I've tried build threads before, but I never end up updating them. So this might just be a thread for advice and suggestions. But I'll try to document the build with pics as much as possible.
So I'm foolishly starting another tank. My main tank is in the den and I have no comfortable place to stare at my tank for hours due to the dining table (no room for a comfy couch). So I'm gonna set up a nano in the bedroom on my desk where I'm at a good period of the time.
Tank: I didn't want anything big and I wanted to reduce costs by using stuff I already had. I always liked the size of a 10g Fusion because you can put it practically anywhere. I had a nano in my desk before and it was great because it was right in front of my face and was fun to stare at.
Lighting: Some are gonna call me crazy for going this route, but I always wanted to own a NanoBox Reef LED light. He uses the best bins of LEDs and a mix of neutral white, warm whites, royal blues, lime, cyan and violets. All the LEDs are packed on one small board and the light comes with a wireless BlueFish controller that I can control the lights from my phone. These are custom built and built in the US of A!
I could have gone with the Kessil A160, but if I wanted a controller, I'd have to spend another $100 and more for a gooseneck. I could have gone with the AI Prime, but they still use cool whites, reds and greens and from the videos I've seen, the secondary optics create a lot of color banding/disco. Just the types of LEDs they use is unacceptable. So that was out of the question. And the XR15 was way too expensive. Plus, I'd need the mount and a Reef Link. No thanks! Additionally, I went with four channels of control.
This chart Dave made summed up the costs pretty well.
This is the Tide color I chose. He can make custom colors too.
Fish: While I contemplated on a lot of fish thanks to all the suggestions from the last thread, I might be settling for two small designer clowns. They're hardy and easy to keep. I originally wanted a small six line wrasse, but I don't want to worry about it when it gets bigger and outgrows the tank. Clownfish are colorful and very active and I want something I can see all the time. A pearly jawfish would of been nice, but it might be too small of a tank and I would have to fill the tank with 3" of sand or more just to keep it.
ATO: Tunze Nano ATO. The JBJ I have is bulky and so is the Autotopoff.com one I have. I wanted something clean and discreet that worked well. The Tunze is pretty small and it comes with it's own pump, which I'm hoping is strong enough to pump water from my ATO to the tank. I know my Aqualifter had some difficulty with that.
Heater: I have a few Eheim Jagger heaters around, but I may go with the Cobalt NeoTherm to save some space.
Powerhead: MP10. I have an MP10 from my 50g cube that has been collecting dust for a few years, I might as well put it to good use. Hopefully that's not too much flow.
Coral: Zoas for sure and maybe some LPS like Acans if I can keep the water clean enough. It will all depend on the aquascape.
Aquascape: Aquascaping is limited due to size. I'm not sure if I should find one really decorative rock and use it, or stack a bunch of rocks together to have as much real estate as possible for coral. I'm kind of leaning towards a small piece of tonga branch that can serve as the primary rockwork.
Maintenance: Keeping up with tanks is a huge chore for me. I work 9 hours a day, I'm tired, I'm lazy, and I don't seem to get to it most of the time. The plan is to do 5g water changes every week. I'm planning to buy water from Jason at TRFS so I don't have to make it or keep it around specifically for the nano. This will give me a chance to visit the store once a week and look around. I also won't be using a skimmer, so the weekly water changes are a must.
So that's the plan for now. I'm trying to keep it simple. But we'll see how that goes.
Do you guys have any thoughts or recommendations?
So I'm foolishly starting another tank. My main tank is in the den and I have no comfortable place to stare at my tank for hours due to the dining table (no room for a comfy couch). So I'm gonna set up a nano in the bedroom on my desk where I'm at a good period of the time.
Tank: I didn't want anything big and I wanted to reduce costs by using stuff I already had. I always liked the size of a 10g Fusion because you can put it practically anywhere. I had a nano in my desk before and it was great because it was right in front of my face and was fun to stare at.
Lighting: Some are gonna call me crazy for going this route, but I always wanted to own a NanoBox Reef LED light. He uses the best bins of LEDs and a mix of neutral white, warm whites, royal blues, lime, cyan and violets. All the LEDs are packed on one small board and the light comes with a wireless BlueFish controller that I can control the lights from my phone. These are custom built and built in the US of A!
I could have gone with the Kessil A160, but if I wanted a controller, I'd have to spend another $100 and more for a gooseneck. I could have gone with the AI Prime, but they still use cool whites, reds and greens and from the videos I've seen, the secondary optics create a lot of color banding/disco. Just the types of LEDs they use is unacceptable. So that was out of the question. And the XR15 was way too expensive. Plus, I'd need the mount and a Reef Link. No thanks! Additionally, I went with four channels of control.
This chart Dave made summed up the costs pretty well.
This is the Tide color I chose. He can make custom colors too.
Fish: While I contemplated on a lot of fish thanks to all the suggestions from the last thread, I might be settling for two small designer clowns. They're hardy and easy to keep. I originally wanted a small six line wrasse, but I don't want to worry about it when it gets bigger and outgrows the tank. Clownfish are colorful and very active and I want something I can see all the time. A pearly jawfish would of been nice, but it might be too small of a tank and I would have to fill the tank with 3" of sand or more just to keep it.
ATO: Tunze Nano ATO. The JBJ I have is bulky and so is the Autotopoff.com one I have. I wanted something clean and discreet that worked well. The Tunze is pretty small and it comes with it's own pump, which I'm hoping is strong enough to pump water from my ATO to the tank. I know my Aqualifter had some difficulty with that.
Heater: I have a few Eheim Jagger heaters around, but I may go with the Cobalt NeoTherm to save some space.
Powerhead: MP10. I have an MP10 from my 50g cube that has been collecting dust for a few years, I might as well put it to good use. Hopefully that's not too much flow.
Coral: Zoas for sure and maybe some LPS like Acans if I can keep the water clean enough. It will all depend on the aquascape.
Aquascape: Aquascaping is limited due to size. I'm not sure if I should find one really decorative rock and use it, or stack a bunch of rocks together to have as much real estate as possible for coral. I'm kind of leaning towards a small piece of tonga branch that can serve as the primary rockwork.
Maintenance: Keeping up with tanks is a huge chore for me. I work 9 hours a day, I'm tired, I'm lazy, and I don't seem to get to it most of the time. The plan is to do 5g water changes every week. I'm planning to buy water from Jason at TRFS so I don't have to make it or keep it around specifically for the nano. This will give me a chance to visit the store once a week and look around. I also won't be using a skimmer, so the weekly water changes are a must.
So that's the plan for now. I'm trying to keep it simple. But we'll see how that goes.
Do you guys have any thoughts or recommendations?
