Do I have the right equipment?

[rrcjr1972]

I have been reading these threads and am starting to believe i need more equipment.
I have a 75gal that will eventually have reef. I have an overflow filter with a tank with bio balls and the pump is in tank. I see bio balls are hated, what else can i put in instead of bio's. I do not have a protein skimmer. could someone please give me a idea of what is needed and the names of what to get to have a clean and productive tank.Also what lighting is needed, i was thinking 400w maybe. :help: Thanks in advance, learning alot but could use expert help

 

[daytonaree]

The whole key is the protein skimmer thats what you need more than anything and a u.v. sterilizer I would say a 18 watt right in that area like a rainbow lifegaurd or now there pentair aquatics and your skimmer should be like a euroreef 6-1 or a ASM g-2 would be fine they are in sump skimmers and very easy to use and they do a great job I have a 75 gallon for a few years and loved it. Let us know if you have more questions.

 

[rrcjr1972]

What About Lighting For Fish And Reef? Also What About Additions Can I Add For Water Movement

 

[daytonaree]

Lighting is personal preference. I like the vho's they grow coraline algae kiwker then any other lights for some reason. I am building a new 120 gallon tank it 24" x 24" x 48" and I'm going to run 4 110 watt vho's best ballast to get is a icecap 660 it runs about 160.00 but you can find them cheaper on a online auction site. Now I'm building my tank so it will be drilled for returns so it has 2 returns and 2 to 4 powerheads to keep water moving. You could use tunze pumps but they are alot of money but work the best. On the lighting you could use metal halide if you want to keep clams and sps corals other wise the corals would have to be at the top of the tank on the reef or you can use powercompacts work ok. just depends on what you want to keep. In your case run like 6 powerheads atleast 300 gph put them so they move water on the top of the tank and behind the reef more by the bottom your trying to get thefish waste to move to where the filter can get it. Hope that helps

 

[beth]

Don't think "equiptment" when it comes to reefs....think natural biofilters, live rock, live sand, refugiums with rock and sand in it, macro refugiums. If you can replace your bioballs with something else, like rock, etc., that would be best.
The natural reef system is the best running system. Put your money into the best skimmer you can buy, good pumps, and then spend the rest on Lighting [one of the biggest expenses] and live biofilters.