Need suggestions for new reef tank
Eric Kovalsky
very low budget nano-reef which was tough to maintain. Recently my
wife & I built a custom home and we won't be moving for a very long
time. Also I can now afford a bigger reef with the right equipment.
So I want to get started again...
I will be reading books and magazines this summer and hope to get
started in the fall. I need equipment suggestions since I'm several
years out of date.
Basic plan is for a 90-120G rectangular tank (leaning towards acrylic)
with built-in overflow and a Durso standpipe. I'll have a sump in the
cabinet base for the skimmer, heater, chiller, etc. Lighting will
probably be halides and actinics. Filtration will be based on the
Berlin system with the addition of a bed of live sand. I'm also
interested in adding some live rock to the sump tank for plankton and
other microfauna.
I haven't investigated sources of live rock here in the
Phoenix/Scottsdale, although I have heard good things about AquaTouch.
The "Package" from Tampa Bay Saltwater sounds promising and may be
ideal for me, although the number of blue hermits included (2 per
gallon!) seems high. If there description is accurate, a new tank can
cycle with their live rock in a week or so with frequent water
changes... I'd rather not have to spend 1-2 months curing and cycling
the tank if I can avoid it.
Livestock I'd ultimately like in the tank includes various soft corals
and other invertebrates, including tridacnas, and maybe a few stony
corals too.
I will want some fish, top choices would be flame hawkfish, dwarf
angelfish (coral beauty or flame), percule or maroon clownfish, purple
tang, royal gamma, and maybe a wrasse. My favorite fish, and one that
I absolutely want, is a mandarinfish. I would add him only if there
is an adequate population of copepods/crustaceans for him to survive
long term. I refuse to buy any fish just for eye candy if it will not
thrive.
One of my favorite invertebrates is the sea apple. I know of its
potential problems but probably couldn't resist one or two of them
once the tank is stable and fully mature.
Any suggestions on the best protein skimmers, pumps, powerheads,
saltwater mix, chiller, RO/DI, etc. are greatly appreciated. Also
interested in whether an ozonizer, calcium reactor, and aquacontroller
will make a big difference in the tank and the health of its
inhabitants.
Thanks
Christopher Loggins
news:mtfjcvsc2esb2gaje...@4ax.com...
> I've been out of the hobby for a few years. Last tank I had was a
> very low budget nano-reef which was tough to maintain. Recently my
> wife & I built a custom home and we won't be moving for a very long
> time. Also I can now afford a bigger reef with the right equipment.
> So I want to get started again...
Welcome back to the hobby.
> I will be reading books and magazines this summer and hope to get
> started in the fall. I need equipment suggestions since I'm several
> years out of date.
If you can, check out www.reefcentral.com. That web site and this newsgroup
are better than any book I've read.
> Basic plan is for a 90-120G rectangular tank (leaning towards acrylic)
> with built-in overflow and a Durso standpipe. I'll have a sump in the
> cabinet base for the skimmer, heater, chiller, etc. Lighting will
> probably be halides and actinics. Filtration will be based on the
> Berlin system with the addition of a bed of live sand. I'm also
> interested in adding some live rock to the sump tank for plankton and
> other microfauna.
I'd go glass. If you're really rich you can go with starfire glass. But
that's just me.
If you're building a custom home, why not build a fish room? Instead of
putting the sump et. al. in the stand, run plumbing to your fish room. That
will give you room for a larger sump and for other equipment. Also, you
might consider doing a refugium above the tank if you want microfauna fed to
the main tank.
> I haven't investigated sources of live rock here in the
> Phoenix/Scottsdale, although I have heard good things about AquaTouch.
> The "Package" from Tampa Bay Saltwater sounds promising and may be
> ideal for me, although the number of blue hermits included (2 per
> gallon!) seems high. If there description is accurate, a new tank can
> cycle with their live rock in a week or so with frequent water
> changes... I'd rather not have to spend 1-2 months curing and cycling
> the tank if I can avoid it.
You won't avoid it at all; especially if you go with a DSB. DSBs can take up
to six months to establish themselves (per Dr. R. Shimek). During that time,
you will likely be fighting nitrates (dependant on how you setup your
sump/refuge). For live rock, check out www.eastcoastclams.com. Rob's got a
sweet deal on LR.
> Livestock I'd ultimately like in the tank includes various soft corals
> and other invertebrates, including tridacnas, and maybe a few stony
> corals too.
>
> I will want some fish, top choices would be flame hawkfish, dwarf
> angelfish (coral beauty or flame), percule or maroon clownfish, purple
> tang, royal gamma, and maybe a wrasse. My favorite fish, and one that
> I absolutely want, is a mandarinfish. I would add him only if there
> is an adequate population of copepods/crustaceans for him to survive
> long term. I refuse to buy any fish just for eye candy if it will not
> thrive.
I dont' know much about the hawkfish. Dwarf angels are hit and miss with
corals and clams: the angels may nip at the corals/clams and eventually
cause their death. Consider that many wrasse (six-line, for ex.) will
compete with the mandarin for food. I have to agree with you though. The
mandarin is the reason I set my tank up (and I still don't have it yet).
> One of my favorite invertebrates is the sea apple. I know of its
> potential problems but probably couldn't resist one or two of them
> once the tank is stable and fully mature.
Always consider this: Murphy's Law. Do you want one bad enough to sacrifice
all the hard work and time you've put into your tank?
> Any suggestions on the best protein skimmers, pumps, powerheads,
> saltwater mix, chiller, RO/DI, etc. are greatly appreciated. Also
> interested in whether an ozonizer, calcium reactor, and aquacontroller
> will make a big difference in the tank and the health of its
> inhabitants.
Hmm. I'm using an Excaliber skimmer, and am happy with it. Stick with
Maxi-Jet or better powerheads; the Rios are bad news. There's a huge debate
on RC about salt mix, but close to have its members use Instant Ocean. If
your house is air-conditioned, you may not need a chiller. Check out
www.aquaticreefsystems.com for RO/DI and other gadgets.
HTH,
Chris
SG
>
> If you're building a custom home, why not build a fish room? Instead of
>putting the sump et. al. in the stand, run plumbing to your fish room. That
>will give you room for a larger sump and for other equipment. Also, you
>might consider doing a refugium above the tank if you want microfauna fed to
>the main tank.
A fish room is an excellent idea either adjacent to the tank, or in a
basement. It allows for much larger sumps and skimmers, and all the
other bits of gear that are nice to have. Check out this "ReefCentral
Tank of the Month." It is a huge 500gal, with a nice fish room behind
it.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/totm/index.htm
Myself I will be installing a fishroom directly below my 200gal in the
basement.
--
sg
Marc Levenson
Sounds like you have been doing very good research, and I commend you for that!
You may find people in your local area that are downsizing/leaving the hobby and
acquire LR cheaper and not worry about cycling at all.
I do not recommend doing anything fast, including the cycyling process. Expect
and plan for one month from start up before you can begin to add a cleanup crew
or fish. You can definitely have a mandarin, but I'd suggest you buy it after
your tank has been up and stable for 6 months. You will need 75lbs (minimum) of
LR to support that fish, but odds are you'll have about 125 to 150 lbs of LR in
your tank.
All your choices sound good except for the sea apple. We had one when I was a
kid, and they are absolutely gorgeous creatures. You just need to find out
exactly what are the issues involved in caring for one, as well as what will
happen if/when it dies to the rest of your tank.
Welcome to the group, and back to the hobby.
Marc
Eric Kovalsky wrote:
--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com
Eric Kovalsky
Despite having over 6000 sq ft I'm struggling to find a good place for
the tank... game room lies next to the laundry room (i.e. water and
sink) and has no direct sun coming in so is probably the best choice.
My office is big and has its own bathroom but it has a lot of south
facing windows (major problem here in Scottsdale, AZ) and has wood
floors. The home theater would be a neat place (behind the screen)
but the only nearby "wet" area is the family room wet bar.
I'd really like a setup like the "tank of the month" you wrote about
in my office, where I also build computers, have a high end audio
setup, and do my "homework" as a physician. Guess that will have to
be for the next house...
dal
I was able to build a new home in north Florida a couple years ago around
this hobby. I have found a few things to be invaluable. I have a 120 reef
w/hard and soft corals.
Make it easy:
I asked our building contractor to put a 3" PVC conduit under my slab. It
runs from the garage to the aquarium (about 40 feet). You can do the same
thing in a basement, if you live in the north.
1. My PVC serves as a conduit for 4 - 3/4" drip irrigation pipes that I use
for my chiller (2 - 3/4 in, and 2 - 3/4 back), and for an extension cord for
the chiller. My chiller is in the garage to minimize the noise and heat the
in the house.
2. I also feed RO water from the garage through a 1/4" nylon tube to the
sump for make up water (automatic and no maintenance).
3. I do water changes remotely. I have a valve on the chiller in the garage
that can dump waste water into a laundry tub. I then use a pump in the
garage to refill the tank from the salt water mixing tub. I can do a water
change in 15 minutes with no spills. VERY Spouse friendly.
Quality water:
Get and RO system. Water quality, AND temperature are the key to a good reef
IMHO. If you have MH or VHO (compact???), get a chiller. The lights get too
hot if you have a hood. The more fluctuation in temp and water quality the
more problems you have.
We keep our house at 79+ degrees all the time during the cooling season.
Ambient temperature DOES matter.
Dave
Timothy Tom
I would agree that an adjacent "fish room" which can hold the sump,
chiller, and other noisy, wet, and dirty equipment is great if you
have the room. My tank is located in the middle of my home, and has
no walls to enclose a fish room. As an alternative to a fish room, I
plumbed drain, and supply lines, electrical, category 5 cabling to the
tank. The drain and supply lines go to the garage where there is a
mixing tank (55 gallon trash container) where I have a RO unit to make
water change water. I can do a water change without every droping a
single drop of water on the carpet around the tank. I would say that
if you can't find the room for a fish room, definitely plumb at least
two if not more water lines to the garage. Check out my homepage to
see pictures.
http://hometown.aol.com/tdtom30/tomsreef.html
Charlie Spitzer
stuff. otoh, i have a chiller i'm looking to sell if you're interested.
you'll need one in the summer here.
regards,
charlie
cave creek, az
"Timothy Tom" <tdt...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:ff44f110.03052...@posting.google.com...
SG
>
>My tank is located in the middle of my home, and has
>no walls to enclose a fish room. As an alternative to a fish room, I
>plumbed drain, and supply lines, electrical, category 5 cabling to the
>tank.
Why the Cat5?? Do your fish really need an Internet connection? :-)
--
sg
Charlie Spitzer
"SG" <ab...@kernelpanic.ca> wrote in message
news:slrnbdaasf...@ogre.bishop...
future automation control and connections i would guess.
Timothy Tom
utility room where it is spliced to another cat 5 going to the study
where the Aquanotes program is running on my pc. It cost nothing to
run the cable other than the cable itself, and about 12 ft of 1/2" PVC
tubing it was run in since this was all done during a major remodel
with the floorspace, ceilings and walls open. If I had to do over
again, I would run another cat 5 to the aquarium to allow the option
of putting a webcam in the cabinet to monitor for spills, protein
skimmer overflows, etc.