How does my setup-to-be sound? Lots of questions

[reef3r]

First off, hi, my name is Leah, and I am 14 years old, living in Pennsylvania.

The tank is going to be a 65g (48" x 18" x 18"). It will be my first ever saltwater tank.

It is going to be a reef, with those little button things that seem to have many names (poylps, zoos, palys, buttons, zoas, which is it?), mushrooms, ricordea (are these a type of mushroom?), and a few soft corals.

Lighting is probably going to be this
4 65w compact flourescents

But I have a question about this. From reading Travis's 40pg thread about starting a marine tank, someone said CFs were the screw in kind, and weren't as powerful as PCs. But I have the the single-satellite version of this light, and it's not screw in. It's the long tubes. Very unlike Travis's bulbs in his DIY CF. That confused me. So is this lighting CF of PC?

Also, that will be enough for a torch coral placed mid-way in the tank, right?


For flow I was planning on getting one Maxifet 600 and two SEIO M620s, does that sound like a good type of flow, and enough of it? Is it worth it to get a timer for these powerheads?

I'm planning on 60 lbs Aragamax sand, and putting the liverock in before the sand.

Also planning on 50gpd RO unit, Corallife Super Skimmer for 125g, and about 80lbs of live rock.

So far, my intended fish are:
1 Snowflake Moray Eel
max size: 36"
diet: frozen or freeze dried krill. What else do they eat?
I have always liked eels.

1 Tang
Either Yellow, blue or whitecheek, help me decide.
max size: yellow - 8, blue - 11, whitecheek -10
diet: dried seaweed, flake
I know, it's a 65g, not 75g, but the dimensions are only 3" shorter, and I don't think that restricts swimming space significantly. If it was the other 65g, the one that was 36" long, then I wouldn't even think about putting a tang in there.

1 Engineer Goby
max size: 10"
diet: seaweed, brine, mysis
I love all the gobies and stuff and this one gets bigger, so I think it'll be really neat. Can anybody tell me what their personality is like?

2 Clarkii Clowns
max size: 4.5"
diet: any flake or meaty foods
I like this clownfish's appearance more than the perculas and occelaris. I've also heard these are more active and more likely to host.

1 Blue throat Trigger (male)
max size: 13"?
diet: meaty foods, mysis
Alright, I know this is a little bit of a risk, but I've been told it's peaceful and won't hurt corals. Is the max size that I listed correct?

1 Dwarf Lionfish
max size: 7"
diet: meaty foods, mysis
I'm worried about the clowns with this one, but lionfish are just SO COOL!!!

I also plan on having an urchin of two as part of the CUC, they are one of my favorite animals (of all time) which species would be best? My favorite is the Longspine Sea Urchin, but I'm afraid it will outgrow the tank...

Is my bioload too high?

Now... a few more questions that don't really have to do with anything specific, they just popped into my head and I haven't found an answer for them.

1. How do I prepare frozen food? Do I just thaw the part I need, like I would in FW?

2. Will my house be noticably more humid with the 65g reef? I also have a 29g and a 10g freshwater.

3. What sort of equipment should I have on hand in case of a power failure?

4. Whats are the pros and cons of a UV sterilizer?


I appreciate all the help I will get. And I realize I've asked a lot of questions, and I don't expect them to get answered in all one post.

 

[demonsp]

Ok slow down. You have lots of time to plan stock. And dont think lion fish is reef safe and that tank is to small. Also to small for most tangs but you may get away yelloe tang and just one in that tank.

Just have all equipment whene filling tank. It takes a few weeks to cycle and this gives you time to plan your stock.



Sounds like you have some nice coral but even with PC lighting LPS coral are hard to keep and no sps can be kept.

When it comes to lighting get the best you can afford. Regular PC will work with all softies and some LPS ( LPS like more mature tanks ) and any fish.

Also long spine urchin will be cramped in there and also eat purple coraline fast. If you want it want awile for coraline to grow in .

There is alot to this but just get tank up and running then research all your next steps and it will all come together. Patiants very important here.

 

[reef3r]

I know, my mom is waiting my wait a while to get everything, I plan on taking it very slow. She says I'll get to get the equipment around my birthday (november). So that gives me plenty of time to research and plan and everything. I have no problem with patience.

 

[jthao]

demonsp, you've been doing saltwater aquariums for almost as long as reef3r has been alive!!! hahaha, I just thought that was kinda cool. anyways, reef3r you've got a really nice set up for an 8th grader, costly too!! I think that you should rethink all the fish, if you want a reef tank. if you want mixed reef/fish, then don't get too much fish especially those that you're thinking about. first off a reef tank will have a lot of lr, which won't leave much room for a lionfish/trigger/or eel. imo, I think you should start slow with the fish and stock some corals first.

 

[demonsp]

I advise you get a marine aquarium book , one that has reef , invertebrate , fish and setup advice . This will help make it all easier.

 

[demonsp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10065185#post10065185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jthao
demonsp, you've been doing saltwater aquariums for almost as long as reef3r has been alive!!! hahaha, I just thought that was kinda cool. anyways, reef3r you've got a really nice set up for an 8th grader, costly too!! I think that you should rethink all the fish, if you want a reef tank. if you want mixed reef/fish, then don't get too much fish especially those that you're thinking about. first off a reef tank will have a lot of lr, which won't leave much room for a lionfish/trigger/or eel. imo, I think you should start slow with the fish and stock some corals first.

Actually its 10 yrs fresh and 1 yr salt. But you learn alot fast.

 

[reef3r]

Lol, there's people that have been doing saltwater WAY longer than I've been alive.

jthao, I don't actually have the tank or anything yet. I've been saving up my money for a while, though, and my mom will pay for some of it, because it's in the living room, and my dad will pay for some two (parents are divorced) because he's always watned SW but never had the $$

gosh you guys are posting faster tahn I can type I keep seeing teh emails come up.

 

[reef3r]

Oh, and I have a saltwater book. And I read it. My mom has it in her room now, but it's something like "Marine aquariums: A beginners guide to stocking, setup, and maintenance"... something like that.

 

[Bono]

First off, your parents must be very proud of you. I can only hope when my daughter "only 9" turns 14 she is as level headed and determined as you are.

As far as your plans:

Try to get a reef ready tank so you can have a sump. You can use a stanard 10-20 gallon tank which is fairly cheap.

I noticed you didn't mention a protein skimmer which to me is a must have piece of equipment.

For $200 you might want to look at more powerful lighting. You can probably used metal halides that would make a big difference.

Humidity won't be a problem.

Most people don't use UV's.

For a power failure you can use one of the battery backups for a computer. They last a few hours and are relatively inexpensive.

Since you have a while before you add fish, I would continue to read and get opinions on the best combination for your setup.

Oh, you just thaw frozen food in a net, rinse with fresh water and serve.

Good luck.

 

[reef3r]

Thanks, Bono, you answered more of my questions than all the last posters combined.

I'm still researching the whole sump/fuge/plumbing thing. I think I'm definitely going to have a sump, it's just the plumbing part that's holding me back, I'm going to start another thread somewhere for all my questions soon.

What's a 'reef ready' tank compared to a normal one?

I mentioned the Corallife Super Skimmer rated for 125g. That is a protein skimmer, not a surface skimmer, right?

My mom won't let me get MH because she already thinks the 40w on my 10g FW is too much, she's gonna freak when she sees the lights I linked to in action. Plus, don't MH need to be hung from the ceiling?

Glad about not needing a UV steriliser, the cost is getting kinda high for everything, I might have to do some DIY, which I'm not great at.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Bono]

Reef Ready means the tank has the overflow already built in. I'm pretty sure you can get an All Glass tank in that size that is RR.

Sorry about the Coralife Skimmer I must have missed it. I've never owned one so I can't comment but if you do a search you should get some good info.

If you have a canopy, you can attach your lights to the inside so they are completely out of view. If not, you can lay the lights on top or use the "feet" that some fixtures come with.

 

[reef3r]

Do I really need MH lighing for the corals I want? I mainly want the zoos and mushrooms, and torch coral. I know the torch needs a little more light, but as long as it's up high, it should be okay...

 

[Bono]

No you should be fine. I only mentioned the MH lighting since I also started with PC's and soon changed to MH's.

 

[reef3r]

Okay, thanks. What about the flow. Is the two SEIOs enough?

 

[MR PALM BEACH]

Dont know If your mind Is set on a 65g but with those dimensions a couple inches taller you could go to 75, 90, or 110. The difference would on be on hight, your length and width will be the same. Something you might want to think about before you wish you got something bigger down the road.

 

[reef3r]

I noticed that, and may end up getting a 75g, but the reasons not to is then the lighting wouldn't go as far down. I would have to buy all new lighting for the 110, which is 24" right? The PCs or CFs or whatever they are won't get to the bottom.

I really might get a 75g, though, it's probably easier to find. I know they have the 36" long 65g at my only lps (that doesn't do SW, I have to get EVERYTHING online) and they have a bunch of 55gs, but I'll check for 75g's next time I go. Thanks for the tips.

 

[MR PALM BEACH]

Yes depending on what you want to keep will determining the lighting. I know there Is alot of fish you have your mind set on getting as so does everyone but my orignal thought was to buy a 75g which would of been borderline on keeping tangs and what not, so to play It safe I ended up getting a 90. A 105 or 110 was just to tall IMO. I just hate to see anyone purchase somthing and wish they had only got somthing bigger In the first place. If Its a money issue I totally understand.

 

[cyan0069]

I would not go any taller than the 75gallon hieght of ~21" with just the Power compact fixture that you're looking at.

As for the strength of the lighting that you're looking at, I've done pretty much what you're looking at doing. I ran a 75 gal with a Coralife 4x65w Power Compact fixture and I had no problem whatsoever with keeping torches, zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, acanthastrea, blastomussa, and various other coral.

As for the livestock, which one is your absolute favorite? I noticed that you're a big urchin fan. I like them too, but 2 things... 1) if you decide that a trigger or other fairly aggressive fish might be in the future for you, you run a risk of losing your urchin to them and 2) Urchins will move just about everything - been there, done that. In my first saltwater tank (a 29 gallon about 11 yrs ago), I had an orange eye urchin in there and I lost tons of Florida Ricordia because he'd pick them up and walk off with them and they'd wind up behind the rocks somewhere.

Personally, I had great luck with a yellow tang in a 75. In fact, a great friend of mine has had a Yellow Tang in a 55 gallon for 15 years now. Granted, he's about the only fish in the tank (mainly because he kills anything that you put in with him). So, don't let anyone beat you up too bad about considering it.

If it were me, I would go with a pair of the Clarkii Clowns, Yellow Tang, Engineer Goby, and the Dwarf Lionfish (if you can find one that is guaranteed to eat!). Make sure to get the clowns and the goby larger than the lion. (The dwarfs usually aren't as destructive as the Volitans, I've kept them with some smaller clownfish and not had issues). You seem to be doing the research now, and that is awesome!

As for the equipment, like I said above, the lighting with be just fine. The tank, whether you go 65 or 75, will be just fine. I agree with the whole reef-ready suggestion made above. I have run tanks with all hang-on equipment and have always had issues with algae in them. I started either drilling my tanks or buying reef-ready and it allowed me to get more efficent skimmers, and that has helped out a ton! I would look at buying a 29 gallon tank (what I used on my 75) for a sump, and buy some silicone from the pet store if they have it and some acrylic sheets from HomeDepot or Lowe's or whatever building supply place is near. Cut the sheets to make baffles (look around in the New to the Hobby area for some instruction if you're unsure). I really like the AquaC Urchin and Urchin Pro skimmers. They are a little more expensive than the Coralife ones, but I have always had outstanding luck with them (but shop around and you might find something else that is a good balance of budget and quality). Finally, a return pump. For a tank this size, and considering what you're wanting to keep, look at something in the ~700 gph price range (not a RIO!).

Most importantly, don't forget to have fun through all of this!

If you need anything, let us know...

 

[reef3r]

Thanks for all the help, guys.

My favorite fish are in this order:
eel
tang
clowns
trigger
lion
goby

I may be able to use a 29g for a sump, because I have a 29g freshwater now, and a 55g in the garage I want to upgrade to.

How much extra do reef ready tanks cost?

 

[MR PALM BEACH]

I used a 29g for a sump In my 90 build, check out the the thread and you can see how I set It up. RR tank are a little more In $$ but IMO its well worth It.