Creating new 90G saltwater setup - Please advise:

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xaflatoonx

New Member
EDIT - bought a 90G tank - updating as i go.


Decided to switch over from freshwater to salt.
would like to set up a reef and fish tank - did a crap load of research but it will obviously never match the tribal knowledge you experienced folks have.

info:
36G tank
Would like to make a coral reef/fish tank - with a clown fish and maybe 2 or 3 more.
Along with a few crabs/shrimps and such.

Following is my list of equipment that i am about to get with pricing on amazon - would love to have your opinion on what is okay or not okay - and if i need to switch anything.

Item Brand Amazon
LED Current Orbit Marine 24 -36 Inch 136.8
Glass top 36 Bow Front Glass top 48.0
Salt Insta Ocean 50G 36.9
Refractometer AdeAdvanced Optics 26.0
Water Cond. Tap water conditioner Adv. 16 oz 6.0
Sand Arag Alive Reef Sand 20 lbs x2 54.0
Filter Emperor 280 filter 31.0
Pump Aqueon 700 Circulation Pump 20.4
Skimmer Hagen Fluval Sea PS1 45G 75.0
 
Last edited:
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Treated tap, is less than ideal for a reef tank. Ro/di water is the best to use. Other than that your equipment is good. I love the orbit lights
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi, welcome to the site!

A 36g is a teeny tiny tank for saltwater, you will be about maxed with the two clowns, and then maybe add one more fish, such as a dwarf angelfish or that size. 2 or 3 more fish????...no way unless it's a tiny type fish, such as the yellow clowns.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
A clown, maybe a fire fish, yellow watchman goby, after time a scooter blenny or mandarin.
 
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xaflatoonx

New Member
Thanks for the welcome guys - and appreciate the help.

Was thinking of one of each - Clown, blue mandarin and may be one other.
was also thinking of adding a blood red shrimp and some crabs
 
kopczynski

kopczynski

Member
The current marine led is a great light. And depending on what corals you keep you might need to dose depending on how religious you are with water changes. As a person who also kept freshwater and recently transferred i have a few tips. It will cost much more, you will need more filtration then you think, what you have works but id recommend like 45 lbs of live rock too. Be patient i have a 60 gallon thats like 4 months old and so far only have 2 fish and 1 anemone. For fish its really debatable but 4-5 fish should do fine for example a clown, a royal gramma, a bi color blenny and a six line wrasse.
 
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xaflatoonx

New Member
Thanks kopczynski..

Patience is definitely the plan.
Which is why i am here - want to make sure i am prepared before i get in.

And you are spot on - its hell of a lot expensive. Going through the list i need to get started and what i want eventually - i have crossed 1G and i havent even added all the corals i would like. See updated list below

Equipment:
Current Orbit Marine 24 -36 Inch 136.8
36 Bow Front Glass top 48.0
Insta Ocean 50G 19.0
AdeAdvancedOptics 26.0
Tap water conditioner Adv. 16 oz 6.0
Arag Alive Reef Sand 20 lbs x2 54.0
Emperor 280 filter 31.0
Aqueon 700 Circulation Pump 20.4
Hagen Fluval Sea PS1 75.0

Live Rock (40 lbs)
220.0


FISH:
1 Clown 20.0
1 Blue mandarin 65.0

INVERTEBRATES:
1 Electric Flame Scallop 20.0
2 Blood Red fire shrimp 58.0
1 Purple sea slug 20.0
1 Anemone Crab 10.0
1 Holloween Hermit Crab 10.0
2 Left hand Zebra Hermit Crab 4.0
2 Scarlet red leg hermit 3.5
2 Nassarius Snails 2.5
2 Cerith Snails 2.9
2 Nerite Snails 4.0
2 Astrae Turbo Snails 3.0
1 Lettuce Nudibranch 40.0
1 Mini Maxi Carpet Anemone 40.0
1 Hybrid Bubble Tip Anemone 54.0

CORAL:
1 Yellow Leather 40.0
1 Toadstool Leather 40.0
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
You don't use water conditioner in Salt water systems, but you will need a source of RODI water. For a reef system a skimmer is highly recommended. Mandarin fish are difficult - they only eat copepods, and your tank is to small to support an adequate population to sustain the fish. After you become more experienced you might be able to train a Mandarin to take frozen food, but it's chancy.
 
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xaflatoonx

New Member
Silverado61 - thats EXACTLY the kind of guidance i am looking for.
It would help immensely so i dont invest in something that will either die or kill something else... EVERYTHING that goes in a saltwater is expensive.

I will exclude the top from my list and keep the tank open. The LED lights i am getting comes with a stand on each side so i can just put that on the top there. Since my tank is small I cant really hang the LED lights from the wall - it would just look silly.

So in summary -

Get sea slugs once enough Algae has formed.
Add Anemones later in the stage - and THEN add the Anemone crab.
Research more on the flame scallops and how they eat
Exclude the True Nudibranches since they will eat the coral

PLease please please - anything else? this was super helpful.
 
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xaflatoonx

New Member
The Mandarin requires an established reef aquarium with plenty of live copepods available to feed on. You can supplement its diet with live copepods from AlgaGen called Tisbe Copepods. Adding a refugium to your system will once established, provide an excellent source of live food.

thats what i got for that fish... need to look up copepods and how much i need :)
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Copepods are considered there main food, however they will also eat amphapods which are a bit larger, but also avb online
 
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