Help Me Decide!

[Ram_Puppy]

I know you guys are utterly balanced towards saltwater... but I am having a really hard decision with this!!!

the tank is a pico - sub 1 gallon - its one of those really tiny tanks w/ the same dimensions as a 10 gallon.


Lights:
http://www.hellolights.com/9micoaq.html

and i have two azoo palm filters available should I go salt water...

and that is the question...

I am really feelign the challenge to a a planted pico tank (freshwater)...

but I am thinking that might actually be harder because plants grow much faster and larger!

hmm... maybe I am answering my own question.

[rocketeer]

But your fish and corals will die if you put them in fresh water... :unsure

[erikharrison]

take it to work. put it on your desk. saltwater.

[Ram_Puppy]

ahh... I can't take it to work, done that allready, i broke down my old pico because the facilities people freaked out at there being a an open top container of water in the building. (What do they think glasses of water are?) shortly there after, everyone in the company had to take home their betta bowls and suck.

[Ram_Puppy]

hmm.. I wonder if those planted tank guys just opened up a whole new world for nano-reef keepers... at least I had never seen this before.

http://item.express.ebay.com/__Pet-Supplies_Red-Sea-CO2-Pro-System-DELUXE-for-PAINTBALL-CO2-cylinde_W0QQitemZ140018223864QQihZ004QQptdnZPetQ20 SuppliesQQptdiZ1012QQcmdZExpressItem

heres a pick of a planted reef nano tank... just so you can see why i am drawn to it... yes.. there are shrimp in there.

http://www.gwapa.org/forum/uploads/SCMurphy/4D4_Nano12-17-2004-2-o.jpg

[Ping]

The planted tanks at Texas Tropical and Alamo are awsome.

[Ram_Puppy]

I think the planted tank at texas tropical is probably stocked w/ some of my old plants. when I got out of planted tanks about 6 or 7 years ago, they got everything from a heavily stocked 60 gallon, monster amazon swords, java moss, tons of val, cryptis, etc... when I started going to them they didn't have any idea on how to even keep a planted tank, I am glad they learned.

[MattK]

Go with SW so I can learn from your mistakes :D . Cool thing is with a pico is that when the corals get too large you can switch them out with stuff from your larger tank. You'll have a different looking tank every few months.


This one is one of the most awesome ideas for a pico ever. Had to share.

http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/data/500/medium/P1020150.JPG

[Ram_Puppy]

after looking for inspiration all morning... I am thinking of possibly two things.

absolute compromise = brackish. :)

or - full saltwater - but more like a refugium where it's full of nothing but micro fauna and crustaceans, and the primary attraction is maybe red grape algae or something.

could have some hillarious fun w/ that over on that planted tank forum! :)

[dwdenny]

after looking for inspiration all morning... I am thinking of possibly two things.

absolute compromise = brackish. :)

or - full saltwater - but more like a refugium where it's full of nothing but micro fauna and crustaceans, and the primary attraction is maybe red grape algae or something.

could have some hillarious fun w/ that over on that planted tank forum! :)

That would be neat to see as well. Planted saltwater tank would really mess with them.

[blueboy]

i used to have a "display refugium"over my old 55g reef, the fuge held about 20G and was 4' long, like the 55. at one point i counted 13 different types of macros in the fuge. i spent at least as much time looking at the fuge as i did the reef!

[Ram_Puppy]

I think I am gonig to go ahead and go w/ that...

they can love their pretty rooted plants all they want, but my little pico (I am now thinking it's about 1.5 gallons... size can be decieving) filled w/ ochtodes, red grape algae, and maybe something else will be far more colorful. :)