biggy
New Member
Hi all im a total beginer and in need of some help im from west midlands i have just got hold of a aquareef 275 im not sure if i have all parts to run in real need of someones experienced advice and help if possible many thanks jay
total beginer n boy do i need help lol
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FL_Reefer
Valuable Member
Well first thing I suggest is to do some reading, as much as you can and ask as many questions as needed. Now back to your tank. Can you post some pics of what you have. Also need to know what you plan on keeping in the tank. Typically you will need tank, overflow ( if not built in) pump, lights, powerheads protein skimmer, rodi unit ( or you can buy rodi water from LFS) salt, rock and some sort of substrate. I would start your reading on how you cycle a saltwater tank. There are many ways to do this. U-tube can be very helpful if your more of a visual person. There is a plethora of information on saltwater tanks and you started in the rite place here on R2R.
[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]
[TD="class: xl26"][/TD]
[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]
[TD="class: xl26"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl27, width: 1761"]#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]
[TD="class: xl26"][/TD]
[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]
[TD="class: xl26"][/TD]
[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]
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[TD="class: xl26"]#13-Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/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]
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[TD="class: xl28"]#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]
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[TD="class: xl26"]#16-Heater rated for your size tank.[/TD]
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[TD="class: xl26"]#17-Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.[/TD]
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[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: xl25"][/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: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl26"]#20-Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 1-2" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"] SC Aquariums SCA-301 65 Gallon Protein Skimmer [/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl29"]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=aquarium+heater&_sacat=20754&_odkw=power+heads&_osacat=0[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=power+heads&_sacat=0&_odkw=salt+water+refractometer&_osacat=0[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-0-10-Salinity-Refractometer-Salt-Water-Aquarium-/251140605905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a792587d1[/TD]
[TD="class: xl29"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.marcorocks.com/[/TD]
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[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock.html[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"] Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand [/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-substrate/ps/c/3578/9805[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://live-plants.com/[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/what-your-coral-needs/[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=t-5+lighting&_sacat=0[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=cree+led+aquarium&_sacat=0&_odkw=t-5+lighting&_osacat=0[/TD]
[TD="class: xl30"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/saltwater-aquarium-salt-water-mix/ps/c/3578/4685[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15473[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4749[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl25"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4145
How to set up a saltwater reef aquarium tank- REEFEDITION
[/TD]
