phenom5 Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 okay, so i was thinking about setting up a 10g nano, then i went to a lfs, and they had 10g tanks on sale, $8.99 which i took as a sign. that's about all my lfs's had, the equipment they carry is overpriced, and wasn't what i was looking for. so i ordered a microjet 450, ebo jager 50W heater, seatest hydrometer, and test kit from liveaquaria. this is where i ran into a problem. i guess my fiance and i had two completely different ideas about what cheap is, i was comparing it to starting my 80g reef, ~$2500.00, she had a different idea of cheap, so my spending was put in check almost imediately. couple of questions i ordered a 20" coralife fixture, and assumed i could switch out the wussy 28W 50/50 bulb for a 55W or a 65W bulb, am i correct in assuming this or not? if not it may have to go back. as far as sand, pool filter sand okay? i've always used it on my tanks, looks good, but my concern is the lack of buffering on such a small tank, should i stop being cheap and get some arag sand? also, and a this is a really dumb question, can i add water-sand-salt, or should i go water-salt-sand...or does it even matter. i want to get the salt mixing, and i want the sand to start to settle so i can start my cycle. that's all for now, i'm just waiting for stuff to get hear, reading, reading, reading... Link to comment
Tempest Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 You can switch the bulbs if you want, but that won't change the wattage output. The ballast drives the bulb and the ballast in that fixture is for a 28/32 watt bulb. If you want more light go DIY with a canopy and kit (hello-lights.com has decent kits) or get the CSL 20" moonlight fixture. As for the sand, I'd use Arag-alive or sand from an established reef tank. This will help buffer the water and provide beneficial bacteria for filtration. Finally, assuming you use live sand: water-salt-sand or salt-water-sand. If you put the sand in freshwater all of the beneficial bacteria will be killed. If you plan on using live rock (which I hope you are) you need to have the saltwater ready first for the same reason. I'd put the rock in before the sand so the rock will be more stable, but that's just my opinon. Link to comment
phenom5 Posted February 11, 2004 Author Share Posted February 11, 2004 assuming you use live sand: water-salt-sand or salt-water-sand. If you put the sand in freshwater all of the beneficial bacteria will be killed X) oh yeah.... as far as lighting, so should i return the one i bought, got it from hellolights, or can i change the ballast and endcaps out for say one that handles a 96W bulb? i think the later might be what your suggesting, but i've never done it so i want to make sure i'm understanding correctly. that would be perfect b/c i'm planning on using 10 lbs LR to seed 10 lbs of base rock for a couple of reasons...saves some cash, forces me to wait for 3-5 mos. which gives me time to get a good handle on my water...anyway, the 28W 50/50 will work for the cycle, and seeding my rock... Link to comment
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