My 10 gallon build.

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SaltWaterNewb

Member
Well, after several month's of posting here and reading and researching, it is time to start actually working on my own build. I have decided to go with a 10 gallon due to space constraints as well as budget limits. I have not done much so far other that build a hood and base. I have lights installed in the hood and I am waiting on the rest of my stuff before the build continues. Plans for the tank:

Equipment list:
10g All-glass
Sunpaq 96 watt quad light retro fitted in to the hood
AC 70 HOB fuge
50 watt stealth heater
Korallia Nano
I have lots of base rock that will be used
Shallow sand bottom
Seachem Reef Salt mix
Refractometer
API test kits

Livestock list:
CUC will be snail only
No fish
3 porcelain crabs
1 or 2 pom pom crabs, maybe. They are undecided
2 sexy shrimp
Zoa garden
Duncans

Thats about it.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I know there isn't much really to comment on at this point.

 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
Dug my old rock out of the basement and played around with the rock scape. What do you think? Most of the pieces I have are pretty big and I am trying to not break them because I need to save them for another tank project I am hoping to start later in the summer. Don't mind the dirty glass either...lol

The rock is shown under the 96 watts of PC lights I have installed in the hood. Thanks for any suggestions or thoughts you have. Also, I have lots more rock so I can add more if you think it needs it.

 
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reing7299

New Member
i like the aquascaping especially how some of the live rock sort of looks like it is sticking out slightly in the front.

also i really like the hood/stand you build it makes the tank just generally look nicer... was the hood hard to build w/ the lighting and such?
 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
No. it was actually very easy and that is coming from someone with zero carpentry skills. I am about to start filling holes and uneven areas with putty. I will take a few more detailed photos to show how everything is put together.

As far as the rock work, unfortunately I have to take it out to clean and finish the tank. Hopefully I can get it back in there that same way it is now.
 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
Well, just a quick update, I got my salt, refractometer, power head, heater, and test kit today so I have my saltwater mixing and I am finishing up the stand/hood so I will be starting the cycle tomorrow. I really looked over my base rock and cleaned it and scrub it really well and there just won't be anything there to kick off a cycle, so I am forced I guess to use the shrimp method. No big deal though. I will get more pics up as soon as I have water in the tank.

Tank back painted black:


Distilled water ready to go:


Goodies from Dr. Foster and Smith:
 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
First ammonia test done about 20 hours after cycle started. I will do another tonight along with a nitrite just to see.




With water, no lights in the room. Still really hazy. Looks really dusty in the tank. You can see it floating all around and settling on the power head and heater. I need to get my filter up and running and throw some floss in there to polish out the dust I guess. I didn't rinse the sand because it was wet out of the bag so I didn't think I needed to.




Room lights on.




Closer up FTS.




Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
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Ritsuko N

New Member
Are you sure about that AC-70/110?

In one of my 10's, I have an AC-50 and its dialed all the way down to the lowest flow setting and it moves my sand around a good bit without any help from a power head. This is despite being choked with well rooted macro algae.

In anoher 10 with Zoas, Rics, Xenia, gorgonians and other simular corals I have a AC-20 and with a Koralia Nano it seems to be about right flow wise, keeping it brisk but not too much so. For a 10 gallon I think this is a pretty optimal arrangement flow wise.

Granted what works for me might not work well enough for you, and I understand that one wants to strive for good flow in thier tank. Just kinda throwing this out there as some food for thought...
 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
Yeah, something to think about. I have an AC 20 and AC 70 not being used and a AC 110 on my 75 gallon FW tank. I was wanting the 70 or 110 mostly for the capacity rather than the flow. I think that I read somewhere that the motor on the 20, 50, and 70 was the same, just different impellers. I will have to look when I get home ( I am writing this from work) and see. If this is the case I can use the impeller from the 20 in my 70 and get the best of both worlds. Right now I only have the nano in the tank while it is cycling and it is pretty underpowered. I guess once I get the AC on there things will be better. Worst case I get another nano. Thanks for the advise.
 
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Ritsuko N

New Member
Yes if you swap out pump/impellers then that would be a lot more equatable of a set up. Its just I use these filters a lot and in thier stock form they can kick out some pretty good flow numbers. I think all of the pumps/impellers are interchangable except the mini.

But you bring up a good point in that the larger filters do hold a good bit of additional water when your talking about tanks 10 gallons or less. I never thought of that aspect before.

At any rate I think they are some of the best choices in HOB filters for Nano tanks.
 
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SaltWaterNewb

Member
Today's numbers make me happy:

Ammonia - 8 ppm

Nitrites - 2 ppm

Nitrates - 15 ppm

pH - 8.0

Sal. - 1.025

Hopefully diatoms start showing their ugly face soon :D
 
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reefman23

New Member
How did I miss this one??

That Seachem salt tests really well. You should like that stuff. That black sand and back should really make your corals stand out. I like how you cant see much of the equipment. Good job.

Jesse
 
S

SaltWaterNewb

Member
Sorry for lack of updates. Tank finally cycled a week ago. Big diatom bloom but it is being taken care of by the four snails that I added to the tank. I am ordering a frag of zoas and a duncan next week to get some color in there. After that I am waiting a bit then I will be adding some more inverts (porcelain crabs).
 
S

SaltWaterNewb

Member
lol...yeah, I do need to update and I would hate to be hit with the ban stick.

So anyways, since it has been...sheesh...a long time since I have posted here not much has changed...lol...cycle is over, diatoms are gone, added a few Margarita snails, some zoas, a Duncan that start with one and within a couple months is now about ten, a couple palys and a ric. I threw in a bunch of chaeto in to the main display and that may have been a mistake as it is taking hold all over the tank. I did the fuge mod to my AC70 but I don't have a light for it yet and that is why the macro is in the tank and not in the fuge yet. I need to get on that. Ummm....not much else to tell at this point. I have an incredible number of pods in the tank at the moment which is cool. And of course here is an up dated picture...I need to take a more up to date one but this is the most recent that I have which is about a month old.









 
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