View Full Version : New 10 gallon college Nano Reef
badgers034
06/02/2012, 10:22 AM
Hey guys,
After being out of the hobby for about 5 years, I decided to return with a 10 gallon Nano-reef! In my past, I kept a 29 gallon cichlid tank and then eventually upgraded to a 125 gallon Central and South American Cichlid tank. After the upgrade, I decided to make the switch from fresh to saltwater and converted my 29 gallon to a SW tank. After keeping it for about a year, I realized that I couldn't keep up with the costs (not having a drivers license didn't help either), so I took it down in '07.
Well now it is 2012 and I am back in the hobby. I was bored at home one day and realized that I needed something to keep myself busy, so I decided to set up a 10 gallon nano-reef.
The reason I chose 10 gallons is because I need it to be mobile. It will go through nearly 4 moves per year, so the size and small water volume will make the logistics of this easy. However, it will make the chemistry of it quite difficult. I realize that keeping a small tank is a difficult thing to do and I am ready/willing/prepared to keep this tank running successfully. I know the circumstances aren't perfect. However, I am pretty experienced with saltwater and fishkeeping in general and I also know that many college tudents keep successful reef tanks, so I know it can be done.
Anyways, onto the tank itself:
Here's a look at my equipment:
Heater: Stealth 100w
Filter: Bio-Wheel 350 (currently running filter floss, but will eventually do one of two things: 1. convert it into a fuge, or 2. Upgrade to an AC 110 and convert that into a fuge.)
Waterflow: QuietOne 1200
Lighting: Currently two Compact flourescents in an incandescent hood.
Upgraded Lighting (Ordered today) : 12 LED Par 38 bulb from RapidLED
I currently Have aout 15 pounds of Live sand and about 8.5 pounds of live rock.
Pictures:
Original Picture (after buying 2lbs LR)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=191366
After Adding Sand and LR:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=191365
Clear Tank and Aquascape:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=191364
The tank looks much better in person.
Now onto some questions:
1. Do you think my flow is enough for a basic reef tank?
2. Is my lighting Overkill for that size tank?
3. I noticed the sand that I purchased is very fine and blows everywhere with the slightest disturbance. So, when I go off to college at the end of August, should I switch out the sand? If I did this, I would switch out about 75% of the sand to keep my bacteria alive. Good or bad idea?
badgers034
06/02/2012, 12:36 PM
Also, what would some good beginner corals be that would be a good fit under my Par 38?
Mikez1207
06/02/2012, 01:49 PM
Ur flow seems good...as for corals I would start with some lps thats if you dont wanna do shrooms and polyps first...they tend to grow crazy. But some acanas or favias ar good low light corals
Mikez1207
06/02/2012, 01:53 PM
But honest does are good bulbs seen ppl with some nice corals with those...prob need 2 or so ;)
badgers034
06/02/2012, 03:43 PM
But honest does are good bulbs seen ppl with some nice corals with those...prob need 2 or so ;)
Yea I know. For right now, I am only going to get one bulb and put higher light corals in the middle, and lower light corals on the sides (unless it doesnt work like that)
As far as corals go, I like your suggestions. Im gonna do some research on those and see what I think.
Also, I noticed my bio-wheel makes bubbles when the water re-enters the tank. Is this a problem? I remember when I had my 29 gallon that bubbles in a reef tank are not good. Is this true, or am I making things up?
As far as Aquascaping goes, would it be better to have two smaller "islands" or join them together with "bridges" and make caves. The caves would be aesthetic and beneficial for the fish. However, the islands would be a natural way to prevent fast growing corals (such as GSP or Zoas) from taking over all of my rock. Correct?
For stocking, I am thinking about getting a clownfish as well as a blenny or a goby. I am wondering what type of blenny/goby would bethe most interesting to watch? I was thinking maybe a YWG & Pistol Shrimp pair, but I am open to suggestions. Also, if there is anything cooler/better/more interesting than the clownfish, let my know as well. I read htey are pretty unique little fish, plus they have that "nemo effect" as well.
Mikez1207
06/02/2012, 03:55 PM
Not really a problem unless have sponges
badgers034
06/02/2012, 04:40 PM
Not really a problem unless have sponges
The bubbles or the aquascaping?
I edited my last post twice, so you may have not seen the other questions.
badgers034
06/02/2012, 06:08 PM
The bubbles or the aquascaping?
I edited my last post twice, so you may have not seen the other questions.
As far as Aquascaping goes, would it be better to have two smaller "islands" or join them together with "bridges" and make caves. The caves would be aesthetic and beneficial for the fish. However, the islands would be a natural way to prevent fast growing corals (such as GSP or Zoas) from taking over all of my rock. Correct?
For stocking, I am thinking about getting a clownfish as well as a blenny or a goby. I am wondering what type of blenny/goby would bethe most interesting to watch? I was thinking maybe a YWG & Pistol Shrimp pair, but I am open to suggestions. Also, if there is anything cooler/better/more interesting than the clownfish, let my know as well. I read htey are pretty unique little fish, plus they have that "nemo effect" as well.
Another question, what's your guys opinion on filter floss? Is it beneficial to keep in the tank and change out every 2 or so days? It really improves my water clarity.
Soccernut5824
06/02/2012, 06:15 PM
green star polyp would be cool. or some Xenia or zoos there all pretty easy and then to the frogspawn, torches, acan, hammers and etc
Mikez1207
06/02/2012, 08:11 PM
As far as Aquascaping goes, would it be better to have two smaller "islands" or join them together with "bridges" and make caves. The caves would be aesthetic and beneficial for the fish. However, the islands would be a natural way to prevent fast growing corals (such as GSP or Zoas) from taking over all of my rock. Correct?
For stocking, I am thinking about getting a clownfish as well as a blenny or a goby. I am wondering what type of blenny/goby would bethe most interesting to watch? I was thinking maybe a YWG & Pistol Shrimp pair, but I am open to suggestions. Also, if there is anything cooler/better/more interesting than the clownfish, let my know as well. I read htey are pretty unique little fish, plus they have that "nemo effect" as well.
Another question, what's your guys opinion on filter floss? Is it beneficial to keep in the tank and change out every 2 or so days? It really improves my water clarity.
Lol yeah didnt see that...you can prob put away on on rock and just frag it and sell it or wat not
sbaumann14
06/03/2012, 08:39 AM
I'm going with a whole different bunch of Zoo's...kinda like a garden. that way you'll have a multitude of colors in a small space
cloak
06/03/2012, 10:58 AM
Also, I noticed my bio-wheel makes bubbles when the water re-enters the tank. Is this a problem? I remember when I had my 29 gallon that bubbles in a reef tank are not good. Is this true, or am I making things up?
I've never had any problems with bubbles affecting my corals/sponges. I went out of my way to create microbubbles in my old 60 gallon tank. The intake on the powerhead was so close to the waters edge that every 15 seconds or so a small burst of bubbles would shoot out. I thought it looked pretty cool.
badgers034
06/03/2012, 01:02 PM
Lol yeah didnt see that...you can prob put away on on rock and just frag it and sell it or wat not
Alright Ill definitely consider that.
I'm going with a whole different bunch of Zoo's...kinda like a garden. that way you'll have a multitude of colors in a small space
That sounds like a really cool idea and something I didnt think of. Perhaps that is what I will go with.
Another question,
I have been testing my Ammonia and Nitrates basically since I set the tank up and my ammonia has been rising (its between 1 and 2 ppm right now) and I am just wondering when/if(?) I can expect an algae bloom?
I currently have live sand, 8 pounds of live rock, and am running filter floss (replaced regularly), and pura complete.
The tank has had LR in it since June 29th.
badgers034
06/04/2012, 12:32 PM
Bump. When can I expect to see my first algae bloom? 2 weeks, and 3 weeks?
badgers034
06/06/2012, 02:10 PM
Well, I just got my 12 LED Par 38 bulb in the mail and realized that it definitely does not cover the width of the tank and even my two compact fluorescents are brighter than that thing is... Back to square one... Should I just get two Par 30's from boost LED?
badgers034
06/06/2012, 04:04 PM
Well, I just got my 12 LED Par 38 bulb in the mail and realized that it definitely does not cover the width of the tank and even my two compact fluorescents are brighter than that thing is... Back to square one... Should I just get two Par 30's from boost LED?
Actually, it's not that bad. It gives it a pretty cool look and I think I am going to keep it.
badgers034
06/08/2012, 05:45 PM
Hey guys,
What would be the most interesting fish to put in this tank?
I want something that is lively (swims around the tank) and is also interesting to watch. I definitely want a clownfish, but I am undecided on his tank mate?
I was thinking possibly a pistol shrimp YWG pair, however it seems that the goby just sits there while the shrimp digs. Is this true?
If so, is there another fish/suggestion you can give me regarding stocking. I was thinking maybe a 6-line Wrasse, however, those seem to be aggressive and might out-grow the tank.
I also want this tank to be semi-low maintenance, so keeping a low bio-load is necessary. Any suggestions?
jasin401
06/08/2012, 08:24 PM
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124
nano fish selection, brief n influential
badgers034
06/10/2012, 09:46 AM
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124
nano fish selection, brief n influential
Thanks, I think I am going to go with the goby/shrimp combo. I am thinking an Orange Stripe Prawn Goby.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/thumbs/p-71471-orangestripe-goby.jpg
sweet little setup
Thanks, here's a more recent FTS with the new lighting and I switched the rocks up.
Update on the tank:
1. Upgraded my filter from the Bio-wheel 350 to an AC 70.
2. Upgraded my lighting from the CFL's to a 12 LED par 38.
3. Switched around Aquascape.
FTS:
192324
The lighting is a little hard to capture with a simple Cell phone camera. The tank looks alot darker than it does in real life. Ill try and get a better picture one of these days...
badgers034
06/15/2012, 05:26 PM
Hey what would be a good beginner coral that can host a clownfish and won't spread too rapidly like gsp apparently does. Maybe xenia, but I hear those spread rapidly also.
badgers034
06/17/2012, 05:47 PM
Bump
LockeOak
06/17/2012, 10:16 PM
I ran a 10 gallon for a long time as a student. I would suggest investing in some sort of automatic top-off system with a small (1 gallon?) reservoir. That made the single biggest difference for me in enjoying the tank as I no longer had to carefully top it off every day. There will come a day when you want to go out of town for a few days and you don't want to leave the tank to fend for itself or trust it to a friend who doesn't know what they're doing.
mikefab
06/18/2012, 06:45 AM
Hey what would be a good beginner coral that can host a clownfish and won't spread too rapidly like gsp apparently does. Maybe xenia, but I hear those spread rapidly also.
Clowns can associate with just about anything if you don't have an anenome, but won't necessarily do it with anything either. My clown in my first tank chose my cup leather. It was hilarious. He would sleep in it, lay in it, rub up against it all day and lay there.
Now I have a pair of clowns and they only associate with my intake area. Sleep there, laying on it all night. Def not as fun, but as long as they're happy. And there are plenty of other choices they could have chosen (including xenia and a green star polyp).
I'm definitely a clown fan for a nano tank though regardless... I've got a 16gallon nuvo with an orange and a black. Got them when they were tiny, and the black one has apparently become the female.
As far as the xenia spreading like crazy, my experience is that the better you keep your water parameters and better you are with water changes, the more it keeps it in check. In my old tank, I was HORRIBLE with changes and never really checked parameters, etc... and that stuff spread everywhere. In this one, I'm completely on top of weekly changes, have a protein skimmer and chaeto set up (not in a true refugium, just in a compartment in the back with a light to keep my nitrates in check) and my xenia looks good and pulses nicely, but it hasn't spread while my mushrooms, zoos and polyps are spreading like wild fire. Maybe I've just been lucky at this point, but that's been my experience with it.
badgers034
06/18/2012, 12:21 PM
]I ran a 10 gallon for a long time as a student. I would suggest investing in some sort of automatic top-off system with a small (1 gallon?) reservoir. That made the single biggest difference for me in enjoying the tank as I no longer had to carefully top it off every day. There will come a day when you want to go out of town for a few days and you don't want to leave the tank to fend for itself or trust it to a friend who doesn't know what they're doing.
Yea im definitely gonna look into that as my next equipment purchase.
Any suggestions?
Clowns can associate with just about anything if you don't have an anenome, but won't necessarily do it with anything either. My clown in my first tank chose my cup leather. It was hilarious. He would sleep in it, lay in it, rub up against it all day and lay there.
Now I have a pair of clowns and they only associate with my intake area. Sleep there, laying on it all night. Def not as fun, but as long as they're happy. And there are plenty of other choices they could have chosen (including xenia and a green star polyp).
I'm definitely a clown fan for a nano tank though regardless... I've got a 16gallon nuvo with an orange and a black. Got them when they were tiny, and the black one has apparently become the female.
As far as the xenia spreading like crazy, my experience is that the better you keep your water parameters and better you are with water changes, the more it keeps it in check. In my old tank, I was HORRIBLE with changes and never really checked parameters, etc... and that stuff spread everywhere. In this one, I'm completely on top of weekly changes, have a protein skimmer and chaeto set up (not in a true refugium, just in a compartment in the back with a light to keep my nitrates in check) and my xenia looks good and pulses nicely, but it hasn't spread while my mushrooms, zoos and polyps are spreading like wild fire. Maybe I've just been lucky at this point, but that's been my experience with it.
Yea i think im go go with gsp as my first coral and then some zoos later on.
badgers034
06/18/2012, 03:39 PM
Aother question:
My current lighting (Par 38 12LED bulb from rapid LED) seems to be both a bit dark, and a bit too blue for my liking. Is there another smaller clamp-on bulb I can get for some more brighter, whiter light to use in combination with my current light?
I was thinking maybe one of these
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+8068+9870&pcatid=9870
Installed in a low-profile clip-on incandescent fixture? Any thoughts?
I just liked how well-lit and bright the tank looked before I installed the Par38 LED lamp. Now, it just looks blue and shadowy, which, I think can be solved using another fixture combined with my current bulb.
badgers034
06/18/2012, 10:36 PM
bump
badgers034
06/19/2012, 06:02 AM
From first page -
Aother question:
My current lighting (Par 38 12LED bulb from rapid LED) seems to be both a bit dark, and a bit too blue for my liking. Is there another smaller clamp-on bulb I can get for some more brighter, whiter light to use in combination with my current light?
I was thinking maybe one of these
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...70&pcatid=9870
Installed in a low-profile clip-on incandescent fixture? Any thoughts?
I just liked how well-lit and bright the tank looked before I installed the Par38 LED lamp. Now, it just looks blue and shadowy, which, I think can be solved using another fixture combined with my current bulb.
MarkGP
06/19/2012, 04:04 PM
I am surprised that your tank is not very bright with the par38 LED. All the ones that I have seen have been blinding. Too bright in my opinion. Which one did you get?
havnmonkey
06/19/2012, 04:41 PM
I'd stay away from Xenia, colt, or kenya trees in a tank that small... Mine are growing like mad in my 30g, I'll have to frag them in a few months or so. Maybe go with frogspawn, hammer, or even maybe birdsnest. My bicolor blenny and BW Clown love eachother, it's kinda weird like they are a mated pair. Whenever the blenny swims away from the rock the clown follows, they often swim touching one another.
My clown hosts a pit he dug in the center cave/swim through... at night he sleeps by the overflow.
I'm a huge fan of DIY LED, I only have 14 LEDs over my 30 Long and it is turned down to about 600ma, all my coral have been growing very well (including my new birdsnest and monti). A meanwell driver, dimmer, aluminum heatsink, and 10 LEDs would be more than enough coverage in my opinion... and you can change it later if needed.
How about an AI SOL nano?
badgers034
06/19/2012, 06:31 PM
Ok maybe my question was mis-leading. I am looking for a light that will help brighten my tank, but mainly whiten it. THe lighting is very vlue which gives the tank a dark look, but I want it to be a little more white. Would a CFL bulb with the right Kelvin rating work?
badgers034
06/20/2012, 07:24 AM
Hey guys, so the tank has been setup since May 29th, and I am pretty sure I went through a small diatom bloom. Now I have Green Hair Algae and brown algae that is hairy and grows in spots on my front glass. Does this mean it is time for my first water change? Ill post my param's in a minute.
badgers034
06/20/2012, 07:44 AM
Nitrates 5.0
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0
Alk 250 KH
pH 7.8
badgers034
06/20/2012, 07:44 AM
Nitrates 5.0
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0
Alk 250 KH
pH 7.8
SG 1.021
I also added a zoomed Power sweep with 160 GPH to add a little more flow. I noticed the Algae on the front of the tank is in a low flow area, so hopefully the added flow will get rid of it? Wishful thinking? We'll see.
I'm also really tempted to do my first water change looking at my param's. Let me know what you guys think.
I'll post some FTS in a few minutes as well. However, mind the dirty front panel, like I said, I have the algae on the front. I don't want to scrape it off because I am afraid it will spread. once it gets into the water column
badgers034
06/20/2012, 09:53 AM
Here's a picture of my old 29 gallon tank that I took down a few years ago.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSC01500.jpg
and my old 125 freshwater
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSC01244.jpg
Ok now onto my current 10 gallon:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0737.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0736.jpg
Algae on front glass, couldnt really get a good picture:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0731.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0732.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0735.jpg
Button polyp?
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0740.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0739.jpg
FTS with new purchase (2 days ago)
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e328/badgers034/DSCN0738.jpg
Now you see what I mean by the lighting being really blue. Can I add a white/clear LED strip or other fixture to get this evened out?
badgers034
06/20/2012, 09:59 AM
I also just ordered my CUC from Reefcleaners.org. Looking forward to getting that all taken care of! Any idea on how I can get rid of the algae on the front pane? I tried siphoning it, but it wouldnt come off. If I scraped it off, wouldnt it spread?
Also, can anyone ID the algae and coral (button polyp) pictured above?
badgers034
06/20/2012, 07:41 PM
bump, anyone
badgers034
06/20/2012, 08:15 PM
whs
http://www.aofp.info/xiaowang1.jpg
http://www.aofp.info/xiaowang2.jpg
http://www.aofp.info/xiaowang3.jpg
??
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