10 Gallon Nano

A

agruetz

New member
OK, so I have had numerous fresh water tanks over the years, I have always wanted a salt water tank. Had to get rid of my large fresh water tank a few years back, now I am finally to a place where I can have a small tank again. I opted to go with a salt water tank since I have always wanted on. However I have some questions.

1) What type of filtration is going to be best here?
- Currently have a penguin 100 (left over from a previous fresh water tank)
- Considering some sort of protein skimmer thoughts?
- Refugium yes/no/maybe?
2) What type of power head if any should be used here, not sure I have ever had a tank this small.
3) I am considering this lighting opinions please?
- 20 Inch 2x18 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture - Marine
4) Considering a reef keeper lite as well opinions?
- this way I can control the light, temp sensors etc....

Stock - Not sure what to stock opinions welcome here were my thoughts though.

2 x Clown Fish
1 x Colony Polyp, Eagle Eye
1 x Colony Micro Polyp, Ultra Colored
1 x Colony Polyp, Orange/Green
1 x Blue Sympodium Polyp

Maybe switch one of these with a LPS or SPS hard coral unsure. I am a bit concerned the above may over stock the tank because it is so small. Recommendations welcome.

Currently I have the tank cycling, with live sand and will be adding some live rock this week. Hope to order the light, reef keeper other odds and ends that are needed at the end of the week. Thanks for any input.
 
Best of luck. I have a 55g eel tank and I'm going to move my tomato clowns into my 10g (which is up and cycling now) before they get eaten...bound to happen soon, my scooter blenny got eaten today.

What lights do you plan on using? That's my big question for you.
 
- 20 Inch 2x18 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture - Marine

Is what I am considering with the reef keeper ALC so I can dim it and what not. I believe it comes with a 2 x 10K white bulbs. Was also looking at some moon pod LED's for night time. Do not know if it needs the bulbs switch to something different or not.
 
Subscribing... Im in the same boat. Just starting a 10G for my Son. Im going with an AC 70 for filtration but not sure on light as well.
 
Well I am probably going to order the above light setup this weekend should get it within the next week so. I will let you know how it goes.
 
Incase anyone is interested

Incase anyone is interested

Here are some pictures of what it looks like so far. It is not much yet, just some sand and a rock. Lights and power heads and what not got ordered this weekend. I will update again once I install all that. (Picture quality is not that great, but better than nothing).
 

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FYI - you cannot dim T5 bulbs - like any flourescent bulb, they are on/off only. So, rather than spend the extra money on a controller, you can just get a normal $5 light timer and use that. Good luck with your build.
 
kilroy217 said:
FYI - you cannot dim T5 bulbs - like any flourescent bulb, they are on/off only. So, rather than spend the extra money on a controller, you can just get a normal $5 light timer and use that. Good luck with your build.
Click to expand...

Crap, I thought T5's were dimable. Might have to send it back then.
 
20 Inch 2x18 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture

Now does anyone know if the above has a dim-able ballast?
 
20 Inch 2x18 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture is going to be inadequate for anything but a fish only tank. Lowest light 10 gallon tank I've run had 2X26 watt curly PCs and I only had mushroom corals in the tank, and even that was marginal.
 
Agu said:
20 Inch 2x18 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture is going to be inadequate for anything but a fish only tank. Lowest light 10 gallon tank I've run had 2X26 watt curly PCs and I only had mushroom corals in the tank, and even that was marginal.
Click to expand...

Even with a 10k Bulb and 420/460nm Bulb? All my research pointed to this would be enough. (Granted I am new so research and practical application are different). What is your recommendation?
 
You can run the 2x24 model over that tank. The fixture hangs over but the bulbs don't, so there's no light spillover.

This was a 10g I made, with the 2x24 (which was bright enough your stated purposes)

15p4lft.jpg
 
Would adding another 2 x 18 do it, or is it just simple not enough to get to the bottom (Keep in mind this is around 12in deep. So it is rather small.
 
I've used 2X26 watt curly PCs on a frag tank but any light loving frags were kept high in the tank, and they were only in there short term.

The Coralife powerquads with 96Watts of PC lighting will grow almost anything in a ten gallon. Currently I'm using one in conjunction with an ecoxotic Panorama led module for a ten gallon softies tank. I've also used the Marineland Reef LEDs over a ten with good results. However you'll have to raise the Matineland LEDs about 3" to get good coverage because of the narrow optics.

Haven't used T5s only because it didn't seem worth the change from PC. Just jumped to LEDs and IMHO that's the way to go on a ten gallon tank.
 
So out of curiosity now, how do you determine how much lighting is needed? I am assuming you guys are drawing off experiance but is there a general rule of thumb these days or?
 
12g nano cube lighting

12g nano cube lighting

I have a 12g nano as my first reef tank. The challenges of a small tank were significant, mostly in terms of water chemistry. With lighting however, its been much easier. I've done well with an aquaray 1500 ocean blue which fits nicely over the tank. Here's a link to the one I got since they all have similarly confusing names.

http://www.qualitymarine.com/News/New-Dry-Goods/AquaRay-AquaBeam-1500-Ocean-Blue-(07/17/11)

It doesn't produce much heat at all which quickly became apparent to me as a major challenge with small tanks.:fish2:
 
Does not seem like that would be enough light? All I really want is something dim able, 20in and bright enough to grow corals. That does not cost a small fortune. I know I know I am asking a lot any suggestions welcome though.
 
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