Beginner nano-tank questions

[pinkcadillac]

Hi everyone,

First I'd like to say that I really enjoy this website, and the forums. People seem very helpful here and thats great to find online

Now to business. I have really been considering setting up a SW nano-tank but have some basic questions i was hoping could get answered first.

1. Do I have the time to run a SW nano-tank? I currently support a 55 gallon community freshwater planted tank and a 40 gallon red eared slider tank. I am in the habit of doing weekly water changes, water tests, and more frequent top offs and monitoring. So basically I have all weekend to work on the tanks and at least an hour or so each night to check levels. Is that enough time?

2. What kind of lighting and in what price range can i expect? I would like to set up a reef nano so the lighting will need to be powerful enough to support that. I have always been baffled on how lighting works so any product recommendations or info would be very appreciated here.

2.b. I understand that power lighting in nessesary for reef tanks and powerful lighting puts off heat. In a 10-15 gallon tank is there a happy medium to be found between providing adaquate lighting and not overheating the water or burning coral?

3. Is there really distinct advantage to using RO water vs tap? I live in AZ and my (trustworthy) LFS says that our areas tap is better than average for fish tanks (of course this was in reference to freshwater). I dont mind using RO especially since this will be a small tank but how do i aquire it? Is there a filter system or do you just buy it at the store?

4. In a nano-tank my size is a protein skimmer nessesary? In the book ive been reading (The Conscientious Marine Aquarist) the author recomends always using a protien skimmer even in small tanks. However i have read information to the contrary on this website. On a tank around 10 gallons is a protein skimmer nessesary? Or will it at least be beneficial?

If you have read through all those questions thanks in advance. Just a few more bits of information, my other two tanks have been running for a few years and I understand the cycling process and am patient when it comes to setting tanks up. My plan is for a 10-15 gallon reef tank feature some smaller corals, inverts, and possibly a small fish or two. I do appreciate any information or advice that i get.

Edit: One final quick questions, what types of filtration will be nessesary for a tank that small? Will an external filter be nessesary and if so what types of media can i run in a SW tank? I assume it isnt the same as with freshwater.

 

[laurahammock]

*My advice would be to read all the stickies you can find (the very first threads on the forums). They have TONS of information...they answered many of my questions. Another peice of advice I have is that since SW tanks really can run into $, shop around. There are some really great sites online to check out. I got lots of my stuff from ebay! Good luck.

 

[Lotus]

Welcome to the site

1. Yes, you should have enough time.

2. It will mostly depend on the kinds of corals you want to keep. A PC will be enough for most of the easier corals. Cost might be $50 to $100 for a nice lighting system.
2. b. Get a lighting system with a fan, especially based on where you live. You'll either need to keep that room at about 76F or get a chiller for the tank. With a room temp of 76 to 78 with the lights on, the tank can easily go up to 82 or more, which is the upper range for most corals. If the temp goes above 84, you can expect significant coral losses. Stick with either PC lights or T5 HO lights. MH will send the heat soaring unless you have a chiller.

3. Definitely use RO if you want corals. You can buy it from LFS or from machines at Walmart/the supermarket. If you use tapwater, you're taking big risks of algae outbreaks or metals that can harm your fish/corals/etc.

4. A protein skimmer will definitely be a big improvement. Regular water changes are good, but a skimmer will really help keep water in top condition.

5. Filtration - you don't need mechanical filtration on a reef tank. Between powerheads, water changes and a skimmer, you have it covered.

 

[pinkcadillac]

Thanks for the help Lotus. After doing some shopping and pricing it looks like if i end up purchasing something like:
oceanic Bio Cube 14 Gallon at Big Al's Online
I can save a ton of money on things like a lighting fixture. I like how clean the one peice tanks look, but im concerned about not having an open tank and also temp control. With the lights built right into the hood im not sure how much that will heat up the water and they dont exactly leave you places to attach a micro chiller. Anyone have any experience with these all in one set ups?

 

[Lotus]

Pink Cadillac, I think it will depend on where you live, and how hot it gets in the room. I've heard some people have problems with the all-in-one setups with heat. There are some struts on the lid you can use to keep it slightly open, and then you could run a fan across the water.

Brian: White is the usual color for saltwater substrates, although there are some dark colored ones available. I don't think it would make a huge difference on lighting.

I'm not sure what your question is about the Q tank and refugium. A quarantine tank needs to be a completely separate tank from the main tank, and it's used to make sure the fish are healthy before you put them into your main system. A refugium is a place to grow macroalgae and breed pods to help the overall health of your system. They usually go either beneath or above your display tank, and are plumbed into the main system.

 

[sweetpickles7]

A QT tank is always a good thing to have, especially when your buying fish that over $50 each. A refugium is connected to the main tank and uses the same water, so you cant use that as a QT. You might as well just put it in the tank instead.

 

[Lotus]

What you've linked to is a refugium, completely different from a quarantine tank.

A quarantine keeps the fish (and its diseases) out of your main tank. Even the best LFS can have ich in their systems. You're taking a huge risk if you don't quarantine fish, IMO. There are several diseases you cannot treat in your main tank, including ich. If you get ich, all fish have to come out of the tank for eight weeks. You could put a quarantine tank in the stand, in a closet, or elsewhere.

 

[Lotus]

Acually, no. A quarantine tank has no live rock, substrate or cleanup crew. This sticky should help you understand: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/saltwater-general-discussion/32495-quarantine-basics.html

 

[Lotus]

Perspex = Plexiglas = acrylic.

The PVC tubing should be 100% PVC. Never put any metal into a saltwater tank. The small lengths of PVC or the "elbows" work fine. Just get them in a diameter that's appropriate for the size of fish you'll be keeping. You could sand them down, if you want.

You can precycle a Q tank with live rock that you're curing or a sponge filter, as long as you take out the rock before you add fish. By the time your tank has finished cycling, it should be about time to start quarantining your first fish.

 

[supra1997]

Good Luck with saltwater! Its very enjoyable and the people on here are a great help!

 

[Lotus]

Yes, you could do a 20g tank.

 

[supra1997]

20 gallon is a great size....
Lighting and live rock wont be outrageous, and its a good enough size to get a few interesting fish.

 

[supra1997]

Try and find a local fish store that sells the Reverse Osmosis water and the salt already pre-mixed. Its usually way cheaper than doing it yourself. I buy mine in downtown Chicago where everything is expensive and they charge me $1.25 a gallon for the salt pre-mixed with the R/O water.

 

[sweetpickles7]

If you turn off your powerheads for awhile and let everything settle, by the next time you turn them on the water should be fine. Everyone has cloudy water when they first put in substrate. Can i ask you to start your own thread as well, this is pink's thread.

 

[supra1997]

Sounds like a plan! Good luck with everything!