Badfish & LittleMermaids 2.5 Nano Build

[TheLittleMermaid]

Badfish & LittleMermaids Pico Build 2012
Updated Pico Pic: 6/4/2012
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/7c80b875.jpg
Updated Pico Price List- Final: 5/5/2012
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/NanoFinalPriceList.png

Let the fun begin! My Husband and I will be working on this contest together. We have constructed two builds in the beginning of 2011 using the same tank model. ]
Once we moved into our new home, we moved all the corals since they were outgrowing their tanks. The timing of this was perfect because we then had some great pieces to put into our new rimless. I re-built one of the pico's last fall because it was just so fun. I have another thread with that mushroom only pico. Some Pics for you to see!
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/tripicopic.jpg

The tank we are using has been cycling since we pulled the other corals out. It is a 2.5 Gallon Fluval Spec Tank with an all in one filter and pump system. The hood and light are custom built. The light system consists of 5X 3 watt Cree LED's. We have a mini compact 10 watt heater running too. Last night I did a glass scrape and a small water change before we added any corals. Lets get started!
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/0dded4d5.jpg

[AJ :)]

Your last years tank looked awesome!

Good luck with the new contest!

[Badfish]

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic Nano. This will be that tank. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster.

http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20110801/092402.jpg

[larryandlaura]

Very nice entry! Good luck....

[Badfish]

We decided we did not like our aquascape so we are thinking about changing it up.

[TheLittleMermaid]

So after debating about our rock we decided to use a different piece that we had in our fuge for our other tank. Last week I picked up a few loose frag pieces and tonight I fragged out a few of my own. As of today we have:

2 Red Mushrooms- Own
1 Green Stripped Mushroom- LFS
Pink/Brown Zoa's- LFS
Green/Red Paly's- LFS
Yellow/Red/Green Zoas- 2 Polyps- Own
Gobstopper Paly's- 2 Poylps- Own
Pulsing Xenia- Own
Green Star- Own

I will work on a price list tomorrow for a tally to date with my recepits. Take a look at the new rock and all the new additions! Hopefully tomorrow everything with be settled and open up a little more.
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/d2c6206c.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/babb60bc.jpg

[nate_newton]

The Spec does work well for a nano, adjustable flow also. Could even do SPS with the Ecoxotic leds. I have one as my betta's home

[TheLittleMermaid]

The Spec does work well for a nano, adjustable flow also. Could even do SPS with the Ecoxotic leds. I have one as my betta's home
I just love this little tank. Maintenance is so easy! I am hoping to pick up some SPS frags at the Lansing Swap coming up to test out the lighting. The tank would make a great Betta tank too! I would love to see that!

[nate_newton]

I just love this little tank. Maintenance is so easy! I am hoping to pick up some SPS frags at the Lansing Swap coming up to test out the lighting. The tank would make a great Betta tank too! I would love to see that!

I think you could do a birdsnest easily with the stock lighting.

[Badfish]

I think you could do a birdsnest easily with the stock lighting.

The stock light is long gone, that thing wouldn't keep zoa's alive. This bad boy has a custom led hood I made for it last year. We've alread kept Hydnophora successfully in it before (the green coral in the 2nd pic of the thread), it was way to aggressive for that small of a tank though. Birdsnest would good alternitive, so would Stylophora or maybe some branching Montipora. I would love to try some Acro but I'm not sure the water quality would be up to par.

[nate_newton]

The stock light is long gone, that thing wouldn't keep zoa's alive. This bad boy has a custom led hood I made for it last year. We've alread kept Hydnophora successfully in it before (the green coral in the 2nd pic of the thread), it was way to aggressive for that small of a tank though. Birdsnest would good alternitive, so would Stylophora or maybe some branching Montipora. I would love to try some Acro but I'm not sure the water quality would be up to par.

You could run GFO to help, or something like Seachem's Purigen. With that lighting you should be able to do acro's. I had a frag in mine last year that was thriving and the only filtration I had was water changes

[Badfish]

I've ran Chemi Pure in it before, never tried purigen though. Would I just use it kinda like bagged carbon? just drop it in the filter section?

[TheLittleMermaid]

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/nano1.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/nano2.jpg

[lobster_mobster]

it looks so good! i love the rock :)

[Badfish]

Thought I would take a turn and update. We added a couple pieces of acropora from the swap along with an acan and some zoas. The acros have been in the tank for about two weeks. I am working on getting some purigen running in there soon. We are hoping to add some rics and maybe an invert. I have been looking for a squat lobster. Any good invert ideas?
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/5e325cdd.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/multishot.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/sps.jpg

[MizTanks]

Wow! That sure is an awesome lil tank!

[Heidi]

OK so the acro in a pico!!! Wow what can I say ya'll are some risky people ;) I will be following this to see how it goes it is looking very beautiful for such a little tank. Off to a great start guys!

Heidi

[Badfish]

Thanks you two. We were able to keep Hydnophora in this tank before, so thought we'd give acro a shot this time. So far there has been a little color fading in one but other than that they seem good.

[thepanfish]

That graciliara should help water quality too!

[phishcrazee]

Interesting look, I like it :) Do you have any plans for fish, inverts, etc?

[Badfish]

I was thinking a hippo tang..... just kidding. The tank is too small for me to think it would be fair keep a fish in and I really don't want to deal with the bio-load from a fish. As for inverts I was thinking maybe a squat lobster or a porceilin crab, and I would love to get some bumble bee shrimp in there if I could find some.

[Badfish]

Well after going to the Lansing swap the end of January and my wife picking up some frags at our LFS, I think we've filled it up. My wife also worked on a chart listing our total cost for the build so far. We are still settling in a few pieces but take a look so far...
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/4419b040.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/NanoPriceList.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/triscan22012.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/quadshot22012.jpg

[MizTanks]

Freaking sweet pictures!! Tank looks awesome :)

[Badfish]

Thanks Miz the Acros are both still looking good, the one in front has lost almost all of it's color though. And once all the corals are happy we plan on aquascaping a little more.

[Badfish]

Did a little re-scaping the other day.
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212717.jpg

This Monti and Acro both seem happy, and the Gobs look like they're pop'n out a few new heads.
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212818.jpg


I think we've got a nice variety in this this little guy for only being 2 gals. I started noticing a little algae on the acan so I'm going to add some Seachem SeaGel (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/SeaGel.html)this weekend when I change the carbon out.
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212743.jpg


All the different Zoas and Palys are open and looking good.
http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212754.jpg


This is my favorite piece, it's left over from when I was trimming off a dead branch from a Acro frag I bought for my cube. I tossed it in my fuge figuring it was pod food now, but after a few days it still had some signs of life so I glued it to a plug and let it heal a little. Now it seems to be rehabbing nicely in its new home
http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212631.jpg

I'm still kinda amazed that all of the Sps is doing so well, the only real issue so far is color fading in the front piece. The tank has LEDs and a 40 gph circulation pump; so the lighting and flow is there but I didn't think I would able to be kept the water parameter levels stable enough for Acros. I manually top it off every night with RO/DI, and always do about a 20% water change weekly (Red plastic solo cup's worth :redneck:) with the same obsessively controlled water I use for my 45 gal.
http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120228/212727.jpg

Thanks for Looking.

[MizTanks]

I've got the perfect inverts for your tank.....SEXY SHRIMP!
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1981.jpg

As for a fish....FLAMING PRAWN GOBY! Max size 1" :)

[Badfish]

Thanks Miz, ha you tell me where I can get a Flaming Prawn Goby around here and I would probably pay the carzy price for one! We've had sexies in all of our Picos so far, looking for something different this time. I'm still keeping my eyes out for that bumble bee shrimp.:shifty:

[Badfish]

Nothing too exciting happening, there is a little growth going on but nothing mind blowing. Still haven't gotten around to getting any cool inverts yet..


http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/154817.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/154817.jpg)

http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/154832.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/154832.jpg)


There's 3 new Gobstopper heads and the Sps is growing a little but the hairy Acro still still hasn't colored up.

http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/155159.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/155159.jpg)

http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120319/154913.jpg

But all things considered the tank is doing great, Thanks for looking.

[AJ :)]

You make it seem so easy! The tank looks real good with a great variety of corals.

[Badfish]

Thanks AJ, I'm still surprised how easy it has been as well. (knock on wood) I think the good fortune of this tank is do to the fact that I have such a light Bio-load, I stay on top of my weekly water changes, and most importantly my daily RO top off is done religiously.

The biggest challenge with this tank that I've run in to so far is the light acclimation, not a lot of room to raise and lower corals in a 2 gal tank. And when you have zoas, mushrooms, LPS, and SPS all within a few inches of each other it gets a little tricky. I've had to keep the LEDs running at about 70% power for the blues and only about 10% on the whites to keep from burn the lower light stuff. Because of this my Acros aren't as colorful as they once where, but with in the last 2 weeks or so I've slowly been turn up the power to the whites and have already noticed a little color coming back.

Happy Acro, just not colorful
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174113.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174113.jpg)

With the polyps retracted you can see the tips finally getting some if their blue color back.
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174617.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174617.jpg)

and most of my sps have started to encrust as well
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120403/080854.jpg (http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120403/080854.jpg)

[phishcrazee]

Looking good! Will be fun to see this as a grown out tank a year (or less) from now :)

[Captain]

NOT TOO SHaBBy BaDDy!

[Badfish]

Looking good! Will be fun to see this as a grown out tank a year (or less) from now :)

Thanks, I hoping by then I'll have gotten an ATO, another year of daily manual top off? :blackeye: No thanks



NOT TOO SHaBBy BaDDy!

Ha ha,Just try'n to make it HaPPen CaP'n :silly:

[Badfish]

Here a pic with the Solo Cup I use to do my Water chages, kinda gives the photo some scale.

[thefishgirl]

Red Solo Cup... I fill you up... Let's have a party..... :beer:

Tank is looking awesome! I have a fondness for picos! Good luck!!

[Badfish]

http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182730.jpg (http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182730.jpg)

Sorry for lack of info on this thread I was waiting until I had the tank a little more stable before I wanted to talk about my approach to this build. Lately I've read a lot articles on how technology and advances in equipment has made reef keep much easier; while I totally agree with this statement (I have Leds on this tank and they are the main reason why it's able to keep such a wide range of corals), I've also seen tanks more tricked than the cars from those fast and furious movies. :oldman:Too many people depend on crazy controllers and loads of equipment meant to reduce the amount of water changes need to be done rather than doing research on what makes a balanced system and watching to see what their tank is telling them.

I felt a good way to test this is by using the famous K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) method on this tank and seeing how far I could take it. Again the only maintenance is my weekly water changes and daily RO/DI Top off, I'm using the tanks stock filter pretty much as is:

Mechanical: Porous foam block
Chemical: Replaced Carbon with SeaChem's SeaGel for phosphate control
Biological: BIOMAX insert

no skimmer, no dosing, no feeding... I didn't even test my water parameters up until last week. I wanted to just keep an eye on everything and let the tank tell me how it's going. The only thing I have been worrying about lately is my Alk and Ca levels because I have a lot of stony corals in this tiny guy, I figured that they were being soaked up like a sponge and the water changes would have a hard time keeping up. (The levels for my fresh mixed W/C are @ 8-9 dKH and 460-480 Ca). And with all the different variables from light acclimation to just plain having SPS in a pico, it was hard to tell just on observing growth alone, so I decided maybe it was time to test the tank and see how things where holding up.

All the levels seem pretty good except for dKH it was at 5! So I've been doing small daily water changes with 12 dKH to slowly get it back to around 9-10. Surprisingly none of the corals seem to have been effected too much by it, I was still seeing pretty good growth in my stonys.
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182831.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182831.jpg)
(4 new heads on this Acan)

I'm hoping once I get the levels where I want them I can maintain them my using water with higher dKH and Ca for my weekly water changes. Another problem we dealt with was the red Zoas came down with a fungal infection of some sort
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174623.jpg (http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120329/174623.jpg)

but we dipped them in some Furan-2 which seem to do the trick and they are recovering nicely.
http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120423/063837.jpg (http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120423/063837.jpg)


Also the last few piece of coral have all been light acclimated so the tank got a final rescaping job, that makes a total of 20 different piece in only 2 gals :stars:. I'm thinking the tanks is full, time to sit back and watch it grow. The only thing I'm still looking to add is a unique inverter of some sort... I just have no Idea what .


http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182718.jpg (http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182718.jpg)
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182749.jpg (http://www.dropshots.com/BadFish#date/2012-04-22/18:27:49)


http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/881776/20120422/182858.jpg (http://www.dropshots.com/BadFish#date/2012-04-22/18:28:58)

Thanks for looking.

I'm working on the price list, it should be up in a few days

[phishcrazee]

Nice update, tanks looking great!

[TheLittleMermaid]

Now that everything has been placed in our Pico we are ready to watch it grow! I am hoping that we can work on a video clip tomorrow of our tank. The last few additions which were added are blue sympodium (hiding in the back for now), a small piece of our yellow scroll coral, and a mushrrom we picked up in Flint. Take a look!

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/aeeb3ba1.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/84c9950b.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/ee28c3e9.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/3a6d0a8a.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/88cbbb5b.jpg

I have also put together our final Coral Price List for the Build as well as the cost for the tank and equipment used.
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/NanoFinalPriceList.png
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/NanoEquipmentList.png

[MizTanks]

Beautiful!!

[phishcrazee]

Really like the blue sympodium :) Looking good!

[TheLittleMermaid]

Beautiful!!

Thanks! I'm just loving all the different coral species we are able to keep in the little guy!



Really like the blue sympodium :) Looking good!

I love Sympodium. It just brings color to a tank and is a great filler! A bit better than green star :) It is growing and spreading great in my rimless. I hope one day a year or so from now I will be able to do a frag tank and sell out pieces. It's just a thought....dont know if I would have enough time to do it though we will see! :) Thanks for looking.

[TheLittleMermaid]

Well my husband and I have been extremely busy now that summer has arrived. He is tied up at work all day and I have returned back to school for my last college course! With work, school, warm weather and tons of chores this little pico has been amazing! We stay on top of our daily top off wtih r/o water and thats it. The maintenance is very minimal. It is just like watering a plant! Our water changes lately have been bi-weekly and the tank seems to suffered a little so our plan is to get back to a weekly changes.The corals have been growing and spliting like crazy. The orange montipora is now encrusting on the side of the glass. The Gobstopper Palys have more than double the polyps along with another red mushroom that sprouted out.
On the otherhand we did lose our red/blue zoas. We tried coral dipping them twice, but could not save them. It seems as if some types of zoas may not like our LED's. Also the blue sympodium I glued had moved from the rock and floated in the back of the live rock. I hope to reattach it to the rock with in the next couple of days. Even though it is just hanging out in the sand, the sympodium has tripled in size from the original piece that was added.
Here are a few pics so you can check out the growth of the corals.
We have had a lot of fun with this contest! We hope we can keep this tank going as long as we can. :)

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/4370ea24.jpg

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/ed03be5d.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/b58a05fd.jpg

Blue Sympodium:
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/8144f197.jpg

Orange Montipora:
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/0f6da4f5.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/3cb535b2.jpg

[TheLittleMermaid]

Well I seem to have misplaced my micro magnet so I cleaned up the little pico by hand for the final pics! Unfortunetly a few things are hiding. I have enjoyed watching my nano grow along with all the other nano builds. It sure is amazing what you can grow in these little tanks and how beautiful and magnificent everyone has made them. A final look at my little pico build!
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/7c80b875.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/f220afbf.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/eda37520.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/07c8ce8c.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/afc91582.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/807df318.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/f6a30c5c.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/ccb37a71.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/b7e92488.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/pknight719/Nano%20Build%202012/f9973a69.jpg
Thanks for following! :)

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Looking good... no GREAT! I especially like the shot where you can see the lionfish statue in the background.

Tom

[MizTanks]

Wow super sweetness! Lots of growth :)

[AJ :)]

What a great looking tiny tank!

[phishcrazee]

Beautiful tank, good job :) I forget the size of it until I see it next to the lionfish statue!

[TheLittleMermaid]

Thanks everyone! I really had fun with this little pico. We will see where it gets at the end of this year! :)