true newbie - how what when why?
- Thread starter matt7
- Start date
rubble rock is small live rock chunks.
a phosban reactor will help keep phosphate low and lessen the chance of nuisance algae.
ls is live sand
a sterilizer is a UV sterilizer, its a closed UV bulb that you pump water through and the UV light messes with the reproductive system of algae and parasites stopping them from breading. a very powerful UV with a long contact time can kill some things out right.
i dont think your sump is large enough to have a true Deep sand bed so i would only put an inch or two of sand(if any).
find out what wattage your bulds are and what spectrum the bulbs are also.
this will help you with acronyms
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Encyclopedia&op=terms&eid=2<r=all
a phosban reactor will help keep phosphate low and lessen the chance of nuisance algae.
ls is live sand
a sterilizer is a UV sterilizer, its a closed UV bulb that you pump water through and the UV light messes with the reproductive system of algae and parasites stopping them from breading. a very powerful UV with a long contact time can kill some things out right.
i dont think your sump is large enough to have a true Deep sand bed so i would only put an inch or two of sand(if any).
find out what wattage your bulds are and what spectrum the bulbs are also.
this will help you with acronyms
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Encyclopedia&op=terms&eid=2<r=all
SBJim
New member
Rubble rock is the same as live rock, just small pieces. People put it in their sump or fuge to provide for good water flow in/around the rock. The organisms in the rock provide for biological filtration. Assuming you have good flow in your tank, putting bigger pieces in your tank provide for the same biological filtration.
Phosban reactor takes phosphates out of your water. Phosphates get introduced with food, among other ways. There seems to be a difference of opinion in the hobby as to whether a reactor is necessary. Another option is to just put some phosphate-reducing media in a mesh bag in your sump somewhere. Same with carbon.
"LS" is live sand. It has beneficial organisms living in it (like the live rock) that help with biological filtration.
I think a "sterilizer" is a UV sterilizer. I don't use one so can't give you any thoughts. I don't think it is a necessity.
No matter what someone tells you is right, there will be someone else who is doing the exact opposite with good success. So listen to everyone's advice and their reasons, and then do what you think makes the most sense. Here are my suggestions:
Use a sump, and design it such that some portion of it can be used as a refugium. In the fuge, chaeto (a macroalgae) and a 4" sand bed (also called a DSB") are helpful. Sump provides for more stability, and a cleaner look to your tank. Fuge benefits mentioned previously in this thread.
Use a skimmer. It does not sound like you are trying to do this on the cheap, so I will list some brands that seem to be well-regarded: Deltek, Euro-reef, ASM, AquaC. Get one that fits in your sump and fits your budget. Skimmer removes "dissolved organic compounds" form the water (aka crap).
Use live rock. At least one pound for each gallon of tank capacity (I think that's 90 in your case). Find nice big pieces: the biggest that will fit in your tank. That way you can make a nice open aquascape (lots of caves, swim-throughs, etc.). They cost more, but you will be glad in the long term. Live rock provides for biological filtration, preventing buildup of bad stuff like ammonia and nitrites and nitrates.
Use live sand. I suggest a shallow sand bed, 1-2", for aesthetics in the main display, and a deep sand bed in the fuge.
Get good lights. I suggest high-output T5's for you if you want to keep an anemone. Sounds like you already have a canopy, so get a TEK retrofit (or Icecap if the price tag does not scare you off) and install it in your canopy. Here's a link: http://www.innovativelights.com/ret-t5-654.html
Get something for flow in the tank. Either a closed-loop or powerheads in the tank. If you want anemones, I strongly suggest a closed-loop. Drill your tank for one if possible.
Those are my thoughts, having been in your shoes about 18 months ago.
Read lots and lots and lots. On this board and in books. Hope that helps.
Phosban reactor takes phosphates out of your water. Phosphates get introduced with food, among other ways. There seems to be a difference of opinion in the hobby as to whether a reactor is necessary. Another option is to just put some phosphate-reducing media in a mesh bag in your sump somewhere. Same with carbon.
"LS" is live sand. It has beneficial organisms living in it (like the live rock) that help with biological filtration.
I think a "sterilizer" is a UV sterilizer. I don't use one so can't give you any thoughts. I don't think it is a necessity.
No matter what someone tells you is right, there will be someone else who is doing the exact opposite with good success. So listen to everyone's advice and their reasons, and then do what you think makes the most sense. Here are my suggestions:
Use a sump, and design it such that some portion of it can be used as a refugium. In the fuge, chaeto (a macroalgae) and a 4" sand bed (also called a DSB") are helpful. Sump provides for more stability, and a cleaner look to your tank. Fuge benefits mentioned previously in this thread.
Use a skimmer. It does not sound like you are trying to do this on the cheap, so I will list some brands that seem to be well-regarded: Deltek, Euro-reef, ASM, AquaC. Get one that fits in your sump and fits your budget. Skimmer removes "dissolved organic compounds" form the water (aka crap).
Use live rock. At least one pound for each gallon of tank capacity (I think that's 90 in your case). Find nice big pieces: the biggest that will fit in your tank. That way you can make a nice open aquascape (lots of caves, swim-throughs, etc.). They cost more, but you will be glad in the long term. Live rock provides for biological filtration, preventing buildup of bad stuff like ammonia and nitrites and nitrates.
Use live sand. I suggest a shallow sand bed, 1-2", for aesthetics in the main display, and a deep sand bed in the fuge.
Get good lights. I suggest high-output T5's for you if you want to keep an anemone. Sounds like you already have a canopy, so get a TEK retrofit (or Icecap if the price tag does not scare you off) and install it in your canopy. Here's a link: http://www.innovativelights.com/ret-t5-654.html
Get something for flow in the tank. Either a closed-loop or powerheads in the tank. If you want anemones, I strongly suggest a closed-loop. Drill your tank for one if possible.
Those are my thoughts, having been in your shoes about 18 months ago.
Read lots and lots and lots. On this board and in books. Hope that helps.
kellyandcarrie
New member
don't let all the technical mumbo jumbo scare you off! After you do your research, it all tends to make perfect scense... and I'm blonde!!! And make sure you do your research before making the long journey to the fish store 'cause their gonna try to sell you stuff you don't need if they know that you don't know. Good luck and have fun. Welcome to the addiction! ~Carrie
Another thing is that not everything works for everyone in every situation. I've heard everything on here and not all of it works for everyone. The best thing to do is to get a plan of action and try that out. i have a small 20 gal and with no sump, refugium, or skimmer. I run LS and LR and have many corals to boot. Lots of which everyone has said will be hard to keep alive. So just keep reading. Find a plan for everything. Don't just jump in. Plan what you can afford for lighting and filtration. It is possible to do this with hangon's. Don't go over the top with lighting. Alot of people will advise you that you need more then you do. Get lighting and start with beginner corals. They need very little to keep going. Work yourself into it. Find out what works for you. I can keep SPS alive in my tank but can't keep Xenia.
Holmie_D_Klown
Premium Member
These are both really good books which I would recommend. Probably best to read a book like this first before making any decisions. It gives you a pretty good foundation of knowledge that you will need. Things will start to make a little more sense
As if things weren't complicated enough, there are a lot of abbreviations on this board. There was a thread of abbreviations somewhere on this site. If someone can post the thread, that would probably be helpful to Matt.
Be aware that when you ask an opinion on this board, some will say zig, others will say zag. There's just a lot of different ways to do things. As other people have said, figure out what you want to keep, this will determine what you will need. If you want an anemone, you will need MH (metal halide) lighting. Most go with 250W 10000K. It sounds like you don't mind spending the money to do things right, if that's the case then you would want a sump and protein skimmer. Part of the sump can be a refugium, but I wouldn't mess with a refugium right now - just plan ahead so your sump has room for one.
Rack up another vote for "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist".
This book has loads of information, explains things in details and is a good guide to fall back on. You might call this the Marine Bible.
In my sump right now i just have a couple leftover chunks of live rock, the best advantage to having a sump, besides hiding the ugly equipment, is adding water volume.
I read it from somewhere on here( can't remember author) but its a great analogy.
It takes a lot more to pollute a lake than a pond
Reef Central is an awesome resource for all of those unanswered questions. Don't be afraid to ask, we were all there once and we all are learning. You can never have to much info!
Check out Waterkeepers threads too they are really helpful
This book has loads of information, explains things in details and is a good guide to fall back on. You might call this the Marine Bible.
In my sump right now i just have a couple leftover chunks of live rock, the best advantage to having a sump, besides hiding the ugly equipment, is adding water volume.
I read it from somewhere on here( can't remember author) but its a great analogy.
It takes a lot more to pollute a lake than a pond
Reef Central is an awesome resource for all of those unanswered questions. Don't be afraid to ask, we were all there once and we all are learning. You can never have to much info!
Check out Waterkeepers threads too they are really helpful
Cause you're just starting out. A refugium would be helpfull in the long run but not necessary right now. It's just going to add complexity to your system. Once you gain more knowledge and get a feel for what you like and dislike you can add a fuge. Or a UV light, or MH lights, or whatever else you want. Just start slow and keep it simple until you learn the ropes. Plus if you get all the latest and greatest stuff and something goes wrong it will be hard to track the problem down.
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