Starting A 33 Gallon Saltwater, Looking For Advice

Newfie403 · Jun 21, 2017

Hello all as the thread states I'm looking to start a 33 gallon tank, I'm not in a huge rush to get it going and I know I will be making mistakes but if I can get a little bit of help that would be appreciated. Also I'm working on a budget and I'm not looking to do anything crazy or fancy just want to bring life to my game room

So far i have:
-33 Gallon tank
-150 watt Heater
-Marineland C160 (got it when I bought my 45 gallon freshwater) Got told it should work fine

I know I will need a skimmer, power heads, a good light (still don't know what one to choose)
Hydrometer and test kits

So I was wondering if anyone did a canister filtration and if so what did you use inside of it?
Should I worry about brands? Is there anything else i would require to get?
I'm still doing research and got a feeling there's a lot to learn lol

aykwm · Jun 21, 2017

Welcome to the forum and the hobby.
For the canister filter you will probably not need it, in some cases if it is not maintained properly it will become a nitrate factory.
For light, if it is fish only system, any good light will be fine, but for corals you need to do some research about the light.
For brands, search for reliable brands, and don't trust the values the equipment are rated for, shoot for something around 30-50% more, so probably search for equipment that are designed for 40-50 gallons.

You will need rocks (dry or live) will help in biofiltration and recommended instead of canister filter, I would recommend getting at least one live rock to seed the other rocks.
Sand (optional), although some fish need it to hide and sleep like wrasse
Water pump for water circulation (optional, but highly recommended especially if adding corals)

I think thats most of the necessary stuff you would want, Im sure I missed some but hopefully other members will share their opinion.

Also make sure you use RODI to top off evaporated water or to use to mix new salt water, usually LFS will sell it, but you can also buy the purifier and install it at home.

Whisnantrider · Jun 21, 2017

There is no reason you can't run the canister. A lot of people say not to but it's just like anything else,if you don't clean it out and do your water changes it will be a problem but so will a sump, hang on or any other filter. You don't necessarily need a skimmer you can accomplish a successful tank with just water changes. I would suggest a really good bio media in the canister and some standard bonded filter floss. Change the floss every other day, do weekly water changes of about 10 gallons and you should be good especially if you don't want a lot of sps. If you stick to soft and lps corals then it makes lighting a lot easier to.

Newfie403 · Jun 21, 2017

I've heard the canister filter can be a nitrate factory if you don't do your regular maintenance but i feel like some filtration is better than none and i don't want to do a sump for a 33 gallon if i get a bigger tank down the road i will do a sump, and it did come with a layer of bio media so should i get another layer worth? (I should of mention that the canister is brand new never used)
I was thinking of all dry rock because i got told live rock could carry pest is that true? maybe ill do the one live rock to help out and I have bags of dry sand 0.5-1.00mm
No Skimmer eh?as for the water changes i will make sure i'll do the 10 gallon a week change and as for the tank it self i would like to do fish and corals but mainly hardy stuff for beginners lol
What kind of lights are in now and days, i've heard people are liking the LED's and should i get one with a dimmer trimmer? or is it to overrated?

Thanks for responding!

TUSI · Jun 21, 2017

Welcome to reef 2reef. My personal opinion for what it's worth. In this hobby the biggest mistakes reefers do is at the beginning not investing in the right equipment . I suggest you do your 33 gal tank as if you were doing 200 gal. If you can slip a small sump and a small bag to filter and circulate through it instead a canister will give you less headaches down the road. A new tank at the beginning will work almost any way you build it but as it gets old it will start give you problems if it's not watched and tested and maintained properly. Skimmer in my opinion is a must maybe not at the start but soon after. Good lighting is a second must and water flow / circulation. Good luck

Whisnantrider · Jun 22, 2017

You are going to get a lot of varying opinions. The truth of the matter is there is no right way to do things. Do you reading on the forum and make educated decisions.

JoshH · Jun 22, 2017

Welcome to R2R! I'm in the process of setting up my first saltwater tank as well. One thing that I noticed in your plan that seems to have been skipped is your mention of a hydrometer. If you do a little digging around you will quickly find information on the difficulty and inaccurateness of using these for testing salinity. Your best bet is to get a refractometer for far better and more accurate readings. Also be sure to purchase some calibration fluid for it as well. Overall they are relatively cheap > $40 and can save you a ton of headaches in the future. As stated above, there are literally a thousand way's of building a reef and you'll get probably double that on varying opinions. Best thing you can do is research. Start with your tank size, what you want out of the tank for corals and livestock, do some research and base your equipment purchases on that research. I know you have brushed pass the thought of a sump but in all reality a cansiter is basically an enclosed sump only much more limited. There are numerous benefits to a sump but as stated all over this site they are by no means a requirement, nor is a skimmer. But both are incredibly beneficial to first timers like us. There's a TON of information on this site as well as a ton of helpful members. Take your time and invest wisely.

Welcome to the Reef life!

Newfie403 · Jun 22, 2017

Thanks all really appreciate the help! I am taking my time and doing research, looking up RO/DI systems taking everything step by step

JoshH · Jun 22, 2017

RO/DI systems are an excellent place to start research wise, BRS and spectrapure would be you're top two to be looking at and I would highly recommend one with Two RO filters If anything only to reduce the massive amount of waste water (And there is a lot). A little more on the wallet up front but will cut your waste water in half so it will pay for itself in no time. Head to bulk reef supplies website and check out there 52 weeks of reefing, week 7 is all about RODI.

Mr.Rocc · Jun 22, 2017

Just my two cents.
Save until you can afford quality products! Not the most expensive, but something that has decent reviews and will give you exactly what you want.
I would go with a hang on the back skimmer if your going to be having corals. Aquamaxx HOB1 is a great one

Go slow and you can always check in back here before you buy! Best of luck with everything!

Mariners · Jun 22, 2017

U need to plan and research to limit mistakes:
1) sand or no sand, live rock or base rock (live rocks have their own issues)
2) fish only, fowlr (fish only w live rock), fish w coral eventually--that will allow you decide on lighting and the type of filtration you need (shortcuts will eventually lead to further problems down the road and make it more expensive in the end).
3) type of fish (also determine if fish are going to be part of the cycling period which limits choices, also if u want corals look for reef safe fish)
4) water test kits for ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (calcium, alk, phosphates also for reef) and refractometer for salinity
5) discipline to do consistent water changes (weekly or biweekly)
6) natural seawater or salt mix w an ro/di unit
7) a big mistake for new ppl imo, they dont quarantine new fish for 3-4 weeks to eliminate diseases
A) simple 5 g tank, sponge filter (for beneficial bacteria), small filter--total $30-40
B) method #1 hyposalinity imo best method or #2 5-7 minute freshwater dip before qt, followed by using praxipro and later cupramine in qt tank. All of these methods pros and cons can be seen online or this forum.

Not trying to scare you w this list but if you take a quick look in this forum you can see the mistakes that can happen without proper preparation and patience (which is probably the most important thing to remember). This hobby can be expensive and mistakes can lead to the suffering of your wallet and fish.