Hey everyone. After 5/6 long years im back in the game. Now as an adult I have enough money to keep up with the costs. Anyhow pomg story short some random at a car park just have me a 10g nano for free. I guess it qas destiny calling haha. I new the basic chemistry etc of keeping low maintenence coral but I was always in awe of sps but never managed to keep them. I have gained some more info on what it takes to keep them and am under the assumption that calcium/alkalinity and magnesium are my main key areas of concern as well as nitrate n phosphate. My current tank is 10g woth no skimmer or sump. Its a bare bottom tank woth a 150w 14k halide, a hydor korlia nano wave maker which does around 65 turn over rate. Anyway my key qs is that atm ive got a gallon container on top of the tank which feeds water through a drip slowly for w/c and r/ o water. If I do 10% daoly water changes very slowly do I still need to add supplements to maintain the growth of a heavily based sps tank or will the water changes be enough. Obviously i dont have fish atm and maybe plan for 1 or 2 so ill have to balance nutrient waste etc but thats another story haha. Thanks
10g sps tank (will daily water changes suffice)
- Thread starter reef rico
- Start date
Hentz
New member
Daily? Nooo that may be a bit much for your system. I'd do 10% weekly if anything. I do 20% weekly on my 75 SPS tank. I've learned, yes a low nutrient system is nice, though I think key to success is being slightly dirty. My tank was spotless, though my SPS looked dull. My filter sock ran for an extra week, overflowing as my nitrates kinda went up to about 2-3ppm and I noticed an amazing change in my corals between growth and coloration.
Hentz my LFS makes their own saltwater and their display tank is flawless. Hence im under the impression that their parameters were spot on. If I was to slowly trickle a gallon a day in the system while removing a gallon wouldny my parameters be near identical to the water replacing it? Also since its on a slow dripper it would give it enough time to adjust without stress. Oh and yeah I have to slowly feed my system and find that equilibrium point of just enought nutrients without over doing it. I think thats my biggest challenge before I go ahead with a full on sps tank.
I have a 20 gallon SPS with a 10 gallon sump (8-gallons water). I run an oversized simmer on mine with an ATO.
In my opinion, the ATO is more important than daily water changes. I do weekly 2-gallon water chnages on my system (roughly7%).
With the ATO, when growth becomes demanding, limewater will suffice (I run a calcium reactor, however).
In my opinion, the ATO is more important than daily water changes. I do weekly 2-gallon water chnages on my system (roughly7%).
With the ATO, when growth becomes demanding, limewater will suffice (I run a calcium reactor, however).
JPMagyar
New member
This is Tasia's 9 gallon nano. It gets weekly water changes and seems to be doing very well with no ATO or 2 part needed. Personally I am huge believer in the "KISS" principle so if you can get away with just water changes then why not give it a go. Especially when the results can look like this . . .
Ok thanks guys. I dont have any experience with dosing and such so thats why im abit hesitant but ill do some research before I add any sps. Im trying to keep this nano under budget when it comes to equipment/supps etc. Last time I blew a big hole in my pocket haha. Haha KISS is a good principle JP. That nano looks awesome, im sure I could easily do it if there were no sps but sps is something im really keen on. I guess ill just have to monitor my levels and act accordingly. Thanks fellas
Reefvet
New member
KISS applies wonderfully when you have a very stable envirnment and little growth in your small tank. If you have any real water movement, sufficient to stimulate polyp extension and good growth with SPS, you'll have evaporation. So you're either going to have an unstable tank or being manually topping off.
The smallest system I run is a 37 and it's very stable with an ATO and a dosing pump. After 40 years in this hobby I'm sure I could grow SPS in a 10 but I would never try.
As a first tank to try your hand at SPS with I can't think of a worse idea.
Stability is the key to SPS success. A 10 gal is the antithesis of stable.
The smallest system I run is a 37 and it's very stable with an ATO and a dosing pump. After 40 years in this hobby I'm sure I could grow SPS in a 10 but I would never try.
As a first tank to try your hand at SPS with I can't think of a worse idea.
Stability is the key to SPS success. A 10 gal is the antithesis of stable.
Reefvet
New member
SPS and no budget do not equate. Wait until you can afford to do it right.
The worst thing, IMO, that you can do run before you have walked. I started out with grand ideas of an SPS tank (210 gal) and almost quit too many times. I switched plans and moved more to LPS and softies. Its been a few years and I am slowly adding SPS back into the mix with success. Plus, if you start easy, you can save up some money for the fancy stuff you will want to have in an SPS tank but won't absolutely need for softies and LPS. Stuff like Calcium reactor, dosing pumps, and high end powerheads.
JPMagyar
New member
Balderdash . . .
Imitation is the finest form of flattery. Copy a successful tank completely and you are virtually assured success.
You are not reinventing the wheel here. The nano I showed above belongs to a total neophyte. I wrote an article on the tank for Reef Hobbyist Magazine. It is the simplest of tanks and works fine because Tasia is religious about topping off the water daily and changing a couple gallons a week. (The tank is over a year old now.) No high flow, no high lights, not even a heater. She keeps it around room temperature between 72 and 74 degrees AND the tank has SPS that are encrusting and growing.
If you want "the recipe" I'm happy to forward the article to you. If your are diligent about copying what she is doing you will have a very high probability of success.
However . . . a larger tank with an automatic top off system is easier to maintain, but then you need to invest in equipment and a tank whether used or new and perhaps that is an issue.
If you have a nano that was given to you all you need is a small LED and a filter pump of some kind and you can make it work, but you will need to follow a "recipe" to the letter. I agree a nano wouldn't be my first recommendation, but if a nano is what you have then I say "go for it" just do NOT try to go it alone but DO copy someone else that has done it before.
Imitation is the finest form of flattery. Copy a successful tank completely and you are virtually assured success.
You are not reinventing the wheel here. The nano I showed above belongs to a total neophyte. I wrote an article on the tank for Reef Hobbyist Magazine. It is the simplest of tanks and works fine because Tasia is religious about topping off the water daily and changing a couple gallons a week. (The tank is over a year old now.) No high flow, no high lights, not even a heater. She keeps it around room temperature between 72 and 74 degrees AND the tank has SPS that are encrusting and growing.
If you want "the recipe" I'm happy to forward the article to you. If your are diligent about copying what she is doing you will have a very high probability of success.
However . . . a larger tank with an automatic top off system is easier to maintain, but then you need to invest in equipment and a tank whether used or new and perhaps that is an issue.
If you have a nano that was given to you all you need is a small LED and a filter pump of some kind and you can make it work, but you will need to follow a "recipe" to the letter. I agree a nano wouldn't be my first recommendation, but if a nano is what you have then I say "go for it" just do NOT try to go it alone but DO copy someone else that has done it before.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Im not going to reply directly to each of your comments as its currently mid night and im in the woods chopping fire wood haha. Any how JP that would be great if u can link it to me. I spent thousands last time on equipment and such all brand new. This time I want to do it under budget. The only problem was that if I wanted to by an ATO or to start dosing etc that requires a bunch of test kits etc. I know stupid I dont have any. I usually get the LFS to do it. Ill defs but some test kits. On another not I bought a small sps frag (1.5month fish tank including cycle period LOL) which had lost its colour and went brown. 3 days in my tank and the tips are purpling up. So I go back to the LFS and I buy a birds nest like a total fool haha. I know bloody impulse buying never a good idea. Fngers crossed the colour keeps getting better and they dont bleach. My only dayncern is that if I add more sps it will throw my params out of whack like calcium etc hence ill need to test and dose. Ill keep use updates. Amd thanks for the advice.
