Help me get started reefing.

[SeaJay]

I’m almost a year into a 135 tank now that I really intend to keep fish only. Never really saw myself getting into corals, but now that I finally feel like I’m on the down side of what has been a steep learning curve, I find myself fascinated with the small reef tanks I always see sitting on the counters of the LFS’s. It’s got me thinking I want to start a small tank to try my hand at reefing. I’m thinking 20ish gallons and really have my eye on this waterbox.

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/20-gallon-starphire-cube-plus-w-ai-prime-flex-mount-waterbox/

If I buy that, will I be good to go? Will I later end up wishing I had got different lighting?

I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the systems, plumbing, flow etc. but I am by no means an expert and know virtually nothing about corals or reef keeping. I do know that once the tank is set up, I’ll have plenty of time to study before I add any corals.

Any advice?

 

[beaslbob]

From what I understand the main difference between fish and corals, is that corals are much more demanding on the environment. For instance copper from tap water kills corals.

It would also be best if you read up in the chemistry forum on Dr randy holmes-farley's improved diy two part system. It uses inexpensive materials to maintain calcium, carbonate (alk), and magnesium. Which are necessary for sps type corals, corraline algae, and hard macro algaes. Besides reading it will give you some idea on how to maintain those things.

As always I recommend starting the tank with macro algaes that way the tank will be balanced out and stabilized right from the start. That makes it much more forgiving of my type errors.

my .02

 

[Jon Fishman]

depending on what you have or haven't treated your current tank with, the money spent on a small tank to start a separate system would be better spent on a skimmer, and test kits etc. needed to add corals to your current tank. Probably easier to manage the swings with your current tank..... small change on a 20g could wipe out everything.

 

[Peace River]

From what I understand the main difference between fish and corals, is that corals are much more demanding on the environment. For instance copper from tap water kills corals.

It would also be best if you read up in the chemistry forum on Dr randy holmes-farley's improved diy two part system. It uses inexpensive materials to maintain calcium, carbonate (alk), and magnesium. Which are necessary for sps type corals, corraline algae, and hard macro algaes. Besides reading it will give you some idea on how to maintain those things.

As always I recommend starting the tank with macro algaes do it will be balanced out and stabilized right from the start. That makes it much more forgiving of my type errors.

my .02

The three most important things in fish keeping is water, water, and water. This is doubly true with corals. In addition to the good advice from @beaslbob, I would also recommend the book, Marine Chemistry: A Complete Guide to Water Chemistry in Marine Aquariums by C.R. Brightwell.

 

[Jekyl]

Is there a reason you dont want to just convert your current tank? Maybe non reef safe fish? Easier to maintain parameters in a larger system. Most likely only need to upgrade lights and flow which can be done easily.

 

[SeaJay]

Is there a reason you dont want to just convert your current tank?

Been thinking about that since I read your post and the most honest answer I can come up with is that I'm probably a bit intimidated. I experienced failure early on when I introduced both ich and velvet to my tank and didn't have the quarantine systems, medications and know how to save some of the fish. By the time I did get a quarantine set up, I had lost two fish. Then I lost two more to what I now realize was likely a copper overdose due to using the API test kit. Lost another to a subsequent bacterial infection. Since then I have learned a ton and realized the need to exercise patience. I realize there will be another learning curve to start reefing and am probably more than a little afraid to experience another failure in my now healthy tank.

Maybe non reef safe fish?

The one surviving OG is a blue spotted puffer, who is also the only non reef safe fish I have. He would be easy to re-home if necessary.

Easier to maintain parameters in a larger system. Most likely only need to upgrade lights and flow which can be done easily.

See my next post.

 

[SeaJay]

depending on what you have or haven't treated your current tank with, the money spent on a small tank to start a separate system would be better spent on a skimmer, and test kits etc. needed to add corals to your current tank. Probably easier to manage the swings with your current tank..... small change on a 20g could wipe out everything.

A couple of you have mentioned upgrades to convert my current tank to a reef. I think my LFS anticipated the liklihood of me eventually wanting corals even though I said things like "fish only","predator tank" etc. Here is what I currently have set up:

-135 gallon Seapora tank with dual corner overflows.
-glass canopies
-dual sicce syncra 3.0 return pumps(715 gph each)
-dual sicce xstream wavemakers (900 gph each)
-35 gal eshopps 200 sump
-simplicity dc240 in-sump skimmer
-dual 36" Fluval Marine 3.0 LED lights
-500w Finnex titanium heater- I added a second for redundancy.

-100lbs fiji pink sand
-120lbs. south sea base rock
-20 lbs lfs live rock
-BRS 5 stage plus RODI 150 gpd
-booster pump
-32 gallon RODI tank
-32 gallon saltwater tank
-AWC/ATO (haven't installed yet. Just got my water station built and plumbed up)

I have also since stocked myself with medications, extra return pumps, air pumps, heaters, refractometer, Hanna copper checker, and other misc. equipment/tools. I have added a quarantine tank specifically for incoming inverts and another for emergency treatments and/or quarantine of incoming livestock. I'm confident at this point that I could now handle the outbreak I had with little to no loss of livestock.

Reef or not I was already planning to add a refugium, mainly because I can't manage to sustain a population of pods in my current system.

 

[SeaJay]

These are pics of the tank when it was still fairly new. I don’t have any current pics, but I’ll take some when the lights come on. It looks the same except the rock is now 8 months more matured. System is 10 months running.

 

[SeaJay]

It’s been an ever evolving project. I haven’t bothered to organize wiring or finish plumbing because I already planned to relocate the sump to make way for a refugium.

 

[Jekyl]

Add some lights, possibly upgrade your wavemakers and get some macro algae going and you're set to go.

 

[SeaJay]

Add some lights,

I’ve barely scratched the surface learning about lights. It’s a bit overwhelming honestly.
Are you saying to add lights to what I already have, or will I need to replace them altogether?

possibly upgrade your wavemakers

I don’t really know what my goal would be on this.

and get some macro algae going and you're set to go.

Is my plan to add a refugium the best way to do this?

I’ll do a search on here and see if I can find some good reading material. One of my problems is that I’m more of a learn by doing/trial and error type of person than a sit and read for hours type. Probably my entrepreneurial spirit combined with a hefty case of ADD...

 

[samnaz]

First of all, I absolutely love that stand of yours! DIY?

My first reef was a 20 gallon long. For the first few months I was half learning by researching and reading, half learning the hard way by doing/trial and error. Sometimes I wish I could go back and have read more and did less, I could have wasted less time and money if not for all my mistakes. But some people learn by doing, and that’s perfectly fine so long as you do some research in addition.

I feel overwhelmed every time I begin to study a new topic. Lighting in particular was a drag. It’s complicated, there are so many options, its a lot to take in. The trick is to take it day by day, bit by bit. The more patient you are, the more confident you’ll be about whatever fixture you ultimately purchase. Don’t make a decision until you know enough to make the right one. (I didn’t, bought three different lights in the first year)

If reading isn’t your thing, watch videos on the subject - BRStv is a must watch. They make even the complicated/boring topics interesting, and visuals are so helpful too.

IME, a 20 gallon is a fine size for a first tank. Maintaining stability hasn’t been difficult at all in my case, but it all depends on your stocking and maintenance routine. I’ve also never had a larger tank, so I really can’t say how the level of difficulty compares.

 

[Jekyl]

BRS TV is a good watch on YouTube. Especially their BRS 52 series. However keep in mind that it's a retailer making the videos and nothing featured will be simple, cheap, or something they dont offer for sale.

Not sure on the specs of your lights. I have not heard them recommended before though.
Cheap option for lighting would be marsaqua or viparspectra. Expensive would be a T5 LED hybrid. Either will grow any coral you want.

For the wavemakers you're looking for 30 to 60x tank volume. That INCLUDES the rest of your pumps also though.

Refugium would be a great place for chaeto. Get an additional light in there and run it counter to the light schedule in your DT. That or run some other Macro in your DT like gracilaria.

 

[Jekyl]

Like the above post said any tank can work. To think of the bonus of a larger tank think of it like this... if you add 5 drops of food coloring to a pitcher of water vs if you add 5 to a bathtub of water. It gives more time for correction before things are a serious issue.

 

[SeaJay]

So it sounds like lighting is going to be the main investment I’ll need to make if I decide to do this. I’ll start reading up on it and checking out the BRStv videos.

 

[SeaJay]

First of all, I absolutely love that stand of yours! DIY?

Thank you. Yes, it’s completely diy. I just built a 2x4 stand and then skinned it with some oak barn wood that I had leftover from other projects. Rusty tin inserts in the doors and the plan is to have a rusty tin roof on the canopy as well, but between not being 100% what my lighting situation is going to be in the long run and having 12 other projects going on, I just haven’t gotten around to it. If I end up hanging lights I’ll have to scratch that plan.

I’m also planning to build some side cabinets with bookshelves out of the same wood to hide the overflows.


Now to start studying up on lighting...

 

[SeaJay]

I've been reading up on lights and watching those videos you guys recommended and was wondering what you thought about this.

My tank is 72" long x 18" wide x 24" deep. I currently have two of these.
https://www.fluvalaquatics.com/us/marine-spectrum/

I was thinking about buying two of these
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/36-h...g-system-with-a360x-bracket-aquatic-life.html

Then I could install my existing LED lights in the center to make use of them until such time that I need to/can justify the cost of upgrading the LEDs. Or possibly just leave it that way if that turns out to be sufficient.

Anyone see a reason why this would be a bad plan?

Obviously I'll have to check the dimensions and make sure everything will fit, but I'm a fabricator so I'm not really worried about the logistics of the brackets fitting the existing lights and whatnot.

Thanks!

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

From my quick read of your thread, the only upgrade I would do to your set up going reef is upgrading the lights. But, while the Fluval lights you have aren't amazing, they would probably keep soft corals alive without much issue.

I personally prefer the AquaIllumination lights, great color and PAR for a good price as the 26HDs are $349/ea. Looks like your Seapora 135 is 72" long so you would need at least 3 (I would recommend 6 if you want to do SPS - but you could always add more later).

Also, no required, but I don't like running glass canopies on my reef tanks as I prefer screen tops to help promote gas exchange.

 

[SeaJay]

From my quick read of your thread, the only upgrade I would do to your set up going reef is upgrading the lights. But, while the Fluval lights you have aren't amazing, they would probably keep soft corals alive without much issue.

I personally prefer the AquaIllumination lights, great color and PAR for a good price as the 26HDs are $349/ea. Looks like your Seapora 135 is 72" long so you would need at least 3 (I would recommend 6 if you want to do SPS - but you could always add more later).

Also, no required, but I don't like running glass canopies on my reef tanks as I prefer screen tops to help promote gas exchange.

Thanks for the input. Yes, the tank is 72". I realized I failed to post dimensions and did that moments ago. I also do currently have glass canopies in place.

 

[W1ngz]

I think on a 72" tank you'll be plenty well served with your existing lights, and the Aquatic life 61".