Hey guys I am new here so please bare with me. I am changing from fresh water to salt water and I am going to slowly buy everything I need. I have a 54 gallon bow front tank 32 by 19 by 21 deep. I am thinking of getting the ai 52 hd light I am build a 10 gallon sump because that's all I can fit, a reef octopus small foot print skimmer and a refugium. Also a ATO system all the goods. My question is what is most importal and to buy first I am going for a reef tank. Oh and I'm buying a Rodi system.
Changing from fresh water to salt water
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jasonrusso
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Reef or fish only? An ATO is not that important. I just take a 1 gallon bucket every other day with rodi water and dump it in the sump.
mlivvy
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I always ask if you used any copper or copper based meds when it was freshwater. I ask because I once bought a used tank that was used for freshwater and I couldn't keep any corals in it and the fish did great. I later discovered the previous owner ran copper in it regularly and the tank was still testing positive for copper despite being rinsed out a few times before I set it up. Something about copper leaching via the seams/glue.
RJinPV
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You might consider 2 AI 26s instead of the 52. It should give you more even lighting with less shadowing. The first priority is the return pump, 2 power head pumps to circulate the water, heater, skimmer, and light(s). You also need a chiller if you can't keep the room temperature at 80 deg F or less, always. Everything else is optional. I don't have an ATO either
RJinPV
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Ok. There's more. You're getting an RODI. That's mandatory for a reef tank too if you don't want to buy distilled water as make up water. You'll likely use 1/2 gal per day in make up water. Get good test kits like Salifert or Red Sea. The API kits are too low a resolution. Calcium, Mg and KH. Then Nitrate and Phosphate. If you start with live rock and live sand your tank should cycle really fast. I was adding fish and coral, slowly, within a month. I went like this for 8 months and thought "What's all the fuss? This easy!" Then the red slime hit followed by green hair algae. So learn about phosphate absorbers like GFO or Phosguard and start using right away. Then read up on nitrate controllers like Red Sea NoPOX or pellet reactors to get ready for nitrate level increases and control them.
RJinPV
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very expensive. $20 or more for each frag and fish x 20 items per year $400. Circulation pump upgrades from what the LFS sold me: $400. LED upgrades another: $400. Carbon reactor $100. Return pump upgrade $100. My LFS didn't advise me very well. I'm afraid to look at my credit card statement each month
danknuc
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There are some good videos at BRS that discuss the pros and cons of much of the equipment and what you may or maynot need based on how much work you want to do. A lot of it is dependent on how much work you want to put into it each day. If you don't mind topping off you tank every day then you don't need and ATO, that was the first thing I bought. If you religiously do water changes every week you can wait on a lot of items. The biggest thing I have found is the less you want to do on a regular basis the more it will cost you for convenience items. I do not have dosing pumps or reactors and have a 2 bulb T5HO light with a small 36" Current LED for my 48" wide 75G tank. My Zoa's are growing like weeds and my Mushrooms are growing. I do 10-15% water changes every week. You can spend a lot of money on pumps and lights but you don't have to. My 800 GPH power heads with magnetic mounts cost me $16.75 with free shipping and my ATO was $69.99 but none of those are name brand items.
danknuc
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I went with the 36-48" Current USA Orbit Marine, actual size is about 36", that I got from Drs Foster and Smith even though my tank is 48". I didn't want to spend more than $200 on a light. If you have the money to do it, I personally would go with the better light so you aren't replacing further down the line.
RJinPV
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The BRS videos are great. The one thing I should have done is study up and get what I want. If you buy less capable and less expensive stuff, and wind up wanting the added capability, you spend money twice. That's what happened to me. I had T5s and a cheaper LED strip of whites and blues. I didn't like the color rendition, and wanted a moon phase, so I swapped the LED strip out for 2 AI Primes. My pumps didn't pump enough water so I bought some DC pumps that can set up pulsing and waves. So the BRS 52 weeks build videos are great. They cover pretty much everything, but you might wind up wanting everything!
