New to Nano Reefing

[Janako]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to get some "expert" opinions on my idea for my first nano reef before I start anything.

I plan on converting a 1.5 gal "Periscope Aquarium" from Toys R Us. First of all, do you think this "toy" would be a suitable home to a nano reef? I've already removed the periscope part so I have more volume inside the tank.

My biggest concern right now is the built-in undergravel filter. It has no hole to attatch a tubing to a filter to be of any real use and it has some rubber decorative corals on it. I'm deliberating the ff. options: a.) drill a hole in the plate so I can attatch a tube to a small filter; b.) cut out the whole thing so I'll have a nice clean-ish slate to work on; or c.) leave everything in and just build up my sand and rock on top of it.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions? =)

[K9]

Janako,

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For starters, I wouldn't recommend a 1.5g tank for a saltwater beginner. You would be much better off with at least a 30g tank or preferably larger. The reason being that water chemistry changes occur VERY rapidly in smaller tanks. In addition, just to compensate for evaporation alone, you'd have to add water to a 1.5g tank at least a couple times a day if not more.

In all honesty, it's awesome that you want to get into reefkeeping. It's a very exciting hobby. But you will have a much happier and rewarding first experience if you start with a much larger tank. Best of luck! :thumbsup:

[Sugar Magnolia]

Is this what you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005C265/102-4765694-9628121?v=glance

Not a good idea at all. Several reasons come to mind. It's made from plastic. Plastic scratches easily so there would really be no feasable way to clean the algae off the plastic. Secondly, the UG filter. UG's are not used in saltwater tanks because detritus accumulates under them leading to elevated nitrate levels. Lastly, trying to find a light to upgrade the lighting for that thing would be a nightmare because of the shape of the tank. If you really want to use that tank, stick a betta in it.

While I agree with the points that K9 mentioned, I think you'd be fine setting up a 10 gallon tank. Many, many people, myself included, started out with a small tank and did so succesfully. You just need to be willing to make the commitment to spend the time researching how to set up and maintain a nano tank and commit to the amount of time that needs to be spent maintaining the tank.

I commend you for asking about this tank before actually sticking sand and rocks in it. Stick around the forum, read as much as you can and ask plenty of questions! Here's an article to get you started - http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1

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[Janako]

Thanks for your suggestions. Yup, that's exactly the tank I was talking about. Getting a 12 gallon nano cube was actually my first option. I just wanted to ask around if using this little one would be possible cuz it would just look so cool as a saltwater tank since it's made to look as if it's already in the ocean anyway. hehe...

After your comments though, now I know the nano cube would be better for me to start off with. =) I'm still in the researching phase so it'll take a while before I even start buying the initail things I'll need for my first dive into a saltwater aquarium. =)

Thanks everyone!

[steelhealr]

Hi...check into the new upcoming AquaPod. If you buy a NanoCube, try to purchase it locally and not have it shipped via UPS or FEDEX. When choosing a tank, look for a solid and durable setup. Marine tanks are nothing like FW. Welcome aboard and show us some pix when you are up and running. SH

[lil_fishey]

ive heard ALOT of bad things about the 12 gal nc and their cracking issues i would go with a 24 and remember "dillution is the sollution to pollution" (anthony calfo) so the more water the better

i was going to start a 20 L but then i thought for not too much more i can add a sump and give me 20 more gallons of water and a place to hide the ugly stuff ex. skimmer filter ect. what im tryin to say is maybe get a 10 with a sump for some more volume

HTH (even though it has very little to do with your question :D)

[Henry22]

I would not go with a 24 Gallon NC, there even more notorious for cracking than a 12, you can check out the Current Aquapods if you want a self contained But i find that those and NC dont give you alot of room to customize. I Say if you want a nano a 20L with a 10 or 20 sump/fuge would be awesome. You could have 4 or five >3" fish. Of course you would have to have a skimmer and a fuge with some type of nitrate eating algae(chaeto) in there. You would also be wise to go drilled.

[lil_fishey]

sound exactly like what i did henry alothogh i dont have my rock in i got it full of water yesterday and i cant wait:D

[Tang333]

I agree with all of those above about the 1.5 tank- it doesn’t sound like that good of an idea…especially for a beginner. If you want to start off with a nano then I would recommend a 10-20 gallon tank. Before you decide on your tank and the overall set up it would be a good idea to decide what you want to keep. If you are just getting into saltwater you might want to go with FO (Fish Only) or FOWLR (Fish Only with Live Rock). In the future with some experience you can always upgrade the aquarium to make a full blown reef setup with various corals and inverts.

As for the type of aquarium I tend to shy away from pre-packaged self contained setups like NanoCubes and the Eclipse systems. Like Henry22 mentioned, they are limiting on customizing the tank to what you want to keep. I would probably go with any good quality aquarium around 15 gallons, add on a protein skimmer and make and DIY HOB (Hand On The Back) refugium from an AC300 or AC500 (AquaClear). Throw In a PowerQuad for lighting and a few other supplies and your good to go with a basic nano-reef setup.

Of course….It all depends on what you want to keep and how much time you have to invest. See the reef and then build the aquarium around it. After you have made these decisions, you can start looking at the aquarium to put it in.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Best of Luck
Tang333

[Henry22]

I just got my Coralife 96 powerquad in today from Innovativelights.com and was pleased, they shipped great so keep that in mind. I can now do all non SPS corals. Although I wish i have gotten a new tank instead of using my eclispe 15 tall because i really wany a six line. Go as big as possible, and take things slow, i did that up until i found some WC clowns that LOOKED healthy but hey died three days later. Take things slow and you should be fine.