theGil Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 So I just bought my second Panda Goby on Saturday, and I was gonna be damned if I lost this one like I did the first. So I bought a large Marina breeder box (the HOB that you add an air pump to), and decided to put it in the 20L QT tank I had started days earlier for a Melanurus wrasse. I got the idea for the breeder box from the LFS where I bought the panda. They had two in there with like 4 sexy shrimp and a little crab. Anyway, once I added the little cutie (with two small peices of dead coral (one supposedly pocilipora) I realized that these boxes would make an awesome "pico", but with a non pico water volume. Is that breaking the pico rules? Haha. Anyway, I added some sand today, and am thinking about a tiny nassarius as CUC, so that I won't worry about removing uneaten food. Haven't seen panda eat yet :/ I'll post a pic later. In the meantime, anyone made a "pico" reef using one of these? They're pretty roomy for .5 gallons. Panda is only in the first chamber for now, so there's plenty of room to grow. Link to comment
ExSmoker Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Sounds neat. A pico with the water volume & stabilty of a full size reef haha Link to comment
1.0reef Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I've heard of this, it's a pico DT with a giant sump or it's on a larger system. IMO they aren't picos, not at all, but can give the appearance of being one. Link to comment
ExSmoker Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I guess your right, "Pico" is the challange of having a small sum of total water volume. But hey, fun is fun. I've heard of this, it's a pico DT with a giant sump or it's on a larger system. IMO they aren't picos, not at all, but can give the appearance of being one. Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Yeah, def not the same as having a .5 gallon tank. But def fun to have. And it's a pretty solid way to keep tabs on such a tiny fish. I could see keeping this as a permanent home for the little guy. I could even hang it on a 5.5g Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I have the same breeder box that I bought and converted into a HOB fuge for my cube. But the downside is that your pump must be strong enough to pump in sufficient water into the box, and create an outflow back into your DT. Make sure the pump you use is powerful enough. Otherwise there won't be enough air circulation in the box itself/your new pico. You could place in an airstone just as an additional oxygenation boost. Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 I have the same breeder box that I bought and converted into a HOB fuge for my cube. But the downside is that your pump must be strong enough to pump in sufficient water into the box, and create an outflow back into your DT. Make sure the pump you use is powerful enough. Otherwise there won't be enough air circulation in the box itself/your new pico. You could place in an airstone just as an additional oxygenation boost. Oh yeah? Well, I def thought the box would fill-up faster than it did, when I turned on the pump. But it eventually got there and started flowing water out on the other end. I'm using a Rena 50. Think that's good? Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 As long as there's a proper outflow, it's good enough. Link to comment
thesmallerthebetter Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Finnex makes a pretty rad one that comes with a water pump instead of a air stone, it also looks a bit bigger. These would be cool for so many things, a neat little pico-appendix on a bigger system is a cool thing, esp for doing something that wants less/more light than the display housing a critter you dont want in the main system ie Octo, brotula etc. Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Finnex makes a pretty rad one that comes with a water pump instead of a air stone, it also looks a bit bigger. These would be cool for so many things, a neat little pico-appendix on a bigger system is a cool thing, esp for doing something that wants less/more light than the display housing a critter you dont want in the main system ie Octo, brotula etc. That sounds interesting. I'll def check it out! And I agree! It's so nice to know that I can wake up every morning and KNOW that I'm gonna be able to see what's up with my Panda, even if I find him dead, AT LEAST I'LL KNOW. Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 People do this with freshwater shrimp: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=178197 Also this looks cool, a fuge and a breeder box in one and you can buy a pump and light to fit it: http://www.finnex.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&category_id=5&product_id=268&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61 Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Finnex makes a pretty rad one that comes with a water pump instead of a air stone, it also looks a bit bigger. These would be cool for so many things, a neat little pico-appendix on a bigger system is a cool thing, esp for doing something that wants less/more light than the display housing a critter you dont want in the main system ie Octo, brotula etc. Well, idk how Marina and Finnex are related (maybe Finnex, too, is a Hagen company?), but their box looks exactly like mine, except it looks like they've added some kind of extension to the intake tube that enters the box. Anyway, the optional water pump looks like a great addition. I'm gonna try find one! Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 People do this with freshwater shrimp: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=178197 Also this looks cool, a fuge and a breeder box in one and you can buy a pump and light to fit it: http://www.finnex.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&category_id=5&product_id=268&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61 Ha. Yep, that's the page I saw at Finnex. Digging that shrimp setup Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Here are a few pics of the box so far. I'm still figuring this out. Especially regarding a CUC (like a tiny nassarius), but at the same time not chancing Panda disappearing, even if dead. Panda waiting patiently to go back into hiding, after I added some sand. It doesn't get any cuter than a Panda Goby, does it? Panda enjoying the sand for a bit, after I inserted the first divider and spread the sand out. Added more dead coral and laid a Padlite on top for a pic (borrowed from main/QT). I wish I had 2 Padlites! Also, moved the divider over. After this pic, I spread the sand out a little more towards the moved divider. Link to comment
thesmallerthebetter Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 lookin good I think im gonna have to snatch one of these things up to play with at work....... Link to comment
theGil Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 lookin good I think im gonna have to snatch one of these things up to play with at work....... Do it! What size tank would you hang it on? The 20L happened to be up as a QT. Otherwise, I prob would have hung it on a 6g (topless Edge, actually). Link to comment
thesmallerthebetter Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 it would likely hang on our 400 gallon display, i have a golden brotula that i would like get out of the big tank and into somewhere where i can see him.....he dissapears for months at a time..... Link to comment
theGil Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 it would likely hang on our 400 gallon display, i have a golden brotula that i would like get out of the big tank and into somewhere where i can see him.....he dissapears for months at a time..... Whoa... 400 gallons?!? Haha. I assumed "at work" meant some office job, where you would try to keep some little tank. Boy was I wrong. That's awesome. Can't wait to see the pics. Especially the one showing the little breeder box on a massive 400g tank Link to comment
high247xxx Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Turned my finnex breeder box into a in tank refugium that I'm currently using to train my mandarin dragon before that I used it as a small hob refugium. got mine with a finnex fuge light for $40 off of amazon Link to comment
thesmallerthebetter Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Whoa... 400 gallons?!? Haha. I assumed "at work" meant some office job, where you would try to keep some little tank. Boy was I wrong. That's awesome. Can't wait to see the pics. Especially the one showing the little breeder box on a massive 400g tank haha, nope. I'm Lead Manager/Director of Husbandry/Scientific Collector at the OCC Public Aquarium. I also co-teach a small class of students about basic marine aquarium science during the school year. We have two tropical display systems (600 and 400 gallons), as well as 5 coldwater systems (800 gallons, 3x 450 gallons, and a 50 gallon "Temperate Reef") in addition to whatever i have going in the wet lab at the time. its a pretty cool gig, i get to play with fish and corals all day haha. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Holy crap! That's the cutest little fish. How long is it? Link to comment
theGil Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Turned my finnex breeder box into a in tank refugium that I'm currently using to train my mandarin dragon before that I used it as a small hob refugium. got mine with a finnex fuge light for $40 off of amazon Nice! Did you get the optional water pump? I'm really loving the idea of these breeder boxes. I've now thrown a few loose Kenya Tree branches in the last chamber and need to get some rubble for them to take-foot, instead of just attaching to whatever they want in my DT! haha, nope. I'm Lead Manager/Director of Husbandry/Scientific Collector at the OCC Public Aquarium. I also co-teach a small class of students about basic marine aquarium science during the school year. We have two tropical display systems (600 and 400 gallons), as well as 5 coldwater systems (800 gallons, 3x 450 gallons, and a 50 gallon "Temperate Reef") in addition to whatever i have going in the wet lab at the time. its a pretty cool gig, i get to play with fish and corals all day haha. Wow! That's awesome! No wonder you like nano/pico systems. Why compete with the massive systems you already have at work? Ha. Pics for sure, when you add a breeder box! Holy crap! That's the cutest little fish. How long is it? Pretty freaking cute, huh? I wanna say like 1/2 inch. Link to comment
llama roadkill Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 haha, nope. I'm Lead Manager/Director of Husbandry/Scientific Collector at the OCC Public Aquarium. I also co-teach a small class of students about basic marine aquarium science during the school year. We have two tropical display systems (600 and 400 gallons), as well as 5 coldwater systems (800 gallons, 3x 450 gallons, and a 50 gallon "Temperate Reef") in addition to whatever i have going in the wet lab at the time. its a pretty cool gig, i get to play with fish and corals all day haha. I was thinking "Holy crap what of he got fired?!" "Pack up your stuff and leave, I have to let you go." "Okay, I'll start working on it, maybe 2-3 months." Link to comment
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