you guys REALLY need a sticky for this sort of question!!
right, story goes, i/we have an empty jewel vision 260, and i REALLY like the look of the marine fish, BUT initial set up scares and just down right confuses me! Ive seen alot of abbreviations floating around and quite franky, i cant get mt head around them!!
my questions/queries are as follows
is it easier to maintain a fish only tank as apposed to a reef + fish tank?
Well of course that depends upon the type of coral or fish you choose to keep. Some corals require more work just as some fish require more work. In the maintenance department, however, it will be the same regardless of whether you keep corals or just fish.
i assume you'd still need live rock in a fish only tank?
In my opinion, and in the opinion of others, Live rock is they key to long term success in any tank. It's benefits are far beyond any other option. It is in itself, a natural filter for your tank. They are possibly millions of different organisms living on the rock (most beneficial...) which help in keep your tank going amazing!
would a protein skimmer + external canister (tetratec EX1200) be sufficient for filtration as i have no idea about sumps or how they even work?
The idea of a sump is very simple. It is basically just a small tank underneath the main tank. It's purpose is mainly to add more water volume to your set-up, because more water = better. Say you have 30G tank, generally you would have a 10G sump underneath, so technically you have 40G of water (not accounting for displacement) which will dilute toxins in the water much easier. Sumps are also useful for many other reasons. You can put your protein skimmer, heater, and many other things down there where they won't be an eye nuisance. They can also house macroalgae, small little bugs (like copepods) and many other things which contribute to the health of your tank; the later is more commonly referred to a refugium rather than a sump.In conclusion, sumps/refugiums are definitely worth looking at.
is a power head necessary in fish only tank?
That will depend upon if there is any other source of water flow in the tank. The output coming from a sump is generally enough water flow, but realize that corals aren't the only ones who need good water flow, fish do too. So unless you have a great source of water flow, you will need a powerhead regardless of what you decide to keep.
id guess properly cleaned play sand would be sufficient substrate?
Not necessarily. Play sand contains silicate, which has been debating among many whether or not it has any bad effects in the tank. In addition to that, silicate is very rough, very sharp, so it is harder on any organisms that you may have going through your sand (like sandsifting fish, or snails etc.). Aragonite sand is definitely the recommended sand for a marine tank. It is calcium carbonate based, and because of this, will add an extra boost to your pH level.
i like the idea of having corals in the tank, but do they require more maintenance that fish only tanks?
As said above, it depends. But generally, no.
also i hear/see alot of talk about keeping the levels down/up etc, what exactly needs to be looked at and how are they delt with?
The levels are the different water parameters and can range from a number of things. The most commonly looked at one would probably be nitRATes (NO3). What should you keep them at? Ideal is 0, but nearly impossible to achieve for many people, the most important thing is to keep them as low as possible. Below 20ppm is usually best. High nitrates over a long period of time can greatly effect all of the life in your tank. The easiest way to keep them down? Water changes and good filtration.
Others Include Ammonia (NH3) or nitRITes (NO2) which should ALWAYS be 0. These are more toxic than nitRATes and you should not have a problem with these until something has gone wrong.
pH: a pH of 8.2-8.6 is usually ideal. Most people do not have a problem with pH, because the sand and live rock and salt will help to keep it buffered up to where it needs to be.
Salinity/Density or the amount of salt in your tank. This can be different for different people, but i believe the most important thing is consistency. Just keep it at your preferred level as constantly as possible. The general level is 1.020 - 1.026; I am a personal fan of 1.024. Lower salinity can be more harmful to invertebrates and corals than to fish.
Calcium (Ca): If you do start to do some corals, Ca might be something you need to look at. A good level for Ca is around 450ppm, and will usually need to be added quite often (depends in certain factors) in order to keep the level up because all of the corals and invertebrates in your tank will suck it up and use it quickly.
kH (hardness of your water): Often a forgotten one. Too low can cause a significant decrease in growth of certain organisms in your tank especially in coral and coralline alga (good alga
). good to have is around 8-12 degrees. Co-ensides with pH a bit, infact it helps to buffer up your pH.
Hope I helped!
