Dreamwalk's 10gal Nano

[bobby]

Here's a pic with the lights on the tank. Some days the lights are REALLY white like in the pic and some days it's more yellow. I guess they start up different sometimes. I don't know for sure.

 

[dreamwalk]

That is epic. I will post a pic of my other canopy soon.

My dad says he can build me a wooden tank stand at work for free... any ideas on what I should ask for?!?!

 

[parrotchute]

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.

Sharkie, you use a hydrometer? Even on your nanos? I just couldn't stand how inaccurate they seemed. I had 2 that read completely differently all the time. My life has been so much easier with a refractometer.

 

[dreamwalk]

Here's a pic with the lights on the tank. Some days the lights are REALLY white like in the pic and some days it's more yellow. I guess they start up different sometimes. I don't know for sure.

I bet if you used a heat same paint and painted the inside of the canopy a light blue, the light would have a bluer hue.... just my :twocents:


What size koralia is that?

 

[bobby]

I was planning on white to reflect the light, but I have seen people add the blue swirly party bulbs (not black lights) for a nice look. I just don't want to add more sockets other wise I'd try them.LOL


Refractometers are great. I had three hydrometers and two were accurate, and one was always off by 3. Plus there is the chance that they could go bad at anytime.

 

[dreamwalk]

I guess I dont really know the difference...

 

[parrotchute]

Don't use live sand to seed live rock. Live rock is where you get the beneficial critters for your tank. If it's too expensive, just buy 1-2 pieces and the rest dry rock.

RODI is a reverse osmosis with deionization. It's a high quality filter that will ensure you have the best quality water, making it less likely you'll deal with as much algae during your cycles.
Avoid strip tests, they are not as accurate. You should be testing for at least ammonia, ph, nitrates, and nitrites.

I'd highly suggest getting a book on saltwater fishkeeping too, and check out the other tanks in the tank showcase to get an idea of how everyone else is doing it.

 

[parrotchute]

I guess I dont really know the difference...

A hydrometer is a device you fill with saltwater, and a swing arm measures the salinity.
A refractometer, usually much more accurate, measures it via the refraction of light through the eyepiece.

 

[dreamwalk]

A refractometer, usually much more accurate, measures it via the refraction of light through the eyepiece.

Sounds so much more confusing. hurm...are they that much more expensive than the hydrometer?

 

[parrotchute]

About $40 vs $20. It's worth it. Probably the best thing I've bought for my tank as far as keeping things stable.
I'm going to be on chat if you have any questions..

 

[bobby]

That's a k1.

a refractomer is twice the price a lot better, and easier to use

 

[Bifferwine]

A refractometer is twice the price, but you have to buy a new hydrometer every 6 months or so anyways -- so you will end up spending the same amount in a year, and twice as much after two years if you buy a hydrometer.

 

[Jschoon]

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

- That will be fine. You can research and change later if you want to...

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.)

- This is fine to. Save some $ and get an RO/DI when you move to a bigger tank. Your water needs will increase with the size of the tank.

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?

- New housing would be needed. They make t5 and PC and MH fixtures for nanos. But Bobby's suggestion would work equally as well with a little DIY.

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

- I prefer the liquid drops type tester. If I had the $ I would go with a monitoring system and link to my home computer network. But we all have dreams...

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?

- Get a couple pieces of LR. You may find some on craigslist for cheap. Mail order can get expensive and you someimes need to buy a large amount. The shipping is what makes it costly. But get a couple pieces from craigslist or your local store and then get some cheaper dry rock to fill in. I would see if your local store would give or sell you a small amount of live sand and buy the rest dry. Seeding with dry rock and sand using a small amount of live each will take a bit longer, but in time it will work. And it will save you some money.

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..

- For a nano I would say it is your call. some have them, some do not. One big reason to have it is to increase your total water volume, thus making "environemtnal swings" in the tank a bit slower. In a nano bad can happen fast so you have to manage your tank very carefully. Your HOB filter can be your fuge if you put a little LR rubble and some cheato algae in it. Or just LR rubble.

There are some very experienced nano tankers here and I am sure they will help you out.
:bowdown: To the experienced:bowdown:

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?

- I would suggest the Koralia nano. It is a proven good product. It may take a while to get it pointed in the "best" position but it is not a difficult task. You just move it or adjust the angle to meet your need. I adjust my PHs every once in a while still. I am still trying to get them "perfect" so to speak.

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

- It is my pleasure. I have not been doing salt for very long compared to many here. But, as a realtive newbie, my successes and failures are still pretty fresh in my mind.

Can't wait to see pics of how this comes along. And feel free to ask anything. No stupid questions here. Well not many at least.:mrgreen:

 

[dreamwalk]

Thanks. for the advice.

I am not going to be actually setting up my tank yet. I will be doing THAT after I get my equipment for Christmas... lol... I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY....

Does any one have any other tips or advice for me? Maybe a ideal stock list??

 

[Jschoon]

Sounds so much more confusing. hurm...are they that much more expensive than the hydrometer?

Just got one (refractometer) on ebay for $25ish with shipping.

 

[dreamwalk]

Your HOB filter can be your fuge if you put a little LR rubble and some cheato algae in it. Or just LR rubble.

How does a "Fuge" work, and how would putting LR ruble into the HOB make it a fuge?

 

[dreamwalk]

Ok....after reading about the benefits of having a sump, I decided that I would look into making one. I came across this video on youtube. The guy claims to have made this for less that 40$...I believe him.lol.. it's not pretty, but would it be useful?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkT9EiY9v60&feature=response_watch[/ame]


And with the tight budget that I am on... do you think this would be worth making?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjfox0KkGVo&feature=fvw[/ame]

 

[dreamwalk]

Ok, so I like this beter than the other two ideas by far. I created this awful paint pic to try and give you a visual of what I am thinking of doing.

Materials:
Small piece of plexy
aquarium sealant
mesh(comes with HOB filter)
Bio-Block(From a filter media cartage)
Live sand
Live rock ruble
Cheato algae
possibly other live creatures(?)

I wanted to basicly have two chambers. The first will house the part of the tank that supplies the filter with water. The second will house the algae and live rock and sand.

The two chambers will be divided with a "baffle".

Since the water enters the filter from the bottom, any sand that would be in the"refugium" would be disturbed. The baffle will prevent this by allowing water to enter the fist chamber and then overflow into the second chamber..

The second chamber is divided into sub chambers by a mesh. The Mesh will hold the Cheato algae in place in sub-chamber A.

Sub-chamber B will hold live rock ruble. Also in this sub-chamber, small creature maybe added,if room is available.

Before the water re-enters the tank, it will run through a fine mess that I have called the "Bio-Blocker". This secondary mesh will prevent any stray bio-matter from re-entering the tank.


So, tell me what you think.

I really like this idea, and it was fun coming up with the plan even if it is impractical:pooh:....but if it is practical:Cheers:...LET ME KNOW!!!

Thanks again for your time!

 

[dreamwalk]

Actually. now that I look at the filter...there isn't that muck room. I will have to add another chamber....I have a few ideas on how that will work. I'll let you know.

 

[Jschoon]

I like that you are thinking... The first vid is good in therory. I think it may cause some problems. The overflow is going to break it's siphon because it will siphon itself dry do to not having a collection area on the backside. You need two chambers on the back side. Check out the disigns of the Eshopps overflow. You can make one yourself. Check out this link. Phase II - Aquarium Adventures

Melevsreef has many good ideas for you to ponder...

The skimmer may also have some problems. Search this forum for some good DIY skimmer help.


As to your HOB disign. you have the right idea. I would not suggest any live critters. Not much room for them and you will need to take this appart and clean it every couple weeks. I would suggest layering your rubble and algae instead of back-to-back. Just put the rubble on the bottom and the cheato on top of it (if you use it). You may need a light to hit the cheato to help it grow and survive. I did not have any algae in mine. I used a whisper power 60. I had mesh screening the water before it entered back into the tank. this is what I cleaned every other water change. I had a bunch of LR rubble in the rest of the HOB filter. I just let the water circulate through.

I should say that the great thing I have found about this hobby is the experimentation and such that I get to do. I read, ask questions, build it, try it, remove it, upgrade it, etc, etc.... Until I find what seems to work best. You can DIY build almost everything you can buy. DIY builds are the most fun for me. Seeing them actually work gives me great satisfaction also. Failures and setbacks, well they happen, but I always learn something there too...

Hope that helps you a little, but if not, ask and we'll see what we can do...

Joe