My First Marine Tank

[stephenhughes]

I would appreciate input regarding Nano Sized Reef Systems in particular.
Is this a good choice for a beginner?
Is there a nano reef book you recommend?
Stands to reason, but are nano tanks really easier to maintain than large tanks?
Should I use a protein skimmer or go without?
What type of lights sumps pumps and heaters work best for your small tanks?
I'm concerned about controlling temperature in a small tank. I live near the ocean in So. Cal. and don't have or need A.C. in the house. Is a cooler needed if I run compact lighting and a heater?
Sorry... probably too many questions for one thread.

 

[jim27]

Nano's really aren't recommended fro beginners because of there smmall water volume, which means they are hard to keep stable. Larger tanks are easier.
I use a skimmer but I dont think they're needed.
For lighting metal halide is the best available in the hobby definatly. I use a 150w de mh on my 18g. PC's are also a good choice for softy/lps tanks as well as vho's(if you tanks 24" long or longer).
I live in NorCal and summer get pretty hot and I dont need a chiller for my tank. A fan works fine for me. Causes major evaporation that I keep on top of though.

 

[ophiura]

Welcome to the board!
Nano tanks are NOT easier than large tanks and are not recommended for beginners. They require, probably, more daily attention than a larger tank. As mentioned, the volume is much lower which means basic things can go wrong very quickly. Salinity, pH, etc can vary on a daily basis and this is not good. So, they need close attention. It also stands to reason that if a fish dies in 10g, it is a bigger potential problem than that same fish dying in 100g. You don't have dilution on your side.
When I sold them, I always encouraged people to get the largest tank they could afford space wise and financially. Every extra gallon helps.
If you do a lot of research and are very disciplined, they can be done as a first tank, but they are harder for a beginner to work with. So you really need to think about that. Most people who keep nanos are dedicated to the challenge of keeping nanos, not keep a saltwater tank...many have larger tanks for fish, etc, but enjoy the challenge of the smaller tank.
If you don't want a big tank, but still want a sizable tank, the most popular size is a 29-30g tank. This is going to be easier, at least, than something very small like a 10g or smaller, and some fabulous things can happen (look for Ryebread's 29g tank).

 

[stephenhughes]

I appreciate the information and will now consider a mid size tank around 30 gal to start me off.
Jim27, will I need a skimmer for a 30 gal tank with a good size sump?
Ophiura, I'll check out the 29 gal tank you mentioned.
Thanks again

 

[overanalyzer]

Stephen - welcome.
My first tank was a 5 gallon .... first few tries where disatrous. Then I saw the light. I currently have another 5 up and running plus a 20 gallon. I've had 10 gallon tanks as well. Nothing larger - yet. I am building a stand for my 75 and it will go in the basement.
I'd suggest that you do a lot of research and plan out your tank before you set it up.
A 29 or 30 with a sump/refugium plus a skimmer would give you a nice setup and the maintenance would be a bit easier (with the sump/fug to use for water changes - etc.)
Personally I think keeping salt water fish is a challenge in general - regardless of tank type or size. Having a Nano - well that is just adding to the challenge ....

 

[stephenhughes]

I appreciate the good info.
What type of lighting do you recommend for a 29 gal reef system. I've heard M.H. runs hot, if I go with compact lighting are there limits to the type of livestock I can keep?
Any other recommendations, regarding equipment type or "a hot set up" is greatly appreciated.

 

[overanalyzer]

not sure on tank dimensions but I love my 24" VHO's - I use a Workhorse 7 ballast and 2 URI 50/50 bulbs .... it all depends on what you want to keep. I think the VHO look good and you can keep just about everything but SPS and some of the high end clams ..... I lose about 1/4 to 1/2 gallon a day that I drip back in ..... I think with MH I would lose more like 1 - 2 gallons ....

 

[jim27]

My tank actually runs cooler now since I upgraded to MH about a year ago. I originally had 2x36w PC's. The reason for this is that my tank now has an open top w/fan instead of the PC's sitting right on it with no room for a fan. MH actually runs cooler watt for watt than PC/VHO's, its just that they come in such high wattages and that the heat is all coming from one spot(instead of spread over a long tube), but they still do throw out a lot of heat which you should prepare for, either with a fan or a chiller(depending on how hot the area you live in is). If you can afford MH now get it, you'll save yourself the need to upgrade in the future.
If you went with PC's there would be limits on what you could keep( but you could definatly still have an awesome setup). I'd recommend staying away from most SPS and clams under PC untill you get experience reefing. Basically it comes down to what you want o keep. If you see yourself with mainly sps/clams(and most eventually do) in the future the go MH. If its softies/lps/maybe a few easier sps, then PC's/VHO's should be fine.

 

[stephenhughes]

Sounds like MH lights and fans should do the trick now and in the future. I live in So. Cal. but I'm close enough to the ocean that it rarely gets above 89F even in July/August.
Now all I need to do is get up to speed on the acronyms
PC = Power Compact?
softies = soft polyp coral?
SPS = softies?
LFS = Live Fish Store???
VHO's = ?
lps = ?
Pretty lame huh? Guess I should have started this thread under the "new hobbyists section" but nano's seemed so cool... like minature living jewel boxes.

 

[jim27]

PC = Power Compact flourecent
softies = soft corals
SPS = Small Polyp Scleractinian
LFS = Local Fish Store
VHO's = Very High Output flourescent
LPS= Large Polyp Scleractinian
For the meanings of just about every board acronym imaginable check out the thread "Bulletin Board Acronyms" in the New Hobbiests forum.

 

[lesleybird]

I just got a nice smallish 40 gallon stretch hex from Oceanic. Check these new tanks out at your fish store. They are a brand new tank this year and really nice looking. Lesley

 

[stephenhughes]

Thanks for the tip Lesley, but now that I've learned more about the daily maintenance required for nano tanks and the cost involved in setting up a larger tank from scratch, I think I'm going to look for a used reef system with MH lighting for my starter tank in the 29 - 60 gal range.