Would Like To Go Nano But Need Some Details...

[fiskkeeperpro]

I currently have a 14gal juwel rekord 60 tank. I would like to create a nano reef with it but i dont know how much it will cost and i need some questions answered please.

1-I have a filter with thew tank, it has a white sponge, a active carbon removl spone a sponge for ffilter bacteria to live and a nitrate removal sponge. Is this
is this filter suitable for a nano reef tank?
2- What substrate will i need?
3- Do i need salt in the water, if so what type and do i need 2 keep topping it up?
4- Why do you need live rocks in and how much do they cost each?
5- Will i be able to have and small livestock in there e.g clownfish and shrimps?
6- If i go for everything that is reccommended, how much will it cost all together and to keep it running because i only have a limited amount of money lol.
7- Do i need anything specific that i have not mentioned here e.g. lighting etc?

Thanks guys, im asking quite a lot of you here due to me not knowing enough

 

[parker313]

If you have a limited budget, I would recommend against a nano.

Now, on to the rest of the questions...
1 - Yes, the filter is suitable. Well, what's a nitrate removal sponge? I'm not familiar with that...
2 - You will likely use a sand substrate. The benefit of using a "live sand" substrate is up for debate. Many feel that you can save the expense and go with regular sand and let it seed from your live rock.
3 - Yes, of course you need salt in the water! It's a salt water tank! It's aquarium salt though, not table salt. Most containers of aquarium salt will have mixing instructions on it. When you top off evaporated water you'll use non-salted water (RO water preferrably to avoid high phosphates) but when you do water changes, you will replace with salted water. Again, preferrably RO water.
4 - You need live rock b/c in a s/w tank, the LR will contain the majority of your biological filtration. You should allow for 1-2lbs of LR per gallon of water. You can get "cured" or "uncured" LR. "Cured" LR, if bought in sufficient quantities, will mean that your tank is pretty much instantly cycled as soon as you get the salinity stable. If it's "uncured", meaning that it's been out of water for more than an hour or two, you will need to cure it.
5 - Yes, when the tank is properly cyled, you will be able to have SMALL livestock, and just a couple, in there. You will need a cleaner crew of hermits and snails and then you can have maybe 2 small fish.
6 - Minimum you're looking at maybe $400, the upper limit is pretty much the sky...esp if you start adding corals.
8 - Yeah, there's a lot you haven't mentioned (heater and light just being two things).

There's a lot of your questions that would be answered in full detail if you'll read the pinned topics in the different S/W forums and the FAQ topics as well. Also, there are a few members that have some tank diaries posted that will give you a good idea of the day to day work involved in prepping, stocking and maintaining a nano reef.

It definitely can be done but requires almost more prep work than actual work!

 

[@ombomb]

Thanks guys, im asking quite a lot of you here due to me not researching enough

 

[kkyyllee]

3- Do i need salt in the water, if so what type and do i need 2 keep topping it up?

not to be mean but if you dont know if u have to add salt to the water i think u need to do aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalot of research

 

[Danno]

3- Do i need salt in the water, if so what type and do i need 2 keep topping it up?

not to be mean but if you dont know if u have to add salt to the water i think u need to do aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalot of research

I wouldn't throw rocks at your own glass house.

(no I am not calling myself smart, I am just beginning ..kinda)

 

[kkyyllee]

im not an expert but, im not a begginer, and im not throwing any rocks either....

 

[fiskkeeperpro]

umm ye im a little silly bout the salt thing lol

The lighting, is any lighting good enough like the standard light that comes with the juwel rekord 60?

What temperature does a nano reef have 2 be at? My tropical freshwater tank is currently at 27c is this enough?

 

[kkyyllee]

most people keep them around 80-82 not sure what C that is, the lighting im not familiar with those takes but youll probly need to upgrade

 

[RadaR]

The lighting in a rekord 60 is 15W, not that much. More tubes can easily be added.

 

[parker313]

umm ye im a little silly bout the salt thing lol

The lighting, is any lighting good enough like the standard light that comes with the juwel rekord 60?

What temperature does a nano reef have 2 be at? My tropical freshwater tank is currently at 27c is this enough?

It depends on what you want to keep in there. If you want to keep any corals at all, you're pretty much going to have to upgrade your lighting. In general, marine lighting is going to be at a different spectrum/temperature/whatever than freshwater lighting is.

 

[littleme1969]

I'm a bit of a newbie to all this myself but have done a fair bit pf research. I would suggest dont try the fast track asking lots of quiestions at this point. Spend a week or so reading all the pinned topics and also through all the nano journals that have been done on here. Its all there everything you need to know I spent 2 weeks reading through this and other reef forums and learnt so much. Talking your time and getting many different views from many different journals helps you to decide what is best for both you and you aquarium. I'm glad I spent the time, cos when it came to buying stuff/set up etc I knew pretty much what I was doing and more importantly what to expect at every stage. The advice given on here is excellent and will pretty much get you through without any major disaster if you take the time to read and research
As for lighting I hear 50/50 lighting is best that way the corals get the full spectrum they need. Alot of what you buy for for tropical tanks will actually be suitable if you read the box, but I would say that 14 watt will be OK for fish/clean up crew etc but you will need more for corals. Also Bulbs do tend to loose their light spectrum overtime so if you can't afford to add extra light then at least upgrade the bulb you have to a new one and make sure that it is suitable for corals etc. and try and get a moolight spectrum bulb installed too if you can.

Ramble over

 

[fiskkeeperpro]

Ive read that live rock does the filtration needed for a nano reef. Do i need a proper filter if so can u reccomend one? or do i just need a skimmer i have found some on ebay that look adequate for my size tank. Thanks

 

[kkyyllee]

if you have 1.5-2lb/g the liverock will do all ur filtration, or you can add a refugium, skimmers arent needed on smalll tanks because u do weekly water changes

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Ive read that live rock does the filtration needed for a nano reef. Do i need a proper filter if so can u reccomend one? or do i just need a skimmer i have found some on ebay that look adequate for my size tank. Thanks

well, you need good circulation to make the live rock work, so you dont really need a filter if you use liverock

edit: if you want to go nano, get ready to cough up at least $400 if you are going coral. fo can be kinda cheap, but you will still have to spend at least 100 for the very basics.

 

[parker313]

I had just a plain ol' hang on the back aqua clear filter on the back of my tank that I used mainly for water movement as I didn't have any powerheads. When needed, I added meds to the filter so they weren't just in the tank (bag of PhosZorb pellets specifically).

There are a lot of variations on the way a nano can be set up. There are some hard and fast rules (you need salt in the water and can't keep a regal tang in a nano), but there is also a lot of personal opinion and variation - refugium, filter, lighting, skimmer etc. There are several different ways the tank can be set up - not necessarily one right way and everyone else is wrong.