A Few General Questions

dartmti

dartmti

New member
Hi everyone,

I just have a few last minute quesions before I take the plunge and buy a tank. (That doesn't mean these are the last questions. lol)

1. Is a mechanical filter necessary if I'm running a protein skimmer? In theory, shouldn't all large particles eventually break down so the skimmer can pick them up anyway?

2. Do I NEED an RO system? (If the only alternative is buying distilled water, then I'll probably end up getting one anyway) Or can I just treat my tap water with that Kordon stuff that removes chlorine, chloramines, metals, etc.?

3. What is the REAL math for total GPH in a tank? I heard it's 10 times the amount of gallons in the aquarium per hour. Is that right?

4. About how much live sand per gallon? I know you can either do a 2 or 4 inch bed, but I'm just wondering on average how much sand it takes to do this.

5. A few months ago, I purchased a single powerhead with 270 GPH planning to put it in a tank around 30 gallons. I recently read it's better to have several powerheads instead of one large one. Is one ok? Or do I really need to get two smaller ones? OR, could I get another one in addition to that one? (When I find the answer to question 3, I'll probably be able to answer this for myself)

6. About how many hours should I keep the lights on during the day? (Dumb question... I pretty much already know the answer, but I just want to make sure)

Thank you in advance. I really appreciate any help!

Matt
 
Re: A Few General Questions

1. Is a mechanical filter necessary if I'm running a protein skimmer? In theory, shouldn't all large particles eventually break down so the skimmer can pick them up anyway?

Yes for carbon exc.

2. Do I NEED an RO system? (If the only alternative is buying distilled water, then I'll probably end up getting one anyway) Or can I just treat my tap water with that Kordon stuff that removes chlorine, chloramines, metals, etc.?

RO/DI is the only way to role.

3. What is the REAL math for total GPH in a tank? I heard it's 10 times the amount of gallons in the aquarium per hour. Is that right?

It maters what you want to keep. Its not all abought tank turn over its abought geting good randon flow.

4. About how much live sand per gallon? I know you can either do a 2 or 4 inch bed, but I'm just wondering on average how much sand it takes to do this.

Theres a lot of diffrent ways of doing sand, or for that matter not doing sand (bare bottom). I like to run a shallow sand bed 2".

5. A few months ago, I purchased a single powerhead with 270 GPH planning to put it in a tank around 30 gallons. I recently read it's better to have several powerheads instead of one large one. Is one ok? Or do I really need to get two smaller ones? OR, could I get another one in addition to that one? (When I find the answer to question 3, I'll probably be able to answer this for myself)

the thing is with power heads you want something with a wide flow patren like a seio, or a maxi jet that has a mod kit exc.

6. About how many hours should I keep the lights on during the day? (Dumb question... I pretty much already know the answer, but I just want to make sure)

It maters what you are trying to keep. I would say most people run there lights 8-10 hrs a day for reef tanks
 
I plan on keeping basic fish and corals like mushrooms, etc.

For Q #3 I'm just asking in general terms, though. What do most people do?

Thanks for your help.

Anyone else please feel free to help out!

Matt
 
Re: A Few General Questions

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
Hi everyone,

I just have a few last minute quesions before I take the plunge and buy a tank. (That doesn't mean these are the last questions. lol)

1. Is a mechanical filter necessary if I'm running a protein skimmer? In theory, shouldn't all large particles eventually break down so the skimmer can pick them up anyway?
Click to expand...

IMO, no. You'll be fine without a mechanical filter.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
2. Do I NEED an RO system? (If the only alternative is buying distilled water, then I'll probably end up getting one anyway) Or can I just treat my tap water with that Kordon stuff that removes chlorine, chloramines, metals, etc.?
Click to expand...

Depends on the quality of the water coming out of your tap. Tap water conditioners won't cut it. IMO, an RO/DI unit is one of the best investments you can make for your tank.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
3. What is the REAL math for total GPH in a tank? I heard it's 10 times the amount of gallons in the aquarium per hour. Is that right?
Click to expand...


Not sure what exactly what you mean here. The REAL math for total GPH is the total amount of water all your pumps move per hour. If you mean what kind of turnover you should be shooting for, Softies 10x-20x, mixed reef (no SPS) 20x-30x, SPS reef 30x+.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
4. About how much live sand per gallon? I know you can either do a 2 or 4 inch bed, but I'm just wondering on average how much sand it takes to do this.
Click to expand...


SandBed Calculator

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
5. A few months ago, I purchased a single powerhead with 270 GPH planning to put it in a tank around 30 gallons. I recently read it's better to have several powerheads instead of one large one. Is one ok? Or do I really need to get two smaller ones? OR, could I get another one in addition to that one? (When I find the answer to question 3, I'll probably be able to answer this for myself)
Click to expand...


I would just keep that one, and add another PH.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12950171#post12950171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
6. About how many hours should I keep the lights on during the day? (Dumb question... I pretty much already know the answer, but I just want to make sure)
Click to expand...


8-12 hours.
 
Thanks for all the help!

One more question (I'm in the process of shopping and just want to make sure I'm getting the correct things as well as checking out price differances):

How many watts per gallon of lighting should I have for keeping soft corals? What about a mixed reef? (Once again, I'm talking on average)
Do actinics count in total wattage? Or are they mostly for looks?

Thank you everyone so much... I can't do this without you!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12952394#post12952394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
Thanks for all the help!

One more question (I'm in the process of shopping and just want to make sure I'm getting the correct things as well as checking out price differances):

How many watts per gallon of lighting should I have for keeping soft corals? What about a mixed reef? (Once again, I'm talking on average)
Do actinics count in total wattage? Or are they mostly for looks?

Thank you everyone so much... I can't do this without you!
Click to expand...

3-5 watts per gal and yes attinics count in the total wattage.
this is just a roughly tossed around figure--there are so many other variables that come into play when adding a lighting system
Type of bulb--T5's vs metal halides, lumens, spectrum etc etc
 
if you have enough live rock you wont need a filter m/h a must for a reef tank lighting i use r/o water all the time safe side hope this helps im pretty new but had lots of advise
 
Like capn_hylinur said, watts/gallon is a very general, sometimes pretty arbitrary rule. What type of lighting are you thinking about getting? If you're not sure, I'd suggest some sort of fluorescent lighting for soft corals and some LPS. For your more light demanding hard corals, I'd suggest MH or T-5. Your tank is pretty small, so either should give you plenty of PAR from top to bottom. Once we know what type of lighting you'd like to get and what types of corals you'd like to keep (near and long term), we can give you some useful advise on how much of that particular lighting you need.

Oh, and a protein skimmer is mechanical filtration (though I know what you meant). . .and carbon is chemical filtration (which I think is a good idea, but not necessary). I agree that you don't need any additional mechanical filtration, though. I use a canister filter with a micron filter once a month just to get the water absolutely crystal clear, but that has more to do with aesthetics than anything else (it does manage to pull out some gunk, though).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12953906#post12953906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IslandCrow
Like capn_hylinur said, watts/gallon is a very general, sometimes pretty arbitrary rule. What type of lighting are you thinking about getting? If you're not sure, I'd suggest some sort of fluorescent lighting for soft corals and some LPS. For your more light demanding hard corals, I'd suggest MH or T-5. Your tank is pretty small, so either should give you plenty of PAR from top to bottom. Once we know what type of lighting you'd like to get and what types of corals you'd like to keep (near and long term), we can give you some useful advise on how much of that particular lighting you need.

Oh, and a protein skimmer is mechanical filtration (though I know what you meant). . .and carbon is chemical filtration (which I think is a good idea, but not necessary). I agree that you don't need any additional mechanical filtration, though. I use a canister filter with a micron filter once a month just to get the water absolutely crystal clear, but that has more to do with aesthetics than anything else (it does manage to pull out some gunk, though).
Click to expand...

correct the binding of the free organic to the air molecules is the chemical part and the production of the air column forcing the bound organics and air into the skimmer cup is mechanical;)

I find the combination of two phosban reactors--one running carbon and the other running phosban does the trick for water clarity
(running carbon in a reactor is the same as in a canister)
A protein skimmer removes a group of organics that is a must if running only sps corals
It does remove a bit of phosphates and nitrates but not to the degree of live rock and chato macro algae in a refugiulm

I run the filter sock for 12 hours only after I use a turkey baster and lightly baste the reef rock and substrate. This is once a week then I remove it until the next week.
 
I can't thank you guys enough for all the help!

Regarding the lighting...

I'd like to get the cheapest thing possible that will still work efficiently for most common easy corals; I'm not going to get anything too fancy for this tank yet as I'm just a beginner, but I would still like to have options for the future.
About how expensive would metal halides be for a 30ish gallon tank?
I'd like to eventually get an anenome. Are they even possible under fluorescents?

As for the filtration...

I found the Tunze reefpack to have what I need: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=TZ9511&productid=TZ9511&channelid=FROOG
It's basically the Tunze 9002 skimmer and a "mechanical" filter combined for a pretty reasonable price.

But if you guys agree with me that "mechanical" filtration is not required, I could save $50 and get the skimmer alone.
Do you think I should spend the extra $50 for the filter? If it means drastically improving the quality of my water, then I'll be glad to spend it. If you don't think there will be much of a change, I'll hold off.

Edit: Also, can someone please explain "Gallons Per Day" for RO systems? I don't really understand.
I was thinking about getting the 50 GPD RO system from Coralife. Will this work?

Once again, I really appreciate all the help. Thanks for taking your time to help me out.

Matt
 
For lighting, a T5 fixture with individual reflectors will allow you do almost anything, including the anemone, and should fit nicely on a 30gal

I would save the $50 and and spend it on a separate phosphate reactor. I do like Tunze though!

50gpd should make 50gals of RO water per day, running 24hours at its rated pressure. Of course it will also make about 200gal of waste water. If you are looking at getting a filter, I would make sure it is an RODI and not just RO!
 
I'm not familiar with the reefpack, though Tunze does make quality equipment. If you already have a skimmer, though, I don't see why you'd need that, unless you're just looking for an upgrade (if it even would be an upgrade). I agree with whitleyjb that an RO/DI unit would be a good thing to invest in next if you don't have one already. It'll save you money and headaches in the long run. I'm really happy with my T-5s, and I almost always recommend them. The Tek units (made by Sunlight Supply) are very good, and that's what I'm currently using on my tank. Current USA would be a step down (I'd suggest the Nova Extreme Pro), and Aquactinics would be a step up from the Tek. I'm certainly no expert on MH, so I hesitate to make any suggestions there.
 
Thanks

Can you post a link of an example of the t5 fixtures?

So your saying I can make 50 gallons a day, and then I have to wait untill the next day to make more? Sorry, I'm confused.
And it is a RO/DI. Thanks for looking out.

edit: Islandcrow, do you fly B-1s?
 
On a tank that size you could save some initial outlay money and purchase RO/DI from a good local fish store. If you don't have a good one locally, you may need to get one.

I buy 15 gallons a week for my 75 G and 14 G Biocube for water changes and topoff. Eventually I'll probably get an RO/DI unit but for $4.50 per week I can't justify it yet. With a 30 gallon tank it would cost you $1.50 for the water for water changes and topoff.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12955709#post12955709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dartmti
I can't thank you guys enough for all the help!

Regarding the lighting...

I'd like to get the cheapest thing possible that will still work efficiently for most common easy corals; I'm not going to get anything too fancy for this tank yet as I'm just a beginner, but I would still like to have options for the future.
About how expensive would metal halides be for a 30ish gallon tank?
I'd like to eventually get an anenome. Are they even possible under fluorescents?

As for the filtration...

I found the Tunze reefpack to have what I need: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=TZ9511&productid=TZ9511&channelid=FROOG
It's basically the Tunze 9002 skimmer and a "mechanical" filter combined for a pretty reasonable price.

But if you guys agree with me that "mechanical" filtration is not required, I could save $50 and get the skimmer alone.
Do you think I should spend the extra $50 for the filter? If it means drastically improving the quality of my water, then I'll be glad to spend it. If you don't think there will be much of a change, I'll hold off.

Edit: Also, can someone please explain "Gallons Per Day" for RO systems? I don't really understand.
I was thinking about getting the 50 GPD RO system from Coralife. Will this work?

Once again, I really appreciate all the help. Thanks for taking your time to help me out.

Matt
Click to expand...

I agree with the other posters---you don't need a mechancial filter and you will definetly be better off with a phosban reactor
I actually run two of them--one is for carbon
Great results in water clarity
 
Just to further clarify, a 50gpd RO/DI (Reverse Osmosis/Deionization) unit purifies about 50 gallons of water in a 24 hour period. I know for mine, that's a pretty concervative estimate. I can fill my 30gal container in around 8-9 hours.

Here are a couple links to the Tek unit. Reefgeek is my favorite, and they'll price match if you find it cheaper somewhere else. They also sell an ATI brand, which is supposed to be quite good, as well as retro kits if you want to build your own. Premium Aquatics also sells the other two units I mentioned:

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SunlightT5

One additional note, Tek has started charging extra for the brackets to mount the light fixture on your tank (which I think is a foul), so don't forget to factor that into the price.

And yeah, I'm a B-1 Weapon System Operator, so I sit in the back and drop the bombs. I'm doing other things at the moment, but hopefully I'm hoping to get back into the cockpit soon.
 
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