Advice on a 30cm planted cube for a newbie!

[kidrock]

Hi Guys,

 

My name is Ryan, I am looking to enter the marine space for the first time. I have been in freshwater planted aquariums for almost 2 years now.

 

I am looking to use an existing 30cm cube to setup a marine tank. Since I am new I dont want to risk with livestock and coral's till I get some confidence. Based on some reading out here and on the net I considered trying microalgae.

 

I am considering to get the following

 

Skimmer
Canister Filter
Zanzibar or live rocks
Live Sand
Instant Ocean Salt
Density meter
Ph meter
Nitrates kit

Livestock (post 2-3 weeks or a month)
------------------------------------------
invertebrates(cleaning crew)

Macro algae
------------------------------------------
Botryocladia(red grape)
Chlorodesmis
Caulerpa Racemosa(geen grape)

 

 

I would be grateful for any advice or precautions you could share. I have been adviced against using a nano but its gonna be a while till I setup a 3 feeter. I just want to get a hang of things in the meanwhile with simple stuff.

 

Thanks

 

[PathOfDeception]

Well the fact that you added skimmer to your list already shows that you are on your way to success. They are a big help to clean water. I would personally not run a canister filter unless you already have one. A good HOB with some filter floss/chemi pure elite would be great. If you already have the canister I don't see why you wouldn't be successful, just ensure you clean it often to avoid buildup.

 

I would personally start with low light/easy corals rather than fill a tank with macro that you might want to change later. That decision is yours and may depend on equipment.

There are plenty of helpful people on here who will give you some great advice.

 

All the best and welcome to N-R!

[kidrock]

Thanks Path Of Deception, I do not have a spare canister, its just that a fellow newbie hobbyist got one. So I felt it would be a better choice over a hob. Incase I go for a hob what should I look for?

 

If I got with Corals what would you recommend? Will the lights be the same for both the corals and macro. I felt the corals required lights of higher intensity. 10000K and such.

[HarryPotter]

AquaClear HOB are the best- you can make many reef specific modifications to them as well

[stefalopod]

Based on your equipment list, it sounds like you're on the right track. Just wanted to add that you don't need to decide about what to stock it with right away. You can instead chose your substrate and LR and do your aquascaping, then wait for the cycle. You might be amazed to see what sorts of algae and critters come in the rock and sand. I didn't see a light on your list, but if you put a good light on there, you will definitely get some nice coralline encrustation too.

 

Also, since your first foray into marine aquaria will be with a nano, taking it slow will give you time to get into the swing of things as regard salt water mixing and water changes, water top off, nuisance algae, flow, and lighting, without subjecting macro-fauna to unnecessary stress.

 

Not sure if you've already got one for your FW hobby, but you might also consider getting an RO/DI unit. In my experience, it has been the single most important piece of equipment in helping to keep a clean reef.

 

I also agree with PathofDeception about the HOB. There are some very cool units out there that are extensively modifiable. You might be able to keep your skimmer in it, manage mechanical filtration, build a refugium, hide your heater, or set up a chemical reactor in the HOB. Almost all of which things every reefkeeper eventually experiments with eventually. One other advantage of the HOB over a canister is that it provides increased surface area disturbance, which helps with gas exchange in your tank (although that won't be an issue if you're running a skimmer). Plus, if you get the kind with the waterfall return, the surface disturbance on your display tank will help to prevent the water frond developing an oil/protein film.

 

Finally, you may find that you need a circulation pump in the main tank to keep waste dissolved in the water column so that the filter can pick it up. Water flow also helps to prevent/manage nuisance algae.

 

Good luck! And welcome to the hobby!

[kidrock]

Thanks stefalopod and Harryjsinger.

[paulrw]

imho, ditch the canister filter they are great for freshy planteds and what not but a p.i.t.a. to clean every week. i would get a aquaclear that fits your tank and modify it. super easy to do. also how many gallons is your tank? 30cm cube is like 12" cube? maybe 7-10 gallons? you might also look into not getting a skimmer and just do big water changes. i ran a skimmer on a 10 g for a while, i was having problems with softies ,zoas, and my maxi minis, it ended up my skimmer was pulling to much even running it as slow as i could once the skimmer was removed no more issues. save your money for a nice light,a good heater, good rock, good testing equipment,a good refractometer, and good salt instant ocean reef crystals is as good as any. and i agree with whom ever said to get some easy corals first some zoas and softies or mushrooms. get some macros as well but don't limit yourself.

 

every thing i stated is just my opinion. there is literally a million ways to have a successful reef aquarium. these are just some ideas.

 

good luck!