Starting A Marine Tank

[CroNiC]

I'm getting a tank next week, and am planning on going marine. I've done a bunch of reading, but obviously still not ready. The tank's going to be 120 US Gallons (not sure on dimensions yet). I definitely want to do reef, with corals and anemones. I also have a fish list in mind ... but i'm sure it'll change over time.
Anyway here's what I have that I need to focus on right now:
List of necessary items

Tank
Stand
Canopy
Lighting 300 Watts
Sump
Overflow Box Siphons water out of the tank into the sump
Pumps (Powerheads) 2x (100 -200 gph)
Storage Box (Trash Can)
Larger Pump Main Return (750 gph)
Filter for Sump
Submersible Heater (For Sump)
Skimmer
Master Test Kit
Hydrometer
Salt
Live Rock Cured/Base Rock Base Rock - 1/3 Volume
Live Sand (4 in.) ?
Clean-Up Crew crabs, snails, sea cucombers, brittle stars, etc

Ok so now I'm going to bombard you guys with questions:
(I'm going to start reading journals today, so hopefully I can find some of these answers there.)

Im confused on what exactly the RO Unit is (and how to install it).
I'm also guessing I'll have to work on a sump.
What should go in the sump?
How should I go about drilling the tank?
How does an overflow box work?
What does a skimmer actually do (and is it placed in the tank or sump?)
The amount of GPH per powerhead and Return Pump? What's a hydrometer, and how important is it?
How much salt should I need for a 120 gallon tank.
What's better (or more easier), Live Rock, or Live Cured Rock. How does the return pump work (what are the input/output's?)


Thanks alot ... I can't wait

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Just a quick answer to a couple of your questions, Buy a refractometer instead of a Hydrometer, much more accurate apparently, and avoid live sand, its a big rip off, get the dry coral sand instead (argonite i think), I am only in the process of setting mine up, but i have heard these tips lots of times

good luck

 

[CroNiC]

What's the difference between the two? And why is a refractometer better than hydrometers (just curious)?

Dry Coral Sand, ok thanks, i'll keep that in mind. Why is regular sand a rip off, and is dry coral sand the stuff that's used in most tanks?
Also i'm guessing dry coral sand isn't live sand? Nothing wrong with that right?

 

[ben1987]

RO water is reverse osmosis water. Its tap water sent through a few filters to purify it. They usually install by clamping onto your copper pipe.

Sumps for added water volume. Hiding any equipment - skimmer and heater etc. Any algae or live rock rubble you want in there

Either pay to get the tank drilled at a glass merchants or get a diamond tipped hole saw for your drill. Keep it very wet and cool and dont put much pressure on the drill. #My holes took 15 mins each.

A skimmer skims out disolved proteins in the water (i think thats right) yeah they are best in the sump because the are not attractive

The gph our of your powerheads need to add upto about 20x the voluime of the tank so 120gal x 20 so 2400gal + thats usually the minimum

hydrometor measures salt. refractometors are more accurate.

Cured live rock is best but more expensive. You need to get that in the tank sharpish after you but it to stop the little creatures in it dying off. So set the tank up and get it running before you even think about buying LR. Salted and heated everything.

You will need other water test kits ammonia, nitrate, nitrite.

As for the siphon boxes some have a habit of losing siphon in a power cut so google durso stand pipe.

What's the difference between the two? And why is a refractometer better than hydrometers (just curious)?

Dry Coral Sand, ok thanks, i'll keep that in mind. Why is regular sand a rip off, and is dry coral sand the stuff that's used in most tanks?
Also i'm guessing dry coral sand isn't live sand? Nothing wrong with that right?

Live sand is a rip off because its bagged up with no oxygen so how can anything be live? its just wet sand. Normal sand will become live after being in the tank with Live Rock

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Live sand as far as i have seen is sold in bags containing water, it is supposed to contain lots of life and is much more expensive, but as i have read on here, most of, if not all life is distroyed in transit and storing, it has normally been subjected to so many different tempetures that its very hard for anything to survive, dry sand will become live over time in your tank (i think).

 

[VictorMeldrew]

You will need about 52 kilo's of live rock if you want to go reef, that could cost as about £500

 

[ben1987]

id expect a deal buying that much LR. Its also good to look in classifieds and stuff for people selling their rock. usually cheaper and better

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, LS is a gimmick. Think about it this way, how long has that bag been sealed away from all oxygen, sitting on warehouse shelves at the distributor in God knows what temperature for weeks, perhaps even months? Then to get ground shipped in plain boxes (usually too warm or too cold for reef life) to your LFS where it sits for a little while longer (still deprived of Oxygen) before you come along and buy it. Try holding your breath for a month, subjecting yourself to extreme heat and cold, going for a cross-country car trip, and then sit around and hold your breath for another month and see how good you last . A few lonely bacteria might live, but all the real beneficial organisms (snails, brittlestars, microfauna, etc) will perish. LR however contains all the good things you'll need in your sand bed and will eventually properly seed it

You're gonna have a lot of work ahead of you, lots to read up on. Usually the first step is to decide which type of marine tank you want. Fish Only (FO), Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR), or a full blown Reef with corals. That basic choice will really dictate what hardware you ultimately choose.

A 120g "standard" tank is 4x2x2', is that what yours is? At that large size of tank, you're gonna need BIG pumps and powerheads. If you want a sump, the general rule of thumb is 5x tank volume in actual flowrate through the sump, so around 600gph. You'll need a pump capable of probably 1000-12000gph to actually get that 600 you want because of head losses if your sump is a typical "under tank" sump. And in the display you'll need a lot of flowrate as well either from powerheads or a closed loop setup. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500gph minimum, depending on what livestock you want to keep.

Things get complicated quick, so lets back up and figure out what livestock you like first

Oh, and US or UK?

 

[VictorMeldrew]

id expect a deal buying that much LR. Its also good to look in classifieds and stuff for people selling their rock. usually cheaper and better

Yes i agree, but i have seen live rock in places for £15 a kilo, so yeah shop around and get a good deal, i am hoping to do a deal with a lfs, i want to get 40k for £300 or less

 

[CroNiC]

I'm looking into a full blown reef tank. Would you guys rather suggest a 120 US Gallon tank or something smaller like a 75 gallon?
Also for the holes in the tank, im no expert at drilling, but I do have some experience. Are they hard to drill?? My sump's going to be the "typical under the tank" type, so i'll be looking into big pumps I guess. Where can I find these massive pumps ... liveaquaria? So .. alot of stuff depends on the livestock I'm going to get ... here is a simple list:

Stocking Options Water Options
Kaudern's Cardinalfish 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Ocellaris Clownfish 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Blue Tang 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Carpenters' Flasher Wrasse 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Fridmani Pseudochromis 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Royal Gramma Basslet 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Gold Assessor Basslet 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Bicolor Blenny 72-78° F, sg 1.021-1.023, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Yellowtail Damsel Fish 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Firefish 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Yellow Tang - Hawaii 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Long Fairy Wrasse 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Harelquin Tusk 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12

Since I'm getting a large tank I REALLY WANT BIG FISH (obviously very few on the list get big.) The problem is that most big fish aren't reef compatible ... or not compatible with some of the fish. I love triggerfish ... i g2g post back later

 

[andywg]

What's the difference between the two? And why is a refractometer better than hydrometers (just curious)?

A hydrometer measures the specific gravity of water and from there gives an idea to salinity. A refractometer measures the refractive index of the water and from there deduces the salinity.

People assume refractometers are more accurate because they take less work to get what feels like a fairly accurate reading. The truth is that at the price point we buy they are both as inaccurate as each other. Anyone thinking they are getting a laboratory grade refractometer for £30 is sadly mistaken. In fact, in tests I recall that the hydrometers are more accurate than refractometers, but the difference is negligible. The important thing is to buy one, learn how to use and look after it properly and then calibrate it against a known salinity solution.

Calibrating refractometers like we can afford against RO water will almost surely result in wayward readings at full marine strength.

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Most people prefer refractometers, well thats what i have found on this forum anyway, put to the poll

Although andywg puts up a very good argument against them

 

[CroNiC]

Sorry for leaving so abruptly...

So anyway, i've posted the stock list .. I hope i'm able to narrow down more stuff ... like the flow rate?

How often do you guys use RO Water, how much, and how does it cost alot?
Is it better to install an RO Unit, and is this really complicated (or the everyday household thing where a guy comes over and installs it)?
What is RO water used for? To fill up the tank at first, or just to replace the water later on when doing cleaning.

O and im from the US - NJ

 

[ben1987]

You install the RO thing yourself its literally a 5 minute job. I use RO water to replace 10% of my tank water once a week. Then top up evaporation to keep the salt level stable every few days.

 

[norite]

For a tank that size, it's definitely worth getting an RO unit, it'll pay for itself in no time. Get one with a deionising unit; that'll give you really clean water They are pretty simple to install. Tee off an existing pipe and plumb it into that.