my plan:

[JOMA]

i have this tank (the two gallon):
Top Fin&reg Aqua Scene Desktop Aquariums - Sale - Fish - PetSmart



and i plan on using these products to make it a small saltwater tank:

filter:
Walmart.com: AquaTech Power Filter 5-15: Fish

heater:
Walmart.com: Tetra Heater 5-15: Fish

substrate:
Walmart.com: Aqua Culture: Aztec Bronze Aquarium Gravel, 5 Lb: Fish

live rock substitute (cant find any live rock):
CaribSea® Reef Rock Fossilized Coral Rock - Fish - PetSmart

salt mix:
Instant Ocean® Reef Crystals® Reef Salt - Saltwater - Fish - PetSmart



so what do you think? im trying to save some $$$ (my parents have taught me to be a good penny pusher )




quick question: can you use air stones and an air-pump with saltwater to add current?


thanks,
joma.



ps. be as harsh as possible, i dont wanna fail so im open for criticism.

 

[iDream]

its looking good with some minor exceptions

-skip the gravel and get sand, gravel will be a nitrate factory and it doesnt look natural. try to find dry aragonite sand, the 'live' sand is a gimmick

- try looking for some base rock or dry rock, i'd say use that reef rock as a last resort, it looks very gimmicky as well and idk if id trust it. i know marcos rocks and reefcleaners.org are good places for some nice rock to order online from. (whether you get live or base)

other than that it looks fine, what salt mix you use is up to you really. i have the same heater and its worked fine for me and as long as the filter works i dont see a problem with it. though if it were me id want to do an AC20 because i like the filters but its all about if itd fit or not.

and then of course read the stickies on cycling and whatnot, and take it slow, especially in a tank your size, things could go bad very quick

 

[mr_X]

don't use an air stone. use a power head to push water. a maxijet 600 or 900 should work fine.
also. check on craigslist for people breaking down tanks. you can probably buy some nice rock off of someone trying to get out of the hobby for little money. components too, like power heads, heaters, salt, even a tank.

 

[iDream]

i forgot to address that! thanks X, yeah an airstone will cause nothing but a huge, salt creep-y mess.

look up the hydor pico pump, it would be good for a tank your size

 

[JOMA]

yeah, i thought the air stone would do something weird to the salt.

about the rock, could i use any porous aquarium safe rock for a last resort? i know petsmart has some rock formations that could work?

the tough part about the sand is that i only need 1-2 pounds and the smallest bag i can find is 14 pounds loll


thanks BTW!

 

[jenatron]

I agree with all that ^^ and also suggest an AquaClear. It's a tad pricier, but it's definitely worth it. I have some crappy no-name filter in my QT and it's a piece of garbage. If you're going to splurge, IMO the filter is the best choice to do it on.

Also, this is in nano reefs so what are your plans for lighting?
Edit: I just went back to a previous post and saw you said you have a 50/50 bulb. Good.

 

[iDream]

at our local petco i've seen some 5lb bags of sand, and yes a very porous aquarium safe rock would work, but like i said trying to find some stuff sold as base or live rock would be best

 

[mr_X]

some rock (like lava rock) isn't meant for aquariums with inverts. it's been reported that they can leach heavy metals.

 

[maxst2]

Loads of local reef clubs in maryland... I suggest finding someone with some live rock for sale.

 

[JOMA]

well i went shopping today and here is my tank so far:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f101/started-my-tank-d-142326.html#post1233341


ps. i have found a LFS in my area!!!! im going tomorrow!! ))

 

[JOMA]

tanks going great! coralline algae is already starting to spread the the bleached algae is coming back! i am getting a test kit sometime this week and i have already added a little bit of pure ammonia to get the cycle going.

 

[JOMA]

UPDATE!

heres what the tank looks like right now:

i have about 3-3.5lbs of live rock and about 4lbs of fossilized coral, i have it going up like that to block the filter and heater so you dont seem them.

cycling is going really fast, i am just waiting for my nitrites to go down. hoping to get fish next weekend

 

[carey]

Wow that is ALOT of rock! lol

 

[JOMA]

Wow that is ALOT of rock! lol

i plan on upgrading eventually so im trying to make a lot of live rock lol

 

[carey]

I'm so not an expert, i just started my SW tank 2 months ago but I think you might wanna just go with the LR. I think it will look more natural. It'll be awhile before the LR can spread and the white rocks just look un natural.

Just my opinion.

 

[JOMA]

i got 5 pounds of the white rock for $13 compared to only 3lbs of liverock for $18

 

[carey]

Cheaper doesnt always make it better. LOL The LR will look lovely and natural in your small tank. If the pieces are too big you can even break them down. Or you could buy another pound or two of LR in smaller pieces. I messed with my rock forever! part of the reason I dont have any fish yet I want it to be perfect.

 

[JOMA]

the coral will eventually be covered in coralline algae.

 

[jenatron]

JOMA I wouldn't worry about it. I think the best place to save money is buying base rock instead of live. If you don't mind how it looks, that's all that matters.
I know I'm not gonna spend a fortune on LR, when base rock will be live in a couple months.

 

[carey]

Oh I know after awhile it will. Somehow I sense OP wants to move rather quickly. I'm also a big fan of non cluttered everything precise kinda tank. It's my OCD kicking in. hehehe...