Nano beginner has a few questions

[SaltwaterKid]

I'm trying to put together a 10g nano tank and i have a few questions. I currently have a 180g reef tank so i'm not new to the hobby. Here is the hardware i currently have to set up the nano. Please let me know what else you think i should have.

 

10g acrylic tank w/5g sump underneath (I haven't actually seen this tank yet so i'm not sure how it works exactly. I don't know how the sump actually connects to the main tank. A friend will give me a description of it soon, hopefully.)

 

Custom Sealife Sealight w/ one 9w actinic and one 27w 65k

 

50w heater

 

Aquaclear 300 filter (somebody is giving this to me for free. Do i use it or not?)

 

Plenty of live rock and live sand from my well established tank

 

Questions:

 

1. I have a bucket of ESV oolitic sand that i have't opened yet.

Should i use brand new sand in the nano tank and just seed it

with a cup of sand from my established reef tank or should i

just throw in all established sand from my reef tank?

 

2. How do you guys deal with keeping up alkalinity and calcium

levels? Do you dose kalkwasser every night? Do you throw in

a bunch of chemicals? Or do you just rely on the weekly water

changes to take care of these levels?

 

3. Skimmer or no skimmer? If so, which skimmer?

 

4. Do you guys ever have heating issues with your nano tank?

Should i incorporate a fan into my hood somehow?

 

5. How much water do you think will evaporate per day with a

light setup like mine? Is it a PITA to constantly top off your

tank with fresh water?

 

6. What else should i know before diving into a nano tank?

[ross76053]

Welcome to the hobby....

 

Here's a first pass at answering some of your questions (and some other suggestions you didn't ask for):

Custom Sealife Sealight w/ one 9w actinic and one 27w 65k  

You'll probably want to upgrade your lighting. You mushrooms will LOVE that lighting, but your other animals may need more, depending on what you keep. You don't want to limit yourself just because you don't have enough light.

Aquaclear 300 filter (somebody is giving this to me for free. Do i use it or not?)

Entirely up to you. Do research on them and decide for yourself. Some use them, some don't (I don't).

or should i just throw in all established sand from my reef tank

I'd seed if I were you to save the sand in your other tank, but again, it's up to you.

How do you guys deal with keeping up alkalinity and calcium levels?

One word...B-Ionic.

Do you throw in a bunch of chemicals?

Personally I pour them in, and only about 10 ml/day.

Do you dose kalkwasser every night?

Tried it once, but I gained alot of weight, so I never touch the stuff.

Skimmer or no skimmer? If so, which skimmer?

Again, your choice. Read about the benefits/drawbacks. Also depends on many things...your bioload, which animals your keep, etc.

Do you guys ever have heating issues with your nano tank? Should i incorporate a fan into my hood somehow?

Ohhhh yeeeeah. Many of us run fans. Don't know if you'll need one or not with your lighting - depends on your hood type. I'd keep a fan handy just in case.

How much water do you think will evaporate per day with a light setup like mine?

Depends alot on the relative humidity in the air. My 10-gal loses anywhere from 16 to 48 oz/day, depending on humidity.

Is it a PITA to constantly top off your tank with fresh water?

Some don't mind it - I freakin' hated it. That's why I bought a float switch. Free Tip - Physh1 sells 'em....cheap!

What else should i know before diving into a nano tank?

Just realize that if something goes bad in a nano, it's gonna go bad quickly, so you won't have near as much time to respond. Before I started a nano, I heard all sorts of horror stories about how difficult they were to keep. It simply hasn't been the case. Except for some afro hair algae and some cyano, my tank is thriving.

 

Good luck!

[SaltwaterKid]

Thanks for answering my questions. I don't really plan on keeping light hungry corals in this tank since I have a nice 180g tank that houses everything under the sun. My guess is that i'll throw in some shrooms, zoo's, and possibly a leather. I'll give the lighting a try and if its inadequate, i'll upgrade. I guess i'll have to look into getting a float switch. I absolutely love my Liter Meter on my 180g tank. Never have to worry about topping it off. If i have more questions, I guess i know who to ask.