buying new tank and supplies today...suggestions?

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Hello all. This is my first post to this forum and I am very excited to be here. I plan on buying my tank and supplies today and was curious if any of you could suggest anything to me. I think I am going to buy the Via Aqua 11 gallon setup with filter, lights and powerhead in the box. It's the LV 418 kit to those who know what I'm talking about. Is there anything in particular I should ask the people at the LFS? I have been researching a lot the past couple of weeks so I think I know enough to get started. Should I use all live sand or just some? I've read that a 3-4 watt per gallon lighting requirement be used. Also, do I need a protein skimmer for my 11 gallon? Any answers to these questions or other comments are welcome. Thanks to all of you in advance.

[gas4544]

Greetings, and welcome to ReefCentral. :)

I am not familiar with this particular nano tank set-up. What components are in this kit and what is the total cost?

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Here's the link to the Via Aqua tanks. It's model LV-418.

http://www.commodityaxis.com/tank.htm

[Court_Jester]

So what are you planning to house in the tank? The answer to that question will determine if the setup is appropriate or not.

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Hey Dreamer!
Welcome to RC! :D
I took a look at that site and I've seen this tank before. Last year at the Western Marin Conference, CPR had this tank set up on their table. Nice little tank. The light provided looks like you'd be able to keep only low light requiring critters.

It's also a tall tank and the light intensity at the bottom will be much less (by how much I don't know) especially with an 18 watt PC bulb.

So it will depend on what kinds of corals you want to keep now and in the future. That will determine if you want this kind of setup or not.

There's a lot of choices out there with different configurations... tank size, lighting source, circulation, refugiums, skimming... some with all the gadgets, some with minimal tech, and some in between. Now that you've done a bunch of reading on reef care, I'd suggest searching here on the Nano Reefs forum for ideas about the actual setup you want with an eye to the future for the kinds of critters you might be interested in later. Doing a little extra research on top of what you've already done will probably save you a lot of money later on with your equipment.

Enjoy your new tank when you get it! Keep us up to date on your progress! :D

[tyesmithND]

Dreamer,

I doubt you would want the "under gravel filter".
Also, how much does this setup cost ( i didn't see a price on the website). It might be easier, cheaper, and more fun to just use a 10 gallon tank and pick and choose your components. You could increase the quality of lighting a little bit and then be able to keep a more diverse and interesting collection of corals.

If you do deciede to go with it I would get the wider model. IT looks like it has 2X 18 watt PCs.

I hope all is well.

Tye

[HuBu]

you really dont need a skimmer. if the cost of this tank of your is more than $50. forget about it. and buy a standard tank from petsmart or something. then just add lighting and a filter and a powerhead. add some LS, LR, some PC lighting, salt water and let it cycle. i have a 10 gal tank and just started 2 months ago. learned a lot. any questions?

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Hello again all! Well, I decided to purchase a larger tank than I had originally planned on. I went with a 20 gallon, Via Aqua tank with wood trim. The tank is wider than the 11 gallon I had mentioned before and looks nicer in my room. I included a link to my Yahoo Photos with pics. of the supplies and the tank. Right now it's not running PC lights but when the retrofit kit comes out in a couple weeks I will be upgrading to that. Thanks for all the suggestions from all of you, it's much appriciated. As I type this the salt/water mix is settling and I will be adding the "Nature's Ocean" live sand tomorrow. Please again post anything I should know about , all suggestions are welcome. Thanks again.

Link to tank and supplies:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/chuckchance/lst?.dir=/20+Gallon+Via+Aqua+Reef+Tank&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/

[tyesmithND]

Dreamer,

Wow, Thats a nice looking finish. You decide what you want to keep in there yet?

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Yeah, that's pretty slick. I'm wondering how much wattage you can jam into that hood. Looks good so far. Keep up with the pics! It'd be nice to follow you through your experience for both novice and experienced reefers.

[clowdy]

lots of light is best. 3-4 watts/g is sort of the minimum rule but many corals need lots more than that. its worth the extra money in the end becuase you wont be as limited to the types of corals you can keep. the other really important thing is not to skimp on the LR. my opinion is that the 1lb per gallon rule is too little for a nano. personally i would try to do at leat 1.5 to 2 lbs, since LR is the primary filtration method for a nano. this will keep your levels more stable.

also don't fall prey to the "over anxious" bug that usually bites new nano reefers. add inhabitants very slowly. other wise you risk crashing the system. patience is a BIG virtue in this hobby.

you should also find out when delivery day is at your LFS and buy your corals and/or fish the day after. this gives them a chance to recover from shipping and you can see what looks healthy and what appears to have not done well. you'll get healther animals that way.

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Well, it's been nearly 24 hours since I poured the salt mix, so I'm close to adding the LS. I think I should put in all 20 gallons, 1 gallon of sand to 1 gallon of water. Is it OK to add the LR on Friday afternoon if I add the sand tonight. It would give it approx. 60 hours for the sand to settle. Also, is there a particular kit I should use to check the iodine/calcium/alkalinity? Another question I have is how to mix the salt water when I do a water change because I know it has to have the right salinity level and close to the proper temp. of my tank, and I've heard that I should do a major water change my first time out. Last but not least, how do I check the Ph level? Thanks again for all the help and suggestions. I can't wait to start adding my LR on Friday!

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Well, it's been nearly 24 hours since I poured the salt mix, so I'm close to adding the LS. I think I should put in all 20 gallons, 1 gallon of sand to 1 gallon of water. Is it OK to add the LR on Friday afternoon if I add the sand tonight. It would give it approx. 60 hours for the sand to settle. Also, is there a particular kit I should use to check the iodine/calcium/alkalinity? Another question I have is how to mix the salt water when I do a water change because I know it has to have the right salinity level and close to the proper temp. of my tank, and I've heard that I should do a major water change my first time out. Last but not least, how do I check the Ph level? Thanks again for all the help and suggestions. I can't wait to start adding my LR on Friday!

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Originally posted by *NaNo DrEaMeR*
I think I should put in all 20 gallons, 1 gallon of sand to 1 gallon of water.
It's okay to add the live sand in after the water has been mixed for at least 24 hours. You might even try adding some more substrate and build up your sandbed to about 3" or 4". A DSB is not that feasible in a nano, but a nice depth of 3" or 4" helps with living space for all your sand critters. You can add dry substrate to your live sand. It all become live in a matter of months.

Is it OK to add the LR on Friday afternoon if I add the sand tonight. It would give it approx. 60 hours for the sand to settle. Also, is there a particular kit I should use to check the iodine/calcium/alkalinity?
Adding the LR on Friday would be fine. In fact, you could add it at the same time as the sand. In my 2 tanks, I added my live rock first and then after a week or so, I added the sand. No real reason for this, it just worked out that way. So I don't think, in the long run, it matters when you add the LR and the LS.

As for testing, I wouldn't worry about iodine testing. You don't even need to add it. There should be enough traces of it in your salt mix. I don't even test for calcium or alk anymore. All my water changes take care of all those levels. The only thing I add to my tanks are make up water (RO/DI only), and food.

Another question I have is how to mix the salt water when I do a water change because I know it has to have the right salinity level and close to the proper temp. of my tank, and I've heard that I should do a major water change my first time out.
Get a 5 gallon jug to mix your salt water in so you can keep a bunch on hand. You could run a small heater and powerhead inside to heat and circulate your salt mix. Personally, I like to mix up 5 gallons worth by just shaking the jug. When I want to use some of it, I heat it up the night before with small heater, shake the hell out of the jug for a few minutes, test the S.G., and pour. With 5 gal jug and a weekly water changes, I only need to make new salt water every month and a half to 2 months.

Last but not least, how do I check the Ph level?
There are test kits out there from cheap to expensive for just about everything you'd want to check for. Get an ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits to watch your tank cycle. After it cycles, you'll probably never test for these again unless there's something wrong. For Ph, you could probably get away with Tetra's Ph test kit. But again, regular water changes will help with balancing all your params.

The best test kit is, of course, your eyes. Watch your tank. Watch the critters, hitch hikers, fish... note what's normal for your tank over time. When something goes wrong, you'll know it. Then fire off some messages here on RC! :D

Others here probably have much more experience with test kits. I just never bother anymore.

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions. I can't wait to start adding my LR on Friday!
Get some more pics of your tank as you go! We wanna see! :D New tanks are so much fun to watch as they grow!

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Hey Jeff, thanks a lot for the input. Those answers were exactly what I needed to know. I decided to buy a test kit after school this morning that checks Ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Also, at the LFS I went to they want to charge $8/lb. for the Figi Live Rock. Isn't that a little much? I've seen other places as low as $4/lb but the rock I saw today looked the best and had a lot of life on it. Thanks and keep the info. coming.

[Pinecone_Jeff]

If the rock looks good, smells good, and has nice coralline coverage, I say go for it. That's the nice thing about keeping nanos... you can totally splurge and not become that broke! :D If it's the best you've seen around town, I'd get it.

And all that stuff I said above is just stuff from my experience thus far. I'm still learning so much about reefing, so try to get more info from others on this board.

Your enthusiasm is catchy! I'm totally iching to do another nano! :D

[heero_huy]

NaNo DrEaMeR

Just wondering where you got your Via Aqua aquarium from and how much you paid for it. It's a nice looking aquarium.
I was looking at getting a small nano for my room and debating on which tank to get.

Thanks

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Hey Heero! I actually got the aquarium here at a LFS in Sacramento. I paid $250 for the aquarium tank, which came with lighting, powerhead, heater and hydrometer. The silver color was much cheaper at $189 but the wood works well in my room. It's sitting on a nightstand at the end of my bed. I think it looks really clean and has the curved front corners. I'm glad I picked this one out. I'm really happy! Good luck.

[heero_huy]

Thanks for the reply nano dreamer.
Ouch, can't believe there's such a premium for the oak look.
Too bad I didn't live down there or I'd get a silver one.
Those aquariums look really nice and sleek.
Wonder how much lighting you can fit under there.

Good luck with your nano, it's looking really good.

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

I finally got all of my rock in and set this morning. Check out the pics. in my updated Yahoo Photos album.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/chuckchance/lst?.dir=/20+Gallon+Via+Aqua+Reef+Tank&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Nice aquascaping! Looks good. Now comes the hard part... waiting. :D

You know, I would suggest getting some detritivore kits. Ron Shimek recommends getting the Indo Pacific Sea Farms kit and the Inland Aquatics kit. Lots of pods, worms, snails... just a lot of diversity. I got both kits for both my tanks and wow! Lots of pod and worm life even after over a year!

Here's Indo Pacific's web site: http://www.ipsf.com/
And this is Inland's: http://www.inlandaquatics.com/

The IPSF site has what's called a 9 for $99 package. And Inland has a detritivore kit for $60. They're pricey but well worth it.

[*NaNo DrEaMeR*]

Hey Jeff! Thanks for the note to buy the packages you listed. I'll look into that. Tonight I bought an actinic bulb for the live rock and a new Marineland "Penguin" 550 powerhead which pumps out over 145gph. My tank is a 20 gallon, is that too powerful? Next, someone told me to put the actinic bulb on the live rock for about 6 hours/day to give it a nice purple color, is this true? Also, should I be checking pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels yet? Last but not least, I've heard that a month is OK to cure the live rock, can anyone confirm this? Thanks in advance.

[aquaddict]

You're in Sacramento? Would you mind saying what LFS you're dealing with? Do you plan to mail order your livestock pr buy locally?

I've been dealing with Exotic Aquarium for livestock. Have you found a better source? Capital Aquarium had few invertebrates and only a tank or two of live rock. O Street had nice corals.

What do you think? Good luck on your tank.