3 Gallon Pico Jar!

So, to start off, I'm new here. I had an account years and years ago, but I lost interest in the hobby once I got into high school, and sold everything off. I had been in the saltwater portion of the hobby for my whole life at that point, and I was tired of it.

Recently, I was browsing Craigslist, looking for a used tank for my nephew. I came across a 10 gallon tank that was fully set up as a reef aquarium, and long story short, I ended up grabbing it. In the ad, it had said that it was a bit of a fixer-upper, with two fish, no coral, and just a few crabs and snails. It came with everything else that was needed.

Turns out, that was an understatement. The tank was covered in algae, and nitrates read over 80 PPM with an API kit. When I got the tank home, I cleaned up the front panel, the sand, and the filters. Then, I did a 100% WC, and re-acclimated everyone. The tank is ugly and still a bit cloudy, but it's safer for the inhabitants now. This is what came in the tank:

2 (small) Lyretail Mollies
6-8 snails, mostly dwarf ceriths
1 Hermit Crab (that I can find)
1 shriveled up zoa colony
and a mystery macroalgae.

I realize that the mollies will need to be rehomed at some point, but I'm not aware of any stores around me that'd take saltwater mollies. I also realize that I'll need a larger CUC, but I want to wait to make sure the tank isn't doomed before shelling out for that. As for the coral and macro, who knows if they'll make it. They don't look so good.

Equipment-wise, it came with:
An AC 20 HOB
An Aqueon 50W heater
An ABI PAR 38

and I added a powerhead I had laying around for some extra flow.

Forgive me if I'm forgetting any important details for a thread like this, but I'm jumping back into the hobby head-first. I'll use this as a sort of "tank journal", as well as ask any questions I may have here.

Thanks for reading! Pictures to come.

 

Also worth noting that I made sure not to clean the rock or the sand with anything but saltwater, so the cycle should be intact. There was no Ammonia or Nitrite present before I changed out water.

 

Welcome back. Sounds like you had your hands full.

 

Indeed, sounds like a big job, but congrats, and welcome back.

 

Well, I'm not sure I'm going to keep this tank going. Both mollies have died since the water change. Not sure why, as I matched SG, Temp, and PH of the new water to the old pretty well. Too bad The macroalgae isn't looking so good either, with a lot of nuisance algae growing on it. The coral is starting to come around, though.

I may move whatever inverts and coral I have into a different tank and use this one for a freshwater tank. I think starting over, new, without any previous issues might be the best idea.

 

That’s too bad. Sorry to hear that. Did the tank lose its cycle?

 

No, it doesn't seem so. There's no ammonia or nitrite present, just around 5 PPM of nitrate. Maybe the "fresh" water shocked them? I'm not sure.

 

Sorry about the mollies. You did what seemed best for them, so that's unfortunate the save didn't work out.

I have run across a story or two of fish being so used to very dirty water that a sudden switch to clean water took them out. It's hard to say with such new fish, but that's probably what I'd assume happened here.

Hmm, a fresh start sounds like a very good idea to me. How's the rock in the current tank looking? Any nuisance algae or pests there? If so... whelp, you might just want to completely start fresh, and while a whole new build isn't something I want to push on anybody, I'd say to go a little larger if at all possible. A 20 gallon long offers much more in the way of stocking room, but it would also require it's own equipment too. The 10 gallon sounds like a great quarantine tank for a little reef. Anyhow, just an idea and I'm glad to help either way.

If you stick in the 10 gallon range, I'd recommend keeping only one nano fish. A firefish would be awesome! My guy Scorch has been hardy through some tough times and was pretty brave before I put a clown in with him. They can be timid, but that was not my experience with Scorch while he was alone... which was for over a year. Again, just an idea, though I think a good one for a 10 gallon based on looks and activity level.

 

It’s hard to say. I know mollies in freshwater can stand some pretty dirty water, not sure about salt though.

 

There doesn't seem to be anything growing on the rock except for a bit of hair algae, and that's just growing in the nooks and crannies. I'm actually thinking about staying with a 10 gallon or even downsizing, and going with no fish. Just inverts and coral. I've been reading around on different sites, and have a few ideas for what I want to do. Thanks for the suggestions, though!

 

Yesss, I love a tiny pico reef tank! Please keep us updated, whatever you decide.

 

RFA gardens are beautiful.

 

I'd love to try and RFA! I'm not sure I want to do an RFA-dominated tank, but it might be cool to have a really colorful one in the middle of the scape and have corals surrounding it.

I'm starting to collect equipment from my storage unit... I found an old Top Fin HOB, an old Tetra heater, and some dead rock. I think I'll let everything run with some plain freshwater in an empty tank for a few days to make everything works well. I'll give the rock a bath in acid, too, to make sure I don't cause a big cycle.

As for the tank itself, I'm having tons of ideas. I want to stay away from the jar aquariums you see so often, just because I dislike the viewing angles so much. I'd really love to get a hold of a decent tiny cube, but they're all overpriced for what they are. I might just go with a cheap betta tank from petsmart to get my feet wet. We shall see!

 

Okay... So, I ended up going with a glass jar from Walmart, that's roughly 3 gallons. I don't love the viewing angles, but it's something different, and will save me from having to source a lid and light the tank evenly. Seems easier to me, and I'm all good with that.

I've got all the stock from the 10 gallon sitting in a rubbermaid container with an internal filter from Petsmart and a heater until this weekend when I can get the jar set up.

Stock Includes:
Lots of Dwarf Ceriths
1 Hermit Crab
Mystery Macroalgaes (some red, some green)
Caulerpa Prolifera (?)
Zoas

The only thing that may get thrown out is the zoas, since they're in SUCH rough shape. I don't want them to bomb the tank and kill everything.

I'll be lighting the tank with a desklamp and a PAR 30. Should be fun!

 

Indeed, it should be fun! Can't wait to see it come together.

 

You can always send the Zoas to me, I’m building a zoo garden

 

You can always send the Zoas to me

Ha! They'd melt in shipping.

Right now, they're opening up a tiny bit in the container I've got them in. They're still brown and deflated, though. We'll see if they pull through

 

The zoa's are looking much better today. They're showing a bit of their color, and look much more inflated and much larger than they did last night.

 

I've got the tank partially set up - the equipment is in, and the tank is in it's spot on my desk. I may move everything over tonight - it depends on how I feel after a coffee run!

I know that with these picos, bare bottom is often preferred due to the ease keeping such a tank clean. I personally prefer the look of sand, and I feel as if the hermit crab (and future non-snail inverts) may have an easier time with a sandy bottom. But, if it's really THAT much easier to keep clean with a bare bottom, I can go with that, too. What're your opinions on it? I've got an old bag of sand ready to go.

 

I don't have any insights for bare vs covered but super super excited to see it!

 

I've got the tank partially set up - the equipment is in, and the tank is in it's spot on my desk. I may move everything over tonight - it depends on how I feel after a coffee run!

I know that with these picos, bare bottom is often preferred due to the ease keeping such a tank clean. I personally prefer the look of sand, and I feel as if the hermit crab (and future non-snail inverts) may have an easier time with a sandy bottom. But, if it's really THAT much easier to keep clean with a bare bottom, I can go with that, too. What're your opinions on it? I've got an old bag of sand ready to go.

Check out Brandons reef jar. Its got a 3-4 inch sandbed and he rip cleans it two or three times a year, e.g, takes everything out, rinses the sand in tap, and does a 100% water change. Sand is fine, and is good bio filtration. Personally I'd do sand.

 

I've been reading through his build thread for a while, and I really like his setup. It's maybe a bit... Crowded, for my tastes, but beautiful. I'll definitely use some sand.

 

I've been reading through his build thread for a while, and I really like his setup. It's maybe a bit... Crowded, for my tastes, but beautiful. I'll definitely use some sand.

I agree with you, and he says it himself. But its an example of how it should work, e.g. cleaning and stuff. This is going to be super cool.

 

I'll be setting this tank up tonight, I think. I've got the sand rinsed and ready to go, and I'm mixing water as I type this.

Does anyone know a good way to attach soft macros to the rockscape? I have what I believe to be Caulerpa Prolifera, as well as Codium. I know that Prolifera can be a bit invasive, but I'd like to keep it. The codium seems kinda rough, but I think it could do well if I could just get it to stay put. Super Glue would just kill a portion of the algae, right?

Looking into the future, I've been looking for an attractive "centerpiece" for this tank. I'm thinking inverts, here. I've considered a peppermint shrimp, since they're so common, but I'm afraid that one would get a bit big. The same goes for a fire shrimp. There's also the option of a pom-pom crab, or a Pederson Cleaner, but I'm not that big on something that either hides all day or is pretty lackluster in the color department. Sexy shrimp are also on the radar, but they're a bit expensive for a trio. Anyone got ideas? I'd like something that's active during the day, and something that's going to have a lot of color. I'm not wholeheartedly against a small goby (I've seen a few people keep clown gobies in tanks smaller than this), but I don't think it's something I want to try in the moment. That'd just complicate things a bit too much for my current situation.

 

I'll be setting this tank up tonight, I think. I've got the sand rinsed and ready to go, and I'm mixing water as I type this.

Does anyone know a good way to attach soft macros to the rockscape? I have what I believe to be Caulerpa Prolifera, as well as Codium. I know that Prolifera can be a bit invasive, but I'd like to keep it. The codium seems kinda rough, but I think it could do well if I could just get it to stay put. Super Glue would just kill a portion of the algae, right?

Looking into the future, I've been looking for an attractive "centerpiece" for this tank. I'm thinking inverts, here. I've considered a peppermint shrimp, since they're so common, but I'm afraid that one would get a bit big. The same goes for a fire shrimp. There's also the option of a pom-pom crab, or a Pederson Cleaner, but I'm not that big on something that either hides all day or is pretty lackluster in the color department. Sexy shrimp are also on the radar, but they're a bit expensive for a trio. Anyone got ideas? I'd like something that's active during the day, and something that's going to have a lot of color. I'm not wholeheartedly against a small goby (I've seen a few people keep clown gobies in tanks smaller than this), but I don't think it's something I want to try in the moment. That'd just complicate things a bit too much for my current situation.

Glue will work, it might kill the part you glue but it will quickly grow back over. I've glued down dragons breath with it all the time.

Fire shrimp stay smaller then cleaner shrimp and are pretty active with tons of color. Sexy shrimp are really small. You could do a nice big coco or feather worm too.

 

Glue will work, it might kill the part you glue but it will quickly grow back over. I've glued down dragons breath with it all the time.

Fire shrimp stay smaller then cleaner shrimp and are pretty active with tons of color. Sexy shrimp are really small. You could do a nice big coco or feather worm too.

Alright, I'll run out and get some superglue gel tomorrow. It's a bit too late for me to drag myself to the store now. Thanks for invert recommendations, as well! I messaged my LFS on Facebook and he said he'll get back to me with availability and prices tomorrow morning.

The tank is set up! I ended up using around 5 lbs of sand, which makes me a decently deep sand bed. I'll definitely look to take care of it, to avoid the issues that can come with such a setup. I rinsed it in tap water till it ran clear, just to avoid an ammonia spike.

I ended up finding a Florida buried into the live rock, and it looks like I probably have 10-15 dwarf ceriths. Plus the hermit crab.

I ended up getting rid of the zoas. When I picked them up, they started to fall apart and they smelled like rotten flesh. They were pretty much goners, looks like. Oh well. As for the macros, I've got them sitting in a container with a bit of saltwater in a warm room. I'll leave them there overnight, and glue them down tomorrow. It looks like I've got a few small pieces of Dragon's Breath, along with some Codium and what I believe to be a small piece of Caulerpa.

Here's a picture of the tank:


It's very blue, and also still very cloudy. I'll mess with camera settings and upload another picture tomorrow, once I have the macros in.

I'm so excited for this!

 

Looks great! Its going to look super cool with the macro algaes in. Any plans for any other corals? Mabye some zoas? Softies?

 

Looks great! Its going to look super cool with the macro algaes in. Any plans for any other corals? Mabye some zoas? Softies?

Oh yeah, for sure! I'm thinking of doing mainly softies and macros. I may do some LPS down the road, but I'm not too sure on that. As far as rock-solid plans for corals, I don't have many. I'd like some zoas, and maybe a couple of mushrooms here and there. I used to really enjoy leathers and Xenia, too. We'll see! I'll probably get an RFA, too.

Pics of the new macros will be coming later!

 

Alright, macros are in! I placed them all on the sandbed for now, since I'm not sure about any placements or lighting requirements. I know that the Caulerpa couldn't care less, but I'm not sure with the Dragon's Breath or the Codium.

FTS:


Caulerpa:


Dragon's Breath:


Codium:

 

So, I think I've made a decision on the "centerpiece" invert I'd like for this tank. Ready?

Bumblebee Shrimp!

They're closely related to Harlequin Shrimp, but don't require live starfish to survive, apparently. They'll accept any meaty foods. They stay anywhere from 3/4" to 1", and have some relatively bright coloration, and should be active enough to add quite a bit to this little tank. I'm still doing some research and digging up info, but hey, we'll see where it goes!

My LFS can get them in, so that's a definite plus. A quick question for anyone who might know, since I can't find a good answer online:

Do these guys need to be in pairs? I've read that they'll do best in pairs, but I'm not sure how true that is, and how to sex them. Or does it even have to be a male/female pair?

 

Okay, so, with some help from the folks at Nano-Reef, I've come up with some helpful info.

Bumblebee shrimp don't need to be in mated pairs, per se. They simply need to be in numbers to feel comfortable. A single specimen will likely be timid, nocturnal, and will never be seen. If I were to get two, however, they'd set up territories and interact, and maybe even pair up if I happened to get a male and a female. I think this will likely be what I go with.

Not much has changed in the tank since I added the macros. The Caulerpa seems to be growing more "stems", but has yet to grow any blades. I'm questioning if I got the species right, since any Prolifera I've ever had has been 90% blades and 10% stem. We'll see how it grows. The Codium seems to be struggling, almost falling apart. I'm hoping for it to turn around, but I'm not sure. The Dragon's Breath doesn't seem any better or any worse. Maybe the color is a bit more vibrant, but that could also be the water clearing up a bit.

I noticed a bit of cloudiness yesterday morning, so I added some carbon into the filter. 12 hours later, the difference was insane. This morning, it's crystal clear.

I've been moderating evaporation, as well, and SG has gone up by 0.0005 since the tank was set up. So we can assume that it's going to increase by around 0.0015 or so per week. That's easily kept up with manual top-offs, especially since I'm not trying to keep any especially delicate creatures.

 

So, just a quick comparison with the Dragon's Breath. The color has darkened up immensely since I posted the last picture of it. Now, some of it is coming from slightly different camera settings, and it's not as dark as it appears to be. But, the difference is definitely there!

 

So, this tank was torn down and moved into a 5.5. For details, check here:
The Girlfriend Pico