Yeah, I just got back into the hobby after an extended break and I delayed my build a bit so I could get a RO/DI setup and cans etc. Well worth it, especially since I'm a forgetful person and would irritate myself have to go back out haha.That is a good point. The only reason why I don't have a RODI machine is because I don't have the money
We bought premixed salt water from lfs in 4ish gallon carboys.
www.bulkreefsupply.com
Great! Check out these little guys called Trimma and Eviota gobies. They are small, hardy, and really cool little critters. Same with Tiger gobies. I have two and they are the hardiest fish I have.
Thankfully my evaporation is very little so I don't have to go out often to get water. (Plus I'm raising the nitrates and phosphates to finally beat dinoflagellates at the moment so I don't need to do water changes.)
To op:
www.bulkreefsupply.com
Yep, I’m currently saving and this tank would be something that gets set up in a couple months at least, so I have time. The 10g is currently occupied so I still have to figure out a permanent plan for all those guys since they were never meant to be in the 10 in the first place. Luckily for filtration I have a knack for DIY-ing HOBs so hopefully that will come in handy expense wise
Yes, I’ve been researching stocking and I’m thinking about clownfish, some type of goby and some shrimp and snails.
Good idea! You should totally check out pistol shrimp and shrimp gobies. Some easy ones are candy cane pistol shrimp and yellow watchman gobies. Had a pair for years, they were great.Yep, I’m currently saving and this tank would be something that gets set up in a couple months at least, so I have time. The 10g is currently occupied so I still have to figure out a permanent plan for all those guys since they were never meant to be in the 10 in the first place. Luckily for filtration I have a knack for DIY-ing HOBs so hopefully that will come in handy expense wise
Yes, I’ve been researching stocking and I’m thinking about clownfish, some type of goby and some shrimp and snails.
Currently don’t have either of my DIYs running but I built it in a way similar to the one in this video:
Yes I know it doesn’t work the way a protein skimmer does, that is just an example of some of the things I’ve done with HOBs before.Ah, ok I was thinking you auctually built your own HOBs. A saltwater skimmer is quite a different piece of equipment. You could maybe diy one but not like that
If you look up the operation you'll see what I mean.
For saltwater you want a protein skimmer not a surface skimmer.
Really simply it skims waste from your water keeping no3 and po4 from building up. It's a container (usually cylindrical) that has a pump attached. The pump pulls air and water into the skimmer in a kind of cyclone inside mixing everything up. as it mixes the air catches nutrients and waste in the water and it floats to the top as a foam where it overflows into a container for disposal. The nutrients you add to the tank are various foods depending on stock. Down the line if you keep coral you may also need to replenish other elements in the water as they are used up like alk, ca, and mg. But in a small tank this may be manageable with regular water changes.
A Protien skimmer pulls organics out of the water. It does this by foam fractionation, which means it 'distills' the organics by leveraging the effect of organics accumulating at the top of a bubble column due to increasing surface tension. The large, organic laden bubbles, eventually break over a lip to drain into a collection cup. It is a primary means of organic export in saltwater tanks.
Id say that's quite possible. I also feel like too many people jump onto this hobby not realizing what it takes to obtain that goal. Your definitely starting right by asking first. If you haven't yet I'd recommend watching some of the bulk reef supply videos, they have a you tube channel with tons of information. They are a supplier and out to make money but do honestly seem to try and tell you how things work and you can get some ideas where you want to invest money and what items can wait for later. There's also items equipment that's nice to have but totally optional.Thanks so much for your help everyone. If anybody is curious, this is what I am imagining my tank looking like:
Source: https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/197365-diy-10gallon/
