My ten gallon budget tank

[BlennyBabe]

well I posted this on reef central, but I thought I would share this here as well. Hello Everyone! I have been into reefing for the past few years. I recently moved away from home (about 2 hours away) to go to college. I miss my tank so much, I decided to start a nano for my desk. I have a very little budget because I haven’t found a job yet. I have been keeping a 6 gallon eclipse here that houses my frogfish, but I would really like to keep some corals. So far this is what I had from my other tank that was just gathering dust:
A 175 watt Hamilton metal halide with a 10000k bulb (pendant)
An emperor 400 hang on the back filter
Crushed coral
Salt
Live rock (not sure how much I am going to pilfer from my 75 gallon)

So Far this is my expense list:
Ten gallon tank: $6.99 on sale
Distilled water: 5 gallons at $.79 a gallon (I still need about 6 more gallons, going to see if I can “borrow” some from the chemistry lab)

Future purchases:
Heater (maybe, I keep my apartment pretty warm and the light will help during the day)
Thermometer
Powerhead
More liverock and livestock (frags, maybe 1 fish )

 

[BlennyBabe]

Filled it with distilled water from my schools chemistry lab and Instant Ocean.

Added Aragalive aragonite reef sand (coarse grain, more like cc). I only added about a half inch, just enough to cover the bottom. I like the bare bottom theory, but I dont like the look.

 

[BlennyBabe]

Well it turns out I cant find a good way to hang my lights; the whole thing is not evenly ballanced, one side is way heavier than the other. Also I couldnt find anything in the celing to support it. (I didnt have a stud finder or anything, and I dont know which way the floorboards of the floor above me run) Anyway, my boyfriends roommate gave me some cinder blocks and I used these to prop up my light. It is very "college furnature" looking. Right now its going to have to do. I dont have any more money to spend.

Here is a picture of my boyfriend and our "handywork." I do have to thank him for carrying three cinder blocks down three flights of stairs and up two...

 

[BlennyBabe]

I added some live rock. The aquascaping isnt quite finished yet, and I plan on adding a lot more rock, but for now it will have to do. I couldnt find a decently priced heater in town so I rigged my waterproof heating pad to sit inbetween the tank and the cinder blocks to provide heat when the halide is off. so far the temp is right on.

 

[BlennyBabe]

Let me know what you think! I love to hear your comments and criticisms.

Right now the tank has had water in it for over a week. the filter cartridges are from my reef tank and the rock was already cured and had been in my reef and my frogfish tank for over two years. I used about 3 gallons from my frogfish tank for the nano, so hopefully there will be a really fast cycle, if there is one at all.

 

[Meloco14]

I love it! It is SO college. I too am in college and know the pain of not having enough money, and having to makeshift certain things. My lighting used to consist of parts from home depot, the only things i actually bought from a fish store were the bulbs. And I had to have them sit right on top of the tank. Then I put a desk fan on top of the lights to cool them off. I was thinking of rigging something like your cinderblocks, only out of 2x4's, but instead I saved up and bought a CSL PC/moonlight setup. Anyway, I like your setup, it shows dedication. You have more experience than me with halides, but wouldnt that much power into 10 gallons burn a lot of corals? I honestly have no experience with MH, but that would be my concern. Anyway, good luck, and enjoy college

 

[Meloco14]

Oh, and do you still have the bio wheels in that filter? Most people take them out because they can build up nitrates, and with LR you don't really need them anyway...

 

[BlennyBabe]

Yeah I took the bio wheels out, althought they never caused a problem on my 75 when I had the emperor on that. But that had about 120 lbs of liverock in it so...

The halides wont be a problem, I plan on keeping mostly light loving species of coral, things from my 75 that are in the top few inches under 250watts.
actually, I put some zoos and mushrooms in the tank already and they are looking really good today. they came from the bottom of my 75 so I'll have to leave the light on for a few hours today.

 

[reefann]

Very cool.
I too have had some pretty ghetto setups. Still living at home (I still have two years of Highschool. ugh) if the tank does not look nice it gets banished to my room.
175 over a ten is not too much, IMO. As long as heat is delt with that will be sweet. Plus that bulb appears to be at least 15" away from the water surface. I, at first, was thinking you should put some acrylic over the top for evap, but I think this would contribute to a over heating issue. I dont know how much that bulb is heating the water but you may want to keep that in mind.
_________________
Mercedes CLK AMG Black Series

 

[Anonymous]

BB,
Cool little setup!

If you want to hang that pendant you can use those little hooks that folks use to hang potted plants. You have to make a pretty big hole in the ceiling, but you don't need a stud to make it work. It has a little spring loaded anchor on the screw so it won't come out of that thin ceiling material.

I think I said this before....I love your avatar! One of the cutest little fish.

Anyway, good luck with your tank, and post some more pics.

 

[BlennyBabe]

The ceiling hangers only support 8 lbs. Im in on campus apartments and I dont want to loose my deposit if that cant support it. The ballast is included in that pendant, but its off to one side and its way to heavy to hang. Im over it. Its ugly but the tank will just have to be prettier to compensate.

 

[nanite]

Hi blennybabe

Nice tank though...

what Type of overhang filter are you using on your tank.

ps...cant wait till i get my 80 litre nano cube.

 

[Anonymous]

Matt is that avatar a Helfrickis firefish?? :wink: j/k ...

 

[Baianotang]

you have to pay for what you get
a ten gallon reef is a disgrace :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[hillbilly]

It's called a nano. It's supposed to be small!

 

[Anonymous]

let's go find a forum for large tanks, and dis 'em!

 

[Anonymous]

you have to pay for what you get
a ten gallon reef is a disgrace

how do you base your opinion? P.S. DOOD HELLO, YOURE IN A NANO FORUM!!!!!!! How would you like it if i said you were a disgrace to Reefs.Org...?

 

[Anonymous]

I think your aquascaping is beautiful. I wouldn't add any more rock if I were you.

Looks great!

jayo

 

[Big Fishy]

Great adaptation skills!!!! .79 cents for a gallon of distilled water!!!!!!!
Go to Wal-Mart and see if they have a machine that has a RO filter in it that you can fill your own containers. My Wal-Mart has one and its only 34 cents a gallon 3 or 4 5-gallon buckets with lids and my 10 gal is set for weeks. Good Luck.

 

[Anonymous]

Holy crapeziod!!! You did that all in under 10 minutes?!?! 8O 8O 8O
You must be Super Man's crazy, reef-loving, love child or something!

LOL!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Hwarang, thats the best response of them all! That was so funny, I almost lost control of my bodily fluids! Im still laughing! :lol: :lol: :lol:

You know, you could rip the stupid ballast right outa that pendant thingy... Also, a rudimentary stud-finder costs like a dollar or something; worth it!
What kind of appartment ceiling cant support more than eight pounds?! makes you wonder what would happen if the Fat Lady started singing right over your reef! Are those just the little hanger hooky thingies that are already there? Cause if they are, BUNK!