Hello, new to the reefing scene and excited to get started! I've been a freshwater planted tank aquarist but have always been drawn. to the allure of saltwater. For my first tank, I wanted it to be a budget build nano tank, as I rent, and I wanted the move to be manageable.
The tank I will be using is an Innovative Marine 20G Peninsula AIO that I found on Craigslist for $120, which includes the filter media, heater, and Mightyjet Return Pump. The tank was previously run as a freshwater, so it looks pretty fresh In addition, because it was run in freshwater mode, none of the original media that came with the tank was used, so I have a filter sock and ceramic media to use. It also came with a plastic media holder and a really nice mesh screen cover, which I hear is important to keep fish from jumping out.
For another $100, I also bought a Maxspect R420R Razor 120 watt 16K LED light. I'm not sure if this is a good deal, as the light is pretty old now (released 2014?) but it was in great condition, and fit perfectly with the tank. I'm really chuffed by the light - stay really cool to the touch because of the massive heatsink, and really slim.
Using Petco, I managed to snag some deals on substrate and salt - 30% off 2x 20lb Caribsea LifeRock/ 1x 20lb Bag Pink Fiji Sand/ 1x Bucket Instant Ocean Reef Crystals, which was still really expensive, but should last me a good while.
Here are some initial pics of the tank with my aquascape idea:
The tank will sit on a bench (shown in the picture), underneath which I will be attaching the electrical systems (which should remove them far from danger of water exposure) and enable me to have a single plug solution.
Next step is figuring out a portable saltwater mixing system and leak testing the tank.
The tank I will be using is an Innovative Marine 20G Peninsula AIO that I found on Craigslist for $120, which includes the filter media, heater, and Mightyjet Return Pump. The tank was previously run as a freshwater, so it looks pretty fresh In addition, because it was run in freshwater mode, none of the original media that came with the tank was used, so I have a filter sock and ceramic media to use. It also came with a plastic media holder and a really nice mesh screen cover, which I hear is important to keep fish from jumping out.
For another $100, I also bought a Maxspect R420R Razor 120 watt 16K LED light. I'm not sure if this is a good deal, as the light is pretty old now (released 2014?) but it was in great condition, and fit perfectly with the tank. I'm really chuffed by the light - stay really cool to the touch because of the massive heatsink, and really slim.
Using Petco, I managed to snag some deals on substrate and salt - 30% off 2x 20lb Caribsea LifeRock/ 1x 20lb Bag Pink Fiji Sand/ 1x Bucket Instant Ocean Reef Crystals, which was still really expensive, but should last me a good while.
Here are some initial pics of the tank with my aquascape idea:
The tank will sit on a bench (shown in the picture), underneath which I will be attaching the electrical systems (which should remove them far from danger of water exposure) and enable me to have a single plug solution.
Next step is figuring out a portable saltwater mixing system and leak testing the tank.