Starting a nano reef

[cdawson]

I want to get into a nano reef, what kind of lights should I get and how much should I be spending of everything in total, I've already got a tank. I want to replace the hood, in order to allow myself a wider selection of corals. Should I have a protein skimmer, and will a penguin bio filter be good enough?

[krysis]

Have you checked out the articles on this site about starting a nano tank?

[cdawson]

yeah I've read them all but as I've found out before taking word of mouth is all a better alternative to reading a written and dated article.

[duckhuntboy]

What size tank are you planning? Tank size determines your costs.

 

Also, what are you planning on keeping in your tank? That determines the lights to buy, as well as about everything else. If you do your tank the exact way you want it, your tank will probably be 200 to 300, but that's not the case for most people. They're always changing their ###### around. If I was you, I'd get a 10 gallon, and build your own hood, and do your own Power Compact lighting. Like I said though, what are you planning?

 

From the content of your question, I am thinking you haven't read enough. Read read read, and then look in the members area, and plan something similar, IMO.

[Deimos]

Hmmm...too many questions that depend on personal choice/skill level/preferences.

 

My setup (before livestock) was about $250...it is as follows:

 

10 gallon tank

custom hood

100 gph powerhead

Skilter 250 (bite me..I love it...but then again..I only run it at night once or twice per week..damn annoying bubbles)

2.5" sandbed

18 lbs LR

original lighting was 3X15w fluorescents

current lighting is 1X400w 20kK radium (mounted HIGH off the surface of the water..lol)

50w submersible heater

 

The skilter does double duty so I like it..as much as everyone hates them..I think they're darn near perfect on nanos. They provide water circulation all the time and they allow you to skim when you want to and to not skim when you don't want to (which comes in handy since I run a more lagoonal reef with higher nutrient levels in the water, but I also like to overfeed a bit adn I've got a large bioload on it right now) and as a bonus, they're dirt cheap usually.

 

As far as everything else goes, I agree with the read, read, read thing...trouble with that is that everything you read, read, read usually contradicts itself. What you need to read is the hard and fast science behind reefkeeping...i.e. chemical and biological pathways, fish and invertebrate biology, water chemistry (even with that you'll hear differing opinions) and then use your knowledge of this to "do it your own way" because there are as many ways to keep a reef as there are reefkeepers out there...some succeed because they're soundly based in science..some on blind luck..but many do succeed. Conversely..some fail for the exact same reasons. If you feel that you've got a sound background in fishkeeping in general..then I'd suggest tackling a project like this..if not..then stay away until you do. I definately cut my teeth on guppies before I tried my first clown..and watching them and learning from them helped me better take care of what I have now...and occassionally push the envelope when I felt I had things going well.

 

Best of luck to you....

[cdawson]

Believe me even after what I said I'm still reading, I just wanted to hear what all of you had to say about your experiences. I've already got the 10g, but the equipment I need is pretty much everything else. I've already go plenty of experience with salt, I've got a 75g brackish tank right now. This is my gate to bigger things, I eventually want to get into a larger reef tank. Just not without mastering on something smaller first.