Any advice on starting a coral only nano tank?

[kodak]

Hey, I had a saltwater aquarium a couple years ago and I had a couple things i wanted to double check before I re-commit.
I'm thinking of restarting with a 10 or 20 gallon nano tank solely for coral - soft coral at the start, possibly lps in the future. I have a budget of 500-750 USD when it comes for equipment and the tank itself. I dont need anything crazy, just the essentials.
I attached a list of equipment i intend on purchasing, if I'm missing anything or if anything is unnecessary, (at least at the beginning) please let me know. thanks.

Heater - likely eheim jager
Salt - Instant ocean or Red Sea
Hydrometer
Powerhead - depends on tank size but possibly Tunze, Fluval, or red sea
Protein Skimmer? - I had one on my old setup but im not sure if its needed for a 10-20 gallon. Since im on a budget i might hold off on it, but if anybody knows some good, relatively cheap ones that'd be great.
Lighting - I used nicrew lights in the past and they seemed to work well, or i might do an AI prime. However i'll be getting hardy corals, so it might be overkill. Thoughts?
Water testing supplies - Salifert and red sea seem to be the way to go, they're pretty expensive though. I used red sea in the past but im on a lower budget now. If anybody knows reliable cheaper brands that'd be great.
Mechanical filtration - Im considering purchasing a fluval 13.5, it comes with some kind of filtration. Would that be suitable? If i end up getting a tank without that, what would i need to buy?


Possibly: RO/DI machine - is this necessary? I had one before but we had to get rid of it because while we were on vacation we left it in the sun... it never seemed to work the way it should have after. The set was like $200, is going to a local fish store ok considering it's a smaller tank after all? Might just keep a large tub of RO/DI water in the garage.

I apologize for all the questions, we made many mistakes with our last tank. The biggest mistake was putting it in a room surrounded by windows, and being eager to start. This time I want to do a slow start and not mess anything up, so i figured id ask for some advice here.
Thank you for your time

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Protein skimmer will not be necessary. I’d also suggest that test kits are likely not required up front. You really just need to monitor temp and salinity. Nitrate / Phosphate kits might be required down the track but water changes should take care of everything else in a small coral only system.

For mechanical, just buy a cheap roll of floss and cut into smaller bits to fit wherever your tank supports it.

Lighting is a personal preference, both units you mentioned will do the job.

I’d use the money saved on some of the nixxed items above to get an RO / DI and an ATO. These two items will save you a heap of worry and work.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

 

[kodak]

Protein skimmer will not be necessary. I’d also suggest that test kits are likely not required up front. You really just need to monitor temp and salinity. Nitrate / Phosphate kits might be required down the track but water changes should take care of everything else in a small coral only system.

For mechanical, just buy a cheap roll of floss and cut into smaller bits to fit wherever your tank supports it.

Lighting is a personal preference, both units you mentioned will do the job.

I’d use the money saved on some of the nixxed items above to get an RO / DI and an ATO. These two items will save you a heap of worry and work.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

Thank you for the reply, i appreciate it. For an ATO, would an outer hanging one do the trick? My previous aquarium was larger and had a cabinet specifically for it, but this one's going to be a "desk tank" so i wont have room for that.

 

[michigan-reef]

1. I would go with a 20 long tank. (however you could set up a 40 breeder for just slightly more money).
2. I would rely only on water changes/manual cleaning. No need for a skimmer or mechanical filtration on a tank this small. I have been doing this on a 40 gallon mixed reef for over a year. Two small powerheads for circulation would be fine (the Sicce Voyager Nano is a good cheap powerhead $30-$40). The surface of the water should be turbulent.
3. I personally would buy a good RODI unit (Bulk Reef Supply $300 should get a good one). If you don't buy one, source the water from a good source.
4. Get a TDS checker from Amazon (about $15). Your source water should check 0.
5. Eheim Jager are great (been using them for years). I prefer two small heaters over one big one.
6. I have used Instant Ocean for about 7 years (works great for me).

 

[kodak]

1. I would go with a 20 long tank. (however you could set up a 40 breeder for just slightly more money).
2. I would rely only on water changes/manual cleaning. No need for a skimmer or mechanical filtration on a tank this small. I have been doing this on a 40 gallon mixed reef for over a year. Two small powerheads for circulation would be fine (the Sicce Voyager Nano is a good cheap powerhead $30-$40). The surface of the water should be turbulent.
3. I personally would buy a good RODI unit (Bulk Reef Supply $300 should get a good one). If you don't buy one, source the water from a good source.
4. Get a TDS checker from Amazon (about $15). Your source water should check 0.
5. Eheim Jager are great (been using them for years). I prefer two small heaters over one big one.
6. I have used Instant Ocean for about 7 years (works great for me).

Thank you so much. Ill definitely be getting an RO/DI unit, and ill check out those powerheads and the tds checker