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gerbilbox

Inching Ever Closer

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by
gerbilbox
, 11-04-2010 at 03:08 AM (1505 Views)
I collected more equipment from fish stores and online the past few days:

AquaticLife T5HO 2x24
Ebo Jager 50w heater
AquaClear 70 Power Filter
Test kits
Refractometer

Click image for larger version Name: IMGP1327.jpg Views: 509 Size: 158.3 KB ID: 3115

My setup philosophy is that I will start out with basic but capable equipment, and I can add more to supplement instead of replacing them. For example, the AquaClear filter is providing a lot of flow on its own, but if it proves not to be enough I can easily add a powerhead.

Speaking of the AquaClear, it's a little noisier than I expected, but I'm not sure yet if it's enough to bug me. I'll eventually have Chaetomorpha in it with its own light source. Right now, the heater is submerged in the AquaClear, and it's not touching any of the plastic. It took a lot of trial and error before I got the suction cup holder in exactly the right position that both submerged the heating element and kept it from touching anything. The Ebo Jager is a rather large heater. It seems to work fine in this configuration, but I'll let it run for a day or two to see how well it works. Hopefully, I can keep my tank clear of clutter.

I chose the AquaticLife fixture because it seemed to have better reflectors than the Current-USA ones, although it's nothing fancy like Tek. It seems bright, although I don't know what bright really means since I've never kept an aquarium before. Many on Nano-Reef.com and Reef Central use similar lights on their 10g with medium-light corals. I have two options to expand the lighting if necessary: 1) Using ATI bulbs with higher PAR, and 2) Lowering the fixture by securing it to the tank without mounts.

I also have most of my quarantine bucket ready. That's right, a five gallon bucket for quarantine! I don't plan on fish anytime soon so I figured that a glass tank wouldn't be necessary to keep corals and other invertebrates under observation. The bucket setup is cheap and takes up little space.

The tank has been filled with tap water for the past several days to test for leaks (none!), but it has also accumulated dust and other particles. I'll run some polyester floss to see how well it can clean it out.

The tank photo at the top of the post was corrected to a neutral white balance. It actually does not appear this white, although it does look nice this way. I have no idea what white balance will be most photogenic for corals, but I'll find out when the time comes. For comparison, below is the exact same photo with daylight white balance, which is bluer than how I perceive it.

Click image for larger version Name: IMGP1327-2.jpg Views: 175 Size: 170.9 KB ID: 3116

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Updated 11-06-2010 at 08:36 PM by gerbilbox

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‎ Tank - Full Summary

Comments

  1. Hat39406's Avatar
    Looking good Gerbilbox! ;-)
  2. bryman's Avatar
    Very cool! Looks like you are doing your homework. My first tank was a 10g nano as well. You can do a lot of cool stuff even with a small tank, and to this day I think my nano was still prettier than any of the bigger tanks I've had.

    Have you thought about painting the tank back with krylon fusion or rustoleum? I usually paint mine black to make the colors pop more and hide filters / wires. Also, if you can afford to do it, either start the tank with RO/DI from a LFS or buy your own unit. You can save a lot of headaches with algae blooms and other issues if you go with RO/DI right from the start.

    Looking forward to seeing your progress!
  3. gerbilbox's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bryman
    Very cool! Looks like you are doing your homework. My first tank was a 10g nano as well. You can do a lot of cool stuff even with a small tank, and to this day I think my nano was still prettier than any of the bigger tanks I've had.

    Have you thought about painting the tank back with krylon fusion or rustoleum? I usually paint mine black to make the colors pop more and hide filters / wires. Also, if you can afford to do it, either start the tank with RO/DI from a LFS or buy your own unit. You can save a lot of headaches with algae blooms and other issues if you go with RO/DI right from the start.

    Looking forward to seeing your progress!
    Funny, I just installed a black background when your comment arrived. I may decide to paint it this weekend, but in the meantime the black sheet was fast and cheap. Is there a difference between the Krylon Fusion and the Rustoleum?

    Oh don't worry, I stocked up on RO/DI water that I will use when I start the tank for real. There's a local grocery store RO/DI dispenser that a few local reefers also use. I'm only using the tap to test the tank, heater and filter.
  4. bryman's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by gerbilbox
    Funny, I just installed a black background when your comment arrived. I may decide to paint it this weekend, but in the meantime the black sheet was fast and cheap. Is there a difference between the Krylon Fusion and the Rustoleum?

    Oh don't worry, I stocked up on RO/DI water that I will use when I start the tank for real. There's a local grocery store RO/DI dispenser that a few local reefers also use. I'm only using the tap to test the tank, heater and filter.
    Well, I've always just used black rustoleum with good success (no flaking after years, etc.), but I find most people use krylon fusion now. Not sure the difference but they both work. Glad to hear you are using RO/DI. When you have a nano, lugging around 5 gallon jugs every once in a while isn't so bad.
  5. gerbilbox's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bryman
    Well, I've always just used black rustoleum with good success (no flaking after years, etc.), but I find most people use krylon fusion now. Not sure the difference but they both work. Glad to hear you are using RO/DI. When you have a nano, lugging around 5 gallon jugs every once in a while isn't so bad.
    Thanks for the spray painting suggestion! I bought a can of Krylon Fusion this morning and painted the back. It looks way better than the cheap background I had. My base rock also arrived today, so I'll post a new photo once I figure out the rock-scape.