Beginner's Equipment Guidebook

[tony detroit]

For the newbies I'm going to write a little discussion for you explaining different equipment somewhat in-depth. If anybody sees any mistakes I have made, or has any suggestions feel free to comment and correct them. Just don't sidetrack this thread, it is to inform beginners and help eliminate some of the multiple questions we see daily and be used as a future reference.
Skimming:
A protein skimmer is a device where you mix water with loads of tiny tiny air bubbles. The smaller and more air bubbles, the better. The waste in the water sticks to the bubbles and raises out of the skimmer to a collection area so it can be disposed of. There are many types of filtration, but none truly REMOVE the waste like a skimmer does. There are a few different ways skimmers do this-
Venturi Nozzle- The velocity of the water passing through an inlet creates a vacuum, sucking air in with the water. These are the standard in skimming, but not the best.
Beckett Nozzle-Like a venturi, but you use a much more powerful pump and pull in a lot more air. They function better, but need to be tuned constantly and use lots of electricity.
Mazzei Nozzle-Also like a venturi, but a bit more efficient
Needle Wheel-In my opinion the best out there right now. Manufacturers such as ASM, Euroreef, Deltec, H and S and others are using this method. The difference between a needle wheel and the other types is the air on other types is sucked in after the water goes through the pump, on a needle wheel the air sucks in before the pump, and then the pump mixes it vigourously via pinwheels in the pump with the water before shooting it to the skimmer. These skimmers are the best for saving on your electric bill and don't need to be adjusted like a beckett. I have yet to see a venturi or mazzei nozzle skimmer perform like a needle wheel can.
Downdraft Skimmers-These are usually beckett or venturi fed skimmers and push the water from the top down, giving you a vigourous air/water mixture. These are great skimmers, but I still do not believe them to be superior to a needle wheel.
Recirculating Skimmers- These use needle wheel inlets on dedicated recirculating pumps. These pumps are used only for the purpose of mixing the water in the skimmer more vigourously and adding air at the same time. A seperate pump is used to supply the skimmer with water. I feed mine with my water drains coming from the main tank. These are the best skimmers on the market IMO as of right now.
I really recommend keeping your skimmer clean. You will get much more foam production because the foam can rise easier on a cleaner skimmer tube than a dirty one. This is the main reason larger commercial skimmers have neck washdown features, this keeps the neck clean and lets the skimmer perform optimally.
On new tanks, it is a general rule of thumb to wait 2 months before incorporating a skimmer.
Some new skimmers require a break in period. After starting them up sometimes you may have up to a week in time before you really see them produce a skimmate foam. It is also not unusual for your skimmer to stop making foam for brief amounts of time after feeding, having your hands in the tank, doing waterchanges, etc. This is all normal.
When deciding on purchasing a skimmer take into account
-Your total water volume, sump, tank, everything.
-Do you plan on doing a system upgrade
-In sump models or external models are always better than hang on models
-Buy a skimmer rated for 2x your tank size to be safe if you can
-Electrical Efficiency

 

[tony detroit]

Waterflow
Waterflow I feel is the second most impartant part of planning out a tank. You want as much random waterflow as you can comfortably do. This will do a couple things
1. Keep waste in suspension so it can be filtered out before it decays.
2. Wash waste and slime away from corals
3. Enrich your water with oxygen and stabilize water chemistry
4. Greatly help in algae reduction
5. Aid in coral nutrition, waste removal
In my opinion you want at a minimum to be moving 10 times your total system volume per hour.
You can do this a few ways
Wavemaking Devices- There are wavemakers, such as the Tunze Wave Box or the Wave2k that actually creat a waves in the aquarium.
There are also wavemaker pump controllers that will turn on and off multiple powerheads or pumps in random order giving you different waterflow patterns which is very important. You don't want a powerhead blasting the same direction, day after day. Remember, there will always be no flow spots, these are what you want to avoid.
Sea Swirls are a rotating return device that I chose to incorporate into my new setup and am very pleased with the effects so far. You hook them up to a feed pump, mount them to the top of the tank and they rotate back and forth all day long, giving you a very good random movement.
OceanCurrents-Somewhat like a seaswirl, but many will tell you they use some energy from your outlet water. These mount to your water outlets and spin in various directions with different nozzles
Eductor Nozzles-These again mount to your outlet nozzles. I only recommend these for large tanks because of their size, and they should only be used on large, pressure rated pumps. They are very efficient at moving large amounts of water, but keep in mind they are big and must have a large pump for desired effect. They work with a bit of physics involved but use no electricity.
Tunze Pumps with Multicontroller are also a great way to circulate water. They use very little electricty, and can speed up, slow down, and alternate pump to pump. For powerheads you cannot beat these. They also make rocks you can hide them in so you do not see them and have a feeding setting on the controller so they turn off during feeding time.
Return pumps are pumps that pump water from your sump back to the main tank. A sump is a seperate tank away from the main tank, usualy below it where you can run all your filtration so you don't have to run it hanging on the tank. I like runnign external pumps for a few different reasons, so if you can I would recommend them, otherwise you can run a submersible in the sump. Personally I run a Iwaki return pump. Many pump makers have come and gone. I like to stick with a company that has been around for a long time and has a good reputation. People have run Iwakis for 10years or longer. Some people like Dolphin and Sequence pumps lately. Both are good, and are more efficient than an Iwaki.
Closed Loop- Many are misinformed on a closed loop. A closed loop is a seperate system for cicrulating water in the aquarium. This pump system takes water from the tank and pumps it back into the tank without interruption. Many incorporate multiple inlets and outlets to prevent dead flow zones. Closed loops are great, but keep in mind you increase your chances for a leak greatly. You also in most cases use a substantially larger amount of electricity. Many closed loop users use rotating return devices such as oceansmotions, or SCWD's to alternate the outlet water between multiple outlets, giving you random waterflow. Closed loops are great and I recommend them, but personally do not want one and the chances for failure on my tank. I still like the benefits they provide however.
Some manufacturers I would advise you not purchase from
-Anything cheap and relatively new to the market
-RIO
-Powersweep
-Cap, arguably the same as a RIO
Manufacturers I would recommend
-Maxi Jet/Mini Jet
-Aquaclear
-Dolphin, (beware of buying older used models, they had a seal problem)
-Seaquence
-Iwaki
-Magdrive (internally, very noisy externally, the do cause heating issues, and are loud)
-TUNZE
-Eheim
-Sedra
-Gen X
-Panworld/Blueline
Fine sand, such as Southdown should be avoided when trying to move large volumes of water, much of the time it will easily wash away and become a annoying problem quickly. I run a barebottom tank now to avoid nutrient buildup. Some people run a deep sand bed, but the majority of DSB tanks are plagued by algae problems and poor coral growth. Keep in mind if you want a large amount of water flow, you may have problems keeping fine grades of sand on the bottom of the tank.

 

[tony detroit]

Filtration
Biofiltration- The process of bacteria converting waste that has decayed and turned into ammonia. The nitrifying bacteria process disolves nitrogenous waste as follows
1.Food Waste and Fish Waste Gives off Ammonia
2.Ammonia converts to Nitrite
3.Nitrite converts to Nitrate
4.Nitrate is converted, but in most cases not faster than it is being produced. The best ways to keep down nitrate are dilluted out with waterchanges or chemical medias or denitrators. I do 30gal waterchanges weekly on a 180gal system. Not overfeeding and adding large amounts of fish to your system will greatly help as well. Many rinse their food before feeding to help even more.
Biological filtration usually occurs anywhere you have a large amount of suface area, such as bioballs, sand, liverock, filterpads, etc. You want areas that the bacteria can grow on.
Chemical Filtration is a bit more advanced form of filtration
This includes resins, carbon, phosphate removers, etc. I see all of them as good. If I can stress anything to a beginner it is to run carbon 24/7 and replace it every 2 weeks. You can run it in disposable filter bags or in a fluidized reactor.
A fluidized reactor is a seperate chamber that water flows from the bottom up maximizing the use of all the media that is in it.
Canister Filters are Filters the push the water through filter pads/socks trapping waste that is in the water so it can be removed. If you run filterpads or micron filters replace them at a minimum every 2 weeks before the waste on them decays.
Micron Filter Socks are another great way to remove debris from your water. Usually water coming from the tank to the sump can be gravity drained through these, many are reusable. They are very efficient and cheap if you buy reusable ones.

 

[tony detroit]

Advanced Filtration Methods
Some advanced filtration methods will also ensure that you keep a clean, healthy tank.
Refugium-A seperate area for the growth of plants. Plants such as macroalgae or mangroves are very efficient at removal of waste as they use it to grow. If you run a refugium I stress that you cut your plants to ensure that they always keep rapidly growing. If you don't you risk the chance of the plants releasing all the waste they have absorbed back into the water. If you have the room and the financial means I definitely recommend a refugium for plant growth.
Deep Sand Bed-Some hobbiests love deep sand beds, some do not. Personally I dislike them, but some will tell you they work great. I think they have to be set up right to work correctly, and in my opinion 99% of the people running them do not set them up right. They must be stocked with the right microfaune and detrivore organisms to function properly in my opinion. These are not a necessity to a healthy tank, and I run mine barebottom to keep it clean. Most of the DSB tanks I have seen are quite polluted, overgrown with algae, and within 5 years time or less many have crashed giving back all the waste they have absorbed and have wiped out entire tanks. This recently happened to username Attml. To each, whatever works for you then great. I will tell you this much, I have run a DSB and will never run another one. I'm not telling you to not run a DSB, but keep in mind if you are going to that you stock it with the proper organisms to make sure it is functional. Otherwise it wil become a large pile of decaying waste from all the nutrients that it has absorbed.
Undergravel Filters- For the most part outdated, but they do work. They however are very ineffecient in keeping a clean tank. They pull water down through the gravel and then pump it back into the tank.
Plenum Filters-Basically an elevated sandbed, with a open waterspot below it. The theory is that the open spot below it grows denitrating bacteria. In theory they work, however I cannot testify to their effectiveness.
De-Nitrators- Not a necessity, and many times not affordable for most hobbiests. These do work on the principle of bacteria feeding off of the nitrate in the water. Many are continously in need of maintenance, adjusting, and feeding so the bacteria can thrive. Another alternative is sulfur that I am looking into myself, but again, this is not necessary and probably above the means of most beginners.
Carbons, Phosphate Removers and Resins-These work by bonding with waste in the water and the media is exchanged out at different time intervals. Again as stated earlier, I strongly recommend you run carbon.
UV Sterilizers- In my opinion these are a great addition to a tank. By no means are they a necessity, so you don't have to rush out to get one, but they certainly help in keeping a tank. They work by passing water through a chamber in which a ultraviolet lights makes contact with the water. This ultraviolet lights scrambles the DNA and RNA structures of organisms that it comes into contact with and makes them unable to reproduce. It also will greatly aid in the reduction of spreading of algae and parasites. Some of the more powerful units can turn air bubbles to ozone which will bond with dissolved organic compounds in a similiar matter as carbon does. It has also been said that they can break some phosphate bonds for phosphate removal.
Ozone-Another thing I use. Again, not a necessity, but a great addition in my opinion. Ozone works by sucking air through a tube in which an electrical current is met with the air. This gives off ozone. The ozone then bonds with dissolved organics and further aids in keeping clean water. Tanks with ozone have crystal clear water, and ozone will kill parasites that it comes into contact with. Ozone is typically injected into a protein skimmer.
Diatomaceous Earth-This is a filter medium that I have no experience with or knowledge of. From what I understand it is a medium that traps virtually all of the waste that passes through it, although you won't find many hobbiests that use them. They can release media easily, repolluting your tank, and are from what I understand a maintenance nightmare.
Sand Filters-These were a filter media chamber full of fluidized sand continously in motion for the purpose of bacteria growth. From what I have read I would not purchase one. Most hobbiest do not use these and stay away from them.
Wet Dry/Trickle Filter-These are filters where a media, such as bioballs, or ceramic media has water passed over it, but is continously in the air, instead of being submersed. These are particularly useful in tanks with large amounts of big fish, otherwise I do not see them as necessary piece of equipment. If you have a wet-dry try to keep it clean if you see any areas where waste is collecting. I recommend that the water that is to go over it go through filter pads before going over the biological media so you can keep it clean.
Any areas you see waste, referred to as detritus, try to siphon it out, or wash it away with waterflow or a turkey baster. Detritus pollutes your tank and leads to bad water quality.

 

[tony detroit]

For everything you do for your tank, I cannot stress enough to buy good filtration and keep excellent water chemistry.
Additives
The first rule for additives is this: If you don't test for it, don't add it.
The second rule is if you're going to add it, do it slowly
Most additives are focused around reef keeping so I will briefly describe them so you can get an understanding
Calcium, Strontium and Magnesium, all are vital to coral health and growth.
Alkalinity, briefly put, helps in corals to absorb calcium from the water and eliminate pH swings.
Trace Elements, other elements found in seawater aiding in growth conditions. For the most part, waterchanges with quality salt will add these and you will not need to add any unless you get into full blown, advanced reefkeeping.
There are a few different ways to keep calcium addition up in a reef tank. If you don't have a reef tank, or even keep simple corals such as anemones, mushrooms or zooanthids, I see no need to add calcium and alkalinity additives.
The first thing to try is a 2 part additive such as B-Ionic, Warner, or the Kent supplements. These work great and are failure proof if you follow the directions. They do get a bit expensive if you have a larger tank. For tanks under 100gallons that are lightly stocked and you don't have the means for a calcium reactor or kalkwasser/calcium hydroxide drip these are great.
For tanks over 100gallons or highly stocked tanks you will most likely need other means for ease and cost effectiveness.
Calcium Reactors work by continously circulating water in a chamber from the bottom up mixing the water with CO2. The Co2 lowers the pH of the water and dissolves the crushed coral skeleton inside the calcium reactor. This raises calcium and alkalinity in the tank. These are particularly useful if you are having low alkalinity problems.
Kalkwasser Addition- You can dose kalk also known as limewater or calcium hydroxide from a controlled drip from a container, with a dosing pump, or with a nielsen reactor. A nielson reactor pushes the kalkwater mixture into the tank and keeps solids from settling out on the bottom of the container and keep the kalkwater from reacting with the CO2 in the air. A nielsen reactor is the best way to do it. For cheaper alternatives you can drip it form a remote container to your tank slowly. Be careful and make sure you properly set up your kalkwasser drip because if you administer too much you can raise your pH very quickly. Kalkwasser is very beneficial to water chemistry and precipitates many ions from the water. If you are going to do one or the other alone, drip kalkwater before you hook up a calcium reactor. If the kalkwater alone does not give you a high enoug alkalinity rating then look into a calcium reactor afterward.
Many reefkeepers, myself included have all their topoff water from evaporation as kalkwater. It is very beneficial. within 2 weeks of using kalkwater I was blown away by the growth improvement.
Dosing pumps can be used in conjunction with limewater to assure you add the same amount daily and will help you keep a constant pH as well as salinity, some even hook up to float switches so you always have the same water level in the tank. Some hobbiests put pumps in a seperate container and hook them up to a float switch and the pump in the container pumps the water to the aquarium when the float switch tells it to.

 

[tony detroit]

Supply Water
While some people live in areas with what they consider clean tap water or well water, for the majority of people one of the best things you can do for your aquarium is use only RO or Reverse Osmosis water in your aquarium. For new tanks I strongly recommend buying one of these right from the start, because many impurities in tapwater stay in your tank once they are in there. You can get RO water from many grocery stores if you cannot afford a unit for yourself. If you are going to run a tank larger than 100gallons you should definitely consider purchasing your own unit so you are not continously making trips to buy RO water.
I see RO water as probably one of the top 3 advances in the saltwater hobby, giving our tanks creatures vital water conditions. This greatly aids in a healthy, growing tank. If you don't have RO water, at least try to get absopure water, or water that has been carbon filtered prior to adding it to your aquarium at a very minimum.
I would strongly recommend that you use RO water however. RO/DI water is even better. The water is de-ionized after going through the reverse osmosis filter.
On a side note to show the danger of tapwater use, I know 2 people that had continously used RO water and both had ran out, and decided to top off with tapwater just that one time. They both almost wiped out their entire tank.

 

[tony detroit]

Maintenance
Waterchanges-At a minimum I recommend you do 20% monthly. I do 30gal weekly myself on 180gal. Some say you don't need to do waterchanges, I myself think they are just lazy. I cannot think of 1 bad thing a waterchange done right will do bad. A good quote to remember: " The Best Solution for Pollution is Dillution".
A waterchange should be done with the precise amount of salt each time, and the temperature of the water should be the same as that in the tank. The salt should be mixed for a minimum of a couple hours before adding to the tank so levels can stabilize. The creatures in our tanks are very sensitive and are cold blooded. Make sure your waterchange water is as close to the water in the tank as possible. Every now and then you will need to vary the amount of salt in your waterchange water to make up for evaporation over time. Do so very carefully. Most reefs run around 1.025 salinity. The best way to measure salinity is with a refractometer. Get one of these and test your salt the right way, swing arm hydrometers are very inconsistent and inaccurate, stay away.
Filterpads should be changed at a minimum every other week. I change mine 2x a week just to be safe and to get waste out before it decays.
Skimmer cleaning should be done weekly to make sure your skimmer is performing optimally.
Carbon and other absorbing medias should be changed as necessary. As a rule of thumb, change your carbon every other week. Change phosphate removers when you detect higher than normal levels of phosphate. Some medias change color as they absorb such as purigen or poly pads. These are very good medias as well, both remove loads of waste.
Strainers on pumps and drains should be cleaned at least once a month so flow is not inhibited. Waste detritus accumulating anywhere visible should be washed away or siphoned out.
Glass should be clean all the time if your tank is filtered right. I clean mine around 2-3 times a week. On poorly filtered tanks you will see it get dirty daily. I really like to do a good cleaning right before I change filterpads and media to make sure I use it as best I can.
When running pieces of equipment such as UV sterilizers, Reactors, etc. try to supply them with water that has already been filtered with pads, this will aid in cleanliness and better water quality.
Bulbs for whether it be halides, UV, VHO, or powercompact should all be changed at around a year's time. All bulbs lose spectrum as they age.

 

[tony detroit]

Lighiting
There are a few types of lighting, I'm not going to get in to too much depth rather just state what is best to what is least.
Metal Halide or HQI (I'm personally not a fan of HQI)
Powercompact
VHO
Fluorescent
You can run conjunctions of bulbs, but I will tell you this much. I've wasted a lot of money on lighting setups. If you are going to do a reef, save the money and buy metal halides. Don't skimp and come up short. Get the halides and you can keep all that you want. It is possible to have success with powercompacts or VHO's, but without any questions asked metal halides are that much better.
Another things is reflectors, they make it that much better. A good bulb is only that, a good bulb. The reflector is what makes it really worthwhile.
If you have any remote idea that you are going to want clams, SPS, or even LPS, do yourself a favor and save the money and get halides. As stated before, they are not a necessity, but you will not be dissappointed.

 

[tony detroit]

Finding the Right Tank
Finding the right tank can be quite the task. To properly set up a 100gal reef or larger you should expect to spend $5000. You should also expect to spend another 100 a month in related costs whether it be electricity, maintenance, addition, etc.
Acrylic-without a doubt the strongest tanks out there. I know a fella whose acrylic tank fell when the table it was on collapsed and the tank did not break. Also without a doubt, the easiest to scratch. Without careful cleaning you can scratch an acrylic tank up no problem. This is why I don't have one. I love them, but I scratched up my 300gal and I was being careful. After that I swore to never get another acrylic tank.
Glass-some will say is not as clear as acrylic, I myself have never noticed a diference between a well built glass tank. Starphire glass is a higher grade glass that is clearer than a normal glass tank. These are the best for aquariums if you have the money to buy one. Beware of tanks with bad silicone seals. I recommend you stick with a reputable manufacturer such as All glass, perfecto, or Oceanic. Be weary of buying older used Oceanic tanks, they put some out with faulty silicone on them, I learned that lesson the hard way unfortunately.
RR or Drilled- Drilled tanks make life so much easier. You can run a remote sump for all your filtration so you don't have a clutter of hang on filtration on your tank. They are also much more efficient. For those that do not have a drilled tank, consider taking it down to get it drilled at a glass shop before you buy a overflow box, drilled tanks are much easier and safer.
Overflow Box- A substitue for a drilled tank. These hang on boxes rely on the principle of a syphon for removing water from the main tank and moving it to a sump. Not as good as a drilled tank, but they do work. Amiracle, Lifereef, and CPR are some good ones to name a few.
Bracing- When purchasing a tank, again, keep in mind you have a tank with proper bracing.
Levelness-Make sure your tank is completely level on all axis, whether front to back or side to side. Unlevel tanks are asking for problems, especially on glass tanks.
Stands-When building stands, be careful and check with your tank manufacturer. Many tanks are not warrantied unless they are on a stand made by the same manufacturer.

 

[tony detroit]

Some things to make the hobby safer and easier
1. Have a back up plan. Have enough tubs and powerheads on hand at all times to take the tank down at any given moment.
2. GFCI's. By far the number 1 safe defice you can incorporate into your system. Most house codes state you need one within 3 feet of water. A GFCI will cut power immediately in the event water spills on your electrical outlets. I also mount electrical outlets vertically such as surge protectors in the event water is dripped on them it runs off instead of causing electrical fires. Remember this: YOU WILL START A FIRE if water gets into that surge protector lying face up. The breaker will not switch out.
3. If you can, run your tank on multiple circuits to avoid a total failure. Run pumps on different circuits and run some together. For example: Run a UV on the same circuit as the pump that feeds it.Or another: Run the lights on the same circuit as cooling devices
If you can make sure you have one dedicated circuit just for waterflow in the event the others go down
4. Again as stated before, buy from good, long term, reputable manufacturers. I have seen 2 cases of coralife UV sterilizers losing seal and catching on fire. I have seen tons of RIO pumps fail and wipe out tanks. I have seen Dolphin seals spring leaks and ruin tank stands.
5. Do not try to save money on filtration. This is the single biggest mistake you can make. A poorly filtered tank is a poor tank. If you can't set up a 100gal the right way, set up a 30gal and do it the right way. Bigger isn't always better. I've wasted a lot of money on junk setups to have a big tank. I wish I would have bought a 20gal and just done it the right way. A much smarter way to do things in my opinion.
6. Order of purchase
1. Tank
2. RO/DI
3. Filtration and Equipment
4. Lighting
5. Go to the fish store
Going to the fish store is the last step of the process. Do it right from the start and then go shopping for fish.
7. Electrical Power Outage: If you run a sump and return pump take into account that you will creat a backsyphon from your return lines in the event the power goes out. You can stop this 2 ways, with a check valve, or a syphon break. I recommend a syphon break, check valves fail in time. I also recommend keeping return lines close to the surface of the water that in the even the syphon breaks do fail you are only going to lose the amount of water that they go down to.
8. Maintenance Tools: It helps to have every tool for the job. I have a dedicated water change tub, heater, pump, hose, cup for salt so it is always the same, gloves, grabbers, scrapers, etc. Having all the right tools will save you lots of time and stress.

 

[tony detroit]

Plumbing Fittings Explained
Bulkhead- A fitting between water and glass. These allow you to drain. Make sure the rubber is on the side with the water in it. Make sure the surface is very clean. Do not sililcone bulkheads. Make them hand tight and then do another turn with a wrench.
Ball Valve, Gate Valve- Allow you to adjust waterflow
Baffle- Makes the water flow in the direction you want it to. These are most commonly used in sumps to direct waterflow and rid microbubbles. Squidd, if you're reading this, I know you have some good drawings so put them up if you can.
Check Valve- A one way flow valve. Has a flap inside a fitting so water can only flow in one direction in the pipe
Syphon Break- A hole in a return line close to the water surface so that in the even a poweroutage occurs the vacuum on the pipe will be realeased so that you don't lose water out of your display tank
Unions- A screw connection between 2 different pieces so they can be readily removed. I put unions on every connection that I plumb.
Nineties/Elbows and T fittings-Fittings that look just like they sound
Barb-a fitting that allows you to connect hose
Hose clamp- Used for sealing hose to a barb without leaks
Teflon Tape- A very thin tape used to seal threaded PVC connections. Make sure you use it on all threaded fittings and make sure you wrap the connections in a clockwise motion when looking at them from above.
PVC -commonly used pipe. PVC cement is safe to use on aquariums. You can find it and related fittings at any large hardware store.
Strainer- A cover for drains/inlets somewhat like a screen. These prevent things from getting into your pump, drains, etc. Make sure you use them. Don't run open inlets. Same goes for powerheads with open inlets. Put something on them or you'll regret it later.
Loc-Line-A particularly useful piping system that can be moved to adjust waterflow in the aquarium. Loc-Line on return nozzles is the only way to go. Once you use it you'll never go back.
Head Pressure- A measurement on the backpressure your pump will face after going through plumbing. It is not uncommon to have 10ft. or more of head on pumps. Remember all fittings, bends, etc. put backpressure on your pump, as well as vertical lift and horizontal travel. Plan your pump accordingly.

 

[squidd]

Excellect series of articles Tony...
I wouldn't mind seeing this being a "locked" sticky (mods) for "reference" purposes ...
I have several drawings on various "parts" discribed above...anything in particular...?
(Feel free to C&P them as you see fit)
Here's one on "baffles" and spacing...

 

[squidd]

Here's on that comes in handy for explaning a HOB overflow...
and the difference between a "Drain" and a "Siphon"...

 

[squidd]

Proper "Bulkhead" gasket placement...

 

[squidd]

Anti siphon hole in return line...to keep water from "backwashing" in a Power out situation...flooding your sump
So you don't need a "check valve" which can stick "open" due to grit or CaCo3 buildup...

 

[squidd]

My thoughts of filtration...
Large (adaquate) quantity of Live Rock and SSB for Biological filtration (suface area for Bacteria)...High Flow , distributed through out the tank to keep deitrus suspended and removed from MT,promote gaseous exchange and maintain oxygen levels...a Large sump and LARGER Fuge with Macros for malnutrient removal through export (denitrification) and a Killer Skimmer to remove Mass quantities of DOCs (organics) prior to decomposition...
With a well balanced system, no other "filtration devices" (bioballs or biological "media") are necessary...Other than the ability to run Chemical Media (carbon or phosphate removers) from time to time, best done in a Fluidized bed (or converted canister) type system...

 

[tony detroit]

Squidd, you by far get the SWF diagram award for 2004-2005.
Thanks, I'm sure that helped a lot of beginners.

 

[scary]

Wow , Lots of great information! As a beginner, I definately welcome all this information. At the same time - What did I get myself into!!!!!
Ps. Thanks so much for the lfs recommendations

 

[robchuck]

Tony,
Every post in this thread is extremely well written! If you ever encounter the time, resources, or ambition to publish this, I think the collective info in this thread would make an excellent resource to introduce and educate hobbyists on the myriad of equipment choices and their functions that aren't included in this amount of detail in the mainstream books on the hobby.
Also, here is some copy from a post I wrote up a few months ago that lists the most common pieces of reefkeeping equipment and a brief explanation of how each piece works. Hopefully, this post fits in with the spirit of this thread, but if you feel it's intrusive in any way, I have no problem removing it.
There are many polarizing opinions on aquarium equipment written all over the internet, and even authors of marine and reef books seem to have an agenda, no matter how unbiased they try to write.
With that said, a good piece of advice is to read up on specific pieces of equipment on this message board, other message boards, aquarium advice websites (Bob Fenner, the author of "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" has a great one), and any books that have recent copyright dates (say within the last five years).
Here is a list of equipment (in no particular order; and this is by no means a comprehensive list) with a short description of what it does. Not everything on this list is required and some would even say that certain pieces of equipment are detrimental.
Live rock - 1-2 lbs. per gallon; this will serve as primary biological filtration
Refugium - a vessel that serves as a "refuge" for plants and animals to live where they won't be eaten by predators in the main display tank; can also house macro algae that will help to strip nutrients out of the water
Protein Skimmer - uses foam fractionation to pull dissolved organic compounds out of the water
Lighting - can be as simple as normal output fluorescent lighting or as complex as PC, VHO, and T-5 fluorescent or even Metal Halide
Power Heads - small pumps that mount inside of the aquarium to provide circulation
Heater - it's obvious what this does, but submersible glass or titanium heaters are a must; the cheap glass heaters aren't completely sealed at the top and harsh, saltwater environments can cause them to malfunction after a while
Sump - simply a vessel (10-20 gallon tanks work well for this) that typically sits in the stand under the tank; things such as skimmers, heaters, etc. can be used out of sight in the sump
Overflow - a box that's either mounted internally (on drilled tanks) or that uses siphon on all other tanks to move water from a display tank to a sump or refugium
Return pump - a pump used to move water from a sump and/or refugium back to the display tank
Closed loop - a circulation method that involves taking water from a hole in the tank that goes directly to a pump and directly back to the tank with no opportunity for air to enter the loop
UV Sterilizer - a UV lamp mounted inside of a pipe; water flows through the pipe where it is exposed to UV light; this device kills floating bacteria and basically anything else that flows through
Ozone Generator - generates ozone which helps in removing impurities from the water; typically used in conjunction with a protein skimmer
Chiller - uses either a drop-in coil or has water flow through; brings water temperature down
Calcium Reactor - stores aragonite-based media in a chamber that is dosed with CO2; the CO2 helps to melt the media, where it then goes into the tank to replenish depleted levels of calcium, alkalinity, and other trace elements
Kalkwasser Dosing - using kalkwasser powder, this can be done with a drip, through a reactor, or even a slurry method; it's one of many methods of adding calcium to a reef tank

 

[tony detroit]

Looks good Robchuck. I'm open to all resources put here to help the newbies and eleminate some of the simple questions we see daily it seems. Anybody else have any helpful info not previously covered feel free to put it up. Squidd's fingers must be sore...