First nano reef.

[fredenj]

Have a 5.5 gallon planted freshwater tank but would really like to get into saltwater and set up a 5.5 gallon nano reef. Any information that would help me understand saltwater better is greatly appreciated.

 

[bduni50]

What are your plans stock wise, if your wanting fish you should be looking at 10 gallons min, even then you would be pushing it with two small fish. If you just want coral and inverts then the 5 gallon will work. Just my 2 cents

 

[dingusplease]

A 5.5 will be heavy on evaporation, and more difficult in terms of temp, salinity, and param swings. For a first SW tank, it is often a good idea to start with a larger tank such as a 10 or larger, however if you are set on a 5.5 it is definitely doable. In fact, my first tank is a 3g reef and I can tell you it is a lot of work.

Also, what kind of tank are you thinking about? Full-on reef, with coral? In that case, I recommend starting off with some easier soft corals such as mushrooms, xenia, leathers, and zoas.

You'll need 3-5 lbs rock (live or dry, I prefer live, especially for pico tanks), sand (live or not, I used live), a powerhead, reef capable lighting, a heater, thermometer, a refractometer (or hydrometer, which can be more inaccurate), and reef grade salt. I'm probably forgetting something, but I'm sure others will chime in.

 

[dingusplease]

Oh, and test kits will be needed also. And sorry about a mistake, for a 5.5 you'll need around 6 lbs of rock, not 3-4.

I'd recommend cycling with pure ammonia or raw shrimp. This is pretty simple, and I'm sure you've had some experience with it in FW.

Btw, I'd estimate the cost of setting up a 5.5g at around $250 min, minus livestock. As long as you can find the right equipment from the start, you'll be in good shape for the system in the long run.

Tank - $10
Powerhead - $15
Heater - $15
Thermometer
6 lbs LR - $50
5lbs sand - $15
Par30 bulb + fixture - $80
Reef salt - $15
Test kits - $40
Refractometer - $25

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Oh, and test kits will be needed also. And sorry about a mistake, for a 5.5 you'll need around 6 lbs of rock, not 3-4.

I'd recommend cycling with pure ammonia or raw shrimp. This is pretty simple, and I'm sure you've had some experience with it in FW.

Btw, I'd estimate the cost of setting up a 5.5g at around $250 min, minus livestock. As long as you can find the right equipment from the start, you'll be in good shape for the system in the long run.

Tank - $10
Powerhead - $15
Heater - $15
Thermometer
6 lbs LR - $50
5lbs sand - $15
Par30 bulb + fixture - $80
Reef salt - $15
Test kits - $40
Refractometer - $25

I dont know where your getting your live rock but $50 for 6lbs of live rock is insanely overpriced. Id say more like 20-30 bucks for the live rock.

 

[dingusplease]

I'm sure it's cheaper at most places, but I bought LR at $8/pound (6*8=48), it was the highest priced rock my LFS had - it was the rock they were using to maintain their tanks.

 

[Camescu]

Following as this is remarkably similar to my situation with my Fluval edge.

What's your stocking plan?