Plans for first reef tank (25 Gallon Mixed Reef)

BitFix · Dec 3, 2018

Hi, I'm brand new in the reefing comunity,I've already had some experience with freshwater, but not with saltwater, so please help me with my plans. I am planning on setting up my first reef tank. However, before that I want to get as much information and advice as possible. It is also worth noting that I don’t live in the USA, so most of the products availed there won’t be available to me, so DIY or more universal options are preferable (about equipment).

It´s going to be a 25 gallon (60x36x45 cm/23x14x17 in) mixed reef tank with manly soft and a few LPS Coral. I also plan to make a custom sump that will hold about 10 more gallons with a small skimmer (designed for 100 liters), a refugium with chaetomorpha and microfauna (Tisbe copepods and Gammarus amphipods), a 200W heater and maybe a small ATO (if it fits).

I plan on having an Ocellaris clownfish pair, 1 Yellow Watchman Goby, 1 Orchid dottyback or Royal Gramma, and 1 Cardinal Pajama or Yellow Tail Damsel. Also, plan to buy one or two shrimps, either the cleaner or peppermint shrimp.

As for the cleanup crew, I plan on adding as needed a fighting conch or some Nassarius snails, some Astrea snails and some hermit crabs.

I will also have easy Soft and LPS corals, like Palythoas, Toadstool, Candy Cane, Blastomussa… and after 6 months a Bubble tip Anemone

In addition, my last questions are, will 400GPH work well for the sump return pump in my tank? And will 600-700 GPH flow work well?

Here's an image showing my plans (sorry for it being made on paint):

Retro Reefer · Dec 3, 2018

Welcome to R2R!! Everything looks good except you really don’t need a 200w heater on a 25 unless your in a cold environment 100w should be fine and 400gph return pump on a 25 is probably going to be to much unless your also running reactors with it or plan on dialing it way down.. 10x tank volume is the general rule for return but a lot of people these days run a lot less, I’m turning over about 300gph on a 40 gallon tank

BitFix · Dec 3, 2018

Retro Reefer said:
Welcome to R2R!! Everything looks good except you really don’t need a 200w heater on a 25 unless your in a cold environment 100w should be fine and 400gph return pump on a 25 is probably going to be to much unless your also running reactors with it or plan on dialing it way down.. 10x tank volume is the general rule for return but a lot of people these days run a lot less, I’m turning over about 300gph on a 40 gallon tank

I don't plan on runing any reactor yet, mostly because I'll have few Stony corals, so I imagine water changes will be able to keep up with the calcium demand. And about the return pump, I chose that volume because I read a bit about head pressure of the plumbing, but do you feel like that's just unecessary?