My 8gal Pico Journal =]

[BigBeginner]

I've decided to start a journal of my new Pico (8 usgals)
I am on a budget, so i am taking this very slow...

Tank:
Oceanic 8

Filter:
1st chamber - Stock media filter
2nd chamber - Replaced bioballs with LR rubble
3rd chamber - 105 gph stock pump
6 lbs of LR
Chaetomorpha algae

Lights:
2 Bluemoon LEDs
18 watt True Actinic 03 Blue
18 watt 10,000k Daylight

Stats:
Ammon = 0
Nitrate = 5-10
Nitrite = 0
pH = 8.2
Sg = 1.022
Temp = 81
KH = NYT
Phos = NYT
Calcium = NYT
(*NYT = Not Yet Tested)

Notes:
No heater
No skimmer
Waiting on CUC (the roads are frozen here =[ my order was suposed to come today)

Plans:
Get a skimmer
Get a heater 50 watt (asap)
A better camera (i have found one, Canon PowerShot SD790 IS for about $175-$190, but i dont have the money to order it right now)

Current Fish/Corals/Inverts:
1 un-id mushroom
1 green-striped mushroom frag

Future Fish/Corals/Inverts:
Softies (mushrooms, polyps, leathers, ect)
Astraeas and Nassarius (maybe a cerith?)
Either, goby&shrimp pair, mantis, seahorses, or just a goby

Questions:
Do I NEED rowaphos?

Pictures:
1st rock arrangement

2nd arrangement

current arrangement with 2 mushrooms (dont mind the nets) and i still need to find a spot for that chaeto (i plan to chop it in half when i get more livestock)

Any and all comment are welcome =] and PLEASE tell me if im doing something wrong, and be brutal, i want to do this right

 

[ben1987]

Why no heater?

 

[guppy_man]

Looking nice.. Ive been wanting to start something similar for a while, but they take up alot of time (which i havent got)

 

[BigBeginner]

Yea, well i have a lot of time and my only real hobby is taking care of fish, and i always wanted one in my room.

No heater because i havnt found one that is small enough yet =], and so far the lights are working ok, at night it gets a bit cooler then i want. I am planning on getting one, i've been looking around my LFSs. Should i try to get one asap?

And they do make skimmers for biocubes 14 and 24 but i dont really know if i need one for a 8?

I guess while im waiting for something to take a picture of in my tank, ill entertain you guys with pictures from my 55 gal =D, its pretty boring though

 

[Xebadir]

You really need to get the heater, particularly in the cold conditions near you, you are going to need to elevate the tank temperature to keep the bacteria alive and established....it may effect your current corals. Id try and hide it in the back as well. Heating wise you probably need a 50W for this size tank just to be on the safe size. They are available in 18cm versions (in aus I use Aquaone for a low cost type...but heating isnt really too much of a problem for me). Id make this your highest priority to get.

You can get away with skimmerless, many nanos do not use them. My setup currently surface skims, but doesnt actually have a protein skimmer. Biological filtration should have you well covered for this size tank with water changes.

Hope this helps.

 

[BigBeginner]

k thanks =], ill look for one asap, my LFS should have a small 50 watt

Why 50 watt, not 25?

EDIT: will i NEED rowaphos?

 

[ben1987]

If ou can find 25watt heaters then that would be ample imo

 

[BigBeginner]

ok, i cant go to the LFS anytime soon, because the roads are iced over (thats also why my CUC and camera isnt comin) but ill look asap

The mushroom finally attached to the rock, so since there is no net on it, when it opens ill take a picture =]

 

[BigBeginner]

i ordered my new camera today, should be here next week

my small cuc and some corals are comin today. Im so excited =]

 

[BigBeginner]

yay they're here =]

camera is comin in a couple days

I got 2 astraea and 3 nass
also got a cabbage, some bullseye mushrooms, a zoo colony (supercolored or soemthing)

Ill take pictures of them when they are open tommor

 

[ben1987]

Cool

 

[BigBeginner]

Heater in its a 50 watt tetra, so i cant adjust the temp, but it says it keep it about 76-80 F, and it was free =]

cyano is starting =[

got a fish! =] its a goby, it eats a little, but only if the food falls in front of it

doing a waterchange then testing the water today or tomor

sorry no pics yet, camera is being stupid but my new camera is comin soon

also got some small red mushrooms that were on a rock of bullseye mushrooms that i ordered (2 of the bullseye mushrooms died the day after i got them and 1 looks a bit unhappy, but the last one is doing perfectly fine)

all corals doing good, my green-striped mushroom frag finally attached and is opening

and i think thats all the updates for now

 

[BigBeginner]

heres a link to my remade journal in the journal section

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=272854&hl=