Dreamwalk's 10gal Nano

[daugherty]

if you get live sand get it out of a tank at the lfs dont buy the baged live sand that crap is just a big rip off

 

[dreamwalk]

ok. so I guess that I will just get the crushed coral substrait... that is cheaper anyways....im just curious if ordering live rock and other live stock online or in mags is going to be a issue... any thoughts???

 

[daugherty]

as long as it is not cold outside you will be ok

 

[Gdbyrd]

ok. so I guess that I will just get the crushed coral substrait... that is cheaper anyways....im just curious if ordering live rock and other live stock online or in mags is going to be a issue... any thoughts???

Don't use crushed coral. It's bad and is a nitrate trap.

Get some aroganite sand, buy your rock, put your base rock in, then add your sand, continue aquascaping your tank. Put something in there for watermovement, I also recommend Maxijets.

Leave your tank alone and just do top offs with fresh water. After about 10-15 days you can start testing it. When you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites do a water change. Keep doing water changes every couple days until you get 10-20 on your nitrates. Then you can add something. That's what I did, has worked out well so far.

When I build my nano, I'm going to use one of the lights here: http://shop.aquatraders.com/Power-Compact-Aquarium-Lighting-s/11.htm

Hopefully I'm not reposting a ton of info. I started reading this thread this afternoon at work but got busy and couldn't post until now : /

 

[dreamwalk]

Ok. that sucks... it gets cold here, but normally not less than freezing... most of the time, someone is home though...will it hurt for the product to set in the box/bag for a few hours 'till i get home from school?

 

[Bifferwine]

Don't use crushed coral. It's an awful substrate, will lead to problems with your water quality, looks ugly, and animals won't live in it. Just buy regular old dry aragonite sand.

 

[dreamwalk]

Ok...does it matter if it's colored? cause the pet store near my house has sand in 5 pound bags, but it's a orange/peach color....will this matter?

 

[bobby]

Color wont matter as long as it's a calcium based sand. More personal preference.

 

[parrotchute]

It's ok to order live rock online, and even if it sits outside for a bit, it will probably be fine. The longer it's exposed, the higher chance of the hitchhikers dying off. Make sure you get a reputable dealer (I've never ordered LR online), some people here might be able to recommend a place.

Just remember, a 10 gallon is a big challenge, because (as I said earlier) it is a lot less stable than a bigger system, so going slow and doing a lot of research & preparation early will pay off!

 

[dreamwalk]

Color wont matter as long as it's a calcium based sand. More personal preference.

:^:How do I know if it is calcium based? will it say so on the package? or is there a certain type of sand that is calcium based?

 

[Sharkie]

first off, congrats on the tank....

like everyone here said, DON"T use crushed coral, it just causes problems...

there are a few places that sell "colored" sand thats dyed or is plastic... our petco here sells "green sand" and all other colors, the back of the package says "red 5, yellow 42 etc). you want sand that DOESN"T say that...

and welcome to the nano club ;) i'll tell you right now, you have to have PERFECT water in a tank that small... I have quite the collection of nanos (two 10s, a 5 hatching tank, and a 20) and they are quite a bit of work, in fact, between all those tanks and top-offs during the week i should've probably just went and got another 55 (i have a50 eel tank also lol).

since I haven't seen this mentioned, tell your buddy hes doing it ALL wrong. Tap water=BAD BAD BAD. There are metals and other things in the water that is not good for your tank, such as copper.... sometimes there are other minerals that just don't agree with saltwater tanks or the fish.... Damsels are super hardy and can withstand almost any type of water conditions which is why they are probably sorta alive.

as far as his corals go, there are very very few corals that will live alright under a basic light... go to the LFS and you can find "Mini" t5 bulbs. ours sells them for $15 here and I have one on my 2gl fw tank and the growth on my plants in there was awesome. in the long run the T5 is going to be the best thing you can get... we have fixtures for a 24" 20g here for $70... i'm not sure how much it would cost for a little t5 but probably not too much.

also, a little tank is also going to require a heater...it'll help keep the tempature regulated and everyone happy... you want your tank to stay at a constant 78degrees....

 

[dreamwalk]

like everyone here said, DON"T use crushed coral, it just causes problems...


as far as his corals go, there are very very few corals that will live alright under a basic light... go to the LFS and you can find "Mini" t5 bulbs. ours sells them for $15 here and I have one on my 2gl fw tank and the growth on my plants in there was awesome. in the long run the T5 is going to be the best thing you can get... we have fixtures for a 24" 20g here for $70... i'm not sure how much it would cost for a little t5 but probably not too much.

also, a little tank is also going to require a heater...it'll help keep the tempature regulated and everyone happy... you want your tank to stay at a constant 78degrees....

Thanks. I was planning on using sand, but a friend of mine suggested using crushed coral. He insists that i use it. Says that it will help the cycle.

I explained that I wanted to get livestock that sifts and that i would have to have fine grain sand.

He says to just crush the coral more. Like drop the bag on the ground or smack it....that it will become finer grain..

As for the lights and heater....I have both. The tank I have is a used tank, but it was set up for salt water fish. I am hoping the light will be what I need.

As for the heater, well, I'n not sure about it..I just know that it IS a heater.

I will post pics of the light, heater, and filter soon.. My intention is to post the pictures and let you all tell me if it's good or not :]

As for my friend, i think i'm through taking his advice. He maybe be upset, but he said it himself... "Each tank is different and what works for one tank might not for another"

so...i may listen to him, but i will deffly be asking TONS of questions on here for advice...I hope you all don't mind.

:bowdown:

 

[parrotchute]

anything we can do to help! We can be pretty opinionated, but we want your tank to succeed!

 

[Sharkie]

yea, crushed coral=bad because if you're going to cycle with that and then add sand you risk re-cycling the tank... wouldn't want all that waiting to go to waste right? ;)

also, do you have any liquid test kits? those are a MUST have :)

you're also going to want to have a hydrometer, the ones that look like an actual thermometer, not the one you pour water into, this will tell you the salinty of your tank which you wnat between 22 and 26 (mines at a constant 25). Mine has both a tempature gage and the salinty part on it, its a nice addition and only costs around $10 or so.

also, what brand of salt are you using or did you get premade water? its always best to use and RODI unit when adding water into your tank thats fresh, it'll take out all the bad stuff... I have both a filtered setup and and RODI unit, or you could buy premade at your local LFS/petstore if they sell SW stuff...

 

[dreamwalk]

also, what brand of salt are you using or did you get premade water? its always best to use and RODI unit when adding water into your tank thats fresh, it'll take out all the bad stuff... I have both a filtered setup and and RODI unit, or you could buy premade at your local LFS/petstore if they sell SW stuff...

Im not sure what brand of salt i should use, but the LPS only carries Intantsocean

I also have no clue what a RODI it....Reverse osmosis?

The pictures that I promised

Tank filled with tap water. checking for leaks:

Ligts off, on, close up of bulb and close up of the housing tag:

Filter, filter media, and filter specs:

Heater:

So, what do you think...will this stuff work for now? just to get me started? IF i need to upgrade, i will have to do that later.

 

[Jschoon]

That will be a nice tank. I want to commend you for seeking advice and considering it all as you make some of these choices. When I started I wanted an instant reef in my living room. What I got by going to fast was heartache and a light wallet. So my best advice is go slow, read, ask questions to the forum and have fun. Don't let your failures bring you down, all of us here have made many. That is why we are here, to share our compined knowledge and expereince so that beginners have a better chance of success.

As far as your set up I would say your light will be fine while you cycle the tank. But, put a new t5 on your short term wish list. There are good nano lights you can pick up. Ebay and craigslist are good places to look also. But do be careful. You could end up with junk.

For the HOB filter. I had one on my 35 for a long time. I did not have any filter media in it, I used LR rubble from my LFS and just let the water circulate through it. I cleaned it every other water change and it did a pretty good job.

That heater should be fine just make sure you have an accurate thermometer.

For your water, RO/DI is probably the best long term plan. There is an up front cost of $100+ to get started. I like using prducts from Filter Direct and there are several others you can find with a simple search here that are also very good. But until you want to spend that money, the bulk water from Wal-Mart is good. Just DO NOT use tap. I did and had a ton of headaches for it.

Go with sand (I think you said you were). I just changed out my crushed coral for sand a few weeks ago. Wish i had done it sooner.

Which salt mix? Instant Ocean is pretty good. Not the best, but ok. You can always change later. I know some who use what ever is on sale this month and have no problems. Others will swear by a certain brand. This is one area I think you could experiment without major concerns.

For now I would say get some sand (live sand is not necessary dry is fine) and some live rock and get the tank to cycling. With a tank that size a small power head is probably all you need now. You can add another later. The key now is to get the tank through the cycle. And you will need a test kit. You will need this to know what stage of cycle you are in. Many to chose from. Some are junk, some are expensive junk.

So, I may have re-stated some info you have already had received, but I do tend to ramble.... Good luck and keep asking questions.

Joe

 

[dreamwalk]

That will be a nice tank. I want to commend you for seeking advice and considering it all as you make some of these choices. When I started I wanted an instant reef in my living room. What I got by going to fast was heartache and a light wallet. So my best advice is go slow, read, ask questions to the forum and have fun. Don't let your failures bring you down, all of us here have made many. That is why we are here, to share our compined knowledge and expereince so that beginners have a better chance of success.

As far as your set up I would say your light will be fine while you cycle the tank. But, put a new t5 on your short term wish list. There are good nano lights you can pick up. Ebay and craigslist are good places to look also. But do be careful. You could end up with junk.

For the HOB filter. I had one on my 35 for a long time. I did not have any filter media in it, I used LR rubble from my LFS and just let the water circulate through it. I cleaned it every other water change and it did a pretty good job.

That heater should be fine just make sure you have an accurate thermometer.

For your water, RO/DI is probably the best long term plan. There is an up front cost of $100+ to get started. I like using prducts from Filter Direct and there are several others you can find with a simple search here that are also very good. But until you want to spend that money, the bulk water from Wal-Mart is good. Just DO NOT use tap. I did and had a ton of headaches for it.

Go with sand (I think you said you were). I just changed out my crushed coral for sand a few weeks ago. Wish i had done it sooner.

Which salt mix? Instant Ocean is pretty good. Not the best, but ok. You can always change later. I know some who use what ever is on sale this month and have no problems. Others will swear by a certain brand. This is one area I think you could experiment without major concerns.

For now I would say get some sand (live sand is not necessary dry is fine) and some live rock and get the tank to cycling. With a tank that size a small power head is probably all you need now. You can add another later. The key now is to get the tank through the cycle. And you will need a test kit. You will need this to know what stage of cycle you are in. Many to chose from. Some are junk, some are expensive junk.

So, I may have re-stated some info you have already had received, but I do tend to ramble.... Good luck and keep asking questions.

Joe

Instantocean is the only brand my LPS carries, so i will prolly just use that.

I will prolly also just use bulk water from wal-mart, at least with this tank.( I plan on upgrading to atleast a 55gal when i move out in a couple of years.)

When you say get the t5 light...ehat will i need to by. will the housing that I have now work and i can just buy bulbs, or will I need to buy a new housing AND bulbs?

Test kits...I have heard that strips are fine, but that I should get a liquid test kit. IYO what should I do?

Live rock seems expensive. Can I get dry rock and just get live sand...will that seed the dry rock? If not, what type of LR is the best for the least amount of cash?

Also, will i need a sump. fuge? if so, how can I learn more about them, I've searched the net and can't find very good info..

Koralia by Hydor has a PH for nano size tanks, will this be good, or should I get the Koralia 1?

Speaking of PH's...I hear they are tricky to get installed so that the water is moving correctly.. any advice on this?

And thanks for your response! I like to get feedback and opinions, so I'm always glad to get them!!

 

[bobby]

You will need a whole new housing and bulbs. That light on it is good for fish only, but you'll need something stronger for coral. If you're not wanting to spend much you can get by with the 65k compact swirly bulbs from walmart. I run two on my 10 gal and they will keep soft coral no problem, but nothing over that. What I did was build a canopy and put two light sockets in it and the two bulbs. Cost me less than 20.00.

 

[dreamwalk]

You will need a whole new housing and bulbs. That light on it is good for fish only, but you'll need something stronger for coral. If you're not wanting to spend much you can get by with the 65k compact swirly bulbs from walmart. I run two on my 10 gal and they will keep soft coral no problem, but nothing over that. What I did was build a canopy and put two light sockets in it and the two bulbs. Cost me less than 20.00.

I don't know how well you have followed my story, but the friend of mine that has been giving me bad advice also told me that I could use the compact "swilry" bulbs...I didn't really think he knew what he was talking about, but it makes sense. I will diffidently get a couple of those.. I have another housing that is made for iridescent bulbs. I can simply cange them out with the compact bulbs.:bounce:

Thanks!b

 

[bobby]

Yeah, they do quite well for soft coral. Only problem with them is that you don't the blue color. They're a bright white with a hue of yellow. Here's a pic of my canopy with the sockets and bulbs mounted.