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WHAT DO I NEED TO START?
- Thread starter SPANIARD1
- Start date
IMho
about 90lbs live rock
2 small heaters in sump=to watts per gallon required
skimmer is good
sump
2-3 small powerheads in tank for water circ/wavemaking
large pump in sump
are you doing deep sand bed? 3-4 lbs per gallon reqd
check in the tank descr. many outlines available
oh yeah, forgot, patience and time!!!!!!!(go slow)
good luck
about 90lbs live rock
2 small heaters in sump=to watts per gallon required
skimmer is good
sump
2-3 small powerheads in tank for water circ/wavemaking
large pump in sump
are you doing deep sand bed? 3-4 lbs per gallon reqd
check in the tank descr. many outlines available
oh yeah, forgot, patience and time!!!!!!!(go slow)
good luck
I have a shopping list on my site here that you might find useful. It isn't necessarily all inclusive, but it will give you an idea.
http://www.hobbyschool.com/reef/Shopping/shopping.htm
But, the very first thing you need is a good book. Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock would be a good start. Don't skip this or you will regret it.
http://www.hobbyschool.com/reef/Shopping/shopping.htm
But, the very first thing you need is a good book. Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock would be a good start. Don't skip this or you will regret it.
1. Patience, take it sloooooooowwwwww.
2. live rock... at least 40 lbs If you are doing a Deep Sand Bed, more if your not
3. Patience
4. Lights. I run normal florescents, and they work fine for mushrooms, leathers, a few hard corals. But If you can afford MH or VHO get them.
5. Patience
6. Powerheads and heaters (get 2 heaters in case one fails in the off position)
7. Patience
8. A sump. Its not necessary, but its nice to have. If you are going to get a sump, give serious consideration to having your tank drilled.
9. Patience
10. a skimmer. I ran without a skimmer for over a year with no problems. You have to be carefull on how much you feed etc. The only reason I got one was because I found a really nice one for 20 dollars and though I would see if it helped. IMO it didn't really make a huge difference, but I like the fack that its there to help with gas exchange.
A good book is nice, but if you have easy access to a computer and a bb like this you will be fine with out. I have a few books, but I hardly ever use them now that I have this board.
Scott
_________________
economic stimulus
2. live rock... at least 40 lbs If you are doing a Deep Sand Bed, more if your not
3. Patience
4. Lights. I run normal florescents, and they work fine for mushrooms, leathers, a few hard corals. But If you can afford MH or VHO get them.
5. Patience
6. Powerheads and heaters (get 2 heaters in case one fails in the off position)
7. Patience
8. A sump. Its not necessary, but its nice to have. If you are going to get a sump, give serious consideration to having your tank drilled.
9. Patience
10. a skimmer. I ran without a skimmer for over a year with no problems. You have to be carefull on how much you feed etc. The only reason I got one was because I found a really nice one for 20 dollars and though I would see if it helped. IMO it didn't really make a huge difference, but I like the fack that its there to help with gas exchange.
A good book is nice, but if you have easy access to a computer and a bb like this you will be fine with out. I have a few books, but I hardly ever use them now that I have this board.
Scott
_________________
economic stimulus
My guess is you have no sump since your tank is not reef ready so .....
most people recomend a 3-4 in sandbed
A minimum IMO is 1lb Live Rock per gallon
A good skimmer (it makes up for my mistakes)
Lighting depends on what you plan to keep but my tank is doing fine on 3 watts per gallon
kent supperbuffer DKH
Kalkwasser
A decent salt water test kit
PATIENCE
_________________
causes of recession
most people recomend a 3-4 in sandbed
A minimum IMO is 1lb Live Rock per gallon
A good skimmer (it makes up for my mistakes)
Lighting depends on what you plan to keep but my tank is doing fine on 3 watts per gallon
kent supperbuffer DKH
Kalkwasser
A decent salt water test kit
PATIENCE
_________________
causes of recession
You need biological(Live Rock/LR, Live Sand/LS,Wet/Dry) filteration to house any marine/fresh water animal what lives in the water. Chemical(charcoal) and Mechanical(filter pads, Skimmers) are good to help the biological out.
You need what most people will say Biological and Mechanical to have a healthy tank.
So that means for a pretty reef tank that the corals/clams/fish like is LR. Most people use 1.5 pounds per gallon if you are using Figi LR. Just fill the tank enoguh that about 1/2 or so is LR. Some people like to add so LS to there dead sandbed of Arganite sand to help it out faster get established.
Sandbeds are whole other issue. I put enough to cover the bottom about a 1' of mixed sizes.
You need some critters to help stir up the sand like cukes, sand snails, sand stars, fish, worms.
Of course you will need a good RO/DI water maker or go buy your water for now. If you use regular tap water it might have copper, silicates, phosphates and other bad thinks for your delicate marine life.
Than a good salt mixture. I use IO (Instant Ocean) I really do not care which you use, I mostly get the most reasonable name brand.
Than you need something to make water movement in the tank like powerheads. I would use at least 2 good Maxi-jets 1200s on each end of the tank pointing at each other for now as a good start.
I would get a hang on skimmer about a month or 2 after the tank is setup to do the mechanical filtering
Of couse you will have to wait until your tank cycles until you add animals. Buy a good test kit for this part. All of your reads should be zero Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite before you add fish. Depending on how good your LR is is how long you wait.
Optional
You might want a sump/over flow box to skim the surface and provide more O2 exchange, water movement, skimmer home, water adding place and so on. You can drill that tank side if you do not want to buy a overflow box. You can use anything for a sump(old tank or rubbermaid container). Use PCV piping and that for the plumbing and good return pump like a Mag pump or something.
After all of this help that all of these good reefs give you go buy some good books to help you out with pictures
You need what most people will say Biological and Mechanical to have a healthy tank.
So that means for a pretty reef tank that the corals/clams/fish like is LR. Most people use 1.5 pounds per gallon if you are using Figi LR. Just fill the tank enoguh that about 1/2 or so is LR. Some people like to add so LS to there dead sandbed of Arganite sand to help it out faster get established.
Sandbeds are whole other issue. I put enough to cover the bottom about a 1' of mixed sizes.
You need some critters to help stir up the sand like cukes, sand snails, sand stars, fish, worms.
Of course you will need a good RO/DI water maker or go buy your water for now. If you use regular tap water it might have copper, silicates, phosphates and other bad thinks for your delicate marine life.
Than a good salt mixture. I use IO (Instant Ocean) I really do not care which you use, I mostly get the most reasonable name brand.
Than you need something to make water movement in the tank like powerheads. I would use at least 2 good Maxi-jets 1200s on each end of the tank pointing at each other for now as a good start.
I would get a hang on skimmer about a month or 2 after the tank is setup to do the mechanical filtering
Of couse you will have to wait until your tank cycles until you add animals. Buy a good test kit for this part. All of your reads should be zero Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite before you add fish. Depending on how good your LR is is how long you wait.
Optional
You might want a sump/over flow box to skim the surface and provide more O2 exchange, water movement, skimmer home, water adding place and so on. You can drill that tank side if you do not want to buy a overflow box. You can use anything for a sump(old tank or rubbermaid container). Use PCV piping and that for the plumbing and good return pump like a Mag pump or something.
After all of this help that all of these good reefs give you go buy some good books to help you out with pictures
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