Nano Reef?

[deli_conker]

Been keeping FW for a while and I've been kinda getting curious about SW lately. I figured I would start checking out all the SW posts and I've seen a lot about nano reef tanks.

Maybe it's just what the lfs people have said for so long "you have to have a big tank if you want SW". I always thought that you had to have a sizable tank to accomplish this. Apparently this is not so.

I know that large tanks are easier to maintain ecologically and smaller tanks are much less forgiving when it comes to mistakes. With that being said, what all would I need to start one?

I have a spare 10 gal tank, hood, the light that it came with, stand, heater, thermometer.
Also have a penguin mini w/ bio wheel and 2 spare fluval 203's (they have spray bars), and an extra powerhead.

I know that I'll need...

sand (argonite)
salt (not sure of brand quality or what other parameters other than salinity that this will affect)
hydrometer
timer for lights

I'd like to keep a couple corals or so and maybe a clown fish and a damsel or two (if compatible). I know I still have a lot of research to do, but I won't be ready to start this for a couple of months so I'm not in a hurry.

Just curious as to what else I'd need...

[reefrunner69]

It is not recommended for someone to start their SW journey with a nano, like anemones and non-photosynthetic corals, they are best left to reefers with a few years experience under their belt. While it is not impossible, it is much easier to keep a larger aquarium. They remain more stable and are more forgiving of mistakes. The smallest tank I recommend for a beginner is a 30g and prefer a 55.

[wilson]

a good website for nano-reefers is http://www.nano-reef.com/ . they have a lot of information there.

[Brad]

While I agree that a 10gal setup will prove to be more difficult, you'll learn a lot by doing. I would lower your expectations of what life you want to keep at first.

Start with fish only and some live rock. You can still have your clowns. If that goes well, improve your lighting and see if you can take on more sensitive life such as anemones and corals.

Eventually, you'll want a bigger tank...which is completely normal. (we all want a bigger tank!)

Final advice: Read as much as you can stand before you start. Make sure you're as ready as you can be before you fire up the tank.

[24 hours? NE!]

I agree with Brad. Get a start with fish. Once you want to upgrade your tank for the fish (after a little while) then look into upgrading the lights and turning the 10 into a reef.

[deli_conker]

I have patience and plenty of time before I start this project, so I will be reading a lot. I'm making a trip to the library today to see if I can find some of the recommended reading at the top of this forum.

At this point, I'll probably start with some sand and rocks. If I can keep those alive, then I'll add some fish. I'll work with that for a while and see what happens...

I was wondering if the filtration I already have on hand will be adequate. I have the penguin mini-biowheel, 2 fluval 203's w/ spraybars and a marineland 550 powerhead.

Also, what type and how much sand.

And what brand of salt will prove most stable in such a small tank...

I have a plan in action to upgrade my tanks within the next 2 years. I'd like to have some SW experience before I start shelling out the big bucks. I like to be educated and experienced I suppose...