Starting a 10G Nano

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CCXGT

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Ive got a spare 10G lying around and some spare cash to waste so I've decided to set it up as a Nano Reef.

I used a template for equipment needed and filled it out:

Starting Nano Reef

Test Kit - API Liquid Master Test Kit for Saltwater

Tank - 10G (already got)

Lighting - Powercompact retrofit kits and canopies are highly recommended.

Heater - 200w (already got)

Powerhead - Hydor Koralia Nano 900 Circulation and Wave Pump

4kg Rock - Pukani Dry Rock

5kg Live Sand - Caribsea Aragonite

Salt Mix - Kent Reef Salt Mix

Refractometer - RHS-10ATC 0-10% Salinity Refractometer Salt Water Aquarium

Fill the tank with water and add salt until the specific gravity is 1.023.

Place the powerhead in immediately so it will help mix the salt. Now is also the time to place in your heater and get the water temperature to 78 degrees.

Once your s.g. has reached it's proper level, you can add the live rock and live sand.

Once the rock is where you like it, you can pour the live sand around the rocks, keeping it at a fairly even thickness throughout the tank.


Anything I may have missed?


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Ive got a spare 10G lying around and some spare cash to waste so I've decided to set it up as a Nano Reef.

I used a template for equipment needed and filled it out:

Starting Nano Reef

Test Kit - API Liquid Master Test Kit for Saltwater

Tank - 10G (already got)

Lighting - Powercompact retrofit kits and canopies are highly recommended.

Heater - 200w (already got)

Powerhead - Hydor Koralia Nano 900 Circulation and Wave Pump

4kg Rock - Pukani Dry Rock

5kg Live Sand - Caribsea Aragonite

Salt Mix - Kent Reef Salt Mix

Refractometer - RHS-10ATC 0-10% Salinity Refractometer Salt Water Aquarium

Fill the tank with water and add salt until the specific gravity is 1.023.

Place the powerhead in immediately so it will help mix the salt. Now is also the time to place in your heater and get the water temperature to 78 degrees.

Once your s.g. has reached it's proper level, you can add the live rock and live sand.

Once the rock is where you like it, you can pour the live sand around the rocks, keeping it at a fairly even thickness throughout the tank.


Anything I may have missed?


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If you want to do a reef, there are a few things I'd change
1. Skip the api kit, and invest in quality kits for nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium from the start, the api equivalents of these are pretty much worthless IMHO.
2. I'd upgrade the lighting, pcs are kind of obsolete, and make coral look terrible compared to quality t5 or led units.
3. The korillia 900 might be a little much, a 240 and 425 would probably be better (or you can try one of the controllable pumps from jaebo)
4. I run my sg at 1.025 (most do), but .023 is in the acceptable range.
5. I've seen in another thread that you seem to be against hob filters, but they are handy for running some media and a little extra surface agitation.
 
+1 to everything bigred said. I'll add that you should be using ro/do water as well


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+1 to everything bigred said. I'll add that you should be using ro/do water as well


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I think I'll be picking up water from my LFS for a while until I get things going.


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If you want to do a reef, there are a few things I'd change
1. Skip the api kit, and invest in quality kits for nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium from the start, the api equivalents of these are pretty much worthless IMHO.
2. I'd upgrade the lighting, pcs are kind of obsolete, and make coral look terrible compared to quality t5 or led units.
3. The korillia 900 might be a little much, a 240 and 425 would probably be better (or you can try one of the controllable pumps from jaebo)
4. I run my sg at 1.025 (most do), but .023 is in the acceptable range.
5. I've seen in another thread that you seem to be against hob filters, but they are handy for running some media and a little extra surface agitation.


1-2. By 'reef' I do only mean soft corals, would the pc's be reasonable for most softies or would you still recommend a proper LED system type thing?

3-4. These were both standard from the nano template I found, I'll downgrade the Powerhead.

5. I'm not exactly 'against' HoB's I'd just much rather not use one. I'm seeing just as many arguments for and against them.
Is it possible to just run a HoB with a sponge alone for the mechanical? Since the bio is done in the tank.


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I think I'll be picking up water from my LFS for a while until I get things going.


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Sounds good, you won't need much for wcs since it's a small tank. On the pcs, they'll work fine for softies but eventually you'll want lps and eventually sps. If you don't want to upgrade later then you may as well get a good light now or you could wait if you may upgrade tanks down the line anyway.


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Sounds good, you won't need much for wcs since it's a small tank. On the pcs, they'll work fine for softies but eventually you'll want lps and eventually sps. If you don't want to upgrade later then you may as well get a good light now or you could wait if you may upgrade tanks down the line anyway.


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Ok thanks, I think I'll just stick with something cheap for now.

If I end up getting addicted with saltwater I'll probably just upgrade the entire tank, a 20in light fitting won't help me much in that case.


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