Hey:) I need help

[Saltydude]

Hi all im new to the fourms,I'm from New Zealand and started gathering supplies for a nano reef with softies and lower light lps. I have brought

15gallon tank with a single t8 light fixture, 6kgs of dry rock, 5kgs of argonite sand and a 50watt heater.

I am on a extreme budget and don't have that much money to spend.

I've got a couple of questions that I hope will get answers to (unlike my local inactive forum)

~can I run the saltwater tank on rainwater (live in a rural area)?

~should I start with fowlr tank with gsp which I think might grow cause I can put it 3inches away from the crappy t8 or save up for a couple months and go for it.?

~can this light fixture http://m.fish-street.com/coral_box_aqua_nano_ledsupport softies and low light sps if not could you guys recommend me a cheap light fixture preferably a led?

~can I skimp completly on a filter because I am planning on a low bio load ?

~ a hydro korilia nano 425gph will work right?

~what test kits do I need? Nitrate and phosphate (to start) was recommended by a friend at local forum

Thanks for looking at my annoying noobie questions

[lobster876]

1 No you need rodi water

2 just buy a nice light before getting any coral

3 a low light SPS needs more light than that.

4 no just run a fluval aquaclear

5 yes a hydor will work

for test kits probably nitrate phosphate ph and then many others depending on coral selection

[Clown79]

Welcome

 

 

I'm not certain on the rain water to be honest. I'm sure someone else will chime in. Otherwise The best is ro/di or distilled.

 

The t8 fixture is very low, it really doesn't provide any benefit to corals. Its best used on freshwater or fish only sw.

 

The light you are interested in would work for softies and low light lps corals.

Budget lights available would be par38's full spectrum, Aquamaxx nemolight, current orbits, mars aqua(ebay) those are decent options and well priced.

 

The koralia is fine, heater is good, rock and sand is good as well.

 

I like using a filter so i can use filter floss to trap detritus. I replace the floss 2x a week(its cheap in bulk) and i use carbon to clarify the water. If needed other media as well like phosphate reducers. It also adds more flow in my 15g.

 

Test kits to start for cycling is ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity.

 

Once corals are added calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. (Salifert for phos as its low range)

 

Are you using liverock to cycle or dry rock with ammonia dosing?

 

You will need a refractometer to check salinity, salt, bucket to mix salt water, an extra heater and powerhead for saltwater mixing. Fresh water for daily evaporation tops ups.

[ajmckay]

I can't say I've ever heard of anyone running their tank off rainwater... Interesting idea! My concerns with rain water would be that it picks up some pollutants along the way. That being said if you live in rural NZ there's probably not nearly the concern as with living in/near large cities with heavy manufacturing. Additionally if there were a way you could reject the initial few minutes of rain (assuming it's the most pollution laden) that could help increase the purity. Anyways - I would test the pH and see if your LFS or someone near you has a handheld TDS meter so you can test a sample. I would consider it a possibility depending on how it tests. Low pH could always be buffered up, but if it has high TDS you're better off finding other water sources. TDS is total dissolved solids.

 

The light you linked to seems fine - I would try to get that or something similar.

 

You can skip a filter because your live rock (once it becomes biologically active) will actually provide all the biological filtration you need. Adding a hang-on power filter can be useful for other things though such as mechanical filtration (sponges/filter pads) and chemical filtration (activated carbon, etc...).

 

+1 to the extra stuff you'll need in the above post.

 

Good luck.

[Saltydude]

Thanks for all the info guys

I'm gonna try find a Tds meter and test the rainwater because i don't want to spend so much money on ro/Di system, if the rainwater quality is bad I'll buy water from the store.

That being said I'll try buy a hob filter and other items like buckets, refractometer ect... Btw what salts do you guys use? I was thinking of buying the instant ocean (orange box),200gallon for $49 on Amazon with free shipping. And for cycling I'm gonna chuck a raw shrimp in their to get the ammonia up and I was also told theirs dead stuff in the dry rock

[Dylan.N]

Btw what salts do you guys use? I was thinking of buying the instant ocean (orange box),200gallon for $49 on Amazon with free shipping.

 

That's the salt I use.

[Clown79]

I use red sea coral pro.

 

I woukd advise not using a shrimp for cycling. It causes issues with high nutrients which you don't want to start out with.

 

If using liverock, that alone will cycle the tank but you will need to get test kits to ensure a cycle occcurs.

 

I don't have an ro/di system myself, i purchase distilled water.

[Saltydude]

Thanks for all the replies again guys

I will probbly start to cycle around June next year as I am pretty busy at the moment.

Now with the rainwater thing, I spoke with a meteorology professor at a local university and he said the rainwater here should be fine as some people choose to store it and use it in their household in the area. Earlier today i connected my roof gutter pipe to a container and pumped it through some carbon and the Tds meter read 2ppm, that should be fine right?

[Dylan.N]

Thanks for all the replies again guys

I will probbly start to cycle around June next year as I am pretty busy at the moment.

Now with the rainwater thing, I spoke with a meteorology professor at a local university and he said the rainwater here should be fine as some people choose to store it and use it in their household in the area. Earlier today i connected my roof gutter pipe to a container and pumped it through some carbon and the Tds meter read 2ppm, that should be fine right?

 

You want to have ZERO tds in tank water.

[Saltydude]

I know ZERO Tds is good but it's in the tolerable range between 0-5 some people (I have read) even go as far as 10