Nano Reef for a TOTAL beginner.

[tehSAC]

Well recently I’ve been intrigued in Nano Reefs, after visiting my local LFS. Im also intrigued because of the size and beauty of the tanks ive seen in photographs and in person. I’ve been doing some reading in the past few days about nano reefs. I currently have a 55 gal African Cichlid tank so I know enough to get me by on fish keeping . I’d like to have a 12 or 24 gallon Nano Cube to begin with, so if that is any help with my questions, great! So here are a few Noob questions. BTW this is my first post here!

1. How hard is it to set up a reef with minimal experience with salt water tanks?

2. What are some normal price ranges for setting up a tank of this nature?

3. What is the best equipment for this type of setup and what actually would I need?

4. Do you have any other great links to help me on my adventures?


Thanks so much guys! I look forward to your answers and my future hobby.

 

[brandon]

well in my opinion, it takes ALOT of patience and some experimentaion
it is easy enough to set up a reef but the challange would be to maintain it
maintainance is basically weekly testing and topoffs and of course weekly water changes

the pricing depends, some people say $100 dollars a gallon if you are going all out, how big of a tank are you looking for? is it going to be FOWLR or reef?

Again, the best equipment depends on your tank setup and what you want ot do to the tank

Other members will be more helpful

WELCOME TO NANOTANK :langle

 

[sadielynn]

:welcome to nanotank:mrgreen:
to answer your questions
1) It is not hard at all provided you research and go slow . I had no experience when I startd either everyone has to start some where right . You are on the right path by asking questions.....something to help you is to use the search tool above ..and also join in the chats that are scheduled .....
2) depends on a few things anywhere from a couple hundred to thousands .
Try to envision what you want in a reef tank and how you want it to look . Your biggest investment will be lighing depending on the corals you want....
3) see answer to #2 there are many opinions and views the basics would be the tank the light , filter and power heads , and some sort of device to check salt levels as well as a test kit. You will also need live rock ,sand and of course salt to start off :shock:
4) I think just by doing alot of reading will provide you with diffrent links ... :mrgreen:


agian welcome to nanotank

 

[Jordan8008]

Ive spent close to 700 on my 5.5 and i dont have alot of coral at all, keep in mind that a respectable chunk of that money is lost to experiments.....(I didnt know about forums in the beginning) so to you I say, use this forum to your advantage.....it will absolutly save u $$$ and trips to the LFS...and WELCOME to Nano Tank

Thanks

Jordan
:mrgreen:

 

[AlexfromSATX]

I just started with Salt water tanks and I have a 12 Gallon Aquapod. I've found that it is not much more diffucult than fresh water, just a lot more detail and precision with SW. This is a List of what I have in it:

12 Gallon Aquapod - $150.00 (after tax) - LFS close to Apt.
16 Lbs Live Rock - $55.00 - LFS 25 min. away
15 Lbs of Live sand - $10.00 - LFS 25 Min. away
14 Gallons of SW - $14.00 - LFS 25 Min. Away
10 Gallons RO/DI Water - $2.50 - LFS close to Apt.
2 7Gallon Jugs for SW - $19.00 - Wal Mart
2 5 Gallon Jugs for RO/DI- $14.00 - LFS close to Apt.
1 Maxi-jet 1200 - $26.00 - Ebay
1 Coral Life Thermometer - $7.00 - PetsMArt
1 Magna Float algea Scraper - $10.00 - LFS 25 Min. Away
1 75 Watt Titanium heater - $20.00 - Petsmart
2 Upgraded PC fans - $10.00 - Computer parts Store
1 SW Master Test Kit - $25.00 - LFS close to Apt.
10 ft of Plastic tubing for Syphoning(sp?) - $3.00 - Home Depot
1 Alkalinity Test Kit - $9.00 - LFS Close to Apt.
1 Calcium Test Kit - $8.00 - LFS close to Apt.
Materials for DIY Stand - $35.00 - Home Depot
Refractometer - $38.00 - Ebay
! thing of Chemi Pure - 9.00 - LFS 15 min. Away
Patience while cycling- PRICELESS!!!

Total- $464.50 - I really shopped around for everything to get the best Price, so probably have to add $60 bucks in gas! And this was just start up, I'm just not going to even try to add up my Livestock wish list!

 

[skipm]

:welcome to nanotank.
You are on the right track by coming here and asking questions first, learn all that you can about basic set ups. Then try and decide which corals you want to keep, post a list of them here and then we can give you an idea on the equipment you need (especially lighting) to keep those corals. Probably the main thing that will affect your money outlay is the types of corals you want and the equipment needed for them, the price of a set up can be not too expensive to sit down before you add everything up. The premade tanks are pretty and nice but you can have a lot more flexibility with a standard tank and then add on the equipment you need at a cost that is possibly slightly lower to about the same, plus if you want to keep higher light corals you can buy/build a canopy and add a MH retrofit into the hood.

 

[EDGRAY]

Patience while cycling- PRICELESS!!!

Total- $464.50 - I really shopped around for everything to get the best Price, so probably have to add $60 bucks in gas! And this was just start up, I'm just not going to even try to add up my Livestock wish list!

you're in a good start cant wait for the pics and for livestock wish list so i can have a glance of what your gonna keep in it.....but i bet is gonna look lovely..... :loveface :loveface

and your just on the start wait until you look for corals you're gonna consume more gas then $60 cause will be the same look here look there... god is really a trip but when your satisfied you will be so proud of your self when your tank is completed

 

[ArcticBlue]

Like you I am just getting started with my first SW tank, but I have been a freshwater fan for years. I didnt use one of the pre-fab nano tanks, but instead went with a 10 gallon tank. I actively scoured the internet, called local fish stores, did endless amounts of math and still only got it down to about $30 a gallon, or $300 for the whole thing, including live rock but no other livestock. Heres how it breaks down for me.

10 gallon top fin tank-$5
50 watt ViaAqua Heater-$21
Orbit 20" 2x40 watt PC Fixture-$105
Penn Plax Cascade 80 PF-$10
Rio 200 Powerhead-$13
Rio 180 Powerhead-$10
Hydrometer-$8
Supplies to paint the back of the tank-$10
20 LBS sand from LFS-$22
10 LBS live rock from LFS-$50
2 plastic 5 gallon buckets-$5
10 gallons fresh RO water from LFS-$5
Salt from LFS-$10

I could have easily spent more money, and I likely will. Notice that theres no fuge or protein skimmer. If I find that I need both in the long run I will buy them. The power filter is a backup, to occassionally run carbon when I need it, and I went cheap with both the powerheads. I could have spent alot more in top of the line equipment.

Do lots of reading and planning!

Edit-I forgot to mention I have a "hook up" so to speak at a LFS, so everything marked as LFS was purchased at a 30% discount. Also, you will note no water testing kit, since I have very easy access to theirs. I am litterally 250 feet away from it at least 4 days a week, so its no trouble for me to get it tested there. However for anyone else, I would advise the investment since its usually a royal pain in the neck to come down there multiple times a week.

 

[TimSchmidt]

For us mere mortals that don't have a LFS 250 feet away from us :angnot: I really think that a refractometer is a better investment than a hydrometer.

Tim

 

[EDGRAY]

For sure no doubt in that Tim.

 

[ArcticBlue]

Heh unfortunately its only 250 feet away from where I work. If it was 250 feet from where I live, I would be up to my ears in debt

But agreed a refractometer is a great investment. Anything that decreases the chance for human error is a good buy in my book

 

[harial]

Well, I research this hobby for more than two years before I finally bought a nano cube. I wanted to minimise any losses because I didn't have a job and really just could not afford to waste money on experimenting. So I saved up and bought the nano for about 200. I changed the pump to a maxi-jet 1200 that I got from my LFS for 25.

But the stock nano cube has problems with what you can keep. The lighting and flow is not nearly as good as they could be. I have had to refrain from buying nice expensive corals because of the fact that they most will loose their color and some will die in the tank. Many of my zoos have lost color and I had my most expensive buy(a bright pink open brain) die due to either the lighting or the abysmal flow.

But I have had a great time learning with this tank and kinda getting a feel for what it is that I want. But I have had mine less than a year and now I am upgrading to a larger tank because I have filled this one up. This is why many hobbyists will tell you to go as big as you can afford. You will inevitably want to go bigger.

 

[AlexfromSATX]

I agree! I have had my AP12 for a little over 3 weeks, and I can already see that I am going to be upgrading, not soon, but if I did it over I would start with a 20L and hand pick everything. Right now I am debating taking the hood off of mine and making a custom canopy for a metal Halide light and actinic lights, because I do like the corals that require a better lighting. But the cubes I think are a good start if you just want something to start out on and learn as you go.

 

[EDGRAY]

Same here i think a new NanoCube will come soon to my condo.. :lol: :lol: i have a thing with corals cant stop buying them :lol: so that will lead me to a new tank :lol: :lol:

 

[harial]

One of the reason I am not liking my nano is because I have a thing with buying corals. Especially zoos. But I have not bought any of the one that I really want since I got the blue ones. After seeing them fade into shadows of what they were, I really am not that inclined to go and buy other nice zoos. First thing I am going to get when I upgrade to metal Halide on my new tank are pinks. I always wanted pink zoos :love3: . maybe after my blues color back up and are given a chance to spread around, I can frag them and trade for pinks. :loveface

 

[EDGRAY]

One of the reason I am not liking my nano is because I have a thing with buying corals. Especially zoos. But I have not bought any of the one that I really want since I got the blue ones. After seeing them fade into shadows of what they were, I really am not that inclined to go and buy other nice zoos. First thing I am going to get when I upgrade to metal Halide on my new tank are pinks. I always wanted pink zoos :love3: . maybe after my blues color back up and are given a chance to spread around, I can frag them and trade for pinks. :loveface

I you want pink zoos let me know ill trade with you mine are pink with purple (almost like coraline algae) and this pinks spread like crazy...and with MH their skirt turn to light pink....(how do i know) cause i gave a frag to reefman and his got lighter and more pretty cause of the MH..

 

[harial]

SWEET! :mrgreen: