New To It, All I Need To Start A Reef?

[Fingers68]

Hi there.
I am new to aquariums and am buying my first setup. I have take advice from people who I know who are in the know and I will be so far starting with.

New Juwel Vision 180 with 2 standard T5's + 2 more added to make 4 T5's.
Standard heater Juwel Vision 180.
I will be removing the Juwel Vision 180 filter.
20 kg of mature established live rock, with corrals growing.
New Live Sand.
Full of mature water.
Protein Skimmer.

The plan is to have fish, colourful corral and possibly in the future, sea enenimy, but one step at a time. Using the Berlin system of not filtering and using the rock as nature intended.

I will be starting off some easy to keep fish that like to get along together.

There is much learning to do so any tips or suggestions would be gratefully received.

Thanks

 

[SkiFletch]

If you're going to use high powered lights for corals and down the road might want to try anemones there's one crucial thing you're missing. An RO unit and a TDS meter to diagnose it's performance. Using tapwater will likely doom you to a life of nuisance algae and frustration. RO is really a must for reef tanks.

Also don't forget a device to measure salinity (hydrometer and refractometer). While hydrometers are cheaper, you get what you pay for. I've been the victim of and read countless stories of people having trouble with their reef tanks only to find that their cheap-O $10 hydrometer had drifted up on them and their salinity drifted up too. Affordable refractometers do need to be calibrated on a known saline solution (which you can make with salt and a 2L bottle) but once calibrated they don't drift like the cheap hydrometers do.

 

[rabbut]

I'd start with all fresh Salt RO. Old water contains nothing extra beneficial, but may lack some essential nutrients and/or elements and contain some polutants. Live sand is a rip off, it's actually dead. Save some cash and get Argonite, it will seed from the live rock. Enough pumps to push 4000lph would be needed for corals also I recomend Tunze pumps, but the Koralias from Hydor are supposed to be good also

Other than that, looks like a good plan

All the best
Rabbut

 

[seffieuk]

to the salty side - looking forward to watching your tank progress

Seffie x

 

[Fingers68]

thanks for the tips

I will be getting an RO unit also.

As for the Circulation Pumps is it wise to go for two at either end of tank with a timer to create a sort of wave current effect, or is this not possible?

 

[kj23502]

Alternate the placement of the the power heads to give optimum amount of flow to the live rock.

Have you read these?
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=138236

 

[Fingers68]

Ive made a start and its now day 6

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=272870