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Notorious
03/23/2013, 12:43 AM
First a short(hopefully) introduction so you guys know where I am coming from...

My name is Reggie and I have been keeping fish for about 8 years(Im 18). I started with freshwater but quickly(too quickly) moved into saltwater. I kept a 10 gallon nano "reef" for about 8 months-1 years and loved it despite the fact I did almost everything wrong(I was 11 sue me). it is hard to maintain a reef tank with birthday and christmas money you get twice a year :strange:. Well now I am 18 and have been keeping cichlids for the last 4 years or so and have loved them. But I am in college and have to downsize to a smaller tank. I could sell my fish tank but not having fish... I may just break into a rash I love keeping fish too much. I know reef tanks are work( a lot of work) but man did I love waking up and staring at my little slice of the ocean on my desk.

So now that I am older and wiser I realize 2 things...

1) saltwater tanks are expensive no matter what size you get
2)you have to take things SLOWLY
2.5)Don't skimp on the important stuff

Armed with that I am currently THINKING about jumping back in. Of coarse I have to do some serious research(any good books or articles I should check out?) So far I know fish wise I want to get a pair of clowns(ocellaris, false percula, something small dosent matter) and a watchman goby/pistol shrimp combo. I am thinking a 24 gallon nano cube should be large enough? I am going with the 24 this time because as I have learned larger tanks are easier to maintain. I also know I want yellow polyps, green star polyps, mushroom polyps, frogspawn and candy cane coral for sure. I don't recall these corals needing high lighting(Metal Hilides) but I could be wrong. And I don't think skimmers are necessary for nano tanks but I know they help a lot so skimmer suggestions too. For heat I was thinking of using a low watt titanium heater. I used these for my cichlids and they worked well. They have a controller and I rarely hear cases of malfunctions. So I think what I will do is organize the questions in a list so they will be easy to answer.

-Is the lighting that comes with the jbj 24 gallon(model im looking at enough)? If I recall they are not so what should I upgrade too for the coral I want?
-is the tank big enough for the fish mentioned?(pair of clowns, watchman goby and pistol shrimp)
-Are the corals good beginner corals? suggestions?
-what is a good skimmer I can use on this tank?
-Do you guys recommend a refugium? How would I go about one for a nano setup?
-what kind of substrate do you recommend? live sand?
-what salt brand do you recommend?
-I have read the powerhead that comes with the 24 jbj is not strong enough? what size powerhead do you recommend?

I think that is it for now. Oh and as I research and search the board I may find answer to some of these questions but I figure I would post. I have already poked around quite a bit. I currently have my 125 up and running so I have cycled water/media, etc to start up a new tank. If I feel a reef tank isn't for me I am just going to keep african cichlids :)

Comments welcomed....

gonefishing99
03/23/2013, 01:02 AM
Welcome to RC

I to have only been at saltwater reefs for about 7 months but the stickys at the top of the page is full of GREAT information and will keep you reading for a while. :celeb3:

whiteshark
03/23/2013, 02:27 AM
Keeping a reef tank in college isn't something I'd recommend. You're always broke and unless you still live at home you just can't trust roommates. I really wanted one in college but had a hard enough time with a small neon tetra tank.

That said, to try to answer some questions:

-JBJ makes a couple cubes don't they? Each has different lighting. I don't really know anything about the stock lighting, but I don't like hoods on tanks anyway. Really a small LED fixture would do nicely for what you want to keep and keep electric costs down. Check out reef breeders LEDs. They have a good reputation, a good following, and are affordable.
-Yes, IMO there should be enough room in there for those three fish. I wouldn't go any more than that. Really, though, you might consider a smaller shrimp goby like Stonogobiops nematodes, Amblyeleotris randalli, or Amblyeleotris wheeleri.
-Yes, those should be relatively low demanding corals.
-Do you plan on having a sump? A lot of people use reef octopus skimmers in sump. If not you will have to use a hang on skimmer, and then I really wouldn't know what to recommend.
-If you are going with a sump you can make one of it's sections a fuge. If not, you can also do a hang on back fuge, but it will take up some space and have to be fed via a pump in your tank. I like fuges, but some argue their nutrient export capabilities. If nothing else, they provide a safe haven for beneficial pods.
-I think live sand is a ripoff. I'd just go dry, medium grain (not fine grain!) aragonite.
-I've always used Tropic Marin. I'm currently testing Aquavitro Salinity. It tests well but I have to wait to see how corals respond to it. In your case you might be able to get away with Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals. They are cheaper options and I know a lot on here use them. I never have, though, so I won't comment on how good these mixes are.
-Maybe two Hydor Koralia Nanos. The smallest ones (240 gph I think). Preferably on a wavemaker.

I'd really suggest a sump. Makes life a lot easier, adds water volume to the system which increases water parameter stability and hides all of your equipment aside from in tank flow devices (powerheads). I'd also suggest an Auto Top Off unit especially for such a small tank. And an RO/DI unit is pretty much a must.

I agree with the above. Read all the stickies at the top of the forum several times. Also realize that keeping this tank while in college is going to be extremely difficult. Money is already tight and a reef tank will drain any remaining funds.

Notorious
03/23/2013, 09:18 AM
Thanks for the comments both of you. I should clarify. The tank will not be coming with me to my dorm. It will be at home with my parents. My dad for the most part will be maintaining it(water changes etc.) it is something for me to enjoy when I come home/on break. Plus I can get home pretty quickly when I need to(I go to school in state). That being said I fully realize how expensive these setups can get so that is why I am doing my research and pricing everything out first before I jump in.

A sump is defiantly in the plan and I have read good things about reef octopus so I was planning to incorporate one into my setup. And I have noticed a lot of reef keepers don't like lids? What is with that? Lids help prevent evaporation isn't that ideal? Well it is good to know the stock will fare well in this setup. What size sump do you recommend for this size tank? 10 gallons maybe?

whiteshark
03/23/2013, 02:55 PM
In reality the bigger the sump the better. 10 gallons would be good. 20 would be better. All depends.on your space limitations.

No lid allows for much better gas exchange and easier access to the tank and lights. Its just much more beneficial to the tank to have no lid. Yes you will have more evap but that's why I'd recommend an ato.