Hello from central Texas! (Austin area.)

[PaulR]

Well, I reached my 50th birthday near the end of last year - and realized I was spending way too much time and attention on work, and not nearly enough with my wife and family.

And I had promised myself I would setup a tank or two "a few months" after we moved here to Texas - we gave away our tanks in PA. before we moved down. Problem is - that was 10 years ago!

We have been keeping fish since we were kids - including successfully keeping saltwater fish as far back as the 1970's. I remember hauling salt water in glass five gallon jugs, and stashing it in my dad's garage for weeks to let it settle. What a miracle it was when undergravel filters came along! Joy!

It was our great good fortune to have been born and raised in north Florida, with easy access to the sea, and easy access to Marine Biologists who were willing to talk to kids.

Anyway, we decided we wanted to start a small marine tank again but were not enthused by memories of how complex the plumbing can be for wet dry filters and such. Imagine our amazement to discover the nano-reef tanks that abound today!

We have ordered one of the Cadlight 12gallon tanks, and starting to plan how we intend to stock it. Central Texas is not north Florida, nor even the Philadelphia area, and the selection around here seems a little limited. We have found a couple really nice looking stores - Aquatech in Austin in particular seems like a well run store with lots of healthy animals.

We would sure welcome advice on what corals would be good choices. Karen is determined to have a nice like Perc clown in the tank though, so that may limit the choices a bit. It would be nice to give a little Perc an anemone of it's own for a home, but I have to go look up what kinds are compatible, and what kinds might survive in a small nano tank.

It really looks like the technology of marine tanks, in particular reef keeping, has advanced in leaps and bounds since the last time I looked. It is almost trivially easy to get a tank today that many would have killed for just 10 or 15 years ago.

Anyways, just wanted to say hello, introduce myself, and beg for advice.

Yours,
-PaulR

 

[Dentoid]

Welcome Paul and Karen! You are right, the technology has come a long way from the 70's and undergravel filters. We can keep so many more species of coral and inverts than we ever could before. In most part due to the discovery and use of foam fractionation (skimming) to rid the water of excess nutrients that would cause incredible algae outbreaks and would lead to the dreaded "crash"! I kept a marine tank in the 70's too and grew up on the West coast of Florida.

Even though the nano technology has made reef keeping easier, it is not without its problems, namely the margin of error for something to go wrong in such a small volume of water is greater. Not only that, but you will have to have a heightened awareness of changes in water chemistry and temperature. For example, you will need to locate the tank in an area away from home heating and cooling elements as well as windows and drafty areas of your home to help maintain temperature. Furthermore, water chemistry testing and adjusting are paramount to keeping stability in any reef tank, but the chance of chemistry fluctuating in a nano is also greater. In essence strict maintenance and a keen eye will be needed for nano reef keeping. That's what makes it a hobby though!

You will also need to be keenly aware of the capacity of life a nano can handle as to not overstock creating problems beyond comprehension at this point. As for the anemone, you may know that they are sensitive creatures requiring stable water chemistry and strong lighting. In fact, most will require lighting that a tank of that volume can not handle in terms of their heat generation, namely metal halide (MH). Before trying your hand at anemone keeping, I urge you to research this throughly while your tank matures and you get familiar with nano reef keeping.

If there is one thing I can tell you is it to go slow. Do not rush into set-up and stocking as complications are sure to arise. Going slow is tedious, but in the end, you will have a much healthier and beautiful tank which will keep you in the hobby, which is what we all want! All the best!

 

[new reefer 03]

wow dude. that is likle the best first post ive seen

:welcomera to Reef Sanctuary!

 

[PaulR]

Excellent advice, and we will be going slow. Living in Texas has it's advantages - the house never gets cold in winter, but keeping the tank cool in the summer may present a bit of a challenge.

The tank is coming with 4 tubes of T5 lights, in a fan cooled reflector. Hopefully, that will be enough light since the tank is relatively shallow anyway.

We intend to log and record this (like we always do anyway) so we will be able to ascertain when the tank is fully cycled - and there is room for a small refugium in the filter as well. We hope to be able to maintain excellent water quality with small but regular water changes.

Also, I am not above popping a bag of Chemi-pure in the filter line as well. That will stabilize water quality almost instantly, if somewhat artificially.
And I'm scanning the net looking for a small, quiet, skimmer that will fit in the filter area as well. Doesn't look like there are a lot of good choices out there though.

Again, excellent and well received advice. Thanks -Paul

 

[PaulR]

Thanks for the welcome.

Wow-impressive journal. I like your second go at the rock scaping, it looks like a small junk of the sea relocated to the middle of your tank. Be sure to keep your pictures, after you mature that tank a few years, you are going to have something twice as amazing as you have now.

-Paul

 

[yungreefer2410]

that was a very good first post. all its missing is pictures! anyway what size aquarium are you having? i'm not familiar with cadlight

 

[PaulR]

that was a very good first post. all its missing is pictures! anyway what size aquarium are you having? i'm not familiar with cadlight

We are doing a nano tank, as we are shy on space. Ordered the tank, but still putting together the rest of the engineering and implementation plan.

CADLIGHTS

Thanks
-Paul