Advice for starter reef tank

T

Tacoman46

New member
My son has done a nice job with a freshwater tank for about a year and would now like to set up and maintain a new reef tank.

We are looking for a good quality tank at a reasonable price. I'd appreciate any recommendations with respect to tank manufacturers, equipment, do's & don'ts, etc. Specifically, would you recommend buying an all-in-one tank or buying equipment piece by piece and setting up the tank ourselves?

Thanks in advance!
 
Do you know about the size of tank you want? I have yet to set up a tank myself, but I am quite pleased with my little Biocube. I had to change a few things (like adding a skimmer and UV sterilizer, and removing bioballs), but I like the simplicity of having it all in one. Mine is a biocube 14, but if I had to go and do it again, I would get the 29.
 
Thanks for the quick response Spacekitty. We are probably looking for a tank anywhere in the 40-70 gallon tank range.
 
There are a couple of ways you could go, but it does depend on the type of tank you want. A couple of options include a FOWLR tank (fish only with live rock) or you could do a fowlr with a few corals, or even a reef tank which would include the fish, coral and other invertebrates such as shrimp, snails and anemones. As already mentioned the size will also make a difference as the the upkeep and types of fish you could house. Another consideration is what kind of responsibility and or lesson are you trying to instill in your son. If it is purely enjoyment, then something a little more simple might do the trick like a FOWLR. If you also want to get into a little more chemistry and biology then adding corals and/or invertebrates might do the trick.

I think an AIO like the biocube 29 is a great option, but you guys could really spend some time/money together and build a tank piece by piece. Most on here have done it that way, but either could be good. Give us a little more detail, and we can give a little more direction.
 
Ah I see you just posted you wanted to do 40-70, good choice. Many on here really like the 40b tanks because of the footprint and ability to aquascape with live rock. I like that size and the upkeep would be relatively easy, but not significantly easier than even a 70 or 75.

Also may I recommend the "setting up" sticky at the top of this forum. It is a wealth of knowledge. Your son should read it also.

And welcome to RC.
 
texdoc77 said:
There are a couple of ways you could go, but it does depend on the type of tank you want. A couple of options include a FOWLR tank (fish only with live rock) or you could do a fowlr with a few corals, or even a reef tank which would include the fish, coral and other invertebrates such as shrimp, snails and anemones. As already mentioned the size will also make a difference as the the upkeep and types of fish you could house. Another consideration is what kind of responsibility and or lesson are you trying to instill in your son. If it is purely enjoyment, then something a little more simple might do the trick like a FOWLR. If you also want to get into a little more chemistry and biology then adding corals and/or invertebrates might do the trick.

I think an AIO like the biocube 29 is a great option, but you guys could really spend some time/money together and build a tank piece by piece. Most on here have done it that way, but either could be good. Give us a little more detail, and we can give a little more direction.
Click to expand...

I think that we would like to have a reef tank with inverts and some easy soft and lps corals like euphillyas and mushroom corals. We would also like something on the larger side so that we could possibly house a bristletooth tang. As for lighting I think we are leaning towards LEDs but we are not sure which brand. We would also like to utilize a dosing pump to dose calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium.
 
Sounds like you have done your research. If that's the case I'd build your own tank, for that size you would likely have better individual pieces for less money. Love the idea of the bristletooth tang, however, I was turned off of them from some reviews over at LA. Think they had a hard time getting along with my lawnmower blenny...
 
Thanks for the reply. Quick question, would you recommend having a dwarf angel in a reef tank. I know that they are 50-50 but would you say that we give it a shot?
 
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I would get a 75/90/120, and look on Craigslist or a local club's website. All of them are fairly similar tanks, with slightly different measurements.
 
If you want a tang of some sort (yellow, koles, tomini etc.) I would go with the 70 gallon. It would also alow space for more fish. Make sure you check your live rock thoroughly for any critters like aptasia anemones or flatworm because I have about 250 aptasia in my 75 gallon that are just driving me insane and there is no east way to get rid of them. Use a sump instead of a regular filter because while costing more money, you are actually saving money in the long run because more fish and corals survive. DO NOT start with a damselfish unless it is a clownfish or maybe chromis (both in damselfish famity and fairly peaceful). This is because while damselfish are very hardy, most species get very, very aggressive and territorial and lots of lfs will tell you they are good starter fish. Run a fishless cycle because it's cruel to use a fish-in cycle run the cycle for a while and make sure your water is good. Start off with easy corals like mushrooms, kenya trees, star polyps and see how good they are doing. Um, I think I covered most the points. Its hard work bit when it's all said and done it's well worth it. Good luck I hope it works out!
 
I don't have specific experience with angels, but I have a reef similar to what you want and that is the reason I don't have experience with angels. I think many people want them, but from what I understand they do tend to peck at the coral.
 
Last question, would any of you know of a quality LED lighting system for a fair price? I looked into ecotech radions but they were too expensive.
 
It's great that you've been looking into the tank sizes for some of the fish you might want. If anything in particular is a deal-breaker for your kid, like he MUST have a tang, or something that eats inverts or whatev, I'd design the tank around that. Paying attention to which fish are "reed-safe" so they won't eat your corals.

Liveaquaria.com has a really user friendly site with good info on requirements for diff fish and good pics for browsing. I've found them less likely to lower the tank size required in order to make a sale. 70's really not that big, but there are beautiful non-tangs that would thrive in one. Good luck and welcome!

I love my marsaqua 165w full spectrum LEDs. They were $80 each on eBay, 2 light my 4 foot tank very well.
 
Honestly I can give you good insight here. I started with a 55 and hated the depth. Upgraded to a 75 a year later but moved around a lot so tear down and setup killed almost everything in the tank. If you don't have any intentions of moving the tank a 75 is a good starting point. Mine is currently torn down in my garage but I have an itch to get one going again knowing I will be moving in the next year when we buy a house. I recently bought a 40 breeder to set up a small sps/frag tank now that will be a breeze to move. Drill for overflows and return line, 29 gallon sump, mag 9.5 return, 2x a360we kessils, my sro3000 skimmer will work from the old tank, and an mp40 power head. All the equipment is over kill for a 40 but should work great for the 240 cube going in my new house. Plan ahead and spend the money on good equipment because you will eventually want a new bigger tank.
 
If you want the small tang species, going for a 100 long will help it stay healthy. Larger species take more than that. There are, however, many colorful marine species that are very happy in a 70. A 50 is mostly for blennies, gobies, maybe one dwarf angel (but they eat coral and can devastate a specimen)...

I'd say read that Live Aquaria site for info, look at the compatibility chart (reef-safe does not mean it will not eat its tankmates, it just doesn't eat corals) and look at tank size. The basslets, fairy wrasses, blennies, gobies, etc, are classes that do well in the mid-size tank, and some are very bright. Do not try to house more than one damselfish in less than 100: they're territorial: the only exception to the 'one' rule in damsels are the clowns, but be warned---a breeding pair of clowns can be a real problem in a tank, armed with teeth, and convinced they own a double-sized area of it.
 
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