Preparing to start my first tank

[Viper034]

I've been contemplating a tank for years, and I'm finally ready to start. Being brand new to it, I am moving slow and trying to keep it as simple as possible. I want to eventually have both corals and fish, so my first question is which should come first after establishing the tank (with sand and live rock); the corals or fish?

But before I get ahead of myself, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around just the equipment I'll need (for the tank itself), the plumbing side confuses me. I have a 45 gal bow front tank, and from everything I've read this is the setup I'm thinking:

HOB overflow
Aqueon ProFlex Sump - Should I set it up as a Berlin? Or will I not need a protein skimmer until I add fish? And is this sufficient filtration?
Heater(s)
Return Pump
Powerhead(s)

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Darth Polymnus]

Welcome to the world of saltwater aquariums. There's no one right way to do something in this hobby. Just have to find what works best in your situation.

which should come first after establishing the tank (with sand and live rock); the corals or fish?

Fish, in my opinion should come first as corals need a stable system in order to thrive. Fluctuation shifts occur in a young unstable system. Takes months to achieve a stable system.

But before I get ahead of myself, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around just the equipment I'll need (for the tank itself)

If you want a sump, and your tank isn't pre-drilled, you'll need an overflow. I have my sump set up as a refugium. I need a place for pods to flourish, so I need a fuge. Your needs may not call for a fuge. A skimmer isnt a must, but it does help alot. You will need a heater, return pump if you have a sump, and powerheads to circulate the water. Other equipment to consider are GFO, carbon and calcium reactors.

With all things saltwater, patience is very important. Nothing good happens fast. Research everything, then research again. Have fun.

 

[texdoc77]

Hello and welcome. First and foremost read the "setting up" sticky at the top of the forum. I know that purchasing equipment can be daunting but do as much research as you can. I usually say to buy the equipment to what you ultimately want to do because usually you do that sooner than you think. For example having coral requires more light so you might as well start with good light. Most would recommend a good protein skimmer as well. As far as what to add first I actually think there are some pretty Easy beginner coral you could start with along with fish. Leathers zoas and mushrooms come to mind. Just remember if they are too easy they might become a pest. Looking at you xenia and Kenya tree. Anyway my advice is to decide on set up equipment then start with rodi water and off you go to get it cycled. During this time making your first purchases and getting them in qt is a good idea. Keep us posted.

 

[Mark9]

If you haven't bought the tank yet, buy a reef ready tank.
That basically means it's pre-drilled, so you won't have to buy a HOB.

 

[Shawn O]

Some folks have run a HOB overflow without disaster but it just seems too risky an option to me. All it would take is for the HOB overflow to lose siphon and your water will be on the floor instead of returning to the sump. Most people find that to be inconvenient, to say the least.

Is your tank still in the wrap? If so, find out if the back is tempered or not. If it's tempered you may want to return it for one that's not. You'll want to drill it if it's not tempered. Reef-Ready tanks are usually more expensive than drilling a standard tank yourself.

A skimmer is not necessary at first, but probably will be, once you're tank is full of livestock.

Buy a good heater rated for your sized tank, better to have redundancy by having two heaters rated for half your tank's size and set both to the same temp. Cheap heaters fail more often than good ones.

Buy a good, reliable return pump. If you buy a cheap pump, you may want to buy an extra to keep on hand as a backup.

Buy decent wave makers (powerheads) that will give good circulation. They don't have to be the best on the market. They'll probably be louder than the expensive ones, but not by much.

Buy a good light capable of providing the amount of light required by the livestock you intend to keep. No sense buying a $200 FOWLR light just to replace it when you discover your coral aren't getting enough light.

Good luck, and please post pics once you're set up. We like pics.