General question

hckycoz

hckycoz

Member
ok so i'm turning my55g into a salt water and im researching and researching and have learned alot. Now comes the time to start buying equipment. my questions are these
- When plumbing a sump should i use PVC pipe or that flexable plastic tubing?
- What brand skimmers does everyone prefer?
- What is a UV Steralizer and how does it work, Will i need one for my tank?
- Live sand or Crushed Coral? Why?
- Do I need to use an air pump and all that if i use a powerhead?
- How much will glass panels cost for the sump?
Thanks guys if i have more questions ill post them
 
T

tizzo

Guest
OMG!! You are asking a lot. I'll post links for you for the ones that take longer to explain... But...(in short)
When plumbing a sump should i use PVC pipe or that flexable plastic tubing?
PVC. You can add the valves and angels where you want. Flexible has to many unwanted bends.
What brand skimmers does everyone prefer?
Depends on how much you have to spend. Remora makes a good skimmer, and Euroreef does too but they are pricy. There is a company that copies the euroreef and is much cheaper, that I can't remember the name of, it's initials...
What is a UV Steralizer and how does it work, Will i need one for my tank?
A UV sterilizer is debatable in a reef. It UV zaps free floating microorganisms, bactera, and even parasites like ick. It is debatable because while it sounds good to hve these things removed corals need some of the bacterias and micro algaes that a UV will minimize. Also if you QT your fish, ick or other parasites will not be a concern. IMO, you do not need one on a reef tank.
Live sand or Crushed Coral? Why?
Live sand. I will post a link...
Do I need to use an air pump and all that if i use a powerhead?
NO!! You do not need any sort of air bubbles in a saltwater tank. What you do need is plenty of surface agitation and much water flow through out the tank, so multiple powerheads are a wise choice.
How much will glass panels cost for the sump?
You can actually get some cheap acrylic sheets at your home depot. They are called "baffles" if you want more info from the DIY forum.
Lemme try to find that link for you...
 
sammiefish

sammiefish

Member
- When plumbing a sump should i use PVC pipe or that flexable
plastic tubing?
I think pool hose works really well .. you can get it at home depot.
- What is a UV Steralizer and how does it work, Will i need one for my tank?
You wont need one right away if at all... I would bag that idea for a while.
- Live sand or Crushed Coral? Why?
the opinion is that crushed coral is very course and will "catch" debris which will decay...etc... aragonite sand of small grain size seems to be the substrate of choice
- Do I need to use an air pump and all that if i use a powerhead?
no need for air pump. have a return pump and ph's to adequately turnover 10-20 x the total volume of your tank every hour....
good luck
- How much will glass panels cost for the sump?
use a rubbermaid-like storage container for the sump... 30-50 gal... $15 at wallyworld
 
hckycoz

hckycoz

Member
If i use live sand can i only put about 20 lbs. and use about 40 lbs. of agranite sand as the bottom layer?
 
hckycoz

hckycoz

Member
thanks for all the help guys. Does any one run a RO unit and is it worth the money or just something for the people with no budget limit
 
taz_12777

taz_12777

Member
If i use live sand can i only put about 20 lbs. and use about 40 lbs. of agranite sand as the bottom layer?
Yes, spread the agranite first then the LS.:yes:
 
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