Opinions on new Nano?

[BarryF]

Hi all, I think that this would be a great starting-nano, I'd appreciate some feedback on the equipment listing so that I can start purchasing things this weekend. I've been reasearching for the last two weeks, and I think I've spent about 12 hours on this site today. :eek2:

Here is what I've come up with. :D
Tank
20 Gal long tank
Stand
Glass Canopy

Light from AHSupply
30" Enclosure
Fixtures
Bulbs
55W 6400K
55W 10,000K PC

Filtration/Circulation
Aquaclear 200 w/o media (thinking about putting some LS&LR in there, input?)
2 Rio 200s w/ PVC spray bar fixtures
Live Rock, 20 lbs.
Live Sand, 15 lbs.
Arg. Sand, 15 lbs.

Heater, 100W Titanium (or 2x 50W..:confused: )
Instant Ocean, 200 G marine salt
3 Nets, 1 small, 1 fine small, 1 med/large
Buckets
Additives (input please)
Water Conditioners (input please)

Please take a good look at this and tell me if I'm crazy. :o

It'll take me about another month to get all of the equipment under one roof, one to two months of setup and cycling, and then I'll finally be ready to really get started!

Thanks!

[BarryF]

I just read that the rios aren't worth the hassle, I think I'll go with a minijet from Aq. Systems.

:)

[scd]

I wouldn't get the glass canopy. I have my 2x 55 pc's on feet over the tank... A glass canopy would trap a lot of heat.

Lighting sounds good. Does it have a fan built in?

Probably wouldn't be much use to put LR and LS in the filter and would make it harder to maintain the filter (clean, etc) ... My vote would be that putting stuff in it would be "too much" effort for little to no reward. I use my filter (no media) to house my second heater and to occasionally put a small bag of carbon.

I use a Prizm skimmer on my 15g... It works great for me, however it is rather noisy. But I saw you did not list a skimmer, so I assume you plan to go skimmerless.

Other than the skimmer and filter, for circulation I use a Hagan 402 powerhead (I recommend it!!, However the only other powerhead I have used is a PowerSweep (junk in my opinion))

The poundage of LR and sand sounds good... I would suggest not spending all the extra cash on 15 pounds of LS though... Maybe just 1-2 pounds of livesand from a good LFS or other established tank to seed your sand. Remember the LR will carry all the necessary bacteria as well.

I use a cheap drip unit for top-off, for a while i was dripping kalkwasser but stopped after a major agae outbreak... Not saying it was the Kalks fault! Just that I stopped using it. I actually think it was just the accumulation over time (4 years) of junk in the sand... Last weekend I emptied the tank and put in all new sand (seeded it with a few pounds of the old sand - for the worms and such) and the algae went away.

I put no additives in my tank, just bi weekly water changes.

Great luck with your set-up, what are you planning to stock it with?

[BarryF]

Originally posted by scd
Great luck with your set-up, what are you planning to stock it with?

The first thing that will go in there is a blue damsel, followed by a pair of percula. I *may* buy a tiny trigger, and swap him out with a smaller one when it outgrows the tank. The jury is still out there.

Basically, I would like to house 4-5 corals, some neat looking inverts (red emerald crab :) ), and 2-4 fish.

I've built my tank as general as I could make it, and I will research the proper corals to suit it, not the other way around as most people usually do it.


Oh yeah, the canopy is history. I will probably have to build something to elevate the lighting fixture somewhat, we'll see.

[scd]

I have a JBJ light (2X55)... They make clear plastic feet for it, which I use... The feet might have been $10. AH supplies might have something similiar??

I think any jury would be against the trigger after hearing all the evidence!! ; )

[BarryF]

Originally posted by scd
I think any jury would be against the trigger after hearing all the evidence!! ; )


Ha!:p

I was hoping, but it seems that it will not be a possibility. :) Heh, there are a myriad of others I can put in there, so I'm not too heartbroken.

[scd]

Yeah... I guess my "dream fish" would be a porcupine puffer, or maybe one of the more elaborate groupers... But i have to accept that neither would be happy for long (if ever) in a 15g... I hear the porcupine puffers can get to be over 2ft!!!!!

I have only one fish at the moment a ocelaris clown (had it for over 3 years!) They are great fish, very active, not timid, eat anything! Very hearty, lots of personality. Surely one of the best fish for a small tank. I did have a red tail psuedocromis which I returned to a LFS after a year... It was just too aggresive (killed a shrimp, attacked the clown and hermits regularily and it was timid (not out often) to top it off. I plan to add maybe a clown goby this weekend if I can find a healthy one locally.

[lizbeth]

I personally like the lights in an enclosure, I don't like light leaking all over the room. You might want to build something like the AH canopy but taller with a hinged top so you can work in the tank without removing it every time you want to get into the tank. I'm trying to get up the courage to spend the money and order the AH lights today for my 20. You'll probably need a fan set up, it's easy to do, I use a computer case fan powered by adjustable converter hooked to a timer. You'll need to add a couple of timer to your list.

The current is too great to put sand in the Aquaclear, if it gets in the impeller it's bad. I put base rock in my Aquaclear under the heater I have in there so I'll have something to attach frags to.

I use a glass cover on my 5.5, I'm not sure about what to do on the 20. I'll try it and I can always remove it.

You might want to rethink the damsel. I put one in the 5.5, he's a mean bugger. He's always after the cleaner shrip I put in a few days ago.

[tyesmithND]

My 2 suggestions,

No need to buy 2 seaperate heaters. As long as you buy a quality heater you shouldn't worry about needing the backup.

Don't buy the rios. I have had three in the past the only like to work 95% of the time.

[chess_wizard]

I haven't seen an comment on addatives/conditioner so i'll add to that.

For addatives, you will need to add calcium to the tank as corals and coraline algea consumes it. personally I use Kent Liquid Ca but there are alot of brands out there, Seachem is quite popular. You may need to add an alkalinity buffer deppending on your tanks consumption of alkalinity compunds. You may also want to add phytoplankton but i dont feel it is necessary.

All reef aquariums (especally nano's) should use purified water, either RO, DI, or a combination of both. tap water even with condition has alot of chemicles you dont want to get into your tank and build up much more quickly in a nano. Some people have had succsess on reef tanks with conditioning tap but its not recomended.

[absolutc]

First off - DO NOT BUY RIOS! they are crap and they are NOT UL approved!

Second - consider a TALL tank for a nano. 20 tall. I just took down a 20L because there was virtually 0 viewing pleasure to it. Its not tall, and allows hardly any room to grow up.


JMO's

Kris

[Vixyswillie]

I have only one fish at the moment a ocelaris clown

Got a nice pic, maybe??? :D