Newbie 5g pico build

[Narideth]

Huh that's an entirely different Reefbreeders website. Interesting! Also it seems to show the V2 version at the bottom of that page. Either light will of course work great, it just depends on what your preference is. I have the V1, and after using it for 6 months I'd prefer the v2 so I could manually adjust the white/blue balance. None of my other lights have sunrise/sunset functions and they're doing well.
That however is entirely personal preference.

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Huh that's an entirely different Reefbreeders website. Interesting! Also it seems to show the V2 version at the bottom of that page. Either light will of course work great, it just depends on what your preference is. I have the V1, and after using it for 6 months I'd prefer the v2 so I could manually adjust the white/blue balance. None of my other lights have sunrise/sunset functions and they're doing well.
That however is entirely personal preference.

Thank you for all of your continued helpand advice! Since reefbreeders is having a sell I went ahead and purchased the V2 after reeding the specs for both and the other lights I was considering! And I’m so excited I think it’ll be just what I need for my future corals and fishies!

 

[Narideth]

That's exciting! Things feel quick and exciting right now, getting everything together but get settled in for the waiting, as much of what comes next is a slow process for it to work right. Cycling takes a bit, then the tank itself will mature over the next yearish while you add fish and corals.

There'll be ups and downs, the tank will go through several 'ugly' phases, but you just have to trust the process

We're all here to help!

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

That's exciting! Things feel quick and exciting right now, getting everything together but get settled in for the waiting, as much of what comes next is a slow process for it to work right. Cycling takes a bit, then the tank itself will mature over the next yearish while you add fish and corals.

There'll be ups and downs, the tank will go through several 'ugly' phases, but you just have to trust the process

We're all here to help!

I’m excited for the process! I plan to let it cycle then Saturday I’ll do my first 50% water change and start testing parameters then we go on vacation and so I’m interested to see what it’ll look like when we come back I’m sure I’ll have something to clean or adjust and then I plan to do a fish in cycle with a yellow clown goby and then wait 4 weeks at least testing parameters every 2 days and logging them to add corals. Thanks to you guys I for sure am going to add a rock flower nem and maybe 3 sexy shrimps and my govt and I think that will be all I stack it with aside from corals, does that sound okay?

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Goby* lol idk how to edit comments on here yet or if that is even a thing sorry for the typo!

 

[Narideth]

I’m excited for the process! I plan to let it cycle then Saturday I’ll do my first 50% water change and start testing parameters then we go on vacation and so I’m interested to see what it’ll look like when we come back I’m sure I’ll have something to clean or adjust and then I plan to do a fish in cycle with a yellow clown goby and then wait 4 weeks at least testing parameters every 2 days and logging them to add corals. Thanks to you guys I for sure am going to add a rock flower nem and maybe 3 sexy shrimps and my govt and I think that will be all I stack it with aside from corals, does that sound okay?

Questions! What are you cycling with? You have live rock, are you feeding the tank at all to provide ammonia to keep the bacteria on those rocks alive so they can spread to the dead rock?

Are you familiar with what the nature of the cycle is accomplishing in your tank? If you complete the cycle without fish, you don't need to do it again, the tank will just need to adjust to additional waste coming in, which is why you add fish slowly, which you're already expecting.

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Questions! What are you cycling with? You have live rock, are you feeding the tank at all to provide ammonia to keep the bacteria on those rocks alive so they can spread to the dead rock?

Are you familiar with what the nature of the cycle is accomplishing in your tank? If you complete the cycle without fish, you don't need to do it again, the tank will just need to adjust to additional waste coming in, which is why you add fish slowly, which you're already expecting.

I have not fed it anything as of yet, what should I feed it? I know that I need to look for an ammonia spike and then nitrites so that the good bacteria develops that eats those and turns it into nitrates and I want the ammonia at that time to be zero and just a little bit of the nitrates left right? I’ll be testing for ph ammonia motorists and nitrate first and then plan to get the salivary test for the other things once the first cycle completes

 

[NanoNana]

I have the Hygger mini wavemaker on a 13 gallon and it's got a lot of push. Don't be surprised if it takes some tweaking to find a configuration in a 5 gallon that doesn't blow your sand around. Get it to splash around the corners or against the rock etc to break up the direct flow, but it's a great little wavemaker.

I have a pico tank in the Marineland 3 gallon that I did the same thing to, tore out that back filter area and made a new one. These little tanks are delightful. A light is going to vary based on your goals - fish only, corals? You can really easily blast a little tank with too much light and then you get algae problems, etc.

Live rock is great, biodiversity in a small tank will really help it cycle and stabilize. I love your rock selection

Agreed I have it in a 24 gallon and it will blow coral off frags and dig trenches if I don’t place it just right. 1600 gph is likely too much for a fiver.

 

[Narideth]

I have not fed it anything as of yet, what should I feed it? I know that I need to look for an ammonia spike and then nitrites so that the good bacteria develops that eats those and turns it into nitrates and I want the ammonia at that time to be zero and just a little bit of the nitrates left right? I’ll be testing for ph ammonia motorists and nitrate first and then plan to get the salivary test for the other things once the first cycle completes

So, in short, you've got the right idea about what you're looking for, but you need something to make ammonia in the first place or the bacteria will eventually die off, stalling your cycle efforts. Some people feed a little fish food to the empty tank, some use a piece of shrimp, some people use bottled bacteria + the ammonia source.

You should already have a colony of good bacteria on your live rock, your goal here is to not only maintain that, but buff it up, make it stronger so it can handle the amount of ammonia you could expect to see in the tank. Some people consider the addition of live rock to mean the tank is already cycled, because the bacteria is already present on the rock. Even in that case, you will still want to feed the tank in some fashion, because your fish, snails, shrimp etc would normally be producing waste to feed those bacterial colonies.

What are your tests showing right now? Are there ammonia/nitrites/nitrates?

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

So, in short, you've got the right idea about what you're looking for, but you need something to make ammonia in the first place or the bacteria will eventually die off, stalling your cycle efforts. Some people feed a little fish food to the empty tank, some use a piece of shrimp, some people use bottled bacteria + the ammonia source.

You should already have a colony of good bacteria on your live rock, your goal here is to not only maintain that, but buff it up, make it stronger so it can handle the amount of ammonia you could expect to see in the tank. Some people consider the addition of live rock to mean the tank is already cycled, because the bacteria is already present on the rock. Even in that case, you will still want to feed the tank in some fashion, because your fish, snails, shrimp etc would normally be producing waste to feed those bacterial colonies.

What are your tests showing right now? Are there ammonia/nitrites/nitrates?

I can’t get my nitrite bottle open but currently it’s ph 6.5, ammonia at .5 and nitrates at 10 ppm - I’ll get my fiance to try to open the nitrite bottle for me tomorrow but if not I’ll just got buy the individual salifert test

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Agreed I have it in a 24 gallon and it will blow coral off frags and dig trenches if I don’t place it just right. 1600 gph is likely too much for a fiver.

It’s adjustable isn’t it? I’ve seen it on a few 5 gallon builds on YouTube which is why I thought it would be a good one, do you have any suggestions for a different wave maker for a 5gqllon?

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Ahh so my ATO was running backwards! So I’m doing a 75 % water change today I fixed the issue with the ATO so it’s now operating properly

 

[EchoPear]

Following! I have the same tank and also ripped out the false wall for the AIO to add a more beefy HOB. I went with the Hygger 30W because it is like a 3rd the price of the Kessil A80 lol. Haven’t had a chance to turn it on and take PAR readings

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to see what you do with yours! That’s so exciting!! I had to run to my LFS today because of the Ato syphoning all of the water out due to operator error lol ( but in all serious thank goodness they were open! and while there I picked up the sicce nano wave maker but I thiiink it’s gonna be too much movement and it’s not adjustable so womp womp lol I also picked up a new ammonia test and nitrite test, I tested before and after the water change and my ammonia is now at 0 and nitrites are as well with 10 ppm nitrates and 6,5 PH the which I understand the PH needs to be a tad bit higher?
And salinity is at 36 PPT

For the lighting I did go with the suggested lighting here the ReefBreeders pico v2 light that should be here Monday ! I just finished setting everything. Back up so I’m hoping it clears back up as it’s a little cloudy right now and I’ll then test the parameters again.

Following! I have the same tank and also ripped out the false wall for the AIO to add a more beefy HOB. I went with the Hygger 30W because it is like a 3rd the price of the Kessil A80 lol. Haven’t had a chance to turn it on and take PAR readings

 

[Narideth]

Following! I have the same tank and also ripped out the false wall for the AIO to add a more beefy HOB. I went with the Hygger 30W because it is like a 3rd the price of the Kessil A80 lol. Haven’t had a chance to turn it on and take PAR readings

I have the Nicrew 30w and 50w myself. There are a lot more options for lights these days than there used to be, I've been happy with my far less expensive options!

Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to see what you do with yours! That’s so exciting!! I had to run to my LFS today because of the Ato syphoning all of the water out due to operator error lol ( but in all serious thank goodness they were open! and while there I picked up the sicce nano wave maker but I thiiink it’s gonna be too much movement and it’s not adjustable so womp womp lol I also picked up a new ammonia test and nitrite test, I tested before and after the water change and my ammonia is now at 0 and nitrites are as well with 10 ppm nitrates and 6,5 PH the which I understand the PH needs to be a tad bit higher?
And salinity is at 36 PPT

For the lighting I did go with the suggested lighting here the ReefBreeders pico v2 light that should be here Monday ! I just finished setting everything. Back up so I’m hoping it clears back up as it’s a little cloudy right now and I’ll then test the parameters again.

With zero ammonia, and nitrates in good evidence, it's likely safe to say that your live rock is working great! The tank is 'cycled' at this point, and you just need to make sure you give it a little fish food so that will decay and keep adding ammonia in a slow stream until you get your fishy friend in there. Heck, even a snail, hermit crab etc would do the job, but there's nothing for them to eat just yet so they're not really an option.

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

I have the Nicrew 30w and 50w myself. There are a lot more options for lights these days than there used to be, I've been happy with my far less expensive options!



With zero ammonia, and nitrates in good evidence, it's likely safe to say that your live rock is working great! The tank is 'cycled' at this point, and you just need to make sure you give it a little fish food so that will decay and keep adding ammonia in a slow stream until you get your fishy friend in there. Heck, even a snail, hermit crab etc would do the job, but there's nothing for them to eat just yet so they're not really an option.

Awesome! I did start adding a little fish food and I’ll test again this after noon either on my lunch break or after work! You have been so helpful thank you! I also stopped the wave make till the tank was clear clear again and then turned it back on and it has start Lear I can see it move the bubbles from the hob all around the tank but it doesn’t seem to be moving the sand that’s good right?

 

[Narideth]

Awesome! I did start adding a little fish food and I’ll test again this after noon either on my lunch break or after work! You have been so helpful thank you! I also stopped the wave make till the tank was clear clear again and then turned it back on and it has start Lear I can see it move the bubbles from the hob all around the tank but it doesn’t seem to be moving the sand that’s good right?

Sounds like it's doing good to me
I haven't done a cycle this way myself, I usually start with dead rock + bacteria additive, so I'm not certain how much you should feed, but you said you'd be getting a fish in there eventually, right? I would caution to not overdo the feeding - less is more, especially in such a new tank, and you just want to give the biological filter a little support in the meantime. I like to think of it like an organism all on its own - if it's healthy, it helps keep the tank healthy, and it will 'eat' very little. The live rock itself is a nutrient source, as things dying off on its surface will feed the tank as well.

 

[Fitzy&theFishies]

Sounds like it's doing good to me
I haven't done a cycle this way myself, I usually start with dead rock + bacteria additive, so I'm not certain how much you should feed, but you said you'd be getting a fish in there eventually, right? I would caution to not overdo the feeding - less is more, especially in such a new tank, and you just want to give the biological filter a little support in the meantime. I like to think of it like an organism all on its own - if it's healthy, it helps keep the tank healthy, and it will 'eat' very little. The live rock itself is a nutrient source, as things dying off on its surface will feed the tank as well.

Ohh that’s awesome! I plan to take some water up to the LFS Saturday to have it tested and depending on what they say I may add a snail or the fish! Just depending where my levels are at and what they say I either need to add or take away!

The live wet rock was intimidating I’ve only ever done fresh water aquascapes so it took some trial and error at mounting the west to the dry as epoxy won’t stay on wet by itself so I had to use a combo of superglue gel and epoxy! Which was intimidating cause I was terrified I was ruining or killing the rock

 

[Narideth]

Ohh that’s awesome! I plan to take some water up to the LFS Saturday to have it tested and depending on what they say I may add a snail or the fish! Just depending where my levels are at and what they say I either need to add or take away!

The live wet rock was intimidating I’ve only ever done fresh water aquascapes so it took some trial and error at mounting the west to the dry as epoxy won’t stay on wet by itself so I had to use a combo of superglue gel and epoxy! Which was intimidating cause I was terrified I was ruining or killing the rock

Well-secured rock is important, so it was definitely good to focus on that. Live rock is tenacious, and often shipped in just wet paper to keep everything moist. Looks like it made it through everything alright!

 

[EchoPear]

Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to see what you do with yours! That’s so exciting!! I had to run to my LFS today because of the Ato syphoning all of the water out due to operator error lol ( but in all serious thank goodness they were open! and while there I picked up the sicce nano wave maker but I thiiink it’s gonna be too much movement and it’s not adjustable so womp womp lol I also picked up a new ammonia test and nitrite test, I tested before and after the water change and my ammonia is now at 0 and nitrites are as well with 10 ppm nitrates and 6,5 PH the which I understand the PH needs to be a tad bit higher?
And salinity is at 36 PPT

For the lighting I did go with the suggested lighting here the ReefBreeders pico v2 light that should be here Monday ! I just finished setting everything. Back up so I’m hoping it clears back up as it’s a little cloudy right now and I’ll then test the parameters again.

Thanks, need to get my own build thread started here soon…

Curious what you are using to measure pH? Mine was reading low using some old Aquarium Co-Op test strips I had laying around. Following advice on here I picked up an API Saltwater Master Test kit, and voila my pH measurements were now 8-8.3. With a salinity at 36 the water would be plenty buffered to have correct pH I would think. I am using reef crystals salt fwiw