How do we start a new 5gal. nano reef

[Crakeur]

*****YAWN*****

 

thanks for your input cami.

[ralegen]

I saw the humor in Crakeur's aggresive post. DIdn't anyone else? I was laughing my a$$ off when I was reading it. We all need some of that around here. And mwestbr2, maybe you should just take his response as, "things not to do." Wow.. that post was long ago, now that I see it.

 

HEY EVERYBODY, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR SEARCHING!!!!! You get old posts, but still very informative. hehe.

 

Crakeur, I respect you because you are always posting your thought, and supporting some people.. I know this because I'm always seeing your "Safe" sex signature.

[AnthonyNguyen]

hello mwestbr2,

i being with the forum almost 3 months, and being reading quite a lots of information about setting up a salt water tank, i'm not gonna say that i'm good on every things, but i learned more and more stuff every day ..by reading the forum atleast once every 2 days. Any way i started out a 10G nano reef and i love it, every things is in a good condition.

 

Actually , i went across your thread, and its seem like you dont has any answer how to start out ...and in my mind ..i also want an additional 5 G too, so i did some research on it, and i'm gonna share it with you too. i hope this gonna help you. Every thing i'm about to say ...i might be wrong ..but this is how i'm gonna set up my 5G tomorrow.

 

-1st thing i'm gonna do is goes to Super Walmart, and get me a kit for a 5 G. they including every on it, like: heater, filter, food, themometer,hood, net, but i wouldn't recoments to used their heater bc its too damn big . I'm gonna goes to my LFS in Houston, and buy a compact mini heater, its take less space for my 5G

- Take it home , wash it real clean, and lets it dry.

-Take a look at the hood and i'm gonna "DO IT MYSELF" custom hood , with open top.

-I'm gonna vist this web site:

http://www.hellolights.com/13w5010dayac.html

and buy me:

13wx3 bookworm acintics

cost me around 9.99 each.

-Wait until my light ship to my house , measure ..and draw me a diagram how my hood gonna look like, how tall do i want it to be than i'm gonna stop by The Home Deport and get me some wood about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick depends on what i wants, bc the thinner the wood is , i can understand the weight gonna be a liltle less, but i'm using nails so its gonna crack the wood , if i use 1/4 thick...so i problably gonna goes with the 1/2 inche, beside i'm gonna hang my hood, so its dont matter , ask them to cut it into 4 piece , and make sure, they all match, and i'm gonna buy me some nails. and 2 bottle of Wood Primer. one will be black and one will be white, the black i'm gonna use it for the outside, and the white i'm gonna paint it inside the hood, its gonna help bc its gonna refect the light into your 5 G. and the moister from the water hot gonna mess my hood up, that why im gonna buy the WOOD PRIMER.

-Get the light set up. you can welcome to look at the forum at the DO IT YOURSELF section, and there Step by Step in there might help you how to do it. i also recomand to used computer fan, atleast one, mount it on the back of your hood, so its wouldn't get so hot. its actually cool down your water temp.

-Than here the fun part, i'm gonna goes to my LFS and buy me 5-10lbs of Live Sand, and 5-8 lbs of Live Rock, buy me a box of salt ( Instant Ocean) and there direction in there that show you how much you would add on a 5G. On the Live Sand there already has bacteria in them, so they pretty good in the process of recycling. and on the Live Rock, after they weight it them, tell them to put some salt water with the bag, so whatever in your LR...dont have to died. ask the LFS what do they recoments for a 5G power head. buy one , usually get a mini one. buy a complete set of TEST WATER for nitrate and ect. its cost me about 15.00 bucks, and get a HYDROMETER for your salt level its call ( Corolife, Deep six) its the best kind cost around 10 bucks.

 

-Take it home, Take the tank that u being washing them, dry, buy some DISTILL water (NO TAP WATER PLS!) ...most likely about 5-10 gallons, its cost me about .49 each gallon, mixing with the salt, and use your power head with it. check your salt level, and make sure they b/w 1.021 and 1.022.

-When the salt water is good, dump the sand into a 5G, and add salt water that u being mixing with. and open the LR and add it in, when u adding your rock , put it the way u wants, bc later when u adding coral, u gonna mess with it a lil bit. do it the way you wants. and DONT put your rock next the the glass, why? bc, your wall gonna growth alege..and if u put your rock too close to the wall, your turbo snail can't get to it.

-Leave the Power head into your 5G and get your filter run it the filter with the charcoal for atleast 1 day or so, so they can suck the dirty out..and make your water clean, and help with the smell. after one day, take the filter out and run the water freely with out any filter inside at all, its help making another currents for your 5G.

-Put your custom hood with light, turn it on, leave the light atleast 10-12 hrs per day. and leave the water like that for 2-3 days for the recyling. i would recoments for yah to goes to CostCo or Supper Waltmart and get yah a digital auto turn on light . set time and day, and they automaticly turn the light on or off for you. its cost me $15 bucks for 2, its might cost cheaper depends on where u live....hehe..., check your water temp. too. make sure they not over heat, or too cold b4 adding on any thing.

-goes back to the LFS and buy a clean up crew. i'll give you this site , u might wanna check it out for price...

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/index_order1.html

get aleast 2-4 red or blue legs hermit crabs, they good at eating alege on your LR. Maybe one turbo snail (a small one if possible)

-Take it home, leave the bag into your 5G atleast 5-7 mins., open the bad and add in your current salt water in your 5G so they can get use to the water in your tank, so they dont get shock. I RECOMENT FOR YAH TO DO THIS WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU BROUGHT FROM THE LFS OR ONLINE.

-Buy a magent cleaner if u could...sometime your turbo snail sux and they dont do the job, the magent will help.

-After that, check your temp water every day, add additional water if u need it (DISTILL Water only), change water weekly, 1/2 to 1 gal at a time.

-If u needs help or something to ask me, feel free to email me at

AnhDDauTx30@aol.com.

 

i think i'm gonan goes to sleep, its so late now...but good luck with your tank, either post of email me pls, and tell me how is it goes....

[Chronicles]

1.024-1.025 would be better