New guy here

[MaricopaTank]

Hi everyone.

I live in the city of Maricopa, AZ and working on a tight budget!

I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old daughter and they're in love with my father in law's 30 gallon Innovative Marine setup. I'm interested in the 10 gallon nano cube but have a ton of questions.

I look forward to meeting you all and seeing what you've got!

Just a few questions...

Is anyone familiar with the IM 10 Gallon nano? Does it require a protein skimmer? I'm not sure what exactly fits as I'm doing everything online ... haven't really found a shop that I trust yet.

Thanks
David

 

[jjk_reef00]

I would go with 25 gallons or larger becasue it will be easier to maintain, you can find good deals on craigslist. IMO a skimmer on that sized tank is overkill, you can do weekly water changes and keep your parameters in check assuming you don't overstock and overfeed your tank.

 

[xdunaticx]

I second that. The easiest tank IMO to set up would be a 55 gallon tank. Evaporation will kill you on a small tank unless you have an auto top off. Welcome to reef central! we look forward to having a new member!

 

[mrapisura]

I agree too. I have a 12 gallon nano. When things go bad they sometimes go bad quickly, but I love my tank anyways.

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

I second that. The easiest tank IMO to set up would be a 55 gallon tank. Evaporation will kill you on a small tank unless you have an auto top off. Welcome to reef central! we look forward to having a new member!

I disagree that evaporation is an issue with a small tank.

I have a 110g DT and a 14g QT. With the DT I have to add 1-1.5 gallons of water per day, where the 14g only needs a about a quart once a week.

I have had both up and running for 1.5 years.

I find the 14g to be less of a hassle to keep up. I do a 2 gallon water change every other week with the 14g. Clean the filter pad and clean the glass once a week. That's it! Right now the 14g has 5 fish in it. 2 clowns that are full time residence and a fairy wrasse, a blenny and a hippo tang that are in quarantine right now. It also has 4 anemones in it (2 large and 2 small, want to buy one?). The tank is very stable and easy to care for.

My 110 is also very stable but the weekly maintenance is much more time consuming. I do get lazy and end up doing a 25g water change only once a month, but 25 gallons is quite a bit of water to mix and change out. It normally takes more than an hour. Plus the skimmer needs to be cleaned as well as the filter pad, once a week. I don't have an auto top off since I have to add 1-1.5 gallons a day, I would need at least a 5 gallon reservoir to make it worth while (and I would still have to top the reservoir off every three days).

My recommendation would be to start small. Maybe a 28g biocube. Easy to setup and maintain. It will work well if you go bigger to help seed the new tank.

Just another side of the coin. LOL

I think the trick is to not add to much too often to any tank. Take your time and enjoy things.

Bob

 

[MaricopaTank]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions.

I'm interested in a small tank not only because of fitment issues but also because of price. While a 55 gallon would be awesome I do not have a couple of thousands of dollars to play with

 

[Nibrown9]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions.

I'm interested in a small tank not only because of fitment issues but also because of price. While a 55 gallon would be awesome I do not have a couple of thousands of dollars to play with

Iv got a 55g tank stand and canopy I'd sell has sump and drilled if your interested

 

[MaricopaTank]

I appreciate it but I just don't have the space.