3 replies to this topic

[aqua86]

marine setting up advice needed

[aqua86]

I'm thinking from reading a few posts

I am going to go for a protein skimmer to suit tank size

a couple internal power heads/pumps for circulation

live sand substrate with live rock coral base wall

a few questions still left unanswered

[Iamsam]

5x2x2 with a jewel black cabinet stand
Aqua One Metal Halide (MG-1500) 3x150W(MH) 4x24W 2x18W (Will this be sufficient?)

those lights should be plentiful

Is a water chiller necessary ?
what media should i be using in my external eheims, and can i reuse what is currently in my 2217 whihc is being used in my community tank if i thoroughly washed it as it is only approx 6 months old, efi mech and the noodle type things ?

also i have a pressurized co2 setup currently running off a ph controller, should i convert this into a Calcium Reactor by making up a calcium reactor with the co2 feed ? how hard is it to get the correct balance between water flow through the Calcium Carbonate Media to provide the correct calcium/alkalinity , is all this necessary ?

a chiller shouldn’t be needed during winter but maybe during summer but you will have to monitor your temp, as long as it is steady at roughly 26 than a chiller isn’t necessary,

as for the co2 calcium reactor i say don’t bother it will be to much work for good, your best bet is just to get a large container of some sort above the tank with a hole and air hose in it, the air hose goes down to the tank so that the water slowly drips in, and just add any calcium and other additives to the container . to that it will all slowly drip in and keep your water level stable, does that make sense?,
as for the filtration im about to start another thread on that so stay tuned,




regareds sam

[dazzabozza]

Hi Ian

I am going to go for a protein skimmer to suit tank size

What's your budget like? Protein skimmers are probably one of the most pricey items. I have a second-hand Red Sea Berlin HO Protein Skimmer that I don't mind parting with. It has a crack near the input just before the venturi. Is still fully functional but will better suit in-tank or in-sump as it's not completely water tight. Are u looking for a hang-on, in-tank or in-sump model?

a second eheim external filter

Will be handy if you want to add things like phosphate remover or polishing pads etc. Most reefers claim that canister filters cause ongoing problems with nitrate levels. If you're going to keep soft corals this won't matter as they'll feed off the nitrate. Hard corals like acros it's best to keep your nitrates to a minimum.

a couple internal power heads/pumps for circulation

Go for something like the Tunze Streams. Lots of flow per hour and a wide output rather than the narrow jets that traditional powerheads have. Avoids tearing your corals apart.

live sand substrate with live rock coral base wall

U looking at getting around 100KG of live rock? That's about 20% of your 550L tank. Is usually a good percentage to target.

Is a water chiller necessary ?

Only if you want to keep your temps down. I let my reef tank hit 29deg. Any higher then the rev cycle aircon stays on for the day They're a good investment if your looking at having expensive livestock.

what media should i be using in my external eheims, and can i reuse what is currently in my 2217 which is being used in my community tank if i thoroughly washed it as it is only approx 6 months old, efi mech and the noodle type things ?

Most ppl that do use canisters in reef tanks use biological filter media such as your noodles, crushed coral, bioballs etc. They avoid mechanical filtration because of the build-up of detritus and nitrates. I don;t run any mechanical filtration in my tank but it would be nice to have something to polish the water as I do notice a lot of fine particles zooming around.

also i have a pressurized co2 setup currently running off a ph controller, should i convert this into a Calcium Reactor by making up a calcium reactor with the co2 feed ? how hard is it to get the correct balance between water flow through the Calcium Carbonate Media to provide the correct calcium/alkalinity , is all this necessary ?

Prob only necessary if you're going to get into hard corals and want to see them grow quickly. Best off getting the tank up and running first and monitoring your calcium levels. I checked mine the other day and I was still above the 400ppm minimum desired level which is surprising as I generally only do water changes every 3 - 4 weeks. Perhaps my stock levels aren't too demanding. I also top up with unfiltered tap water which would be a source of calcium and also phosphates How about u just sell your CO2 setup to me for an awesome price! hehe


Dazza