First Time Tank Help

[jackreacher]

Hello everyone,
I know there are tons of similar threads on this and I've tried to read them all but would feel more comfortable with my own. I am new to saltwater and have been researching for a while what I would need to get started. Below is what I have or am planning on purchasing. I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions!
First off, I would like my tank to be relatively simple/easy to care fish, inverts and bright colorful corals (not SPS or claims as I've head they are more difficult). The only thing I have purchased at the moment is the 55 gallon tank with stand (4 foot tank). Below is the equipment I am planning on purchasing:
Filter: Eshopps WD-75CS Wet Dry Filter - 10 to 75 gallons - 18 in. x 10 in. x 16 in.
Protein Skimmer: Eshopps Protein Skimmer PSK-75 (made to sit in sump)
Pump: Marine land NJ1800 Maxi jet 474 GPH
Lighting: 48’’ 260w PI aquarium light reef marine (http://www.amazon.com/260w-Aquarium-Light-Reef-Marine/dp/B004OOMXFI)
Circulation Pump: Hydor Koralia Evolution 750 Aquarium
Is there any other essential equipment I would need to purchase to get this project running?
Also, I am having a little trouble determining which sand to purchase and what kind or amount of live rock. I’ve heard you need about a pound or each per gallon or water.
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestion, I hope I'll be able to contribute more in the future.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Hello and welcome to the forums.
I don't have much time to answer this thread before I have to go somewhere, so bare with me if I am too brief.
You are better off going with a 20g long sump - catch the $1/g sale at your local big box store. take some measurements to see if it will actually fit in your stand. If it will, you are good for a sump. You should consider getting a sump that does not have bioballs... they have pretty much proven to be a detriment in a reef tank.
Don't go cheap on a protein skimmer. I think that you would be much better off getting a really good quality skimmer like a Reef Octopus BH50 over the Eshopps brand skimmer. Even though the BH50 is rated for 50g, that is about as much as you would ever need.
Since you want to go with a sump, I suggest getting a Danner Mag Drive 5 as the return pump It is relatively inexpensive and they typically have a track record of ten to 20 years before the impeller needs to be replaced.
Those PC lights actually will create more algae then what you think they will. Over time, those lights are notorious for "yellowing" which will cause a lot of hair algae growth. You would be better going with a T5HO retrofit kit inside a canopy or a T5HO lighting fixture from Pet Mountain. Even still, you will have to replace the bulbs that come with the unit for something better - such as ATI brand or UVL brand bulbs to get the PAR value that you need to keep the corals you are thinking about.
The koralia 750s may be a bit much for your size tank. Consider getting two smaller ones instead of one big one.
Sand is personal preference, although I suggest a more course sand over a finer oolitic sand. That way you can push as much flow through your tank without having to worry about pushing the sand around and it getting on rocks and corals.
I hope this helps.

 

[jackreacher]

Thanks a lot for the advice!
I really wasn't sure on what sump to go with, I had seen the eshopps system in a lot of tanks and thought it would suffice. Not sure what you mean by a 20g long sump? Could you explain that a little more? And would you recommend going with a non-sump filtration?
Would these lights work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Light-48-324W-T5-HO-Hood-LCD-Timer-Coral-Reef-6x54-Fluorescent-Actinic-/310467293908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item48494af2d4

 

[florida joe]

If you are going to use the tank as a sump you are better served with a larger foot print ( larger compartment area ) as opposed to a taller tank
a 20 gallon tall, commonly 24" x 12" x 16
a 20 gallon extra tall, commonly 20" x 10" x 24"
a 20 gallon Long, commonly 30" x 12" x 13

 

[snakeblitz33]

A 55g tank is actually a pretty small tank in terms of volume. By the time you get your sand and rocks in it, most of the water volume is taken up. The reason I am stating this is because...
If I were to do HOB (hang on back) filtration I would use one Emperor 400 and I would also hang a decent protein skimmer - also one made my Reef Octopus. The heater would also be concealed in the filter - and the filter cartridge would have chemipure ran in them. I would also use a really course sand, and I would probably go with a "wall of rock" look with plenty of open - swim - through areas for the fish. I'd also stick a small powerhead to blow water behind the rock work as well as two powerheads in either corner of the tank.
As long as you keep up with water changes as necessary and keep your sand bed clean and feed your fish as much as they should eat, you shouldn't have issues.
You DO NOT have to have a sump at all... It's handy, and it does hide equipment, but YES you can definitely have a successful aquarium without a sump and all the extra expenses that come with it.

 

[jackreacher]

Snake,
Thanks for all the helpful advice. I am really interested in the idea of a rock wall. I am looking into some DIY threads currently and seeing what would be the best option to build for my 55 gallon.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JackReacher http:///t/393454/first-time-tank-help#post_3500588
Snake,
Thanks for all the helpful advice. I am really interested in the idea of a rock wall. I am looking into some DIY threads currently and seeing what would be the best option to build for my 55 gallon.
A rock wall is not so much a DIY as it is an aquascape.
It's where you use your creative skills to use rocks to make gaps, bridges, and a general structure for your reef.

 

[jackreacher]

Would it be ok starting out to use this dry rock (http://www.marcorocks.com/25poundboxkeylargorockprecuredandfreeshippinginthecontinentalus.aspx) along with live rock?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Base rock is fine.
Although, I highly suggest going to your local fish store and hand selecting live rock instead of buying it online.
If you do get base rock from that site, I highly suggest "curing" it in RO/DI water to make sure it's completely leached all of its salt content. Many people also have reported problems with excessive amounts of phosphates in the rock that cause bryopsis and other hair algaes. They get around this by a hydrochloric acid bath.
Then again, you could just buy live rock.

 

[jackreacher]

any recommendations on the lighting fixture? Sounds like LED is the way to go but may be out of my budget. Looking to have a strong coral tank so need some powerful lights.

 

[snakeblitz33]

A four bulb T5HO fixture from PetMountain would work as long as you replace the lights with brand name bulbs. I like nova extreme units. Yes, you will have to replace the bulbs once a year - but you will get much better color rendition and potential benefits from having a fuller spectrum than compared to LED lights.

 

[snakeblitz33]

An alternative would be paying about $40 for a Workhorse 7, buying or building or have a canopy built for you ($100) , and the sockets and standoffs ($30), and some used reflectors (preferably icecap (~$40.) And you shouldn't include the cost of bulbs because you would have to replace them anyway in a fixture. Bulbs are about $20 each. I prefer ATI or UVL brand bulbs. I am partial to UVL 454s and UVL aquasuns myself - I like the color that those bulbs give off. You will have to kinda play around with it to get the color temp that you like. Some people prefer a more blue look, some a more daylight look... I like bulbs that make the coral colors "pop", regardless of if it is blue or daylight.

 

[florida joe]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-08/dw/index.php

 

[jackreacher]

The build option sounds really interesting. Right now i am waiting to hear back on a craigslist ad. Probably more than I need, guess I could run just 4 bulbs but he is only asking $100
48" Current USA Nova Extreme Pro 6 Bulb T5HO Light with 2 UVL Super Actinic, 2 UVL White Actinic, and 2 ATI Blue Plus

 

[snakeblitz33]

Sounds like a winner.

 

[jackreacher]

Tank also came with a very similar HOB filter that you suggested so I'm not going with the sump anymore. Would you still recommend the same Reef Octopus BH50 protein skimmer? Seems like it would take up alot of space. Based on price and some reviews I've read looks like Coralife Super Skimmer with pump 65 gallon protein skimmer might work pretty nice. Thoughts?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Coralife skimmers are perhaps the lowest quality skimmers you can buy. I would avoid them. You could get a skimmer that is slightly bigger than the one i suggested. Make sure it is also a hang on back model.

 

[jackreacher]

Thanks. I figured they had to be pretty low quality - get what you pay for. I am looking at the octopus reef hang ons. Think I am going to go with one of them.
Edit: Went with and purchased the Reef Octopus BH-100.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Good choice.

 

[jackreacher]

sorry for the little bit of laziness but I am doubling up on forums I hit and it is easier for me to past the other thing ive typed up...hope this acceptable
I’m back...phew...this is almost overwhelming but I love it.
So quite a bit has changed since my first post. Still going with the 55-gallon tank. Decided to scratch the sump and I have the following equipment (or at least ordered):
-Penguin 330 filtration unit: (came with the tank and after some advice from others this sounds like it should be fine as long as my live rock system is up to par. Also not going to include the bio wheels as it sounds like they are not necessary for reef tanks – maybe going to add some live rock to the unit for more filtration?)
-Reef Octopus BH100 Protein Skimmer
-25# base rock from macrorock.com: Going to go to my LFS and get about 25 pounds of live rock to mix in.
-Hydor 425 Circulation Pump 425gph. nde', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(241, 241, 241);" />
-Generic heaters, thermometers, chemipure
-RO/DI sytem
Now, I am having some trouble with lighting, sand (live?) and salt to buy. Also if someone could direct me to a guide of how to start everything…i.e. what to add first, curing base rock and how to hook up all the equipment to get the tank acclimated I would greatly appreciate it. I am in no hurry to add fish/corral. I want to make sure my water and rocks are perfect first – part of the reason I went with half base and half live is I thought it would be a cheaper way to start a tank at the expense of time.
Any help is much appreciated - thanks in advance, your help has been awesome.