Researching Nano

[Ravynnm]

or not so nano.

Ok, so I"m a FW SA kinda guy. Nice 55 display tank. In my back closet is a mawali f'd up tank. It's the skelaten in the closet. I won't talk about it. Ever.

So that said, I'm thinking about breaking into reefs, on a small scale. I realize that it would be easier to do 180 gallons but I"m thinking about 34 gallons. Red Sea Max?

Ok, here are the book arriving soon:

"The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide"
Michael S. Paletta

The Nano-Reef Handbook"
Chris R. Brightwell;

"The Simple Guide To Mini-reef Aquariums"
Jeffrey Kurtz;

Got more book thoughts, reefy thoughts, things I should consider. I don't much care about fish. One or two maybe. I'm all about it looking cool. Coral and inverts.

SW scares me. Gives me shivers. But I'd really like to give this a shot, but I'm friggin' hell bent on learnig before buying. LOL I told my roomie last night I'd been researching nanos and bought a CD to prevent me from being impulsive. Took us 5 minutes to sort out Audio CD and Certificate of Deposit.

I wanna feel secure in my knowledge before going ahead.

Input?

Rav

[leveldrummer]

first things first, you will do better to try a larger tang, get better equipment, and learn how to run a set up before going with a smaller tank.

a 75 with a 29 sump, good skimmer, and a nice set of lights will get you very far. see if you can work out a budget and find some nice used equipment, youll be very glad if you can .

[Ice]

Agreed ...

Can it be done for a beginner ? Yes.
Is it best for a beginner to start with a small saltwater tank? No.

The books you mentioned are good starts. keep reading and researching all you need for SW aquaria keeping. SW is much more delicate than FW.

[vvolfe1]

Here is my 2C worth. I say go for it. If its the 34 I'm thinking of it should give you a good depth front to back so aquascaping should be good. Depending on the lighting and the size it could limit the types of corals to a degree. I've seen a few smaller Ricordia tanks set up that were just amazing. With you getting books and researching I'm sure you'll be up to a 34 gallon tank before the first drop of water goes in.

Good luck.

[Bear]

My first reef was a 40g, so Im thinking 34gallons....not that far off, but kinda is when the volume missing is 5.6% of the water volume. I would look for something a little bigger, just to make it easier on yourself, plus then u get more area for coral . I would say stay away from the little pre-made tank set ups, I just don't like them.

Do a little search, see what other people trying to set up a SW asked, you will find that there is already a ton of information on this board.

Good Luck!

[Ravynnm]

Part of my problem is foot print consideration. In an ideal world, I'd move my 55 elsewhere, put in a 72" river tank for loaches where it is, and then start with a 55 reef in an yet undisclosed location. Given I don't want to move the 55 SA, I'm left with 2 choices for the reef. 1) room for 36" where people will see it in my very, very small library, or a 55 in my bedroom, where no one would ever see it except me.

Oh, I should have mentioned, the 34 I'm looking at is the red sea max. I may decide after researching it's just not practical, I mean I was reading about curing life rock and smell is a consideration. I have a small house and 2 roomies, would have to happen on the enclosed front porch, fine if I can do it not later than september, after that not practical.

I really appreciate the input, already yiou're making me think of things I wouldn't have.

Rav

[vvolfe1]

Cureing live rock does not have to be that bad. You can put it in a trash can or rubber tub and cycle it somewhere else if need be. You could also look for a club around and maybe find some live rock someone has already had and used. Just make sure if you get used live rock they never used copper to treat their tank. I have around 50 pounds I'd like to get rid of for $2.50/pound and I'm sure there are people in your area with extra too.
As for tanks though a 40 breeder I feel would be a better option than a 55. I had a 55 and the front to back depth made it hard to make the rock look like anything but a wall. I'd probably also go with a 34 over the 40 though. A draw back to a all in one 34 is that if you ever decided to upgrade you'd basically have to get a whole new system and not really be able to use much from the 34.

[Damon]

A 65 gallon tank is 36 inches long........................

Just a thought......

Usually cheap to find also as more people want length than depth and height.

[CollegeReefer]

I think red seas 34 gallon nano would make a nice tank. Seeing that you have bought some books and are taking the time to read up on the hobby i am sure you can keep a 34 nano with no prob as long as you keep puting the time in. I will write more later, but i worked 12 hours today and need to get to bed. Good luck and happy reading.