Welcome!
Hi, I’m Justin the creator of Reefjar.com. If you want to keep a small reef tank but don’t have the space, money, or time to keep up with a larger tank you’ve come to the right place.
My goal is to help people like you create a successful and beautiful Pico Reef at home with minimal investment of both time and money.
I’ll be showing you:
- Successes – What you can accomplish and how to do it.
- Failures – Where I went wrong and why.
- Helpful Tips – Through text, picture, and video!
This site also serves as a Pico Reef archive. Reef keeping in general is still largely misunderstood and Pico Reefs even more so. All documentation recorded will be beneficial to the marine hobby and possibly global marine sciences.
Okay, great. Let’s Get Started!
Reef Jar Essentials
Here is my complete list of essential items you’ll need to start your reef jar. There are many ways to set up your system, but I’ve found these to be the must-haves with the least amount of messing about.
| Item | Purpose / Description |
|---|---|
| Clear Glass Jar or Vase | 1-2 Gallons with a V-shaped neck for the custom lid to rest inside of. This is the container for your reef. |
| Clear Plastic Plant Saucer | A custom lid to cover your jar allows gas exchange and helps prevent evaporation. Needs to fit snuggly inside your jar’s neck. |
| Air Pump | Adjustable is preferred. Provides water movement and oxygenates the water. |
| Airline Tubing + Valves & Connectors | Make sure you have enough to droop below the pump and away from electronics for safety reasons. Valves help control airflow. |
| Powerhead | Used to mix marine salt with water in a bucket for water changes. |
| Power Bar | Digital Timer Type for aquariums with the ability to program on/off cycles for the lights. |
| Lamp | Securely hold the LED reef light over your jar. |
| LED Reef Light | Provides the necessary light spectrum for coral growth. |
| Small Aquarium Heaters | 1 for keeping stable water temperature in your jar and 1 for mixing new saltwater. |
| Digital Thermometer | Measure the temperature of new saltwater to match your jar’s temperature. |
| Small Glass Thermometer | To always know the water temperature inside your reef jar. |
| Marine Salt | To create new saltwater that has all the essential elements. |
| RO Water | Start with 10 gallons of RO water (Easy to source). It’s free from most impurities to use with your marine salt. |
| 5 Gallon Pails | One bucket for mixing new saltwater and another for emergencies like quick water changes. |
| Basic Saltwater Testing Kit | To Test water parameters like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. |
| Hydrometer or Refractometer | Needed to measure salinity (specific gravity) to make sure your saltwater is safe to use for your marine life. |
| Long Aquarium Tweezers | There’s not much space in a jar. These can help reach or adjust things carefully. |
| Marine Sand or Aragonite Substrate | To help support beneficial bacteria growth or the stability of live rock. |
| Live Rock | For beneficial bacteria and microfauna, biological filtration, and a place for corals to grow. |
| Corals | The main attraction of your reef jar. Choose hardy coral species only. |
| Towels | Used exclusively for reef jar maintenance to keep your area tidy. Do not use these towels for any other purpose. |
Optional Items
Here are optional items you may need or prefer to have on hand.
| Item | Purpose / Description |
|---|---|
| Airstone | Diffuses air into fine bubbles to help reduce noise in your jar, but at the cost of poorer water movement. |
| Cable Ties/Organizers | Helps manage and secure cables, keeping your setup neat and safe. |
| Aquarium-Safe Silicone Sealant | Can be used on your lid to help get a better seal. Do not silicone your lid or cables to your jar. |
| Mounting Clips/Brackets | Can help position equipment like lights and pumps securely around your jar. |
| Big Box To Keep All Supplies In | Big plastic box for all your reef jar supplies and equipment. |
Tank Setup & Maintenance
Choose A Pico Reef Tank & Lid – Find out why I’m using a cookie jar for my reef tank and why a flower vase is also a very suitable option over traditional tanks. If you’re looking for a larger tank, scroll down to my Fluval Spec V posts.
Pico Reef Lighting – Lighting is often a big expense in the marine hobby. Here I discuss what I use to keep all types of corals including LPS (Large Polyp Stony) and SPS (Small Polyp Stony) corals for less than $50.
Temperature Control – Maintaining a stable temperature is extremely important. Most of us will require a heater and thermometer. Here are some options and best practices.
Circulation & Flow – Corals need moving water to help keep them clean and your tank needs movement to prevent it from becoming stagnant. Here is why air power is the most ideal option for a jar or vase pico reef.
Sand Or Bare Bottom – Both have their pros and cons. I make points for each and let you decide which you prefer.
Live Rock – The filtration benefits outlined here are essential to getting your tank off the best start possible.
Marine Salt & Salt Water – Finally you need water, salt, and a means of testing it. Here I cover the basics to get you started.
Livestock – You should start with easy to keep, hardy corals. Wait until your system has matured before taking on invertebrates, and definitely NO FISH!
Cleaning – The key to keeping a successful pico reef is the cleaning and maintenance schedule.
Feeding – Super charge your corals and make them fat. Here is what you need to know about feeding your corals and inhabitants.
Dosing – If you want to boost the growth in your pico reef, dosing may be for you.
Common Problems & Solutions
Algae – The best solution to killing algae that I’ve come across is by using H202. Check out How To Kill Algae With Hydrogen Peroxide for the method I use.
Fluval Spec V
Equipment & Livestock Checklist & Prices – I started another pico system in a Fluval Spec V. Here is the checklist of equipment and livestock. This is a SPS Dominate reef.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by.
I’d love to hear from you about your pico reef-keeping journey. I’d also love to know how I can help you better. That’s one of the ways how we can learn and grow together, including me!
I do my best to respond to comments and emails as soon as possible. I’m really excited and passionate about pico reef-keeping. I truly want to make pico reefing a larger topic in marine hobby and marine sciences.
Let’s make some history together!