Hi all, new potential reefkeeper here...

[Osteomata]

I am a new potential reef aquarium guy in the Miami area, and I thought I would say hello and introduce myself. I also have several questions at the bottom of the post, and I am looking to buy the equipment associated with my reef plan.

I have lived in Miami Beach off and on for about six years, but only got into aquariums one year ago. My wife, out of the blue, gave me a guppy in a bowl, and I thought I would try to keep it alive. So I did a bunch of research in the interwebs. I stumbled across several freshwater planted tank forums, and was instantly entranced by the Amano style planted aquascapes. So began my addiction. I have two freshwater heavily planted tanks, which I recently moved to my office, making room for a tank at home. I intend to make it a reef aquarium.

I have been researching (sporadically) marine and reef tanks for about 5 months now, and I am ready to make the plunge. I began acquiring equipment this week. So far I have a refractomer and AquaC Urchin Pro skimmer. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m reasonably knowledgeable about water chemistry, and understand the full eco-system approach to maintaining an aquatic environment, but I still feel quite overwhelmed by the extraordinary variety of things to manage in a reef aquarium. Here is my loose plan, any recommendations are welcome:

Tank: Original intent was to get a 54 reef-ready corner and put it in the bedroom. I am now concerned about noise level from the overflow and pumps, considering it will be about 4 feet from our bed. I am considering shifting the plan to a standard 55 reef-ready, and putting it the main room of the condo. I am very space limited, so if I put it in the main room, it canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t be bigger than a 48x13.

Lighting: I would like to give myself significant flexibility for coral selection, and I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want to have to replace/upgrade the lights a few months down the road. If I do the corner tank, I am leaning toward a 150 or 175 metal halide with 2x65 pc actinics. If I do the standard 55, I suppose I will need dual 150s because of the tank length, with some unkown amount of pc actinics. What frequency should the MH bulbs be? 10K, 14K? Recommendations welcomeââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦.

Sump: I would like to do a DIY sump from a standard aquarium with a DSB refugium. My intent, possibly unworkable, would be for the refugium portion of the tank to be in front and visible below the tank, with cheato.

Some question I have:
- I have a lead on a Velocity Titanium T4 return pump. Is this high quality? Is the gph appropriate for about 4 feet of head? If I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t get this pump, what are other brands that are high quality, quiet, and reliable?
- I am leaning towards Salifert test kits. I hear they are top quality. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, alkalinity, calcium and phosphate. Is this sufficient? Comments on salifert? Other test kit manufacturers you have had good luck with?
- Additives: What will I need? I assume a buffer and calcium for corals, any others? What calcium delivery method do you recommend? Kalkwasser drip?
- RODI: I have a lead on a used eBay special 6 stage. No attached tank though. Any comments/recommendations?
- What brand heaters do you recommend?
- What brand salt/ocean mix do you recommend?

As you can see, my most common questions concern quality manufacturers/brands.

I note that there was a meeting tonight, I hope to catch the next one.

 

[cubano2480]

hi and welcome

I have a lead on a Velocity Titanium T4 return pump. Is this high quality? Is the gph appropriate for about 4 feet of head? If I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t get this pump, what are other brands that are high quality, quiet, and reliable?

I have no idea

- I am leaning towards Salifert test kits. I hear they are top quality. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, alkalinity, calcium and phosphate. Is this sufficient?

Salifert test kits are really good ...

Additives: What will I need? I assume a buffer and calcium for corals, any others? What calcium delivery method do you recommend? Kalkwasser drip?

B-Ionic Calcium Buffer works great here u can buy some...

http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/subsubcategorypage.asp?subcatindexid=ad-sr-ca


- What brand heaters do you recommend? what for ??


- What brand salt/ocean mix do you recommend? I like crystal clear



I`m not a expert but that`s what most people use................

 

[Bullredchaser]

If your buying new you minus well get a 90 or a 120 as it is only 6 to 12" deeper and not much more money in equipment but you will be able to stock a better selection of fish .Also I wouldn't waste my time with 150 or 175 watt halides.Get the 250s and if you decide in the future to upgrade the size of the tank you can keep the same lights instead of having to upgrade. IMO Salifert test kits are the best bang for the buck.On pumps Ive been using Pan World and have found them to be reliable and quite.As far as dosing Kalk I believe it's very benefecial for a tank but it is lacking magnesium which is the 3rd major part that corals consume when calcifying.It's hard to beat calcium reactors for giving calcium,alkalinity,and magnesium in proper amounts.Most people I know dose kalk and have calcium reactors which is not a bad way to go.2 part is great to start off with but can get pretty expensive once your tank and corals take off.If you are pretty good at chemistry you may want to research the balling method.It's cheaper then 2 part but a little bit more complicated to get a proper dosage regimen.It will take you a couple hours of reading to figure it out but the information can be found here on reefcentral.

 

[bawla47]

the T4 is a great pump, you should get 1200gph at 3 ft of head, but beware it uses alot of watts(140, and that in turn leads to more heat in the tank.

saliferts are the standard of test kits. id definately get those,instead of buying twice guessing at other brands acuuracy,

additives : b-ionic 2 part is a good balanced additive thats easy to dose, id recoomend that.

rodi, i would buy a new setup, they are fairly cheap on ebay. 100-120 etc

i would look at a either a 50 or 75gpd , i think with a dowen IIRC membrane. those are the most effecient.

heaters are a gamble, some people swear by others etc.
I havent had a problem with my ebojager, but i have an older model. the newer ones ive heard people having problems, but ive heard them with all brands. best bet is to run a seperate controller for your heater if possible.


most people Use instant ocean salt, and have for for years with np. i myself run it.

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

I second going to a 90 vs a 55, I have both and the 6" difference isn't much in a room.

I would recommend two smaller heaters, less chance of one going haywire and overheating or not having any heat at all.

I also used a std tank as a sump, you can definately do the fuge in front, I've seen similar designs here on RC. Get the largest sump you can fit in your stand, I wish I had gone larger and now it would be too hard to change.

You'll want some fans in your stand and hood with the halides to help cool the tank. Two 4" fans cool my tank very efficiently, but you'll need some form of auto top off to keep up with evaporation. I go through two gallons per day with the fans running, I use a large rubbermaid container that holds 40 gallons for my top off and a controller that monitors sump level and turns on a pump as needed to maintain the sump level.

The kalk additives work, I've tried a bunch of them and had success with most. I'm soon to get a reactor just to make my life easier, but you can upgrade to that later. I also use magnesium and iodine supplements since I have a lot of corals. Just make sure you test for everything you add. What gets consumed will depend on what you put in your tank, LPS and SPS will use a lot of calcium and magnesium, softies more iodine, etc.

I've also used most salts, IO works well enough. I really couldnt tell a difference between them, some dissolve better. I've seen some info on what levels of compounds and trace elements you need in various salts on RC somewhere if you're interested.

 

[Osteomata]

Thanks for the welcome and info. Let me see if I have all the recommendations correct: Follow up lighting question at the bottom:
- Go bigger. Get a 90+ instead of a 55. I hear you, my problem is physical space. I have a 13 inch wide area in which I can put this thing. I will take a look, but I don't think I can do the extra 6 inches width.
- Sump with visible refugium is doable. Excellent. Go big on sump. I will.
- Don't forget about cooling fans on the lights.
- Get an auto top-off set up. I will, I'm all about automation.
- I may need Iodine and Magnesium additives depending on my corals. Bionic 2 part is good.
- IO is fine for salt. Crystal Clear also fine.
- T4 is a great pump. Cool, I will probably get the one I have the lead on. Pan world is also good.
- Salifert. Get it. I will.
- Skip the 150 or 175 MHs, get 250s.
- I need to research additives more.

Question:
- The whole lighting thing is stressing me out. Lets say I do a 55. I assume I will need 2 MHs given the tank length. If I do 2 250s, plus say 2x95 actinics, thats a heck of a lot of light. 600 watts almost. Seems excessive. Comments?

 

[chrisaggie]

Osteomata,
Welcome! I think you are off to a great start! Here's my 2 cents about a few things. I agree....try to get a 90 or 120 if you can! Larger sumps are good. Auto topoff is also very very good! Salifert is great! IO is a good salt. You could get by with 175w on a 55, but you will be happier with 250w halides. What type of substrate do you plan on using? I would recommend sand over crushed coral. Water changes are great things! I do a ~20% water change every two weeks. Test kits are a great thing. In my opinion if you use them and understand your tank you will be much better in the long run. Please feel free to shoot me an email if you would like to chat about anything with your tank.
~Chris

 

[flex13]

No just 1 - 250 for 55 gallons. How long is your tank? I have a 49 gallon my 250 covers the whole tank and then some.

 

[chrisaggie]

Most people run 1 metal halide for every two feet of tank length. You might be able to slide by with 1 halide for a 3 foot tank, but I wouldn't suggest 1 halide on a 4 foot tank.

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

I love halides and want them, so I understand the reasoning. I would also look at T5s, I've heard lots of good things.

 

[bawla47]

you could probably get away with 2- 150s if you plan on keeping more of a lps/softies. but 250s will give you more flexibility to keep sps and clams. depends what you final goal is.

i think the best advice i can give you is really the tank size, the depth seems to be the most important aspect. 13" depth you will have a really hard time aquascaping it to make it look natural. i currently have a 55 and i just cant get i tthe way i want it. everyone that has gone wider swears it was the best decision they made. Id squeeze it if its at all possible.

be aware too that youll need space in the back for your plumbing. maybe overflow box etc. 2-5" mininum.


I currently have t5s on my tank, and there BRIGHT, most of my corals are doing good, but i moved my red brain to a lower spot, but in more direct light to my 10k bulbs, and it bleached out in a just a couple hours.

 

[Treeman]

Osteomata,

Welcome, i hope you you can make some of the club meetings in the future

You are doing the right thing by doing your research first. One of the important things to remember is to take it slow. Even after you set up the tank.

You really need to get an idea of what you would like in the tank first. It doesn't have to be exact but an idea. If you don't plan on having some of the most light hungry corals you can easily stay away from the metal halides. Water depth is the main reason you would need them in the first place. I have a friend that has had great success with T5's and it really solves a lot of heat issues.

I agree with everybody about the tank and sump, just remember that you do need room for top-off and plumbing etc. Also remember that you have to add more than just vertical lift for your pump head. All the fittings and pipe add to it. Bigger pipe is always better to.

I have always used IO and have never had problems.

I can hook you up with my friend if you want to talk to him about the T5's. Just PM me.

Matt

 

[Rogger Castells]

Welcome, personally, I would look for a space somewere else in the house to place my reeftank, 90 gal to 120 minimum, I am kind of a neat freak when it comes to the tank, I can tell you that ones the "bug" bites you you will start buying more corals and more equipment and the next thing you know you are plumbing your co2 tank under your bed! I recommend you don't do a tank were the space is limited
if you want a small tank in your bedroom do a nano cube, God knows it is always better to have two or more tanks.

 

[Osteomata]

I appreciate the continueing advice, but the "get bigger" recommendations are just not workable. Small condo, and my wife gets a vote. I have posted a "revised plan in another thread. It involves a 36G corner aquarium. Yes, far smaller than the recommendations, but its what I have the space for, as well as concurrence from the spouse. If you have some recommendations re this new plan, please post them here or in that thread. Thanks again...