Picotope 3g upgraded=10g

[Neatfish]

Well I placed an order to a heater on dr.foster&smith for a heater and got something a little extra too. Thinking of doing a nano reef or shrimp tank but don't know yet.

Picotope
3 Gallon Aquarium Kit

Marineland
Visi-Therm Heater

[Jeffww]

Let me tell you, if you haven't done a nano reef before prepare to have an ATO or prepare to babysit that tank two or three times a day to keep water levels right.

In austin went through a gallon a week of top off water on a 5g tank. Without an auto top off (gravity fed for me) I wouldn't have been able to keep that tank anywhere near stable. Just a warning about these pico set ups for reefs.

[R.sok]

I don't recommend a nano reef if you're new. plant it

[Neatfish]

Maybe I'll plant it and get some RCS or yellows unless I decide to do a reef. Other ideas?

[Imi Statue]

I'd find out the light output of the tank first before thinking to much about planting also..

[Neatfish]

It's a 9w 50-50 lamp.

[Imi Statue]

Probably low light only plants but size is the big factor then.
Basically anything short fuzzy and warm(mosses come to mind with Java fern) or look into higher light value LED's. Clip-on type. Or a bendable desk lamp with CFL maybe? Check around here in the nano section to see what others are doing with that type of tank unless they probe this thread to let you know.

[Neatfish]

Hey thanks. I've been looking around and still not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.

[Neatfish]

I talked to a lfs they said they sell premixed SW for $1.99 or something like that a gallon all I need is 3 gallons. So I would need live sand but they sell it for $16 a small bag but i think that's a rip off. They said they sell live rock too that I would only need $5 worth. I don't think that I would need to upgrade my light because it's perfect for coral. Somebody said i might need a ATO because of humidity. I'm sure that I could make one. What you think? I'm thinking a neon goby would be perfect for this tank.

[Imi Statue]

Nano's do lose water through evap quite profusely on the norm and because of the small size of the water column this aggravates the saline content quickly enough to kill that's the reason for the ATO.

If the constant mixing and water changes and checking salt content all the time does not bother you go for salt. Build, buy, or acquire the ATO and set it all up.

Challenges are what this hobby is all about for me, I like them so I generate them on my own by making things difficult sometimes. If your like this then I suggest salt over fresh. If not go fresh over salt to make things easier...

Either way It's all about personal taste.

BTW you still need to buy more saltwater eventually (a single gallon here and there) or make it yourself since you do have to do water changes occasionally.

[Neatfish]

Hey thanks. I believe I'm going to give SW a try. I made a thread on nano reef to see what they think about it. I'll keep this thread updated even if I go with a reef.

[Jeffww]

I personally hate nano-reef. The people there are incredibly rude and snobby. 3reef and reefcentral have much better communities. When I was looking to report a bug with their website I was sworn at by their members, one of them was a community moderator. They aren't worth the trouble.

[Neatfish]

Oh wow that's crazy I didn't know that.

[Neatfish]

Yea buddy I just got off work and what was waiting on my couch? a box with my heater for my 29g and my picotope 3g. I got this stuff from doctor Smith and foster it was packaged pretty tight with styrofoam on top and bottom. I didn't like that the box for the aquarium had a little bend or two on the sides and some dust but not much this better not be used I'm thinking so I took the tank out the box to check it out the tank is wrapped all the way around with plastic and the filter and light were in two different boxes inside the tank everything looked good.This tank is freaking awesome looking too man it looks 10x better in person can't wait to take off the plastic and setup it up this weekend.

[Imi Statue]

Originally Posted by Neatfish

Yea buddy I just got off work and what was waiting on my couch? a box with my heater for my 29g and my picotope 3g. I got this stuff from doctor Smith and foster it was packaged pretty tight with styrofoam on top and bottom. I didn't like that the box for the aquarium had a little bend or two on the sides and some dust but not much this better not be used I'm thinking so I took the tank out the box to check it out the tank is wrapped all the way around with plastic and the filter and light were in two different boxes inside the tank everything looked good.This tank is freaking awesome looking too man it looks 10x better in person can't wait to take off the plastic and setup it up this weekend.

You should make a video of the "Grand Opening" to show it off. Maybe even the setup.