Mr.September15
Chuck Norris is the reason why waldo's hiding
The almost complete Guide for Newbie’s!
Alright so I got a bit ticked off about how every other day there’s been a new guy on the marine section asking the same questions that can be found in earlier posts. The search tool on here is your friend and I think every person should use it (including me). So to kick start things off I've decided to make this topic so it will hopefully be pinned in every marine section except for hardware since I'll probably skim over it.
Here are different Q & A's:
How much fish can I fit into my tank?
-In the marine world we use a different type of measurement for how many fish you can fit per gallon of water. The difference is, is that in the freshwater tanks you can have 1inch of fish per gallon. In the marine world its about 1inch of fish per 5 gallons of water which limits you to the number of fish you can get in a small nano.
Lynden Says:There are so many things to consider here, such as territoriality, bioload, et cetera. For instance, many Morays and Eels can be accomodated in tanks shorter than they are, because they are adept at squeezing through small spaces. However, a 5' Grouper in an 8' by 2' by 2' tank is wholly unnaceptable. Also, many fishes are intent on "ruling the tank", such as Alogo Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus), and require understocked tanks, or else they will wreak havoc.
How much L.R is needed in a marine tank?
-The rule of thumb is 1lb per gallon.
Lynden Says:Again, this is untrue. Marine tanks can function even in the abscence of live rock, or they can have more rocks than water. Live rock is actually more about personal preference, unless Dragonets, Sand-sifting Gobies, etc are intended to be kept. Before the Berlin system was introduced, aquarists did not use live rock at all.
What do I need to test for?
-The things you need to test for are the basic Nitrate, Nitrite ,pH, Ammonia, Alkalinity and Calcium. Alkalinity and Calcium are mainly used when you have corals.
Do I need live sand?
-It’s useful to get live sand to put in more good bacteria into your tank. However some people are successful without Live Sand.
Can I use tap water in my reef tank?
-I've seen people do it, but it's resulted in many crashes from algae blooms etc. The preferred water source to use is R/O water or Reverse Osmosis water which contains no heavy metals. For a tank the size of a 10-20 gallon you can buy the water from the store or you can buy an R/O unit which filters out tap water and produces R/O water.
What are powerheads?
-Powerheads are water pumps used for flow and circulation in a marine tank. The rule of thumb is a 20x turnover. For example in a 10gallon tank you would need at least a 200gph powerhead. Another thing, it can often be best to split up the total gph that you need into 3/4 powerheads so you can position them around your tank to avoid deadspots.
Lynden:Again, flow rate needs depend on the inhabitants.
How do I go about doing water changes?
-When doing water changes you must pre-mix the RO water with your salt before adding it to the tank, adding salt to the tank will cause fluctuations in the salinity or specific gravity (s.g.) which could damage your fish and corals.
What is a hydrometer?
-A hydrometer is a tool used to measure the salinity and specific gravity (S.G) of a tank. The S.G in a tank should be around 1.026 which is the closest to regular sea water. You can also use a refractometer which is more accurate.
Can I use table salt?
-No, instead used artificial sea salt. You can find this at any LFS, some popular brands are Red Sea and Instant Ocean.
Can I get saltwater from the sea?
-Of course! Except do not collect it from the shore as it may be contaminated with different chemicals, so try to collect offshore and away from any sewer drains.
What are the different necessities in keeping a fish only tank and a fish with coral tank?
-Fish only tank with L.R consist of having what it says which is Fish with L.R that can survive with minimal lighting. Fish with corals is a different story, when keeping corals you need good light. It depends from the depth of the tank since it’s obviously easier to get light through 12inches then it is to 30inches. Very common lighting choices are Metal Halides and Power Compacts with Metal Halides being the best but expensive.
Do I need a skimmer?
-Not necessarily, I've heard of people going skim less and relied on there L.R to do most of the filtration. Tanks under 15gallons do not need a skimmer but anything above that is advised to have one.
How do I get rid of algae blooms?
-To do that you need a clean up crew which mainly consists of different snails, shrimp, and hermit crabs. The rule of thumb is 1 C.U.C (clean up crew) per gallon. So in a 10gallon tank you would need 10 clean up crew members which can vary. Also adding a phosphate remover in your filter can lower the growth of algae.
*What are the advantages of a deep sand bed (DSB) and disadvantages?
-Anearobic bacteria is encouraged and held in the grains of the DSB where it utilises biologoical waste and turns it into nitrogen gas. A DSB is also used for a fishes need to dig, some fish create there homes in DSB.
Lynden Says:Again, sand bed depth depends on personal preference. There is also no proof that a deep sand bed is more effective at denitrification than a regular sand bed, and on occasion, such as with no regular stirring by animals or by hand, deep sand beds can become ticking time bombs that can nuke a tank on the slightest provocation. They are also not very natural; real coral reefs have gravel, rubble or rock for bottoms. Areas of deep, fine sand are restricted to the shore and lagoon areas, because in a turbulent area such as a coral reef, any fine sand would be quickly blown away. Belive me, I've both studied it, as well as seen it for myself
*What is a sump?
-A sump is another tank linked to your main tank, it is often hidden in the cabinet of the display tank, this can house all your equipment leaving your display tank clutter free, add a large volume of water to your tank (the more water the more stable it is) house more live rock for extra filtration
What is a refugium?
-A refugium people use to house chaeto which help get rid of nitrates, it also helps provide food for pod eaters such as Mandarin Goby's.
* Means i'm not sure of the information and would like to get it verified.
If anyone wants to add in any information that I didn't include or information that you don't agree with please reply or PM me and I will add it in or change it.
P.S: This is a guide for the new guys to use as a question and answer thread also.
Oopsies 
. I was totally out of it yesterday night. Didn't get to sleep until 2:30 and its now 6:30am yay for school. 
I'll change all the information and input you gave me 
People like you keep the forum running 
be sure to research from many different points, and build your opinion or "factbase" from that.
