phenom5 Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 so i've been cruising around on another forum ( not sure if its cool to say which one, i've been on some boards that'll ban you for posting anything about any other site on the web...don't want to ruffle any feathers on my first post ) getting ready to set up a big reef. well, i'm getting married in a month or so, then we'll be looking to buy our first house, so i'm waiting till then to set up the big tank. here's the problem...i can't stand to wait any longer. so i've got the perfect space on my computer desk for a 10g. i'm researching what it would take, but what do you guys think? i don't want to set up a nano, only to have it crash. i'm not concerned about the work it would take to keep the water parameter in tip-top shape, just add it to my weekly fish to-do list, already got lots to do with my african tanks. so i guess my question is, can it be done, or am i destine to fail? looking to keep a fish, maybe two, LR with small clean up crew, and corals. as far as corals go, nothing to difficult, softies...shrooms, zoos, leathers. i figure i'll be okay with a minijet PH, but how about a skimmer? yes or no? also, any suggestions on lights would be great. prolly would stay away from MH's, but i should be okay with PC's right? about what, 40-50 WPG? anything else i need to think about? thanks for any help you guys can give...great site... Link to comment
reefsrule Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 You'll be okay as long as you do research before jumping in too quickly. PC's are okay if you don't want sps or clams. You don't need a skimmer as long as you do weekly water changes Link to comment
phenom5 Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 any other tips on keeping water in good shape? i'm a go for the tank, had a great money night at work tonight... thanks for the reply reefsrule, no sps or clams...not until the 80g is up and running... Link to comment
tinyreef Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 you might want to start rooting around for good LR deals. since you're a while away from slav...marriage, you might as well put what little time you have left in your life and prep in advance for the nano. you could cure LR in a bucket, sketch out aquascaping, reserve livestock, etc. give the tank time to mature and settle in, as well as yourself. learn the water dynamics and needs of your intended livestock and you could head off problems before they even surface. get some of the 'necessary' auxiliaries (e.g. auto top-off, UPS battery, backup pumps, water buckets, turkey baster, etc.). you'll be ebaying most of it once your spouse finds out how much time this hobby consumes, so make sure you pick out good stuff. we'd hate to bid on crap. Link to comment
phenom5 Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 give the tank time to mature and settle in, as well as yourself. learn the water dynamics and needs of your intended livestock and you could head off problems before they even surface yeah, i figure it'll be a little while before any livestock goes in, once the tank cycles i'll probably still wait a month or so, make sure i've got a good handle on the water params. as far as LR & LS...LR isn't a problem, but should i get LS? i was thinking about get regular sand and seeding it with sand from my fiance's dad's tank. not sure, i guess that's not needed b/c of the small amount of sand that's used... Link to comment
phenom5 Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 oh, something else i thought about, i use proper pH 8.2 in my african tanks,keeps my pH at...well 8.2, is this product okay for a reef? Link to comment
Jim J Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Proper PH 8.2 is designed for SW or Ciclid use, AP says its fine to use, but check the prices against other products for buffering, you may find something cheaper. I'm a little hesitant to use something that has Aloe-Vera in it (Proper PH 8.2 does) out of concern for some sensitive corals (sps mainly) but wouldn't worry somuch about zoos and shrooms (they aren't to touchy.) For lighting, PC is fine until you become addicted and start going for the tough guys, but by then you will be on your second (or third) nano. Consider a quad if you can spare the bucks. Skip right over the NO flourescents. They may keep some softies and polyps alive, but they won't look as good as under PCs. Live sand does help speed up the cycle, but has all kinds of size and shape stuff in it. I prefer to use a more consistent looking substrate in my nanos, such as Fiji pink or Special Seafloor aragonite, BUT THAT'S MY PREFERENCE, make your tank look the way YOU want it to. As a diver, I know the bottom is not made up of sand grains all the same size, and in my larger tanks I like the more realistic, inconsistent bottom of live sand. My nanos, I like them to look like a perfect tiny little slice of a reef. I like the subjects to be the highlite of the tank. But again, thats just me. I have seen many tanks on N-R that are very beautiful, and none that I would criticize. Point is, make your reef the way you want it, remembering that you are working within a tight set of parameters that must be monitored and maintained diligently. Take your time and you will be successful. Nanos aren't hard, but you need to plan smart, and keep it simple (as possible.) Be sure to get a good SW test set as the fresh water stuff just won't cut it (except maybe your highrange PH test from your ciclid tank.) Link to comment
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