Starting a salt water tank, need advice.

[ceejayt2k]

Hi All,

I am starting a new salt water tank. I had a salt water tank 15+yrs ago, and technology and thinking about marine pets have changed. I plan to use a 28 gal tank as the main tank with a 10 gal tank as a refugium. In the main tank, I plan to have live rock, maybe calurpa, and a couple of anemones. In the 10 gal tank, I plan to use crushed coral (approximately 2-3") and calerpa, cheateu, or mangroves to help in reducing nitrates and nitrites. I do not intend to have any corals in the tank.
Would you recommend the use of a protein skimmer? What else would I need? Any advice/recommendations? What is the ideal lighting wattage needed for my set up? Would the fishes I plan to have compatible?

Here is the live stock I am considering:
clown fish (Maroon, saddle back, or percula)
flame angel
6 or 8 line wrasse
cardinal fish
cleaner shrimp
clean up crew (snails and hermit crabs)
1 or 2 anemones

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Ceejay

 

[FLESHY]

As far as protein skimmers go, the camp is split. Myself and a couple others however do like the AquaC brand, and I think that they are worth looking into.

Everything should be okay...look out for the wrasses...they might want to say hello to the angel and vice versa. However, the eightline would usually be a little more chill.

I would skip the sand in the sump, its a good place to trap detritus, where it will rot, causing high nitrates.

Sounds like a cool tank, and welcome back to the hobby.

 

[ceejayt2k]

Hi FLeshy, I was also planning to add a cleanup crew in the sump. Do you think the crushed coral in the sump would help in buffering the water. I did not want to have coral n the main tank.

 

[TMartinez]

If you run a DSB in the sump make sure you have a sand sifter of some sort.

Stock seems ok and I agree with Fleshy on the AquaC... I have their Remora on my 30g and it pulls some nasty stuff. Is it required... no. Would I have one anyways for maximum water quality? Yes

 

[mos90]

i think maybe 1/2 of crushed coral in the sump wouldnt hurt, might help buffer some.

dont put any in the main tank. i did that and had to take it back out. didnt look good.

aqua c's are pretty good skimmers. nice and clean, built solid.

when u do water changes u might have to vaccum out the crushed coral like fleshy said, can hold detrius