Hey there new guy here

[z282z06]

Looking to start a small tank for mini type reef. Been out of the hobby for a while.

Question one is who makes a good hang on the tank skimmer?
2) Does anyone sell light kits that I can make my own hood for?

I am thinking about an anemone and a couple of clown fish, maybe some soft corals later on.

I'm open to suggestions on any equipment, but the tank will be a 10 gallon tank with a laminate stand.

I dont think I want to get involved with a sump, although I know thats the optimum setup from what I remember.

Also would you guys suggest a filter also?


Thanks, nice forum here!

[bertoni]

[welcome]

For small tanks, lots of people choose to skip the skimmer. For a 10g, that's what I'd do. A 10g is too small for a pari of clowns and an anemone, though. I'd recommend more like 30g and up.

There are lots of retrofit light kits available from online vendors. For a 10g setup, though, a clip-on light would be fine.

Live rock will make a fine filter for a 10g tank.

[kass03]

There really arent too many good H.O.B. skimmers but a remora is one of the better ones if you have to go H.O.B. I don't think the regular size quite fits on a 10 gal though. They make a nano size but I havent really heard how well they work. Most nano skimmers don't work real well from what Ive read.
You can get away without a skimmer if you do regular water changes.

An anemone is'nt really recommended for a 10 gal tank as they can get quite large but if you are going to get one they all require strong lighting such as either HO T5's or Metal halides.
I would suggest reading up on them before buying one as some clowns will only go in certain anemones and alot of them are hard to keep.

There is a nano forum here which I'm sure could answer alot of your questions better.
Yes you can buy retro kits to build your own lights take a look at reefgeek or some of the other sponsors here.
I have an aquapod nano so mine is all built in but what alot of people do is use enough live rock for filtration (at least 1 lb per gallon and more is better) and they also use an aquaclear or some other kind of filter to put carbon etc. in.
You can also convert them into a fuge.
To me by the time you buy all the equipment you prolly could have gotten an aquapod or similar lol but they have PC lighting which is'nt enough for an anemone but is enough for alot of other corals.

kass

[ahullsb]

I was going to get a small tank at first but everyone urged me to get at least a 40 gallon. They were right and I'm glad I didn't go smaller.

[z282z06]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9208431#post9208431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kass03
There really arent too many good H.O.B. skimmers but a remora is one of the better ones if you have to go H.O.B. I don't think the regular size quite fits on a 10 gal though. They make a nano size but I havent really heard how well they work. Most nano skimmers don't work real well from what Ive read.
You can get away without a skimmer if you do regular water changes.

An anemone is'nt really recommended for a 10 gal tank as they can get quite large but if you are going to get one they all require strong lighting such as either HO T5's or Metal halides.
I would suggest reading up on them before buying one as some clowns will only go in certain anemones and alot of them are hard to keep.

There is a nano forum here which I'm sure could answer alot of your questions better.
Yes you can buy retro kits to build your own lights take a look at reefgeek or some of the other sponsors here.
I have an aquapod nano so mine is all built in but what alot of people do is use enough live rock for filtration (at least 1 lb per gallon and more is better) and they also use an aquaclear or some other kind of filter to put carbon etc. in.
You can also convert them into a fuge.
To me by the time you buy all the equipment you prolly could have gotten an aquapod or similar lol but they have PC lighting which is'nt enough for an anemone but is enough for alot of other corals.

kass

where can I find info on a aquapod nano?

[kass03]

I have the 12 gal PC one and really like mine. They are glass as opposed to those plastic cheap ones you can get at a pet shop.

For an anemone you would want to go with the halide one though not the power compact lighting. Otherwise softies and LPS will be fine under the PC's.

I got mine free for being a trader at their coral conference last year but if I were buying one might wanna go with the 24 gal depending on how much you want to spend.
They come with bio balls and ceramic media but you don't need those. You just use enough live rock for filtration and can use the back chambers for carbon/ phos remover, heater etc.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13976&Ntt=aquapod&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

Heres a pict of mine about 6 weeks after setup cuz I used rock and sand from my 150 so it did'nt cycle at all. I added a bunch of frags to it from my 55 gal.
I set it up last July. I now have a yellow goby and a saddled blenny for fish. You can only keep about 2 smallish fish in a 10-12 gal.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kass03/f7e39c33.jpg

Yellow goby

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kass03/Image002.jpg

Saddled Blenny (carnivore not herbivore like alot of blennys. I think he keeps eating my nassarious snails lol).

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kass03/a70fd977.jpg

kass

[z282z06]

well the reason for the ten gallon was the fact that I have one kicking around. Money isnt a problem and I like the 24 gallon nano. It is glass right, not acrylic?

[z282z06]

So guys where would you buy one from? Who has the best price?
I guess I would go with the 24 gallon w/ halide lighting. What is a good starter kit for testing?

[z282z06]

one other question. I owuld like to use black sand, does anyone sell that for reef tanks?

[bertoni]

I've seen black sand for sale. I think PremiumAquatics.com carries one such product, and there are certainly other vendors. For testing a reef tank, I use a pH meter, a conductivity meter, and a thermometer, and test kits for calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. An ammonia test kit is handing when setting up a tank.