Setting Up A Marine Tank

[Aquascaper]

Sumps are always a good option if you have the space and skills to set one up due to the many benefits they bring to a marine system.

When looking at flow you need to add up powerheads and the sump return/filter output to aim for x20 - x30. You are trying to mimic natural conditions in the sea so uniformity isn't the aim. Offset powerheads, different flow rated powerheads and positioning all comes into it as well as how the live rock is laid out. You need good flow over and through the live rock to allow it to filter the water, different corals will want different flow rates and you want to eliminate 'dead spots' so water doesn't stagnate. It's not easy but a lot simpler when the tanks up and running. Some people use a few large powerheads, others use multiple small ones....it all depends on your tank.

Aim to get as much live rock as your budget will allow, I would say it's the single most important thing in a marine tank and not worth scrimping on.

If you get a bigger tank all it means is more live rock and maybe another powerhead or two

I would always recommend testing your own water with liquid test kits but how you get water is personal preference. You can buy RO and mix your own saltwater or you can buy pre-mixed saltwater all depends on your situation. In time you may decide to get your own RO unit and make your own....who knows

HTH

 

[sausagewinkle]

Thank you

So, water is my issue at the minute.

Tap water cant be used? RO water or ready mixed salt water must be bought?
Sorry I cant quite get my head around this...

 

[Aquascaper]

Tapwater can be used but it's a gamble. You have no way of knowing what is in it with regards to trace elements, metal compounds, etc. the best you can do is test it for nitrates and phosphates really.

RO water is 'clean' and means you know what's being added to the tank, albeit lacking some things you may want but these can be added as supplements if required.

It will always be recommended to use RO water for marine tanks so the option there is to either buy it from the LFS (usually turn up with a container, fill it and pay) or buy an RO unit and run it at home thus making your own.

When it comes to saltwater you can either mix your own at home (using RO water preferably) or buy it pre-mixed. Not all LFS sell pre-mixed and parameters can vary so it's worth checking before you decide.

 

[sausagewinkle]

So the majority of people dont use tap water?
Is it the same process of dechlorinating as with tropical fish?

 

[Aquascaper]

Yeah, same process to remove chlorine/chloramine but there still could be trace elements that could harm the tanks inhabitants such as copper, etc. so one that removes brace metals as well would be preferable.

RO will always win the argument but many people run successful tanks using tapwater. I live in the highlands of Scotland so our tapwater has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates and pH of 7.0 which is ideal but there still could be stuff in there I don't want so I use RO (because my LFS is 17 miles away I'm getting my own unit soon).

 

[sausagewinkle]

Cheers aquascaper.

Just been reading up on RO units and how they work etc, very time consuming for large quantities of water and a lot of water seems to go to waste. Not as expensive as i thought they would be to buy though.
Approx how much does RO cost to buy?

Questions questions questions and a lot more to come

 

[Aquascaper]

A fairly decent RO/DI unit will cost in the region of £100 depending in how many stages and it's output.

Buying RO from an LFS varies with the size of the shop, mine is quite small and they're RO is 80p/litre or £1.25/litre for pre-mixed. The bigger the shop the bigger the setup, etc. so prices reflect that.

It's just a matter of pricing up the cost of the RO, travel to and from LFS, your time and any containers you need against the cost of a home setup with associated running costs like water rates, replacement parts, etc. For me it works out a lot cheaper to get my own setup at home.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Its more the initial set up of the tank that would be extreme costs, filling up a 180 litre or a 260 litre with purchased water..

 

[Aquascaper]

Some people recommend the initial filling be done with tapwater (as long as it's 'safe') as this will prime the tank with trace elements and then go on to use RO for top ups and water changes. This is what I've always done and never come across any issues.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Sounds alot more cost friendly that way

Will find out tomorrow what tank will be used, Rio 180 or new Vision 260 (if i win it on ebay). Then I will begin to buy all that I need.

Would 20kg of live rock be sufficient for 260L ?

 

[Aquascaper]

20kg is a little on the low side, should be aiming for 25kg - 30kg IMO but it's a very good start.

You can add more later to spread the cost but remember that there may be some die-off depending on how long it's transported for, etc. so any additional pieces should be added slowly and parameter spikes watched for.

There's no set 'rule' for the amount of LR but, as it's your filter, the more the merrier. My last reef was a 40g with a 10g sump and I ended up with around 65kg - 70kg of LR in there as I was breaking down a 160g setup.....the fish loved it, especially the Mandarin

 

[sausagewinkle]

Our new marine aquarium will officially be Vision 260

 

[Aquascaper]

Excellent news

I have one in the kitchen for the wife's african clawed frogs, lovely tanks especially for marine due to the height.

My advice....paint the back with black tile paint

 

[sausagewinkle]

Will be back with MORE questions once the tank is collected tomorrow.
There is a skimmer with the tank as it has previously been used as marine

 

[sausagewinkle]

Right so now I have our new vision 260, all cleaned and ready to go.
Have ordered a new T5 lighting unit to replace the T8 unit that came with the tank.

Going to run the marisys (sure people will disagree with this) along with with a canister filter (maybe).

Need a idea of what power heads to order...

Live rock, going to buy 25kg, found a place online but have another local to go to tonight to check their prices.

Substrate... my local sells crushed coral, which is better? this or coral sand... or are they the same???

oh, skimmer. Also have a skimmer, unsure of make etc.