First SWA. Help with checklist please

woody189

woody189

Member
I'm planning on settnig up a 46 gal bow tank SWA FOWLER. i have no experience, but did A LOT of reading. I'm plannin on getting some base rock, and a little bit of LR to speed up the process. How much LR would I need?
Here's what i'm plannin on buying. Does this list look good? Am i missing anything. Feel free to add/remove brands/models.. ANY help is really appreciated..
2 Jager Ts automatic heater 75 watts each
2 aquaball powerheads 172 gph each
eheim ecco canister filter 2234
oceanic natural sea salt
Corallife super skimmer needle wheel protein skimmer 65 gal
master test kit 5 in 1
water repair conditioner
carribean live sand
hydrometer w/ liuquid crystal thermometer
For QT tank:
jager auto heater 50 watts
pengiuin bio hweel power filter 100
i think its a 20 gal tank
Thanks a lot
 
reefmate75

reefmate75

Member
Originally Posted by Aquatica-Tech
http:///forum/post/2452868
Yea if I was you, I would do a sump
and I heard that in the long run Corallife skimmers dont do good
mines still working good after 2 years..dont think thats considered long run, but it dose have a few problems, like it tends to clog up and i have to figure out where about every 3 months, but other then that im happy with it,
and for the guy that started this trend..HAPPY to see a new hobbyist! and if i was you i would gte another power head that had a bit more flow, or change out the power heads you have down and go with MJ1200s
and i would go with a sump if your already willing to have a canister...canisters have a lot of maintenance on them IMO. BTW that skimmer your going to get is the same one i have, when i got mine the air line silencer had flash blocking the hole and couldnt suck any air just a heads up
 
reefmate75

reefmate75

Member
Originally Posted by goober444
http:///forum/post/2452883
Might want to scratch the hydrometer and go for a refractometer. They are much more accurate.
yes and alot more expensive...he could start with that just starting out, just try to keep it saing 23-24 that way your ok if its +/- 2 but if your wanting to get the lights and corals and expensive fish i would go with the refractometer too!
 
woody189

woody189

Member
I think i'll get the 172 gph powerball, and 300 gph penguin. Is that okay or should both powerheads be the same power?
As for the Skimmer, any other suggestions. I hear i should get teh Aqua c Remora, but thats 70$$ more, I don't really want to spend that if I don't have to. Am I going to regret it later? i dont mind cleaning the skimmer once every 3 months, but how often would i have to clean a "good" skimmer. and two years is good enough for me.
I still don't quite get what a sump is. but i'm not gonna get one The book i read, "the new marien aquarist" (recommended form this forum) says that a sump is more advanced and to hold off on it. besides that...i REALLY dont got an extra 200+$ to spend on it
i'm really trying to cut costs w/o sacrificing anything. thanks for all the help so far
 
woody189

woody189

Member
I'm going to purchase my list with the few adjustments i said. I would still like to know though, if it's okay for me to buy 2 different power powerheads.
and do you guys think i should make my list final??
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
I also vote Refractometer. Considering the cost of this hobby, a $40 piece of accurate equipment isn't really a big deal...
The more live rock the better to add biodiversity to your tank.
I personally would skip the cannister filter. Check reviews and get the best skimmer you can afford.
Yes, different gph rated powerheads are fine. You want good, brisk flow throughout the entire tank. No dead spots...
Skip Water Conditioner. Use RO/DI water to make up your saltwater. Conditioner neutralizes chlorine, but does not remove other toxins from tap water.
 
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