Help Setting Up My New Marine Tank

[australia]

hey all iv been a tropical fish keeper for over 2 years....i have setup a marine system and i failed, but i think i now know enough to set one up with success........what are some good beginner salt water fish? im thinking of running a canister filter with matrix will this be cool? the tank is 2x2x2 and the filter will be a aquaone 1250.....


cheers damo

 

[TigerIssey]

Will you be going fish only, fish only with LR or Full reef??

 

[australia]

Will you be going fish only, fish only with LR or Full reef??

hey


Fish and LR only

 

[TigerIssey]

You could use the canister for LR rubble and for carbon and phosphate remover, other than that, it would need very regular cleaning. Nitrates would build up, you would have a lot of algae. Won't make as much difference as if it were a reef tank, but you may want to go down the coral route after a while. Most people succumb to the addiction.

 

[seffieuk]

to the salty side australia


lets start at the top:

Tank - 250 litres, which is a very good size
Live Rock - 28/32 k
Powerheads (flow) - you said fish only, so flow of 20 x 250 = 5000 - go for at least two powerheads, which ones?
SG - around 1.024
Water. if i where you i would go with RO water just in case you change your mind about corals, so will you buy your own unit or buy from lfs?
Sand - aragonite, not live sand in a packet from lfs, it's a rip off, about 20 lbs
buckets for mixing salty stuff
skimmer?
Heaters x 2 x 100 watts, which ones? try not to get glass
powerhead and heater for mixing salty stuff
refractometer
salt
test kits, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, for the moment
syphon
Patience
research, read journels
questions, ask, ask and then ask some more

you don't need an external with media - the media tends to get very dirty quickly and causes problems for a newbie

Let us help you set-up and be successful this time, we enjoy it

Do you know about the cycling process on the salty side? I assuming you are not having a sump?

Seffie x

 

[australia]

to the salty side australia


lets start at the top:

Tank - 250 litres, which is a very good size
Live Rock - 28/32 k
Powerheads (flow) - you said fish only, so flow of 20 x 250 = 5000 - go for at least two powerheads, which ones?
SG - around 1.024
Water. if i where you i would go with RO water just in case you change your mind about corals, so will you buy your own unit or buy from lfs?
Sand - aragonite, not live sand in a packet from lfs, it's a rip off, about 20 lbs
buckets for mixing salty stuff
skimmer?
Heaters x 2 x 100 watts, which ones? try not to get glass
powerhead and heater for mixing salty stuff
refractometer
salt
test kits, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, for the moment
syphon
Patience
research, read journels
questions, ask, ask and then ask some more

you don't need an external with media - the media tends to get very dirty quickly and causes problems for a newbie

Let us help you set-up and be successful this time, we enjoy it

Do you know about the cycling process on the salty side? I assuming you are not having a sump?

Seffie x

Thanks Alot.....

so around 30kg of liverock? for power heads am i looking at say 2 x 2500?

also if i run a canister what is the best media for marine?

can i use just any fluro lighting on this systerm?


what is phosphate remover?

 

[SkiFletch]

Since you're running FOWLR, feel free to impliment pretty much any canister you want. Do yourself a favor and use very low powered lights, maybe a single T8 strip flourescent. Will cut down on nuisance algaes.

 

[Luketendo]

You might want a phosphate test kit because as with nitrates phosphates contribute to algae.

 

[australia]

You might want a phosphate test kit because as with nitrates phosphates contribute to algae.

i dont understand why will nitates build up if i have good filteration and i am doing regular water changes?

 

[Luketendo]

You might want a phosphate test kit because as with nitrates phosphates contribute to algae.

i dont understand why will nitates build up if i have good filteration and i am doing regular water changes?

That will help but some people have nitrate problems and some don't. I don't really know much about why because I've been lucky as the marco algae on the rocks has had mine at 0 since I started.

 

[seffieuk]

As Ski says, as you are going fowlr your lighting only needs to be basic - however if there is any chance you might want to add some corals and most do, then i would suggest you get a tank with t5 lighting, then you would just be able to change the tubes.

cycle will cause nitrites and nitrates but with regular water changes and good maintanance you should be able to keep them <10

As for media in your external: live rock rubble and a phophate remover.

Luke mentioned phosphate testing - once your cycle is over that will be the next test kit to buy

Seffie x

 

[SkiFletch]

i dont understand why will nitates build up if i have good filteration and i am doing regular water changes?

You'd be surprised about the frequency with which you may need to do water changes to keep nitrates low enough to deter nuisance algae all by itself. And don't forget, waterchanges in the marine world cost more than in the freshwater one... You do still ahve to add salt

My point is, if you keep the light level low AND get lazy, or have life come at you and prevent you from doing these regular waterchanges, even if nitrates rise a little, you won't have enough light to support the photosynthesis the algae requires. Make sense?

 

[australia]

i dont understand why will nitates build up if i have good filteration and i am doing regular water changes?

You'd be surprised about the frequency with which you may need to do water changes to keep nitrates low enough to deter nuisance algae all by itself. And don't forget, waterchanges in the marine world cost more than in the freshwater one... You do still ahve to add salt

My point is, if you keep the light level low AND get lazy, or have life come at you and prevent you from doing these regular waterchanges, even if nitrates rise a little, you won't have enough light to support the photosynthesis the algae requires. Make sense?

Yes thanks.

I went to my LFS today and brought some Sea water that has came from the sea. i have put it into my aquarium and the salanity is 1.030 ...what reading does sea water normaly give you? also this may sound like a stupid question....but.......should i use marine buffer for ph or is the sea water ph good?


i was also told to have a substrate 4inches thick....a couple of LFS staff have told me this will make a cycle and keep all the good bacteria in the tank...is this true?

becuase i just put water into my new aquarium its a little cloudy from the substrate, i want to leave it overnight but i have 20kg of live rock in a foam box full of water and i dont want to put it into the tank entill it clears up.....will the live rock be all good in a foam box for 24hours? they have plenty of sea water....

 

[Buddyboy67]

I'd be looking at an sg of a max 1.026 in my reef and for fish only between 1.018 up to 1.026....check the sg of the tanks in your lfs and aim for that, if yours is too high you can dilute it with fresh water, preferably ro....
I also run a deep sand bed and these, when mature, will help in breaking down nitrates into it's component elements and reducing levels , along with regular water changes...
Best get your rock into the tank as well , if not heating and giving circulation in box, as a large amount of die off on your rock will take place..won't mind the cloudines and any sediment that settles over it can easily be syphoned off...

hope this helps

 

[australia]

ok i dont get why sea water is 1.030 and i cant use this for my fish?