What equipment would you use for a 10 gal?

[m_wonnacott]

So I am considering seting up a 10 gal for softies and maybe a single lps as a center piece coral. For fish I am planing on going with a tail spot blenny. I also would like a porcelain crab and posibly one shrimp. I can't recall off the top of my head what type of filter it has on it currently thinking either a AC or a penguin type filter. It also just has a standard florecent fixture on it atm.

What all would people add/ change for a lower end price range set-up? Keeping in mind what I plan to stock.

I have a few things in mind for equipment but want to get others thoughts first. I had thought of switching my 55 gal over but have decided to keep my africans and maybe try the 10 gal for the price difference in the set-up costs. I will be using RO?DI water for sure with this set-up.

[Fishboy9227]

Take the wheel off the penguin for sure. A small nano skimmer would be nice too.

[m_wonnacott]

Any recomends for a good nano skimmer?

[burtbollinger]

FYI, I'd skip the 10 and do a 20.

If forced to do a 10 though....:

first off....10 lbs of super premium live rock....then:

I would run a small hob filter with chemi pure elite

I would run a small aqua c remora nano skimmer.

I would also have a cpr aquafuge...the small one.

I would create a lid for the blenny using pond netting and a DIY door framing kit. scroll down a bit...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=817485&perpage=25&pagenumber=8

I would run a korelia 1 and a korelia nano as well...maybe just 2 nanos...

[m_wonnacott]

Would two powerheads not be too much for just softies?

[Acan Addict]

Take a look on aquariumpros.ca alot of ppl on there are from southwestern ontario.

[gas4544]

I agree that a 20-gallon tank would be a nice alternative to a 10-gallon tank. I have done 10-gallon tanks before, and you run outa space very quickly.

For a tank this small, I would invest in lighting before adding a skimmer. For softies and one LPS, you could use an inexpensive (but not cheap) PC fixture. You should be able to find a used fixture here at RC.

For powerheads, two Koralia Nano's, one on each end othe tank would work. I have four Nano's in my 30-gallon montipora tank. The Koralia Nano is considerably smaller than the Koralia 1.

I agree that for a smaller tank, it is worth the cost to splurge on nice LR.

Just a couple of ideas.

Gary

[m_wonnacott]

The reason i am going with the 10 gal is i got one free with filter lights and heater

[aquatics369]

i have exactly what your trying to start stocking and all, except I have a neon goby instead of the blenny. In my experience, a skimmer isnt needed, on a tank this small weekly water changes should do the job. If you have the filter, put LR rubble in it but if not I wouldnt worry with it. I'd focus on good lighting so when you want to keep higher light stuff you can.

[Bmgrocks]

10 Gallon Tank

96w PC Powerquad Through Coralife, you would be able to keep anything you want with that light

and a hang on back filled with carbon/chemi pure/purigen
or AC 70 Refugium

weekly 20% water changes


low maintaince, and you would be golden, no more than 2 fish and small feedings

[GoingPostal]

Agree with the above. Had basically that setup for years except ac 110 running just for flow. No fish and weekly water changes.

[phenom5]

For a 10g.

A couple of small powerheads.
A good T5 setup
A refugium
Some good quality LR


Then fill it up with some cherry corals.

[Agu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14041824#post14041824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bmgrocks
10 Gallon Tank

96w PC Powerquad Through Coralife, you would be able to keep anything you want with that light

and a hang on back filled with carbon/chemi pure/purigen
or AC 70 Refugium

weekly 20% water changes


low maintaince, and you would be golden, no more than 2 fish and small feedings

Pretty much what I have. The Aquaclear has rubble and occasional carbon. Waterchanges are 10% /week. But I feed 2X/day for the pair of clowns, so I feed more than most.

I also suggest a small backup powerhead in case the Aquaclear jams up. I use a Tunse mini for extra flow. They're cheap and last a long time. I buy them three at a time.

[ssamick]

One of the best ten gallon tanks I have seen set up had a skilter 250 on it. The skimmer is not that good but it is just a ten gallon tank. The skilter puts out a pretty good flow too, so u could probably get away with just that for you flow.

[nona]

I have a 10G AGA set up.

Medium (19") Aquafuge refugium with deep sand bad and macroalgaes.
2 nano Koralias, a Rio180, and a Marineland C-160 canister (nothings in it) for water movement.
Outer orbit metal halide pendant by Current. 150W, 14-15" above the water surface.
Well mixed tank. About 1.5 years old. Check my gallery.

[ERAU Eagle]

I had a very successful 10G setup for a while with a lot of the stuff that was mentioned above...

I'd go with:
96W Coralife Powerquad
Penguin 100 w/ biowheel removed
Koralia 1... or two Koralia Nanos
10-15lbs LR
10-15lbs sand

I'd skip on the skimmer and just do weekly 15-20% water changes.


I kept a small false perc, a banded coral shrimp, and a small CUC. I fed the perc 2-3 times a day and my nitrate levels stayed at 0 with 10% weekly water changes.

[twelvejewelz]

i went with the coarlife 96 watt powerquad and i hate it. its really not blue enough .im going for a different light with the option to have actinics or regular lights seperatly. just my 2cents

[flamethis]

I have a 10G also here is my list to give you some ideas

-130W PC lighting
-AC110 fuge with a few fins off the impeller (about 200GPH now) It holds my heater and temp probe so they aren't in the tank
-1 Koralia Nano
-12lbs of LR
-~15 lbs LS

1 clarkii clown(temporarily, he was a LFS rescue)
1 six line wrasse
various snails, hermits

softies, lps and SPS at the top

Haven't done a WC yet, I feed weekly and and the macro in the fuge takes care of alot of exess nutrients. It grows like mad!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/TallDarkandDisfigured/100_0193.jpg

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so can anyone give me some more recomendations on lighting for a 10 gal and links would be great as well to see what you are actually talking about.

I am also thinking I will either do lr rubble in the filter or convert it to a fuge. Depending on what type of filter it is. I am thinking I will start out with one of the korilia nanos and add another if i feel I need it for flow.

[bsagecko]

For lighting go with 150W MH w/ 14k Phoneix bulb (Sunpod)

I got mine from a local reefer for $100 with the bulb and I dont think I would go with anything else

It has a nice blue color to it and excellent growth so far

The only problems so far with the lighting is that it makes the tank hot but I have it 3 inches off the surface

After moving it up to about 12~15 inches off the surface tank stays around 78 F...............

Nothing can touch MH...period

Also when looking into the PC quad bulb when you have to replace that bulb every 6 months or so it gets expensive......

The best value would 2x 18~20" T5 fixture that came out by Current... you can find it at Dr foster and smith for around $50 new and the bulbs dont have to be replaced for at least 12~15 months......

[m_wonnacott]

Well I know I will not be going MH for a couple reasons I don't really like sps, they get to hot and I do not want to have to worry about bttling heat issues. I would really like to go T5 route but not to many 18-20" fixtures out there. The 18 inch fixtures would they need to be hung over the tank?

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so I have begun considering doing a 20 gal. Lighting wise there are alot more options for a 24" then a 20" is one of the reasons for this. I prefer the t5 over PC so looking into options for that. What would people recomend for flow in a 20 gal. would I be better of with one larger PH or two smaller?

I know that I want as little stuff hanging on the back of the tank as posible but a sump is out of the question for where this will be going.

I am thinking of maybe going with a larger AC and getting a heater to go in there if that will work. (someone said thats what they are doing) and using the filter for both flow and for some lr rubble. I am thinking I will go without macrro algae in the filter since that would require an additional light over the filter.

I am hopeing that I can do the , tailspot blenny, porclain crab, and skunk shrimp with the addition of a false perc. Do i have to have two? If so would i be able to in this tank?