New Nano Reef Start-up

[mj32]

After many weeks of being very impressed by SH's and others tank pics and reading of books and forums about SW tanks we have decided to try a nano reef to get some experience in marines. Wife thought the expense and work involved in the hole in wall idea was just too much a jump from FW

We have the AR-620 tank which is just under 22 UK Gal (new unused)- which has the usual 2 media compartments fed from the powerhead. I know the supplied media isnt realy suitable for the nano tank.

Equipment List
----------------
Via Aqua AR-620 tank (22UK Gals)
Trickle filter system in hood (running)
Twin 55w T5 Starter with 1x55w 50/50 daylight/actinic tube & 1x55w Daylight tube
Tetra tec heater (100w?)
Interpet PHD4 Powerhead (216 gph)
Red Sea Prizm Skimmer (not yet installed)

Contents
----------
14kg Live rock with plenty of hitch-hikers and life!

Hitchhikers
-------------
2 x ?Emerald Crabs? (1 - 1.5cm)
1 x ?Star Fish? (1cm) Unknown
1 x Snail (1cm) Unknown maybe nerite?
Loads of worms / brittle stars etc

Corals / Algae
----------------
3 x brown mushroom / softies - unknown - hitchhikers
1 x clump chaetomorpha algae (in tank corner)

Inverts
--------
1 x Electric Blue Hermit crab
1 x Pin Cushion Urchin
6 x Turbo Snails


Many thanks

Mike


Edits for updated euipment list

 

[Locke]

LT-CFRT1-65W-03 1-65 watt 03 Blue retrofit kit.

H.O.T. Magnum Canister Filter
Master Liquid Test Kit Saltwater
Ammonia Alert Device Single
Kent Sea Salt (50 gallon mix)
Hydrometer with Liquid Crystal Thermometer
Aqua Pumps 600
CPR Bak-Pak 2 Protein Skimmer




That's not including a nice 20 gallon tank from Petco. It was about 35 dollars. I built my own canopy using some wood and retrofitted the lighting system. This is not including the crushed coral and live rock and fish etc. Also, if you're going with a reef setup, I reccomend getting a refractometer.

I definately reccomend a skimmer for your setup. Don't try to start a reef setup right off the bat. You're not going to have much luck. Start with a Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) setup first. If your fish live... then start going from there.

I didn't go with a Nano Cube because I couldn't modify it to my specifications, besides that, in most Nano Cubes, the stock lighting sucks for keeping most corals IMO. DH did a very, very, very good job and I would consider him an expert. If you use stock lighting then I would go for a fish only tank anyway. Much easier to take care of and you would definately need a skimmer if you have fish.

I hope this helps. Don't take my sole advice though, there are much more experienced fish/reef keepers than me in these forums.

Good Luck.

SB

 

[mj32]

I definately reccomend a skimmer for your setup. Don't try to start a reef setup right off the bat. You're not going to have much luck. Start with a Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) setup first. If your fish live... then start going from there.

Theres going to be no reef 'right off the bat' - will be several weeks of getting the tank ready and the kit together before anything goes in - fish will be way off in the future - corals months after.

Just want to get the basics sorted to avoid a total crash early in.

 

[mj32]

An evenings reading / scribbling and searching seems to clear a few things up! The biggest issue i think is the lighting - if the bulbs are ok? need combing with another halide / blue light or just replacing totaly?

Any takers on this before i resort to LFS advice

 

[hutsler]

I think using a skimmer also depends on the fish/corals you plan on having, the more feedings, the more you might need the protein skimmer, I thinks its just personal preferance, I would also wait for more experienced answers, as i am also newer to this. good Luck either way you go

 

[steelhealr]

.....great to have another future nano reefer on board. Just a few comments as there will be many here. The lighting on the tank looks like it will be a tad on the low side. Can you find a link to the type of tank it is and post here....or tak a pic.

No need for a skimmer right now. You should do fine initially with water changes. If they are available in the UK, Ebo Jager are #1 in my books. Avoid sponges, bioballs, ceramics if possible. If you MUST have mechanical filtration, you could use filter fiber changed FREQUENTLY. Definitley use a phosphate binder.

Hey guys...we got another one!!!

 

[mj32]

.....great to have another future nano reefer on board. Just a few comments as there will be many here. The lighting on the tank looks like it will be a tad on the low side. Can you find a link to the type of tank it is and post here....or tak a pic.

The hood is a 2 piece design - back half holding the power head and media chambers (now empty of sponge and ceramics). The front half houses the lighting and a flip panel for feeding etc

Not A lot of space with the tubes in The site link has some info on T5 lighting (all in USD$) so am trying to track down some info / suppliers in the UK to see if they will replace the tubes atm

And a link to the site (not a lot of info though)

ViaAqua AR-620

 

[steelhealr]

Looks like there is room for another tube in there. Retrofit kit? SH

 

[mj32]

Looks like there is room for another tube in there. Retrofit kit? SH

OK - Or after reading SmithRC's thread for his Nano would removing them and dropping in these be better?
t5 power compacts

If so what wattage would be recommended?

Then i could add the old lights to the FW planted tank which needs more light anyway

Always with the questions

 

[SkiFletch]

What color temp are your current lights? If they're 10k or less then yeah, strip em out of the hood, put em on your FW tank and get some PCs. Especially in a smaller tank like yours PCs are awesome. The only caveat is to make sure that you have enough ventillation in the fixture as PCs do get hot. Not as bad as MH, but definitely to the point where fans are required for the warmer months.

 

[mj32]

Had a chat with the LFS - they seemed to think the lights would be ok to start off with - if mainly keeping soft corals. So we are going to keep as is for now, but they had the same hood fitted nicely with the T5 compacts so will go down that route as and when we can.

So, picked up the cabinet for the tank - assembled that and put the heater / powerhead in and painted the back of it black. Not the usual blue - but thought we would try something different. Just need to get some containers to buy RO water from them next week!

 

[hutsler]

If you dont mind the suggestion I have found that if you buy new gas containers they work out perfectly instead of the usual buckets!

 

[BWBettas]

Or just go to argos or some other place and get some big camping water carriers

Bret

Or just buy your own RO system

Bret Again!

 

[mj32]

Probably will get some water containers and buy it for the short term! Only 50p a gallon and a damn good excuse to have a nose around the LFS then eh

While im replying ill update on progress - built the cabinate for the tank and found a suitable place for it, no electrical sockets nearby so another wiring job to do Done a 2 day long leak / equipment test and all is functioning A-OK... slowly coming together...hopefully some ebay sourced bits n bobs will move things along later in the week!

 

[mj32]

Well I thought we would try and do our very first ever salt mix in the tank (as it's empty apart from just the sand substrate). 8)

Added 3k of the red sea salt (1kg salt to 30litres tank capacity) ours is approx 22 UK gal tank. Left this running from 8pm until now (5.18am) and the hydrometer indicated no increase in s.g. Now I am wondering if the powerhead filter isnt realy mixing it fast enough or the hydrometer isnt working?

Is a 550l hr powerhead good enough for this - or does the mixing take longer?