10 Gal Coral Only Build

[User]

This will be my first sw tank ever! Do to living arrangements I cannot have a larger tank sadly.

Anyway i hope to stay under my budget of 600-700$

Here is what I have so far (thanks to carey!!!!)

Lighting:
Aquarium Lighting T5 Fluorescent Light Fixture: AquaticLife T5 HO and Lunar Light Fixtures

Is this considered High lighting or Moderate?

Decor:
Live Rock/Live sand

Filter:
Aqua Clear 50

Heater:
Unknown (know any quality ones?)

Salt mix:
Unknown (Know a good one?)

Powerhead: (1 or 2?)
Unknown (ha I really dont know quaility stuff clearly)

Refractomer:
Yea....um ill have to find one as well..

Water:
Distilled

I may be missing something as well..


Now to the important thing (corals):

Where to buy?

Thatpetplace:

Frags:

-Hydnophora exesa "Horn Coral Frag" (Jason Fox)

Favites pentagona “Red & Green War Coral Frag” (Jason Fox)

Montipora sp. "Season's Greetings Monti Frag" (Jason Fox)

Montipora danae "Sunset Monti Frag" (Jason Fox)

Cyphastrea sp. "PPE Cyphastrea Coral Frag" (Jason Fox)

Cyphastrea sp. "Meteor Shower Cyphastrea Coral Frag" - Small (Jason Fox)


Corals:

Ricordea florida "Bicolor Ricordea" - Multiple Polyp

Parazoanthus gracilis "Golden Polyp Rock" - Small

Assorted Polyp Rock

Oulophyllia sp. "Green Deep-walled Maze Brain Coral"

Liveaquaria:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2856+454&pcatid=454

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2856+2139&pcatid=2139

I like the brain corals as well. Lots of stuff at this site is good too!

Clearly I cannot afford all of these, they are just some that I liked. As my research goes on, I will try to narrow them down.


Thanks for looking!

 

[Greenturtle]

Almost all heaters are good. You would need a 50 watt one for a 10 gallon tank. I have a 300 watt fluval for my 90 gallon reef and I love it.

Amazon.com: Fluval E 50-Watt Electronic Heater: Pet Supplies

I have a bigger version of this. It is relatively cheap on amazon. I would buy this one. They are very easy to set up, and the screen is very cool. Mine flashed colors when the temperature was off during cycling. Highly recommend

 

[User]

Thanks! Ok ill definately buy that then!

 

[Greenturtle]

Almost any salt mix is fine. As long as it is marine salt with trace elements, it really doesnt matter.

I looked at the corals you put from liveaquaria. Both are easy. I want a candy cane coral, and I would get a trumpet if not for the bad band class memories... Anyways, I would recommend ricordia mushrooms, a few zoanthids, colt coral, or pulsing xenia as your first coral though. But IMO candy canes wouldn't be a horrible beginner one.

Lights are my weakness. I am sure someone else can answer that for you

 

[User]

Update:

Heater:
50W Fluval E Heater

Salt mix:
Reef Crystals 200 gallon mix (box) Is this good? Should last a while for a 10gal tank I hope

 

[User]

Thanks greenturtle! Should I just buy full coral pieces then? Is this a ricordia mushroom?

Ricordea florida "Bicolor Ricordea" - Multiple Polyp | Mushrooms | Corals | Aquarium Livestock - ThatPetPlace.com

 

[Greenturtle]

I dont go on that site too much. I just got my first shipment ever from saltwaterfish.com.

Mushroom Polyp - Ricordea Green this is a good deal. Mine is about 1 inch by 1.5 inches, and it is only $9.99.

Colt Coral I wouldn't recommend this, because of its enormous size! it takes up a good chunk of my 90g reef. LOL.

I would go through the coral page, they have candy canes and trumpets in the 'frags' section. Good luck

and btw reef crystals is a great brand except i would get a 50 gallon bag at most. 200 gallons would quite literally last years for a 10 gallon tank.

 

[User]

Holy poop 10 years lol. Yea I'll stick to the 50 then lol

So that is a good place then? That price is so good for a frag! I'll have to check it out!

Thanks so much!!!

 

[User]

Whoops read that wrong lol just meant years.

 

[Greenturtle]

you are welcome. I got free shipping when I got a CUC, but I dont think one is really necessary for your sized/nature of your tank. Maybe just a dwarf hermit and a snail.

 

[User]

How much live rock and live sand should I have? Would 10lbs sand and 12lbs rock be enough?

 

[User]

If I am using Live rock to cycle the tank, should I not buy predured?

 

[Greenturtle]

I think so. Try to get a few large pieces of rock, and then a bunch of small, about 3 inch by 3 inch pieces of rock It helps with placing coral IME. Especially small frags like you will be getting.

 

[Greenturtle]

If I am using Live rock to cycle the tank, should I not buy predured?

Definitely get cured rock. I would get some base rock (dead) which is cheaper, and then a few small pieces of cured, live rock. The bacteria from the smll live rocks will make the base rock live. Hope this helps

 

[User]

Definitely get cured rock. I would get some base rock (dead) which is cheaper, and then a few small pieces of cured, live rock. The bacteria from the smll live rocks will make the base rock live. Hope this helps

So large base rock (few pieces) then small Cured live rock pieces? So they will transfer over to the live rock as well?

Where would I buy that? They usually only say total weight and not much in terms of size.

It will still cycle?

 

[Greenturtle]

So large base rock (few pieces) then small Cured live rock pieces? So they will transfer over to the live rock as well?

Where would I buy that? They usually only say total weight and not much in terms of size.

It will still cycle?

I picked my rock out at the LFS. You can order the base rock online, and then get about 3 pounds of cured live rock at your LFS. The bacteria will switch over.

It will still cycle

 

[User]

I dont think there are any lfs near me. Especially that sell base/live rock.

I am near king of prussia mall or I could take a train ride to philadelphia

 

[Greenturtle]

I dont think there are any lfs near me. Especially that sell base/live rock.

I am near king of prussia mall or I could take a train ride to philadelphia

I have no idea where that is as i reside in VA. But you can search the city in LFSFinder.com (it is doing maintenance right now though)

 

[User]

Thanks for the tip! I will post on this forum as well I think

 

[carey]

Iknow where that mall is, was the biggest in the world at one point in time. There should be MANY choices as far as fish stores. I'm from NY and familiar with the area generally. if you have a smart phone search the yellow pages app for aquarium and fish. It should come up with a ton. Then just visit each one and check them out.