Lchi’s Saltwater Build- 10g To Im25 Lagoon!

[tyguy7760]

Culprit it jst took Lchi87 making the jump

THat would be very useful Nart . I know I'd be appreciative of a budget guide (I'm cheap in everything I do...not just fish). I've been long considering making a nano reef and have known for sometime I'd like to do a pair of clowns with a watcherman goby. But right now I'm knee deep in Freshwater cichlid projects that I likely won't do this for months or years. But having a guide may make the decision easier. Also having Lchi87 make the jump makes it even easier

 

[shutterbug13]

I would love it if you made a budget guide Nart! You are making my MTS so much worse though...

 

[aussieJJDude]

I've always toyed with the idea of converting my 25g 'nano' tank into a Saltwater setup. I have the salt and currently using quarts sand, so the only things I would need are the rock itself, refractometer, RO water and powerheads/fuge/skimmer....


Edit: sorry to hijack your thread lchi

 

[cadd]

So just learned that clowns are born gender neutral and can change sexes?!

Mind.Blown.

Surely this is old news to the salty folks here but thought I’d share for the sake of the freshwater gang too...

So two juvie clowns usually will pair up and become M/F but this does not guarantee that they will breed from my understanding.

Fascinating stuff, this sw business lol.

I have to admit, because of this thread I was very curious and decided to read up on clown fish as well, as they'll probably be the one I'll keep if I ever step over to the Saltwater side of things. And like you, my mind was blown when I read all clown fish are born male and they can become females when they mature. What I found fascinating is the hierarchy they develop if they lived in groups! The largest one is the dominate female and the 2nd largest one is a male, her mate. All the others are under them are all males.

If she leaves (or dies), her mate (the male) takes over the dominate female role and one of the other fish becomes the new mate now. Not only that, there was a research article that suggested they are able to vocalize their hierarchy level where the mating dominate pair had a distinctive acoustic signals compared to the others. They talk to each other! Mind freaking blow!!! And here we are looking at analfins for either fan shapes or a gonopodium!

Lchi87 , I don't know if this is inappropriate to ask....but if you don't mind, can you keep track of the expenses of this exciting endeavor? From a hobbyist standpoint, I am eager to learn more and possibly try the Saltwater game one day. However, I don't know how feasible that is from a financial standpoint for me right now.

 

[Nart]

Well..... had I known all ya'll would convert to Saltwater sooner I would've written one a while ago.
Glad to see the Saltwater side being more active.

Let me start on the Freshwater transition to Saltwater Budget guide and I'll edit/update as necessary based on other reefers input. My schedule is pretty open today, so I'll get started. You should see a thread soon in the Saltwater Beginner

 

[Culprit]

Wow Lchi87 can't believe how many ppl you've dragged over. Its amazing!! I hope I see some new build threads soon guys!

Lchi87 , I don't know if this is inappropriate to ask....but if you don't mind, can you keep track of the expenses of this exciting endeavor? From a hobbyist standpoint, I am eager to learn more and possibly try the Saltwater game one day. However, I don't know how feasible that is from a financial standpoint for me right now.

I can DM you how much I've spent so far if you want for each thing. I have a budget reef so... haha

 

[Lchi87]

Subbing - been watching this with interest for the past few days.... this ultimately lead me to join the site so I can sub and get regular updates.

Have you seen the latest craze of doing an planted marine tank...? Those are so pretty!

Welcome to Fishlore!! Thanks for following along
Yes, I actually HAVE seen these awesome marine planted tanks; makes me want to set up another sw tank just for that but I need to do one thing at a time I think LOL!

Fallowing. I'm not really into SW, but because its you Lchi87 I'm curious. This may be bad for my MTS but oh well. Lol

Yay! Totally won’t help the MTS but there’s nothing wrong with little education

Well if ya'll Freshwater peeps decide to jump over to SW.... I can write a more updated guide for Freshwater folks and how to transition into Saltwater and what you'll need.
I can write up two guides, one for a budget build and one for the more fancier taste.

Yes please! We can ask a mod to sticky them when you’re done

Trust me dave, once you see some of this stuff and read it you'll be coming over to the dark side hahaha. Trust me, its what I did. I was just reading through FL looking for threads, and saw grants and narts thread and subbed and it was the worst hting i've ever done haha. now I've got a reef tank (partially haha) with fish and just put my first coral in a few days ago!

That’s exactly what happened to me.... I stumbled onto Grant and Nart’s thread at the same time and subbed to both.... and here we are today haha! Congratulations on your first coral!!! So exciting!!

Culprit it jst took Lchi87 making the jump

Bahaha you’re welcome

I love how you have your stock narrowed down already! Someone’s been low key researching... lol!

cadd, I will post a running list of what I have spent so far for sure. Might be something I need to do anyway to keep my spending grounded lol.

I've always toyed with the idea of converting my 25g 'nano' tank into a Saltwater setup. I have the salt and currently using quarts sand, so the only things I would need are the rock itself, refractometer, RO water and powerheads/fuge/skimmer....


Edit: sorry to hijack your thread lchi

No worries!

 

[tyguy7760]

cadd, I will post a running list of what I have spent so far for sure. Might be something I need to do anyway to keep my spending grounded lol.

Oh my wife has been begging me to do a saltwater tank for a year or more. I actually came very close to buying one of those bio-orb systems a few months back but talked myself out of it. But ever since then i've been doing so "low key" research on stockings for different tanks and kind of settled on the clowns and watcherman a while back. Most think you can do those in a standard 10 gallon so that's the goal...one day

 

[grantm91]

I don’t think its as expensive as people think

If your already a fish keeper chances are you have a lot of the stuff. I'm a corner cutter and my reef looks ok, but its a year later, you develop expensive tastes and want the gadgets, top lights etc, part of the fun is being resourceful and saving, I’m not a “take my money” kind of guy, unless I get the burning desire for something. Curious to know the cost here Lchi87 as you already have a nice little fowlr - minus a fish, you have all the essentials to tick over, add a bucket of salt and your RODI source which is probably $3 a week and your done.

 

[tfreema]

Well..... had I known all ya'll would convert to Saltwater sooner I would've written one a while ago.
Glad to see the Saltwater side being more active.

Let me start on the Freshwater transition to Saltwater Budget guide and I'll edit/update as necessary based on other reefers input. My schedule is pretty open today, so I'll get started. You should see a thread soon in the Saltwater Beginner

Please put a link to it in this thread so we all know when it is up.

Wow Lchi87 can't believe how many ppl you've dragged over. Its amazing!! I hope I see some new build threads soon guys!

I can DM you how much I've spent so far if you want for each thing. I have a budget reef so... haha

It actually made the top of the list for last week's most popular threads - I saw that one coming, lol.

 

[vikingkirken]

You've got me thinking >yet again< about turning my 55 salty! My Jonah crabs kind of ruined my fish plans for my 20L!

I love that algae poster It's a sign you need some macro algae in there!

 

[Nart]

Writing the guide as we speak. I'm afraid of my web browser crashing and me losing everything before its posted.
Do people usually write guides in a word document and transfer it over to a post?

 

[Jayd976]

its great seeing the salty side grow on here. Most forums I've ever been apart of in the past the Saltwater side was always crickets and getting any decent advice was like pulling teeth. This is the first forum I've been apart of that actually has a good and growing salty forum.

 

[Lchi87]

Okay cadd : here is your list.

-10lbs of live rock $75
-Hydor koralia powerhead $25
-caribsea baminI pink sand $20
-a refractometer $20
-nite out $16
-seachem matrix $10
-10 gallons of sw $12.50
-5 gallons of RO $2.50

And I just ordered this because testing with my freshwater kit is aggravating my OCD lol:


So that brings us to.. $231. Not too bad?

Oh my wife has been begging me to do a saltwater tank for a year or more. I actually came very close to buying one of those bio-orb systems a few months back but talked myself out of it. But ever since then i've been doing so "low key" research on stockings for different tanks and kind of settled on the clowns and watcherman a while back. Most think you can do those in a standard 10 gallon so that's the goal...one day

Wow, I don’t know if I would have been able to talk myself off the ledge + spousal pressure haha. Understandable though, you’ve got a pretty serious fw build and cichlids needing your attention.

I don’t think its as expensive as people think

If your already a fish keeper chances are you have a lot of the stuff. I'm a corner cutter and my reef looks ok, but its a year later, you develop expensive tastes and want the gadgets, top lights etc, part of the fun is being resourceful and saving, I’m not a “take my money” kind of guy, unless I get the burning desire for something. Curious to know the cost here Lchi87 as you already have a nice little fowlr - minus a fish, you have all the essentials to tick over, add a bucket of salt and your RODI source which is probably $3 a week and your done.

While I was at the LFS getting all the supplies, I got tired of carrying everything around with me so I started a pile at the counter and a guy sees me loading all this sw stuff and he goes “ Looks like someone is starting a saltwater tank.... hope you have a good job!”
I don’t think it’ll be too bad though...

You've got me thinking >yet again< about turning my 55 salty! My Jonah crabs kind of ruined my fish plans for my 20L!

I love that algae poster It's a sign you need some macro algae in there!

Do itttt!!!! Only if you want to though. Its true though, I do need to see about some macro algae...

Writing the guide as we speak. I'm afraid of my web browser crashing and me losing everything before its posted.
Do people usually write guides in a word document and transfer it over to a post?

That’s what I would do.... makes it more discreet if its being done at work LOL!!!

its great seeing the salty side grow on here. Most forums I've ever been apart of in the past the Saltwater side was always crickets and getting any decent advice was like pulling teeth. This is the first forum I've been apart of that actually has a good and growing salty forum.

Well, we have good people here and I’m grateful that we do because knowing I have this support system makes it way less intimidating.

 

[Dave125g]

A Saltwater tank priceless. Lol

 

[Lchi87]

Just noticed little tufts of this sprouting on the rock:

Macroalgae?

 

[grantm91]

Looks like a macro, check on you macro guide lol, caloupra maybe or something similar.

 

[cadd]

Thanks for the price list. $231 so far is not bad at all!!

I've seen RODI systems for as little as $60 bux when I was contemplating on getting one for my shrimp tank. But that never came to fruition because that tank became a temporary QT tank.

Nart, just like Lchi, I also write in ms word (well I do it in ms excel since I use spreadsheets at work) and I make sure to do it in white font color with a white background. This way, what I write is invisible to anyone passing by. They'll just see tons of numbers on the spreadsheet and think I'm just working on it.

 

[Nart]

Ya'll are slick as heck. Here I am, web browser wide open with Fishlore creating the post haha...
It's a lot to cover, I'm about half-way. Should be done in the next day or so..

 

[stella1979]

Can't wait to see it Nart You're great with the research, and much better than me at retaining the information! Let me know if I can be of any help... as in, if you want to turn 100 words into 500, lol. That's what I'm good at.

 

[Nart]

Can't wait to see it Nart You're great with the research, and much better than me at retaining the information! Let me know if I can be of any help... as in, if you want to turn 100 words into 500, lol. That's what I'm good at.

I just saw this now Stella. As I was busy writing up an essay lol. Correct me as necessary and I'll update.

Anywho, my Nano Budget Saltwater Guide for Beginners is up.
Nart's Budget Nano Saltwater Guide For Beginners
Questions, comments, notes, edits, let me know.

 

[Lchi87]

I just saw this now Stella. As I was busy writing up an essay lol. Correct me as necessary and I'll update.

Anywho, my Nano Budget Saltwater Guide for Beginners is up.
Nart's Budget Nano Saltwater Guide For Beginners
Questions, comments, notes, edits, let me know.

Woohoo! Thank you for taking the time to write this up!

 

[Lchi87]

Opinions on test results?
Natural light:

Shade:


Leaning towards .25ppm but it doesn’t look like either colors in terms of exact match.. can’t wait for my test kit to come today, ugh!

 

[tyguy7760]

put some salt around the rI'm and you may have a good looking margarita

 

[Nanologist]

Looks less than .25 but not quite zero.

 

[Lchi87]

put some salt around the rI'm and you may have a good looking margarita

If that’s the case, there’s salt in the margarita already... around 1.022 lol! Need to pick up some salt at the lfs tonight, need to get this to 1.026!

Looks less than .25 but not quite zero.

Thanks... I wanted to compare this to what I get with the new test kit. If I’m cycled, I may go pick out a friend tonight...

 

[Nanologist]

Thanks... I wanted to compare this to what I get with the new test kit. If I’m cycled, I may go pick out a friend tonight...

Oooooooh, I can't wait to see what you bring home!

What kit did you order?

 

[grantm91]

With apI true zero gets a clumpy look, you got any fresh to compare it too ?

 

[Lchi87]

Oooooooh, I can't wait to see what you bring home!

What kit did you order?

I better be cycled because now I’m worked up and excited to bring someone home with me haha!

This one:


Except now I’m hearing Salifert is better? Boo.

With apI true zero gets a clumpy look, you got any fresh to compare it too ?

It’s definitely chunky looking IRL...are you asking if I have a zeroed out fw test?

 

[Nanologist]

They're both good and much better than API so you chose well.

The Saltwater 0ppm ammonia looks similar to the .25ppm on the Freshwater card because of the cloudiness. This may help you:

It might be at 0ppm

 

[Lchi87]

They're both good and much better than API so you chose well.

The Saltwater 0ppm ammonia looks similar to the .25ppm on the Freshwater card because of the cloudiness. This may help you:

It might be at 0ppm

Oh awesome.

I think I’m confused because I’m using the sw card to read the results.... this kit came with both cards!

 

[grantm91]

Thanks Nanologist Lchi87 I ment fresh sw to do a test on to compare sorry should have been clearer.

 

[Lchi87]

Thanks Nanologist Lchi87 I ment fresh sw to do a test on to compare sorry should have been clearer.

Oh duh! Friday afternoons two hours before quitting time tend to be peak brain fart hours for me. Going to do another test when I’m home in a bit.

 

[Nanologist]

Oh, haha! I was confused and thought it was the Freshwater card. Yeah if they're bought individually they come with both cards. I'll stick with my original "not quite zero".

I'm also riding the struggle bus for brain activity today... been preparing for my snowboarding trip to Vail, CO and feeling like I'm forgetting things. Of course Fishlore isn't helping me get the things I should be doing done. Procrastination at it's finest!

 

[Lchi87]

LOL “struggle bus”! Pretty jealous you’re headed to CO. My boss is based out of there and from what I hear, livin’ is good

 

[Nanologist]

LOL “struggle bus”! Pretty jealous you’re headed to CO. My boss is based out of there and from what I hear, livin’ is good

Yeah, it's breathtaking and my brothers live there so I go a couple times each year to visit them but mostly to hike, camp, and snowboard. Nothing compares to being on the top of a mountain for me. I'll share plenty of pics.

 

[Ohio Mark]

Yeah, it's breathtaking and my brothers live there so I go a couple times each year to visit them but mostly to hike, camp, and snowboard. Nothing compares to being on the top of a mountain for me. I'll share plenty of pics.

Do!!

 

[Culprit]

I had the same problem, I sat at "0.25" until I realized how cloudy it was and said I'm done and cycled and got my YWG shrimp and CUC and everything was fine. Can't wait to see what you bring home! I'm betting clowns

 

[Lchi87]

I had the same problem, I sat at "0.25" until I realized how cloudy it was and said I'm done and cycled and got my YWG shrimp and CUC and everything was fine. Can't wait to see what you bring home! I'm betting clowns

You know, I am so terribly torn about getting clowns. I would feel bad just getting one and I feel like a pair in a 10 gallon is really pushing it and I would also want to get them an anemone to host and from my research, all are too big to squeeze into a 10 also...

But I want them! I think their personalities are awesome and the designer ones I was shopping for were absolutely stunning.

I don’t want to get them if it would be borderline irresponsible and if they don’t have an anemone to call home.

 

[Nanologist]

You know, I am so terribly torn about getting clowns. I would feel bad just getting one and I feel like a pair in a 10 gallon is really pushing it and I would also want to get them an anemone to host and from my research, all are too big to squeeze into a 10 also...

But I want them! I think their personalities are awesome and the designer ones I was shopping for were absolutely stunning.

I don’t want to get them if it would be borderline irresponsible and if they don’t have an anemone to call home.

It can be done but your reasoning is the whole reason I didn't do it. I also would want a nice RBTA to host them but don't want to cram it all into a 10g.

 

[Nart]

This is a IM10. Less footprint than a regular 10G. I will say, yeah it's cramped in there for them. This is only their temp home. I'm re-homing then to a fellow Reefer who wants them.

 

[grantm91]

The clowns are happy without a nem, they will call any corner/rock/heater/powerhead etc home. I think nart has two clowns that don’t choose the nem to live in, I forced mine to, they really can take it or leave it, I wouldn’t advise a BTA though, as you should just explore and learn with LPS and soft corals that take your fancy, without having the head ache of a fast growing - mobile coral stinging invert in the small tank, I understand what your saying and I’m excited to see what ever turns up .

 

[Lchi87]

Nart please don’t think I was implying you are borderline irresponsible for having clowns btw, anyone could see that you’re anything but.

Anyway....

They tested my water and while my tests at home indicated it was cycled, theirs looked iffy and my gut was telling me to wait it out so that’s what I’m going to do Gotta keep telling myself to have patience!

I did get this though:


I can practice my refractometer reading in the mean time.

What I wanted was a cleaner shrimp though! They seemed like the most outgoing but peaceful shrimp. grantm91 you said you liked peppermint shrimp (so pretty!) but I read they were shy... are they?

Open to other shrimp suggestions, I just don’t want anything murderous !

Sorry for the anticlimactic post everyone haha.

 

[grantm91]

My first pep was anything but shy, the one I just got two months-ish ago I hardly see, he just had his first shed and is out more in the past 3 days but we shall see, I wouldn’t suggest cleaner shrimp as they get big and I think they look silly in anything less than a rocky 30g. Look up fire shrimp they are gorgeous and don’t get huge and are reef safe, the peps I hear also do better and are out more if kept in numbers, say 2 or 3 but again Id only like 1 in a 10g.

 

[Nart]

I'm extremely offended Lchi! I say good day. Kidding I didn't take it the wrong way.

Cleaner shrimp aka skunk cleaner shrimps are actually a lot of fun to keep. You might like them a lot. I had one. It would relentlessly clean my hand every time it was in. Eventually it got too big where it kept stepping over my corals and annoying them. So I traded it in. I do miss my skunk cleaner though. Oh yeah it was also a expert food stealer. Made it hard to feed my corals. So I just opt'd to not keep it

 

[Dave125g]

You know, I am so terribly torn about getting clowns. I would feel bad just getting one and I feel like a pair in a 10 gallon is really pushing it and I would also want to get them an anemone to host and from my research, all are too big to squeeze into a 10 also...

But I want them! I think their personalities are awesome and the designer ones I was shopping for were absolutely stunning.

I don’t want to get them if it would be borderline irresponsible and if they don’t have an anemone to call home.

You could do 2 clowns. If you get them young there able to change there gender,so your almost guaranteed a matted pair. There are fake anemone for them. You can't put them with much else, there a lot more aggressive then most people give them credit for.

 

[grantm91]

Ocelaris aren’t really aggressive toward other small peaceful fish species really, its more toward each other if at all, Unless its a jade wrasse stealing food from the host anemone, had war of the oceans in my tank yesterday as I forgot and fed the nems before the fish again, the wrasse stole the shrimp and there was like a nasty ten second fight, then the clown wooshed back to the nem, shrimp in mouth.

 

[Lchi87]

You could do 2 clowns. If you get them young there able to change there gender,so your almost guaranteed a matted pair. There are fake anemone for them. You can't put them with much else, there a lot more aggressive then most people give them credit for.

I heard that the largest one would become a lady clown and they’d pair up too! I really do want them... I could rehome when they outgrow the tank like Nart said but I’m afraid I might get too attached. I’d rather go nem-less then get a fake one though, that would be like me pitching all my real fw plants and going with fake ones... yuck haha

Ocelaris aren’t really aggressive toward other small peaceful fish species really, its more toward each other if at all, Unless its a jade wrasse stealing food from the host anemone, had war of the oceans in my tank yesterday as I forgot and fed the nems before the fish again, the wrasse stole the shrimp and there was like a nasty ten second fight, then the clown wooshed back to the nem, shrimp in mouth.

Lol! Did the clown share the shrimp with the nem or eat it all himself/herself?

Wrasses are fascinating to me! I was told a 6 line wrasse would be an appropriate non bottom dweller for a 10... gotta be honest though, the eyes throw me off a bit

 

[grantm91]

The clown just took it back for the nem to eat, I think Nart had a six line he may have some knowledge for you.

 

[Dave125g]

I feel the same way. If its gonna be in my tank its gonna be real.