looking to start

[butternutz]

ok well i havent had a reef or marine tank yet and i am going to start one. i have a 10 g empty and ready to be used. what would be some things that i should stay away from, and what are some things that i would want to get first thing? from what i have been reading, in something this small a protein skimmer isnt a necesity. is this true? i have read many places that as long as you keep on top of water changes you dont even need one. as far as filtration for this what should i do? should i use one of those hob jammies, a canister, or should i get a sump? i dont know if a sump would be ideal for a tank this size, am i wrong? but then again can you ever have a tank over filtered? i guess if i wanted to build a sump i could do a small one. i am just trying to get opinions from those who have done this before. please any help would be greatly appreciated. thanx in advance.

 

[nanoreefer22]

For a first tank I'd personally go at least a little bigger say like a 20g and use the 10g as your sump.

Don't go with the HOB filters. However a HOB protien skimmer would never hurt the tank.

You should invest in an RO/DI unit depending on how big of a tank you decide on doing. For lights try T-5's if you go with the 20g if you do the 10g just keep it to power compacts(you'll just be alittle limited on coral choice).

If you got the cash go with a sump, gives you a place to hide equipment which can be really handy on such a small tank.

Stay away from what most any LFS will tell ya, there are good ones but check with us before you purchase something.

 

[butternutz]

i already have a light that i was using on this already, its a coralife aqualight compact flourescent, and it has a coralife 50/50 bulb. also, i just today recieved my RO/DI filter in the mail. i was actually hoping not to have to get another tank, but i guess if the consensus here is i should go with a sump, i will as you said get the 20h tank and use this as my sump. any future purchases i make, i will ask for advice here first. ty for your input nano

 

[212jay]

I have one FS and it comes with the lights and skimmer. $150
Jay

 

[masterswimmer]

Hey butter, welcome to our addiction. You're doing well already. Asking questions and listening to the answers is a great start.

Kris (nano) gave you nice sound advice. A larger tank will be easier to stabilize. One of the things to remember is, the solution to pollution is dilution. In other words, the more water volume you have, the more diluted any impurity in your system will be.

Live rock and a HOT protein skimmer is all the filtration you'll need. You were correct when you said some people run nano tanks (tanks under 20 gallons) without a protein skimmer. However, rather than have your livestock survive, we try to get the livestock to thrive. Running a protein skimmer will bring you eons closer to that desired result.

Determining what livestock you intend, or would like to keep, is the first step to identifying what equipment requirements you'll need.

Again, welcome to our :grouphug: and ask questions BEFORE you make a purchase. I'm sure we can save you lots of money and time.

Russ

 

[butternutz]

well what i know i want is a clown fish. i always found it fascinating that they make their home in an anemone. that said i would also like to have an anemone, if possible, or should i avoid them right off the bat? i told everyone the light i have and thats the one i WILL be using. atleast for the time being. from what i have read and what has been said so far here, my light will determine what i can keep. with that perticular light what can i NOT keep? other than the clown and anemone i really havent decided what else i would like to keep. i dont really know too much about all these live corals and all. that is why i have asked for the help of y'all experts here. i forget the name of the perticular clown i want, but it is the one in the lil fish icon thingy in the post icons thing under where you write your posts. i know there are 2 that look like that and one is referred to as fake something but i want the real one. if that helps.:/

thanx for your reply russ

 

[masterswimmer]

You're welcome butter.
In answer to your very first question, yes, you should avoid the anemone right off the bat. A very nicely matured tank is required to house an anemone appropriately. Most aquarists will suggest allowing your tank to mature for one full year before considering an anemone. This might sound like a long time, but believe me, the time goes quickly. Besides, natural reefs have been 'maturing' for millions of years, waiting for our glass boxes to reach their first birthday is not unrealistic.

Your lighting is also marginal at best for this type of invertebrate. They are a high light demanding creature.

The clowns you're talking about are called True Perculas and False Perculas. Both beautiful fish.

Amphiprion ocellaris aka False Percula (Nemo )
Amphiprion percula aka True Percula - notice the black/dark areas around the body

 

[butternutz]

thanx again for your timely reply russ. you have been a great help so far one question i want to ask is, will my light work for a reef tank? as you said, that perticular light is marginal at best for an anemone, but what would thrive in a light like that? and i will take your advice and stay away from the anemone until my tank matures. because the way i am i like to make my fish, and pets, as happy as possible. another thing, thanx for the links you provided, i most definatly want the true percula. would that perticular fish be good for a "beginner" reefster? although, i am not new to the fish keeping hobby. been keeping my own fish since i was about 10 years old. maybe even younger. that is why i am not hesitating to ask questions. sorry if i seem to be a pain in the you know what. i just want to do this right the first time.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Butter,
What kind of lights in specific do you have? It's power compacts but how many watts.

The True Perculas are a great fish for a beginner, just make sure you get it from a reliable source so you know its coming to you at the best price.

If you have say a 96watt power compact over your tank you can keep a lot of coral. Most if not all softies, LPS, and later down the road you could keep montipora.

 

[butternutz]

i apoligize i should have posted the specs when i posted what type of light i had. as i said its a coralife 28 watt 20 inch light with a 50/50 coralife bulb in it. is it not powerful enough? should i get a better one? i mean if it isnt powerful enough i could always just put it on my african tank cuz i was eventually gonna get 2 for it anyway. i liked the light this one puts off, made my tank look nice. but, looks and needs are 2 different things. i have a feeling everyone is going to tell me that isnt powerful enough, but as i said i want to make my fish and pets as happy as possible.

 

[nanoreefer22]

The lighting you have will get you by with soft corals and some LPS, but it could be better. If you really want to stick to power compacts your best bet for a 10g tank would be to get the 96watt power quad. Someone is actually selling one now for $90. If not you can look around for a 70watt halide set up for around $130 complete.

With the power quad you'll be able to keep most corals, besides SPS. The anemone should be fine under that much light as well. Just wait a while before adding it to the tank. Get a feel for soft coral first, then LPS, then try out the anemone.

Try to get a bubble tip anemone as they are hardier and will do better than most under that lighting.

Keep in mind to not overstock

 

[masterswimmer]

Hey Kris, thanks for jumping in. Difficult to stay in MR 100% of the time :biggrin:

butter, Kris gave you top o' the line advice. I couldn't add anything to improve on his suggestions. :hug:

swimmer

 

[seefish]

HI I just emptied my 20g of everything, but I have the tank, refugium, the pumps and the live sand, lights too. You can have it all for $50 if you come pick it up. Im so sad I had to give up my tank.one day I will set up another one...

 

[butternutz]

well here is what i am going to do. i am going to use my 10g due to the limited space i have. i just dont have the space to have a 20g with a 10g sump. i am going to use my 10g and purchase myself a HOT protien skimmer, use my current light for now, to be upgraded later, and just try and hide the equipment the best that i can. and as russ said, use live rock as a filter. as far as protien skimmers go, what would i want to get for a tank of this size? what are good brands and more importantly, what brands should i stay away from? i apoligize for asking so many questions and thanx for any help everyone.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Check out the Nano Remora that just came out. PLB has one that he is selling.

 

[masterswimmer]

Check out the Nano Remora that just came out. PLB has one that he is selling.

Another good suggestion.

Others to consider are:
- Coralife Super Skimmer 65 (I have this one. Requires lots of mods, then works great)
- Deltec MCE 600 (FYI - very expensive, but quality)
- Bermuda Aquatics Archipelago (You'll be able to use this one when you upsize your tank :biggrin: )
- AquaC Remora Nano (AquaC has a good reputation, but this is a new skimmer on the market. Not tested for the long haul yet)

Skimmers to avoid:
- Seaclone aka: Seaclown
- Skilter
- Red Sea Prizm
There are others to avoid. I'm sure Kris will chime in with his 'dis' recommendations :biggrin:

Russ

 

[nanoreefer22]

LoL Stay away from Bak-pak skimmers too. Your money can be put to much better use.

All good skimmer pointed out by Russ. Why not just get a regular remora, if you keep an eye out you can find one at a cheaper price than the remora nano.

 

[butternutz]

i appreciate all the replies guys, thank you so much. i have been doing some research on skimmers and every review i have read about the remoras have had nothing but good things to say about it. so i will go with one of those. now i do have another question, sorry to be sucha pain. i have some base rock, got it for free cuz i got to be freinds with a guy at a lfs, and it was in my 10g for about 6 months maybe a year. my question is, even though i got the rock before it was put into the curing vats, and the rock wasnt used in a SW tank so far, can i use the rock in addition to the LR that i get? i mean do i have to boil it to kill everything on it? or am i better off just tossing them away or trading them?

 

[masterswimmer]

I would consider cooking your rock.
You'll make sure all the nasties are gone before you bring them into your tank.

swimmer

 

[alistair]

Butter,
You are getting some very good advice from the people posting here, I hope it helps you. If you are interested in a slightly larger set up, check out the For Sale forum. I have a 29g bow front tank, skimmer, 2x96w light ballast etc for sale. All you would need is bulbs, LR, Sand and clown fish.
I used this as an office tank before I changed jobs.