A few questions.

[Todd2212]

I have a few questions about starting a reef tank (the search function on the site doesn’t like me). I’ve read through many of the sticky posts and guides but still have some unanswered questions.

I would like to start a tank (about 30g although I am presently looking into a 100g which would be sweet) that would include things like hard corals and clams. I understand that bigger would be better but a 30g would help keep the initial cost down.

The first thing is if I got the tank and set it up could I add just a couple pounds of LR a month and if so, after the first addition would I need to cure each additional addition? Or should I just save up and add it all at once? I am looking to spread the cost out over a long period and want to put this together slowly.

Another question is would a tank like the one I want to build need a wet/dry filter, overflow, sump. Is this type of filtration necessary or just recommended? I hoping to build it myself and like the idea of a place to hide the unsightly heater, skimmer and such, but if it is completely unnecessary it will save me a lot of time and if you think this will be completely out of my ability as a beginner, let me know.

Also about lighting, (I understand to have clams you need very good lighting) would I need to build a custom canopy to house the lighting? I see a lot of people build their own canopies for their tanks and I am not the best carpenter/electrician. I plan to start out with minimal lighting and upgrade when I want to add corals and clams.

Any answers or if you could point me in the right direction, would be appreciated.

thanks

 

[weluvfish54]

a sump setup is a must. i would suggest looking into a drilled tank.
i dont have canopies on any of my tanks but alot of times you can easily make one or find a setup with one. dont cheap out on lighting! if you have to wait and save up i definitely would. as for the live rock, more is better.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Some pointers.. Join a local reef club, I think PA has 4 major ones depending on your area. You can find super deals. Search craigslist for live rock every single day. Someone will be breaking their tank down soon and you will get a great deal. It is better to have an overflow with sump than to have your equpment in the tank. If you are going to do corals, skip the wet dry.

You can find Hood/Stands on the auction site that is ****'d out when you try to type the name.

As an initial investment, buy the best skimmer you can afford because when you buy a cheap one and want to upgrade, cheap skimmers are hard to sell.

 

[FishDoc]

Todd
I can answer a couple of your questions, or at least try.
About adding the live rock, it depends on where you get it and how it comes to you. If you buy it from your LFS and they have had it in their tank for a while then no you wouldn't need to cure it(although you may want to quarentee it). If you buy online and have it shipped, it will have at least some die off the will need to be cured, the question then becomes what else is in the tank? If it is only some more live rock, you probably could get by "curing" a second batch in the tank. If you have fish and corals, I wouldn't advise it.
If you are going to use live rock, you won't need a wet/dry filter. The idea is the live rock will host the bacteria to break down amnonia to nitrite and then nitrate. I don't have any type of mechanical filter on my tank either. The decision to locate the heater, skimmer etc in the sump vs the tank is largely one of asthetics as long as you protect the livestock from being injured by an intake etc (thinking sea apples, sea cucs etc that can get sucked into an intake and injured).
Lighting also somewhat depends on asthetics. Do you want a canopy or would you be willing to just suspend the lights over the tank? Do you have a place to suspend them from, like the ceiling or shelf above the tank? If you are good with that you can buy a reflector and base for metal halide and make your own fixture for a reasonable price. It won't be the nice finished look of a canopy but will put the light into the tank.

 

[IslandCrow]

1. Ideally, you want to get at least a majority of your live rock from the very beginning. If you don't, you'll want to wait until you get a sufficient amount of rock before adding any livestock (except perhaps a small cleanup crew). Another option is to get half base rock and half live rock. Base rock is simply what was once live rock that has been dried out and no longer has any life on it. It's generally much cheaper, and will eventually be colonized with bacteria from the live rock and become live itself. As to whether or not you'll go through another cycle if you add more rock, you'll want to cure it in a separate container (a Brute trashcan or new 5g paint bucket works well). As long as you do that, you won't go through an additional cycle.

2. Wet/dry filters are not generally recommended for reef tanks. A sump is a very good idea, and I'd highly suggest adding it at the same time you set up your tank. It's a real pain to add one later (I found that out the hard way). It also adds to the total water volume of your tank, which gives you the benefits of a bigger tank. The guys in the Do it Yourself forum can help you out with some very inexpensive options for sumps (i.e. you don't have to spend a bunch of money on a professionally made sump). For filtration, I'd just stick with a good protein skimmer and your live rock. Don't let the guys at the fish store talk you into canister filters, wet/dry filters, reactors, etc. until you have real reason to believe you may want/need one. I had nothing but live rock and a protein skimmer for my first year or so of owning a tank.

3. For clams, you're going to want either metal halide or T-5 lighting with individual reflectors. There are many professionally built fixtures you can either mount directly on top of your tank or hang above it, making a hood unnecessary.

 

[super stooge]

welcome to reef central first of all

wet/dry, overflow and sump are all tools to help your tank. can you run a tank without them? absolutely, but they give you certain advantages. sooo yes they are recomendations. they're not out of your ability, you just need to put a little bit of extra planning into your tank but it will likely pay off.

clams do require fairly solid lighting but id advise against buying minimal lighting now and upgrading later. if you spend $100 on a light now and then spend $1000 on a better system when you want to get corals then youve spent $1100 dollars. as aposed to spending the grand right at the beginning saving you having to throw away the smaller light and you get to enjoy your fish under good lighting from teh very beginning.