HELP SETUP A 50G S&S REEF TANK NEW TO SALT OPEN BUDGET

[MartinBoy]

FIRST LET ME SAY THANKS FOR ANY HELP ON MY PROJECT. THERE IS NO ONE LOCAL TO HELP ME SET THIS TANK UP. THE LFS THAT THIS TANK WAS PURCHASED FROM IS OUT OF BUSINESS AND I KNOW NO ONE WITH A SALT WATER TANK. MY WIFE HAS BEEN CHEWING MY EAR FOR YEARS TO DO A SALT WATER TANK SO HERE I AM. I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH A 50G SALTWATER TANK ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO BUT IT WAS FULL OF MISTAKES AND I ENDED UP GOING FRESHWATER FOR THE TIME BEING. I PURCHASED THE TANK SECOND HAND BUT IT IS BRAND NEW NEVER BEEN USED AND THE EQUIPMENT IS WHAT CAME WITH IT. I AM OPEN TO CHANGING EQUIPMENT AND I KNOW THAT I NEED TO ADD SOME MORE. I DO NOT PLAN ON CUTTING CORNERS OR GOING THE CHEAP ROUTE I WANT THIS TANK A SHOW PIECE. BELOW IS A LIST OF EQUIPMENT INCLUDING SOME PICTURES OF WERE I AM AT SO FAR. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET THIS TANK RUNNING AND HAVE NEVER SET UP A TANK WITH A SUMP OR PROTEIN SKIMMER. MY FIRST PROBLEM IS THE SKIMMER DOES NOT FIT IN THE SKIMMER CHAMBER AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE POWER HEAD IS SUPPOSE TO HOOK UP TO IT. AFTER I GET THE TANK 100% RUNNING I WILL NEED ADVICE ON SAND AND ROCK ECT. ANYONE LOCAL THAT WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME OUT WOULD BE AWESOME!

50 GALLON S&S REEF AQUARIUM
REMORA HANG ON SKIMMER / MAXI JET 600
CORALIFE COMPACT FLORESCENT DOUBLE STRIP
MAXI JET 1200 & AQUA CLEAR 50

 

[Otherone]

You did say Reef, an open budget is a MUST cause your equipment - all of it - gotta go.

In tank 1st -2x Koralia hydor powerheads rated @ 500gph for softies or up to 1,000 gph for SPS. the pumps you have are cheap overratted and within a year will become very noisey and useless. I'd do 2 inch min. sterile sea sand or dry agronite + 50lbs of rock live and dry.

Sump - lose the bioballs - infact lose the whole sump and get a 29/30 gal long glass tank. That sumps got difficult and nitrate/PO4 generator written all over it. Lose the lil' skimmer - get a berlin cyclone type rated for 100gal w/ a 500 to 750 gph pump. I see baffles in the DT so I'm guessin' your drilled - 1,000 to 1,400 gph Pondmaster mag drive can do the main circulation job. You'll need 2-3 filter socks for the return tube, 2-3 socks so you can swap them out easily weekly without the pressure of having to rinse them out immediately. 2x small reactor tubes one for GFO/PO4 Resin, the other for carbon - 1 cup in each tube. A 100 gph pump to run both in tandem. Carbon runs no more than 48 hrs a week then dose trace and replaced every 4 weeks. PO4 resin replaced when PO4 is higher than .02. You'll need a baffle with a block filter to protect the main drive. Buy several same as socks. Inlet shut off valve - go manual the checkballs get stuck from Cal, sodium, + mag build up. Also some type of overflow or power outtages.

Heater - get one that has an indicator light and this can go in the sump or DT not the baffles.It needs to heat a large volume of water not small.

Lights - 4-6 bulb T5HO or LED's rated for SPS + Clams (200-250 watts). Metal Halides are good too but might cook the water so the water will need to be cooled via a chiller. PC's can grow mushrooms and gorganians thats about it - Wrong PAR's for most LPS + SPS.Get a good timer, stability and consistance is needed with hard corals.

W/C's and top offs - RO/DI unit 60 to 100 gal per day, portable TDS moniter, and a refractor. Hydrometers are very inaccurate, not good when Sodium,PH,Calcium, alk, and Mag need to be within a specific range. It's all relavent - if ones off their all off. W/C tank with heater + the powerheads you all ready have. Takes approx. 24 hrs for heat, Ph , and salinty to stabilize - it's all relavent.

Salt - IO Reef crystals are good - becareful not to buy the saltmixes rated for sps and clams til' you actually have them growing. It can create an enviorment thats too elemental and mineral rich for your corals. Alk 8-10, Cal 450-500, Mag 1,200. Slow drip acclimate everything Live going into the DT.

Test kits - get good ones like salifert or red sea. Tests for Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphates, PH, calcium, magnesium, and Alkalinity. Iodine if you get shrimp or ornimental crabs and lobsters.

A quarentine tank is very nice to have - can stop fish disease from entering the DT. Dip all corals with Reef RX before entering the DT.

Most of all - GO SLOW! 1st fish after ammonia + nitrate are zero and nitrite 20 ppm or lower. 6 mo. 1st anemone + softies, 1 yr 1st hard corals. I know this seems like a very long time but you'll get out of it what your willing to wait for.

I'm sure thers more but hat's all for now - hope this helps.

 

[MartinBoy]

You did say Reef, an open budget is a MUST cause your equipment - all of it - gotta go.

In tank 1st -2x Koralia hydor powerheads rated @ 500gph for softies or up to 1,000 gph for SPS. the pumps you have are cheap overratted and within a year will become very noisey and useless. I'd do 2 inch min. sterile sea sand or dry agronite + 50lbs of rock live and dry.

Sump - lose the bioballs - infact lose the whole sump and get a 29/30 gal long glass tank. That sumps got difficult and nitrate/PO4 generator written all over it. Lose the lil' skimmer - get a berlin cyclone type rated for 100gal w/ a 500 to 750 gph pump. I see baffles in the DT so I'm guessin' your drilled - 1,000 to 1,400 gph Pondmaster mag drive can do the main circulation job. You'll need 2-3 filter socks for the return tube, 2-3 socks so you can swap them out easily weekly without the pressure of having to rinse them out immediately. 2x small reactor tubes one for GFO/PO4 Resin, the other for carbon - 1 cup in each tube. A 100 gph pump to run both in tandem. Carbon runs no more than 48 hrs a week then dose trace and replaced every 4 weeks. PO4 resin replaced when PO4 is higher than .02. You'll need a baffle with a block filter to protect the main drive. Buy several same as socks. Inlet shut off valve - go manual the checkballs get stuck from Cal, sodium, + mag build up. Also some type of overflow or power outtages.

Heater - get one that has an indicator light and this can go in the sump or DT not the baffles.It needs to heat a large volume of water not small.

Lights - 4-6 bulb T5HO or LED's rated for SPS + Clams (200-250 watts). Metal Halides are good too but might cook the water so the water will need to be cooled via a chiller. PC's can grow mushrooms and gorganians thats about it - Wrong PAR's for most LPS + SPS.Get a good timer, stability and consistance is needed with hard corals.

W/C's and top offs - RO/DI unit 60 to 100 gal per day, portable TDS moniter, and a refractor. Hydrometers are very inaccurate, not good when Sodium,PH,Calcium, alk, and Mag need to be within a specific range. It's all relavent - if ones off their all off. W/C tank with heater + the powerheads you all ready have. Takes approx. 24 hrs for heat, Ph , and salinty to stabilize - it's all relavent.

Salt - IO Reef crystals are good - becareful not to buy the saltmixes rated for sps and clams til' you actually have them growing. It can create an enviorment thats too elemental and mineral rich for your corals. Alk 8-10, Cal 450-500, Mag 1,200. Slow drip acclimate everything Live going into the DT.

Test kits - get good ones like salifert or red sea. Tests for Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphates, PH, calcium, magnesium, and Alkalinity. Iodine if you get shrimp or ornimental crabs and lobsters.

A quarentine tank is very nice to have - can stop fish disease from entering the DT. Dip all corals with Reef RX before entering the DT.

Most of all - GO SLOW! 1st fish after ammonia + nitrate are zero and nitrite 20 ppm or lower. 6 mo. 1st anemone + softies, 1 yr 1st hard corals. I know this seems like a very long time but you'll get out of it what your willing to wait for.

I'm sure thers more but hat's all for now - hope this helps.

Thanks for all the great info. I'm not going to scrap the whole set up thats ridiculous I just purchased it and plan to make the best of it. I will be keeping the tank, lights, and skimmer. I am open to doing a refugium if necessary and plan to do a quarantine tank below. I really just need help to finish it and get it running. I do agree with the power heads and I am open to getting regular pumps (please suggest a few brands). I need recommendations on a uv light as well. Also what are reactor tubes?

 

[JASamper]

Thanks for all the great info. I'm not going to scrap the whole set up thats ridiculous I just purchased it and plan to make the best of it. I will be keeping the tank, lights, and skimmer. I am open to doing a refugium if necessary and plan to do a quarantine tank below. I really just need help to finish it and get it running. I do agree with the power heads and I am open to getting regular pumps (please suggest a few brands). I need recommendations on a uv light as well. Also what are reactor tubes?

If you don't want to scrap the whole setup I suggest you go fowlr because that sump looks more of a pita than what its worth.

 

[cdc]

So he needs a return pump rated 1000-1400gph and 2x 1000gph powerheads on a 50g tank? sounds way to much to me.

I have always used Rio return pumps I had a mag drive before but the Rio is more efficient. Laguna pond pumps are highly recommended on my local forum but you have to buy the correct one (I think its called Max flow but im not sure)

There should be a local saltwater forum near you we have at least 2 in Socal, look around and join them if you can there are always people willing to help.

 

[MartinBoy]

So he needs a return pump rated 1000-1400gph and 2x 1000gph powerheads on a 50g tank? sounds way to much to me.

I have always used Rio return pumps I had a mag drive before but the Rio is more efficient. Laguna pond pumps are highly recommended on my local forum but you have to buy the correct one (I think its called Max flow but im not sure)

There should be a local saltwater forum near you we have at least 2 in Socal, look around and join them if you can there are always people willing to help.

THANKS

 

[Otherone]

So he needs a return pump rated 1000-1400gph and 2x 1000gph powerheads on a 50g tank? sounds way to much to me.

I have always used Rio return pumps I had a mag drive before but the Rio is more efficient. Laguna pond pumps are highly recommended on my local forum but you have to buy the correct one (I think its called Max flow but im not sure)

There should be a local saltwater forum near you we have at least 2 in Socal, look around and join them if you can there are always people willing to help.

Your quoting me out of context - Yes the main pump should be that much as you lose quite abit of GPH pumping water 4' upwards back into the tank. He's gonna have to do the math. As for the in tank circulation I started at 500gph up to 1,000 gph for SPS corals like Montiporas - they need LOTS of flow to keep any type of build up of anything off of them or they won't be able to shed their mucus membrane.

 

[cichlid_king]

Im confused... Why would you say open budget what do I need and then buy a bunch of stuff that might give you problems and then say your going to "make the best of it". I thought you uad an open budget? Why wouldnt you want the best new stuff to make things easier on you down the road?

Sent from my HTC Hero S using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[JASamper]

Im confused... Why would you say open budget what do I need and then buy a bunch of stuff that might give you problems and then say your going to "make the best of it". I thought you uad an open budget? Why wouldnt you want the best new stuff to make things easier on you down the road?

Sent from my HTC Hero S using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

This is what I don't understand either.