Which of these is the best?

[YaBuddyHuddie]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15493

http://www.tomaquarium.com/prod_details.php?cat=27&p=54

http://www.aqueonproducts.com/products/evolve-led-aquarium-kit.htm

http://m.petsmart.com/mt/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752372

For the nano reef I'll be starting soon. Which one will require the least adding of equipment? I DO NOT want to have to upgrade lighting. That would defeat the purpose of buying the kit. Or filtration, really. Thanks in advance!

 

[Elykreefs97]

The first one looks promising what will be going in it. Corals fish ect.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

The first one looks promising what will be going in it. Corals fish ect.

It does but I think I'm going bigger and getting the aqueon 8 now. Haha

 

[Elykreefs97]

O ok good luck with your build

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

O ok good luck with your build

Thanks. It'll be a while before I even get the tank, but when I do would you be willing to offer some advice and guidance? I'm new to saltwater.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Yea sure I'm not brand new I've been in the hobby for just over a year now. What are some questions you have.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

Yea sure I'm not brand new I've been in the hobby for just over a year now. What are some questions you have.

Well with the aqueon 8 I was wondering what additional equipment might be needed. I'm hoping nothing at all, as I'm on a very low budget. I'm wondering what kind of corals and fish I could keep on there along with invertebrates. I was thinking of doing a clownfish and a firefish if possible. Also what kind of water to use and how to obtain it. How to do water changes and top off evaporation. Lots.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Well with that I don't know is there a lights a filter a heater and a protien skimmer? The 2 fish will be fine and you have a wide selection of inverts you could have a shrimp with some hermit crabs and snails. You definetly want to exceed the amount of liverock needed 1pound per gallon and then maybe a pound or two more. The water you can mix yourself by buying salt mix and to do top offs you just ad fresh water when your salinity starts to creep up. Also water changes are needed. As for corals I would hold off on them for a little and start to get them later on. You can also buy saltwater in buckets at petco 12 dollars for 5 gallons.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

Heater no but I'll be buying one. No protein skimmer...I don't know the purpose of them. It has a built in filtration unit in the back of the tank where I had planned to use rubble for my media. Is a protein skimmer necessary? I think they're expensive...

 

[Elykreefs97]

Well kind of if you want corals unless you want to do 50 percent water changes weekly. The purpose of them is to skim out stud that will harm the corals they are like the basis of keeping corals. I suppose you could keep some mushrooms or some zoas or polyps but not anything else without a skimmer. The cheapest I've ever seen a decent one was like 35 dollars on amazon.com

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

$35? I could swing that. Don't have a lot of room is a main issue. So if I get a heater and protein skimmer and do weekly say, 25% water changes, I could keep the two fish and some easy corals?

 

[Audiew]

Heater no but I'll be buying one. No protein skimmer...I don't know the purpose of them. It has a built in filtration unit in the back of the tank where I had planned to use rubble for my media. Is a protein skimmer necessary? I think they're expensive...

A protein skimmer is not necessary in a nano aquarium. Several of us with biocube 29's run our tanks without skimmers with no ill effects, a couple people's tanks to look at for proof would be convicts, and 22engines. Mine is just started but you can look at it as well.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

A protein skimmer is not necessary in a nano aquarium. Several of us with biocube 29's run our tanks without skimmers with no ill effects, a couple people's tanks to look at for proof would be convicts, and 22engines. Mine is just started but you can look at it as well.

Then how do you manage one without a protein skimmer?

 

[Elykreefs97]

Yea there should be room. And ye it would do great. Make sure you wait about 3 weeks for fish and 2-3 months for corals though it takes patience for saltwater.

 

[Audiew]

Then how do you manage one without a protein skimmer?

5 gallon water changes every week.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

5 gallon water changes every week.

I hope you don't mean 5 gallon water changes for my 8 gallon tank. I could do it, but I feel like it'd be a mess.

 

[YaBuddyHuddie]

Yea there should be room. And ye it would do great. Make sure you wait about 3 weeks for fish and 2-3 months for corals though it takes patience for saltwater.

I guess I'll need a testing kit to make sure the params are sufficient. Though I have no idea what they'd be.

 

[Audiew]

I hope you don't mean 5 gallon water changes for my 8 gallon tank. I could do it, but I feel like it'd be a mess.

Lol no I apologize. That's what I do in my tank. 10% is sufficient.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Yea like I said that will do for beginner corals like mushrooms and Zoe's and polypes but really nothing else

 

[Audiew]

Yea like I said that will do for beginner corals like mushrooms and Zoe's and polypes but really nothing else

I have clams, and frogspawn so far. I know 22engine has monti, hammer, maybe torch, and a massive toadstool. Everything is doing fine without a protein skimmer. As long as you stay on top of water changes you will be fine.