pico tanks??

[pandafishowner]

i saw the pico tank in the picture section. i've got a tank about 1.5 gallons that i'd love to turn into a pico tank with some small frags and some live rock. how would i do it? what kind of light, what type filter/aeration, etc?

[Farrmanchu]

I did one that size. You need an AQ Mini HOB filter, and a 10 Watt Coralife 50/50 bulb. At room temp, the HOB should heat it to about 78, and when the light is on, it should go to 79 or 80. NO HEATER, the pump in the HOB heats it if it's around 1 Gallon. 1.5 might need a bigger HOB, or a heater. Weekly 40% waterchanges.

[Farrmanchu]

[pandafishowner]

cool, thanks! where did you get the Coralife 50/50 light from? i have 2 small hang on back filters already.

i have this tank and one of these somewhere. would they be ok?

[Geofrog]

I'm also thinking of starting a pico but how do you deal with evaporation? I would think that you would lose a lot during the day.

[pandafishowner]

I was wondering that too Geo. I know my 29g start evaporating noticably within a day or two of a water change so I do top offs every other day. The 10g saltwater tank will lose about an inch of water every 2-3 days too. It probably wouldn't be too hard to keep a bucket somewhere of saltwater already mixed to top it off with? Add a powerhead or something inside the bucket?

I just want a use for these tanks. I used to use them for QT tanks but aside from the corner one being a hospital tank for a new betta with fin rot right now, they haven't been used in months.

*edit* and what kind of corals can go in them? mushrooms? zoos? xenias? and crabs, snails?

[TRIX]

Hey. Don't do top up's with salt water your slanity will go through the roof. Top up with fresh water. Salt does not evaporate but the water does. If salt evaporated we would have a bunch of salt water rivers. Wouldn't that be cool though.

[Farrmanchu]

Originally Posted by TRIX

Hey. Don't do top up's with salt water your slanity will go through the roof. Top up with fresh water. Salt does not evaporate but the water does. If salt evaporated we would have a bunch of salt water rivers. Wouldn't that be cool though.

Ditto to that, topoff with non-salt.

[pandafishowner]

kk. top off with fresh water got it

[Farrmanchu]

The hex tank you linked would be perfect, the 10 Watt bulb fits just right in there. The HOB goes on the back (you may have to trim some parts), try and make it all as closed as possible, to minimize Evap. Top off DAILY...well, I've left it three days without top off and everything was fine. But DAILY with RO/DI water is best. The 10 Watt Coralife 50/50 should be avail. at most fish or pet stores.