Nano reef tank for dummies

[Fishninja]

Hey guys so I have been doing research for about a month and I am addicted to nano reef tanks. So I will start with telling you what I have learned. I know what lps and sps stands for and that they need food a current and lighting? Do they need anything else? I heard somewhere that lps are easier to care for? AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
Here is a link to what I would like to try to recreate could I do something like this or am I crazy! Back to some questions what is the difference. Between zoa's and corals? Corals and anenomes? Could I somewhat recreate
This kind of tank for a reasonable price I am not rich! I was thinking of doing a rimless 12 gallon tank. Could I put two clownfish in a tank this size? I was thinking of just using live sand and live rock as my filtration. If anyone could give some advice or answer one of my questions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Mattyfelts]

Originally Posted by Fishninja

Hey guys so I have been doing research for about a month and I am addicted to nano reef tanks. So I will start with telling you what I have learned. I know what lps and sps stands for and that they need food a current and lighting? Do they need anything else? I heard somewhere that lps are easier to care for? AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
Here is a link to what I would like to try to recreate could I do something like this or am I crazy! Back to some questions what is the difference. Between zoa's and corals? Corals and anenomes? Could I somewhat recreate
This kind of tank for a reasonable price I am not rich! I was thinking of doing a rimless 12 gallon tank. Could I put two clownfish in a tank this size? I was thinking of just using live sand and live rock as my filtration. If anyone could give some advice or answer one of my questions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

SPS from my beleif are mostly harder to take care of cause they need alot of dosing, dont quote me though. I have softies and LPS which are pretty good.
Zoas, anemones, and corals are all the same, they are all corals. Zoas have a wide range of colours and options and are very pretty, look on planetzoa and other websites. Nems are beautiful with a variety of different kinds; I do beleive they have high lighting requirments however. If this will be your first reef i reccomend zoas or mushrooms because they are pretty great and mushrooms are very hardy for the most part. Just watch your lighting and flow because some corals require different specifications to live a healthy life. Definitelly ask some of the more experienced reefers on here for some tips (Mr X knows tonnes!)!

[Fishninja]

Thanks so much for responding that helped a lot. Is there a certain light fixture that someone could recommend
To keep lps and some hardy corals alive.

[Fishninja]

Whoops sorry guys the link I posted above was incorrect here is the right one http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/...no-sapiens-r75

[BigRedsReefs10]

Anemone are not corals, they are a mobile invert that will sting corals. Nano sapiens is a very experienced reefer and has been doing this a long time and her set up is not cheap. If this is your first sw tank I would rely on more than just your LR for filtration. Your going to want at least 6 months before you try any sps IMO, but you can definitely create a ric garden similar to hers.

[Fishninja]

Ok thanks for clarifying that, the main reason I liked that tank so much was because of the ricordea. What lights would you recommend for growing beginner corals.

[BigRedsReefs10]

Really depends on what you want to spend. A lot of people on here are using the eBay panels, depending on the dimensions you could use a par38 for softies and some lps

[bribo12]

Nems and corals all belong to the phylum Cnidaria but nems are in the order Actiniaria while corals belong to several other orders. They're all in the class hexacorallia though so they're closely related. Duncan's are one of my favorite corals and a hardy lps

[Fishninja]

Would you guys recommend getting some kind of an aquarium with lights and an area for a heater ect. Like a nuvo aquarium. Or would you suggest getting lights and things completely separate.

[bribo12]

I'm not really an aio kinda guy as I like to piece everything together but the nuvos are so nice!

[Fishninja]

I know that this will not be an inexpensive tank but what would be more cost affective
Or would a dollar per gallon sale at petco be best

[carey]

I happen to believe the all in one tanks like biocubes and the nuvos are the way to go for a beginner.

You would be limited to what you could keep with them though due to the stock lighting on each one. BUT you can keep mushrooms, zooas and LPS without going crazy on the lighting which is the most expensive part of a reef setup.
Now, if you shop carefully and do alot of research on equipment the $1 a gallon sale can be your best friend.

How much space are you looking to fill with a tank? Like how big can you go?

[Fishninja]

Well my max would be 20 gallons but that would really be pushing it. I was thinking something around 15 gallons.

[jjh302]

I am setting up a 20h right now. Just added water last night. I so wish I would have went with a nuvo or something of the like. I'm trying to aqua scape now and I seem to keep hitting stuff on the back wall. I wish I could pay someone to aqua scape for me!

Here is what it has cost me so far:

20h tank - $20
Aquaclear 70 - $49
R.O. Nano ns80 skimmer - $40
Aqueon 100w heater - $29
30lbs pink Fiji sand - $27
25 lbs base rock(did not use all of) - $50
I stole a 4 lb piece of live rock from my other tank

LED light panel - $112 shipped
Jebao WP-10 power head - $45ish

[jjh302]

Pics...how did I forget pics??

[Fishninja]

Wow thanks that certainly helped a lot. What are you planning on stocking it with.

[jjh302]

Honestly I don't know yet. The fish police are gonna hate me for this but I was thinking of just a blue spotted jaw fish all by itself.

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by jjh302

Honestly I don't know yet. The fish police are gonna hate me for this but I was thinking of just a blue spotted jaw fish all by itself.

Make sure you have a tight fitting lid . A jawfish is fine for a 20. My 20 has cost a lot lol but it's pretty high tech equipment and lots of coral lol

[BigRedsReefs10]

Your gonna want a deepish sandbed too, ~3 inches minimum IMO

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by BigRedsReefs10

Your gonna want a deepish sandbed too, ~3 inches minimum IMO

+1 they need it for their burrows