New To Saltwater

[MHS]

Well I'm taking the plunge into saltwater! =D and nano seems to be my best choice.

Is the Aquapod 24 HQI any good as a starter, and hows the light on it? or would I be better off buying a 20g Truvu or Clear-for-Life tank with a 10g fuge?

Also what should I dose the tank with.. as i'm planing to keep corals.
And any newbie recommendations or tips are welcome =]

Thanks

 

[kj23502]

Well, as a new person to saltwater as well I can tell you to READ READ READ before you even collect equipment or begin to setup... In this hobby, I really believe

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER​

in this hobby, as we will be better equiped to deal with different things if we have good background knowledge.

This is from the last pinned section in Nano forum and was created by Navarre:
"The term nano reef is a relatively new description in the marine aquarium world. The exact definition is frequently argued, but, it is commonly accepted that a marine aquarium under 20 gallons would fall under this category. Certainly, a 20-30 gallon tank would pose similar maintenance challenges and for working purposes, these size tanks should fall under this category. The phrase nano reef should not be confused with 'mini-reef' which implies any larger coral reef aquarium at home.

Nano tanks have increased in popularity in recent years for many reasons. Some of them include:

1) Smaller size
2) Less initial startup cost (however costs over time could reach or exceed the costs of a larger tank)
3) Less volume to maintain
4) Improved marine aquarium technology to maintain a tank of this size
5) Easier access to information, web-based forums

The decision to start up a nano reef is one that should be made after doing adequate research, reading books, using forums such as this and talking to people with experience in running them. The smaller volume of the tank leaves much less room for error, however, this should not dissuade you from starting one if you have the time, patience and persistence to maintain it.

A nano reef is a marine aquarium and therefore is setup using the same scientific principals as running a larger marine tank. However, the maintenance and stocking of the tank can be quite different, hence, subsection granted within the marine area. We've all heard the phrase, "Saltwater tanks are a lot harder to keep". Well, they are, but the rewards of owning a beautiful marine tank of ANY size justify the efforts. Welcome to Nano Reefing. "

This is from the FAQ section in selecting a tank
"Standard tank sizes include 10 , 15, 20, 29 and 30 gallon tanks. There are some systems out there that come as 'complete' including JBJ's NancoCube, CurrentUSA's AquaPod and Eclipse Systems. However, these 'reef ready' tanks are not truly complete in that some have inadequate lighting, circulation or can be difficult to upgrade (if you do, be sure you know the manufacturers warranty). On the other hand, if you are not big on skills, these tanks may be the best choice for you. Just a few examples of tank choices include:

1) AGA's, short for All-Glass Aquariums: rectangular, solid and offer the most flexiblity for equiping
2) Bowfronts: usually are deeper tanks
3) Cubes: Oceanic's 30G
4) 'Complete': JBJ's NanoCube, CurrentUSA's AquaPod, Eclipse Systems (lighting is hard to upgrade)
5) Acrylic: SeaClear"

Read These


http/www.fishforums.net/content/Nano-Ree...ded-To-Go-Nano/

Faq Section For Nano Tanks, START HERE! Setup, cycling, pinned threads

I hope you read as it's the best thing you can do for your livestock(before you even have any )

 

[steelhealr]

Welcome aboard....time to read up. Starting here is the place to be. I recommend a 20G long and design the tank yourself. SH

BTW...you don't dose nanos. SH

 

[timpetty]

I agree with steel. I have an Aquapod 24 and a 30 long. The Aquapod was my first tank. Since I was new to the hobby, I was drawn to the "all-in-one" complete package deal. It is a great tank but for the same money, you'd go much further with a 20 long. You want the 20 LONG because it has more room to lay out your corals. The Aquapod is taller and more narrow.

 

[MHS]

Thanks for the replies guys.
I went out and bought some books including; "The Captive Marine Aquarium" by Wayne Shang, "The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael Paletta, "Aquarium Corals" by J. E. N. Veron, "Natural Reef Aquariums" by J. Tulock. And I must say reading them i have learnt a lot and I want to keep SPS corals and clams.
I'm still not sure about what I should do about the set-up though. A 20 long seems to be the best choice but the Aquapod keeps pulling me in so I'm going to sit on it for a few weeks.
Even after reading those books i still have a lot of questions
I'm off to the fish shop... lets hope I can hopefully get a look at some tanks and corals!


MHS

 

[dilbert]

I would only suggest not to buy too many critters.

A nano is easily overstocked and apart from the many advantages of a nano it has the disadvantage that it is full very quick.

And to keep successfully an overstocked tank you really need to be an expert.

In my view, a nano is to look at small things while to look at the variety of a reef you go better with a big tank.

 

[@ombomb]

i would never buy a "complete setup"

it's a complete bare minimum setup 95% of the time and you just have to spend time and effot modifying it

buy the glass and the equipment seperately and you get what you need first time

 

[MHS]

Thanks for the advice.
Tomorrows the big day.. or at least I hope
I'm going with a Miracle Mud setup and I'm getting the biggest tank that I can afford so I might not be around in the nano section much longer.

You guys have been great

 

[kj23502]

Let us know what you go with...watching with interest

 

[MHS]

They didn't have anything worth buying in stock so I ordered a reef ready 30g [I'll get dimensions later] and a cabinet with a 20g refugium got them to through a free light and miracle mud in also so I'm thinking total system volume will be around 40g. I hope that still falls under nano
Now I have to wait the 8 weeks for it to be processed built and shipped

I'll start a journal then!

 

[BigC]

WTG,
Cant wait to see your journal, as they provide many people with the knowledge, of both the triumphs and the pitfalls of owing a marine aquarium.
Bet you cant wait to get going. Consider the new AquaRay lighting from TMC I was really impressed by them.

Regards
BigC

 

[MHS]

Should I get a UPS to hook up my powerheads and heater incase of power outage?

 

[MHS]

Consider the new AquaRay lighting from TMC I was really impressed by them.

I took a look at them and they look pretty good.. its between that and MH.

Also while I'm at it i'll get a hospital/quarantine soon just so I can get my feet wet.
what i'm thinking is a 20g H with 35w PC lighting, UV sterilizer, HOB filter. Will i need an Ozonizer or Protein Skimmer?

 

[BigC]

One school of thought is that you dont need to skim small tanks if you waterchange on a weekly basis, well I can tell you from experience I have a small V2 Nano Skimmer in an equally small sump/refugium below my tank, I waterchange religiously, week in week out and you wanna see the gunk this skimmer takes out of the water, so drawing from that I would say yes a small tank would benefit from some sort of skimming.
Regards
BigC

 

[SkiFletch]

Should I get a UPS to hook up my powerheads and heater incase of power outage?

Excellent idea Don't use the heater though, it'll drain the UPS FAST, just the powerheads to keep the tank oxygenated.