# Chillinator's Pico Reef - let the fun begin...



## Guest

I've had this under wraps since Christmas when I toyed with the idea of starting a pico reef aquarium. I was going to pick something bigger but time constraints (A-level studying, travelling from one side of the pond to the other, photography and everything else) and a possible house move in the future dictated that something smaller and more easily manageable was in order.

The design...

The box - Betta Pico Cube, dimensions 23 x 26 x 28.5cm. Approximate volume (before displacement): 17 litres/3.8 gallons. I bought this tank back in Los Angeles on my last visit, it was a hell load of fun getting it back over here in one piece, but it was a bargain!

Filtration - 3kg of the finest, cured live rock (Fiji, Indonesian, whatever I like the look of and harbours plenty of 'surprises').

Water circulation - 250lph circulation pump at the base of the central 'weir' filtration system (which will house carbon and/or rowaphos if required) plus an Eheim Compact 300. Total tank turnover of 32 times per hour.

Lighting - 'Reef white' LED mini pendant supplied with aquarium. This emits a fantasticly bright, cool-white glow and the PAR readings are good at the 24cm depth mark. Supplemented with a 9-LED Moonlight strip (on a timer) which I had to modify in order to mount it to the main light pendant using two pieces of plastic and adhesive pads.

I do intend to sump the tank at a later date to remove the unsightly heater that resides in the back-right of the aquarium. I was going to place this on my desk in my room however my new one is made of glass which might not take too well to 20kg of water, glass and sand pressing down on it. Alternatively the tank is to be placed downstairs in the dining room.

The substrate will consist of a 50/50 mix of Caribsea Fiji Pink and TMC fine-grade coral sand. Reverse osmosis water supplied by Aquahome until my Osmotics 50gpd 4-stage RO unit arrives in the mail.

Stock-wise, these are early days so I'm not rushing into anything where this is concerned; I've got plenty of time to choose which invertebrates (sessile and mobile) would make suitable candidates. Pico tanks need more time and care where maturing is concerned. I will however be stocking a Clown Goby (_Gobiodon okinawae_) once the tank has settled down.

I'm not quite ready to get the tank wet yet as my main circulation pump is currently sat at the post office which will need to be collected tomorrow morning. As soon as I have it, I'll fill the tank with water, switch everything on and take a few snaps for the diary.


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## magpie

Goddammit, I was expecting pics when I clicked on this!! 

I know nothing about marine tanks, so the technical stuff has gone right over my head. I will be back when there are pretty pictures for me to go 'ooooh' over though


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## Guest

Current water conditions in the 25 litre RO container...

I've used TMC Pro Reef salt.

pH - 7.8 (increasing by 0.1 slowly)
Specific Gravity - 1.020 (I want it at 1.025)
Phosphate - 0ppm (D-D Merck High Sensitivty Phosphate test kit)
Calcium - 420ppm
Magnesium - 1295ppm 
Nitrate - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Temperature - 26°C/78.8°F

It's starting to resemble natural seawater.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Three questions
> Where's the pics?
> Is it already drilled for a sump?
> Whats the colour temperature of the lights?


Patience is a virtue, I've just filled the tank with water and switched everything on. 

I don't intend to drill the tank, I've got something a bit more simple up my sleeve. As for the LEDs, the colour temperature on the box reads 14000K, which looks about right.


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## Guest

The Pico Reef - Day 1... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

Water parameters...

pH - 8.3
Specific Gravity - 1.025
Temperature - 25.6°C/78°F
Alkalinity - 11.3dKH (a bit high, but it's stable)
Calcium - 420ppm
Magnesium - 1500ppm (practically off the scale, but I've re-tested it again and the result has come back exactly the same)
Phosphate - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm


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## Guest

Water parameters, as of 6am this morning...

pH - 8.3
Temperature - 25.2°C/77.36°F
Specific Gravity - 1.025
dKH - 10.9 
Calcium - 430ppm
Magnesium - 1400ppm
Phosphate - 0ppm

It's looking good, so live rock and sand is going in tomorrow.


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## Guest

LR from Calico Aquatics going in today. :cornut:

As of 7:30am...

pH - 8.3
Temperature - 25.1°C/77.2°F
Specific Gravity - 1.025
dKH - 11
Calcium - 430ppm
Magnesium - 1400ppm
Phosphate 0ppm


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## Guest

Pico Reef - Day 3 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr


Pico Reef - Day 3 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr


Pico Reef - Day 3 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr


Moonlight on the Pico Reef - Day 3 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

Another shipment of LR is due at Calico Aquatics next week with some rather interesting pieces arriving. I'll be buying another kilo or two to build-up the structure. The main piece is fastened to a plate-shaped piece of rock using D-D aquascaping putty, so it isn't sat directly on the substrate which could cause problems later.


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## Guest

I've got a bit of a problem here, the pH is dropping. It's fallen from 8.3 to 7.7 over the past 12 hours. 

What I don't understand is what's causing it to fall, Magnesium and Calcium levels are 1480ppm and 470ppm respectively, dKH is at 8.5 and phosphate reads 0ppm. My surface agitation is suffcient so CO2 build-up can't be the answer.

I'll have to have another look later and go by the book.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> That's a big drop in ph over 12hours. When are you testing?
> I used to test just before the lights went on and just as they went off


I tested last night at 8pm, this morning at 9am and again at 11:30am. I've tested using a Salifert pH test kit and a calibrated pH monitor, both brought back the same readings with a +/-0.1 difference.

The thing is now it's started to climb again, the reading stands at 8.0 as of 15 minutes ago.


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## lil muppet

what would people say the best ratio of rock to water is?

im having to wait till next tuesday for my tank! :mad5:


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## Guest

lil_muppet said:


> what would people say the best ratio of rock to water is?


My tank holds 15 litres with the rock, which tipped the scales at just over 2.09kg. Despite the usual rock to water ratio being 1kg per 10l. (2.2lb to 2.2 gal.), it seems I'll need another kilo or two to actually build up the rockwork.


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## Guest

When you smell it, make sure it has a whiff similar to fresh sea food; otherwise it's a no-no. Avoid anything that smells of rotting vegetables or hydrogen sulfide.

Good live rock should have traces of coralline algae visible and there should be sufficient flow in the holding tank.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> If you get a sudden pain in your nose when you're sniffing it put it back it has a mantis shrimp inside


Bring a first-aid kit... :lol:


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## welshjet

May the force be with you Chillinator

We've done ordinary tropical fish for a while and we are just waiting for the last few to say adeiu and then we have decided to set up goldfish, 

god Lilly is bad enough with the small fish, let alone big colourful fish lol!


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## Guest

Water test results, as of 9:45am this morning (lights on)...

pH - 7.7 (Salifert pH and Pinpoint pH monitor, both to within a difference of +/-0.1)
dKH - 8.3
S.G. 1.025
PO4 - 0.015ppm (this I'm leaving where it is, phosphate means food for algae which means food for CUC)
Ca - 460ppm
Mg - 1500ppm (off the scale)
NH3 - Hard to tell, it seems to be hovering just slightly above 0ppm
NO3 - <10ppm

I'm not attemping to raise the pH, I'll allow it to settle naturally over the course of the next few weeks. If it doesn't start to rise and stabilize, I'll resort to Kalkwasser.


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## Guest

Come to think of it, a slightly low pH may have some advantages where cycling is concerned. Ammonia becomes increasingly toxic at a higher pH; a lower pH will lower the toxicity of the ammonia and prevent the loss of any hitchhikers in the rock that have yet to show themselves.


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## Guest

I've just purchased the following...

300g Calcium hydroxide (Kalkwasser)
Food-grade 2 litre plastic tub
4m airline
Silicone sealant
Distilled white vinegar

All of this is for dosing Kalkwasser if it's required to raise the pH and dKH later. It'll also come in handy for boosting Ca levels.


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## Guest

It seems I have an unidentified, snail-like hitchhiker which has emerged from the live rock...


Pico Reef Hitchhiker... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

It has a pale-brown shell and also an extension on its body that extends and retracts to pull itself along the glass.

If anyone can give me a positive ID on this, I would be most grateful.


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## catz4m8z

Its looking good!! I hope you find some more hitchhikers in there!!
(I would love a tank like that but seeing as how most of what you have said sounds like gibberish to me its not likely!!LOL)


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## Guest

I've had a positive ID on the hitchhiker, it's either a Nassarius or a Peppermint snail. Either way, it's good so its staying.


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## Guest

Water quality, as of today...

pH - 7.7 
S.G./Salinity - 1.026/35ppt
dKH - 7.3 
Ca - 475ppm (coming down slowly)
Mg - 1500ppm 
Phosphate - 0.015ppm
Ammonia - <0.25ppm
Nitrate - <10ppm

I have what appears to be Diatoms growing on the rock which is a sign of the tank starting to develop.


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## Guest

I added an extra 1.3kg of 'Eco' live rock from Calico Aquatics today, I broke it into two pieces (listen up kids: always wear eye-protection when doing things like this) and made a stack using D-D Aquascaping putty. There's plenty of holes and crevices in the rock to provide suitable habitats for various invertebrates.

There's also a fair amount of red bubble algae growing, as well as small patches of green hair algae which will be a suitable food source for my CUC.


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## Guest

As of tonight, after an hour of aquascaping...


Pico Reef - Day 10 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

I've also made a modification to the pump outlet to accommodate a 16mm 45-degree elbow; this will direct the flow across the upper parts of the rock structure and circulate extra water around the base, minimizing dead-spots.


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## Guest

Plenums (and also the Jaubert system) have fallen out of favour now, simply because of problems and disadvantages when compared to using DSBs or a refugium. A plenum would also take up valuable room in a tank as small as this.


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## dobermummy

Chillinator said:


> . If it doesn't start to rise and stabilize, I'll resort to Kalkwasser.


 im sorry for lowering the tone of the thread but that sounds rude


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## Nicky10

Can't wait to see how it turns out I've looked into having one of these but it's all far too complicated for me


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## Guest

mumof6 said:


> im sorry for lowering the tone of the thread but that sounds rude


When I first heard of Kalkwasser a few years ago I thought it was German profanity! :lol:

Kalkwasser is what is otherwise known as Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). It's used by marine aquarists to raise pH, alkalinity and calcium. 

At the moment I have a 3 litre tub with an RO/Kalk mix connected to a drip line so I can dose the Kalkwasser mix drop by drop to keep the pH and calcium levels stable.


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## Guest

Currently dosing Kalkwasser solution via a drip-line to stabilize the pH.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> What's the CUC, clean up crew?


Yep, I've not yet decided on what to include. Crabs may be on or off the list.

It'll be a few weeks before the tank has matured enough for the addition of any livestock. In the meanwhile I'm keeping my eyes peeled on the water quality and on the lookout for any hitchhikers.


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## Miss.PuddyCat

How are tanks like that. Ive seen them in my local Aqua Store and they look pretty interesting, pricey tho.


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## Guest

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> How are tanks like that. Ive seen them in my local Aqua Store and they look pretty interesting, pricey tho.


Not bad, however I disposed of the ceramic media that came with the tank, modified the hinge on the light unit and drilled a small hole in the side of the 'weir' to prevent pockets of air becoming trapped below my chemical media (Rowaphos).

So far, the whole thing has cost me around £550, which believe it or not is cheap by marine standards!


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## Guest

Latest test results for the important stuff...

pH - 8.2
S.G. - 1.024
dKH - 9.6
Calcium - 500ppm (courtesy of Kalkwasser)
Magnesium - 1470ppm


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## Guest

I've just found a pair of inch-long, blue-black Bristleworms crawling around on the substrate. 

My pH has stabilized at 8.3, but the Calcium is through the roof at 495ppm. Pretty soon I'm going to have very large patches of Coralline algae growing over the glass. The Phosphate level reads 0.008ppm.


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## Guest

A basic outline of the sump...

Sump dimensions - 18 x 10 x 10"/46 x 25 x 25cm
Water depth - 8"/20cm

I'm going to create a chamber using egg-crate to hold a large clump of chaetomorpha which will act as an algae scrubber along with a small bag of rowaphos. The sump will be fed via a 25mm pipe with an Eheim Compact 1000 acting as the sump return pump; the sump will only be about 18/46cm below the main tank so the Eheim should be more than adequate.

I did think about a protein skimmer, however given the rather limited choice of skimmers available for pico-sized systems and the good stuff I could potentially lose to skimming I've decided not to bother. The macroalgae coupled with regular water changes will be used for nutrient export.


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## Guest

Time for a quick hitch-hiker head count...

2x Bristleworms
1x Nassarius/Peppermint Snail
1x Sponge that I've yet to identify

In a few weeks I'm going to innoculate the tank with a dose of live Phytoplankton. I'm also thinking of swapping the Eheim Compact 600 for a 300 because the larger pump is kicking up the sand and piling it up towards the rear of the tank.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Couldn't you T the outlet of the 600 off and redirect some of the flow?


I've tried that, it didn't exactly make much of a difference; it simply blasted the sand to opposite corners. The adjustment lever on the underside of the pump isn't sensitive enough to adjust the flow-rate to the point where it provides adequate water movement and doesn't disturb the substrate.


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## Guest

Photos from today...


Pico Reef - Day 13 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr


Pico Reef - Day 13 by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

My Kalkwasser (Calcium hydroxide) mixing/dosing tub, complete with a warning label to prevent any curious-minded people from getting too close to it...


Kalkwasser drip... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

Since Kalkwasser has a pH of about 12 on the scale and is corrosive, I use a BD 10ml. syringe to draw the solution from the tub and start the siphon from the tub to the aquarium under gravity. The flow of solution through the tubing is controlled via a knot in the tubing which I can tighten or loosen to control the drips going into the tank each second.

Sucking on the end of the tubing isn't advisable for fairly obvious reasons...


Kalkwasser feed syringe... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr


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## dobermummy

Kalkwasser *giggle* sorry 

its looking good


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## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> I just sucked it  and used an airline control valve to control the drips


 ok this thread is just getting too rude for me :lol:


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## Guest

Water test results, as of 15:00...

pH - 8.1
S.G. - 1.026
dKH - 11.6
Calcium - 550ppm (off the scale, but easy to calculate the excess)
Magnesium - 1710ppm 
Phosphate - <0.015ppm
Nitrate - 25ppm (thanks to the amount of organic matter floating around, a water change is scheduled for tomorrow)
Ammonia - 0ppm

And today, I found this little [email protected] that hitched a ride on the live rock...


Pico Reef - Aiptasia... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams photography..., on Flickr

Kalkwasser or Joe's Juice with a hypodermic needle should do the trick.


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## Guest

Before resorting to chemical warfare against the Aiptasia, I tried manually pulling it out using a pair of tweezers...

This was, as you would probably expect, completely fruitless. All it did was retreat back into the rock.

This means war!


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## Fishyfins

ahhhh aptasia, how i remember thee :3

i always used Joes Juice when dealing with these little blighters. my dad on the other hand, fed his.... *facepalm*

we have a public aquarium near me called The Deep, and its plagued with them


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## Guest

Three Aiptasia down... :001_smile:


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## Guest

This morning I found a Cirratulidae Spaghetti worm scaling the glass.

pH - 8.2
dKH - 11.6
S.G. - 1.026
Phosphate - 0.008ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm

Things seem to be stabilizing and I have a fine crop of algae growing on the rocks. So, I'm going to start introducing CUC within the next 2-3 weeks.


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## Guest

pH - 8.1
S.G. - 1.025
dKH - 10.6
Phosphate - <0.008ppm
Calcium - 500ppm (finally dropping, the excess calcium is starting to bleach small patches of my coralline algae)
Magnesium - 1495ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm


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## dobermummy

can i show mu total ignorance  and ask what is Aiptasia and why is is bad


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## Guest

Basically, here's the deal with Aiptasia: they grow and multiply if not controlled. If they aren't kept in check, they can overrun an aquarium, catch and kill small fish and invertebrates, and sting corals to death.


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## Guest

Time for an update...

I've got fine crops of green hair algae and macroalgae growing on the rocks, as well as the usual diatoms.

Aside from topping-up and testing the salinity on a daily basis, I have been deliberately neglecting the tank for the past week or so to give it a chance to mature.

pH - 8.1
S.G. 1.025
dKH - 8.8
PO4 - <0.008 (0ppm?)
Calcium - 480ppm
Magnesium - 1580ppm
NO3 - 2ppm
NH3 - 0ppm

I'm going to carry out one small water change within the next day or so. Given the amount of food that is now available in the tank, I'm going to start introducing CUC within a week.


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## Guest

Taken June 29th...


A Pico Reef that needed cleaning... by Luke 'Chillinator' Williams & Melissa Hersch, on Flickr

The blue LEDs have blown (not surprising, they were from ebay after all) and are now undergoing replacement. You can also see purple coralline algae growing on the glass at the bottom-left of the aquarium.


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