Help!! Im New lol

Kieran1uk · Jan 13, 2015

Hello,

I'm sure by now you must be bored with the amount of 'new' people who ask so many questions just after they've signed up...anyway I hope not to disappoint lol...

Bascially...

I'm new..in fact so new it hurts...to marine tanks. I own a 150 litre...40 Gallon tank which is a tropical tank (no holes) and a small 30 litre tank which I'm hoping to use as a sump.

This is all I know...I really want to get this right and respect the intricacy of this hobby without killing my fish. I do have a huge budget at all and am looking to do things through stages

Questions are...

Are my tanks good enough for the job?
Where do I start?
What do I need equipment wise?
What do I need to be thinking of now?

I hope this is ok to ask, I recognise this isn't something that can rushed but I would like to understand how sumps work and all the correct equipment to get me going properly

Thank you

Kieran

Kieran1uk · Jan 13, 2015

Meant to say I don't have a huge budget lol

bairdimusprime · Jan 13, 2015

Welcome!!
Are they tempered glass? if so no drilling,
You need a good skimmer, and good lighting, and an overflow box so the sump can be filled without the drilled plumbing (what kind of livestock are you interested in keeping?)
you need some live sand and rock,
and you will need to start your cycle.

but thats the absolute bare bones basics to start.
i'm sure a few more will be able to chime in with ALOT more info!

and make sure to check out this sticky thread!!!

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/ne...guide-setting-up-saltwater-reef-aquarium.html

best of luck

SeahorseKeeper · Jan 13, 2015

Welcome to R2R!!

The first thing that stands out to me is that the sump may be a little on the small side, but it can get the job done. Do you have a stand? That would be the first place that I would start. I would try to get one that is big enough to house your sump and give you a little space to do maintenance. From there, I would work on getting the plumbing together.

Do you know what you want to keep? Do you want corals? What fish do you want to keep?

beaslbob · Jan 13, 2015

I recommend you look into macro algaes in a refugium. And use those right from the start. They will balance out and stabilize operation to be forgiving of operator error.
I refugium can just be a simple partition to keep the livestock away from the macros.
if you want to setup a sump an overflow can be made from $20 worth of pvc pipe. The sump can be any container you can find space for. I recommend you use a separate container for a refugium or even just use a smaller container for the return pump placed inside the larger refugium container. Adjust for power out, power return, drain failure/blockage so you don't get floods and normal operation continues.
I also use a male fw molly as a cycle fish added 1 week after tank setup. Then don't add food for a week. Once the molly lives a few weeks then try a more expensive marine only fish.
my .02