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armaggedonx

armaggedonx

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 17, 2006
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Im interested in starting my first marine tank specially for all the living coral etc. The tank is 2ft 6 inch. How easy and what is the maintenance for such a tank? I know nothing about marine. What are some good unusual beginners coral to get? All help appreciated.

Cheers,
Keith
 
Bigger is better for stability in SW.
You'll be ok with a smaller tank but you'll have to watch close to levels..
As for beginner corals
I;ll need to know what lights you have and what kinda flow you have..
Are you starting the tank from new or getting it from someone?
Two things to remember with saltwater..
ANEMONE's need light and older water
Corals need flow and light


soft corals can live in darn near sewage

LPS like to be feed (as do anemones )

SPS need strong flow, strong light, and near perfect water..

Any other questions I need specific questions (ie: lights, filters, tanks, sumps)
As for beginner corals go with zoanthids.. they are every color of the rainbow plus some. are not aggressive and can be worth pennies to hundreds.
 
I'm assuming that is a 29g? You can do that but with marine bigger tends to be easier.
 
Myteemouse;3306270; said:
Bigger is better for stability in SW.
You'll be ok with a smaller tank but you'll have to watch close to levels..
As for beginner corals
I;ll need to know what lights you have and what kinda flow you have..
Are you starting the tank from new or getting it from someone?
Two things to remember with saltwater..
ANEMONE's need light and older water
Corals need flow and light
soft corals can live in darn near sewage
LPS like to be feed (as do anemones )
SPS need strong flow, strong light, and near perfect water..
Any other questions I need specific questions (ie: lights, filters, tanks, sumps)
Click to expand...


It going to be a brand new tank. I have no lighting so what type of light is needed for soft corals?
I dont understand what a sump is either and what filter is required?
I just need general information, i don't want to be a bookworm, i wish to learn from people who have tanks like this etc this time lol
 
Unfortunately being a bookwork will definately help. Sumps help a lot they are areas underneath your tank where water is collected then pumped back into your tank. The are used for filtration, a good place to do your water changes, add supplements as well as keep equipment such as your heater and protein skimmer
 
O.K.
As for the light I would get a 4 bulb T-5 light
This way you can keep anemones and SPS later if you wish
Just make sure the T-5 has individual reflectors for each bulb..
These are cheaper to run than Metal Halides and run cooler..
As for a filter
LIVE ROCK is your best filter you can get in a SW tank..
If I were you I would get a ten gallon tank and turn it into a sump by simply puting baffels in it..
MELEVSREEF.com has some really good beginer info on that site about sumps..
My modo is keep it simple..
I have SPS and LPS in my tank and I just have a skimmer and live rock for my filtration..
Get good flow..
I always aim for 50x tank turnover per hour or more..
Trust me the fish will be fine and your corals love it..(except mushrooms)
This will also keep detritus from settling on the bottom of the tank as much
I have a 125 and have 7000 gallons per hour flow in my tank.

Hermits are NOT a must have..
They will eventually eat snails and knock over corals...
I have a 125 and I dont have ANY hermits in there.

Get the best skimmer you can afford.
This will help in maintenance and cleanliness of water for the corals..
Trust me on this one too...

You get what you pay for in the SW side of things..
Dont go cheep then upgrade..
Just wait till you have the money for what you need..

Don't buy into the "LIVE SAND" gimmick.
You can't bag up something alive and leave it on a shelf for months and expect it to be alive...

A sump is basically a smaller "tank" under or over your Display Tank or DT
it is best because you expand water volume and you can house your equipment in it so it's not in your DT (ie: heater, skimmer, filter sock, extra live rock for filtering)
DON't try to "scream" water through the sump. about 5x tanik volume is the most you want going in the sump..this will help with skimmer contact time and also if you house bennificial algae (good denitrator) this also needs contact time with the water being run by it.


Any thing else
I'm sure this just stirred up a hundred more questions
 
Definately get an RO/DI filter I made the mistake of not doing so when I first started it really does cause major problems.
 
this is the one I got
$ 199.00 - OCEAN REEF + 1 FIVE STAGE 75 GPD RO/DI
  • All systems are made to order with clear 10" canister housings
  • Stage One NSF rated 5 micron poly sediment filter
  • Stage Two 5 Micron Matrikx NSF rated CTO/2 Workhorse carbon block
  • Stage Three 0.6 Micron Matrikx NSF rated chlorine guzzler carbon block
  • RO membrane 75 GPD Dow Filmtec
  • Stage Five refillable cartridge with color-changing DI resin
  • 100 PSI pressure gauge
  • Auto shut-off (Requires Float Valve or Switch To Work)
  • Membrane flush valve
  • Dual TDS meter
  • Quick connect fittings
  • Self Piercing Saddle Valve Water Supply Connection
  • Drain Connection
  • Filter wrench to make cartridge replacement easy
 
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