I'm starting up a reef! I'm a planted tank guy, but I've wanted a reef forever and I'm expanding the fish room so I figured this is the perfect time. I'm getting the ten gallon tank in 2 weeks, so for now ill be buying the sand, rock, etc. for it. I'm buying 20lbs of aragonite sand, 15lbs of dry Fiji rock from BRS, and these lights http://www.aquatraders.com/20-inch-4x18W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52302.htm. After the cycle I'm going to add 5lbs of live rock to seed the dry. Should I add some live before/during the cycle? I just don't want all of the cool stuff on it to die! As for livestock I'm thinking a clown goby, shrimp, snails, hermit crabs, and other little inverts. I know it's a little vague, I Still need to learn about all of the different cool invertebrates! For corals, ill probably just have some zoas and what not at the beginning, but who knows what I'll find at the lfs. I'll be using a hob filter and a power head for water flow. I have 2 power heads but I think that might be a little overkill. I hope you guys have some good pointers and can help me out in setting up my ten gallon reef!
10 gallon reef build!
- Thread starter Maxw47
- Start date
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Cichlid-dude
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Just want to warn you about the light fixture you plan on purchasing. I bought one of their quad 48" t5 fixtures and it was horrible. The ballasts would last maybe 4 months and blow out. I replaced the two ballasts 3 times then i just bought a different lighting system. I know that the price of thos fixtures is nice, but you really do get what you pay for.
Thanks for the warning. Somebody else warned me that they get very hot. I really like that price though, on a budget as I'm expanding the fish room.
cgthebeast
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey, welcome to wonderful (sometimes) world of salt. I recommend getting all base/dry rock, live rock can carry deadly little havoc reapers. Look up SW pest about them. BTW, I have the 24 inch fixture (96 watts total). I love it, had it for 3 months and its fine. Look for the newer 2013 models. It does get hot, but I won't burn you unless you actually touch the bulb. And more flow the better dead spots are killers
For inverts, look at Pom Pom and decorator crabs, sexy shrimp and blood red shrimp
For inverts, look at Pom Pom and decorator crabs, sexy shrimp and blood red shrimp
Thanks for the advice! I agree with you about the live rock to a certain degree. I don't really want pest anenomes, algaes, etc. but on the other hand, there can be some really cool stuff on live rock. So I don't really know yet. If I add the live rock pre-cycle then I have the feeling that all the cool stuff will die and only the pests will survive.
I've seen blood red shrimp at the lfs and really like them. I still have to go on the Internet and check all of the inverts out. What about feather dusters? My parents had one when I was a kid a long time ago and I loved it haha.
Do I need a protien skimmer? I have one, but it was previously used on a 46 gallon tank.
Had an idea for this tank. What if I took one I those hob refugiums from marina and put some rock in the bottom, then planted some mangroves in there. I'll post a link for the refugium thing later. It might not do much as far as taking out nitrates and all, but I think it'd overall be a healthy addition to the tank.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QRDCP2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1373255514&sr=8-1&pi=SL75
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QRDCP2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1373255514&sr=8-1&pi=SL75
Jvaldez
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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- May 5, 2013
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- 23
I also have a ten gallon reef tank . And running odyssea t5s and I've had zero Problems with them . The only down side with the small tank is if you have corals you'll find you're self out growing it fast. and when things go wrong It happens a lot faster... here's a pic of my 10 gallon nano tank 5 months old .I've had trim back my Pulsing Xenia Twice now lol
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Wow that's a lot of pulsing Xenia! Good news is I could probably get a frag rack for one of the upper corners. Ten I could frag some stuff out and sell to my lfs.
obscurereef
Aquarium Advice Addict
That could work, but you'd need a light that was tall enough above the mangroves. They can get pretty tall.
Hmm good point. I have a little light that fits on a 2.5 gallon and holds a cfl. Maybe the tank could be on a shelf, with the refugium hanging off the side. I can attach the light to the side of the shelf pointing down onto the mangroves. Something like that. I'll figure something out.
obscurereef
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah I just use a home depot light reflector and CFL bulb and it's fine. Hopefully the light can be hidden or not too obvious/distracting.
cgthebeast
Aquarium Advice Addict
Go ahead and use it. It's not really needed it will improve your water conditions
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