Back to the hobby after 10 years!

K

ktbug545

New Member
Hello!

After moving from state to state and completing college, my fiancé and I have purchased a home. I always promised myself when I settled down and bought a home, I would start up another reef tank! (I have missed this hobby so much!).

With all of that being said, i am in the very beginning planning stages. If anyone has equipment suggestions, anything would help! I honestly have not kept up with the advances in the Industry. So now I am researching, and open for suggestions!

I am trying to decide why size aquarium that I want. I am thinking 75 gal reef tank. And I have convinced my fiancé we need a RO system installed in the house. (That’s as far as I have gotten)

Suggestions, tips, tricks appreciated! I feel like a newbie all over again!
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
If you can do a 75 you might try a 90, not much more space needed.

The RO is great to have. I have mine under the kitchen sink. It provides RO water for drinking and the fridge ice and water. I also have it connected directly to my water change station. It only goes through the DI resin before it goes to the mixing station. Piece of cake to install with a pressure tank and faucet in the sink so you can also use for drinking water, just no DI for drinking.
 
K

ktbug545

New Member
I would consider a 90!

What filtration system would you suggest? I was looking at canister filters, but I’m a little overwhelmed by all the new brands.

Also, lighting! What would someone suggest for lighting? I would eventually like for this tank to be a full reef tank. (Because of how expensive this hobby is, this will be a slow process) I use to have a nice set of metal halides, but once again... there is so many new things out there.

Also, does anyone have a protein skimmer sugguestion? I remember my world changing when i added a protein skimmer to my tank. This time around, I’ll be starting with one.
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
I like simple. I have a 3 chamber sump that I built myself with a skimmer, and a bunch of live rock. I'd have a bunch of macro algae in the center chamber but I can't keep it alive. My tank is a reef ready 120 high tank. It already had built in overflows. It was easy to plumb. I don't use any mechanical filtration. I have a GFO and carbon reactor (I only use them when I need it) a reef octopus skimmer and that is it, The tank has been up and running in its current state for a year and a half. Prior to that everything was in a 125 for 3 years so essentially its been chugging along for 4.5 years and it takes minimal maintenance.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Whatever you do I would start the system with macro algae then do the rest. Normally you have to have some kind of refugium to keep the livestock and algae separate, but that can just be something as simple as using egg crate partitioning the system into sepereate algae and livestock areas.
 
K

ktbug545

New Member
I have started a list of the equipment that I am wanting. If anyone has any issues with the items I want to start with, please let me know why. All opinions and suggestions are welcome. We close on our house on the 17th of December, and I plan on picking up the tank and stand that week. I will be looking at equipment, and making a solid plan until tax season in January, and then I will make an order to purchase my equipment. As of right now, I just made a "cart" on Marine Depot, just so I could see all the products together. But when I am ready to order, I will be price matching on different sites to get the best deal. (If anyone has any sites they like to order equipment from, let me know! Same with livestock... If anyone has a site they like to order from, fill me in!).

After driving around today, and pricing out some tanks, I have realized that locally, there is about a $300 price increase between a 75gal and a 90 gal aquarium. So I have actually found some great Black Friday deals on 120 gallon tanks. I believe I am just going to bump it up to 120.

Here is what I think I want to start with...

API Filstar XP Canister filter, L (Up to 175 Gal)

2x Colbalt Aquatics Neo Therm 200 watt aquarium heater with LED display

(I have NO Idea what to do for lighting... Im having trouble. HELP)

2x Hydor Koralia 3g Third generation circulation and wave pump 1350gph

Reef Octopus Classic 150 EXT Recirculating protein skimmer

Marine Dept KleanWater Basic RO Systen- 100GPD

160lbs of Black Hawaiian sand

20lbs black Hawaiian live sand

50 lbs eco dry rock

100 lbs live rock

Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Mix

Red Sea Foundation Pro Multi test kit
 
Last edited:
K

ktbug545

New Member
I am considering getting egg crate, and setting up micro algae behind my rocks, so it can't be seen, but my tank benefits from its presence. One of my favorite saltwater fish I have ever owned is the Mandarin Goby. Although I know it will be quite awhile before I add one, I eventually will. I know how important it is to have an established system before adding one. The Macro will be a breeding ground for copepods. (Im getting so excited that Im finally getting back into this wonderful hobby! Ive missed it so much!
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
I would go with the 120 assuming it's a 4' 120 not the 6' 125.

Using the egg crate in tank refugium, the display area in front of the egg crate would be at least 90g or larger.

Use some power heads on the corners to hold the egg crate off the glass. and some rocks at the bottom. If you have a center brace at top you should make egg crate in there pieces. I made it 2 pieces and it was very hard to install and remove around the top brace. And then add some cheapie utility fixtures 4' shop lights behind the tank pointing forward.

IMHO:

Canister filter is not needed.

heater is nice but in a room comfortable to humans not needed.

skimmer not needed

no sump is needed. some circulation is good idea.

ro/di is probably needed for more delicate corals. but for fish and easy corals the macros will condition the water so the potable tap water could be used.

Don't do water changes, just replace evaporative losses.

aquarium sand, live sand, live rock are not needed (the macros work better and do the same thing.) Of course you may want some for decoration but building supply play sand and rocks can be used for that.

What I recommend is to setup the tank with everything and the macro algae (chaeto). Then let it set a week. Then add a single male molly and not add food for a week. The macros will initially consume the ammonia directly preventing the dangerous parameter spikes. With the possibility of a small initial nitrate spike. Then the next week start feeding a single flake per day. After a couple more weeks you can add the expensive marine only fish. By that time there should be enough pods to support the goby.

You may want to read up on Dr Randy Holmes-Farley's improved diy 2 part system. It uses calcium chloride, baking soda, Epsom salts and magnesium chloride to maintain calcium, alk, and magnesium. (you should have test kits for those). calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are ice melter for roads/sidewalks in winter. 50# bags are $20-$30 or so.

There is also newer methods like triton and baling to maintain those things with emphasis on also maintaining trace elements as well.

So that should be enough to totally confuse you. LOL

Best tank over

my .02

and hope that helps.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Oh yea. On lights my wife (and I) use dsuny (4 panels) over the 90g. They provide light edge to edge front to back and the corals seem to like. they are available on ebay and probably other sources and the 4 panel. each panel is 24"x~5". So a 4 panel system would cover a 4' 120 tank nicely. they also have a controller with various controls like sunrise/set, weather, moonlight and so on with a wifi interface as well. along with more manual control at the controller itself. the 4 panel set on ebay was $475.
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Absolutely disagree with no water changes, except during the initial period when you are establishing the bacterial colonies. I do ~25% water changes every two weeks.

Lighting kind of depends on what you ultimately want. A system you can build on may be best. I personally love Kessils. I have 2 360s and 2 160s and the controller. I really need a couple more 360s which will come in time. I only have soft coral and LPS so I don't need as much light now. To up it to SPS I'll need more.
 
M

Mark666

New Member
beaslbob said:
I would go with the 120 assuming it's a 4' 120 not the 6' 125.

Using the egg crate in tank refugium, the display area in front of the egg crate would be at least 90g or larger.

Use some power heads on the corners to hold the egg crate off the glass. and some rocks at the bottom. If you have a center brace at top you should make egg crate in there pieces. I made it 2 pieces and it was very hard to install and remove around the top brace. And then add some cheapie utility fixtures 4' shop lights behind the tank pointing forward.

IMHO:

Canister filter is not needed.

heater is nice but in a room comfortable to humans not needed.

skimmer not needed

no sump is needed. some circulation is good idea.

ro/di is probably needed for more delicate corals. but for fish and easy corals the macros will condition the water so the potable tap water could be used.

Don't do water changes, just replace evaporative losses.

aquarium sand, live sand, live rock are not needed (the macros work better and do the same thing.) Of course you may want some for decoration but building supply play sand and rocks can be used for that.

What I recommend is to setup the tank with everything and the macro algae (chaeto). Then let it set a week. Then add a single male molly and not add food for a week. The macros will initially consume the ammonia directly preventing the dangerous parameter spikes. With the possibility of a small initial nitrate spike. Then the next week start feeding a single flake per day. After a couple more weeks you can add the expensive marine only fish. By that time there should be enough pods to support the goby.

You may want to read up on Dr Randy Holmes-Farley's improved diy 2 part system. It uses calcium chloride, baking soda, Epsom salts and magnesium chloride to maintain calcium, alk, and magnesium. (you should have test kits for those). calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are ice melter for roads/sidewalks in winter. 50# bags are $20-$30 or so.

There is also newer methods like triton and baling to maintain those things with emphasis on also maintaining trace elements as well.

So that should be enough to totally confuse you. LOL

Best tank over

my .02

and hope that helps.
Click to expand...
So tap water can be used for a FO Thank? Nice! I was always under the impression that it had to be RO/DI water. Any conditioning of the water before it goes in the tank? Or just mix water with salt and it's good?
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Bobs method is not the way to go.

1) adding macro algae in the beginning will slow the cycling process way down. This leaves the system un balanced, not enough bacteria to handle waste.

2) you don’t want macros in control they inhibit bacterial colonization preventing the balance between waste and bacteria.

3) never cycle a tank with fish, it is cruel.

4) never starve fish it is cruel.

etc.

never use tap water it adds all kinds of unknowns. The impurities in tap water will get more and more concentrated over time. as the water evaporates the impurities get more concentrated, then you top off with the same water adding even more impurities.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
lmforbis said:
Bobs method is not the way to go.

1) adding macro algae in the beginning will slow the cycling process way down. This leaves the system un balanced, not enough bacteria to handle waste.

2) you don’t want macros in control they inhibit bacterial colonization preventing the balance between waste and bacteria.

3) never cycle a tank with fish, it is cruel.

4) never starve fish it is cruel.

etc.

never use tap water it adds all kinds of unknowns. The impurities in tap water will get more and more concentrated over time. as the water evaporates the impurities get more concentrated, then you top off with the same water adding even more impurities.
Click to expand...
The dirty little secret in the hobby is that none of those apply. LOL

my .02
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top