New Here! Advice on my setup please!!! Complete beginner!

[aclman88]

Hey all!

I am in the process of turning my Imagitarium 3.7 Pro aquarium into a pico reef and have been creating a spreadsheet that outlines the setup including the budget, items I think I need (including links/prices), possible items I may want, and a list of some fauna I'm considering.

Feel free to check out the spreadsheet and give me any feedback!!!! I might end up getting the Kesser A80 Tuna blue light if I can find a good deal on a used one.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EAf1h8uNN3Rf1aKYOcqVy9f_VYIPanVdvmKoRWLoQu4/edit?usp=sharing


Thank you!

 

[jjfriscia]

Definitely get a temperature controller. I think its a must for this size setup. I'm using this tank for freshwater shrimp and found that most of the hearers will overheat this size tank. I also bought a usb fan that connects to the cool side for when the temp is too hot. Worked great:beer:

 

[Booker301]

GSP and Xenia both grow like weeds. You should look to put them on a separate rock away from your main structure if you want to ‘control’ it.

 

[jayver]

with your budget you might want to go bigger. bigger is better always. 10 gallon all in ones or JBJs are usually good. JBJ biocubes come with everything but a heater so idk you may run into problems with such a small tank. parameters aren't as consistent and you will find yourself doing more maintenance on it. thats just my 2 cents from experience

 

[Actinic Atoll]

I don't know if you are still building this tank or not, however maybe consider ditching the DIY ATO and put that $72 bucks towards your light. (A used Kessil A80 can be had for a hundy)

The reason being, despite the complexity, they DIY ATO is not any safer then say just a float valve and a small jug of top off water, compared to say a Tunze nano top off that only runs for a preset time.

I see that these aquariums have glass lids, in which case you could get by just topping off by hand in the meantime. I'm not saying not to get a ATO eventually, just that it is a lower priority (If I was in your shoes) then a decent light, assuming you are around the tank often enough to tend to the evaporation.

I too would prefer/recommend something bigger, however I started out at 5 gallons and most reefers want to go bigger eventually without my persuasion lol. There is a decent selections of AIO tanks around 10 gallons these days.

Another option is to reduce your livestock list for a while. Get the equipment you need and then 3-5 coral, it's good to go slow anyway. (That seems like a lot of stuff to pack in a 3.7 gallon and still have a bit of room to grow) Sooner or later you will see something else you want, it would be hard to fit along with all the stuff on your list.

It's good that you have a list going, this makes it easier to few your budget along with all the peripheral accessory costs.