Nano Suggestions

[Hirsh]

Hello all, this is my first post in the forum. I have been without a tank for about 5 years now and have decided that it is time to ease my way back into the hobby. The idea of a mini reef really intrigues me, especially since i paint miniatures for a living. I used to run a 130 gal system with LPS and Softies in it with an array of fish. I think a nano reef may help me satisfy my reef craving and be a fun way to teach my kids about the ocean. 

 

Heres my plan: I want to use my Top Fin five gallon AIO. Right now it is occupied by a goldfish, but he will be getting relocated soon. The tank has a media area, pump and LED lights. Anyone ever did a build from one of these tanks? I'm planning on removing the sump area and using an Aquaclear 30 for filtration with media in it. Will also add a powerhead to the tank. Also, I plan on upgrading the LEDs but need some ideas on what to get. When I got out of the hobby, these were just going main stream. 

 

As far livestock, ill just have a clown or two, LPS and eventually would love to get some SPS for the tank. Let me know what kind of equipment you think would work well for my build. I like simplicity and would like to keep the build under $150. Yeah, yeah, i know in this hobby thats a tiny budget, but its part of the challenge with this build. Last go around, i wasted so much money on things i "thought" i needed. Thank you all and thanks for having me in your community.

 

One more thing, Is it true that there are products now that will instantly cycle your tank?

[RIP Sebastian]

12 minutes ago, Hirsh said:

Hello all, this is my first post in the forum. I have been without a tank for about 5 years now and have decided that it is time to ease my way back into the hobby. The idea of a mini reef really intrigues me, especially since i paint miniatures for a living. I used to run a 130 gal system with LPS and Softies in it with an array of fish. I think a nano reef may help me satisfy my reef craving and be a fun way to teach my kids about the ocean. 

 

Heres my plan: I want to use my Top Fin five gallon AIO. Right now it is occupied by a goldfish, but he will be getting relocated soon. The tank has a media area, pump and LED lights. Anyone ever did a build from one of these tanks? I'm planning on removing the sump area and using an Aquaclear 30 for filtration with media in it. Will also add a powerhead to the tank. Also, I plan on upgrading the LEDs but need some ideas on what to get. When I got out of the hobby, these were just going main stream. 

 

As far livestock, ill just have a clown or two, LPS and eventually would love to get some SPS for the tank. Let me know what kind of equipment you think would work well for my build. I like simplicity and would like to keep the build under $150. Yeah, yeah, i know in this hobby thats a tiny budget, but its part of the challenge with this build. Last go around, i wasted so much money on things i "thought" i needed. Thank you all and thanks for having me in your community.

 

One more thing, Is it true that there are products now that will instantly cycle your tank?

 

I wouldn't do two clowns in a 5. Honestly, go with a Nuvo 10 paired with a Nanobox Mini Tide (LED Light). No, there aren't products that instantly cycle. They just aid in it.

 

Nick

[Weetabix7]

For instant cycling, check out the conversation here, you might find it helpful: 

 

As for the tank, why would you want to take out the media area that is already in it? It seems logical that it could be adapted to a nano reef. 

 

Lighting will likely be your biggest expense. I think you can do this on your $150 budget if you don't go too crazy with the lighting. I have a blue led strip you could mod into a hood for this tank, but you'd need a little more than that, I'd think. 

[Hirsh]

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions. Im not going to use a hood as i like the open top since it a rimless tank. Any suggestions on the LED fixture. Are the Ebay ones worth a darn?

[RIP Sebastian]

8 minutes ago, Hirsh said:

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions. Im not going to use a hood as i like the open top since it a rimless tank. Any suggestions on the LED fixture. Are the Ebay ones worth a darn?

Nanobox Mini Tide.

[Clown79]

I have a topfin 5g aio for freshwater. Its a nice tank.

 

I wouldn't use an hob filter on it. Just diy a media basket for the filter chamber, that will keep the tank looking clean. 

 

As for lighting on a 5g.

 

Ai Prime

Kessil

Coral compulsion par 38

Aquamaxx nemolight

 

 all good options. 

 

5g with 2 clowns is way too much. Clowns produce a lot of waste. Minimum is 10g for 2 and thats pushing it. 

[natalia_la_loca]

An ABI "tuna blue" par38 lamp costs $25 on Amazon. I'm not sure if the spread would reach the whole length of the Topfin. But it is dirt cheap and it grows SPS.

[Hirsh]

12 hours ago, natalia_la_loca said:

An ABI "tuna blue" par38 lamp costs $25 on Amazon. I'm not sure if the spread would reach the whole length of the Topfin. But it is dirt cheap and it grows SPS.

How many of these would you use on the tank?

[natalia_la_loca]

33 minutes ago, Hirsh said:

How many of these would you use on the tank?

I would try one and see if it's enough. A Topfin 5 isn't all that long. You could have SPS directly under the lamp and put lower-light corals like LPS and zoanthids in areas where residual light falls.  You would not need more than two, at most. 

 

I have my par38 suspended 17.5" above the water line, and it grows SPS just fine.

[Hirsh]

Thanks for the info Nat. BTW your bowl tank is amazeballs!

Ordered Tuna Blue bulb 

[natalia_la_loca]

Thanks   I hope it works well for you!

[brandon429]

that's a great light selection. to skip your cycle, simply buy the most premium expensive coated in sixty colors of growth live rock your pet store has. any live rock w lots of coralline can be skip cycled, its impossible to have coralline rock and not have a full complement of filtration bacteria, coralline is a direct bioindicator of the ability to oxidize ammonia waste even though coralline itself isn't the workhorse.  my own pico stays drained 25 mins in the air while I take it apart and clean it...skip cycle cleaning

 

 moving rock from your pet store to home in a small bucket of sw is hundreds of times nicer. my 11 yr old pico is taken apart, corals and rocks in the air for 20 mins, sand cleaned fully and put back, its like setting up a new tank every time. every cleaning I do is a skip cycle.

 

regarding the dosers and the types of rock that show up white/barren and no bacteria/dry rocks, those dosers indeed won't plant enough bacteria on the rocks instantly such that a direct full water change just after could then be refilled and pass an ammonia digestion test. not enough contact time. They dose the water and given some time that constant presence speeds up the process by which the bac seat and multiply on the intended filtration surfaces. you can add aged materials that don't require any cycling time, but you cant instantly cycle nonaged materials. the reason people can add fish right in with the new dry rock is because of the bacteria added in suspension not whats actually adhered onto the rock. once cycled, any tank can have a full water change, then be refilled, and still pass an ammonia digestion test as proof of that.

[Clown79]

1 par38 will be plenty on a 5g.

I had 1,  8" above my 15g with minimal shadowing on the edges- that's a 24" tank. 

[Hirsh]

Got it set up today. Got a super nice piece of encrusted live rock and added some bacteria to start it up. Packed an aqua clear 30 with bio rings and carbon and have that running to. Im ordered the ABI bulb tonight and will be making a custom fixture to mount under the kitchen cabinet where it sits. Ill most likely put a small resivour and the cabinet and run a top off line to the tank. Once i establish how much I'm losing, i may set up a drip for top off with some calcium once i have some corals. For now, the LED light that came with the tank will be fine for fish only. Im give the tank about 2 months before i start packing it full of goodies. If i can wait lol. I would post a pic but its super cloudy right now.

7 hours ago, brandon429 said:

that's a great light selection. to skip your cycle, simply buy the most premium expensive coated in sixty colors of growth live rock your pet store has. any live rock w lots of coralline can be skip cycled, its impossible to have coralline rock and not have a full complement of filtration bacteria, coralline is a direct bioindicator of the ability to oxidize ammonia waste even though coralline itself isn't the workhorse.  my own pico stays drained 25 mins in the air while I take it apart and clean it...skip cycle cleaning

 

 moving rock from your pet store to home in a small bucket of sw is hundreds of times nicer. my 11 yr old pico is taken apart, corals and rocks in the air for 20 mins, sand cleaned fully and put back, its like setting up a new tank every time. every cleaning I do is a skip cycle.

 

regarding the dosers and the types of rock that show up white/barren and no bacteria/dry rocks, those dosers indeed won't plant enough bacteria on the rocks instantly such that a direct full water change just after could then be refilled and pass an ammonia digestion test. not enough contact time. They dose the water and given some time that constant presence speeds up the process by which the bac seat and multiply on the intended filtration surfaces. you can add aged materials that don't require any cycling time, but you cant instantly cycle nonaged materials. the reason people can add fish right in with the new dry rock is because of the bacteria added in suspension not whats actually adhered onto the rock. once cycled, any tank can have a full water change, then be refilled, and still pass an ammonia digestion test as proof of that.

Im using this method. I seeded the tank with nice live rock, bacteria, and some live sand. 

[Hirsh]

Also, I set a $150 budget, and I've only spent $105.00......So far

[do not smoke the reef(er)]

so hard to keep on budget for tanks lol! i commend you!

1 hour ago, Hirsh said:

Also, I set a $150 budget, and I've only spent $105.00......So far

 

[Hirsh]

1 hour ago, do not smoke the reef(er) said:

so hard to keep on budget for tanks lol! i commend you!

 

Thanks bro. When I had my 130 gal system, $150 would have only bought the salt. Kinda nice to get more for you r dollar and I set this tank up in less than an hour. That included cleaning the freshwater stuff out of it and setting up a new bowl for the goldfish. 

[do not smoke the reef(er)]

16 hours ago, Hirsh said:

Thanks bro. When I had my 130 gal system, $150 would have only bought the salt. Kinda nice to get more for you r dollar and I set this tank up in less than an hour. That included cleaning the freshwater stuff out of it and setting up a new bowl for the goldfish. 

Lol gotta love how quick the cost add up on a bigger tank.   1 hour set up is awesome! i bet it took a whole day to do that 130 gallon.

 

Stoked to see some pics of this little tank all set up

[Hirsh]

I moved the tank TWICE too. Yeah, it was a balls out race to set it all up and LOTS of buckets. I was so glad when I sold it and downsized to a 40 gal. Ill get some pics today

[Hirsh]

Update, Everything is up and running like a champ and the baby clown fish is thriving. He even comes up and will nibble on my fingers. I decided to tryout the purigen on my tank and some filter floss. Ive never been a big proponent of using chemical media, but after reading how well it keeps the parameters in check and the clarity of the water, i decided to try it. Boy was i surprised by the difference in the water. It looks like air! I am really impressed so far with the improvement. And, yes, I did put a fish in my tank as soon as I set it up. I used nicely seasoned live rock, sand and bacteria to get it started off. Ill most likely be adding some phosban to the AC30 cocktail once i start adding corals or if I have an algae bloom. I can't wait to tart loading this thing with corals. My LFS, that really not that local, has some nice frags I'm going to grab. Think its too early for some Zoas?

[Clown79]

It was too early for a fish, you didn't cycle the tank,  so yes its too early for zoas.

 

Petience is key in this hobby and going too fast leads to problems.

 

I would pick up some seachem prime and an ammonia test kit. 

[Hirsh]

Based on Brandon429's comment, i pretty much did what he said. We shall see hows it goes. 

[Hirsh]

Tested all my parameters and they are as follows

 

Ammonia= 0

Nitrite=0

Nitrate=0-5, was kinda hard to tell so I will assume the higher end

Ph=8.2

 

So far so good with the parameters and the clown fish is thriving and shows no sign of stress on him. 

[Rain24]

Following your thread! Sounds like you're off to a great start.

 

I'm wondering what kind of miniatures you paint? I'm curious if it's the "paint tiny paintings" type or the "paint metal miniatures" type.

[Hirsh]

I paint metal figures for gaming. Thanks for following my thread. Ill try to get some pics up soon.