Long Time Aquarist, First time Reef: Questions

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by Jeffww, Jun 28, 2012.

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  1. Jeffww

    Jeffww Plankton

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2012
    Messages:
    19
    Location:
    Houston
    Going to be moving into a dorm in the coming months so I decided to build a reef tank to take with me.

    So far I've gotten my tank and lighting.

    Tank is a 4.5g rimless, curved corner tank. (35cm x 21 cm x 23 cm)
    Light is a 16w (16x 1w blue and white) LED fixture I got at an LFS. The color on this lamp is pretty good. It's a lot more purplish white than the pictures make it out to be.

    I'm thinking I might start out with a few zoas and other softies and generally easy polyps and maybe put in an sps or two.

    I have a few questions:
    1. What size HOB should I get for this thing? Is an AC20 too large? *lookin for something really really quiet too since it'll be a shared dorm)
    2. How much water movement should I need? I have a 140gph power head is that enough?
    3. What other supplies do I need other than:
    HOB
    Heater -X
    Thermometer -X
    Water Movers -X
    Light - X
    Aragonite
    Refractometer
    Test kits
    4. What test kits do I need for a nano reef? I have the standard ph, nitrate, ammonia, nitrite get up and I also have GH, phosphate and KH. What am I missing if I'm looking into coral?
    Fauna will be restricted to typical CUC and maybe some sexy shrimp.
     
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  3. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2011
    Messages:
    6,166
    Location:
    southeast ohio O-H....
    lol, this crazy kid on here is doing the same exact thing, but, even though he's a little nuts, he's crazy good and knowledgable about reefing and researched this exact thing to the cow's come home. Check out his thread, but don't tell him I gave him prop's! lol
    http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-of...-reef-cycle-complete-06-26-2012-a-135266.html

    PS Sean, nothing but props an your knowledge, but ya are a little crazy, in a good inventive way;)
     
  4. Chance

    Chance Bubble Tip Anemone

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2012
    Messages:
    680
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    +1 :)
     
  5. Chance

    Chance Bubble Tip Anemone

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2012
    Messages:
    680
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    +K mate :D
    I'd say this sounds like a great Nano! But Seano is practically an experience when it comes to coral. Welcome to 3reef!

    To answer a question,
    100+ ghp is plenty for such a small tank, unless you get into sps then you'd have to ask someone else xD