Back after 11 years!

[Arcar]

Deep sand beds and live rock are still the gold standard Many here using metal halides instead of newer technologies that look good on the surface, but in reality aren't the miracle you might be led to believe. Most folks using LED's spend more watts on heaters running, depending on your climate. Dry rock might be a couple bucks a pound less than great quality live rock, but many spend that $2/pound savings over time on phosphate removal with the dry rock. Read some more before plopping money and welcome back.

Thanks for the info! The new orbit LEDs seem really nice and my local fish store house I'm running on their 400 gallon and everything is thriving . Also reef cleaners.com supposedly cleans their rock for over a month which won't let phosphates be released after time . Little less than two dollars a pound . I'm just really worried about hitchhikers and adding things to my tank but I dealt with over 11 years ago

 

[NS Mike D]

ATS and Protein Skimmers remove different things.

 

[Arcar]

Thanks Mike..

More questions! lol

For my return pump my lps said to get this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=36153

I have a 90 gallon take connected to a R-100 sump.reg

Also, How many flow pumps should I have in the main tank? Im going to get the orbit loop system

Still need help on the gravel.

Thanks

 

[Lsufan]

Those current orbit LEDs are not very strong at all. I believe a 90 gallon is 24” deep & that light will be strong enough for us softies & maybe some lps up top. I don’t know what I plan on having in the tank but if u plan on having something other then fish & soft corals I would get a stronger light. I’m no expert on LEDs, I use MH & T-5 but if u want to grow corals look into fixtures that have atleast 3 watt LEDs or higher. I think that orbit runs 1/2 watt or 1 watt LEDs.

Any aragonite sand will work. It depends on the grain size u want. A lot of people use caribsea sands, some like the Fiji pink which is a little smaller grain size & the sps folks with a lot of flow like to use the special grade. I really like Tropic Edens line of sands. Once I used it once I have never used anything else because I like it so much.

Be careful listening to much to your LFS. They have some good ones out there but 90 percent of them are just after your money. It sounds like yours may be one of those by some of the things u are saying they are telling u. It sounds like they must be in line with current by trying to push all of their products. Personally, I wouldn’t get those lights. Thevreturn pump I don’t know about because I haven’t ever heard anything about it.

It looks like u are but Before u purchase something I would make sure u do your research on the product first & ask people’s opinions on here. Buy quality stuff to begin with even if it takes a little longer to get the tank setup. There is nothing worse then buying something just to find out a couple months later that u are you to have to purchase the same piece of equipment again & end up spending more money then just buying quality the first time.

 

[Arcar]

Thanks Lsufan,

The LED's had great reviews, he was also using them in the store with great success. That's what sold me. My tank is 24" deep, I did not want to use MH for the heat and cost reasons. I mostly will have softs in my tank and if I do hard lps I would put them on top.

My fish store has been in the business for over 40 years and have saltwater tanks everywhere, I thought he had an idea

Thanks for the aragoite tip.

 

[Arcar]

The aragoite sand. I used to do deep sand beds but now Im reading that most got away with it. If I get a larger pebble vs sand it will stay in place. Now do I vacuum it when it gets dirty? or leave it alone still?

 

[Nanook]

The aragoite sand. I used to do deep sand beds but now Im reading that most got away with it. If I get a larger pebble vs sand it will stay in place. Now do I vacuum it when it gets dirty? or leave it alone still?

I did the shallow sand bed in my 375 and 470 gallon tanks, within a couple years of not vacuuming my nitrate was 50 plus and I had to remove all the sand, the water was brownish black. So if you don't regularly vacuum a shallow sand bed, you'll have big nitrate issues. On my 4 year old SPS 120, I have a deep sand bed of 4" with nitrate of 5-10, heavy feeding and tons of life crawling around.

You either regularly vacuum SSB or replace it every couple of years.

 

[Nanook]

Just because “most” do something 10 years later doesn’t make it the best decision. Research everything, question everything, then before you decide on a methodology or piece of equipment, find all the cons to doing it that way, or buying that piece.

 

[VoltzNSalt]

So if you don't regularly vacuum a shallow sand bed, you'll have big nitrate issues.

He speaks the truth...

 

[Arcar]

So is a deep sand bed the way to go still?

 

[mako61]

I just started back up after a 10+ year break -

ATO is prob my favorite thing since I last did a tank
Doser for ALK+CAL daily is also very nice and a lot better than I can do by hand.
I know apex is expensive but I absolutely love mine!!
LED lighting is much lower power and temp than my old stuff.

 

[on the spot]

So is a deep sand bed the way to go still?

There is no one "right" way. Pros and cons for everything to be weighted by your preferences.

For sand I still like and use the now no longer available play sand from Home Depot. I bought 30 something bags maybe 15 years ago...fine argonite sand, blows around.

Some like the special grade - it does look nice IMO. doesn't move around as much.

As for depth, I don't like it deep. Also don't vacuum it. various sand dwellers do what I consider a fine job keeping it tidy. Part of that is dictated by the tank - mine is quite shallow, so a deep sand bed would have looked out of place.

So IMO do what you like. Deep, not deep, live rock, dry rock, whatever and no big deal. There are no guarentee's with any method.

HTH

P.S. I've just added a remote dark rock tub in the basement. 100 gallon rubbermaid full of rock. exceptionally slow flow. I'm hoping to transition to no skimmer. The rock was both dry and used, wet live rock from a tank breakdown. I used acid to clean it good, and then lanthanum chloride as a precautionary measure. All told the rock came to $1.65 per pound after the "treatment".

 

[moneymm]

Man o man,

I'm coming back after being gone for 11 years lol. I'm 31 now and was 21 when I sold my saltwater tank. I have more time on my hands and more money lol so I want to get back into it.

I visited my local pet store as I want to support them as much as I can. I'm now shopping around for a whole new setup. I want a 90g tank 24"high 48"long with stand. Looking for a sump.reg and protein skimmer.

Crazy to see the changes in lighting. I remember MH being it! Love the new LED and low power consumption. I really am liking the Orbit 4106! Prob going with that.

Anyone have any good links to a 90g tank with overflow?
Also looking at a Eshopp R-100 sump.ref, anyone think this is a good/bad choice?
protein skimmers any good ones?

I also have been reading that deep sand beds are no longer a thing! lol! Back in the day the deeper the better ha... So I just use a 1-2" bed??

Liverock is also kinda going away it seems..Yes, I remember the unwanted bubble alg etc.... Im looking at reefsaver rock right now.. Im liking it!

What else am I missing? Are there any new equip to make a new tank successful?

Your time would be appreciated on helping me out! I thank you in advance

I would def go bigger. 90 Gallon limits alot of the types of fish you can get. go with a 125.

 

[Arcar]

Thanks for your opinion. How do I use lanthanum chloride?

 

[on the spot]

How do I use lanthanum chloride?

Depends on the situation.

While the rock tub was still offline I used the tub, a small pump for circulation, and just dripped into the tub with a knotted air line. Satisfied me.

Many will suggest capturing the precipitate with a filter sock. I would have had I had some hose to fit the pump output on hand.

There are a number of good threads on the subject.

 

[Arcar]

Ill look into it thanks

Update- I did order a 90g. the 125g was just to big for me room! DAMN THATS BIG ha..

Mine will be more of a coral tank with a few smaller fish. Is there a rule of thumb on aquascaping and giving room for fish to hide? Like, not pile a bunch of rocks on the back wall?

 

[on the spot]

...a coral tank with a few smaller fish. Is there a rule of thumb on aquascaping and giving room for fish to hide?..

The only rule should be do what you like.

fish will find their way. there will be holes and such regardless of your best efforts.

 

[Arcar]

I called up the pet store and got a 120 with custom stand, canceled my 90 gallon set up. He was fine with it. It was $280 more but Im already spending a few thousand..... Now I'm pumped! More room for rock and corals

 

[SAT]

:thumbsup: 120 is a nice shape.

 

[Arcar]

I have a question about auto top off so I’m currently going with a gravity fed one that hooks up to my sump but I don’t want to fill it constantly is there any RO options I can connect my system to my tank with redundancy so if it fails it shuts off ? Has there been success without overflows ?I could not afford a mistake . Can an RO system even feed to my tank from my basement up to the first floor ?