Greetings, Can Someone Sling Me Some Advice.

[sorgan]

right guys and gals since i was a kid i have loved aquariums, my dad had tropical fish for much of my childhood and i remember happy days spent in the local 'fish shop' getting swimmers to put in his tank.
many years later and i find myself able to have an aquarium of my own, my intrest lays however in marine fish rather then tropical.
here are the questions, regarding the tank (as a starting point)

number 1 - is this 'Orca TL550 Nano Reef Marine Aquarium and Cabinet' a good one? i dont want to start with a reef right away but hope to go in that direction.

number 2 - live rock, will live rock breed more live rock? will it 'seed the sand? can i start with a few kilos and let it grow or do i need lots, i ask this as i see it will cost a few hundred quid for a sizable amount

number 3 - i want to have some fish (obviously) but also would like other life such as crabs, starfish ect (soft corals and anenenenenomes are a no no for now as they seem to be extra moody) how will crusties manage with the fish? i inteand to get gobi, clown fish and something wierd looking, i understand its a slow process adding criiters to the tank and inteand to do it very slowly to avoid casualties(any ideas on a wierd hardy fish)

thanks in advance and sorry for all my questions, you will be getting many more before im ready to buy

 

[ben1987]

1. the tl550 is a good starting pint, ask seffie

2. you cant breed rock, rock is rock! buy enought live rock to set the tank up properly. 1 kilo per 2.2 gallons

3. anenomes are realy hard to keep, soft corals arent though.

 

[seffieuk]

Sorgan both to TFF and the salty side

As Ben said the Orca is a good starter tank and can teach you a lot however if you decide to go that route do yourself a favour and buy a different base, the orca base is cheap and pretty useless for storage.

Tale a look at my thread in the nano section (when you have a few hours )

Seffie x

 

[sorgan]

cheers seffie, your thread is... erm... informative.

a few more questions, is there anything else i should add to that particulr tank (hardware that is, LR and sand i understand)

i see you like coral, is it expensive,is it easy to keep alive and can you breed it?

better start looking for LR me thinks.

 

[aly_starh]

Powerheads, heater, protien skimmer

Regarding corals: Frags are cheaper, id opt for Mushrooms , zoas, xenia etc.

 

[sorgan]

ok i think heater and protien skimmer are included, power heads seem easy to find.

back to my questions on LR, obviously i know that rock doesnt breed (duh) what i meant was this - if i had some live rock and sat it on or around some suitible non-live rock would said rock become live? they must be able to do it somehow or we would of stripped the oceans bare (which i do not want)

regarding fish, will this tank be large enough for 4 fish, CUC (im learning the lingo) and various coral? i did quite fancy a crab but they seem to be a little naughty.
thanks again and sorry for the constant questions

 

[Harry1996]

i think some people make there own live rock but i havnt. its hard to do sometimes.
you could still have a crab like a pom pom crab or something. the tank should be large enough for 4 fish maybe 5 but it depends on the size of the fish. i was going to set up an orca tl550 but i didnt have enough space death wise. read mine and seffies journal mine isint a journal but its has lots of Qs and As in there that you might ask. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/311294-im-thinking-of-buying-a-orca-tl550/

 

[seffieuk]

cheers seffie, your thread is... erm... informative.
thats one word for it, others might say 'barking'

a few more questions, is there anything else i should add to that particulr tank (hardware that is, LR and sand i understand)

just the powerhead, a koralia 2 is ideal and a refractometer + good algae magent

i see you like coral, is it expensive,is it easy to keep alive and can you breed it?

As long aas you buy from reefers it affordable, but can cget expensive for the less common corals

better start looking for LR me thinks.

Indeed, look for a reefer breaking down a tank

Seffie x

 

[sorgan]

ok, im almost ready to start buying stuff so here is my shopping list -

orca tl 550 aquarium and stand (i know the stand sucks but ho hum)

coral sand (how much should i get)

refractometer (will a hydrometer do, i make beer at home so i am quite handy taking S.G readings)

Glass cleaner scrubby thingly doodle

Live rock (approx 14kg)

sea salt mix and RO water

power head (koralia 2 - is thisit?

ammonia, nitrate, nitrite test kit (is that right)

now this will do to start wont it? i know fish and coral will not be able to live in the tank for a bit (until its ammonia cycle thing is done, right?)
so i will tackle other expenses when the residents are going to move in.

another question, in my dads trop tank he used to periodically clean the gravel using a syphon like device to pull filth from the tank bed, is this the same with marine or is this what the little critters that live in the LR and the CUC are used for?

many thanks guys for you patience.

 

[aly_starh]

List is great!
Coral sand, i am using 4KG in 65L. So taht will give you an idea.

Yep, thats the Koralia Powerhead.

And yes, the CUC will take care of most/if not all, the tank cleaning (apart from WC) so there is no need to Syphon the sand.

HTH

 

[sorgan]

ive just found a local selling

The JUWEL TRIGON 190 Aquarium & Cabinets are an instant attraction for any corner. The curved front glass adds depth to the aquarium not seen before.
Aquarium & Cabinet Complete.

A Trigon Aquarium is equipped with:
- High-Lite light unit including tubes
- Bio filter including pump and filtermedia
- heater
Comes with at least 25kg of live rock, sand and has been cycled, ready for marine fish.
for £300
bargain i know and it will make life alot easier as he can talk me through the set up (selling due to upgrade)

problem, he seems to think its 90ltrs, internet says 190ltrs, how dou you move 190ltrs of water 20 miles?

also he says the water is cold but he runs the pump once a week to keep the LR ok, does this sound ok or am i being blagged?

 

[chr15_8]

if he runs the pump for a day and has no heat in the tank then the rock will dead and no use.

As the name suggest (like you said) i would imagine its 190 liters (how ever not 100% sure as have never owned a jewel)

im near enough positive on the above. im sure someone else will comment soon enough to comfirm.