Reef tank help!

doveandgrenade

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2012
805
3
16
Canada
Hey everyone,
I'm going salt now. Currently have peacock bass and would like to start a salt water reef community tank. I will be picking up a 72 gallon bow front on Friday. Filtration is an eheim canister and I will be adding an emperor 400 too it and a hydro koralia 1400gph powerhead.
What would be the best substrate to use and what are some good lighting to get?? I really want the colours to pop from the corals and fish. This tank will be a slow progress in work. I want to do this right the first time and make it look good.

Thanks in advance for all the help and advice.


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chris44

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 8, 2011
56
1
0
mildenhall england
go for L.E.D's for lighting,best move i made upgrading to them,i like white crushed coral sand for substrate,sets off colors nicely,imho
 

cichlid_king

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2011
916
1
0
35
Fond du lac, Wisconsin
Crushed coral is a good ph buffer but its harder on inverts that prefer a fine sand. A good LED to use would be an Ecotech. They are about 350 dollars and you will probably need just one of them on a 72 bowfront. They have very good PAR readings and are probably the best on the market

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doveandgrenade

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2012
805
3
16
Canada
Crushed coral is a good ph buffer but its harder on inverts that prefer a fine sand. A good LED to use would be an Ecotech. They are about 350 dollars and you will probably need just one of them on a 72 bowfront. They have very good PAR readings and are probably the best on the market

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my ph is 7.6 from the tap i believe.
will the crushed coral affect it alot?
also any other substrate suggestions aside from crushed coral?

thanks for the tip on the light, i'll look into it.
 

cl0wn knife

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
May 29, 2008
2,347
4
38
Oxford
Crushed coral will raise it a bit id go for finer coral sand myself as its better for a lot of invertebrates.
also unless your tap water is exceptional i would suggest using Ro water then using minerals/salt, I found that a much better method for my marine tanks to keep things stable.
 

doveandgrenade

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2012
805
3
16
Canada
Crushed coral will raise it a bit id go for finer coral sand myself as its better for a lot of invertebrates.
also unless your tap water is exceptional i would suggest using Ro water then using minerals/salt, I found that a much better method for my marine tanks to keep things stable.
i know of a couple people in the area that just use the tap water and haven't had any problems..
i'm not sure if they use any additives or not because they are friends of a friend..
i ad prime to my freshwater tanks and they're always stable.
i know marine is different so i'm not sure what the effects would be or not.
also which is why i am here:)
 

cichlid_king

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2011
916
1
0
35
Fond du lac, Wisconsin
I would definately do a test for nitrite, nitrate, PH and TDS on your tap water if you are considering using it. 7.6 is pretty low so you would have to buffer if. I use a pur filter on my tap water in my 40gal sps reef and its fine but my city water is some of the best in my state and the base PH is 8.2-8.4. I use gallon jugs of purified water on my 5.5gal sps reef though. I would say the 1400gph would be good in the 72. I would put it in the middle of one of the side panels so it can blow along the back glass and swirl along the bowfront. I am a fan of using more than one powerhead in bigger tanks because you get more coverage than using just one. You have less dead spots that way.

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Ptrick125

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2012
861
1
0
Georgetown Texas
my ph is 7.6 from the tap i believe.
will the crushed coral affect it alot?
also any other substrate suggestions aside from crushed coral?

thanks for the tip on the light, i'll look into it.
The LR will also buffer your pH. If you get aragonite sand, that will also buffer your pH.


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