Whats Best For A Tank.

[James B]

hi guys.
right i am moving house soon and once in am planning on setting up a reef tank. Now as with any set up i know its never cheap but this isnt going to stop me money comes and goes (frequently going in this hobby) lol. now i was wondering if you could all guide me in the right direction. ideally i would like to have corals in there this i know means i need a metal halide (sp) light set and plenty of live rock. although i have read quite a few articles on it all and tips and hints would be great. also is a sump the best way to go and how do i build one? what should i lok for in the way of a clean up crew?. My favourite marine fish has to be clowns so i would love a pair of them and any other fish they will get along with. building a standi should be able to do my self but how much support does it all need? errrm i think thats it for now oh last one what sort of size tank should i look at getting, once under way if people would like i will recored every step on here incl photos. thanks in advance James.

 

[SkiFletch]

to the salty side of things, Quite the tall order there James You might want to start by reading the starting a marine tank sticky here atop this section. Probably the first major decision you need to make is how big a tank you want. Clownfish aren't all that restrictive from a tank size standpoint, so just how big do you want to go? In the "nano" range (5-30 gallons) you can pretty much concentrate on smaller docile fish and a bunch of corals. Nano tanks are a challenge to keep their chemistry stable with the smaller water volume. Then you move up to midsize 3 and 4 foot long tanks (40-75 gallons). In these tanks you can keep mostly the same fish as in their smaller nano cousins, but you can keep a lot more of them . Midsized tanks are pretty easy chemistry wise and IMO are the best option for a beginner (if he/she can afford it ). Also, when you start getting into midsized tanks, sumps become an excellent source of filtration. Then you have your large tanks (90-220+ gallons). With big tanks like this you can consider larger more aggressive and territorial fish, and open water swimmers, like angels, tangs or anthias. Water chemistry is comparatively very stable, and sumps are pretty much a necessity at this size. These tanks get VERY expensive when all is said and done but can be gorgeous sights to behold.

Hope that helps to start, if I get the chance later today I'll answer some of your other questions

 

[James B]

thanks for the reply. well mind made up now. 40 gallon tank as a start with sump. now to look around and see what i can get my hands on

 

[SkiFletch]

hehe, nice. 40 gallon US or UK?

So now that you've decided the tank size and that you want corals, prolly the next two issues to answer are sump and lights. Sumps are hard to explain without diagrams so I'm gonna send you over to melevsreef.com for some sump education. Lighting is your next question which at your tank size is pretty much determined by what corals you want to keep. I'll assume a 3' long tank which pretty much leaves you with 2/3 options: T5/PC (extremely similar technologies) and metal halide. T5/PC are great lights for Softies, LPS, and some of the not so picky SPS. If you want things like encrusting montiporas, green slimer acros, clams, goniopora, or anemones, then you should go with metal halides.

If you go with T5s, get 4 tubes, and if you go with PCs use 2 tubes. PC lighting is basically 2 T5 tubes ran side-by-side and connected at the end for a double power bulb. Same light quality IMO and it really depends on which fixtures are cheaper in your area for which one to choose

If you go with Metal Halide on a 3' tank you're probably looking at a single 175watt or 250watt bulb. Again, this kind of depends on availability. Currently in my 3' 45gallon tank I have a 2x96watt PC fixture. However because I want to keep SPS I'm upgrading to a single 175watt bulb and running one PC for actinic supplimentation.

Hope that helps

 

[James B]

helps alot thanks for all this. will be reading the sump part now and then working out what tank to buy and tank for the sump. once i sort that the stand can go into production. . coral wise im not sure yet but a clam would be nice. How much would a 175wt metal halide set me back? thanks james

 

[SkiFletch]

Great question James. I know here in the states, a 175watt halide, ballast, socket, bulb, and reflector would cost about $110-$120. Dunno what they go for in the UK if thats where you're located, but I know Chac and Matthew5664 know where to get them in the UK...

 

[Chac]

Hi James

What type of Coral are you thinking of adding to the tank - as MH lighting aint always a necessity

Some links to help you het the equipmet together

STM - Live Rock

UDA - Live Rock

Seio Powerheads

Reverse Osmosis Unit

Metal Halide Lighting

 

[James B]

so far so good getting a good shopping list together. off to the lfs tomorro to see what sort of deal i can get on a tank. then its work and save time. man thats the hard part. never been any good with waiting me lol but as the guiness ad says good things coem to those who wait.

 

[James B]

right decided on a 45 gallon tank with probabely a 15 gallon sump but now its the tricky bit plumbing now i know hard plumbed is proabely best so if it is hard plumbed it shall be . but what sort of pipes am i looking for sealant? paint for the tank? errrm return pump? and any things i ahave missed out to set this up ideally i would like to be 3/4 of the way there by xmas lol thanks james.

 

[SkiFletch]

First off James, make sure you keep your eyes peeled on various UK classifieds for deals on a tank. If you can get one from somebody who is taking down thier tank, you'll save a bundle . As for plumbing, also try and find a drilled tank. This will save you TONS of headaches. Dont buy a tank thats not drilled and you dont know if you'll be able to get it drilled.

So once you have your drilled tank, plumbing is actually easy. Install two bulkhead fittings on to the drilled holes, add a standpipe to decrease noise, and start warming up the PVC cement. If you've never done hard-plumbing work before dont be scared, is not that hard at all. Prety easy once you get the hang of it as a matter of fact. As for a return pump, I have a Danner Mag 7 submersible which works great for me. Its a 700GPH and 12.5 max feet of head. Mine operates at I estimate 4 feet worth of head pressure which puts it on about 480-500GPH. For this flowrate I chose 1/2" drain tubing which is capable of 600GPH worth of drain capacity. Does any of that make sense, or does it all sound like greek?

 

[James B]

most of it makes sense. with a bit of luck i can get it all together( tank and plumbing) in a couple of months

 

[James B]

well the bit of luck i wished for came through for me i have been given a corner stand made from mdf type stuff with beech cover (thicker than what was in the lfs ) for free. this is now going to hold a custom tank mesuring 40" long 18 " wide and 24" high then the biggest size sump ican get in the cubords underneath .