What else do i need?!

reef addicted · Oct 13, 2016

Ok so i been doing saltwater for a lil while and been enjoying every bit of it.so i just got a brand new 100g tank with a sump (which i never have used before so new to sumps sorta) right now im waiting for my return pump to come in so i can get my water in my tank. I also have a skimmer coming in as well thats rated for a 130g, and have a t5 with mh and 100lbs of live rock. So the big question? What else do i need? Media? What kind? Anything you guys or gals would recomend? My plan is to have a predator reef tank. Couple lionfish maybe a eel not a huge moray... but smaller. Thats the only fish i really want in there. And im gonna have zoas, acro, lps i wanna be able to grow everything. Any suggestions of what i should do i appreciate it. Im very excited to get this going.

MasterBacon · Oct 13, 2016

Predators have huge bioloads. More rock, media reactors to help export all the excessive amounts of nutrients if you want to have corals. Algae scrubbers etc
My .02 for thought.

4FordFamily · Oct 13, 2016

MasterBacon said:
Predators have huge bioloads. More rock, media reactors to help export all the excessive amounts of nutrients if you want to have corals. Algae scrubbers etc
My .02 for thought.

X2

The high nutrients that will be present with predators in a tank that size (or any size) with the added sunlight of your tanks current position in front of the window and you'll be scrubbing algae every other day and you'll burn out from that. Pest algae will be more likely to take over as well.

If entertaining the idea of predators you'll need a MASSIVE skimmer, lots of water changes, perhaps a turf scrubber, and either way if possible I recommend you move the tank away from the window. I'm not sure if that's a plausible idea but it will save you a lot of trouble and the window glare won't detract from the beauty of the tank then, either.

With eels you'll also want a tight fitting screen so it cannot jump out as they're notorious for becoming dried cheetos on the floor like wrasse.

tom reilly · Oct 13, 2016

Paint back and sides of tank and keep blinds closed.
You may deal with heat issues from the window. I have the same situation and have to put a fan over sump to cool water. $10.00 Walmart clip on fan .

Wilsoni · Oct 13, 2016

+1 on painting the back. Alternately you could put down a layer of black vinyl which would be fairly easy.

In terms of eels, I can say that the Golden Dwarf Moray Eel is an excellent choice for a reef tank because they don't get too large and they're not as aggressive as other species. But the downside is that they are rather small and fairly reclusive. In a 100 gallon tank, you'd probably only see it poke it's head out when it's dinner time. A Snowflake Moray would most likely be your best bet.

As for the Lionfish, I can't really chime in because I don't have any experience with them. But I do know that they're not an ideal choice for a reef tank as they make it extremely difficult to perform any in-tank maintenance. Just think about it drifting towards you when you're trying to glue a frag down. You'll be playing a game of dodge ball

tom reilly · Oct 13, 2016

That looks like a lot of sand too. How deep is the sand bed?

luke33 · Oct 13, 2016

The most important thing to have when starting a reef tank is a quality RODI. Quality heater, refractometer are also on the list

ihavecrabs · Oct 13, 2016

Invest in some good nitrate and phosphate test kits. You'll need to monitor those with your choice in fish. I expect you'll have trouble keeping those in acro range but the softies and LPS would likely do fine (under 20ppm nitrate)

Definitely +1 on blacking out the back or the window. Algae will be tough to combat with that level of nutrients [emoji4]

reef addicted · Oct 13, 2016

Thanks guys and its only about a inch i will be adding more and right now i am debating about painting the back . Great ideas. And i will be using ro di the tds is 0 at our shop so thank goodness for that. And for the windows im thinking about putting black out curtains. Would that be enough to block out heat and light?

BluewaterLa · Oct 14, 2016

reef addicted said:
Thanks guys and its only about a inch i will be adding more and right now i am debating about painting the back . Great ideas. And i will be using ro di the tds is 0 at our shop so thank goodness for that. And for the windows im thinking about putting black out curtains. Would that be enough to block out heat and light?

A good set of black out curtains is a great thing to have
Here in the southern part of Louisiana the heat can work an AC unit to the max and windows seem to let a good amount of thermal energy in so my house is filled with black out curtains. They come in a variety of colors and fabric design.

My 90 was in the living room between two windows and two on the other wall, no issues with light or heat.
My 210 is covering a huge picture window in my kitchen and one on the side wall as well.
6 black out curtains later, three for each window and bingo
No outside light and the temp is far more optimal for the tank.
They help insulate the windows in the summer and winter as well so they do save a buck or two on the electrical bill.

As others have stated with a predator tank they will need over sized skimming and other means of filtration for nutrient export. Messy eaters foul the water when they I take food and get rid of it through the other business end.
Good luck and happy reefing
BluewaterLa / mike