Picotope 3g upgraded=10g

[laqu]

well there goes my dream for a nano reef with seahorses...

back to the fish store to stare obsessively.. they don't seem to mind as much when i bring my 15 year old daughter (she's cute and looks a bit older) ...

[Neatfish]

Here's the tank dry. It's been snowing all day so I'll wait to get out the house and get the stuff I need. I'm still thinking what fish I want for this tank.

[Imi Statue]

Well if your looking for just plain Cool and are doing SW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNxJwCGJtsA
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h--ywQsjuVY

are always fun!

[Neatfish]

I don't think a seahorse will last very long and need a lot of special care.

[Imi Statue]

Not quite sure why yo think Dwarf Seahorses are difficult. I have seen them in tanks just like this or even smaller for a single pair. feeding is the only thing most people have difficulties with since they require live food but hey it's just worth that for the coolness of the horses.

Here's a link if your interested in reading more that explains things pretty much the way I've seen them cared for.
http://www.seahorse.org/library/arti...arfguide.shtml

Of course if your dead set against them then there's always SW shrimps/crabs that look pretty cool with maybe a single fire goby type fish.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fire...w=1627&bih=998

What ever you choose though good luck! can't wait to see the pics!

[Neatfish]

I do like fire fish but I read they like to jump so you'll need a lid and this tank has not lid. Maybe even a azure damsel fish might work.

[Imi Statue]

Yeah there's a ton of little guys that can go into a tank that size. Just a matter of what you think you like to look at the most. I like the yellow head jawfish too.

Firefish jumping? I guess they can, but then any fish can "jump". With a piece of plastic mesh screen or just plastic window material(cleaned daily to keep light levels up) would work once cut outs for filter and such were made.

[Neatfish]

Well I bought some Nature's Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Reef Sand they just got this stuff in today too. I got the sand because of the reviews. I also bought petco real ocean water because of the reviews I read. I did not get a chance to get some live rock yet.

[Neatfish]

This is pretty bright at night.

[lpsouth1978]

I hope this works for you. I have a picotope that I drilled and made a 2.5 gallon sump and 2.5 gallon ATO for and STILL had a difficult time with it. SW tanks are very difficult to keep stable in such small sizes though not impossible. Just be prepared to do regular maintenance and remember to use FW for you top offs NOT SW.

Also once you get fish in it, you can easily keep the water params good by changing small amounts of water each day. I always had a small amount of pre mixed SW ready and simply changed a few cups of water a day. Took only about a minute and kept things happy. No need for big water changes and wild swings this way.

Good luck.

[Imi Statue]

Originally Posted by lpsouth1978

I hope this works for you. I have a picotope that I drilled and made a 2.5 gallon sump and 2.5 gallon ATO for and STILL had a difficult time with it. SW tanks are very difficult to keep stable in such small sizes though not impossible. Just be prepared to do regular maintenance and remember to use FW for you top offs NOT SW.

Also once you get fish in it, you can easily keep the water params good by changing small amounts of water each day. I always had a small amount of pre mixed SW ready and simply changed a few cups of water a day. Took only about a minute and kept things happy. No need for big water changes and wild swings this way.

Good luck.

Fully agree! Small amounts often with a gentle wipe will go a long ways to making this work.

[laqu]

Originally Posted by Imi Statue

Not quite sure why yo think Dwarf Seahorses are difficult. I have seen them in tanks just like this or even smaller for a single pair. feeding is the only thing most people have difficulties with since they require live food but hey it's just worth that for the coolness of the horses.

Here's a link if your interested in reading more that explains things pretty much the way I've seen them cared for.
http://www.seahorse.org/library/arti...arfguide.shtml

Of course if your dead set against them then there's always SW shrimps/crabs that look pretty cool with maybe a single fire goby type fish.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fire...w=1627&bih=998

What ever you choose though good luck! can't wait to see the pics!

details... OMG.. photos... in a 3 gal? *happy dance* there is hope...
after she goes to college ... maybe i'll have some time/money... *fingers crossed*

[jcork1]

Id do a small frogfish, granted it would eat any other non-coral inhabitant!

[lpsouth1978]

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/24778...on-pico-build/


Proof that you can keep a SW system healthy in a 3 gallon picotope. This is my build thread for my picotope reef, mentioned in my earlier post. Page three shows the last photos of the system before breaking down the tank for a move. Unfortunately the tank is not set back up yet. The options for a tank this size are endless if you are willing to do the required work.

I had actually considered doing a pair of dwarf seahorses in this tank. Using the stock filter and light you could probably do it. Just be aware that the stock filter is pretty weak and I don't know that I have seen any successful systems using the stock filter. Mine would clog and stop working if I looked at it wrong.

Also, in a tank this size you will only be able to keep a couple of small fish. I personally like Catalina gobies. They are small, colorful, and have lots of personality. They are a colder water species though, so you would have to be careful to select only inhabitants that can survive in the colder water with them. There are some corals and macro algae that would make an awesome tank for these gobies.

Again good luck, and I look forward to seeing what you end up doing with this tank.

[Neatfish]

He pretty cool build. I don't think I'm going all out on this it's just for me to learn about SW.