Lchi’s 10g

jimmyzhou · Feb 16, 2018

If u want a nice wave maker for your size or up to 65 gallon u can get the tunze 6040. I use 2 of them on my 120 those dead spot or low flow arena works great

rosshamsandwich · Feb 17, 2018

hybridazn · Feb 17, 2018

Great start! Not sure if I missed it but what are your plans for this tank?

Lchi87 · Feb 17, 2018

AQUAM said:
Beautiful setup! Love seeing the transformation.

The prime hd+ would be an overkill for a 10g fowlr IMO. However, if you (inevitably) decide to upgrade the tank in the future, it's worth looking into the Asta 120 as a more powerful alternative.

Thanks! I do agree the Prime HD+ might be a bit much but yes, an upgrade is inevitable so I thought I might as well go for the good stuff. What makes you prefer the Asta?

reefruss said:
As a keeper of both, that was a beautiful freshwater tank.

Aw thank you.

I love my freshwater tanks still.

hybridazn said:
Great start! Not sure if I missed it but what are your plans for this tank?

Thank you!

It will remain a fowlr for now but I do plan on corals in the future. I’m particularly drawn to zoas...lots and lots of zoas, haha.

Tony Thompson · Feb 17, 2018

Lchi87 said:
Thanks! It came from my LFS and its that aqua cultured eco friendly stuff so I wasn’t entirely sure how “live” this live rock would be so it was nice to see that little pod come out. Unfortunately, I’m not 100% in love with the rock work so I may be changing it around lol. I’m glad you like it though!

Great call on the eco friendly rock. I use Reel Reef Rock and have never looked back. Looks like a really neat little nano tank. IMO the Tailspot (Ecsenius stigmatura) is also an excellent choice for this size tank. I have a breeding project for these amazing little animals currently under development.

Don`t` be to put off by saltwater tanks being difficult. I run both and TBH the same basic principles apply. Respect the life and try to supply a suitable environment. With nanos especially try to keep it simple and go slow with any changes, try not to chase numbers and let your tank find its natural balance. Ai prime are my fave LED. Really easy to set up and run. Would recommend some easy LPS corals to begin with. Most are very forgiving and won`t` overtake your nano like some soft corals.

Most of all enjoy, we all come across problems at some point in reefing, just learn and keep on going. Look forward to seeing your new project develop and prosper. Best wishes.

NanoCrazed · Feb 17, 2018

Lchi87 said:
200gph I think. I remember being slightly underwhelmed after plugging it in for the first time but it definitely moves things around, especially after repositioning it like you suggested.

I have the 2 Koralia nanos with a wave controller, the run OK...especially if set up for alternating mode. If set under 15 min intervals, they click quite a bit.

An alternative to consider is the Aqamai KPS. They're made by Hydor as well but is controllable via a phone app and can scale from 50GPH to 1050GPH...and can set to make waves too... runs about $119 but sometimes on sale closer to $100. It's not much more than a powerhead plus pump setup and much more versatile

Lchi87 · Feb 18, 2018

Changed the rock work a bit and now I have an arch... kinda lol.

And a close up of Blenjamin:

Going to go check out Aquatic Obsessions today now that the snow is mostly melted. Just to look though!

Thanks for the encouragement and advice @Tony Thompson. I’m definitely feeling better about saltwater tanks and a large chunk of that is all the support I’ve received from this place and others. Its not so scary when people are willing to hold your hand through this!

don_chuwish · Feb 20, 2018

Nice arch.
Good proportions all around. You must have a good eye for design.

Lchi87 · Feb 20, 2018

don_chuwish said:
Nice arch.
Good proportions all around. You must have a good eye for design.

Thank you, I appreciate that! I do have a background in art and photos which definitely helps. I was trying to avoid the “pile o’ rocks” syndrome I see in a lot of beginner tanks and wanted my rockscape to look cohesive. Anything you would change?

don_chuwish · Feb 20, 2018

Lchi87 said:
Thank you, I appreciate that! I do have a background in art and photos which definitely helps. I was trying to avoid the “pile o’ rocks” syndrome I see in a lot of beginner tanks and wanted my rockscape to look cohesive. Anything you would change?

Nah - I can’t improve on what you like!
I love some of the minimalist designs I see but I can never resist adding more rock. Just playing around one time I put one small rock in a dry 15g QT tank, stood back and thought ‘hey, that looks kinda cool’. But I couldn’t ever have that much restraint for a real setup.

Lchi87 · Feb 28, 2018

So kind of a big update:

Yesterday, my fiancé walks in after work, grinning rather cheekily and hiding something under his jacket....

What a guy, right? So now I’ve got a light!

Today: we’re officially mounted!

And... officially a reef!

I saw this GSP frag and couldn’t help myself! This photo was taken about 4 hours after adding it to the tank and I’m relieved to see most of its polyps open.

Its supposed to be an easy coral but I take nothing for granted and hope it will do well for me.