey baster full of RO water (about 20 ml). I feed a tiny squirt of daphnia and/or a pinch of frozen brine daily. So far, so good! It's a great little tank, fun to watch!

 

[Anonymous]

Close-ups

 

[Anonymous]

The Bumblebee shrimp are good hiders!

 

[brandon4291]

Welcome the new focus thread! These little tanks are becoming more and more popular in local fish stores, and it was just a matter of time until someone built a reef in one. Greenighs is our next focus project builder, pump the thread up with some views people!

I am particularly interested in your inverts, what are the feeding requirements for these two types of shrimp? And, what a great heater, what kind is it?

Brandon M.

 

[UnderGrad]

Is evaporation a problem with this tank? I don't see any auto top off system, so I imagine that it could be dangerous to leave it alone for more than a day.

Arlan

 

[Anonymous]

green,
Can you PLEEASE post in the Nano Reef Fish/Invert thread with those shrimp? Awesome! I've always wanted a sexy shrimp...never even seen those bumblebee shrimp. Was it a LR hitchhiker?

 

[Anonymous]

The Bumblebee shrimp wasn't a hitchhiker, my LFS guy got some in and I couldn't resist.

I don't have a top-off system yet, but I do put a square piece of acrylic on top of it if I'm going to be home late. I was thinking of getting a Kent Marine AquaDose (1400 ml) for a gentler topoff of RO water, rather than the evening "tidal surge" they're getting now with the ol' turkey baster.

They like frozen Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Plus, which I dangle in front of them with a plastic tweezer. I love to watch them pull off bits and scarf 'em down! I also give the tank a baster full of water from the 65 gallon at invert feeding time, so it will get some of the DTs or whatever I'm feeding that day, but it will be diluted already, and won't over feed the tank. Thanks how I dose with calcium and potassium iodide, too.

 

[brandon4291]

Same with me Matt, never seen a bumblebee shrimp. That pic caught my eye!

 

[brandon4291]

How do you check the salinity> do you have to swingarm it every day or are you using the 'mark' trick--dry erase mark the waterline (outside of tank) set at .025, as it drops and the sg increases you topoff back to the line. if you can luckily avoid saltcreep, this method is very effective and easier than testing everyday.

 

[Anonymous]

I usually fill the salinity meter with a turkey baster when I'm doing the daily water change, and adjust it then, but your method sounds more reliable -- less testing and tweaking when I refill it.

Here's another shot of a bee:

 

[Anonymous]

Sweet little tank!

What are you feeding the bumblebee? I believe that's one that eats starfish, like a harlequin shrimp.

 

[brandon4291]

Hopefully it eats asterina stars, at least you have a chance at a regular food supply. Any large, aged refugium should have some and people or LFS are usually happy to pull you out a few, especially since some feel they are dangerous to polyps. I personally like them and have put them in my pico reefs as ministars, but also know others who intentionally remove them and throw them out.

Brandon M.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a couple of harlequins and they plowed through several hundred little stars in a few weeks. After that I fed them one small choc chip star a month, which they ate in its entirety, not just the tube feet. The best idea I have heard is to collect regular starfish from the ocean and freeze small chunks of them. I don't know of anybody who had actually tried it however.

 

[Anonymous]

The bees eat Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Plus or Prime Reef, and seem to be doing fine. I have to feed them directly, or they'll go after the littlest Sexy shrimp.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, that's very interesting, and good news. How long have you had them?

 

[brandon4291]

Green we have really enjoyed having this little wonder on our focus thread, and I think many poeple were very interested to see your approach to femto-reefing ( a cool term Liquid came up with for tanks under one gallon) GREAT JOB!

Brandon M.