Taking the plunge!

[rigdon87]

Hey Reefers,
Iv'e decided and have the approval from the misses to build a full reef setup in my 120

. My tank has been up since nov 08 and everything is goin good but im gonna need alot of help making the transfer from fowlr to a reef,im pretty much coming in blind here and appreciate all the info you guys have.Don't be shy tell me everything you kno like what chemicals do i need to dose for,how to introduce a new coral,how to frag,what my water parameters have to be..etc dont hold anything back

Thanks Zach

 

[bryce.martin23]

Originally Posted by Rigdon87
http:///forum/post/3068251
Hey Reefers,
Iv'e decided and have the approval from the misses to build a full reef setup in my 120

. My tank has been up since nov 08 and everything is goin good but im gonna need alot of help making the transfer,im pretty much coming in blind here and appreciate all the info you guys have.Don't be shy tell me everything you kno like what chemicals do i need to dose for,how to introduce a new coral,how to frag,what my water parameters have to be..etc dont hold anything back

Thanks Zach
well the first thing you need to find out is what types of corals you are going to be stocking your tank with. I had a tank full of zoos, mushrooms, and others of that nature and they really didnt need much except for good water params and good lighting(this is key). If you want to go into some of the nicer corals such as sps, then your going to need to dose with calcium or kalkwasser mixes, and trace elements and thigs of this nature, I have had my reef tank going for about two years now, I know that there is alot more info out there from alot more people. But I keep my Ammonia at zero(no exceptions), nitrate and nitrite are at zero most the time and my ph is always in the range of 8.2-8.3. I like to run a sterilizer to kill any diseases that may be lurking but you will later read that some reefers dont use these due to the fact that it will kill alot of your live food that the coral community eats such as coepods. But my biggest advice to you is save up some money and get yourself a nice metal halide light fixture, this will set you in the right direction and allows you to keep virtualy every coral out there just in case you decide to change your mind about your coral taste. If you have the money, get yourself a chiller because these lights will get your water in the high eighties expecially in the summer time depending where you live, and make sure your water is as clean as you can provide. other than that your tank should run itself.Of course there are millions of other ways to do this so keep reading up on this hobby, you can never know too much. Good luck

 

[bryce.martin23]

oohhh yeah one more thing, dont save your recipts, you wont want to see how much you have invested into a tank, just enjoy it and bask in the beauty of it.

 

[rigdon87]

Originally Posted by bryce.martin23
http:///forum/post/3068350
oohhh yeah one more thing, dont save your recipts, you wont want to see how much you have invested into a tank, just enjoy it and bask in the beauty of it.
LOL

i try not too..as for lighting i already have a 48"nova extreme pro fixture and im currently building a sump/fuge(40 gallon breeder) and im buying a octopus extreme 300 skimmer, i hope that will take care of my trates because they stay around 20.As for corals im thinkin mushrooms, zoos, monticaps,leathers, xenias,and i like sps alot

 

[rigdon87]

Need more info

 

[fishkid13]

Do you have a long 120 or a short deep 120 or a tall 120? The corals you choose will do good sense they are easy, well for everyone besides me.

. Make sure you have plenty of flow. And... I don't know what else do you want to know?

 

[rigdon87]

Originally Posted by fishkid13
http:///forum/post/3068937
Do you have a long 120 or a short deep 120 or a tall 120? The corals you choose will do good sense they are easy, well for everyone besides me.

. Make sure you have plenty of flow. And... I don't know what else do you want to know?

yeah its a 120 short 4x2x2. i have around 4000 gph or more. i was wanting to kno how to introduce new corals,where to place,how too frag,what kind of glue to use,what my parameters should be(cal,alk,dkh etc) and

anything else i forgot

 

[bulldog123]

First you need to get a reef test kit. There it will recommend the levels, ie cal 400-500 depends on coral, kh 8-12. Also I put everything on the bottom low to medium flow and move it up. I look up what is recommend online and start there. Then I let the coral tell me(when its open/extends). As for glue use super glue gel and for putty I like AquaStik (red epoxy) because it blends in faster. Ive new(6month) but everything in the tank is growing good except my pipe organ only opens once in a while. I just cant make him happy. I have sps,lps,zoos,soft things are growing. Keep the questions coming.