My first Nano attempt

[squeegle]

Hi everyone! So I've had a saltwater tank for about a year now and a couple of months ago I got a 10g half moon tank. Right now it has about 6-7lbs of live rock and I plan to get more as well. The fish I have is a chocolate clown I named Gatsby and I'm looking to get him a Daisy soon! Here is a pic of my tank and fish:

Sorry for the poor quality!
So this brings me to the couple of questions I have.
1. As of right now only the rocks on the left side of the tank are bonded togehter. I got a tube of specialized aquarium epoxy and was appaled at how poorly it worked. Is there a better strategy for bonding the rocks togehter. I'm assuming I can't just gorilla glue them and call it good
2. I'm looking for some suggestions on how to hide the wires in the back besides the plastic things they sell at the store. Is there any way I could paint it? Or should I just leave it?
3. As I said before I'm looking to get another clownfish soon. Should I get another chocolate or can I get a different type?
4. What are some suggestions on a good but not over the top expensive protein skimmer?
5. Final question! As you can see in the first picture the light that came with the tank isn't really quality and certainly not set up for corals. My problem is the half moon shape of the tank. The only straight wall is the back one. Does anyone have any recomendations on what type of light setup/fixture I could use that would be good for corals? Aslo once I do have that set up what are some good beginner corals?
Thanks to anyone who shows interest and I'll be sure to keep posting more pictures as things progress

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squeegle http:///t/395293/my-first-nano-attempt#post_3519080
So this brings me to the couple of questions I have.
1. As of right now only the rocks on the left side of the tank are bonded togehter. I got a tube of specialized aquarium epoxy and was appaled at how poorly it worked. Is there a better strategy for bonding the rocks togehter. I'm assuming I can't just gorilla glue them and call it good
2. I'm looking for some suggestions on how to hide the wires in the back besides the plastic things they sell at the store. Is there any way I could paint it? Or should I just leave it?
3. As I said before I'm looking to get another clownfish soon. Should I get another chocolate or can I get a different type?
4. What are some suggestions on a good but not over the top expensive protein skimmer?
5. Final question! As you can see in the first picture the light that came with the tank isn't really quality and certainly not set up for corals. My problem is the half moon shape of the tank. The only straight wall is the back one. Does anyone have any recomendations on what type of light setup/fixture I could use that would be good for corals? Aslo once I do have that set up what are some good beginner corals?
Thanks to anyone who shows interest and I'll be sure to keep posting more pictures as things progress
If you don't like the results with epoxy, you can always try to drill holes with a drill bit and thread it together with some zip ties. It works... But you will see the zip ties unless you are creative, or can overlook them until coralline algae grows all over it.
Yes, you can paint the back of your tank still... get you some non-toxic acrylic paint and a standard small roller and roll it on and let it dry. It may take more than one coat to really get it homogeneous.
You should stick with the same species clownfish that you have, and hope that they become friends.
How about a water bottle skimmer? 10g really isn't that big of a tank. A 5g water change is plenty... and will do your tank more good than an efficient skimmer. Water bottle skimmers are easy to make - simply cut the bottom of a water bottle off and insert an airline into the side of the bottle. Put a wooden airstone onto the airline tube and run it to a small air pump. At the top of the screw cap, you can use a 90 degree adapter and attach some vinyl tubing to it so that the bubbles condense and drain down into a skimmate container. Regulate the amount of bubbles with a gang valve. The wooden airstone will have to be replaced about once every three months, but they are very cheap to replace. Of course, this design is "in tank" and can be decorated with some rustoleium black paint and allowed to dry for 48 hours before putting it in your tank. Overall, it may cost you about $15 with the cost of the air pump and all.
You could build yourself a small LED light, or if you are not very good at DIY stuff when it comes to electronics, I do believe they sell nano LED lights for nano coral tanks.
Good beginner corals... zoanthids, mushrooms, polyps, xenia, anthellia, kenya trees, small leathers, ... pretty much any softie out there that doesn't require a massive amount of food (like NPS corals)

 

[squeegle]

Thanks so much for the advice and sorry it took so long for me to say so... it's the end of the semester so I have almost 0 time. I got some zip ties and am just waiting for a day my stepdad can help me out with the drilling. I should definitely not be trusted with any form of power tools. I have been doing 5 gallon water changes every two weeks but should I be doing them more often? Should I do smaller ones like 2.5 gallons every week?
Went to Michaels and got some light blue paint which I think looks nice... pics to follow
I also went to my lfs today to pick up another chocolate clown but alas they had sold the last pair yesterday so I'll just have to keep checking in. I grabbed a few more hermit crabs to add to my cleaner crew and also bought Seachem de-nitrate which was recomended to me. I was wondering if anyone's used it before and if it actually works as well as it claims. The guy also told me that he could order me the same type of light strip which they use on some of their smaller tanks and has the requiried lighting components for corals so I think I'll just get one of those once I get a little more $ together.
My clown is doing great he is super active and has a voracious appetite I just can't wait to get him a friend.