Help a newbie reefer out

[kovu]

Hello all ive been reading up here for awhile and have decided to post.

 

Let me introduce myself my name is Dave, i am from MA-NH and am 16. I have kept Aquariums of all sorts for some time. I have had fish such as piranhas, puffers, discus, SA-CA cichlids, and alot of African cichlids.

 

This is my first reef ever, and am very anxious to start but i want to make sure i know everything i need to know before i even start.

 

Heres a layout.

 

-10 Gallon all glass aquarium.

-Whisper 5-15 w/no media.

-Small powerhead. (dont know model)

...First night...

Add salt and let it stir up over night.

...Second day...

-3-4" bed mixed with marine sand, and live sand from LFS.

...Third day...

-Add approximately 7 pounds of live rock.

 

...A week or two later...

-Add a cleanup crew.

 

...A week after...

-Add a pair of clowns.

-and add some type of corals/mushrooms.

 

Here is the problem, being 16 and having a minimum wage job, i can not afford the special PC, or MH lights and hoods for a while.

So i am looking for some suggestions on what type of corals i can add with a normal light, and anything else i can add.

 

Also, i was wondering if i could possibly put one of those blue actinic lights in place of a regular one under a normal 10 Gallon hood.

 

Please feel free to add any suggestions, opinions, questions, and experiances.

 

Thanks for your time and sorry for the novel.

[gobies]

Pretty goood -- here's what I'd change:

 

>-Small powerhead. (dont know model)

Two Micro-Jet 450s.

 

>-3-4" bed mixed with marine sand, and live sand from LFS.

In a 10g tank, you really don't get much benefit from a deep sand bed. I'd go with an inch of sand, tops. And see if there's a marine club in your area -- if you can get a cup or so of live sand from one or more of the members, you can use plain old aragonite sand as the base.

 

>-Add approximately 7 pounds of live rock.

See if you can increase this to 10-15 lbs. Check into ordering LR online and getting it shipped -- it may well be less expensive than the cost at the LFS, and you may get better quality rock.

 

> being 16 and having a minimum wage job, I can not afford the special PC, or MH lights and hoods for a while.

Take a woodworking class next year and build yourself a custom hood.

 

BTW, I just re-posted my "nano on a budget" tips, since yours is the fourth post in two days where I've wanted to refer to it. Check it out....

[Brianc_4]

I would pretty much agree with everything gobies mentioned. But, I would also like to add that I would wait more than a week or two before adding any sort of livestock. Your live rock will cycle the tank in about a month. This will spare any purchase of live stock from going through any ammonia spikes, as well as spare your wallet .

I am also from the Boston/NH area and would recommend checking out a reef club called Boston Reefers.www.bostonreefers.org

Welcome to Nano-reef, and perhaps I'll see you on bostonreefers.

Brianc_4

[harbingerofthefish]

And to add something from my book, since I don't have my lights up yet either. Take the money you want to spend on the corals and save it up for the lights. Get the whole thing set up before worrying about what corals to add and then it won't even be a factor anymore.

 

Look at me I'm just now going to get my LR today and my tank has been sitting in my room for 2 months now. My goal is to have the (good) lights by the end of August, so as to maybe convience my GF to get me something pretty for my B-Day.

[kovu]

K, here goes..

 

Do i need a protein skimmer, and a refugium.

 

X)

[NanoReefer53]

would be nice, but not necessary. just keep up with water changes every other week and you'll be fine. how much $$$ u have for lighting ? These days lighting can be pretty cheap.

[kovu]

Well it really depends i am probally going to end up buying some lights from home depot because they have got to be cheaper than buying over line.

 

If i canot find some lights at my LFS... then home depot, and if i canot find anything that fits or isnt sufficiant enough, ill end up saving up and ordering off line.

[mangrovejack]

Hey kovu, as everyone else has mentioned, try to get the best lights you can. You can get a PC ballast from www.ahsupply.com for $60 or less, and either one or 2 bulbs from www.hellolights.com for about $25 each. I know this is probably way more than you had planned, but remember MOST corals you will want to keep rely on light to live. If you go with Normal Output lights, you will be limited to your coral choice, and will end up dissappointed after a short time. Then you will want to upgrade anyway. Try to be patient or start whinging to your family that you need more cash

Good luck

Dave-

[Brianc_4]

Do not buy MH lights from home depot, it is a different bulb with a different spectrum than what you need for your reef. Instead of saving money you will be wasting it. DO NOT cut corners on the lights. The skimmer on a 20 is debatable. It depends on how often you do water changes,amount of LR and LS. I'll think that you will find that most people on this board will agree that a skimmer is'nt necessary in a mini-reef, but it is nice to have. Instead of the skimmer put the money into the lights. I am being a bit of a hipocrate, since I do run a skimmer on my 20, but it definitely is not a must. Lights, lights,lights. Remeber, you don't have to start with MH, a good PC will do a nice job for you as long as you don't try keeping stonys and clams.