New Marine Tank

[GShorty1981]

Yeah i dont think they have to be as expensive as people think,i think my set up would of cost me more if i kept Mbuna Cichlids or something.

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

I found my cichlids quite expensive.

I have a question which I hope someone can answer for me:
Do you have to use RO water from the lfs or can I just dechlorinate some tap water and add in salt? Like I would normally clean out my freshwaters?
Also when I get round to setting up my tank can I fill it up with normal tap water then add salt and dechlorinate it when its in the aquarium?

Tom.

 

[GShorty1981]

You dont have to...i never have but it all depends on your tap water,if it is high in phosphate you will get a load of hair algae,i however have never had any.

I just dechlorinate a bucket of half tap water and have boiled kettle water then put a powerhead in the water and mix the salt over a hour or 2 then pour into the tank when i have got the salinity i want (1023)

The biggest problem i have keep salinity stable due to evaporation and stuff.

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Thats great, I didn't really want to be running back and forth from the lfs that much!

 

[ben1987]

there are alos trace metals in tap water aswel though, some of which can be harmful for fish. Water companies add stuff to make it drinking water aswel, which can be bad too.
If RO water can be had, use it. You dont want problems that can be avoided. In marines mistakes and problems can get expensive

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Ah, ok, Going back to lights... I found this Halide lights

They are £25.00 will they fit into a satndard aquarium which comes which low light flu. tubes My Tank

Whatcha Think?

Tom.

 

[ben1987]

thats a halide bulb. you would need ballast, fittings, wires and reflectors. its only 3,000K aswel marines tanks usually use 10k and upwards. The sun is 6.7k

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Do you know where I can get the whole set?

 

[ben1987]

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110317221634

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

They are slightly too expensive, my tank is 19" deep whats the min amount of light that I could get away with. I don't know if you have read SH's journal but I would like the same sought of corals that he has got Tank.

My tank is a bit larger as you can see from the link.

I would prefer to have flu. lights as I can get them cheap from my mums online shop.

regards

Tom.

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

I have decided to go with T5 lights if this is My Tank

What size lights do you think I need. I would like some corals in my tank.

regards,

Tom.

 

[ben1987]

dependins on what corals?
you could probably keep softies under a pair of tube and harder corals under 4. Make sure you buy the ones with individual reflectors though

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

I don't know if you have read SH's journal but I like the corals that he has got.

eg.

Ricordea florida
Zoanthids
Leathers and soft corals
Open Brain coral (Favites)
Fox Coral (Nemanzophyllia turbida)
Candy Cane (Caulastrea furcata)
Pineapple or Branched Cup coral (Blastomussa)
Yellow fiji leather coral
Colony polyps (palythoa)
Cauliflower Colt (claiella sp.)
Starburst polyp (Clavularia viridis)
Kenya Tree Coral (Capnella sp.)
Button Coral (Scolymia sp.)

Those are some of my favourite corals.

Tom.

 

[ben1987]

get as much light as youcan fit/afford and then you wont be as limited. Once you get into it you will want to try new stuff so best to future proof yourself now as much as you can rather than buy stuff twice

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Yep that sounds good.

Can I fit in T5s into that rio 125 or will it require different fittings?