10 GALLON CARRIBEAN (SORTA) MY FIRST BUILD THREAD

[kekke1082]

Hey Nano Reefers!! After many many many years of lurking on this forum, I am finally starting my first build thread! 🙂 Yay! 

 

previously i had a 5 gallon nano that was doing pretty well.....until i had to move a state away and did not have a permanent enough place to stay in order to move the tank. i tried leaving it back home and allowing my family to help me with its upkeep but it proved too challenging for my lovely family having no experience whatsoever in fishkeeping beyond the typical carnival goldfish bowl/betta bowl. 

 

now that i am settled, (at least until i buy my first home which will hopefully be in the near future/next year sometime) , i can start a new nano! 

 

the new set up so far..

 

EQUIPMENT

AQUEON 10 GALLON STANDARD 

10LBS OF ARGONITE DRY SAND

6LBS OF DRY (PREVIOUSLY LIVE) ROCK + 4LBS LIVE ROCK TO COME  

HYDOR PROFESSIONAL 150 FILTER ( NOT ABLE TO DO A SUMP AT THIS TIME)

KINGBO PAR 38 BULBS 

IRON STAND 

 

LIVESTOCK (PLANNED) 

2 PREMIUM SNO ONYX CLOWNS ( WON IN A RAFFLE FROM ROBERT KINGS CLOWNFISH) 

ROCK FLOWR ANEMONE/ANEMONE SHRIMP  

GORGONIANS

COMMON MACROS FOUND IN AND AROUND THE CARRIBEAN

OTHER SOFT CORALS COMMONLY FOUND IN THE CARRIBEAN

- REALLY WANT TO ADD A GOBIE OF SOME KIND BUT DONT KNOW WHICH SPECIES YET

-THE CLOWNS MAY END UP BEING THE ONLY FISH IN THE TANK FOR THE DURATION UNTIL I MY HOUSE IS BUILT/PURCHASED

 

My main focus with this reef will be on the corals/macros and keeping everything as stable and simple as possible. 

 

like all things planned, i know that upgrades and changes will come as well. as of now, the tank is wet, just need to add about 4lbs more of live rock, photos to come later tonight!! stay tuned! 

 

[Christopher Marks]

Congrats on the start of your new 10gal nano reef!

[kekke1082]

2 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

Congrats on the start of your new 10gal nano reef!

thank you! I read through a lot of your beginner articles and it has really helped me! i think i have a pretty fool proof plan for what i want to go in this tank including where i want certain things to be placed. hopefully with time and patience this will be a successful reef tank!

 

 

[kekke1082]

Photos of the tank. Cycling without any light right now. Im planning to add some live rock as well to help seed my dry rock, and once i do I'll start turning the lights on for a few hours a day. Better photos to come but here it is!! 

 

There are some modifications i will need to make on the inflow and outflow connections. The filter was purchased second hand from a local reefer. At some point the elbow fitting for the spray bar was lost before it made its way to me, and i also want to readjust the intake to allow for more surface skimming. I will be repositioning both hoses to the back of the tank after i cut the tubing down a bit and make my other modifications. I'll be adding a powerhead that used in my previous nano (maxjet 900) which was a bit strong for my 5gallon so im hoping it will be perfect for this 10 for additional flow. Ignore the bags next to it on the floor i was in the middle of decluttering 😂

 

 

[kekke1082]

The water is still clearing up, here is my aquscape so far. Thoughts? Suggestions? Haven't made it to my LFS yet for some live rock to help seed the dry rock but i have added some macrobacter 7 and some cheato from a local reefer. I'll be ghost feeding the tank daily or a few days a week. 

 

I included some photos of the previous nano i had going. I really loved that little tank. 

 

[billygoat]

Glad to see this thread get rolling! 😁 Looks like you're off to a good start so far. I like your aquascape - it's got a very balanced look to it. Gorgonians may complicate the situation a bit, as they need a lot of vertical space and might end up obscuring the things on your rocks if they are placed at the front of your aquascape. But you can cross that bridge when you get to it, I'm sure.

 

Very interesting filter there too. I guess that qualifies as a canister filter? Or something similar at least.

 

Looking forward to more updates! I'll be following along. 

[kekke1082]

18 hours ago, billygoat said:

Glad to see this thread get rolling! 😁 Looks like you're off to a good start so far. I like your aquascape - it's got a very balanced look to it. Gorgonians may complicate the situation a bit, as they need a lot of vertical space and might end up obscuring the things on your rocks if they are placed at the front of your aquascape. But you can cross that bridge when you get to it, I'm sure.

 

Very interesting filter there too. I guess that qualifies as a canister filter? Or something similar at least.

 

Looking forward to more updates! I'll be following along. 

Thanks! Yes sir it is a canister filter im using. Its the hydor professional 150. Its super quiet, i have some rock rubble in one of the trays and a large ppi sponge in the second tray. I'll be replacing the sponge for filter floss and possibly carbon later on. I'm probably going to black out the sides and back of the tank but havent decided yet. I may want to keep the sides clear for different viewing options. 

 

I have a possible refugium in the works as well which may eventually replace the need for the canister all together. Right now its there just to help get things started and cycled. 

[RedTheReefer]

Have you ever thought of just using a HOB power filter instead of a canister filter? I've seen time and time again on the forums that canister filters are pain if you do not clean them out every week.

 

Since you were talking about simplicity, I'd say a HOB filter fits the bill a lot more. Its easy to clean and replace medias. I'd even say go no power filter (maybe keep one in the case you need run any additional filtration like carbon, GFO, etc. here and there) with just a power head, heater, and live rock as your filtration. So many reefers are quick to add all sorts of chemical/mechanical filtration from day 1 but what are they filtering against in a newly established tank? Add filtration as you increase your bio load or when you find the need to use certain medias or polish your water.   

 

Love the aquascape. Looking forward to see how your tank progresses,

[kekke1082]

13 hours ago, RedTheReefer said:

Have you ever thought of just using a HOB power filter instead of a canister filter? I've seen time and time again on the forums that canister filters are pain if you do not clean them out every week.

 

Since you were talking about simplicity, I'd say a HOB filter fits the bill a lot more. Its easy to clean and replace medias. I'd even say go no power filter (maybe keep one in the case you need run any additional filtration like carbon, GFO, etc. here and there) with just a power head, heater, and live rock as your filtration. So many reefers are quick to add all sorts of chemical/mechanical filtration from day 1 but what are they filtering against in a newly established tank? Add filtration as you increase your bio load or when you find the need to use certain medias or polish your water.   

 

Love the aquascape. Looking forward to see how your tank progresses,

I do think i will eventually have no filter on this tank and run it with just power heads. Im considering doing a close loop system plus power head. I'm aware of the maintenance that is required on a canister (or any filter for that matter) to keep it from becoming a nitrate factory. For now the canister is helping with flow as well since i havent added any powerheads yet. I'll be going home to va for a visit soon and I'll have access to more of my equipment that has been in storage. I haven't decided which pieces of I'll need just yet but I'm definitely bringing my vipraspectra programable light, sicce pump, maxijet 900, and possibly a hob filter if i still have one laying around. I really dont remember what all i have 😄 i may grab a few extra dry rocks for scaping and pick up some seeded bio media (marine pure balls) from one of the lfs i love in that area. 

[kekke1082]

As of today, some things have changed in the 10 gallon nano

 

I was able to swing by my mothers house and pick up a few pieces of older equipment i had laying around. i have a few different pumps that i could potentially use in the nano, however, some McGuyvering would be required to make it work. I was doing my best not to have to spend money repurchasing items that i already had on hand ( like circulation pumps etc) however, with the amount i'd spend in buying replacement parts for maxi-jets or rigging the no name brand pump with controller, i would be better off just buying some new equipment. My monthly allotted budget for this project is $60!! yikes!! its more than doable! 

 

Theres also been a change to the stand! my dad and i built a nice wooden stand for this tank (that will also be sufficient to support the 20 long that this tank will eventually upgrade to). i will probably finish it off with some ply to the front and sides to give it a more clean look and add a shelf for additional storage. sadly my fiance hurt her ankle on monday so the stand is still chilling in the back of my car until i can get a hand moving it into our second floor apartment. 

 

now, community, i would love your feed back, input or advice. i would like to add a maxi-jet circulation pump to the tank since they are inexpensive and move water well, however, they can be bulky. are there any alternatives that would be just as effective and maybe have a less bulky profile? 

 

any other suggestions in general for a decent circulation pump that is under $60 for a tank of 10gallons? 

 

The tank is starting to look good! Still cycling with no direct lighting, havent started testing anything besides salinity just yet, however, i have added a seachem ammonia alert and ph alert (although i did not realize when i bought it that it only reads ph for freshwater fml) I've added a basket with cheato and some seeded bioballs. Once i get the right sized powerhead(s) in place i will transition away from the canister and add an HOB refugium for macros and for acclimation. 

 

I will update with pics this evening, if i am lucky the stand will also be moved in by this evening but we shall see! 

[A.m.P]

On 10/14/2020 at 9:57 AM, kekke1082 said:

now, community, i would love your feed back, input or advice. i would like to add a maxi-jet circulation pump to the tank since they are inexpensive and move water well, however, they can be bulky. are there any alternatives that would be just as effective and maybe have a less bulky profile? 

 

any other suggestions in general for a decent circulation pump that is under $60 for a tank of 10gallons? 

My suggestions would be; the sicce voyager nano for a small system if you don't care about customization (cheap, built like a tank), otherwise the jebao SLW10 seems to have a good rep right now and is a bit more customizable (also cheap but jebao can be a diceroll), going past that is the new hygger mini wavemaker @banasophia seems to like theirs quite a bit (no experience or long-term tests I'm aware of, some say it doesn't move as much water as advertised), past that aqamai have about as much customizability at a higher price (and seem to move a bit more water than advertised).

[banasophia]

Yes, I recommend the hygger mini... the slw10 and ow10 are good too. I have a spare slw10 sitting around (and maybe an ow10) if you happen to be local to the Sacramento, CA area. 

[kekke1082]

13 hours ago, banasophia said:

Yes, I recommend the hygger mini... the slw10 and ow10 are good too. I have a spare slw10 sitting around (and maybe an ow10) if you happen to be local to the Sacramento, CA area. 

@banasophia thanks for your input! unfortunately i am not local to CA 😅 im actually on the opposite side of the country in North Carolina! i appreciate the offer though! After reading some reviews on the recommended pumps for the size tank i have, i really like the Aqamai . Funny thing, before i saw any info on the Aqamai here on the forum, my LFS recommended it to me. They actually carry them in store (at a significantly higher price point than if i were to order online or elsewhere of course) but is currently out of stock at the moment. he had one on display and gave me a little tutorial on it in store which was fun! the LFS that i go to here in Greensboro is by far one of the best i have ever frequented. The owners are kind, knowledgeable and aren't just out to make a buck. they offer genuine help/support, advice, and share in your success.

 

Anywho, enough gushing about my favorite store 😄. this community really is the best! ask the right questions and answers will come for sure! 

[banasophia]

1 hour ago, kekke1082 said:

@banasophia thanks for your input! unfortunately i am not local to CA 😅 im actually on the opposite side of the country in North Carolina! i appreciate the offer though! After reading some reviews on the recommended pumps for the size tank i have, i really like the Aqamai . Funny thing, before i saw any info on the Aqamai here on the forum, my LFS recommended it to me. They actually carry them in store (at a significantly higher price point than if i were to order online or elsewhere of course) but is currently out of stock at the moment. he had one on display and gave me a little tutorial on it in store which was fun! the LFS that i go to here in Greensboro is by far one of the best i have ever frequented. The owners are kind, knowledgeable and aren't just out to make a buck. they offer genuine help/support, advice, and share in your success.

 

Anywho, enough gushing about my favorite store 😄. this community really is the best! ask the right questions and answers will come for sure! 

Oh great, glad you were able to find a good one that will work. You’re lucky to have such a great LFS!! 🙂

[kekke1082]

27 minutes ago, banasophia said:

Oh great, glad you were able to find a good one that will work. You’re lucky to have such a great LFS!! 🙂

there are a few nice stores here, but only 2 that are actually good quality, and only one with good people to match lol. i think that i have come to realize that in every town or city i have lived in on the east coast over the last 15 years that i have been in the hobby there seems to be a decent store, big box stores, good stores, and then the store with the best of all worlds, good stock, good people, and decent prices. its hard to find the good ones sometimes. i am definitely lucky! not only do i have a great LFS here in greensboro where i live, i also have one back home in VA where my family is as well as well as a myriad of hobbyists willing to lend a hand not to mention the online communities like here. 

[billygoat]

On 10/14/2020 at 6:57 AM, kekke1082 said:

any other suggestions in general for a decent circulation pump that is under $60 for a tank of 10gallons? 

If you're looking for a powerhead-style circulation pump, Hydor's Koralia Nano 240 goes for about $30 and appears to be essentially indestructible. For your $60 budget you could buy two of them and face them against each other to create turbulent flow, if that's what you're into. The Koralia 240 was the first powerhead I ever used and I still have one lying around. I definitely can attest to its reliability! 

 

That being said... if you're planning to upgrade later, I'd just buy a quality powerhead right off the bat. Most higher-priced ones will be adjustable (the Koralia pumps are not), so you would be able to dial it down for use in the 10g and then turn it up once you move to 20g. I haven't used one myself but I've heard good things about those Aqamai wavemakers!

[kekke1082]

9 hours ago, billygoat said:

If you're looking for a powerhead-style circulation pump, Hydor's Koralia Nano 240 goes for about $30 and appears to be essentially indestructible. For your $60 budget you could buy two of them and face them against each other to create turbulent flow, if that's what you're into. The Koralia 240 was the first powerhead I ever used and I still have one lying around. I definitely can attest to its reliability! 

 

That being said... if you're planning to upgrade later, I'd just buy a quality powerhead right off the bat. Most higher-priced ones will be adjustable (the Koralia pumps are not), so you would be able to dial it down for use in the 10g and then turn it up once you move to 20g. I haven't used one myself but I've heard good things about those Aqamai wavemakers!

Thanks for the input! I know that i will eventually upgrade so getting an adjustable powerhead is definitely in my best interest. After the reviews the Aqamai has got my vote. I am pretty stuck on it now lol. That being said, i will also probably be getting something like the Koralia anyway just to have something on standby.  I can say that i am definitely a member of the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) association lol and i know that even though this 10gallon Caribbean tank will eventually be upgraded to a larger tank, the 10gallon aquarium itself will end up being a new home for something else down the rd. my tanks always end up being reincarnated as a new home when i upgrade i have a bad habit of not wanting to get rid of any tanks (haha go figure). i already have a plan in mind for what this will be after its time as a Caribbean themed tank is over and the contents get transitioned to a larger tank. it will end up as either a sump for the larger system when the critters in it are upgraded or it will be the habitat for a warty frog fish which i am obsessed with!! the 5gallon that i have from when i first started my saltwater tank will end up as a fuge for this 10 gallon if it reincarnates as the home of a warty frog fish. 😅 as you can see, my mind is always working on what the next project will be before the first one is ever completed  

[kekke1082]

My nitrates have been high lately, (probably due to the fact that i haven't been able to due a proper water change in a while, since my fiance severley twisted her ankle and i have been caring for her, just been topping off) so i took the initiative and snagged some free macros a fellow reefer was going to throw out after a trim. i should have them by next week. hopefully, with the arrival of my macros i can get the tank moved to the better stand, do a good 25 to 30% (2.5 to 3 gallon) water change. I've been promising pics of the system since some of these changes have been in progress but havent been able to get any yet! working in health care and being on call half the time has been a PITA when it comes to taking photos of the tank, but after the water change, macros, and move to the new stand i promise there will be pics 🙂 😅

[RoyalGramma001]

Update picture?

[kekke1082]

Just now, RoyalGramma001 said:

Update picture?

i will have to add pics later on, im on my work pc right now (shh dont tell lol) and the most recent photos i have are on my cell. when i go on my lunch break today i will post the most updated pics i have since nothing has been moved yet 😅

 

i did forget to mention i have added a clean up crew since the tank where it currently sits gets indirect natural sunlight, and 2 acclimated mollys (not quite caribbean but definitely native to waters around the gulf of mexico, south florida, and atlantic) 

 

ive been doing  butt loads of research to narrow down the final fish choice for this tank. the mollys will be staying indefinitely, and although they are not Caribbean, there will be a pair of premium blue sno onyx from Robert Kings Clownfish (zombie clown breeder) that i won in a raffle. honestly besides maybe a goby/pistol shrimp pair or a group of masked gobies there may not be any other fish added to this system. 

 

still trying to work out what kind of light fixture i want to build for this tank. as of now the tank has been cycled with just the natural sunlight it gets a few hours a day and ambient room lighting. 

[kekke1082]

Most recent pics. Added more rock pieces 2 mollys already converted to full salt, and clean up crew. 

[kekke1082]

that last photo was just before adding the mollys and making sure all the cheato was IN the breeder net instead of all over the tank 😄 

 

haven't actually seen much in the way of pest algae, but i attribute that to cycling without much direct lighting. i added 2.5lbs of live rock from a lfs that i frequent often, and grabbed some seeded marine pure balls for my makeshift in tank refugium. the other photos were taken before topping off. i need to make a lid for this tank before any other fish are added (this will probably be a few months from now though). as of a month from the original start date parameters are as follows

 

11/01/2020 first test

ammonia 0ppm 

nitrite 0.25ppm

nitrate between 10 and 30ish ppm (api test kit) 

 

phosphates - not tested yet 

salinity 1.027 (fish and inverts are fine and it seems to be holding steady around 1.027 thinking about changing my salt mix) 

 

molly's and cuc were added same day as test came back showing 0 ammonia. (i added a few drops of dr tims ammonium directly and waited for the tank to process the ammonia it was back to reading 0ppm within 24 hours) 

[kekke1082]

Update!! Got some macro in the tank, probably going to have to find a way to increase the nutrients but we will see how everything is testing after a week with the macros in the tank first. 

 

I got the materials to start building my dual par 38 light stand. (I'll probably change to my vipraspectra down the road but i think it will be fun to do some diy) 

 

Pics of the macros i got below! I know i have red grape, gracilaria, i believe theres ogo in there too. Any ideas on the others? 

[Tigahboy]

Looks like you also have Graciliaria hayi, Bryothamnion, and maybe Halymenia dilatata.

[kekke1082]

12 minutes ago, Tigahboy said:

Looks like you also have Graciliaria hayi, Bryothamnion, and maybe Halymenia dilatata.

Thanks @Tigahboy i will have to check into the requirements for those species. the graciliaria is doing the best so far, I'll try to get some individual up close pics of each macro. one of them ( the one that i like the most for its color and vibrancy) is not faring so well. The Molly's i have in the tank seem to have a particular love for this one specifically. I have since moved it to the breeder net, but i want to find a more permanent solution to give it the best chance of thriving. I've rearranged the scape with the macros a bit, and have removed the canister finally! I managed to get two powerheads that i had laying around into the tank and they seem to be oriented in a way that allows for good flow and few dead zones. 

 

the one that is just under the return nozzle is the macro that has had the most die off since arriving. any advice on how to save it if possible? i did get a few cuttings from the variety of macros i received and took them to my LFS as a trade in (just in case they dont last in my system i can poach some from his 😄)