Going to start a nano soon, need your advice

[hEcToR1520]

I recieved my shipment today so now I'm just about ready...all that's left is the livestock. Ok, what I have so far is:
10 AGA tank
DIY stand
Whisper 200gph Power filter
200gph powerhead
50 watt heater
glass hydrometer w/ thermometer (are these things accurate?)
20 lbs. CaribSea Tahitian Moon sand (the black one)
Instant Ocean Salt
and misc stuff (nets, spare thermometer..)
I'm working on the canopy. The canopy is going to have 3 7W PC, 1 15W NO 50/50, and I'll get the pure actinic bulb soon that will replace the 50/50 or maybe I'll just keep both.
OK, now the real reason I posted in the skimmerless section is because I can't afford to buy a skimmer so I thought of going skimmerless. Is this a good route with what I have planned?
It will start as a FOWL at first, but as soon as I get enough funds, it will become a reef. Will the 36 W or 51 W I have planned be enough? I would like to add a tiny clam sometime so suggest on additional lighting. The only fish I have planned are a either 2 false percs, or a false perc and a purple firefish. Oh, I will also get a basic clean up crew...

Guys, suggestions, comments, anything please....
I'll try to get pics of everything laid out and some pics of my DIY stand
Thanks alot in advance

[Timbo]

Hector,

glass hydrometer w/ thermometer (are these things accurate?)
20 lbs. CaribSea Tahitian Moon sand (the black one)
Instant Ocean Salt

I don't think I'd use either of these two items you bought. The hydrometers that have the thermometer in them are not accurate at all. Your best bet is to pic up either a plastic swing arm hydrometer and have it calibrated by someone using a refractometer or to buy one of the Tropic Marin glass hydrometers. I have found the Tropic Marin brand hydrometers to be pretty accurate although they are very fragile. Everything else seems fine.

I'm working on the canopy. The canopy is going to have 3 7W PC, 1 15W NO 50/50, and I'll get the pure actinic bulb soon that will replace the 50/50 or maybe I'll just keep both.

That lighting sounds about fine for some soft corals like mushrooms and zoanthids. Anything more light demanding might have a difficult time with such little light. You might want to check out http://www.ahsupply.com for some other choices in cheap, powerful lighting.

OK, now the real reason I posted in the skimmerless section is because I can't afford to buy a skimmer so I thought of going skimmerless. Is this a good route with what I have planned?

Skimmerless is fine. I am running my current nano skimmerless and am having no problems what soever. If your tank is skimmerless however you will need to either grow a lot of macro algae within the tank or in an outside refugium or you will need to do regular water changes every week. One or two gallons at a time should be fine.

It will start as a FOWL at first, but as soon as I get enough funds, it will become a reef. Will the 36 W or 51 W I have planned be enough? I would like to add a tiny clam sometime so suggest on additional lighting. The only fish I have planned are a either 2 false percs, or a false perc and a purple firefish. Oh, I will also get a basic clean up crew...

That lighting will be fine for soft corals but it most certainly will not be okay for a clam. If you are planning on a clam, you better start looking into metal halide lighting. As for the fish, two fish is fine but if you plan on having them you really will have to keep on top of the once a week water change schedule.

I hope you found my advice useful, let us know if you have anymore questions.

Tim

[Q-ball]

Yup, agree with Timbo...if you don't have your lights yet, I'd just plan on more right up front. My 7g has 4x13 pc's over it, and honestly I'm thinking about adding another 2x13's already & it's only been setup a week total:D Also, play with that Whisper some, you may find that 200gph from one point may be a bit much. A 10g is a bit higher than my 7g though I think, so maybe not, but I've got a 100gph Aquaclear on mine and I think that's all I'd want. I do have 2 more powerheads in there though, MicroJet404's at about 80gph adjustable, one of them with a spraybar to disburse it in the back. Good cross currents, mixing flow will be better than having all your flow coming from one direction imo. Anyhow, HTH & Good Luck!!!

Q!!!

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Hi Hector,
I just started a 10 gal nano recently. Just a few weeks. One thing I did pretty much right away was buy some livesand from Indo Pacific Sea Farms http://www.ipsf.com. Their package, I think it's called Surfzone Live Sand Activator Plus, has all kinds of micro and macro organisms for your sand from tiny hermit crabs to snails, worms, amphipods, macro algae, and of course a small amount of live sand and a bunch more stuff.

I also got 4 lbs of live sand from Geothermal Aquaculture Reseach Facility (GARF) http://www.garf.org that came with some course crushed coral and shell gravel as well as some rich looking silt. GARF is kinda wierd, but they have some good products.

I'm also planning on getting some more live sand from Inland Aquatics http://www.inlandaquatics.com. They have some great detritivore kits as well as live sand.

As for lighting, I have a 2x32 PC setup from AH Supply. I can't say enough good things about this outfit. They really have some great deals on lights and fixtures. Easy to setup and really sharp looking. I've got a 6400K and a Blue bulb and I think it looks great. I plan on having mostly softies and some LPS. I might even try some hardy SPS corals once my tank fully matures in six months or so. Maybe I'll wait year for SPSs.

By the way, where can we post pics of our tanks here. I'm new to this forum. Thanks!