some advice needed: new aquarium

alan · Jul 10, 2013

hey guys so i recently decided to take the jump from tropical to marine i recently purchased a tank which is 280 liters
with the tank comes a overhead lighting system a wave machine and a tetra 1200 external filter, i have also ordered a protein skimmer and about to start making a sump, my question is have i missed anything important or will this setup do? i was hoping to make it a reef aquarium. many thanks

alan · Jul 10, 2013

also just in the middle of ordering a ro/di filter

Reefing Madness · Jul 10, 2013

http://znnea.rmuvx.servertrust.com/default.asp

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=power+heads&_sacat=0&_odkw=salt+water+refractometer&_osacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-0-10-Salinity-Refractometer-Salt-Water-Aquarium-/251140605905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a792587d1

http://www.marcorocks.com/

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock.html

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-substrate/ps/c/3578/9805

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html

http://live-plants.com/

http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/what-your-coral-needs/

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=t-5+lighting&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=cree+led+aquarium&_sacat=0&_odkw=t-5+lighting&_osacat=0

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/saltwater-aquarium-salt-water-mix/ps/c/3578/4685

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15473

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4749

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4145

[TD="class: xl24, width: 1761"]#1-Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhikers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon. You can use Fully Cured Live Rock, and have the tank cycled in just a few days also. Other way is to use just a couple of pounds of Live Rock and the rest Macro or Dry Rock.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#2-Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#3-Multiple Power heads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph power heads.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#4-Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume. Unless your tank is under 30g, in which case you can do 10% water changes a week to rid the system of detrius. But, you'll have to watch the water parameters close, if things go haywire, you'll have to do more water changes.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#5-Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Test for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"][/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#6-Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#7-Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#8-Rubber kitchen gloves[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#9-Fish net[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#10-Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#11-Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl26"]#12-Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#13-Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#14-Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl25"]#15-Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank[/TD]

[TD="class: xl24"]#16-Heater rated for your size tank.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#17-Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#18-Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate. There is also a Digital Meter that is way advanced if you have the cash.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#19-Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, or GFO and such)[/TD]

[TD="class: xl26"]#20-Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.[/TD]

[TD="class: xl27"]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=aquarium+heater&_sacat=20754&_odkw=power+heads&_osacat=0[/TD]

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[TD="class: xl28"] Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand [/TD]

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revhtree · Jul 10, 2013

Sounds like you got what you need to get it started.

What type of lighting do you have?

alan · Jul 10, 2013

thankyou Reefing Madness for your detailed reply it was very helpful and revhtree it has 4t5 overhead lights 2 white and 2 blue i'll replace the bulbs and buy new ones maybe the high output ones i hope this lighting system is powerful enough for soft corals, il post wattage etc later when tank is delivered , thanks

Djannel · Jul 10, 2013

Go with ATI bulbs. I've been using the setup below with great success on my Dimmable Sunpower.

For soft corals, you really don't need a lot of light BUT in case you want to get into LPS or even SPS, the bulb combo below should be more than enough.

2 Blue Plus - 1 Purple Plus and 1 Aqua Blue

Aquablue: Combines the properties of a full-spectrum bulb with an elevated blue color peak producing a bulb with an approximate color temperature of 15000K

Blue Plus: Combines the properties of a blue bulb (approximately 460nm) with an actinic bulb (approximately 420nm) producing an intense blue light with high PAR numbers and a light spectrum that encourages both bluing in SPS corals and fluorescence in capable corals.

Purple Plus: Combines the properties of a full spectrum bulb with strong red and blue components producing a bulb with excellent color-rendition that works very well for bringing out the pinks, purples and reds in an aquarium.

alan · Jul 11, 2013

thankyou i had a quick read and think i will go for that same light set up

looks very good for corals

alan · Jul 11, 2013

so this is the tank i paid Â£66.00 for it came with the cabinet, light, heater's and a tetra 1200 pump that the old owner brought 5weeks ago, did i do well? excuse the look i haven't set it up as going on holiday sunday so waiting till im back to start it

Reefing Madness · Jul 11, 2013

alan · Jul 11, 2013

im taking thta as a yes then lol

glad i spotted it for so cheap tbh

Smnparish · Jul 11, 2013

Seems to be a good deal! IMO you don't even need the filter, just the skimmer and weekly water changes. Make sure you rinse out the tank and test it for leaks too!