noob with a Q
- Thread starter alpine36
- Start date
thanks for the quick reply.
i was thinking protien skimmer too. I would like to keep my system as quite as possible as the tank is in my room and I'm a light sleeper. Which skimmer can I get that does a good job while being quite.
Power heads to create current?
Can I use timers to activate them at the right timing to create a wave effect?
What powerheads do you reccomend for my size tank and where can I souerce some good timer units for the heads?
anything else to assure a stong system?
i would need to ro the water, right? any cheap units that work good?
refugium? Is that to maintain water quality?
Better go no-filter, with circulation pumps.
Best, go sump with return pump.
Live rock and skimmer does the filtration in a marine tank unless way many fish. A reef with fish: no mechanical filtration.
What you need for a reef: a HOB skimmer, a HOB (hangon) downflow box, a 30 g sump with partitiions, a mag 9 or 12 return pump, 90 lbs live-rock base rock combo; 90 lbs aragonite sand. And lights up to T5, no need for mh unless you want clams or the branching-stick corals. You'd need to discard all sand (bacteria don't match: it'd be a foaming mess) and ream out the tank with white vinegar. This is assuming you never used it for copper meds: that's lethal to inverts including your tank bacteria.
Marine tanks have a high and constant gurgle factor: like living with a loud fountain always on. The pumps are noisy. The lid fans are noisy. You have to make your peace with those sounds and just accept them. The only grace you have is that they never change. Alternatively you can put everything but the fans and the gurgle downstairs in the basement if you run two lines through your floor.
Best, go sump with return pump.
Live rock and skimmer does the filtration in a marine tank unless way many fish. A reef with fish: no mechanical filtration.
What you need for a reef: a HOB skimmer, a HOB (hangon) downflow box, a 30 g sump with partitiions, a mag 9 or 12 return pump, 90 lbs live-rock base rock combo; 90 lbs aragonite sand. And lights up to T5, no need for mh unless you want clams or the branching-stick corals. You'd need to discard all sand (bacteria don't match: it'd be a foaming mess) and ream out the tank with white vinegar. This is assuming you never used it for copper meds: that's lethal to inverts including your tank bacteria.
Marine tanks have a high and constant gurgle factor: like living with a loud fountain always on. The pumps are noisy. The lid fans are noisy. You have to make your peace with those sounds and just accept them. The only grace you have is that they never change. Alternatively you can put everything but the fans and the gurgle downstairs in the basement if you run two lines through your floor.
start again, live rock and vigorous water movement should be your main filteration, sump if you can fit 1 in, you can then run a skimmer and phosban reactor on or in the sump and use it for top ups etc, ditch the cyclid sand, best to start with new, to subscribe to a thread click on the subscribe link at the first post,
subscribe link?
what powerheads do you reccomend for a 90 gal.
i plan on getting 2, 1 on each side.
Can I use 2 of these. without the controller??
http://www.petmountain.com/product/water-pumps/514820/hydor-koralia-controllable-pump-powerhead.html
what powerheads do you reccomend for a 90 gal.
i plan on getting 2, 1 on each side.
Can I use 2 of these. without the controller??
http://www.petmountain.com/product/water-pumps/514820/hydor-koralia-controllable-pump-powerhead.html
Last edited:
masonicman
New member
alpine36
I did the same thing that you are starting. I went from brackish to salt and tried to do it with my existing but good equipment. I think it caused more problems the good. As of today I have replaced every piece of equipment except the tank and bought much more. This hobby is addicting to get your tank perfect.
I did the same thing that you are starting. I went from brackish to salt and tried to do it with my existing but good equipment. I think it caused more problems the good. As of today I have replaced every piece of equipment except the tank and bought much more. This hobby is addicting to get your tank perfect.
Go to the top of this forum thread listings and find the 2 that start with *.
Those two are the distillation of all the things you need to know.
About the only things that will work from the freshwater setup are your tank, your stand, and maybe your lights. Your filter might work for a quarantine setup...which you also need.
Those two are the distillation of all the things you need to know.
About the only things that will work from the freshwater setup are your tank, your stand, and maybe your lights. Your filter might work for a quarantine setup...which you also need.
matthewscars
New member
Honestly, I've done the 'cheap' set up a few years back. It's not worth it. This is one of those hobbies where the more money you spend and the more planning you do the better. You really cant half *** a salt/reef tank.
Ditch all your EQ you have right now, its useless. If you have a 90, expect to spend about $2,500-4,000 just to get it going.
You *need*:
30g Sump
Skimmer
T5 lighting (Get a NEP
)
New Sand
New Live Rock
Plumbing supplies
RODI system
Brute Trash can
Marine Testing supplies
TDS meter
Fragging EQ (if reef)
3x Koralia 3 or 4 pumps (or comperable)
heather
cooling fan
Ranco temp controller
2x Phosban Reactors
PH Meter (trust me its better than testing)
Refractometer
Salt mix (one bucket every 2 months)
Plastic Sleeves
tons of 5 gallon buckets
AND a crap load of little things that im forgetting.
Its not just 'oh im gonna switch over', its 'oh, im going to switch and i need to be prepared to spend $5,000 in the next 6 months on this hobby.'
Plus i literally spend 6 months reading this site every day and asking tons of questions to get a feel for what is what in the reefing hobby.
Good luck man.
Ditch all your EQ you have right now, its useless. If you have a 90, expect to spend about $2,500-4,000 just to get it going.
You *need*:
30g Sump
Skimmer
T5 lighting (Get a NEP
)New Sand
New Live Rock
Plumbing supplies
RODI system
Brute Trash can
Marine Testing supplies
TDS meter
Fragging EQ (if reef)
3x Koralia 3 or 4 pumps (or comperable)
heather
cooling fan
Ranco temp controller
2x Phosban Reactors
PH Meter (trust me its better than testing)
Refractometer
Salt mix (one bucket every 2 months)
Plastic Sleeves
tons of 5 gallon buckets
AND a crap load of little things that im forgetting.
Its not just 'oh im gonna switch over', its 'oh, im going to switch and i need to be prepared to spend $5,000 in the next 6 months on this hobby.'
Plus i literally spend 6 months reading this site every day and asking tons of questions to get a feel for what is what in the reefing hobby.
Good luck man.
matthewscars
New member
You need to buy the K4's especially made for the wavemaker (DC I believe). They are different from the AC K4s.
electraglide999
In Memoriam
power heads for water movement.
matthewscars
New member
"NOTE: Must Use a Koralia Wavemaker 2 Basic -or- Koralia Wavemaker 4 Deluxe controller to power these pumps! "
Rustylugnuts
Powdered Toast Man
There are 2 different sets of koralias controllable(DC) and standard(AC). The standard koralia can run standalone with out a wavemaker but can run into problems when you try to put one on a controller.
patsfan1130
Premium Member
While I agree that the journey you are thinking about embarking on will most certainly be more expensive than anything you are used to being in the FW hobby. some of the items listed above are flat out incorrect to say the least. You dont need to have 2 phosban reactors, nor do you NEED T5 lighting. you dont NEED live rock, Koralia PH or a Ranco controller. these are all things that a lot of us do have but certainly not a must. An RO unit is nice but not a necessity. Many people use their local LFS to buy their water. Heck, many people on this site are able to use their tap water for their FO tanks.
If you are planning on simply having fish (no inverts) then simple NO flouresc lighting is fine. If your tank is not RR then I would suggest purchasing an overflow box and a 30 tank to use as a sump. (this is where most of your equipment will be housed as well as a refugium for nutrient exprt) a good skimmer is probably the most important peice of equipment you will buy. (kept in the sump) some powerheads for water movement (cheap maxijets will suffice), salt, hydrometer (although I strongly suggest a refractometer), I would also suggest the use of LR as your source of filtration (it isnt required to be successful but it's strongly recommended). I also would not recommend the use of the sand currently in your tank. Play sand purchased at HD will work fine (stay clear of silica based). you will need salt to make water with and some good testing supplies (Salifert is not the best but in my experiences, a good, middle of the road product that render accurate results.
If you are planning on simply having fish (no inverts) then simple NO flouresc lighting is fine. If your tank is not RR then I would suggest purchasing an overflow box and a 30 tank to use as a sump. (this is where most of your equipment will be housed as well as a refugium for nutrient exprt) a good skimmer is probably the most important peice of equipment you will buy. (kept in the sump) some powerheads for water movement (cheap maxijets will suffice), salt, hydrometer (although I strongly suggest a refractometer), I would also suggest the use of LR as your source of filtration (it isnt required to be successful but it's strongly recommended). I also would not recommend the use of the sand currently in your tank. Play sand purchased at HD will work fine (stay clear of silica based). you will need salt to make water with and some good testing supplies (Salifert is not the best but in my experiences, a good, middle of the road product that render accurate results.
