Newbie To The Salt!

[kj23502]

 

[seffieuk]

Ollie

what are your plans.....................how exciting, another two tanks to watch and hopefully some funny antics along the way Must admit the two best things I did when converting to the salty side where:

my sister doing the same thing at the same time
becoming an active member here on the salty side of life at TFF

Iv'e had a great time and met some of the best people

So a huge welcome to the both of you, enjoy the ride

Sefffie x

 

[Olllie]

afternoon people...


so now for my story (so as not to be portrayed by that "phoenixwizard" one... )

i currently have a rena panorama 120 community tank setup inluding:

6 kribensis ( 2 male 2 female and 2 female babies)
5 clown loach's
2 flying fox's
4 golden barbs
15 or so rummy nose tetra's
4 scissor tails
1 golden nugget
3 bristlenose plecs

ive had the tank up and running now for about 6 months and so far and really only set it up as a community tank so as of such to get into the "sport"...

so what i plan on doing

- 2 x t8 lighting units...
- clear out all the fish plants sand and bogwood e.t.c....
- fit all new filter media with suitible salt water stuff and replace all pipe work
- fit a v2 400 protein skimmer (abit on the pricey side... can anyone give us another options... hang on preferd)
- i think im not going to put live sand in but use that crushed coral stuff and initially fill the tank "floor" with that and and slowly add live rock (too much dolla to do it all at once $$$)
buy a BIG tub of salt and fill it with RO water.... unless charlie can sort me out an alternative from whatever he was saying...
- fit maybe 1 or 2 power heads to aid the circulation of the water over and arond the rocks..

(leave the tank for a month or so slowly adding more live rock so as to "mature" the system)

then once i have all the salinity levels and all that sort of stuff right i may add a fish or too and a little bit of live reef.. or maybe a "clean up crew"

eventually i think i will add a uv steraliser and a fluidised bed filter to aid in water quality and the times up which i will have to do water changes...

whaddya think?

Im trying my best to read read and read some more...

Advice welcome!!

Olllie

 

[seffieuk]

afternoon people...

so what i plan on doing

- 2 x t8 lighting units...

If you are planning on more than low light corals the T8s will not be enough

- clear out all the fish plants sand and bogwood e.t.c....
- fit all new filter media with suitible salt water stuff and replace all pipe work

All you need is live rock for your filter

- fit a v2 400 protein skimmer (abit on the pricey side... can anyone give us another options... hang on preferd)

You can find bargain skimmers second hand

- i think im not going to put live sand in but use that crushed coral stuff and initially fill the tank "floor" with that and and slowly add live rock (too much dolla to do it all at once $$$)

Aragonite is what you need try to buy all your lr at once, so you have one cycle - even if it means waiting whilst you save up - you can get lr bargains at the moment from fleabay and UR, from about £4:40/£5:00 a K

buy a BIG tub of salt and fill it with RO water.... unless charlie can sort me out an alternative from whatever he was saying...

D & D salt is popular at the moment, but you may have to buy online - I assume you mean fill the tank with RO - are you going to buy an RO unit?

- fit maybe 1 or 2 power heads to aid the circulation of the water over and arond the rocks..

Yes, get yourself two, Korallia 2, one for either side - again look on fleabay and UR

(leave the tank for a month or so slowly adding more live rock so as to "mature" the system)

Not such a good plan, save up and do it all at once

then once i have all the salinity levels and all that sort of stuff right i may add a fish or too and a little bit of live reef.. or maybe a "clean up crew"

Buy a refractometer

eventually i think i will add a uv steraliser and a fluidised bed filter to aid in water quality and the times up which i will have to do water changes...

You only really need a UV if you have a problem and you don't need a fluidised sand bed

whaddya think?

Im trying my best to read read and read some more...

Read and ask loads of questions also be aware that lfs don't always have the best interests of your tank in mind

Advice welcome!!

Olllie

So what are your plans? FOWLR - a full reef ?

Seffie x

 

[PhoenixWizard]

Hello all!..

Update to my status. as Ollie's at work and im on a days holiday haha

Currently i dont have the exact dimensions or make of my tank as it was a custome built one which i got off someone will get those for you soon :

I have got :

Berlin Airlift Skimmer 45 - This is a start up skimmer, will look at upgrading after a while.
Coral Sand
Live Aragonite Sand
Refractometer.
Using an additional External filter to help with flow and obv filtration.

Still to get next week or week after:
2x Powerheads - still researching most of you guys still recommend korallia.

Was thinking about using a spray bar thoughts please?

Friend has told me his Fish shop is getting some extra large Salt Tubs this coming week (diff brands)

Between 15-20Kgs of LR or 8-12Kgs of LR with 8-10Kgs of ocean rock and allow to seed again thoughts on that please?

Crushed LR and Rowaphos for the external filter.

Try to tap my friend up for the package leftovers from the transport of corals and LR to help seed and mature tank.

Thinking of using DI water to fill tank bout 3/4 then add salt water purchased from LFS or use DI for whole tank?

Really unsure on lighting to be using?.. This is my biggest confusion!?

Red Sea marine test kit? Again thoughts on this one?

Plan will be reef and fish set-up when complete!

 

[seffieuk]

Hello all!..

Update to my status. as Ollie's at work and im on a days holiday haha

Currently i dont have the exact dimensions or make of my tank as it was a custome built one which i got off someone will get those for you soon :

I have got :

Berlin Airlift Skimmer 45 - This is a start up skimmer, will look at upgrading after a while.
Coral Sand
Live Aragonite Sand Don't buy live sand - it's a rip-off
Refractometer.
Using an additional External filter to help with flow and obv filtration.

Still to get next week or week after:
2x Powerheads - still researching most of you guys still recommend korallia.

Yep unless you got money burning in your pocket, then go for streams, vortech or polario

Was thinking about using a spray bar thoughts please?

Had one in my orca and liked it

Friend has told me his Fish shop is getting some extra large Salt Tubs this coming week (diff brands)

Between 15-20Kgs of LR or 8-12Kgs of LR with 8-10Kgs of ocean rock and allow to seed again thoughts on that please?

Difficult to help you here, not knowing how big the tank will be?

Crushed LR and Rowaphos for the external filter.

Good

Try to tap my friend up for the package leftovers from the transport of corals and LR to help seed and mature tank.



Thinking of using DI water to fill tank bout 3/4 then add salt water purchased from LFS or use DI for whole tank?

Buy yourself an RO unit - will save money long term and the water will be purer - you can mix your first match of water and salt in the tank

Really unsure on lighting to be using?.. This is my biggest confusion!?

All according what your plans are?

Red Sea marine test kit? Again thoughts on this one?

Nah, go for salifert

Plan will be reef and fish set-up when complete!

Fun, all this planning

Seffie x

 

[PhoenixWizard]

I agree its great planinng what ill be doing, not got a hole burnt in my pocket yet so the korallia will do for now

PLan is really to start out with some easy to keep coral and easy to grow coral. Not really decided on fish yet.

Tank (as im not at home atm) is roughly 3ft3inches long 2ft tall (give or take) n 1 n half ft deep (i believe) will gte exact dimensions and liter size when im home although sure its between 300-350l


Never mind on the aragonite sand already got it i did see everyone say that it was a rip off but then a gd few people said aragonite sand was the way to go..... Its ok as i got it cheap

 

[Olllie]

for me i want i reef.... what would you recommend for my lighting? i have a rena panorama 120... 340l i think with pre -installed light rails and unit...
any other ideas on lighting?

on the discussion of external's are you saying to just take out all the filter media and fill it with fragments of live rock and this thing you so call "Rowaphos"... will search it now...

Aragonite.. will search about this now too..


Thanks again seffie

Ollie

 

[seffieuk]

for me i want i reef.... what would you recommend for my lighting? i have a rena panorama 120... 340l i think with pre -installed light rails and unit...
any other ideas on lighting?

does it have t5 or t8? you can use either of these, t8 would only be good enough for very low light corals such as mushrooms, T5s would be better, you could even keep a few hard corals under T5 . An arcadia would fit over it nicely

on the discussion of external's are you saying to just take out all the filter media and fill it with fragments of live rock and this thing you so call "Rowaphos"... will search it now...

I wouldn't run an external at all, but if you are going to yes, take out the filter media and fill with live rock rubbble and rowaphos

Aragonite.. will search about this now too..


Thanks again seffie

No problem

Ollie

Seffie x