New Budget DIY All-In-One Nano Reef Tank Build - Adding the First Corals

Adding the first three corals in this new saltwater aquarium - zoanthids, goniopora, and euphyllia ancora aka hammer coral.

Installing Nicrew HyperReef 50-Watt LED lights, upgrading the heater, and adding the Inkbird temperature controller.

Also testing the water chemistry to make sure there is zero ammonia and nitrites, and checking for nitrates to see if the nitrogen cycle has been completed after adding Fritz Zyme 9 bacteria and feeding them some fish food. Then finally adding corals.

This is built in a 10-gallon Aqueon fish tank from Petco with a Sicce Syncra Nano return pump, VCA random flow generator (RFG) return nozzle, and self-cut acrylic sheet for the back wall and baffles.


My existing 40 gallon cube reef tank equipment list is as follows. This system was purchased in used condition back in 2018.

40 gallon cube display tank (SCA I think starfire glass )
10 gallon sump
Ecotech Radion XR30 Gen 3 lights
Ecotech Vortech MP40 wavemaker
Both controlled via Reeflink
Upgraded SCA skimmer to Bubble Magus Curve 5
Upgraded Danner return pump to Jebao DCP 2500
Added DIY auto-top-off
Added Jebao 4-channel doser
Dosing Kalkwasser + Fritz RPM 2-part alkalinity and calcium.
Dosing Tropic Marin K+ and A- Elements for trace.
Dosing Dr Tim’s Waste Away and EcoBalance to increase bacterial biodiversity.