Red1313

Ok so I have a couple 2.5 tanks that are sitting empty and I started thinking about trying to set up a Pico tank. It won't be for awhile yet since I want to do alot more research before I start putting $$ into it. However since a pico tank is so small I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting fish in it. And I'm having difficulty understanding most of the corals... So I have a couple questions.
1) Would a plate coral stay small enough for a pico? The tank dimensions are roughly 12"x6"x8".
2) Would I be better off instead to just go with a live rock arrangement and see what grows?
Thanks,
Red

agsansoo

"It won't be for awhile yet since I want to do alot more research before I start putting $$ into it." Excellent idea ! I run a 4 gallon grow-out tank with around 20 baby banggai cardinals. All I use is a sponge filter with weekly 40 % water changes. They will get very dirty very quick. bare bottom in a small tank is also a good idea too.

Red1313

Wouldn't bare bottom decrease the amount of bio filtration that's occurring?

agsansoo

Unless the sand is over six inches deep or your running an reverse UGF, sand achieves very little bio filtration. A sponge filter or just live rock will do !

agsansoo

Please read my thread on substrates.

Substrates 101

MizRamzi

Plate corals do get quit big. Ditto on the bare bottom. You could go with some LR and zoa's!! So many to choose from and beautiful isn't the word. Most are reasonably priced, and easy to get. A pico with LR covered in zoa, awesome!! Most peps I know us no filtration at all in a bare bottom LR only with zoa's tank. Twice weekly partial WC changes is sufficient, with the LR acting at the bio filter.