need advice for next tank!

[Maunus]

Hi everyone! I am enjoying reef central and my first tank. 75 gallon, T5 lighting. 2 clowns, royal gramma, clown goby, lawnmower blenny, wrasse. use aqua c ev 180 skimmer, sump, live rock. 100 micron filter bag.

I am considering setting up a 180 gallon, with professional help. I wish to stick with hardy fish that are peaceful, and soft corals.

can you suggest;

1. great lighting setup?

2. best skimmer?

3. what size sump to do a great job? are they for sale, or do I need to have someone make it?

4. can I avoid calcium reactor with just soft corals?

thank you ALL for all the great advice so far!

Bob

 

[radar99]

Maunus I'll give this my best shot.
I am not sure that you need professional advise. Setting up an aquarium with the equipment you have won't be too much stress. you need to make sure that you have the proper lighting, flow and food for the corals you keep.
1. Lots of people are using either 250w Metal Halide or t5 lighting for that size of tank. If all you are keeping is softies, there is less demand for the perfect lighting.

2. This is a personal preference as to the brand, the bigger the better, make sure that it fits into the area that you have allotted for skimmer. If you are going with a sump, the best skimmer you can find will be the biggest one with the largest footprint that you can accomodate. Don't spend your whole budget on a skimmer, as there are other things more important ie. lighting and proper flow.

3. Sump size is best determined by the room you have for one, and if you intend on incorporating a refugium or not. The sump is used for keeping your filtration, heaters, etc. out of the display. Some people use external skimmers and only need a small sump to accommodate other devices they don't want in the display. Some people incorporate refugiums into the sump, requiring more room for the macro aglea.

4. Soft corals don't require the calcium that SPS's do, it is always important to maintain normal water conditions, but softies will not use up the Calcium like SPS's will. So the short answer is NO!

With all the advise on RC it is not as big of a chore to set up a reef aquarium as it once was. Rely on the advise of the experienced people here to help you feel that you are doing it right without the expense of hiring a professional.

Good luck

 

[Jflip2002]

The answer for 4 would be yes.. but I think radar is right on. octopus make a nice priced needlewheel skimmer line. And I think you would be happy with either MH or T5s, like radar said, on a tank that sized with softies. IMO Id go wit MH though, becaue the SPS bug will bite.

 

[Maunus]

thanks! I knew I could count on you!

probably a great idea for halides, just in case I want sps later. I guess that means a chiller. I think I am looking at $5000 for this tank! ugh!

best

Bob

 

[radar99]

I just started my upgrade to a 224g. I wish I was $5000 into mine.