Finally Joining The Salty Side!

[Stampos]

Hi All,

After selling my 5ft Malawi set up last year I thought I had gotten over fishkeeping. (indoors at least!)

Unfortunately the bug is too strong for me to stay away and after visiting some LFS with a friend who was picking some bits up for his tank, I found myself looking at the marine tanks

So, I've now order my tank, the Interpet River Reef 94l. I realise that it will require some upgrades to make it better for keeping corals, but the features it has coupled with the great price I paid means I'm more than happy!

I have some questions if some of you would be so kind to answer them?

1.) I read that I need 10kg of live rock to filter this tank. Can I house 9kg in the display and have 1kg of rubble in the filter section? Or should I start with 10kg in the display and add the rubble later?

2.) I have been advised to avoid Koralia Nano powerheads and have been recommended the Newave 1000 - would one of these be sufficient for good turnover?

3.) Will I need to use carbon and rowaphos straight away with no fish load? As in start using it as soon as the LR is placed in the tank?

4.) I would like to run a skimmer as I feel anything that can help maintain water quality cannot be ignored, which is the best model for this tank?

5.)Which salt is recommended? I will initially use my LFS for RO but intend to mix the water myself to ensure consistency.

Thanks in advance for your help,

A very excited Simon

 

[sorgan]

Hi All,

After selling my 5ft Malawi set up last year I thought I had gotten over fishkeeping. (indoors at least!)

Unfortunately the bug is too strong for me to stay away and after visiting some LFS with a friend who was picking some bits up for his tank, I found myself looking at the marine tanks

So, I've now order my tank, the Interpet River Reef 94l. I realise that it will require some upgrades to make it better for keeping corals, but the features it has coupled with the great price I paid means I'm more than happy!
WOOT
I have some questions if some of you would be so kind to answer them?
Maybe, depends how i feel.

1.) I read that I need 10kg of live rock to filter this tank. Can I house 9kg in the display and have 1kg of rubble in the filter section? Or should I start with 10kg in the display and add the rubble later?
either but i would say go for 9kg in the tank and 1 in the back from the go.
2.) I have been advised to avoid Koralia Nano powerheads and have been recommended the Newave 1000 - would one of these be sufficient for good turnover?
i use koralia nano's and i find them to be one of the best powerheads ive had to date.
3.) Will I need to use carbon and rowaphos straight away with no fish load? As in start using it as soon as the LR is placed in the tank?
rowa can help with the algae bloom but carbon isnt needed really untill you start to stock.
4.) I would like to run a skimmer as I feel anything that can help maintain water quality cannot be ignored, which is the best model for this tank?
i think one is
skimmer wise is what ever you can get to fit the tank lol, i tend to avoid TMC stuff like the plague but it may have to be a V25.)
Which salt is recommended? I will initially use my LFS for RO but intend to mix the water myself to ensure consistency.
i use red sea max but kent is good as is H2
Thanks in advance for your help,

A very excited Simon

 

[seffieuk]

Simon, you are at the start of a very exciting journey, woo hoo............. we would love to follow your progress and help you along the way, how about starting a journel

For the price you cant beat koralia powerheads, goodness only knows why someone would tell you otherwise!

Seffie x

ps you wait till you start pet rock watching..............you will be glued to the tank. Take a look at Simonas journel, he has the same tank as you

 

[Stampos]

Thanks guys

Seffie, the two separate LFS I've spoken with have both said the newave has a smaller profile, better flow and consumes less power? I originally would have gone koralia but now I'm not sure!

I will certainly be starting a diary, I've learnt so much from reading the ones on here (yours particularly caught my imagination) and it will be good to see the development

If you had to recommend a salt for reef use, which would it be? I can only seem to find Tropic Marin and Red Sea locally

Thanks again,

Simon

 

[HappyGeorge]

Welcome

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the Queen of marine I will declare that I have the Newave 1000 and it's turnover is plenty enough for my 80l, in fact have to be careful where I point it as it, it is also silent which I'm sure the nano is too. I also ordered a Koralia by mistake and they are pretty much the same inside and I seem to remember that flow is the same but power consumption on the Newave is less, and the Newave has adjustable flow which I don't think the Koralia has. Don't think you can go far wrong with either.

I also don't run a skimmer I just have filter floss over the intake and change it once a week, have just sponge filter block in the sump to support the floss and a bag of Rowaphos also do a 10l change once a week. The tank is a little over stocked at the moment but have what seems to be a balanced CUC and nitrates below 5, the tanks been running almost 3 months and is showing good growth of coralline algae and the button polyps are spreading.

 

[seffieuk]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the Queen of marine

I along with several others on here buy h2o salt - it has a good calcium and mag level which is important when you start getting hard corals I buy mine online

Seffie x

 

[Stampos]

Thanks George and Seffie

I have decided to hold off deciding upon which powerhead to use until I am ready to add corals, so I'll just use an old Resun one I have for cycling.

Today I received a phonecall telling me my tank will be delivered tomorrow morning! Expect a diary soon after!

I also popped down my LFS for a chat and to get a few bits to get me started. I have 100l of salted RO being made ready for collection tomorrow (they use Red Sea coral pro, and I will use this when I mix my own) and also bought a 25l barrel for RO storage. The salted RO is mixed to 1.024 SG (I think that is correct?) and only cost £3 per 25l!

I also purchased some LR, which they are kindly holding for me in their curing VAT. One piece is a lovely plating piece

Picked up 12kg of coral sand also, I was offered the live sand but did not like the grain size.

Still some bits to get like a refractometer and test kit (Salifert?) but certainly things are getting very exciting now!!

Simon