30 Gallon Mini-Reef

[kbuser92]

Oh, how many of us have gotten into trouble with mts? Well, I just happen to have a 30 long sitting around all empty and lonely, wishing to be filled with beautiful fish. I also have a 10 gallon that I can't get myself to leave, either. So how does a 30 long with a 10 gallon sump sound?

I recently wanted to do a saltwater tank, but it was a 28 bow front with a HOB filter; no sump, and I have a few questions.

Here's my "dream" list for stocking (at least in a smaller tank):
x2 Perculas <-- Either True or Black. One of each? That would be cool.
x1 Royal Gramma Basslet
x1 Goby <-- Either Purple Fire or Neon Blue maybe?
x1 Flame Dwarf Angel <-- Reef Safe?

Cleaners:
x? Cleaner Shrimp
x? Hermit Crabs
x? Turbo Snails
x? Starfish <-- Could I do a single Brittle Star in a 30 long?
x? Porcelain/Emerald Crabs

I've been told before a similar list would be okay for a 28, and I actually think it was identical, less the crabs. Any tips or ideas on stocking and if this would work?

Equipment:
I know I'd like to get a 36" T5 HO fixture and that I'd probably need fans for this, right? And I'd like to DIY a 6 LED Moonlighting system and run them on timers. Aside from that, I'd like to do a 10 gallon sump to hide all the equipment such as heaters, skimmers, etc...and that I'd need an overflow box and a pump with some tubes and hoses to get water from point a -> point b -> point c, but I'm not too familiar with saltwater equipment aside from that. (All my freshwater tanks had HOB filters, heaters, and florescent fixtures. Pretty simple...)

Does anyone have a similar setup on a smaller reef tank? Or maybe a tank that's larger, but proportionate to mine? All I really know is what fish I'd like and what fixture I'll be using.

 

[kbuser92]

I should probably also mention that I'd like to start off as FOWLR, but eventually add corals within a year or so, just so that they get added to a mature, established tank. What corals would be good? I like the Purple Tip Serbae anemone, but that's about it so far. Any suggestions for anything that would be easier for beginners?

 

[the_fish_man]

Following
Green Star Polyps can survive almost anything zoanthids tend to be fairly easy. You would need a fan with the light. I have a 30 gallon and it is awesome but i dont have a sump so. The stoccking list sounds fine i have a flame angel and he seems to be scared of my corals lol

 

[the_fish_man]

But truly i think you really just need some glass or plastic super glue some diy then you have yourself a sump

 

[David S]

I'm not sure about the flame angel with corals also water quality needs to be spot on with nems unless you go for the very hardy small waratah nems,theres a couple of photo's of them in my album.Also be careful with two different types of clowns,I would stick to one breed.You dont need to upgrade your lights until you go with corals,theres also a basic drawing of a sump setup in my album to give you an idea.I think you could get away without a skimmer with a tank that size as long as you do 10% pwc each week otherwise go with a skimmer rated at 60g upwards.

 

[the_fish_man]

Well i guess all fish are different so i guess with the flame and the corals it would be sort of a gamble

 

[David S]

Yeah,sometimes you get a good one sometimes not.

 

[kbuser92]

Yeah, I think I'd opt for a simple twin-tube florescent fixture for now, and maybe a couple weeks before I start introducing corals would be when I would get the T5? Oh well, that's a little while down the road.

Now, would the sump help out a little with maintaining water quality since there would be roughly 30% more water? And what kinds of equipment would I be looking for? I was thinking maybe x2 100 watt heaters (in case of failure, then I could at least have one good one) but that's about it. How would I use chemical media (carbon, zeo-carb, etc...) with a sump? And is there a way to use a water-polishing filter of some sort with that, too?

 

[kbuser92]

David, I also noticed your picture has a refugium, which I'm not looking to do. I just want something simple that adds enough water to make it worth-while. Could I replace the LS in the refugium with a bunch of bioballs and maybe place some filter pads before it goes into that chamber?

 

[David S]

David, I also noticed your picture has a refugium, which I'm not looking to do. I just want something simple that adds enough water to make it worth-while. Could I replace the LS in the refugium with a bunch of bioballs and maybe place some filter pads before it goes into that chamber?

You could but I would replace it with Live rock.But the chaeto which helps keep nitrates down hardly needs any work apart from a little trimming but it will need a light,where as live rock doesn't.Bio balls are a dertitus haven.I use a filter sock on my supply to the sump and a sponge filter in my overflow.

 

[David S]

Yeah, I think I'd opt for a simple twin-tube florescent fixture for now, and maybe a couple weeks before I start introducing corals would be when I would get the T5? Oh well, that's a little while down the road.

Now, would the sump help out a little with maintaining water quality since there would be roughly 30% more water? And what kinds of equipment would I be looking for? I was thinking maybe x2 100 watt heaters (in case of failure, then I could at least have one good one) but that's about it. How would I use chemical media (carbon, zeo-carb, etc...) with a sump? And is there a way to use a water-polishing filter of some sort with that, too?

The sump volume does help with your parameters(more water=less fluctuation,temp,salinity,etc)but is a good place to put your 2x heaters,skimmer,filter,also a good place to fill with RO/DI and saltwater,I also put coral food in the return pump section for good circulation and not forgetting a place for your bad crabs.The skimmer size to get would be for a 60g+ and i hear octopus are good,I use a TMC(english)

 

[kbuser92]

I'm actually thinking of fixing my own sump out of a 10 gallon I have just sitting around. (I hate to see empty tanks when I can put them to good use!)

So my next question is: do I run open top or with a versa-top? And do I use a top on the sump? What kind of lighting do I use on my sump? Could I just use a normal florescent fixture?

 

[melosu58]

Using glass tops is not a good idea because it promotes poor gas echange at the surface causing low PH. Use something like eggcrate or netting.

 

[pokmijn]

I'm actually thinking of fixing my own sump out of a 10 gallon I have just sitting around. (I hate to see empty tanks when I can put them to good use!)

So my next question is: do I run open top or with a versa-top? And do I use a top on the sump? What kind of lighting do I use on my sump? Could I just use a normal florescent fixture?

No top on the tank or sump. And for the sump yes you can use normal florescent. And with the ten gallon as a sump there isn't much room after you put a skimmer in there. I am running a seaclear 20g sump and i had to use a HOB skimmer to save space but thats because I use the big section for a fuge.

 

[kbuser92]

so i could just use egg-crate then, and cut out a hole where the light would shine through and to accommodate the lines for the sump, right? (to avoid lines and such.) as for the sump, do i really need a skimmer on that small of a tank? or i could just do 10% weekly changes? that way i'd have plenty of room in the sump.

 

[kbuser92]

could i maybe do a small school of chromis, too? or remove the dwarf angel and do them instead? i was thinking 3-5...

 

[the_fish_man]

Come on update us pics pics!

 

[kbuser92]

haha, sorry, pictures right now would be boring...both tanks are sitting on the floor empty until i get my trombone fixed next week...3 year olds can make expensive things even more expensive when they find "toys". sorry. : / i still need to figure out my plumbing and such and all the equipment...i'm a very planned person.

 

[Hinds04]

I think with you first fish list you are already overstocked so chromis are a bad idea. Plus I have never had luck with them. I tried twice and they picked eachother off one by one. First a group of 3 then 5.

 

[kbuser92]

Well, I know I'd like 2 clowns, maybe the Australian Black ones, and I'd like to have the Purple Fire Goby and maybe a Neon Blue Goby, too. I really like how the Flame Dwarf Angels look, they're such pretty fish, but I've heard they're kinda finnicky eaters and I'm not sure they're coral safe, either. And on top of that, I'd just like to have some cleaners; shrimp, hermits, maybe a Chocolate Chip Star, snails, etc...I'm just not sure how many of each.

I'm planning on using 1/4 LR and 3/4 Lacerock (because it's sooo much cheaper and it's the same thing - stuff will eventually grow) so sometime in the future, after I get the tank established, I can add some SPS, mushrooms, and soft corals, like an anemone.

Does this sound acceptable?