A Second Shot; My 10g Reef

[Artificial]

Decided to set up another marine tank. My 20g I tore down about a year ago was a disaster. I diving back to the salty side.

Currently what I've got:
10g tank
hood w/2x10w CF 6500K bulbs
CPR BakPak (MJ1200)
6lbs LR
3lbs dry rock
Koralia 1
Heater(won't need it for a few weeks, if ever)

I went to the LFS today, just to look(which we all know never happens). I just had to buy myself the LR and dry rock. Nothing was ready at home. I had $76 in gift certificates, and I still have $20 left. I

get home, crank up the RO/DI unit. I grab some 5g buckets. I fill one with tap water, the other with RO/DI. I go rummage through the basement to find all the stuff from the 20g. I come up with the CPR and Koralia 1 and a wee bit of salt.

All the way up two flights of stairs, back in my room. I realize how little salt I actually have. Barely enough to get 4g of water to a SG of 1.023. I got my 5g bucket with a pump and mixed up the SW, then threw in the LR and called it a day.

Plans for Day 2:

Go back to the LFS and get salt
Fill up the tank and mix the salt
Get everything working
Put in my LR
Put in some sand.
Start letting my dry rock leech out in a bucket of FW

Looking forward to seeing what little hitchhikers I got with my LR. FTS will be up tomorrow. Yes it will be boring, but it's a nice reference to look back at some day.

[hockeyhead019]

Glad to hear you're going to give it another shot, but just fyi if you struggled with a 20 gallon I can imagine a 10 gallon being a nightmare. I don't know your SW experience so please don't be insulted but that's awful small to jump back in with

[Michael Milligan]

Welcome back, to the salty side.

I would suggest keeping it an invert tank, or perhaps one goby. It will make your chances a LOT better.

My first tank was a 20gal disaster too. I bet you learned a lot from it like I did! lol.

[Artificial]

I know going smaller after having trouble the first time doesn't seem logical. But, I looked back on what I did wrong and I'm being sure not to do those things this time.

Inverts and a goby was my exact plan. I don't know what kind of goby yet, the LFS has a 4 or 5 different kinds. I'll just have to see what they have in a month or so, when I'm ready for the fish.

The tank will be ready in about half an hour. Can't wait to get what I have right now together.

[hockeyhead019]

Nice nice well I'm interested to see how it turns out... I'm a big fan of these micro tanks haha post some pics when you start getting stuff together

[Artificial]

Tanks been up and running for a day now. Waiting for some water to evaporate so I can put the hood on. Picture(s) will be coming tomorrow.

[Artificial]

First, I apologize for my lack of activity in this thread.

Since my last post, there's been a decent amount of progress. All the rock work is done and the sand has been put in. My cycle is almost over. The ammonia(read my thread in the chatterbox for some lols on me testing this) is gone and nitrites are starting to rise. Tonight, I didn't even bother to test for nitrates.

So far the only life I've seen in my tank is some pods crawling on the LR and one of those things that looks like a flat slug crawling on the glass.

By next weekend the cycle should be done. If I'm not too busy, I'll be getting the CUC. And then two weeks after that I'm shooting for the fish, not sure what I'm gonna get yet. It'll come down to what the LFS has that day.

And now, the most important part of this thread. The FTS:

[Rue]

Looks good so far!

[CassieLEO]

I love these Nano Reefs! Yours looks like its off to a good start!!! I cant wait to venture into SW tanks!!!!