New to the hobby & could use some advice!!!

[babyg2.0]

Boy, am I glad I found this forum!!!

I am fairly new to the hobby, so please excuse me if I ask dumb questions :spin2:

I have been mulling over the idea of having a 150g Reef tank setup for a couple months now and, since I actually have the room for it now, I would love to start one. I have been doing my research and I know that I want to DIY the sump (wayyy cheaper-- unless you guys know a place that sells sumps on the cheaper end of the spectrum), I am looking into protein skimmers, and will most likely build my own RODI system. However, I do have a bunch of questions.

1) how big of a tank should I get for the sump? And is there any preferred way to split up the sections of a sump for a reef aquarium? (I would love to hear your opinions!)

2) Would you recommend Live rock or dried live rock? the thought of live rock is extremely intimidating to me because I do have other tanks I would like to continue to put time into and there seems to be many time-consuming problems with live rock. Also, do you experienced aquarists have a preferred rock? I was really looking into Pukani but I've also heard of this purple dry rock that seems to have a lot of benefits and can be shaped pretty easily.

3) Would sand be a better substrate or crushed corals and shells? maybe a mix? I'm really not sure on this one. Both are so pretty IMO.

4) Would my two clowns (one black and white percula and one percula) be okay with a yellow tank and flame angelfish or should I keep them in their 20g?

5) Would it be more beneficial to buy an RODI unit or DIY my own? also, if it comes down to buying one, where is the best place to look, or, if DIYing, how many chambers do I really need/what media should I use?

Tank you so much for reading!

 

[wcu]

1. There are different sump methods and theories. If you're doing a DIY project, there are some good YouTube videos on how to set up a simple sump. A 55 gallon tank should be sufficient.

2. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. Starting with true live rock gives a more complete and natural habitat. However, after dealing with all kinds of plagues over the years, I only buy dry rock now. If this is your first reef tank, identifying and dealing with pests and unsightly algae problems that come in with live rock will be even more challenging. Bulk reef supply sells good dry rock cheap.

3. Depends on the livestock you want to keep. If you'll have gobies and wrasses (can't imagine you wouldn't), you'll need a fine grain sand bed. Crushed coral and shells can hurt the animals. Adding a little of that stuff is ok. Read about shallow and deep sand beds and see which one interests you most. I'm in the shallow sand bed camp, but there's arguments for and against each method.

4. They'll do great!

5. RODI units aren't that expensive, especially in the grand scheme of things when you consider the total cost of setting up a 150g reef. There are technologies and bells and whistles that you likely won't be able to replicate at the same price point. Plus, you're going to be really busy with everything else concerning the tank. Do you really want to waste your time dealing with something boring like a water filter?

Bulk reef supply has a 52 week video series on setting up an awesome reef tank. I'd highly recommend those videos. Marine depot also has some great educational videos out there. Both are also excellent sources for your hardware.

Do some reading on www.wetwebmedia.com . There's more than you could ever read. It's actually a bit intimidating, but a great place to search for questions/answers.

 

[scooter31707]

1. As big as your stand will allow you. Make sure to have enough space to be able to do maintenance and for tall equipment (like a skimmer)

2. True live rock will assist in the cycle process, depending how much rock you have. I used dry rock and cycle the tank with it. Just pressure washed it and into the tank and started the cycle.

3. I prefer sand. IMO, with crushed coral it may allow detritus and stuff to get down in there causing water parameter issues.

4. Yes, the clowns will be fine. Just add them before the tang and angelfish. IMO, they would be the 1st two fish in the tank.

5. I would purchase one. Shop around like anything else and try to find the best deal. On which one to buy, I would get a copy of your city's water report and go from there.

 

[babyg2.0]

I have been looking into sumps and I've decided to go with a 50g. Also, I am on well water which is filtered to the extreme. I am most likely going with a four-stage RODI unit and I'm using dry rock, but my friend is letting me borrow some of his live rock from an already established reef tank that he's had up for 4 years. Thank you guys so much for the help!


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[Bonvivant]

Don't borrow the live rock. Old live rock IMO is often full of phosphates and other nasties.

 

[Gweeds]

1. The 50g you're planning on will be fine . Split up however you want, depending on equipment you have (or may want to add in the future). Try to make each section big enough that you can swap things around if the initial layout doesn't work for you. Personally I have my tank drain into a filter sock which is in the refugium. Then goes through to the skimmer and onto a third section full of live rock rubble (there is also the outlet from the skimmer in this section). The feed into my 3 stage fluidised reactor is there too. Final 4th chamber is the return pump and outlet from the reactor.

2. IMHO live rock every time. If you want to reduce the hitchikers then buy second hand from someone closing down, just make sure you see the tank before the rock is pulled out. My personal favourite is java cured live rock...

3. Depends on what you want to keep... most likely sand is more flexible in that regard. You can mix it, but be aware the crushed coral will ALWAYS end up on the top... so go for a tiny amount of this vs the sand. Personally I have a shallow bed in my DT and a deep bed in my refugium.

4. Yes, put them in first and let them claim their area before adding the others.

5. Buy one. It's a pita to build and you can't watch your tank whilst you're doing it [emoji6]



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