Project Pico: Fluval Spec 3 Pico Saltwater Aquarium

Hey guys! I'm fairly new to the saltwater game, but I'm super excited about it. I currently have a 125 gallon FOWLR with a 10 gallon quarantine in the basement. I wanted to put a saltwater aquarium in my room for ambience and meditation purposes, so after doing some research, I decided to go with a Fluval Spec III 2.6 gallon setup. I'm documenting the progress on youtube, and I'll try to keep this post updated too. Any advice is appreciated!

Unboxing

Unboxed

LED Demo

Live sand and saltwater added

Settled
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Filter removal prior to cycle startWater test Day #1
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Bio Spira addedFilter Removal
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Maroon Clownfish & brine shrimp addedBio Spira Added
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - API Saltwater test a day after Bio Spira addedMaroon Clown & brine shrimp added to start cycle with Bio Spira
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Day 3 water test and feedingWater test Day #2
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Day 3 Hermit Crab checking out empty shellWater test Day #3
Fluval Spec III 2.6 Gal Pico Saltwater Aquarium - Day 3 Hermit Crab checking out empty shellHermit Crab

 

We tried to do a Fluval V for a nano salt tank, but IMHO the Fluval III has a much better footprint for using as a salt tank.

What are you planning on putting in your tank? Corals? Sexy Shrimp? Inverts?

My husband turned a Top Fin 1.2g into a nano tank (this style of tank: https://d2j6tswx2otu6e.cloudfront.n...800/82b9/82b9faf8df5842db95add27dd6b6c059.jpg) with green star polyps, a mushroom, caulastrea, a bristle worm (hitchhiker), minI brittle star, and a snail. It has been running over a year!

 

I'm going to probably end up with a firefish goby. I've got 2 peppermint shrimp in there right now and it's a rescue tank for my smaller Maroon Clown currently. I plan on trying to get GSP to grow up the tall rock and I just reconfigured the other live rock with 2 smaller pieces that I'll try to grow something on as well. This project is so fun! It's probably very much like a bonsai!

 

That really is too small of a tank for a mature firefish. I would stick to inverts...

Good luck with your tank!

 

That really is too small of a tank for a mature firefish. I would stick to inverts...

Good luck with your tank!

What about a clown goby? Or are there any other fish small enough to live in a 2.6 gallon?

 

We tried to do a Fluval V for a nano salt tank, but IMHO the Fluval III has a much better footprint for using as a salt tank.

What are you planning on putting in your tank? Corals? Sexy Shrimp? Inverts?

My husband turned a Top Fin 1.2g into a nano tank (this style of tank: https://d2j6tswx2otu6e.cloudfront.n...800/82b9/82b9faf8df5842db95add27dd6b6c059.jpg) with green star polyps, a mushroom, caulastrea, a bristle worm (hitchhiker), minI brittle star, and a snail. It has been running over a year!

I think a Fluval 5 would be great for a Ocellaris Clown! I understand 10 gallons is the minimum for a full grown but the 5 is almost as long as a 10 gallon?

 

I thought 20 gallons was the occelaris clown minimum?

 

A Fluval 5 is way, way too small for an ocellaris clownfish. These guys grow fairly fast, need room to swim, and produce a decent amount of waste. As BottomDweller mentioned, the minimum tanks size recommended for an ocellaris clownfish is 20g, and I agree.

There are no fish recommended for a 2.6g aquarium; the smallest tank size recommended for keeping marine fish is a 10 gallon and even then there are not too many finned options. Fish foul the water fairly quickly and therefore need a little more water volume for tank stability, and marine fish just need more room to stretch their fins.

Sexy shrimp are the biggest inverts I would put in a 2.6, but IMHO are really pretty and fun to watch!

There are lots of coral options you can go with too.

 

Here is an

update on the Project Pico Saltwater Aquarium

 

Different pump options for Fluval Spec III or V.

 

The problem you will run into with keeping a fish in that small of a tank is excess nutrient build up in about 4-6 months. Which then you will have an outbreak of algae.
I would recommend just keeping a few inverts in a pico tank.

 

I have a small tank also and trying to go for nano pico
right now its still in cycling process.
Its a Imagitarium 3.7 gal. I took all the tray and changed it with bio balls and live rock rubble.
light is a 12watt led 10k/super blue actinic

 

The problem you will run into with keeping a fish in that small of a tank is excess nutrient build up in about 4-6 months. Which then you will have an outbreak of algae.
I would recommend just keeping a few inverts in a pico tank.

I put more Sexy Shrimp in Project Pico so I'm up to 7 or 8. Going to maybe put some Coral in that they won't or can't snack on? I may still put in another Clown Goby (the original one died when I transferred to 10 gallon). The clowns I moved into my Project Nano tank and they seem pleased there.

 

Any updates on the tank?

 

Any updates on the tank?

Had a couple of setbacks with livestock. I plan to film an update this weekend after I clean up the aquarium a little. I've been busy building a sump for my 125 gallon. Check out my YouTube playlist on Project Pico!

Project Pico - Fluval Spec 3 - 2.6 gallon Saltwater Reef Aquarium under TV in my bedroom: Project Pico - Fluval Spec 3 - 2.6 gallon Saltwater Reef Aquarium under TV in my bedroom - YouTube

 

Nice little tank!

I just set up a 1 gallon pico myself. Have a few ghosties in there, gonna try to acclimate them to Saltwater

 

The problem you will run into with keeping a fish in that small of a tank is excess nutrient build up in about 4-6 months. Which then you will have an outbreak of algae.
I would recommend just keeping a few inverts in a pico tank.

Your advice was very sound! Inverts only in this one going forward! I'm thinking another Banded Coral Shrimp and some more Sexy Shrimp, Hermits, Nassarius and Astrea Snails. Any other suggestions?

 

mogul218 sorry to hear about your losses. this sounds like a fun little tank.

Here's my recommendation on what you should do with the tank.

1) Go with less sand, this makes for a lot easier clean up and detritus build up. Helps with algae control.
2) Perhaps less rock so you can get around cleaning the bottom of the tank easier
3) How's the flow towards the bottom of the tank? Might need to mess with the return nozzle to get movement back there to help combat detritus build up as well.

Stocking:
1 coral banded shrimp
1 nessarius
1 scarlet hermit
1 trochus

My recommendations and rule of thumb are always based on being able to create a long-term thriving tank, so yeah. Are you planning to put some easy keeping corals in it in the future?