New- First Saltwater Tank

[ejstras]

Hello, I am Ed. I entered the aquarium hobby as a child keeping betas, goldfish, and salamanders. I later got into snakes and arachnids. Then finally have a stable freshwater planted aquarium. I wanted to reach out to this community for help getting started on a saltwater tank. I have purchased a waterbox 25 peninsula AIO as my tank. I have also purchased an in tank first chamber basket and protein skimmer to capitalize on the vertical space in my sump. I have Helios dual 100W titanium heaters with the external temp controller. A Nero 3 and hygger mini powerheads. Autoaqua two in one AWC and ATO. Instant ocean sea salt. Dr. Tim's fishless cycling bacteria and ammonium chloride. API master saltwater test kit. 40 pounds of life rock. 10 pounds Live aragonite and 20 pounds of normal aragonite. A reef AI 16 HD light. Was just looking for any helpful advice and tips regarding first time set up. Equipment recommendations. Stocking suggestions. Etc. I would like to do a mixed reef with a goby and shrimp. I want anemone and coral, but i know they usually arent compatible in a smaller tank. I would like it to be a colorful and rather flashy tank. Thank you and I'm happy to be a part of this community!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family!

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Hi Ed, welcome to Reef2reef!

You will find 40lbs of live rock is way too much.

Corals and anemones are fine in smaller tanks. You can add as much coral as you can fit! I wouldn't put an anemone (besides an RFA) in the tank unless you're putting no corals in the tank. Anemones will move and sting other corals.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Welcome.
You probably don’t need the protein skimmer.

 

[ejstras]

Hi Ed, welcome to Reef2reef!

You will find 40lbs of live rock is way too much.

Corals and anemones are fine in smaller tanks. You can add as much coral as you can fit! I wouldn't put an anemone (besides an RFA) in the tank unless you're putting no corals in the tank. Anemones will move and sting other corals.

Thank you for the advice! I only ordered the 40 because the alternate was 20 pounds and they were an unattractive fixed shape. I know I'll have plenty of extra leftover. Just want enough to make a nice arch as a centerpiece. I also purchase carbon fiber rods, masonry drill bits, and reef safe epoxy putty to create the structure.

 

[ejstras]

Hello, I am Ed. I entered the aquarium hobby as a child keeping betas, goldfish, and salamanders. I later got into snakes and arachnids. Then finally have a stable freshwater planted aquarium. I wanted to reach out to this community for help getting started on a saltwater tank. I have purchased a waterbox 25 peninsula AIO as my tank. I have also purchased an in tank first chamber basket and protein skimmer to capitalize on the vertical space in my sump. I have Helios dual 100W titanium heaters with the external temp controller. A Nero 3 and hygger mini powerheads. Autoaqua two in one AWC and ATO. Instant ocean sea salt. Dr. Tim's fishless cycling bacteria and ammonium chloride. API master saltwater test kit. 40 pounds of life rock. 10 pounds Live aragonite and 20 pounds of normal aragonite. A reef AI 16 HD light. Was just looking for any helpful advice and tips regarding first time set up. Equipment recommendations. Stocking suggestions. Etc. I would like to do a mixed reef with a goby and shrimp. I want anemone and coral, but i know they usually arent compatible in a smaller tank. I would like it to be a colorful and rather flashy tank. Thank you and I'm happy to be a part of this community!

I forgot to add that I also have a calibrated refractometer with calibration fluid, An RO/DI system, GH/KH test kits, a TDS meter, and good water conditioner in case there is any chloramines/chlorine that make it past the RO/DI. I have phosphate, mag, copper, Calc, and alk/gh test kits on the list as well closer to when my cycle is complete and I'm ready to add living animals. I may also add an aquashield 9w UV Sterilizer to my middle chamber. Any advice on set up on the 3 chambers in the AIO would be appreciated.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Buckster]

Hello Ed and Welcome to R2R!

 

[Brisk]

Welcome!

 

[ejstras]

Welcome.
You probably don’t need the protein skimmer.

Thank you! I believe it's more of a surface skimmer. It's not really anything special. It looks like a comb and I think it just breaks up the surface tension before the water falls into the filter floss of the first chamber. I may have misspoke.

 

[CO2TLEY]

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[Ocean_Queenie]

Hello & Welcome Ed, Happy you are here!

 

[Extremeengineer]

Welcome, sounds like you’ve put some thought into this, nice list of things to start.

 

[JTP424]

Welcome welcome!

 

[Reef Wizard]

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

Hello, I am Ed. I entered the aquarium hobby as a child keeping betas, goldfish, and salamanders. I later got into snakes and arachnids. Then finally have a stable freshwater planted aquarium. I wanted to reach out to this community for help getting started on a saltwater tank. I have purchased a waterbox 25 peninsula AIO as my tank. I have also purchased an in tank first chamber basket and protein skimmer to capitalize on the vertical space in my sump. I have Helios dual 100W titanium heaters with the external temp controller. A Nero 3 and hygger mini powerheads. Autoaqua two in one AWC and ATO. Instant ocean sea salt. Dr. Tim's fishless cycling bacteria and ammonium chloride. API master saltwater test kit. 40 pounds of life rock. 10 pounds Live aragonite and 20 pounds of normal aragonite. A reef AI 16 HD light. Was just looking for any helpful advice and tips regarding first time set up. Equipment recommendations. Stocking suggestions. Etc. I would like to do a mixed reef with a goby and shrimp. I want anemone and coral, but i know they usually arent compatible in a smaller tank. I would like it to be a colorful and rather flashy tank. Thank you and I'm happy to be a part of this community!

Hello Ed! And welcome to our reefing community! It looks like you've got some nice stuff in the works. I also have a nano (20g) that I'm keeping an anemone in with soft and LPS corals. Everything has been coexisting beautifully. Consider starting a tank thread so we can follow along with your progress! Link on how to do that in my signature.

 

[phillyb614]

 

[PharmrJohn]

Hello, I am Ed. I entered the aquarium hobby as a child keeping betas, goldfish, and salamanders. I later got into snakes and arachnids. Then finally have a stable freshwater planted aquarium. I wanted to reach out to this community for help getting started on a saltwater tank. I have purchased a waterbox 25 peninsula AIO as my tank. I have also purchased an in tank first chamber basket and protein skimmer to capitalize on the vertical space in my sump. I have Helios dual 100W titanium heaters with the external temp controller. A Nero 3 and hygger mini powerheads. Autoaqua two in one AWC and ATO. Instant ocean sea salt. Dr. Tim's fishless cycling bacteria and ammonium chloride. API master saltwater test kit. 40 pounds of life rock. 10 pounds Live aragonite and 20 pounds of normal aragonite. A reef AI 16 HD light. Was just looking for any helpful advice and tips regarding first time set up. Equipment recommendations. Stocking suggestions. Etc. I would like to do a mixed reef with a goby and shrimp. I want anemone and coral, but i know they usually arent compatible in a smaller tank. I would like it to be a colorful and rather flashy tank. Thank you and I'm happy to be a part of this community!

Greetings!m Ed! Good to have you here! Gotta ask, what kinds of arachnids did (do) you keep? When I was a kid (lol, 50 years ago), we had an orange striped Tarantula. Named him Fang. He lived 15 years. Great spider.

 

[1112-425XL]