[exlondoner]

Hello Everyone

I've been researching into SW Aqauriums for a few months now and this is my first post here at ReefLand.

I have setup several FW systems over the past 6 years and currently have both a Lake Malawi Mbuna Setup (2 years) and a South American Angel Fish setup (3 years) both of which have been fantastic without any flaws.

I think the time has now come to take a step further and join the Reef Community. I would love to setup a system with caters for Soft Coral as well Live Rock and Fish.

A friend happened to forward me this link and I'd appreciate your input:

75 Gallon Tank
Brand New Black Wooden Stand (purchased less than 2 months ago...still have receipt)
2 Inches of live sand filled with worms and other critters
Estimating around 75-100 pounds of live rock
Corallife Lighting (I believe it is 4 X 65 Watts)
Fluval 405 Filter
Heater
Glass Top
Seaclone Protein Skimmer
Number of Powerheads (1 large one, couple medium sized ones)
2 Fish (6 inch Lionfish and 10 inch Tang...they are really gorgeous fish that you have to see for yourself)
Various Snails
7 or so 5 gallon buckets (to move the tank...trust me you will need them)
Other various aquarium equipment (net, food, etc...)

$750


Thanks to everyone!
Mick

[reefheadhbyst]

hey i just joined too so hello welcome i have a 40 gallon tank well set up with coral fish and skimmer filter and it was about 2 grand. Each good coral is about 30-60 bucks. fish variry from 1.00 - 70.00 for the tangs are not cheap so yaeh i would go with 4 inches of sand and about 90 pounds of rock, and only need about two medium sized powerheads and one or 2 buckets about 2 gallons will work but in a 75 gal i would put smaller fish so i can have more i have 400gallon with 11 fish 10 corals and about 12 critters
i have a dwarf flame angel, powder brown tang, clown fish,green madarin,blue tang and damsels about 6 and they all do fine so if you have any other q's just ask



reefheadhybst

[exlondoner]

Hi there,

Thanks for your feedback. I changed my mind about that setup and am thinking of either converting my Lake Malawi to a FOWLR or simply sell that unit and purchase a Oceanic Bow Front (90G) and start from scratch - which I am leaning towards.

[zhenya]

Hi Mick!

...simply sell that unit and purchase a Oceanic Bow Front (90G) and start from scratch - which I am leaning towards.

I think it is a solid decision. Personally, if money is no object I would never buy someone's set up simply because you never know what you are getting.
Brand new tank that was never used is important if you want to keep inverts, simply because you don;t know if anyone had used any chemicals in the used tank. If copper was used then it is very difficult to get rid of as it is adsorbed by glass surfaces and later on slowly leaches back into the water.

Also, I would make sure that the tank is reef ready( drilled) and go with the sump route rather than the Fluval. There are many reasons why but my most important reason is the maintanance involved to keep Fluvals from becoming Nitrate factories.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[exlondoner]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Hi Mick!






I think it is a solid decision. Personally, if money is no object I would never buy someone's set up simply because you never know what you are getting.
Brand new tank that was never used is important if you want to keep inverts, simply because you don;t know if anyone had used any chemicals in the used tank. If copper was used then it is very difficult to get rid of as it is adsorbed by glass surfaces and later on slowly leaches back into the water.

Also, I would make sure that the tank is reef ready( drilled) and go with the sump route rather than the Fluval. There are many reasons why but my most important reason is the maintanance involved to keep Fluvals from becoming Nitrate factories.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Hi Gene,

This is the kind of advice I was looking forward too and I am taking it
In regards to getting a drilled tank, what is the best methid to do this and are there any reference pics as to the location of the drilled area?

I have no idea on Sumps, but I was definetely leaning in that direction, should I buy a pre-made sump and ifso where's the best place to do so?

Thanks again

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by exlondoner

Hi Gene,

This is the kind of advice I was looking forward too and I am taking it
In regards to getting a drilled tank, what is the best methid to do this and are there any reference pics as to the location of the drilled area?

I have no idea on Sumps, but I was definetely leaning in that direction, should I buy a pre-made sump and ifso where's the best place to do so?

Thanks again

Hi Mick,

You can purchase predrilled tank ( reef ready) from the store, I believe AGA and Oceanic makes this type of tanks in many sizes. I personally like standard rectangular tanks because it is easier to clean the glass and take pictures of animals inside the tank.
Plus, the width remains constant which may help in rock placement.

As far as sump goes, you can either make one yourself or Oceanic makes decent reef sumps to suit your needs. If you are real handy you can make one yourself easily with some silicone and pieces of glass or acrylic for partitions. Check out our DIY forum or this forum for ideas on the size and number of sections in the sump.

Generally speaking, it should have a section where water is drained from the tank( you may want to place an in sump skimmer there), than water should travel through some buffles(partitions) to eliminate as many bubbles as possible and then the last section shold be for return pump to pump it back into the tank. Somewhere in between first and last sections you can incorporate a section for refugium. There are few companies online that make exellent sumps for reef tanks. Check out our sponsors, or you can check with
Marc Levenson of Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums if he still makes them. I bought one from him and very happy with the quality of his work.

[exlondoner]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Hi Mick,

You can purchase predrilled tank ( reef ready) from the store, I believe AGA and Oceanic makes this type of tanks in many sizes. I personally like standard rectangular tanks because it is easier to clean the glass and take pictures of animals inside the tank.
Plus, the width remains constant which may help in rock placement.

As far as sump goes, you can either make one yourself or Oceanic makes decent reef sumps to suit your needs. If you are real handy you can make one yourself easily with some silicone and pieces of glass or acrylic for partitions. Check out our DIY forum or this forum for ideas on the size and number of sections in the sump.

Generally speaking, it should have a section where water is drained from the tank( you may want to place an in sump skimmer there), than water should travel through some buffles(partitions) to eliminate as many bubbles as possible and then the last section shold be for return pump to pump it back into the tank. Somewhere in between first and last sections you can incorporate a section for refugium. There are few companies online that make exellent sumps for reef tanks. Check out our sponsors, or you can check with
Marc Levenson of Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums if he still makes them. I bought one from him and very happy with the quality of his work.

Again thank you so much!
Will be checking out those link's today

[exlondoner]

Does anyone have an opinion on this 48" lighting system, I'd like to keep soft corals as well:

Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting: Coralife Aqualight Double Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights

I am thinking about going with a 72 Gallon tank, any advice?

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by exlondoner

Does anyone have an opinion on this 48" lighting system, I'd like to keep soft corals as well:

Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting: Coralife Aqualight Double Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights

I am thinking about going with a 72 Gallon tank, any advice?

Mick,

If I would to start a new tank today I would probably give the T5 fixtures first crack at my vallet.
I think this 48" fixture would be perfect if you decide to keep more than the soft corals, like clams and some hard corals down the road.
T-5 Aquarium Lighting: Nova Extreme T-5 Fixtures w/Lunar Lights
I know it is more money but it is also a doubles on the output as well. I'm running two metal halides with two VHO bulbs over 75g tank right now but would love to try my hand with the T5's. There was a Tank of the month on Reef Central where the tank was lit with T5 only and it had some unbelievable colors in his Acropora colonies.

[exlondoner]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Mick,

If I would to start a new tank today I would probably give the T5 fixtures first crack at my vallet.
I think this 48" fixture would be perfect if you decide to keep more than the soft corals, like clams and some hard corals down the road.
T-5 Aquarium Lighting: Nova Extreme T-5 Fixtures w/Lunar Lights
I know it is more money but it is also a doubles on the output as well. I'm running two metal halides with two VHO bulbs over 75g tank right now but would love to try my hand with the T5's. There was a Tank of the month on Reef Central where the tank was lit with T5 only and it had some unbelievable colors in his Acropora colonies.

Gene, T5's it is, I'll be shopping this w/end (on-line) and putting items together slowly.

Cheers again.

[exlondoner]

I had another question regarding rocks, as you may know from my opening post that I have a Lake Malawi setup with rocks, would it be possible to use these rocks come the time in my SW setup. They consist of Texas Holey Rock and Lake Rock.

Thanks

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by exlondoner

I had another question regarding rocks, as you may know from my opening post that I have a Lake Malawi setup with rocks, would it be possible to use these rocks come the time in my SW setup. They consist of Texas Holey Rock and Lake Rock.

Thanks

Mick,

I am sorry to say that I am not familiar with either of the type of rock you mentioned. That is to say that I never used any of it or have a clue what it is in composition.

I think the best way for me to help you understand what type of rock most people usually use in reef aquaria is to provide a link to a very good article written by a friend of mine Ronald L. Shimek,Ph.D.

Live Rock As A Biological Filter: Hit or Myth?
Hope this helps in your decision and choices.

[exlondoner]

An excellent article - thanks...

Is there any specific recommendations to RO units, I'd like to purchase one this w/end and something that is very easy to install. Also when first filling up the tank - should I only be using RO water or can Tap water be used for the opening phase?

Items that I am looking at right now are:

New Tank and Stand (I'd like to keep it between 75 - 90G)
Sump
Protein Skimmer
Live Rock
Sand

What else should I be looking at?

Thanks.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by exlondoner

Is there any specific recommendations to RO units, I'd like to purchase one this w/end and something that is very easy to install.

Check out our sponsors page, you can find RO/DI units available from a few vendors. Spectrapure and AquaFX are very capable units and usually on top of my list. Having said that, there are few other brands that are very nice as well, you just have to browse the stores and select the one you are the most comfortabe with ( money,etc,etc).

Also when first filling up the tank - should I only be using RO water or can Tap water be used for the opening phase?

I wouldn't recommend using your tap water unless you are 100% sure it is of exellent quality, most municipal water needs to be treated before using for reef aquariums. Chloramines, NO3 and PO4 is just a few things that this water is reach in, no telling about heavy metals that could be in there as well. I think you probably relised already that patience is something that reefkeeper needs a whole lot of... Do it right the first time and you can spare yourself mess of disappointments and frustrations, not that you want experience any it's just you need to try to minimize it as much as possible.

I think you need to add to your list of goodies to get a few good books on keeping reef aquariums. I feel like it's a must, almost.

[exlondoner]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Check out our sponsors page, you can find RO/DI units available from a few vendors. Spectrapure and AquaFX are very capable units and usually on top of my list. Having said that, there are few other brands that are very nice as well, you just have to browse the stores and select the one you are the most comfortabe with ( money,etc,etc).



I wouldn't recommend using your tap water unless you are 100% sure it is of exellent quality, most municipal water needs to be treated before using for reef aquariums. Chloramines, NO3 and PO4 is just a few things that this water is reach in, no telling about heavy metals that could be in there as well. I think you probably relised already that patience is something that reefkeeper needs a whole lot of... Do it right the first time and you can spare yourself mess of disappointments and frustrations, not that you want experience any it's just you need to try to minimize it as much as possible.

I think you need to add to your list of goodies to get a few good books on keeping reef aquariums. I feel like it's a must, almost.

Great, actually I have the following book at home: The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists
Robert M. Fenner,

Which i hope to start today

[tray262]

Take a look at the TEK t5 systems too, Mine has been flawless. With great output.

[exlondoner]

How many Watt's should i be considering for a tank that is betwwen 75 to 90G?

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by exlondoner

How many Watt's should i be considering for a tank that is betwwen 75 to 90G?

Mick,

As you begin to read that book, which is exellent by the way, you will understand that amount of watts is not always the best way to recommend lighting scheme for the reef aquarium. A lot will depend on what you intend to keep exactly. Also, depth of the tank will play a role, too. If it is a 75g tank then it is only like 20 inches tall( if I remember correctly) and by the time you add some sand and place corals on the rocks you'll get even less.
I have two 250w metal halide bulbs over my 75g tank and two 110w VHO actinic bulbs, but I keep strictly Acroporas and Tridacna clams in this tank which demand pretty intense lighting.
90g tank is 24" high I believe, so it will require a bit more intense light to penetrate water column and provide enough light for something closer to the bottom of the tank. Do check out our Lighting Forum for some more information.
If you can find a book called The Captive Reef by Dana Riddle it will help you tremendously to understand lighting in general and lighting demands of some corals and such. I love this little book and highly recommend to anyone. Some information may be a tad outdated but it has tons of useful info.