10 gallon eclipse for SW reef

[mhart032]

Im interested in buying a nano tank. im new to this hobby and plan on making a reef tank. i have a friend that has a 10gallon eclipse thats FW now and i can buy it from her for 65 bucks. is this a good deal? what needs to be upgraded for the reef? any ideas would be helpfull
thanks
Matt

 

[HN1]

You might want to check out craigslist. That sounds like a bit much to me with very little usable equipment. You will need to replace the lighting and add a lot more to the tank to build a reef. You can probably find a bigger tank than that for the same price and be off to a good start. Besides, bigger tanks are easier and offer you more options down the road. Good luck!

 

[mhart032]

Update i have talked to her and it has t-5 bulb 25 watts needs a new filter cartage for the 3 stage filter and it has a bio-wheel. and she has a heater with it.

 

[blasterx]

I have the 12g and I don't like it. I would have bought something else if I could do it over again. It's acrylic and scratches easy, it was also a pain to mod to put in better lighting. I would have gone with a glass tank, and one that would be easier to mod. For example there is no place to put a skimmer if i wanted to add one, there just isn't the space for it. The hood is garbage, it's a poor design and leaves very limited space to access for feedings even un-modded.

If you want to have corals you'll soon find you need to upgrade that 25w lamp. I'm running 96w and had to improvise cooling for the hood...

 

[mhart032]

What about a 12g JBJ nano cube DX their is one on craigslist for $100
Thanks
Matt

 

[mhart032]

OK so, i have decided to get things separate i bought a 30g tank $20 used, i found a Red Sea Prizm Pro protein-skimmer for $25 used. i found 2 heaters and a digi thermostat. im not sure on pumps any ideas? im also not sure on lights eaither but thats not a big deal as i wont be having any coral or fish for a few months till i learn more about water and mixtures and get some live rock in it.
thanks again for all the help..

 

[severum mama]

Good for you! A 30 gallon tank gives you many more options for stocking, and is easier to keep stable than a smaller tank.

Look into the Koralia powerheads. They are very nice for the money IMO, even though they cost more than some others like Maxi-Jets.

If you don't plan to keep corals for a while, then you don't need to worry about lighting. A standard hood with a normal output strip light will be just fine. When you decide you want to keep corals, you will need to upgrade. Use the time to research and learn about different corals you like, then we can help you decide what kind of lighting you'll need. Different corals have different requirements, if that makes sense. Also, if you are planning to have corals in the future, be sure to purchase fish that are reef-safe (fish that don't eat corals). Remember to take into account the adult size of the fish you buy, even if they are small at the time.

 

[reefsforme]

Don't buy it, you can buy a ready saltwater eclipse 12 gallon for around $100, so its less of a head ache. The FW tank, you would need to change filter, lights, etc, a pain in butt, and more money involved compared to a 12 gallon SW eclipse.

 

[mhart032]

oh well i bought a Deep Sea Aquatics 90 gallon drilled insted

 

[jessicasmarine]

nice upgrade, go big or go home.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Haha indeed.

 

[tlkng1]

<laughing> Go from an excited 10 Gallon Eclipse to a 90-gallon reef ready

Love the jump.