Rena Aqualife 600 - Is It Ok For Marine?

[adamgreen240]

Hello eyeryone, I have never done a marine tank before and i would like to start a reef tank

And i need lots of help!!

Firstly , i plan to buy a rena aqualife 600 tank. Is this ok for marine? - I know it dosent have a sump but to be honest i dont really want to plunge into one just yet.

I would just like to know whether i can have a nice reef in it with a few fish i would decide on later (Once cycled)

My shopping list would be

Marine lighting
R.O. Unit
Skimmer
Circulation Pumps
Salt
Substrate
Refractometer
Test Kit
Then live rock when set up.

Is there anything else i would need at first

Lighting

For the lighting i was maybee thinking:
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=005

Any comments? Will this lighting be ok for lots of coral?

R.O unit
I was thinking of was this one : 4 stage 100GPD with TDS meter:

http/www.ro-man.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1573

Will this be sufficient?

Skimmer(s)

Now this is where i need help! Whats a good skimmer?

I was thinking maybee the Red sea prism ones or the Vecton v2 range. What model should i go for?

Pumps (Circulation)

How many times flow should i aim for?

I was thinking Hydor Koralias. How many should i get and which model (1,2,3,4)

Salt

Same question again lol, what salt? I was thinking maybee Red Sea Coral Pro?? Any good?

Substrate

What live sand should i use?

Refractometer

Whats the best - i was thinking of a TMC vecton one?

Test Kit

I was thinking maybee the Red Sea master test kit? Any comments?

Questions

I am going to use 2 X eheim pro 3e 2078 canisters with vcton V2 600 on each output

Also 2 X 300W heaters.

Thanks in advance, i really would appreciate some help, as i would like to learn before i jump in!

Thanks, Adam

 

[ben1987]

looks ok to me, you can alway drill to add a sump later is the glass isnt tempered. Would be a lot of hasstle though.
dont buy live sand - waste of money. How can it be live in a bag with no oxygen or food for weeks on end.
deltec skimmer on that maybe?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, look into Deltec Skimmers for sure on a tank that big with that much livestock. MCE 300 or perhaps 600...

Pumps 20-30 times turnover for Softies and LPS, 50+ times turnover for SPS. Koralias are a good call. Use multiple ones (2 or 3) in case one fails you have some redundancy.

Salt, Redsea makes good stuff, so does Coralife and Seachem. Instant Ocean is cheap but has low magnesium. Reef Crystals is also a good salt brand. Not really sure what brands you can get over there in the UK though.

Agree on the LS, don't bother, just get aragonite sand.

Refractometer, get one, the brand doesnt really matter. Once you have it, make your own calibration solution and cal it to full saline. Don't cal it to 0 salt. The prisms are very accurate around the range they are calibrated, but may not be accurate far from the range calibrated at. Make sense?

Redsea master test kit is probably OK, what does it include?