What Hardware Do I Need To Buy For My Nano Setup?

[pscl227]

Hi,

I'm converting an old 90 Litre fresh water cube tank over to a marine tank, would be helpful if someone could tell me what I need to purchase. I would like to avoid using live rock if possible, here is what i currently have:

-90 Litre Tank
-External tetratec canister filter
-100 watt heater (will probably buy a new in-line heater)
-hood with 2 x 11watt red/white tubes

what i think i need:
-RO unit (I live in the country so its a bit far to travel to a shop every time i need a water change!)
-Sand substrate (would like to steer clear of crushed coral if possible)
-UV Sterilizer
-LED lighting system, I have done an electronics course so i should be capable of doing my own if anyone has some good links.
-Skimmer

What am i missing, anything obvious?
Any recommended brands or products for the stuff i need to buy?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[jtnova13]

may i ask why you don't want to do live rock?

You can use the canister filter, but will have to clean filter material or detritus can build up.

Live rock is a must to fix corals to as well as providing filtration. Not much point to do a fish only nano tank.

No need to do a LED lighting system if you aren't going to keep corals. If you have a RO unit, you probably won't need a UV sterilizer.

What is your plan for this tank? A reef?

 

[seffieuk]

Hi,

I'm converting an old 90 Litre fresh water cube tank over to a marine tank, would be helpful if someone could tell me what I need to purchase. I would like to avoid using live rock if possible, here is what i currently have:

why do you want to avoid live rock? I can't think of one person on here that doesn't use live rock in their main display as filtration

-90 Litre Tank
-External tetratec canister filter
-100 watt heater (will probably buy a new in-line heater)
-hood with 2 x 11watt red/white tubes

what i think i need:
-RO unit (I live in the country so its a bit far to travel to a shop every time i need a water change!) If you are the uk, check out ROman
Sand substrate (would like to steer clear of crushed coral if possible) Aragonite sand - I like the caribsea bahama mix

-UV Sterilizer Most agree that running a uv 24/7 is not required. If have an outbreak of ich or the like then it would be good to run one

-LED lighting system, I have done an electronics course so i should be capable of doing my own if anyone has some good links.
Excellent have a look at the two threads currently running in the hardware section

-Skimmer, some people don't run a skimmer on that size tank. but i would put a nano one on there

What am i missing, anything obvious?

Powerheads with at least 20x turnover of water an hour (mind you if you are not having rock or corals and just fish, then you will not need so much flow) - it is going to look very bare though

Refractometer

Test kits, salifert, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph for now

Salt

bucket to mix salt plus another powerhead and heater for making the salty stuff

syphon

temp gauge

algae magnet - buy a good one

Any recommended brands or products for the stuff i need to buy?

Thanks,

Paul

Seffie x

 

[pscl227]

Hey,

The reason i wanted to avoid live rock is that i assume it is dug up from the ocean from either Indonesia or Fuji?

is this correct?

Paul

 

[TigerIssey]

Not exactly no.

It is from the ocean but tends to be bits that break loose and end up in the shallows.

By the way more Live Rock is used to make roads and walls in these places than is actually exported as Live Rock for use in aquariums. The LR exported for our use is more than 10x the cost of that used for building.

 

[pscl227]

interesting, shall need to do some more reading on this, could you not use something like volcanic rock then propagate the bacteria on it?

EDIT:

I see that CITES monitor the collection of live rock, i guess in that case i could sleep at night if i got some given its benefits to the aquarium.

EDIT 2:

TigerIssey, I see you live in the forest of bowland, i just live on the edge of the trough in Lancaster, just wondering what LFS you use or would recommend?

 

[TigerIssey]

Not sure on that.

Only other recommended rock I have seen is Reef bones which is dead LR. This you seed using a small quantity of Live Rock.

Not sure about over here but some places are using a substitute rock and leaving it in the sea to establish bacteria and other life.

You can make your own rock using cement and something else (someone would be able to tell tou what to use), but to be honest, the collection of LR is sustainable. TMC which is the biggest importer over here uses very ethical collection stations and colection methods for LR, fish and corals.

They do a presentation called from Reef to Retailer, have alot about it. Whilst TMC prices can be high, this is because they have managed to get the survival rate of what they collect to 99-100%. Quotas are constantly monitored and once the quota is reached, no more are collected until they are allowed to again. The detail is very surprising, but also heartwarming.

Don't believe alot of stories made up by people against reef keepers, they do not paint the full picture.

 

[pscl227]

Tiger, see edit2 to my post i made above

Well if i am going to get live rock corals etc i do not want anything going wrong so i am thinking of maybe using a sump, would this be adivisable, they do look a little complicated, but nothing i couldnt manage (i think!)

I can see this is going to be a large project! Probably start in 2-3 months and do everything properly.

I have already bought "the nano-reef handbook" and "super simple guide to corals" can you recommend any other books? I know people say to use the internet which i will, but i also like having everything in the one place.

Cheers,

Paul

 

[TigerIssey]

Sorry I did not see your edit.

The main LFS I use is McMillans at Ribbleton in Preston, all of her stock is TMC, if you go there, tell Becky that Tina sent you there. I avoid Reef anf River in Morcambe like the plague, was told to by my other halfs boss who used to make aquarium stands for shops around here.

I also use Maidenhead aquatics at Blackpool. Aquahome at Leyland is quite good too.

A coral Bible which you will see refferred to as THE BOOK, is Aquarium Corals, Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric Borneman. £30ish offf the net but well worth the expense.

My most recent Bible is The Reef Aquarium Volume 3, Science, Art and Technology by JC Delbeek and J Sprungs. All equipment you are likely to ever need is covered as is water and everything really. It is Technical but well worth it IMO. Again a bit pricey but you may get one second hand if you look about £50.

I use a sump,well worth getting your head around and has marvellous benefits. Not necessary but pro's outweigh cons IMO.

I am in Oakenclough, where are you??

 

[pscl227]

Reef and River is the worst IMO, i bought 5 H.Rasboras from there to add to my shoal, but they all died within the week in my quarantine tank, the place just looks horrible, and the few times i have been in to look there is always a fair bit of dead stock, which never looks good!

I will go and have a look in McMillans some time next week!

Like i say i am just on the edge of lancaster by the Aston Memorial, dont make is as far down as Oakenclough that often, but i do go walking in the trough most evenings, lovely place!

 

[TigerIssey]

I know where you are.

At least you already know about Reef and River anyway.

 

[Truck]

interesting, shall need to do some more reading on this, could you not use something like volcanic rock then propagate the bacteria on it?

this is happening, companies are dumping masses of rock in the ocean, and cultivating bacteria and are collecting it a year later.

 

[Musho3210]

interesting, shall need to do some more reading on this, could you not use something like volcanic rock then propagate the bacteria on it?

this is happening, companies are dumping masses of rock in the ocean, and cultivating bacteria and are collecting it a year later.

Tampa Bay Saltwater cultivated all sorts of reef inhabitants and collect it in 5-8 years if im not mistaken, I'm not sure if they ship to the UK though, very popular in the US because rocks shipped from reefs out in Oceania and the Caribbean are power blasted with water to remove surface organisms, but since TBS (tampa bay saltwater) uses homemade live rock they dont need to follow those regulations, therefore having much more life on the rock, plus they ship with the rock submerged in water.

So look into them and see if they ship to where you are, you seem like the environmentally conscious type, so TBS would be perfect for you.

 

[TigerIssey]

They don't ship to England Musho, have looked at them following a link posted by Ski a while ago now. Extremely expensive aswell.

More collection stations are using reef bone type rock and placing in it vats or in the ocean to become live now anyway. I read that in recent magazine artice, cannot think which it was now though.

 

[Musho3210]

They don't ship to England Musho, have looked at them following a link posted by Ski a while ago now. Extremely expensive aswell.

More collection stations are using reef bone type rock and placing in it vats or in the ocean to become live now anyway. I read that in recent magazine artice, cannot think which it was now though.

Sea Life Inc. is cheaper than TBS, and in the US they have some high quality rock, but thats probably why its so expensive, and im sure, like you said, there are comparable organizations that can be used in the UK.

Of course you could do it yourself, just use reef bone type rock in your tank, add a small to medium sized piece of live rock, and watch it all turn to live rock within a few months, provided you give it a food source. I did that with my tank, 75% dry rock, 25% live. It all became live in about... say 3 months or so.