Newbie To Marines Needs Advice!

[gogfumble]

Hello all!

I have been keeping coldwater and tropical for years and have decided to have a go at marines.

I have a glass tank available to me, which is 4ft wide x 20" high x 15" deep (230'ish litres) which has a weir in it. I also have a new Aqua One MariSys 240 all in one marine filtration system.

The tank hasn't got a hood or stand with it but my cousin is going to make both for me. He is an experience tropical fishkeeper and an engineer that is very experience with making such items so I know he will do me right with them.

I also have a hydrometer.

I want to take my time with this an get it completely right.

So, apart from the equipment I have mentioned above and once I have got the stand and hood, I know I will also need:

• Heater
• Sand
• Live Rock
• RO Water
• Marine Salt
• Saltwater test kit

Lighting - We will build this into the hood but some advice on bulbs would be great.


And much later of course, coral, fish and inverts

I am sure there is much more that I need! So any help with that will be great.

I bought a book today so will sit down and read that.

I originally bought a marine conversion kit for the biorb I have up in the loft but decided against that as, and I am sure you will all agree they are not the best tanks around. I also worried I would grow out of it quickly and want something bigger. So thought I might as well just go for it.

Will take my time though as I want to get this spot on.

So, any advice, tips, thoughts, links to good reads etc will be greatly appreciated.

Piccie of the tank : http/i185.photobucket.com/albums/x149/malibubbles/aquarium.png

 

[ALW]

Ok first welcome to the salty side of life. From your list you are also going to need a protein skimmer, lighting you will need either T5s metal halides or LEDs, also scrap the hydrometer and buy a refractometer they are much better and more accurate. You will also need powerheads for flow (we aim for around 20x turnover), get at least two. Good luck

Andy

 

[gogfumble]

Ok first welcome to the salty side of life. From your list you are also going to need a protein skimmer, lighting you will need either T5s metal halides or LEDs, also scrap the hydrometer and buy a refractometer they are much better and more accurate. You will also need powerheads for flow (we aim for around 20x turnover), get at least two. Good luck

Andy

Hello, thank you for your reply.

The Aqua One MariSys 240 has a protein skimmer in the unit.

I was going to go for T5s for the light, just not sure what bulbs will be best for it. I will eventually be putting coral in it so it needs to be suitable for that.

Read earlier that hydrometers were crap. Just been looking at some refractometers on Ebay.

Thanks for the info about the powerheads, not something I had looked at yet.

Erm... what else...

I have just bought a API Saltwater test kit. I use the tropical one for my tropical aquarium so thought I would stick with them. Also bought a 300W heater.

That's about it. Just reading guides and getting my head around things.

Going to pick the tank up tomorrow and then we will start planning the stand and hood build. I'll sort out the refractometer and powerheads and I think that will be it until I am ready to start setting up.

Thanks again for the help!