New to reefs and saltwater

[bassplaya12]

Hey guys, so here's where I'm at right now. Me and my roommate both kept freshwater tanks last year but since we're moving into a smaller place this year we want to keep just one 10 gallon tank and make it a nano reef. What do we really need to get started? My filter and heater should work fine as well as the tank. We're getting some live sand soon as well. Any and all help is appreciated! Thanks.

p.s. the cheaper we can keep this the better since we're starving college students

[dcombs44]

Welcome.

First, stability is key, and if you're new to salt, small tanks like a 10 gallon may not be the best place to start since things can change so quickly in a smaller tank.

What you need will depend on what you want to keep, but like I said, unless your husbandry skills with the tank are spot on, you may have trouble with such a small tank.

Also, this hobby is not a very budget friendly one. It can be done on a budget, but it always costs more than you hope.

Give us some more details as to your plans for the tank, and there will be plenty of people here to offer advice. Be sure to study up before you make any purchases. You'll be pretty limited with what you can successfully keep in a 10 gallon, so like I said, read up.

[bassplaya12]

the biggest tank we can keep is 10 gallons so that's what we have to work with. We want to put in live rock with some corals and some anenomes etc. We're only looking to keep ~3 fish (maybe a clown, damsel and cardinal). We would also like to have either a shrimp or hermit crab and possibly a starfish if possible to keep in a nano reef and not overly expensive. We're splitting costs so it won't be nearly as bad but if we can keep the price down it would be great. thanks!

[dcombs44]

1) There won't be any anemones that will fare well in a 10 gallon.

2) Stay away from damsels. They are territorial and aggressive.

3) You may be able to get by with a clown and a cardinal, but that'd be about it as far as fish.

4) You'll need some type of cleanup crew (a couple snails, maybe a couple hermits)

5) Depending on the type of corals (soft, polyps, stony) you'll need somewhat specific lighting. This can get pricey.

6) Your tank will have to cycle once you get it up and going. You'll need a reliable test kit to know when the cycle is complete.

7) You'll have to be meticulous about water changes in a 10 gallon. 1 or 2 gallons each week, and I'd suggest using RO/DI filtered water.

8) There are better options than hang on and canister filters for salt. Protein Skimmers (be sure to ask here before you buy) and sumps with refugiums offer more insurance of higher water quality and lower nitrates.


That's a start. Be sure to ask more questions. The best practices in salt are far different from typical practices in fresh water tanks.

[bassplaya12]

http://www.thereeftank.com/compare-f...0-gph/reviews/

this is the filter I have...will it be ok or should I look into a canister filter? I know I have to get a light but not sure exactly what type of bulb. Any help there? What kind of corals and plant life are the easiest?

[dcombs44]

The hang on filters and canister filters can run you into the same types of problems.

Not sure if you understand the process of the nitrogen cycle, but I'll give a quick run down.

1) Organic material enters your tank (fish food, fish poop, dead fish, etc.)
2) Bacteria begin to colonize and break down the organic matter into ammonia. (Ammonia is toxic to pretty much all of the marine life we keep)
3) The bacteria further process the ammonia into nitrite. (Also toxic)
4) The bacteria further process the nitrite into nitrate (Some marine life can handle nitrates, but not in high levels. High nitrates will fuel algae. Algae can become a nuisance.
5) Different bacteria can convert the nitrates into nitrogen gas which leaves our tanks in the form of nitrogen bubbles. These bacteria are found in anaerobic (oxygen deprived) areas of the tank. (Deep within live rock or deep sand beds) You will have very few anaerobic areas in a 10 gallon tank, so you'll have to find other methods to remove nitrates. We do this in a few ways.

1) Water changes to remove organic waste
2) Protein skimming to remove organic waste before it breaks down.
3) Macro Algae in a refugium will consume some nitrate. Trimming and removing macro algae helps remove nitrates.
4) Filter media in canisters and hang on filters (your penguin) trap organic matter. If you do not clean them every couple of days (in a bucket of tank water, in the dishwasher with no detergent, in the washer with bleach) then the trapped matter will build up nitrates and can lead to algae problems and unhappy critters.

Even after your tank cycles, you'll need to add things slowly, (ie something every few weeks) so the cycle can catch up with the new addition of organic matter. If you add too quickly, you can crash the tank.

The easier types of corals to keep are soft corals and/or many polyp corals. Some examples are zoanthids, palythoas, leathers, mushrooms, etc.

A good site to use for research is www.liveaquaria.com. They will give you lighting requirements, level of care and expertise needed, etc.

There are various types of lighting available.

1) Standard Fluorescent - Fine for fish and a few low light loving corals. Cheap.
2) Power Compact/Compact Fluorescent - Can keep most soft corals, many Large Polyp Stony Corals and some Small Polyps Stony Corals. More Expensive.
3) T5 Very High Output Fluorescent - With enough bulbs can keep most corals in shallower tanks (18 to 24" or less). Can get expensive.
4) Metal Halide - Most intense light spectrum named so far. Think Wal-Mart parking lot lights. Used correctly, can keep any number of corals, clams, etc. Can cause heat and electric cost issues. Pretty pricey.
5) LED - Newest technology. I don't know much about them, but many people are switching. Much less heat than halide and much less energy consumption. I think you can keep most anything with the right amount and combination of bulbs with these.

All corals will need acclimated to lighting depending what they have been kept under previously or you can shock and burn them. There are any number of ways to buy and/or build light fixtures.

Finally, be cautious in trusting the advice of local fish stores. There are many reputable stores available, but many stores provide outdated or inaccurate information that can lead you to heartache and wasted money.

You need to learn what is a healthy fish and what is not. If you introduce a sick fish into your system, you can wipe out all of your fish and end up with a mess.

Many people set up a separate quarantine tank to watch new fish for a month or so before you put them in your main tank. This seems tedious, but so many people have experienced the heartache of losing $1000 worth of fish because they didn't quarantine and introduced disease to their display.

I know that's a ton of info. Try to weed through it and ask any more questions that come to mind.

If anybody sees somewhere that I've misspoken, please speak up.

[Palting]

A 10 gal Nano reef is a challenge, even for experts. Just take a look at dcombs44's sig and his current set-up and you'll see what you'll need, and his number of posts to see how long he's been at it in order to succeed.

If you are up for a challenge, then go for it. Otherwise, I would advise you to set your sights lower. Try for a fish only saltwater tank first, then, as your experience and knowledge and funds accumulate, slowly move over to a reef nano. Or, wait until you can get a bigger tank, at least a 55.

[bassplaya12]

we were planning on running a protein skimmer and a pump with the current filter...bad idea good idea? Also in terms of lighting we were gonna just buy a hood, get a proper, cheaper flourescent and an led to help with the plants. How much live rock etc. would be good for a 10 gallon?

[bassplaya12]

Originally Posted by Palting

A 10 gal Nano reef is a challenge, even for experts. Just take a look at dcombs44's sig and his current set-up and you'll see what you'll need, and his number of posts to see how long he's been at it in order to succeed.

If you are up for a challenge, then go for it. Otherwise, I would advise you to set your sights lower. Try for a fish only saltwater tank first, then, as your experience and knowledge and funds accumulate, slowly move over to a reef nano. Or, wait until you can get a bigger tank, at least a 55.

what kind of setup could i do without a reef? i love the way reefs look. Are there "other types" of plants that would be colorful? Could I still have live rock?

[Palting]

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

what kind of setup could i do without a reef? i love the way reefs look. Are there "other types" of plants that would be colorful? Could I still have live rock?

Man, you REALLY need to read up . We're here to help, though.

Check and read through the stickies on the top of this forum. That will get you started in the right direction.

Live rock actually means the rock has bacteria in it so that the rock can act as part of or is the main part of your biological filtration system. The fact that they may come with some livestock or coralline growth is secondary. If you get liverock with livestock (ie. coral) already on it and your system isn't ready, the livestock will die off but the bacteria will actually prosper.

There ARE some easy corals, like zoanthids, but a 10 gal reef tank itself is not "easy".

[bassplaya12]

i did say i was new to the whole saltwater thing...I've been reading up on reef stuff but don't really know all that much still. The care should be ok. I have a little over a year experience with freshwater and my buddy has probably double my experience. Our other roommates dad has a 75 gallon reef so he's been around them. I figure with all our efforts we can take care of it, but still, easier plant life is better because we are all technically beginners

Originally Posted by Palting

Man, you REALLY need to read up . We're here to help, though.

Check and read through the stickies on the top of this forum. That will get you started in the right direction.

Live rock actually means the rock has bacteria in it so that the rock can act as part of or is the main part of your biological filtration system. The fact that they may come with some livestock or coralline growth is secondary. If you get liverock with livestock (ie. coral) already on it and your system isn't ready, the livestock will die off but the bacteria will actually prosper.

There ARE some easy corals, like zoanthids, but a 10 gal reef tank itself is not "easy".

[dcombs44]

Planted aquariums are a whole other animal that I don't have much experience with.

There are some different macroalgae that will grow under standard fluorescent, but beyond that, I don't know if I can offer you much advice.

Please don't take my comments as a means to discourage. It's just not as simple a hobby as many will lead you to believe, and we see lots of people kill animals (myself included) due to lack of knowledge. Many of us jumped in too quickly and it cost us a bunch of extra money and cost many animals their lives.

Glad you decided to read and research first.

Here's a link to the plant forum.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=176

[Palting]

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

i did say i was new to the whole saltwater thing...I've been reading up on reef stuff but don't really know all that much still. The care should be ok. I have a little over a year experience with freshwater and my buddy has probably double my experience. Our other roommates dad has a 75 gallon reef so he's been around them. I figure with all our efforts we can take care of it, but still, easier plant life is better because we are all technically beginners

Didn't mean to offend. I have a son in college, likely your age.

Anyway, go for it. Sometimes the best teacher is experiencing it. Your friends dad may have a few items lying around if he has been in the reefkeeping hobby a while that you can use. Start slow, and build up.

[dcombs44]

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

what kind of setup could i do without a reef? i love the way reefs look. Are there "other types" of plants that would be colorful? Could I still have live rock?

As mentioned, live rock is just reef rock that has been colonized with bacteria. It's useful to us because it is very porous and provides a fantastic surface area for the bacteria to dwell. Sand does the same thing. Neither are really "live", they are just alive with bacteria that will process the organics in your tank. I would recommend live rock no matter what type of setup you decide to have.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

we were planning on running a protein skimmer and a pump with the current filter...bad idea good idea? Also in terms of lighting we were gonna just buy a hood, get a proper, cheaper flourescent and an led to help with the plants. How much live rock etc. would be good for a 10 gallon?

A GOOD protein skimmer is a great investment and the best insurance policy you can buy for your tank. A cheap skimmer will cause headaches and waste time and money. A common skimmer pushed by fish stores is the Seaclone. They CAN work, but seldom do without a number of modifications and headaches. There are several "semi-affordable" skimmers that will do much better job.

If you do run the penguin filter. I suggest removing the bio-wheels from the system. If you do use filter pads in it, do as I said and be sure to clean them multiple times each week. Many people will replace the filter pads with live rock rubble. To me, this can still trap organic matter, so I feel like that decision is up to you. If you choose to remove the filter pads, you can run the filter just for added flow and oxygenation of the water and let the live rock and skimmer perform your filtration.

Flow is a key with corals as well. Some like a ton of flow, some like very little flow.

EDIT: Also, not sure this has been distinguished, but corals are not plants, they are 100% animals.

[bassplaya12]

planning on doing a reef still. Just a basic one though. Nothing extra exotic or super demanding in terms of care. We expect it to be hard work so we're doing as much reading as we can. The only stuff we've purchased so far is stuff we already had and some live sand hah.

Originally Posted by dcombs44

Planted aquariums are a whole other animal that I don't have much experience with.

There are some different macroalgae that will grow under standard fluorescent, but beyond that, I don't know if I can offer you much advice.

Please don't take my comments as a means to discourage. It's just not as simple a hobby as many will lead you to believe, and we see lots of people kill animals (myself included) due to lack of knowledge. Many of us jumped in too quickly and it cost us a bunch of extra money and cost many animals their lives.

Glad you decided to read and research first.

Here's a link to the plant forum.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=176

oh no I know you didn't mean to hah. I'll have to see if his dad has any extra stuff. We learned some stuff the first time around with freshwater, granted it's different, some things apply. The biggest thing learned was patience. Gonna take it slow and do it right and hopefully things will work as planned. We don't have the money to buy a lot of stuff first anyways so it will definitely be built upon

Originally Posted by Palting

Didn't mean to offend. I have a son in college, likely your age.

Anyway, go for it. Sometimes the best teacher is experiencing it. Your friends dad may have a few items lying around if he has been in the reefkeeping hobby a while that you can use. Start slow, and build up.

[bassplaya12]

Originally Posted by dcombs44

As mentioned, live rock is just reef rock that has been colonized with bacteria. It's useful to us because it is very porous and provides a fantastic surface area for the bacteria to dwell. Sand does the same thing. Neither are really "live", they are just alive with bacteria that will process the organics in your tank. I would recommend live rock no matter what type of setup you decide to have.



A GOOD protein skimmer is a great investment and the best insurance policy you can buy for your tank. A cheap skimmer will cause headaches and waste time and money. A common skimmer pushed by fish stores is the Seaclone. They CAN work, but seldom do without a number of modifications and headaches. There are several "semi-affordable" skimmers that will do much better job.

If you do run the penguin filter. I suggest removing the bio-wheels from the system. If you do use filter pads in it, do as I said and be sure to clean them multiple times each week. Many people will replace the filter pads with live rock rubble. To me, this can still trap organic matter, so I feel like that decision is up to you. If you choose to remove the filter pads, you can run the filter just for added flow and oxygenation of the water and let the live rock and skimmer perform your filtration.

Flow is a key with corals as well. Some like a ton of flow, some like very little flow.

EDIT: Also, not sure this has been distinguished, but corals are not plants, they are 100% animals.

i thought the bio wheel was supposed to help keep the good bacteria and such flowing. So no? I guess the live rock rubble would cut down on the cost of filter pads haha. Does that work well? Would it cause any issues with my filter? My friends girlfriends friend, tricky i know, works at a fish specialty store and he compiled a list of stuff we should look into to keep a tight budget as well as just general care. I'll copy it over

[bassplaya12]

This is what he sent my buddy and me:

This is a good canister filter which is what we use in the store
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=16742

You need a skimmer to get rid of undisolved stuff like protein. We have a few of these in our smaller tanks and theyre workin pretty well.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=12703

This conditions water.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19608

We use this. idk why but my boss told me to tell you this is a good idea lol
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4008

We reccommend this at our store when setting up a tank. this stuffs pretty legit
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=3983

this gets rid of ammonia but most of the stuff you can get for salt water tanks do so dont over do it
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4079

This stuff would be really good for your boyfriend to get because the tank is so small. when you change water you just throw a little of this in.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4045

stress coat
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4025

this is good for alkalinity and ph but read the directions....
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19640

id get a pump to help the protein skimmer
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4590
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4671
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=21970
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20171
(either one works fine the only difference is price)

Hoods
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=13447
needs a 20" moonlight

I would really reccommend this thing. its a small light for the plants so you put it in the back and give the plants and coral extra light.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20601

you need a hydrometer and a ton of other testing stuff. im not 100% sure on all the stuff you need but here are sites that can probably help you out. if you need anything let me know.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sett...ater-aquarium/

[dcombs44]

Wet/Dry filtration is a method that has pretty much gone the wayside. The bio-wheel is essentially wet/dry filtration. Part of the filter is always in the water, part is always out. The long and short of it is it leads to nitrate problems. Your live rock and sand will provide the necessary home for bacteria to flourish.

The biowheels cause the same problems that filter cartridges do. They trap poo and the nitrates get trapped in the system. If you're cleaning them, then you're killing the bacteria anyway, so they are pretty much useless.

Live rock and the filter cartridges aren't really comparable. The filter cartridges will trap stuff that you can then remove from your system. The rubble will just give you more surface area for bacteria. The rubble will not harm the filter at all. Only problem with crushed live rock is that you may trap stuff underneath the rubble that can lead to nitrates.

If it were me, I would probably run the filter empty and maybe use filter floss or carbon in it once in a while to polish the water.

Most of the your removal of gunk will be done with water changes and protein skimming, so you don't necessarily need filter floss. It can help polish the water, but leads to more maintenance.

[Floowid]

Nothing on that list looked very useful. Some of it is snake oil at best. Don't rely on chemicals to "condition" and "clean" your tank. I really don't know where to start, but I would not really get any of that. Start with good sand, some cured live rock, and patience. It doesn't sound like you will have an RODI unit, so get RO water from a reputable local fish store to top off your tank. A good hang on the back skimmer will help a lot, I have no idea what that thing was you linked, and I don't have any experience with small HOB skimmers, but that did not look like the right one. Run the filter you have now minus the bio wheels, and I would just use the pads if you have the dedication to wash them out at the very least weekly. Otherwise use rubble rock but watch it for detritus buildup. Most importantly, exercise patience. Get the water, sand, rock, and a circulation pump going, and let that thing cycle for a least a month. Keep asking questions, keep reading.

[dcombs44]

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

This is what he sent my buddy and me:

This is a good canister filter which is what we use in the store
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=16742
You could use carbon in this filter, but I wouldn't use it for anything else other than to move water. Builds nitrates.

You need a skimmer to get rid of undisolved stuff like protein. We have a few of these in our smaller tanks and theyre workin pretty well.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=12703
This is not a protein skimmer. This is a surface skimmer. Don't buy this.

This conditions water.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19608
Bio-Spira can help speed the nitrogen cycle. If you're buying live rock and sand, it's not necessary. Don't buy this.

We use this. idk why but my boss told me to tell you this is a good idea lol
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4008
Not necessary. Don't buy.

We reccommend this at our store when setting up a tank. this stuffs pretty legit
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=3983
Not legit and unnecessary. Don't buy.

this gets rid of ammonia but most of the stuff you can get for salt water tanks do so dont over do it
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4079
No. Don't buy.

This stuff would be really good for your boyfriend to get because the tank is so small. when you change water you just throw a little of this in.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4045
This is a band-aid that can be used in emergencies. Only covers up a problem. OK to have on hand, but do not use on a regular basis.

stress coat
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4025
Don't buy

this is good for alkalinity and ph but read the directions....
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19640
Water changes will handle most of this. Not familiar with this product, but I think Brightwell is a good brand. I think there are better options. Don't buy this.

id get a pump to help the protein skimmer
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4590
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4671
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=21970
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20171
(either one works fine the only difference is price)
This doesn't make sense because the "skimmer" he suggested is not a protein skimmer. Don't buy this with your setup.

Hoods
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=13447
This is a standard fluorescent hood. You will be quite limited in the corals you keep with ANY bulb used in this fixture. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Only 1 bulb in a standard fixture will not allow you to keep many corals.

needs a 20" moonlight
You absolutely do not need a moonlight. They look cool, and some say the promote spawning in some fish, but in your case, a waste of money.

I would really reccommend this thing. its a small light for the plants so you put it in the back and give the plants and coral extra light.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20601
He called it "this thing". Like I said, I don't know much about LEDs, but knowing the cost of them, I have my doubts that you'll accomplish anything with this. An LED setup for a 3" tank can run $3000. This fixture won't accomplish much.

you need a hydrometer and a ton of other testing stuff. im not 100% sure on all the stuff you need but here are sites that can probably help you out. if you need anything let me know.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sett...ater-aquarium/
Hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate. Refractometers are a better option and run somewhere between $30 and $300 depending on quality. You can buy an API reef master test kit for $20 and probably be set with testing supplies for your purposes.

I'll come up with a list of what I would suggest for your tank, and a few items and pictures of what I suggest you keep.

Your g/f's buddy will not steer you in the right direction, and it appears his boss will not either.

I am not interested in your money, and they are, and I'm telling you that the info they gave you is crap.

[dcombs44]

Here's what I suggest for your tank:

1) The tank - 10 gallons
2) Your filter - No bio-wheels, use either filter pads or rubble as discussed.
3) 10 lbs or so of sand - preferably aragonite sand
4) 10 lbs or so of live rock - could probably add up to 20. Your choice.
5) A protein skimmer if you can afford one. Something like this: http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus...immer-495.html
6) Thermometer - Glass not stick on.
7) 50 Watt Heater - Eheim Jager brand $20 or so

........I'll continue later. May not be till morning.

[phenom5]

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

This is what he sent my buddy and me:

This is a good canister filter which is what we use in the store
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=16742

Skip the canister filter IMO.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

You need a skimmer to get rid of undisolved stuff like protein. We have a few of these in our smaller tanks and theyre workin pretty well.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=12703

You don't need a skimmer. Nice to have, but not required, especially on a small tank. That is a surface skimmer, completely different than a protein skimmer.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

This conditions water.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19608

We use this. idk why but my boss told me to tell you this is a good idea lol
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4008

We reccommend this at our store when setting up a tank. this stuffs pretty legit
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=3983

this gets rid of ammonia but most of the stuff you can get for salt water tanks do so dont over do it
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4079

This stuff would be really good for your boyfriend to get because the tank is so small. when you change water you just throw a little of this in.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4045

stress coat
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4025

this is good for alkalinity and ph but read the directions....
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=19640

I wouldn't bother with any of those. Waste of money IMO.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

id get a pump to help the protein skimmer
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4590
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4671
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=21970
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20171
(either one works fine the only difference is price)

I'd get 2 Koralia nanos for flow in the tank. Not sure how they'll help with the surface skimmer, but you're going to want some flow in the tank.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

Hoods
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=13447
needs a 20" moonlight

I would really reccommend this thing. its a small light for the plants so you put it in the back and give the plants and coral extra light.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...m?pcatid=20601

I'd go with a power compact fixture over that. There's somebody that makes a 20" fixture with a 96W PC bulb. IMO that's the best way to go here. That'll give you enough light to keep softies, zoanthids, and some LPS.

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

you need a hydrometer and a ton of other testing stuff.

If you go the hydrometer, make sure you have someone with a refractometer nearby that you can measure it against. A refractometer is really the way to go IMO, even though it'll run you considerably more than a hydrometer. I'd also pick up an API Basic Saltwater test kit. It'll have all the test kits you need to start out, and it's decent quality.




I'd go with a HOB refugium with macro algae (FWIW I DIY'ed one out of a sheet of 1/4" acrylic, some weld-on, and a few bucks worth of PVC on my original nano tank back in the day). That along with 10-12lbs of live rock, a couple of powerheads (koralia nanos or 1's), substrate and lighting of your choice, and regular water changes (2-3 gals weekly would be great, use RO/DI as your source water) and you'll be good to go.

I'd stick to 2 fish max. I'd skip the anemone. I'd skip the HOB filter you have.

Hope this helps.

[bassplaya12]

could we get away with a smaller skimmer at all? or what would happen if we didn't run one?

So what I'm gathering is with salt water tanks, particularly reefs, the living creatures, rocks, corals, fish etc, do the majority of the filtering? So this may be able to be done for considerably cheaper than we were anticipating? Or at least we could buy higher quality filtration and pumps etc instead of dumb chemicals....
Also you find aragonite sand to be better than "live sand"?

Originally Posted by dcombs44

Here's what I suggest for your tank:

1) The tank - 10 gallons
2) Your filter - No bio-wheels, use either filter pads or rubble as discussed.
3) 10 lbs or so of sand - preferably aragonite sand
4) 10 lbs or so of live rock - could probably add up to 20. Your choice.
5) A protein skimmer if you can afford one. Something like this: http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus...immer-495.html
6) Thermometer - Glass not stick on.
7) 50 Watt Heater - Eheim Jager brand $20 or so

........I'll continue later. May not be till morning.

[Dustin1300]

You can always get away with something cheaper but that skimmer would ensure your prepared for whatever you end up putting into the tank. I would run a skimmer no matter what and the list compiled thus far from dcomb is a great start and summarizes about all the equipment needed. I've not kept a small reef aquarium but would recommend the only remaining item on dcombs list in main components would be a powerhead. Depending on what you are planning on keeping this could differ. Koralia makes some great performing powerheads for the money.

Lastly, to answer your question regarding the sand....The difference in sand is that it is live sand in the sense that it has bacteria already. For example, you'll see in this sand (http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2753224) that it is live sand. The aragonite you're mentioning is most likely not but can help in buffering the calcium (Please confirm RCers). Anyways, as dcomb mentioned earlier you might as well go with live sand as this will help you out more in the long run.

Do much more research and read before you spend Good luck

Originally Posted by bassplaya12

could we get away with a smaller skimmer at all? or what would happen if we didn't run one?

So what I'm gathering is with salt water tanks, particularly reefs, the living creatures, rocks, corals, fish etc, do the majority of the filtering? So this may be able to be done for considerably cheaper than we were anticipating? Or at least we could buy higher quality filtration and pumps etc instead of dumb chemicals....
Also you find aragonite sand to be better than "live sand"?

[bassplaya12]

^^ cool cool. Thanks! Guys as far as transporting, we essentially have to move the tank 2-3 times tops during the year. We gonna run into serious issues with having to do this? So you guys would definitely suggest spending a bit extra on the skimmer and I guess the light, as these seem to be 2 of the most important pieces of the tank?