So before I get into the tank I want to build I feel like a little background is need of why I am doing a saltwater tank and why I am here on this forum in the first place.
Why Reef Central?
Well I am part of 3 other forums, 2 of which are active, 1 very active which is fine. My hobby has always revolved around freshwater but I'd often click into random threads to look at salt tanks. However now that I own salt and need the help, the salt sides of all of these forums are practically dead so wouldn't it make sense to join a saltwater dedicated forum? The answer is probably yes, so here I am!
How did I get into saltwater?
I have owned or been a part of freshwater tanks for around 10 years when my Dad and I got started on them. I grew up, got married and took my fish keeping a little further and now own 7-8ish tanks (ish? I make changes and break down and redo tanks pretty often so there isn't always 8 running)
About 1-2months ago I was looking through craigslist for deals on aquariums and somehow came across a 37g saltwater tank for $20, who is going to pass that up? Of course it wasn't going to be an amazing reef set up but a neglected FOWLR that someone had lost interest in. In short there was more hair algae than there was water, the live rock basically looked like giant marimo moss balls and the filtration consisted of an aqueon 10 and a Hydor nano 240.
I decided that I would get the tank and transfer it all down to a 20g long tank and use the stand since it would fit the 20g and that's what I did. I sold the 37g tank itself which reimbursed me for both the entire setup and paid for a bag of salt. Fast forward a little bit and after trying to turn the tank around by switching to RO water (previous owner used tap), adding a 425gph powerhead and trying to maintain the tank into better condition to no avail I started losing interest in it.
Sure, at this point you think well his 10g nano isn't going to last long. Well that's where you would be wrong, here's the think with the 20g, it wasn't my tank that I built, It was somebody else's failed effort that I was trying to make work thus no real pride or motivation to be had for me and that is why I am doing this tank, for me.
I just sold some of the fish over the weekend that won't be any good for a 10g (20g wasn't suitable for them as it was). For $25 somebody got themselves a red banded sand perch, a green chromis and a sand sifting star.
There was a yellowtail damsel when I got the tank too but he died about a week or two ago.
Right now I am left with, Black and white clownfish (i'd like an exact id on him), a skunk cleaner shrim, 2 or 3 nassarius snails, some kind of round shelled snail that if it falls on its back it will die, an emerald crab, a scarlet reef hermit, a mexican red leg hermit and a pencil urchin. These are what will be going in my 10g, I know there are mixed feelings about clowns in 10g but plenty of people keep 2 of them successfully. The one critter I am not sure about is the pencil urchin, I always forget about him so need to research if he can stay or needs to go.
FINALLY THE TANK:
If you made it to this point then well done and thank you for reading all that nonsense up there.
This tank is being done on a budget, I want to try and do as much DIY as I can to keep the cost low.
Right now the tank sits empty in it's location with some DIY egg crate ready to support the live rock. I had a broken box fan so cut the grating off of it to use instead of buying egg crate.
The light is a cheap unbranded LED that was In with the deal on craigslist.
I am in the process of building a HOB fuge using an aquaclear 50 that I have, It has 2 chambers, one that I plan to use for carbon and the larger for some rock rubble and a macro algae and pods.
I will be using the live rock I already have (currently being blacked out to kill as much hair algae as possible) The 2 powerheads I have will go in the tank too (hopefully not too much flow) Hydor nano 240 and 425.
Sand is on it's way, caribseas fiji pink aragolive reef sand.
I do want upgrade the lighting to support some easy soft corals however I would like to do it for next to nothing, impossible is probably what you are thinking but I am willing to build my own LED set, just need to know what all LED's I will need and where might be good to buy them.
For the corals, once I am confident maintaining constant levels in the tank I figured a mushroom is where to start, followed by something like xenia or leather, research and help is needed big time with the corals, I just don't want to mess with palytoxins, not because I am incapable or reckless but I do have a young child and prevention is the best cure (or the only cure with palytoxin)
That's kind of an outline, I will end it here, rip me a new one if need be but I'd prefer encouragement of course.
Thanks for reading all of that (if you did) hope you can stick with me and help me build a nice tank.
Why Reef Central?
Well I am part of 3 other forums, 2 of which are active, 1 very active which is fine. My hobby has always revolved around freshwater but I'd often click into random threads to look at salt tanks. However now that I own salt and need the help, the salt sides of all of these forums are practically dead so wouldn't it make sense to join a saltwater dedicated forum? The answer is probably yes, so here I am!
How did I get into saltwater?
I have owned or been a part of freshwater tanks for around 10 years when my Dad and I got started on them. I grew up, got married and took my fish keeping a little further and now own 7-8ish tanks (ish? I make changes and break down and redo tanks pretty often so there isn't always 8 running)
About 1-2months ago I was looking through craigslist for deals on aquariums and somehow came across a 37g saltwater tank for $20, who is going to pass that up? Of course it wasn't going to be an amazing reef set up but a neglected FOWLR that someone had lost interest in. In short there was more hair algae than there was water, the live rock basically looked like giant marimo moss balls and the filtration consisted of an aqueon 10 and a Hydor nano 240.
I decided that I would get the tank and transfer it all down to a 20g long tank and use the stand since it would fit the 20g and that's what I did. I sold the 37g tank itself which reimbursed me for both the entire setup and paid for a bag of salt. Fast forward a little bit and after trying to turn the tank around by switching to RO water (previous owner used tap), adding a 425gph powerhead and trying to maintain the tank into better condition to no avail I started losing interest in it.
Sure, at this point you think well his 10g nano isn't going to last long. Well that's where you would be wrong, here's the think with the 20g, it wasn't my tank that I built, It was somebody else's failed effort that I was trying to make work thus no real pride or motivation to be had for me and that is why I am doing this tank, for me.
I just sold some of the fish over the weekend that won't be any good for a 10g (20g wasn't suitable for them as it was). For $25 somebody got themselves a red banded sand perch, a green chromis and a sand sifting star.
There was a yellowtail damsel when I got the tank too but he died about a week or two ago.
Right now I am left with, Black and white clownfish (i'd like an exact id on him), a skunk cleaner shrim, 2 or 3 nassarius snails, some kind of round shelled snail that if it falls on its back it will die, an emerald crab, a scarlet reef hermit, a mexican red leg hermit and a pencil urchin. These are what will be going in my 10g, I know there are mixed feelings about clowns in 10g but plenty of people keep 2 of them successfully. The one critter I am not sure about is the pencil urchin, I always forget about him so need to research if he can stay or needs to go.
FINALLY THE TANK:
If you made it to this point then well done and thank you for reading all that nonsense up there.
This tank is being done on a budget, I want to try and do as much DIY as I can to keep the cost low.
Right now the tank sits empty in it's location with some DIY egg crate ready to support the live rock. I had a broken box fan so cut the grating off of it to use instead of buying egg crate.
The light is a cheap unbranded LED that was In with the deal on craigslist.
I am in the process of building a HOB fuge using an aquaclear 50 that I have, It has 2 chambers, one that I plan to use for carbon and the larger for some rock rubble and a macro algae and pods.
I will be using the live rock I already have (currently being blacked out to kill as much hair algae as possible) The 2 powerheads I have will go in the tank too (hopefully not too much flow) Hydor nano 240 and 425.
Sand is on it's way, caribseas fiji pink aragolive reef sand.
I do want upgrade the lighting to support some easy soft corals however I would like to do it for next to nothing, impossible is probably what you are thinking but I am willing to build my own LED set, just need to know what all LED's I will need and where might be good to buy them.
For the corals, once I am confident maintaining constant levels in the tank I figured a mushroom is where to start, followed by something like xenia or leather, research and help is needed big time with the corals, I just don't want to mess with palytoxins, not because I am incapable or reckless but I do have a young child and prevention is the best cure (or the only cure with palytoxin)
That's kind of an outline, I will end it here, rip me a new one if need be but I'd prefer encouragement of course.
Thanks for reading all of that (if you did) hope you can stick with me and help me build a nice tank.
