"temporary Nano"

[eschaton]

I'm currently into freshwater planted tanks, and really been researching the saltie side of the hobby to a large extent the past few months. In my freshwater tanks, I'm always far more into the snails and shrimp in my tanks than the fish themselves.

Only a few things have been keeping me away from starting a saltwater tank. One is that I don't have much room in my one-bedroom apartment (I currently have set up a 5.5-gallon planted nano, a 40-gallon planted, and a 20-gallon barebottom which is intended as an overflow/breeding tank more or less. The second thing is I plan on buying a house this summer. I've saved up a few thousand, and I don't want to dip into it. I also don't want to set up an elaborate tank just to take it apart again.

I do have some spare equipment now. I have a spare 20-gallon, glass lid, and heater. I also have two Coralife high-power plant fixtures which are being unused now. Each has a 14 watt full-spectrum and a 14 watt 6700K bulb in it. They're quite powerful, although I know the spectra isn't ideal.

So my thought is to set up a bare-bones, possibly ugly nano for the time being. Buy a powerhead or two, an RO/DI unit - maybe a skimmer. Don't bother with a sump or a refugium because it's temporary. Over-buy live-rock and live sand for its size (deep sand bed plus 40 pounds of live rock). Mainly use the tank to allow the live rock and live sand bed to mature. Build a clean-up crew and some inverts, but that's about it. Then when I move into a house with more room, transport the live rock and live sand into a slightly-larger, more dedicated setup.

Anyone see a flaw with this rationalizat...I mean plan?

 

[SkiFletch]

Just do yourself a favor and run some phosphate remover like rowaphos or phosban. A little prevention goes a long way

 

[sianeds]

Sounds fine to me...although you do realise that once you've set your SW tank up your whole life will change.....

You already have symptoms of MT (multi-tank) Syndrome It's gonna get worse when you add salt...You'll start seeing things that you can now keep..then realise you need a bigger/whole new tank.........

You will start boring your friends with funny anecdotes about the time your bristleworm met your asterina star......

You will spend increasing amounts of time online discussing the merits of various protein skimmers/powerheads/lighting sytems

You also will find at the same time that the little bit of money left for you to spend every month disappears within a week of payday because you NEEDED that shrimp or the coral....

You will become amazed that random people you meet don't also spend hours staring at rocks looking for critters/don't know what a DSB is/have never heard of a refugium.

You will want to work overtime. You will want to rush home after work to see your tank. You decide not to go on holiday as you don't trust anyone with your tank and insted spend the money on a bigger sump....

Welcome to the salty side of life 8) It's wonderful here!!!

 

[Redstratplayer1]

sianeds we should write a sticky on the dangers of MTS....

i am already looking into setting up a second tank for pipe fish and i dont even have water in my first one lol

 

[sianeds]

Yeah it happens pretty quick. I was telling Boshank last night how my parents are worried because I've been asking them to find out if the wall between their garage and the living room is structural. I reckon I could have a good 8 or 9 ft viewing window cut into the wall with a big big big tank in the garage

Unfortunately I have to wait until they die and I inherit the house....

I can see why this train of thought is worrying them...but in my defence it will take me a long time to save up enough to afford a tank like that so I really should start planning it now

 

[Redstratplayer1]

lol