[Tina J]

This is my first post so Please bear with me. Just to say I love this site. its one of the less confusing ones. But none the less iam Very confused. Some things click in my brain and some things dont. Equipment does not. Ive had FW aquariums for years so im pretty good with them. I want to start a 50 Gal Reef. Tank is Not predrilled and to scared to do it. So Please keep that in mind. OK here is my list if I dont need something please let me know and if i do please tell me (id rather do it right the first time)Fiji LR 50lbs.Med,Sand 87lbs,Coralife Lunar Aqualight 48' 260watts, single timer day/night, 4 stage ro/di with flush kit, Wet/Dry 75 gal Prowith built in Skimmer, Pre filter Box, Pump for wet/dry,?Overflow box?, then kits and salt ext... To me this sounds like alot when people say i only need lights,skimmer heater and tank????

What happens if the power goes off? wont everything overflow?
If i have all that stuff hanging on my tank will it cause stress to the glass?
The LPS ive been going to say dont use UGF but they all have them in thier tanks?
If sand is used wont it get clogged in the filters and jets?
Is the Berlin Method the best way to go for a Healthy tank?
Will I need a chiller with the lights?



There is so many more ?'s but i think I will stop now and ask more later. Yes i have been doing alot of reading(my eyeballs hurt).

[Steven Pro]

Let's first identify what you want to keep animal-wise. That is the most important question to answer first because systems need to be built around what they are intended to house. For instance, if you told me you really wanted some predators (eel, dwarf lionfish, marine betta, etc.) I would make very differnt recommendations than if you wanted mostly small fishes and liverock or a full-blown reef display.

[Tina J]

well ive been looking and I think I just want to keep a couple of clowns,a tang or 2,and I like the Gobi`s

[Reefland]

Hi Tina J,


What about in the way of corals, what do you plan there? Also just to get you kicked off right, 2 tangs (and maybe even 1) will be tight in a 50 gallon. I would say if you absolutely had to have one go with the smallest yellow tang you could find.

[Tina J]

Not sure what kind of corals but i will take a look to see wich ones i like-I will get back to you soon---Thank You

[Reefland]

Cool, as Steven mentioned having this information will help determine what you are going to "need".

[CSeaSee]

Welcome to Reefland!
I think I can answer a couple of parts... you shouldn't need a chiller with the lights that you described, so don't worry about that. (You could probably just open up your windows in a month! I used to live in Coon Rapids, and my folks live a little north of Brainerd... just joking about the window comment, though :-) )
What type of tank do you have? If you have a glass tank, and it is tempered glass, DO NOT drill it! It will go very badly for your tank.
Those undergravel filters that are still being used really belong in museums... they will cause a lot of problems down the line, so steer clear of them.
HTH

[Tina J]

Ok well i guess im a Coral Girl -Im more into the corals then the fish but still would like to add a few (clown or Gobi`s) here is a list of what I like---Pink and White Xenia,waving hand Xinie,Purple staghorn acropora,red/pink ricordea yuma,purple clove polyp,tri color acropora,green touch coral,red/pink cynarina---Well there is a wish list. Is there a rule of thumb on how many corals for a 55 Gal.?

I dont think we will have to wait long to open the windows im already wearing socks,slippers,longjohns under pj`s and a robe its so warm-(some people said it snowed today)I didnt see any.by the way I also live up north in the wood If I dont go to town i could go for days without seeing anyone.

[CSeaSee]

I wonder when Pelican will start to freeze... are there any LFS up wherever you are? I know there's one store in the Brainerd East Mall (I think it's the east mall) that sells some marine stuff, including fish, but the commerce is slim up there. I'll bet it's because there's not a lot of demand, and getting shipments (especially in the winter) can be a problem. Are you ordering things online, then? If you are, I really hope your livestock gets there in a timely manner. I know half of those roads only get sand in the winter because of the lakes. At least where I'm familiar with. Some of the coral you mentioned, like the acropora, really needs metal halide lighting, and your lights may not be able to support them. But I'll let someone more knowledgable speak more to that. Also, your corals would be classified as "mixed" between soft and hard, and they may not all get along, depending on their size and placement.

[Steven Pro]

Originally Posted by Tina J

Fiji LR 50lbs.Med,Sand 87lbs,Coralife Lunar Aqualight 48' 260watts, single timer day/night, 4 stage ro/di with flush kit, Wet/Dry 75 gal Prowith built in Skimmer, Pre filter Box, Pump for wet/dry,?Overflow box?, then kits and salt ext...

From this list, I would definitely leave off the Wet/Dry 75 gal Prowith built in Skimmer, Pre filter Box, Pump for wet/dry, and Overflow box. As far as filtration goes, I would keep it pretty simple; a skimmer (I really like the Aqua-C Remora with Maxi-Jet pump), a hang-on refugium since it sounds like you are leaning more towards a reef, and a couple of powerheads. That along with the liverock and sand (I would use about 4" of a very fine grade such as Caribsea's Aragamax or Seachem's Meridian) will be all you need.