So today was a big day! I got the call that my aquarium was ready to be picked up. I got a tank made by a local gentleman by the name of Andy. He put it all together for me for $25 and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Andy!
Here it is at home:
http://i42.tinypic.com/ay5638.jpg
It's kind of dusty but I think it looks great! :D
http://i39.tinypic.com/2cnh3e0.jpg
Andy also gave me a business card of one of his friends who's into saltwater aquariums. I'm excited about the possibility of meeting a fellow enthusiast. I'm sure he'll be able to offer some valuable advice and who knows maybe I'll even be able to get a pound or two of live sand to help with the seeding.
As for the lighting situation, I'm still just comparing what I want to spend and what I really need for this aquarium. I'm tossing around the idea of getting a T5HO now but it's just a question of where really. I'm not in any hurry really so it might be a while. Until next time!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
So I've got a tank... Now what?
So now that I've figured out my tank size I've moved on to looking at equipment. In order to set up a reef I will need the following items:
Metal Halide seemed like the best option available for lighting. The intensity of metal halide light is phenominal and it is the closest thing to natural sunlight. The down fall is the very expensive price tag associated with it. Lots of people will say "get the best of the best" but I'm trying to limit expenses to a reasonable number.
PC lighting on the other hand seems to be the best "buy". I can get a 24" assembly with mounting legs for ~$200 w/ bulbs+midnight leds. Compared to the $400 price tag of MH or the slightly higher cost of T5 fluorescents. I'm debating on what brand of light to go with but I will be purchasing a PC system for my tank.
Next I had to look at heaters. I didn't really do a whole lot of research on heaters to be honest because when I looked at reviews it seems like the hands down winner is the Ebo Jager. A 50W heater is technically enough to heat a 10-15 gallon tank. They also make a 75W and a 100W model that I can consider as well. Pricing ranges from $25-30 depending on the model.
Last but not least was the pump. I took a look at what most people were running on nano-reef's members aquarium section and found that the overall favorite was the Hydor Koralia Nano. It's able to pump out 265GPH (gallons per hour) and mounts to the tank quite nicely via a magnet. Not bad for $30.
Now the fun part! The bargain hunting! I've found that online retailers are able to provide me with much better pricing that my local fish stores so I think I'll end up buying a majority of my equipment online. I do want to still support my local shops though so I will still be purchasing sand and live rock from them along with my clean up crew. More on that when the time comes though. For now I need to do a bit of reading on the heater and then decide where to order from.
Cheers!
- Fish Tank
- Lights
- Heater
- Pump
Metal Halide seemed like the best option available for lighting. The intensity of metal halide light is phenominal and it is the closest thing to natural sunlight. The down fall is the very expensive price tag associated with it. Lots of people will say "get the best of the best" but I'm trying to limit expenses to a reasonable number.
PC lighting on the other hand seems to be the best "buy". I can get a 24" assembly with mounting legs for ~$200 w/ bulbs+midnight leds. Compared to the $400 price tag of MH or the slightly higher cost of T5 fluorescents. I'm debating on what brand of light to go with but I will be purchasing a PC system for my tank.
Next I had to look at heaters. I didn't really do a whole lot of research on heaters to be honest because when I looked at reviews it seems like the hands down winner is the Ebo Jager. A 50W heater is technically enough to heat a 10-15 gallon tank. They also make a 75W and a 100W model that I can consider as well. Pricing ranges from $25-30 depending on the model.
Last but not least was the pump. I took a look at what most people were running on nano-reef's members aquarium section and found that the overall favorite was the Hydor Koralia Nano. It's able to pump out 265GPH (gallons per hour) and mounts to the tank quite nicely via a magnet. Not bad for $30.
Now the fun part! The bargain hunting! I've found that online retailers are able to provide me with much better pricing that my local fish stores so I think I'll end up buying a majority of my equipment online. I do want to still support my local shops though so I will still be purchasing sand and live rock from them along with my clean up crew. More on that when the time comes though. For now I need to do a bit of reading on the heater and then decide where to order from.
Cheers!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Mo' $$$$ Mo' Problems
Hello again,
Today I sat down and took a look at what this project is actually going to cost me. I didnt want to spend too much money but at the same time I need to make sure I get some quality equipment.
I called around and talked to the local fish stores to see what the prices and availability of live rock was. That was my first real check that this is not going to be a cheap hobby necessarily haha.
Liverock sells for ~$10/lb here with the cheapest price being ~$9/lb. I also found a local glass guy through my local fish forum who does some fantastic work. For roughly $2/gallon I could get a custom tank designed to my liking.
One thing I've learned about nano reef keeping is that it's a good idea to invest in your live rock and sand because it will act as a natural filter. It's important to have roughly one pound of live rock per gallon. The sand bed depth can vary but can be anywhere from 1-4" deep. I'm not sure how much of a sand bed I'm going to have so I've omitted them from my costs.
The following is a breakdown of my costs based on the previously mentioned numbers:
10 Gallon
Dimensions: 20x10x12"
Tank: ~20
Rock: 100
$120
15 Gallon
Dimensions: 24x12x12"
Tank: ~30
Rock: 135
$165
25 Gallon
Dimensions: 24x12x20"
Tank: ~50
Rock: 225
$275
As we can see, the price of a tank can rise quite drastically with a couple of gallons. I made the decision to go ahead with a 15 gallon tank for two reasons. First, every where I read about reef keeping I see the same statement "start as big as you can afford because you will want to upgrade". Second, a 15 gallon tank will provide more space for aquascaping and the opportunity to host more livestock.
I placed my order for a 15 gallon tank with the dimensions of 24"x12"x12" this past Friday and have since moved on to look at equipment.
Cheers!
Today I sat down and took a look at what this project is actually going to cost me. I didnt want to spend too much money but at the same time I need to make sure I get some quality equipment.
I called around and talked to the local fish stores to see what the prices and availability of live rock was. That was my first real check that this is not going to be a cheap hobby necessarily haha.
Liverock sells for ~$10/lb here with the cheapest price being ~$9/lb. I also found a local glass guy through my local fish forum who does some fantastic work. For roughly $2/gallon I could get a custom tank designed to my liking.
One thing I've learned about nano reef keeping is that it's a good idea to invest in your live rock and sand because it will act as a natural filter. It's important to have roughly one pound of live rock per gallon. The sand bed depth can vary but can be anywhere from 1-4" deep. I'm not sure how much of a sand bed I'm going to have so I've omitted them from my costs.
The following is a breakdown of my costs based on the previously mentioned numbers:
10 Gallon
Dimensions: 20x10x12"
Tank: ~20
Rock: 100
$120
15 Gallon
Dimensions: 24x12x12"
Tank: ~30
Rock: 135
$165
25 Gallon
Dimensions: 24x12x20"
Tank: ~50
Rock: 225
$275
As we can see, the price of a tank can rise quite drastically with a couple of gallons. I made the decision to go ahead with a 15 gallon tank for two reasons. First, every where I read about reef keeping I see the same statement "start as big as you can afford because you will want to upgrade". Second, a 15 gallon tank will provide more space for aquascaping and the opportunity to host more livestock.
I placed my order for a 15 gallon tank with the dimensions of 24"x12"x12" this past Friday and have since moved on to look at equipment.
Cheers!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Inaugural Post
Hello World!
This blog was setup and created to chronicle the life of my nano reef from start to finish. A nano reef is a reef aquarium or reef tank under 20 gallons containing live corals and other animals associated with coral reefs.
Here's the kicker. I've never really had any fish before! Most people wouldn't start with saltwater but I'm going against the grain and saying WHY NOT!
I'll update this blog throughout my journey. At this point, I'm following these two rules:
Cheers!
This blog was setup and created to chronicle the life of my nano reef from start to finish. A nano reef is a reef aquarium or reef tank under 20 gallons containing live corals and other animals associated with coral reefs.
Here's the kicker. I've never really had any fish before! Most people wouldn't start with saltwater but I'm going against the grain and saying WHY NOT!
I'll update this blog throughout my journey. At this point, I'm following these two rules:
- Research, Research, Research...
- Take your time, reefing isn't a race
Cheers!
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