New tank new type of water

[tabshire95]

New to saltwater but not new to fish keeping. I have three hightech freshwater aquascaped tanks up and running now. I'm looking to finally dive into saltwater, and like any good fishkeeper I've saved a nice bankroll for the ensuing spending spree. So help me plan how I'm going to go broke =). I understand all the science and chemistry and already have an RO/DI system in place for my tanks. I'm going to use a 36" X 18" X 13" tank with low iron glass as the display tank. I have been drawing up my cabinet so that there isn't a footprint any bigger than the tank is itself so it is a bit limiting on space. I guess my first step is asking for brands people trust and know. I'm not familiar with saltwater like I am fresh, knowing the right brands helps me spend money on something worth it rather than the biggest price tag. I was considering Kessil for my lighting, I've enjoyed the LEDs on my FW tanks. Maybe an AP 700 for this tank, I like the ability to change things and customize as needed, and the extra power gives me creative freedom and room to grow. A protein skimmer is obviously necessary and a powerhead, maybe two smaller ones to simulate tides. Really any items that help maintain a healthy reef I'd love listed or a reference to, money isn't a huge issue as I've been saving pretty steadily for this badboy. Thanks guys!

 

[BigCountry74]

focus on the protein skimmer first. it's the most important part. you want 2-3x filtration on these tanks. water quality is everything. the skimmer is literally the heartbeat of a reef tank. and you want a strong healthy heart worry about the lights after that. i have not had much luck growing coral with LED personally, so i stick with MH. consider going barebottom with lots of rock. in my experience its easier than messing with sand. most people run too shallow a sand bed anyway, which does more harm than good. anyway, just my .02 good luck!

 

[tabshire95]

Thanks for the quick reply! From all the research I've done LEDs seem to have come a long way in the last few years for salt water so I'm hoping to see decent results. I'm a bit of a tech junky as well so I plan on having a lot of automated pieces to the tank to help me not spend too much time on the mundane since I'm a stickler for the details. What skimmers are most people recommending or wanting for their setups? I'm going to use a CAD program to draw up my cabinet and all my placements so the footprint is important for the build so getting a few good picks for one would be great!

 

[scooter31707]

IMO, shallow sand bed is better than a deep sand bed, if maintained properly and on a regular basis. If you are thinking about getting any Wrasses, you will need a sandbed.

 

[tabshire95]

I'm looking at a 40 long tank with the dimensions of 36"X18"X12" Not much depth for my lights to push through so it's more about even coverage for me. The cabinet I'm designing is going to leave zero edges so I have 18" deep of space for plumbing and I'm considering a 3 or 4 foot stand. I like to be able to stand over the tank and have it eye level when sitting. I'm investigating brands for my skimmer and sump. Brands are gonna be really helpful for me. Including other ideas of equipment that makes a tank like this easier to handle and run (auto top off system, auto dosers and a controller that handles and measures all the doseing equipment.

 

[A.Astore]

I have the Reefbreeder LEDs and love them thus far. I have a 60" tank so I was able to go with their 60w Photon that has the wireless controller. Might be worth a look, I just don't know what they have in terms of the shorter lengths. I was able to make a custom schedule for the ramp up and down as well as adjust blues vs whites vs moons on hour increments (by the 1% steps). There are four different settings beyond even that then so you have a custom, manual, sunny, and cloudy (the last three stay a steady level rather than up and down throughout the day).

Recently bought a Tunze ATO which I swore up and down I would not do. Let me tell you, it was the easiest thing to set up and it works perfectly without needing to mess with it or adjust it one single time. Literally stuck it on the sump and has been running flawlessly since. It was worth the extra cost compared to other brands and is one that I was able to actually use a coupon code on through Drs Smith and Fosters (I am sure other sites also allow you to use a discount on it but I know for a fact you can through them).

I don't have a controller for the system so I can't help you there and my sump came with my system.