Starting A Nano

Uyro1 · 09/03/2007, 08:14 PM

This is the first time I have ever started a salt tank. I worked at a pet store that had salt and reef stuff so I know allot but have yet to apply what I have learned. I am just going to say what I have done and will do so you can feel free to tell me if anything is wrong or you might want me to change something.

I have 10 gallon tank with 10 lbs. of live sand. Nice heater of course. I will have 2 powerheads pointing at each other from across the tank. I will have a total of 390 gal. an hour of flow. I know that is a bit much but as long as they are blowing into each other that should be fine. Then I will be getting 12 lbs. of live rock. I will let that sit for about 2 weeks then add a clean up crew. Give that a few weeks then add the corals. I will get some easy to keep corals like bubble corals and some polyps. My lighting will be 2x 40 watt power compact bulbs. One is a 6,700 and the other 10,000k bulb.

Every week I will do a little over a gallon of water change. So is this about right or am I way off?

Nano Chris · 09/03/2007, 08:25 PM

Your in the right direction, there is never too much flow, as long as the sand doesn't get blown around, as you may or may not know smaller tanks are a bit harder to manage (temperature/salinity) as long as you take things slow you will have a great tank.

Uyro1 · 09/03/2007, 08:35 PM

Thank You Very Much!!

Shooter7 · 09/03/2007, 08:50 PM

The flow is pretty good, will have to see how whatever corals you put in there like it.

The cycle is not determined by weeks, but by test results. It might be cycled in a couple weeks or maybe not. Get good test kits to test the water and monitor the cycle. Don't put the cleanup crew in there until the cycle is complete for a week or two.

That 6700 light plus the 10k light is going to make the tank look pretty yellow, but that's in the eye of the beholder.

I change about 4g per week on my 10g. A gallon a week isn't going to really accomplish much, IMO.

Small tanks lose water in a hurry, make sure you have a reliable source for topoff water. Hopefully, you're using RO/DI for this setup.

good luck

Uyro1 · 09/04/2007, 11:00 AM

I will be using RO water. I will do four gallons then. Should I change a gallon every other day?

Also what kinds of corals do you recommend for a nano?

Shooter7 · 09/04/2007, 11:36 AM

For a beginner, I'd say things like zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, green star polyps, perhaps LPS like frogspawn or hammers, ricordea.

I just do about 4g a week and all seems fine.

09/03/2007, 08:14 PM	#1
Uyro1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 58	Starting A Nano This is the first time I have ever started a salt tank. I worked at a pet store that had salt and reef stuff so I know allot but have yet to apply what I have learned. I am just going to say what I have done and will do so you can feel free to tell me if anything is wrong or you might want me to change something. I have 10 gallon tank with 10 lbs. of live sand. Nice heater of course. I will have 2 powerheads pointing at each other from across the tank. I will have a total of 390 gal. an hour of flow. I know that is a bit much but as long as they are blowing into each other that should be fine. Then I will be getting 12 lbs. of live rock. I will let that sit for about 2 weeks then add a clean up crew. Give that a few weeks then add the corals. I will get some easy to keep corals like bubble corals and some polyps. My lighting will be 2x 40 watt power compact bulbs. One is a 6,700 and the other 10,000k bulb. Every week I will do a little over a gallon of water change. So is this about right or am I way off?

09/03/2007, 08:25 PM	#2
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Your in the right direction, there is never too much flow, as long as the sand doesn't get blown around, as you may or may not know smaller tanks are a bit harder to manage (temperature/salinity) as long as you take things slow you will have a great tank. __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

09/03/2007, 08:50 PM	#4
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	The flow is pretty good, will have to see how whatever corals you put in there like it. The cycle is not determined by weeks, but by test results. It might be cycled in a couple weeks or maybe not. Get good test kits to test the water and monitor the cycle. Don't put the cleanup crew in there until the cycle is complete for a week or two. That 6700 light plus the 10k light is going to make the tank look pretty yellow, but that's in the eye of the beholder. I change about 4g per week on my 10g. A gallon a week isn't going to really accomplish much, IMO. Small tanks lose water in a hurry, make sure you have a reliable source for topoff water. Hopefully, you're using RO/DI for this setup. good luck __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

09/04/2007, 11:36 AM	#6
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	For a beginner, I'd say things like zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, green star polyps, perhaps LPS like frogspawn or hammers, ricordea. I just do about 4g a week and all seems fine. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

09/03/2007, 08:35 PM	#3
Uyro1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 58	Thank You Very Much!!

09/04/2007, 11:00 AM	#5
Uyro1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 58	I will be using RO water. I will do four gallons then. Should I change a gallon every other day? Also what kinds of corals do you recommend for a nano?