# cheap DIY 10 gallon nano saltwater ecosystem - locally collected materials



## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

I upgraded my fresh water setup from a 10 gallon to a 30 gallon long, and now I have the 10 gallon just sitting on a shelf. At first when I made the move, I was just going to eventually use the 10 gallon as a breeding tank for some Dwarf Gouramis, but now after bouncing around the web with the idea and reading up on how-to's and seeing different setups, I'm weighing my options, and I'm seriously considering turning it into a low-cost low-tech nano salt water system. Not necessarily a reef system, but actually what I can collect locally.

I live on the east coast of Florida about 15 minutes away from the closest beach, and there's a salt water "channel" I guess you could call it about 5 minutes down the road from me. I'd like to collect the substrate from the beach (actual sea sand and pulverized shell that makes up the sand) and the some rocks from the local salt water channel, and set up the tank with that. That should give the tank plenty of starter bacteria and organisms to kick start with, and once things look stable, I can get some brittle stars and little crabs from the salt water channel as well (I know for a fact they're out there; I use to dig them up all the time during the summer when we were out in that area hanging out on the shore and riding jet skis  ), and maybe some small fish provided I could catch them.

I have everything to make the tank ready to go as far as a cheap DIY system goes; HOB filter, 40 watt heater, and there's 30 watts of light in the hood with CFL's (the only thing I'd do is silicone a sheet of lexan to the bottom of the hood so that the salt water can't splash up and onto the bulbs and fixtures). The only thing I think I'd have to get really is some salt (like some Instant Ocean) and a salinity/specific gravity meter, and maybe another power head to move the water around some more. I'd like to do the setup without the need of a skimmer or sump.


This would be more of an experiment than anything. It would be my first saltwater setup, that's why I'd like to go as cheap as possible, in case I horribly screw it up, it can just be a learning curve and I won't waste a bunch of money on hundreds of dollars worth of fish  If it works out well, I might even consider converting the 30 gallon to a reef setup down the road.


Anyone ever created a nano system from locally collected materials?

Does this sound like it would work very well?


Thanks




BTW, this was the 10 gallon in it's prime, just before moving everything over to the 30 gallon  the tank is now bone dry...


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

did a little more researching, and found that for a nano setup, it would be in my best interest to have a protein skimmer

so I've been looking around trying to find details of a small DIY skimmer to put together for the tank


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## Kaiden32 (Sep 4, 2010)

The only thing I can think of that might make it so you couldn't is that the sand on the beach could be polluted with things you might not necessarily want to put in your tank.


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

well I'd thoroughly rinse the sand with scalding hot water, so I would think that would take most of any unwanted things out... I would think... 

but yeah if it's too much of a risk of getting man-made pollutants in it, then I guess I could skimp the cash for some actual sand readied for a salt water tank...


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## s9601694 (Feb 23, 2011)

Any updates/pictures?


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## mec102778 (Feb 17, 2011)

Yeah status on this project? Curious to see what you have happening.

The only thing I could think is that maybe you happen to get some bad things with the natural stuff. but i'm sure there are treatments or ways to get rid of the bad stuffs.


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## s9601694 (Feb 23, 2011)

I've always had a little dream of having a salt water tank when i ever end up living "next" to the ocean and just having it circulated with fresh sea water all the time, no filters or other crap just fresh sea water in, and "used" out...

how cool would that be!


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

I ended up putting this on hold

turned the 10 gallon into a Guppy nursery, LOL


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