ryanhayes9
Active Member
About 5 to 6 times a week we seem to get posts in the new hobbyist forum that are about, "What do I need for a saltwater tank?" Some get answered while some go unanswered. Well I believe I have a solution to that. I have compiled data on saltwater tank equipment and the steps to setting up a saltwater tank. I will cover them in sections.
1- Tank size
Many (like myself) catch the saltwater bug and never want to go back and soon (within 3 months of it running) want to upgrade to a bigger tank. Some suggest picking the size of tank you want and then double it. I started with a 29 gallon fowlr and within 3 months have a 55 gallon reef. In my opinion, a good sized starter tank would be a 55 gallon. With a bigger tank size there is less room for error. Like if your water parameters take a turn for the worst, it won’t be nearly as bad in a 55 galloon as to a 20 gallon. Be noted though, the bigger the tank, the more start up money it will cost.
- Acrylic or glass?
This is another debate that I hear allot. In my opinion glass is better than acrylic, although many people have different opinions.
Glass- weighs more than acrylic, but does not scratch nearly as bad as acrylic. Breaks easier than acrylic. It will maintain its clarity. Glass is cheaper than acrylic.
Acrylic- weighs a decent amount less that glass; therefore some large or custom built tanks will be made of acrylic. It is 17X stronger than glass, making it more shock resistant. It also insulates 20% better than glass, making temperature fluctuations less. acrylic is far less shatter proof, although, over time, many will turn a yellowish color due to the chemical reactions from the things acrylic is made from. Acrylic cost a decent amount more than glass also.
2- Filters
Many prefer the HOT type (hang on tank) that is seen in almost all freshwater tanks. These are acceptable for saltwater but, remember, this is saltwater, not freshwater.
Canister filters- these type of filters are preferred by many aquarists. They sit either under your stand, next to your tank, wherever. They also eliminate the ugly tubes that go with HOT type filters. They are shaped like a box and have and intake and return hoses. The water is sucked from the tank through the input hose, where it then runs throughout the filter media inside the canister. Then it is pumped back to the tank through the return line.
Wet/dry/trickle Filters- This is not my area of expertise because I have never run a wet dry filter before. Water is pumped from the aquarium where the water is then "trickled" down through different filter medias that may consist of filter floss etc. this is all on some type of clear box or tank type thing. Once it is filtered, it is pumped back to the main tank via return pump. These filters are preferred by many hobbyists as these can handle a large bioload from fish.
refugiums- some aquariust use these(including myself)They help to lower nitrate by having space for the addition of macro algae or liverock. It can also be a place for pods to reproduce. This in my opinion is nesecary if you plan on keeping a mandarin as these fish eat ALL DAY, and the only thing they eat is pods. Some people will even buy bottled pods and add them to their refugium to help boost the pod population.
Protein skimmer- this type of "filter" is used to remove organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. This is the only type of filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose. These are HIGHLY recommended to any aquarist and in my opinion, a necessity to the aquarist maintaining a reef tank. There are May different types of protein skimmers...
1- Tank size
Many (like myself) catch the saltwater bug and never want to go back and soon (within 3 months of it running) want to upgrade to a bigger tank. Some suggest picking the size of tank you want and then double it. I started with a 29 gallon fowlr and within 3 months have a 55 gallon reef. In my opinion, a good sized starter tank would be a 55 gallon. With a bigger tank size there is less room for error. Like if your water parameters take a turn for the worst, it won’t be nearly as bad in a 55 galloon as to a 20 gallon. Be noted though, the bigger the tank, the more start up money it will cost.
- Acrylic or glass?
This is another debate that I hear allot. In my opinion glass is better than acrylic, although many people have different opinions.
Glass- weighs more than acrylic, but does not scratch nearly as bad as acrylic. Breaks easier than acrylic. It will maintain its clarity. Glass is cheaper than acrylic.
Acrylic- weighs a decent amount less that glass; therefore some large or custom built tanks will be made of acrylic. It is 17X stronger than glass, making it more shock resistant. It also insulates 20% better than glass, making temperature fluctuations less. acrylic is far less shatter proof, although, over time, many will turn a yellowish color due to the chemical reactions from the things acrylic is made from. Acrylic cost a decent amount more than glass also.
2- Filters
Many prefer the HOT type (hang on tank) that is seen in almost all freshwater tanks. These are acceptable for saltwater but, remember, this is saltwater, not freshwater.
Canister filters- these type of filters are preferred by many aquarists. They sit either under your stand, next to your tank, wherever. They also eliminate the ugly tubes that go with HOT type filters. They are shaped like a box and have and intake and return hoses. The water is sucked from the tank through the input hose, where it then runs throughout the filter media inside the canister. Then it is pumped back to the tank through the return line.
Wet/dry/trickle Filters- This is not my area of expertise because I have never run a wet dry filter before. Water is pumped from the aquarium where the water is then "trickled" down through different filter medias that may consist of filter floss etc. this is all on some type of clear box or tank type thing. Once it is filtered, it is pumped back to the main tank via return pump. These filters are preferred by many hobbyists as these can handle a large bioload from fish.
refugiums- some aquariust use these(including myself)They help to lower nitrate by having space for the addition of macro algae or liverock. It can also be a place for pods to reproduce. This in my opinion is nesecary if you plan on keeping a mandarin as these fish eat ALL DAY, and the only thing they eat is pods. Some people will even buy bottled pods and add them to their refugium to help boost the pod population.
Protein skimmer- this type of "filter" is used to remove organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. This is the only type of filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose. These are HIGHLY recommended to any aquarist and in my opinion, a necessity to the aquarist maintaining a reef tank. There are May different types of protein skimmers...
