My new pico tank

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IPisces

IPisces

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
6,452
Location
Hansville, WA
Some of you may know I aquired a little 3 gal tank a few weeks ago.
I have lighting being built for it. That build can be followed here http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f14/question-regarding-led-lights-60162/

I have a 3 lb rock in it now. I am wondering if I should put sand in it or not. Any one have opinions on sand in a tank this small. The inside dimensions of the display area in this tank is 11.5" w x 5" D x 8.5" H. I am thinking it will be hard to keep the sand clean, but then I wont be feeding much of anything. A nassarius snail and one or two dwarf blue legged crabs would keep it clean. Can anyone list pros & cons to sand in this tank?

IMG_1905.jpg
 
Thats tough, I love the look of sand, but my life is sooooo much easier without it now. And after I build my 16x16x12, I'm staying sandless.

But... If you've got dedication to keep vacuuming it and stirring it up, then go for it :) I feel like some people just have better luck with/without it.
 
Cwazy Clown said:
lame. lol

Theres a guy on RC and he has a 120 sps tank and you cant see his rock. Its basically sps growing out of blue cloves. sooooo intense.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its not so bad with SPS. I have it in my 75 mixed reef, BUT, it tends to choke out zoas and kill them so I dont want it in this little tank.
 
So besides trying to decide whether to have sand or not, I am trying to decide on what kind of critter if any I will put in it. What kind of critters do you have in your small tanks. I'm thinking maybe a small shrimp or maybe a colorful crab of some kind. I will have to look around for something that is different. And small!
 
Lorrie...One whole rock huh?? :p. Looks neat!! On the sand, seeing you will be keeping the tank simple, then I think it would look nice with a shallow sand bed which wouldn't require much maintenance. I mean I am a bare bottom freak, but I think where this tank is so small, it will look more natural with the sand in there.

Just a thought! Good luck with it!! :D
 
krish said:
Lorrie...One whole rock huh?? :p. Looks neat!! Just a thought! Good luck with it!! :D
Click to expand...


Thanks,
Yeah ONE for now. I have another 50lbs of rock in a holding tank to do something with. Might find something else to put in there too. I think I may just go with a shallow sand bed. I have plenty of sand left and it wont take much to reaquascape if I want to take it out later. HAHA!
 
Hey Lorrie, looks awsome and should be alot of fun stocking it with critters. With the LED lighting whatever you put in there is going to POP!

My vote/suggestion = Left end a couple bright colorful Condylactis Anemones hosted by pairs of Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes pedersoni, P. brevicarpalis), Rock Torch or Frogspawn on top hosted by a trio+ of Sexy Shrimp base & sides collection of colorful Ricordia and Zoa's, Handfull of hand-picked snail shells on bottom hosted by a Barnacle Blenny, small/peaceful/colorful Damsel like Chrysiptera hemicyanea (tollerant of Anemone), Front right small rock with a Purple Bush Gorgonian/Sea Rod.

Just a simple thought I had, Todd
 
TJL said:
Hey Lorrie, looks awsome and should be alot of fun stocking it with critters. With the LED lighting whatever you put in there is going to POP!

My vote/suggestion = Left end a couple bright colorful Condylactis Anemones hosted by pairs of Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes pedersoni, P. brevicarpalis), Rock Torch or Frogspawn on top hosted by a trio+ of Sexy Shrimp base & sides collection of colorful Ricordia and Zoa's, Handfull of hand-picked snail shells on bottom hosted by a Barnacle Blenny, small/peaceful/colorful Damsel like Chrysiptera hemicyanea (tollerant of Anemone), Front right small rock with a Purple Bush Gorgonian/Sea Rod.

Just a simple thought I had, Todd
Click to expand...

Just a simple thought...yeah! okay. A Barnacle Blenny...Isnt this tank a little small for a fish? The display area is only a little over 2 gals.
 
Last edited:
Hey Lorrie,

Just a thought. What if you were to empty the tank, put the rock in and cover the bottom with spray foam and then add sand on top of it. This would give the benefits of a bare bottom tank as far as cleaning goes, increase the amount of filtration, and still give the look of a sand filled tank. Not sure on what the pro's or con's of this are but. I have read of lots of people doing this and liking it. Just a thought.
 
tat2z_21 said:
Hey Lorrie,

Just a thought. What if you were to empty the tank, put the rock in and cover the bottom with spray foam and then add sand on top of it. This would give the benefits of a bare bottom tank as far as cleaning goes, increase the amount of filtration, and still give the look of a sand filled tank. Not sure on what the pro's or con's of this are but. I have read of lots of people doing this and liking it. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Thats an idea. I also saw someone talking about gluing down the sand. I dont know that glue or spray foam would adhear to the glass well enough. Maybe cover the bottom with a thin coat of aquarium silicone and sand on that. I still think algae and detritus would creep under it some how.
 
mcoomer said:
Very shallow bed of black sand.
Click to expand...

Black sand might look pretty cool under LEDs. I have one tank bare bottom, one with med depth white fine sand, one med depth coarse white sand and one with a 1/4" -3/8" of coarse white sand. Maybe its time to do black. I wont need much. Maybe 5 lbs.
 
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