A Few Beginner SW Questions.

[Nomi]

The more I look into it, the more I am wanting to set up an easy reef tank after I move out, when it is feasible to do so. That probably means I am going to have a lot of time to study up on reef care, which is most likely for the best.

I am hoping to have a 30-50 gallon tank to start with, the bigger the better of course. Since I will be a student, I'll be looking for functionality and longevity over aesthetics. I also imagine space will be limited at first. I do like the looks of square tanks. Is there any advantage to having a square tank over the usual rectangle?

I know the bare basics of setting up a reef tank so far, namely the great importance of having a protein skimmer, sump, live rock and ample water flow. And lots of patience. However, I'm quite stumped on a couple things, namely lighting and plumbing to/from the sump. For a reef aquarium, what sort of lighting will I want to go for? Should I start with flourecent, metal halide or LED? What are the pros and cons of these?

Plumbing is another big question mark for me. I am pretty much only familiar with the simple to and fro of canister filtration. It seems that the plumbing set up on a reef tank is a bit more complex. What is the best, and least confusing, set up for a beginner?

I would probably prefer to buy a complete system that included lighting, sump, plumbing, ect... but then cost becomes an issue. What sort of price would I be looking at for a good beginner set up?

And what is the best way to have water available to fill the tank and for water changes? I know RO water is recommended, mixed with a saltwater mix. It seems like it would be easy enough to have a container with this pre-mixed. But does one purchase an RO filter for their tap or the RO water itself from somewhere?

As much fun as looking at corals and fish is, I'll probably refrain from asking about those until I have the basics of a SW setup figured out for now. However, any and all advice about tanks, lighting, fish, corals, live rock, live sand, refugiums, anything, ect, will be most welcome!

 

[Nyghtfire]

Bump as it follows alot of my questions

 

[johnny roastbeef]

You can do ok with a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) setup using much of your old freshwater gear. Keeping salt fish is not unlike fresh water. To answer your questions, you do not need anything special in the way of lighting for a fish only salt tank.

I know the bare basics of setting up a reef tank so far, namely the great importance of having a protein skimmer, sump, live rock and ample water flow. And lots of patience. However, I'm quite stumped on a couple things, namely lighting and plumbing to/from the sump. For a reef aquarium, what sort of lighting will I want to go for? Should I start with flourecent, metal halide or LED? What are the pros and cons of these?

You are right on with needing a skimmer, and live rock. You could probably do away with a sump if you run a decent HOB skimmer. Fluorescent lighting is cheap to buy, cheap to run and cheap to replace lamps. Make sure you have good lamps, and preferably a mix of white and blue (actinic) bulbs. The actinic light really brings out the colors of the fish. Metal halide lights are expensive to buy, run and replace bulbs, but they are a must for light hungry animals like corals, and anemones. Since you wont be keeping these animals you can forgo the halides. LEDS are even more expensive to buy, but you wont be replacing bulbs, and they burn little electricity. Since you are on a budget the LEDS should be off your list also.

Plumbing is another big question mark for me. I am pretty much only familiar with the simple to and fro of canister filtration. It seems that the plumbing set up on a reef tank is a bit more complex. What is the best, and least confusing, set up for a beginner?

I dont run canisters on salt setups, though many aquarists do. They have a tendency to build up nitrates if not cleaned religiously. If you must use a canister, make sure you keep up with the maintenance. A good quality HOB filter might be a good idea instead. I think its easier to replace media often. If you use enough live rock, you will have all the bio filtration you will need, the protein skimmer will supplement the removal of organics from the water, you just need some mechanical which the HOB will easily do. I suggest over-sizing the mechanical filtration and running carbon. Carbon will make a noticeable difference to the clarity of the water. I change the carbon on my tanks regularly and I can see the difference in water clarity within a day.

Dont forget your heater, get a good one. There is no reason not to spend a few extra dollars on a quality heater. I prefer the Fluval E series heaters. They are microprocessor controlled and have a digital readout right on the front. They are also 'armored' in plastic and somewhat less delicate.

With a 50 gallon tank you might want to make your own RO DI water rather than buy it. If you have good quality city water you might be able to get away with dechlorinated tap water. Use a tds meter to check the total dissolved solids in your water. Again, FOWLR tanks are simple and the fish are pretty tolerant, its when you have corals that the RO water is an absolute necessity. Having said that, if there are too many nutrients in your water supply, you will end up with a hair algae farm in your tank.

Rather than buy a (expensive) turnkey system, look on the used marked and pick up pieces as they become available at the right price.

 

[FLESHY]

Just getting another opinion on the matter, good post, heres my .o2 in green.

You can do ok with a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) setup using much of your old freshwater gear. Keeping salt fish is not unlike fresh water. To answer your questions, you do not need anything special in the way of lighting for a fish only salt tank.

I know the bare basics of setting up a reef tank so far, namely the great importance of having a protein skimmer, sump, live rock and ample water flow. And lots of patience. However, I'm quite stumped on a couple things, namely lighting and plumbing to/from the sump. For a reef aquarium, what sort of lighting will I want to go for? Should I start with flourecent, metal halide or LED? What are the pros and cons of these?

I like MH...and most people will say it is the best bang for buck. LED is making huge strides, and I hopefully will be dipping into that soon as well. For a fowlr if you could light your tank to your desire with a low cost LED system, it would save you lots on long term energy and bulb expenses. There are some moderately priced units out there for sure right now. Some LED's are cheaper than MH, leave you with the ability to grow at least moderately demanding corals, and provide you with shimmer lines, and keep tank heat low. They are worth looking into.

http://reefkoi.com/coral/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20&zenid=m2j61natfr0ld53h61hji350p0

You are right on with needing a skimmer, and live rock. You could probably do away with a sump if you run a decent HOB skimmer. Fluorescent lighting is cheap to buy, cheap to run and cheap to replace lamps. Make sure you have good lamps, and preferably a mix of white and blue (actinic) bulbs. The actinic light really brings out the colors of the fish. Metal halide lights are expensive to buy, run and replace bulbs, but they are a must for light hungry animals like corals, and anemones. Since you wont be keeping these animals you can forgo the halides. LEDS are even more expensive to buy, but you wont be replacing bulbs, and they burn little electricity. Since you are on a budget the LEDS should be off your list also.

Plumbing is another big question mark for me. I am pretty much only familiar with the simple to and fro of canister filtration. It seems that the plumbing set up on a reef tank is a bit more complex. What is the best, and least confusing, set up for a beginner?

I dont run canisters on salt setups, though many aquarists do. They have a tendency to build up nitrates if not cleaned religiously. If you must use a canister, make sure you keep up with the maintenance. A good quality HOB filter might be a good idea instead. I think its easier to replace media often. If you use enough live rock, you will have all the bio filtration you will need, the protein skimmer will supplement the removal of organics from the water, you just need some mechanical which the HOB will easily do. I suggest over-sizing the mechanical filtration and running carbon. Carbon will make a noticeable difference to the clarity of the water. I change the carbon on my tanks regularly and I can see the difference in water clarity within a day.

We are in complete agreement here...except I would recommend a quality canister over virtually any HOB any day. Just dont be lazy. Buy an eheim (oversized for your tank) and break it down a couple times a month and clean in tank water. (Make sure the water is siphoned from the top and not already dirty.)

There is the AC110 refugium mod, which is something I was going to do on my 125g tank before deciding to sump it this week.

For chemical filtration, matrix carbon is the best carbon, but not the best
chemical. Best chemcial in my experience is purigen, it removes literally everything that is bad from your h2o and it is easily rechargeable. It is supposed to last up to six months, but I usually let mine run about 3-4 before discoloration encourages me to do a recharge.

Dont forget your heater, get a good one. There is no reason not to spend a few extra dollars on a quality heater. I prefer the Fluval E series heaters. They are microprocessor controlled and have a digital readout right on the front. They are also 'armored' in plastic and somewhat less delicate.

With a 50 gallon tank you might want to make your own RO DI water rather than buy it. If you have good quality city water you might be able to get away with dechlorinated tap water. Use a tds meter to check the total dissolved solids in your water. Again, FOWLR tanks are simple and the fish are pretty tolerant, its when you have corals that the RO water is an absolute necessity. Having said that, if there are too many nutrients in your water supply, you will end up with a hair algae farm in your tank.

We agree about the large fish probably being able to handle city water...depending on whats in it and how you treat it.

What I dont recommend is going out and buying RODI without doing your homework first. Take your water and get it tested...phosphates, nitrates, hard metals...whatever you can. Also contact your water provider to see if they add anything to your water. If they do, or if your tests come back with numbers that are not acceptable for marine aquaria, then do some research and delve into RODI.

Rather than buy a (expensive) turnkey system, look on the used marked and pick up pieces as they become available at the right price.