looking to completely start over

[Radix]

Ok after my 10g long and 14g cube turned put horrible I want to completely start over.

I'm hoping someone can tell me what I should get (specific brands very helpful), and exactly what to do once started. If I can get a day by day guide I can follow it a lot easier.
RO/DI, any cheap ish ones? What test kits that won't make me go broke? Hydrometer? Etc


So far for the 10 gallon I have:

Aqueon 10g rated HOB filter with regular filter pads
Aqua clear 20 power head - ~127gph
Suction cup thermometer
Regular 50w rated hood (2 14w cfl's at the moment)

What should I get as for a light, substrate, rock, etc
I'm looking to get an angler fish, what above would be suited for him?
Should I drill it, and make a sump? Is their possible to make a sump up to 10g
Whats the best enviornemt for the angler (frogfish) can I keep anything else with him?

If I do get a sump what shoul I get for it?
How much rock, what kind of sand? Carbon, other stuff like that?
-----------------
And for my 14g biocube I currently have:

Stock lighting (no moonlights)
Live rock (unsure of weight)
Very fine white sand (should I change? It's kind of dirty)
looking to make it a regular reef tank, what fish should I get?
Has a koralia nano in addition to regular stock pump. (it's on opposite side where should I place it?
Filter pad removed (should I add it?)
Bio balls removed added with live rock rubble (should I make regium)
Stock pump.

What should I get for this? Protein skimmer? Etc. what mods.

Thanks for the help I'm just a very impatient person and a day by day cleaned we type thing would help me.

[smellslikeTUNA]

if you want to start fresh, i would recommend doing away with the smaller tanks and go for something bigger like a 40B. Easier to maintain than a smaller tank. It is not possible to give you a "day-by-day" schedule of what to do because every tank is different.

RO/DI: Buckeye field supply
Test kit: API are decent for the price
Hyrdrometer: NONE, get a refractometer... marinedepot sells good ones

I see your looking into a sump, DO IT. Will make your life 1,000x easier in terms of maintaining the tank. My trigger systems sump has been awesome... look into them if you can afford it.

Looks like you have lots of researching to do before you start again. Read ALL of the stickies up top before asking anymore questions.

[Radix]

I have read them, but on these tanks I cut corners and didn't do it right. I have no room for a bigger tank, and prefer nano's (also cuts startup costs) and I am getting a 40B soon, for dwarf lions.

[WetShepherd]

... suddenly a wall of text appears ...

The only thing you want to do daily is inspect your tank - and possibly top-ups - so you won't need a daily guide for those things. Instead try to look at the process in terms of months, or maybe 'bunches of weeks'. That might help with the impatience.

As to the basics of getting started, I think you're probably familiar after the other thread. I get the reluctance to start with the sticky threads - I really do - some people want to start with discourse before reading them. That being said, read them at some point because you are pretty safe making the assumption that their information should supersede any advice you get from your LFS, friends and especially someone like me.

So, what should keep you busy for the first six to eight weeks:
1. Fill your tank with RODI water - test it to make sure it has 0 TDS
2. Place your live rock (think you have this already) - put it on eggcrate if you won't be having any burrowing fish to improve stability.
3. Add your sand (CaribSea Aragonite is popular - just pick your grade)
4. Feed the tank a small amount of food daily until you reach 2ppm ammonia. Then stop and monitor until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate and some nitrates. At this point, if adding food generates nitrates but no ammonia or nitrite, you're cycled and ready for your clean up crew. If that remains stable for a week or two, you are ready for fish. Check back with RC

**general notes going forward based on the other thread. Unlike your previous 10g endeavor, you really do need a heater. You mentioned that your space gets very hot - if it gets over 80F, then you need a chiller as well. Fluctuating several degrees isn't an option. You will also need to do regular tests. I did them every day or two, but you can cut costs reasonably by doing them weekly at the start, and then monthly as you become comfortable with the tank over the next 6 months. Eventually you'll get to know by just inspecting the tank where the basics are at. Oh yea, water changes won't be optional either - your nitrate levels will determine how much you really need to change.

Regarding specific questions.
Neither of the tanks you mention (10/14) are appropriate to an angler, so nothing from the top list is suited to one.

I wouldn't drill the 10 or 14, but I wouldn't use them for QT let alone a display tank. That's not snobish - it's just that the ammount of water makes the tank so touchy to manage that a lot of the joy goes out of it. It's also too limiting in terms of stocking. Get up to an ~30ish gallons and you're set - and that I would buy drilled because I would absolutely destroy a tank if I tried to drill it. If you can do it - go for it! We discussed those benefits elsewhere.

Sand is cheap - by all means change it, though the new stuff will get brown diatoms around the time of when the tank is done cycling. It can be cleaned somewhat though.

I wouldn't make a 14g a reef tank - just fish only. Coral requires stability and that's the hardest thing to maintain in a 14g. You also have more fish options without coral. That being said - it's not impossible and if you want the challenge, go for it. LEDs for such a small tank would be inexpensive - even for coral, so I'd go that route. (guessing a couple hundred bucks).

Fish suggestions? Anything on liveaquaria that's in the nano <15 section and says reef-safe. What happened to the fish that were in the 10g - are they all gone now?

Your Koralia Nano placement will depend on how the flow works with your live rock arrangement. Your goal is to remove deadspots so you'll have to play with it. This is the case with every single tank set up.

Filter pad - yep, put one in - at the very least it will help clean out the dead algae from the water column at the end of your cycle. Change frequently. Eventually you can run filterless, although the occassional bit of carbon is good fpr at least peace of mind.

Fuge - they are nice, but your tank is small. It's the kind of thing you can add later if you don't want to be trouble with it now. Up to you.

Skimmer - great addition to any tank, if you have the space. If you get a bigger tank with a sump - absolutely. It will improve the health of your tank and reduce your work load.

[Radix]

I get the reluctance to start with the sticky threads - I really do - some people want to start with discourse before reading them. That being said, read them at some point because you are pretty safe making the assumption that their information should supersede any advice you get from your LFS, friends and especially someone like me.
- I have read them, I've read them over multiple sites. (im on several forums) and they have good advice but I learn better and focus more when I get direct feedback like this.

1. Fill your tank with RODI water - test it to make sure it has 0 TDS
Working on getting the RODI filter, would distilled work in the mean time?

3. Add your sand (CaribSea Aragonite is popular - just pick your grade)
Do you prefer fine or coarser? Im leaning more towards .5-1mm

Unlike your previous 10g endeavor, you really do need a heater. You mentioned that your space gets very hot - if it gets over 80F, then you need a chiller as well.
I had one, but it broke once it heated up (shouldn't the glass be resistant, haha) but it didn't have a temp control to degree, just up or down. I'm going to be picking them up, and adding them, But the 10g doesn't need it right now as at night its about 78, and 79 during day

I did them every day or two, but you can cut costs reasonably by doing them weekly at the start, and then monthly
This is good info, thanks

Neither of the tanks you mention (10/14) are appropriate to an angler, so nothing from the top list is suited to one.
According to a few forums dedicated to nano reefs, and a few people who have had several frogfish, the wartskin angler can do perfectly fine in a 10 gallon, and many have done is succesfully.


it's just that the ammount of water makes the tank so touchy to manage that a lot of the joy goes out of it.
As I just said above, many nano forums are dedicated to this, and i've done a lot more reasearch into keeping a smaller tank. It's not as hard as a lot say it is.

It's also too limiting in terms of stocking. Get up to an ~30ish gallons and you're set
I prefer the nano fish, and there are actually still a lot of options. I am apt for room at the moment, hence the nano's. I am possibly getting a 40B after Christmas for a dwarf lion.


I wouldn't make a 14g a reef tank - just fish only. Coral requires stability and that's the hardest thing to maintain in a 14g. You also have more fish options without coral. That being said - it's not impossible and if you want the challenge, go for it.
It's a biocube, and I've seen hundreds succesful with a 14g cube. And the previous owner of my tank (friend) was perfectly succesful with it as a reef, and it was his first tank.

What happened to the fish that were in the 10g - are they all gone now?
I have the clown and the scooter, I am trying to get both of them to a new home so I can start over. they are doing fine.

Fuge - they are nice, but your tank is small. It's the kind of thing you can add later if you don't want to be trouble with it now. Up to you.
There are a few DIY mods for the BC14 that turn it into a fuge, was just wondering if it was worth it.

[WetShepherd]

Originally Posted by Radix

I get the reluctance to start with the sticky threads - I really do - some people want to start with discourse before reading them. That being said, read them at some point because you are pretty safe making the assumption that their information should supersede any advice you get from your LFS, friends and especially someone like me.
- I have read them, I've read them over multiple sites. (im on several forums) and they have good advice but I learn better and focus more when I get direct feedback like this.

1. Fill your tank with RODI water - test it to make sure it has 0 TDS
Working on getting the RODI filter, would distilled work in the mean time?
Despite the fact that we're looking for zero TDS in our RODI water, it still has minderals that your tank will need, whereas distilled will not. I believe that's the reason why it's generally not recommended.

3. Add your sand (CaribSea Aragonite is popular - just pick your grade)
Do you prefer fine or coarser? Im leaning more towards .5-1mm
When I switched from crushed coral to CaribSea Aragonite, I had to do it quick because I had a wrasse sleeping in it, an suffered a minor injury - I went with what I could get that day and it was coarse. If I were starting a new tank today I think I would probably try finer - it looks better in my opinion, but I don't know what the downfalls would be other than occassinal 'sand storms'.

Unlike your previous 10g endeavor, you really do need a heater. You mentioned that your space gets very hot - if it gets over 80F, then you need a chiller as well.
I had one, but it broke once it heated up (shouldn't the glass be resistant, haha) but it didn't have a temp control to degree, just up or down. I'm going to be picking them up, and adding them, But the 10g doesn't need it right now as at night its about 78, and 79 during day
Yea the glass should - I'd be looking for a refund, though if it was a kit, what can you do other than risk another of the same brand? I started with a Jager based on a friends recommendation and it's been great. I've since seen videos of them being heated up next to a competitors and dropped into a tank of cold water - you can guess which explodes lol.

I did them every day or two, but you can cut costs reasonably by doing them weekly at the start, and then monthly
This is good info, thanks

Neither of the tanks you mention (10/14) are appropriate to an angler, so nothing from the top list is suited to one.
According to a few forums dedicated to nano reefs, and a few people who have had several frogfish, the wartskin angler can do perfectly fine in a 10 gallon, and many have done is succesfully.


it's just that the ammount of water makes the tank so touchy to manage that a lot of the joy goes out of it.
As I just said above, many nano forums are dedicated to this, and i've done a lot more reasearch into keeping a smaller tank. It's not as hard as a lot say it is.

It's also too limiting in terms of stocking. Get up to an ~30ish gallons and you're set
I prefer the nano fish, and there are actually still a lot of options. I am apt for room at the moment, hence the nano's. I am possibly getting a 40B after Christmas for a dwarf lion.


I wouldn't make a 14g a reef tank - just fish only. Coral requires stability and that's the hardest thing to maintain in a 14g. You also have more fish options without coral. That being said - it's not impossible and if you want the challenge, go for it.
It's a biocube, and I've seen hundreds succesful with a 14g cube. And the previous owner of my tank (friend) was perfectly succesful with it as a reef, and it was his first tank.
Regarding this and the previous three points; I can only speak to my personal preferences; I don't expect anyone to take them any more seriously then the info I offer in support of them. Like almost everything else in life, take what you can use and disregard the rest

What happened to the fish that were in the 10g - are they all gone now?
I have the clown and the scooter, I am trying to get both of them to a new home so I can start over. they are doing fine.

Fuge - they are nice, but your tank is small. It's the kind of thing you can add later if you don't want to be trouble with it now. Up to you.
There are a few DIY mods for the BC14 that turn it into a fuge, was just wondering if it was worth it.

[Radix]

Ok thanks. Anyone else have anything to add?