new used tank! Should I go Fresh, Salt, or Reef???!!!!!!!

[saintb]

I just bought a 125 gallon used tank. It had been a reef tank, and more recently a fresh water tank. It came with a bunch of stuff, but not a complete set, so I'm sure which way to go.

I am planning on building into a new dividing wall (which has many additional concerns), but I'm not sure weather to go freshwater, salt, or reef with it.

I have another 45 gallon tank with 10 year old gold fish in it... so I am looking to do something different with this one.

I am leaning towards a reef tank, as long as the cost is reasonable and it will allow me some matainence free days once it is up and running. IE, I travel for work on occassions and sometimes am forced to leave my fish for 2 days without food/cleaning. The peeps on the goldfish message boards claim this is resonable if only done occasionaly to the goldies, and is usually better than trusting someone else to feed them (in which they often overfeed). Is this ever the case for salt water tanks? Or is the ecosystem considerably more fragile (strict daily water testing, etc)?

The used tank came with lights (Two 6,500K Metal Halide Lamps (175 Watt) and one 10,000K Metal halide lamp (175 Watt), the transformers, and Two VHO lamps (60"+ flourescent), a Little Giant pump, an Americal wet/dry filter (w/ bio balls), a heater, and a couple of powerheads. So, I feel I'm on my way towards a Reef tank....!?!?!?

I am guessing I would need a skimmer for any kind of salt water tank. I also read here that bio-media is not in fashion for salt water tanks anymore. What would use the wet/dry filter for then? And would I need and kind of chemical filter (carbon, etc)? Or other filter to suplement?

Are there any other issues to consider when deciding the direction of this tank? Electricity costs? Smell? Noise (the Metal Halide transformers are loud and it appears the skimmers can be too)? Frequent water changes (more or less than freshwater)? Additives? Making the salt water? Etc?

I know this is a lot of questions, but feel free to pick away at part of it if any of you have the time or expertise....

THANKS

-saint brendan

 

[Anonymous]

I say make it a sea monkey tank :wink:

 

[cindre2000]

GO SALT!

So, you have a 125 gallon tank.

First step if to figure out what you want in it. Fish, coral, fish and coral?

Then you are down to the big three components:

Lighting, Circulation, and Filtration.

It sounds like you are all set for lighting, as long as you are not going to try and run a hard core SPS/Clam tank. The 175's should allow you to keep most any of the "hardier" sps, and any of the softies and LPS.

Circulation should be 20-30 time the volume. This means you need 1250ish gph running through the sump. And another 1250-2500 gph additional circulation through a closed loop or powerheads.

As for filtration, a good skimmer is a must; however, alot of filtration is done by the live rock you put in the tank. You definetly need to look up sump design so you understand how most salt tanks are set up now a days.

As for ease of care, I feel saltwater tanks can be much easier to care for than fresh water tanks. As long as they are set up right the first time, and you put a good amount of automation, they can go quite a while with out "care".

 

[cindre2000]

And I return with more information.

Since there is a wet/dry I assume the tank is already drilled? You would remove the bio balls and use the wet dry as a sump or refugium instead. The big issue with wet/dry is that it produces a lot of nitrates and salt water creatures to not appreciate that as well as fresh water creatures do.

Why don't you post a complete list of what you have (brand, gph, etc.), what you are trying to do, and what experience you have?

 

[saintb]

Cool. Here's what I bought. It all came together. It is all used (lovingly?)

150 gallon tank (72"LX18"WX28"H) (not drilled)

Little Giant® 'Quarium Series pump 2-MDQX-SC (770 GPH)
Sea Swirl Rotating Return Device (550 gph)
2 RIO 2100 powerheads (max 675gph)
Amiracle wet/dry filter (sump) like maxi-reef (but white, not clear)
1 Heater (needs at least one more... one broke in the move)
Two 6500K Metal Halide bulbs (both 175 Watt) w/ transformers
One 10,000K Metal halide bulb (175 Watt) w/ transformer
Two VHO fluorescent tubes (66"+) one white/one purple (w/ balast)
Two 32"W stands (that I may not be using)

I have one yr experience with goldfish (45 gallon tank). I monitor my ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, KH, GH, and PH regularly. And successful battled one severe case of itch. I am competent with goldfish, but would consider myself a novice with all other setups.

I am not leaning towards one kind of tank or another. I just want something different than my goldie tank. And I would like to keep my costs down, and have the setup be as self maintaining as possible. I understand that I will probably have to spend another $200 or more on coral, plants, and/or fish (and maybe more for skimmer), and that I will need to check the water conditions regularly. But, would like the costs to be as little as possible, and for me to be able to leave on occassional short trips (2-3 days) without worrying about checking the levels or feeding the fish. Can reef or saltwater tanks be left alone without self destructing?!?!?

Okay?!?!?! So, which way should I go? Fresh/Salt/Reef???? It seems like these lights would be good for coral or fresh water plants. And the wet/dry could be used as a wet/dry for fresh water tropicals or as a sump for a salt water skimmer.

-saint brendan

PS this tank is being built into a 18" wide wall so that it can be seen from my office on one side and my studio on the other. So, I have other concerns too: mold inside the walls, building access to the top, limiting the sound transference from one room to another, building a tall sturdy base and limiting the studio door from jarring the tank. It will look cool, but have some obsticles to overcome!!!

 

[shavo]

I had a 125 fresh tank for years, I recently converted it to salt and realized what a waste of water it was as a fresh tank, Go salt!

do your homework and you will be fine, ask questions here it really helps.

 

[cindre2000]

With that equipment you are well on your way to make a medium light reef tank, with or with out fish. I find that reefs can be very self sustaining if you set them up right. You are just going to to need to pick animal that will not require specilized feeding. As for testing, once the aquarium I set up, testing is often forgotten with no ill effects.

Once piece of equipment you will most likely not regret getting is an auto-top off device to help keep the water levels stable.

However, live rock, hardware costs (for an in wall tank), live stock, skimmer, etc. will cost you much more than a goldie tank. Just start doing some research and make a list of what you think you need. You easily post any questions you have.

I think I will let others chime in now.

 

[saintb]

How often do you do partial water changes? And what percent?

What additives do coral need and how often?

Do most salt water fish need to be fed twice a day? Can some/most go a day or two without a feeding?

I agree that reef tanks look the best. But, I hope to make this tank as self sufficient as possible. It may be worth the extra work for the reef tank, if it is not too much extra. Nah-mean!?!?

If I buy the top off kit... do I need a pre-made batch of salt water for its reseviour?

Thanks again,

st brendan

 

[cindre2000]

Water changes depend on your system. You should be fine with a 25%, 1/month. Or 20% every two weeks if you feel like it. I never change my water if I can help it; but I am the exception, since water changes are "cure-alls" .

Corals normally do not need "additives". Certain corals do need to be fed, but many are photoynthetic. If your tank has a large number of SPS corals, then you may need to suppliment calcium to keep the levels up. Otherwise, water changes do all the supplimentation you need.

Feeding depends on the fish. Most fish can go over a week with out food. A healthy selection of live rock helps since it allows the fish to forage. Certain fish require special food (live/frozen/algae) that will require a feeding schedule; otherwise, you can just get a automatic fish feeder and mix of a good variety of dry commercial food to be dispensed 2-3 times a day.

Auto-top off uses freshwater since salt does not evaporate out. You should preferably hook the auto top off to a RO/DI unit to remove the need for a resevior and to remove possible contaminants. However, a aged batch of salt water is handy for emergencies.

Depending how handy you are and if you get some good deals, you can easily set up a reef tank for a moderate price tag. I enjoy salt tanks a whole lot more than fresh, mainly due to their diversity. I also believe automation is worth the money (especially timers and auto top off).

Do some research and figure out what you want in your tank! Some key words are: FOWLR (fish only with live rock), Reef, Soft corals, LPS, SPS, Agressive fish, Peaceful Fish, etc. You have to figure out what you want before you decide what equipment you need.

 

[staticx]

go salt water, but dont do a reef setup you dont have the time. if you are gone for 2 days at a time with no one checking on your tank and something happens your screwed. you should do a fish only with some live rock. as far as tank turn over rate 10 times per hous is the general rule of thumb not 20 or 30 although the more flow the better depending on what you are going to have. If you do go a reef tank you will need at least 125lbs of live rock and live rock is about 5 bucks a lb. A goldfish tank is no where near a reef tank you could throw a gold fish in a glass of water and leave for a week and it will be fine. you leave a reef tank for a week and something happens your out alot of money

 

[cindre2000]

I disagree.

I feel that salt tanks (reef or fish only) are easier to maintain and are able to take more neglect. Actually, fowlr probably can take less neglect than a reef if you have fish that require live or frozen food.

I have left reef tanks for 2-3 weeks at a time with no issues. The secret is you have to think about automation before hand as well as what you put in the tank. The biggest issue with extended absences (ignoring catistophic system failures) is topping off and feeding fish that require frozen or live food. Since most corals are mostly photosynthetic you will have a hard time starving them to death if your lights are working and on a timer.

Like I said before, start saltwater and plan to keep some easy corals (softies, some LPS, and montiporia).