New To the Nano world

[Slimjim]

Hi all,
6 months ago I started my own 11g Nano its a Via-Aqua self contained tank made out of acrylic. pretty nice for only 110$. Right now I have in my tank is this.

- 2 Small Clowns
- Pink tip Anemone
- 9lbs of Marshall Island Live Rock
- 2 Inch of Sand with Seeded Sand from my brothers tank an from Inland reef
- Blue Leg Hermits
- Snails
- Chili Corals
- Red Mushrooms
- an some others

An for lighting I currently got fluorescent lighting probably around 16w not to sure. what I was wondering is do I need to add any chemicals in to my tank like Calcium or anything I always see my brother adding stuff in to his 60g Tank like kent chemicals an his corals look fantastic? an mine look ok but i don't get as much growth as he does, Its probably because of the lighting right?
Another thing I was thinking is making some of refugium in the cabinet under the nano? would that be smart so I could not just have an deep sand bed in the refug, but also so i could do some fraging in it? an also maybe it would be beneficial? or would this not be smart?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Enzo]

I am not sure about aading chemicals to your tank but 16 watts sounds a little on the edge. I would invest more money in lighting.

 

[UnderGrad]

I would say you could definetely do with some more lighting. Do you run a skimmer on your tank? I just started a 10g nano myself (my very first one) and was wondering if nitrates ever become a problem for you (I plan on having basically the same occupants as you - minus a few corals)? I could imagine that wastes build up rather quickly from having to feed the clowns and anemone... What filtration setup are you using?
FWIW, I have a 175w MH over mine right now suspended about 7" above the water line with a 3" fan blowing just below it and Temp fluctiations haven't been a problem for me (I'm currently in the process of culturing some live sand).

-AM-

 

[vulkum]

well if your light consisits of 2 bulbs there probablly like 9watts each. you can upgrade to 13w bulbs and still use the same ballast. and i have seen plenty of soft coral nano's under similiar lighting that do fine. i'm obsessed with lighting my tanks so i would say LIGHT IT UP! but thats your decision.
as for the additives, theres 2 things you can do. either do a weekly waterchange of about 20-40 percent this can become expensive using all that salt. or still do a 10% water chamge weekly and get a 2 part additive like ESV b-ionic or kents tech CB. i use the later as i found that buying it by the gallon is cheap and will last me over a year(cost with shipping from petwarehouse was like 30.00). if you keep on it(the daily dosing) your levels will be perfect within a few days and you'll start noticing growth very fast. i even have SPS in my minibow that are growing like mad under just PC bulbs. i'm not familiar with the lighting that comes with your tank but if theres extra room in the hood and it has a remote ballast you might just consider gutting the fixture and upgrading the lighting.

 

[Slimjim]

Hey all again,
to,UnderGrad, I'm currently using an "biological filter" well thats what the box says what it has in it is some little clay round things that grab waste. an then there are two layers of Mess,Filters. i also run a real real small bag of carbon in my tank. my Nitrate levels do go up some times which inertly starts to tick off my Anemone. an as for lights I'm currently shopping around for new lights right now as thinking a 50/50 light setup or something.

Also I'm researching about Refugium for this tank an what i would do so far that comes to mind is have a 10g tank underneath an do a gravity refugium where in the refg there would be like a 3inch sand bed. so that might help as a natural Filtration an get rid of my High nitrates an such. i don't feed my Fish that much food i make sure they eat it all only on the weekend is when i do there "Big" meal which contains some small frozen food, some Vitim's an such. an a small peace of scallop for the anemone. but I'm not sure about the refugium I'm still new to the scene an still reading about it any one think that would be beneficial.


Also im thinking about GUTIN THE hood an puttin a new ballest inside with new lights or even have the Ballest on the out side

 

[Slimjim]

Here is a copy a link of my tank i have the AR380 http://www.commodityaxis.com/tank.htm

 

[UnderGrad]

Slim,
Looks pretty sweet. Yeah, definetely put more light in, especially since it looks like its more deep than it is long. I'd totally recommend setting up a refugium... but it looks like it could be a pain for you with that hood. Seems like it would be hard to put in an overflow and return line without having to do some serious surgery to it. I imagine having half your water volume devoted to a fuge would really help with nutrient export (you plan on cultivating macroalgae in it right?) -- you'd probably be able to use the lights in your tank you have now for the fuge. Let me know if you go through with it... I'd like to hear how it goes and how you set it up. I plan on doing the same once my tank is extablished.

-AM-

 

[vulkum]

if you have the 380 then it says a single 13w pink plant bulb is what came with the tank. might want to put a 50/50 bulb on there for now. i was thinking your tank came with a little pendant like the 418 model

 

[Slimjim]

I wish i was thinkin of guting hte old one an putting this in it
SeaLights Fixtures
SeaLights are the most powerful compact light system, designed to accommodate aquarist who desire a small yet successful mini-reef. SeaLights will fit almost any hexagon, cube, or pentagon desktop aquarium and provide the necessary output for sustained coral and plant growth. The SeaLights incorporate the revolutionary PowerCompact Linear Quad compact flourescent as either a single 27W Linear Quad or combination fixture with one 27W Linear Quad and one 9W compact fluorescent. Either fixture enables the user to achieve various lighting effects by simply changing the type of lamp. The unique 27W Linear Quad provides powerful output unmatched by any fluorescent of the same wattage. This unique flat compact quad consists of 4 glass tubes bridged together producing a uniform compact light source. In fact, they are so powerful that many aquarists have used multiple lamps to light large reef aquariums and have reported better results than with the use of VHO. The 27W 5000K Daylight is popular for keeping plants, while the 6700K Ultra Daylight provides a crisp, brilliant white light more suited for conventional reefs. Both the 5000K and the 6700K use a mixture of three radiant rare earth phosphors uniquely designed to produce light in three wavelengths. Lamps are included.

Model # Description Dimension Price
CLSL22 9W 7100K 13W 5000K 8.5"x4.5"x2" $55.00
CLSL27W67K 27W 6700K 8.5"x4.5"x2" $55.00
CLSL27W71K 27W 7100K 8.5"x4.5"x2" $56.00
CLSL37W67K 9W 7100K 27W 6700K 8.5"x6.5"x2" $73.00 <-- that one
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_lt_pc_csl.asp?CartId=

What do u think of it.

 

[vulkum]

i think your wasting your money. 73.00 for that! you can find the 27w quad bulbs at homedepot for about 3.50(there replacment bulbs for outdoor security lights). the 9w and 13w bulbs are the same size and use the same ballast so you might as well have a 13w actinic. really for 73.00 i'll sell you a 2x32w retro if ya want! i understand your limited on space but you outta try seeing what is the maximum you can fit. a 28w/32w(same bulb) is 13" long a 36w is 17" and 55w/65w are 21 to 22" long depending on pin configuration. if you want to buy a complete retro to install check these guys out for they have good prices
http://www.lampsnow.com/2lam28wattwi.html
http://www.ahsupply.com/product-.htm
http://www.petsupplyliquidator.com/

 

[Slimjim]

hey, vulkum

Would your Actinic bulb fit in to my canopy? An would the light be really binaficial to my nano? Also would I get a ballest too? An how much we talking? any pics?

 

[vulkum]

i was being sarcastic but i could put one together for about that. ballast 22.00, bulbs 17.00 each,endcaps 8.00 for both, reflector 10-15 bucks
did you check out hello lights? here


2x28w raw ballast

Price: $26.95



Description

Item Code:62-62003


* Raw Electronic Ballast - DIY or Replacement.
* 120 VAC.
* 9 1/2" x 1 5/8" x 1 1/8" (LxWxH)
* Warranty: 3 years


sqaure pin endcap

Price: $4.75



Description

Item Code: 62-62007


* Fits all power compact Square pin (Panasonic Style) type compact fluorescent / power compact bulbs.
* Base type: GY10q

bulb clip

Price: $1.99



Description

Item Code: 62-62008


Note: We recommend 2 clips per each bulb you are trying to hold in place.


* Stainless Steel heavy duty clip - specially designed for PC lamps.
* Fits all power compact Square or Straight Pin bulb, 28W, 36W, 55W, 65W, and 96W.
** NOTE: If using SQUARE PIN (Panasonic) type bulbs, please "stretch" the clips so they are not so tight on the bulbs. This will prevent damage to Square Pin bulbs over time. (Square Pin bulbs are WIDER then Straight Pin bulbs.)

28w 50/50 power compact bulbs

Price: $19.95



Description

Item Code: 32-32001


* One of the tubes is 10,000K and the other is Actinic 03!
* The perfect solution for someone who only has 1 socket, and wants both types of light in their tank.
* 10,000K color is high intensity "ice white" light.
* Actinic 03 is real actinic with light emitting peak at 420nm.
* Panasonic style “Square Pin” socket (GY10Q).
* 12 11/16" overall length, 14 3/16" with moisture proof endcap.


so about 80.00 to do something like this or you can get like a PFO 2x32w retro with bulbs of your choice and waterresistant endcaps reflectors for like 113.00 at marine depot. you would need at least 14" long hood to mount these and about 6" wide.

 

[Slimjim]

Hey,vulkum
I hate to ask this but what would you get if you had like 100 for lights that would fit in my excisting Canapy. An the ballest could be on the out side in some kind of box.

 

[vulkum]

to bad this won't fit
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... gory=20755
i really don't know how much room you have. your tank specs say its 15" wide but does that mean that the light area is that wide or more like 12"? if i were wanting to go cheap and keep the origianal hood then i would cram whatever i could get to fit in there. might only be able to do a sealights(27wquad) or maybe a 2x13w kit. theres also a way with a standard NO bulb. i fellow nano reefer on another board runs 2 x15w regular flourescents on a electronic PC ballast overdriving them and get lit 60watts total out of them. there very bright for such small bulbs. no i don't know how long they last but i have done the same thing with a 9w bulb running off a 55w ballast and it looks as bright as a 32w bulb.

the other way is to scrap the canopy and go with an open water tank and do a pendant. Bruce at www.petsupply liguidator will custom make a pendant to fit you tank. the draw back is he only has 13w then 36w bulbs and up so if you wanted to use 32w you would have to build your own. heres a pic of my pendant right after i got it. its now hanging above the tank

 

[Slimjim]

Hey, Vulkum
Thanks so much for the info its been real real helpful. I'm gonna approach my brother
"The fellow reefer in the house That has his 60g in the house"

with the idea of taking my old canopy off an building one like this

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread.php?s=0818016bd492e3bf3a93303c5d227f55&threadid=7704

So I could fit maybe aSome bigger size bulbs, but one thing to keep in cideration is that my brother said "the power in the house couldn't handle it."The good side is ill have allot more room so tha Athnics an what else Daytime bulbs? What else could I get to achieve maximum lighting for my corals but also keep the power down? I'm betting he wont let me get any MH but what else could I do.
The specs for my aquarium is L:15" X W:9.75" X H:15" with light hood, add 3". <-- that is the original specs.

Thanks again.

 

[vulkum]

if you get ahold of Glazer on the www.nano-reef.com he has made some very kewl canopys out of like black walnut. i no he had one for a 5.5 gal tank which might be close to the same size you have. check him out. if you do the canopy then i would do a single 32w for now until you can affoard to add another. 2x32w over your tank would rock. can even keep some sps. i do under 3x32w and look at how high the pendant is. there also a custom se life prism pendnat. there like 19" long but come in a 3x32w or a 96w power quad bulb. i seem somone selling a used one for like 125.00 with cables and all

 

[Slimjim]

Ok I guess I could do the 2x32w an what about the Attics? so I get that nice looking blue effect that allot of people have? I'm trying to find maybe a schematics of how the canopy would look like so I could have something to back up not just the idea but something to show hem.

 

[vulkum]

heres a couple of post from glazer showing some of the work he has done. just email him with an idea and type of wood to see what he can do. black walnut is spendy stuff so remember it will raise the price. maple or mahogany is a cheaper very classy wood i have used in the past.
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthr ... ght=canopy
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthr ... eadid=3129

 

[Slimjim]

Here I did this in photo-shop real fast to maybe see what my canopy an stand might look like what do you think, in the stand I could put a refugium or something. An that is really my tank too What do you think? ill post how thee canopy might look from the inside. with the lights if you could show me the 3x32s that has a pic or something.