Need Help Want Salt Water Tank
- Thread starter forest1
- Start date
Hi mate im pretty new to marine setups myself. I've had mine about a month now but It was already established when I had it.
The best thing to do is to read the journals as it will give you a very good idea on exactly what you'll need and what to expect. They certainly helped me out
The basics you'll need to get the tank running for now is
RO water
Reef salt
200w heater
Marine lamps actinic/White at least 10000k
Refractometer for measuring salinity
Test kits (most important thing)
Coral sand aragonite
Live rock ( try to get cured) will need around 12kg min
Powerhead/s 2000lph
You will need the above to start off with and then you'll need to think about
Protein skimmer
Activated carbon
Phosphate remover
Once you have the tank filled with RO water get the tank up to temp (26) get your powerhead/s running, add correct amount of salt to bring salinity up 1.025 then you can
add live your live rock (live rock is the heart and lungs of the tank. This is your biological filter) and then your sand.
Then it's pet rock watching (watching tiny little organisms come to life) and then you nitrogen cycle begins. Test daily until your ammonia and nitrite read 0 then do a large water change 40/50% to bring nitrate level down, test again 24 hrs later and if all good then add your CUC (snails/hermits/shrimp) these will keep your algae and mess under control.
Test water weekly (ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,ph,kh,salinity,phosphate etc) and do 10% water change with RO salt water ( plain RO water for top offs) water will evaporate but salt content won't so keep testing salinity level
Setting up can be a bit stressful and test your patience but patience is the key in this game and you will be rewarded with a beautiful tank.
Please check out the journals they are a bug help.
Have fun mate and welcome to the salty side of life.
Anyone want to correct/add anything?
The best thing to do is to read the journals as it will give you a very good idea on exactly what you'll need and what to expect. They certainly helped me out
The basics you'll need to get the tank running for now is
RO water
Reef salt
200w heater
Marine lamps actinic/White at least 10000k
Refractometer for measuring salinity
Test kits (most important thing)
Coral sand aragonite
Live rock ( try to get cured) will need around 12kg min
Powerhead/s 2000lph
You will need the above to start off with and then you'll need to think about
Protein skimmer
Activated carbon
Phosphate remover
Once you have the tank filled with RO water get the tank up to temp (26) get your powerhead/s running, add correct amount of salt to bring salinity up 1.025 then you can
add live your live rock (live rock is the heart and lungs of the tank. This is your biological filter) and then your sand.
Then it's pet rock watching (watching tiny little organisms come to life) and then you nitrogen cycle begins. Test daily until your ammonia and nitrite read 0 then do a large water change 40/50% to bring nitrate level down, test again 24 hrs later and if all good then add your CUC (snails/hermits/shrimp) these will keep your algae and mess under control.
Test water weekly (ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,ph,kh,salinity,phosphate etc) and do 10% water change with RO salt water ( plain RO water for top offs) water will evaporate but salt content won't so keep testing salinity level
Setting up can be a bit stressful and test your patience but patience is the key in this game and you will be rewarded with a beautiful tank.
Please check out the journals they are a bug help.
Have fun mate and welcome to the salty side of life.
Anyone want to correct/add anything?
ozzie2011
Fish Crazy
Have a read of this post 
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/349301-new-to-the-hobby-must-read/
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/349301-new-to-the-hobby-must-read/
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
to TFF and the salty side of the hobbySeffie x
I got a 30 gallon tank with over flow it came with a filter heater protein skimmer power head live sand test kit hydrometer and salt. I got every thing set up on friday i just need some coral live rock and fish. what type of coral live rock and fish do you recommend getting for a beginner.
ozzie2011
Fish Crazy
Mushrooms, zoas, leathers, xenia are decent nice corals to start off with. That size tank your looking at 3 or 4Max small fish in my opinion
Leave it to someone else to recommend the fish
Leave it to someone else to recommend the fish
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Forest, is it new sand in the tank or from an old tank? If from an old tank, dump it and get new aragonite 
Best bet when buying your rock, is to look around for someone breaking down a tank, you will get good rock for approx £5 a kilo rather than £12/£15 in a lfs. Many people use, tonga, fiji rock
Seffie x
Best bet when buying your rock, is to look around for someone breaking down a tank, you will get good rock for approx £5 a kilo rather than £12/£15 in a lfs. Many people use, tonga, fiji rock
Seffie x
Hi mate. I have a 28g setup and currently have around 5 small fish in there [2 clowns 3 damsels] Dont get damsels as when they get older they can be aggressive towards other fish, especially other damsels. I've taken pot luck with mine and so far are well behaved but i expect things to turn nasty so will be off loading 2 of them soon as i want a royal gramma anyway.
Leave any corals for the time being, even if your tank has cycled. Corals/inverts are alot more sensitive to water params than fish and really need an established tank for them to be happy. Personaly I'd wait until your tank has finished its cycle and then give it at least 6 weeks for the tank to start maturing before adding any coral.
I'd say max 3 to 4 small fish [can go higher but need to think about bioload. More frequent water changes to compensate for increased levels of nitrate etc.
Also if your adding LR try to get it all in at once [if funds allow] as every time you add a new piece of live rock it stands a good chance your tank could be thrown into a mini cycle causing an Ammonia spike while the rock 'cures'.
TEST WEEKLY!........Have fun mate!
Leave any corals for the time being, even if your tank has cycled. Corals/inverts are alot more sensitive to water params than fish and really need an established tank for them to be happy. Personaly I'd wait until your tank has finished its cycle and then give it at least 6 weeks for the tank to start maturing before adding any coral.
I'd say max 3 to 4 small fish [can go higher but need to think about bioload. More frequent water changes to compensate for increased levels of nitrate etc.
Also if your adding LR try to get it all in at once [if funds allow] as every time you add a new piece of live rock it stands a good chance your tank could be thrown into a mini cycle causing an Ammonia spike while the rock 'cures'.
TEST WEEKLY!........Have fun mate!
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