Hello. My 1st Marine Tank!

[daneeboy]

Hello all,

im from Lancs. just set up my first maine tank. Been doing loads of reasearch for a couple of months and buying bits and bobs. My setup so far.

36x15x12 display tank.
20 Kilo LR
aragonite coral sand
2 Seio 620's
2 39w T5's 1 white, 1 atinic. (need some more i know)

26x15x15 sump divided into 3 sections, skimmer/return/refugium
with a bit of sand and Lr in there i had left over.
eheim 1262 return pump.
2 T8 tubes for lighting.

do my own RO water and used red sea salt.

I built the stand and hood myselt (need to build another hood to allow a bit more air circulation) and i drilled tank for overflow into sump.

ive got everything running now, water 1.026, temp 80f with the 20 kilo of LR. A few things are coming to life on the rock already. I dumped a prawn in the tank last night to jump start the cycle, after lights went out a crab hitchiker appeared and ate the whole thing!!!

here is a pic of my aquascaping so far, its about my 3rd go at it. im pretty pleased with it. The right hand section is ok, just not to sure about the middle bit yet. The pic was taken mins after id put everything in, the water is a lot clearer now. I'll start to test the water tonight, not done any as the rock has only been in there 48 hours. The pic looks very blue, the camera has done that its not as blue to the naked eye.

Question is, what lights should i get now. i was speking to the guy i got my rock off and he says i can get away with T5 no problem as my tank is only 15 deep. He said the Power compacts are not as bright as a standard T5 tube tho. Whats everyones view on that ?

Should i get.
another double 39w 34" tubes, one white one blue.
a double 55w 21 inch power compacts
a 150w metal halide ?

Cheers
Dan

 

[Navarre]

It really depends what type of corals you intend keeping. Most corals will be fine under T5s (probably even sps corals with a tank of this size) but if you want to keep sps corals such as acropora then you might as well spend the extra money and get the halides now rather than purchasing later on if and when you ever decide to upgrade the tank for a larger one and the T5s wont be man enough for it.

 

[SkiFletch]

He said the Power compacts are not as bright as a standard T5 tube tho.

Yeah, thats totally false. PC bulbs are essentially twin tube T5s. They have more than double the output and an increased ability to punch through water over T5s. With T5s on a tank that deep, you would struggle to keep SPS. If you had PCs on a tank that deep you could keep just about anything except for really demanding sps and clams might also be tough

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Make sure you have high quality polihed reflectors with PC's, otherwie they have very poor PAR.

 

[daneeboy]

Hmmmm. im still undecided what to do. i could get a MH and be ready for future upgrades, but i dont have any space to upgrade where i live now with out some reall change rounds and changing wooden floors to concrete floors etc..

I would only be keeping fish and maybe some softies in this tank.

the PC's are a lot cheaper than standard T5's, why is that ? to get another twin T5 would be about £80-90 but a twin power compact would be about £60.

I would buy a MH but i would need a chiller if i got one, my temp already raises by about 4 degree during the day as it is. Also i have a very very nosey cat so a open top tank isnt really a option.

Ive still got a little bit of time to decide as my cycle only just started.

 

[DebsR]

I think your aquascaping looks lovely, I have just set up a tank and mine looks a little too "set up" if you know what I mean, I think I am going to change it!!

 

[daneeboy]

cheers ive changed it round a little since then but its still very similar. My first attempt looked like a big wall!! i had to put some rock in the sump otherwise the tank looked too full.

 

[DebsR]

I got the 2 x 55w compacts in 50/50 white blue each bulb - I got the full unit to take 2 bulbs (with reflectors and plastic cover, starter) plus two bulbs for about £100 from Aquatics Online - It was the ASL unit. (delivered really quick) I'm no expert as I have just set up too! but it looks great!!!

 

[daneeboy]

Im going to hold out for a 150w halide i think, would make things easier i think. i missed out on one yesterday for £40!! gutted. but a few people emailed me about ones they looking to sell.

i think if i bought more T5's i might regret it, im re making my hood so may as well make it for a halide.

got to try and catch a crab and a mantis shrimp (i think) before i start adding any clean up crew.

The shirmp ive found is living in a hole in the rock, i cant get a pic of it but can try describe it best i can. Its white, has long tentacle things its picking algae off the rock with to eat. It has 1 big right arm and 1 much much smaller left arm both look to have claws. On the rear has a horizontal tail fin.

From the pics ive seen it does look like a mantis, but not heard it clicking while its having a dig yet. need to try and bait it out to catch it.

 

[SkiFletch]

Prolly not a mantis, their claws are very distinctive and the same size . I think I know the type of shrimp you're describing as I've seen it MANY times divin on reefs, I just dont know its name. MIGHT be a breed of pistol shrimp...

 

[daneeboy]

The one big arm and one little arm did make me wonder a little. Its still in its little hole and being shy, but its not shy of the torch i was using last night after lights out.

i read somewhere that pistol shrimps (or some of them ?) are blind so maybe thats why the light doesnt bother it ?

i did a google image search on psitol shrimps and found a few pics that look very similar have to keep my eye on him to see if he does more than stick his head out the hole.