Help Converting My Tropical Tank To Marine Please

[Scott_T_27]

Hi there

I am currently running a tropical tank but have been thinking about getting into marine for a while and decided now is the time. I have been doing some reading up on the subject but thought I would get some advice from here as always had good advice regarding my tropical set up. The wife, a.k.a boss , has said I cannot have another tank so I am going to convert the one I have.

Could you please advise me what I can use from my existing set up and what I will need to purchase to set up into a marine system. I want to run a reef tank with corals and fish. I'm just after the typical set up with clowns, tangs etc. cliche I know but hey, the kids will love it, and so will I

Here is my current set up
Juwel rio 180l tank with 2 x T8 bulbs one daylight and one moon blue
Tetra tec EX700 external filter with spray bar set up with filter floss in tray 1 (top), filter foam in tray 2, bio balls in tray 3, ceramic noodles and foam in tray 4 (bottom)
200w heater

I also have a small 19l fry tank that I could run as a sump and fill with live rock, or will the external be ok for this?

Am I right in thinking I will need
T5 bulbs?
Protein skimmer?
Approx 18kg live rock and live sand?
A power head or 2?

Obviously I would need to give the tank a good clean, but then does the marine set up need to cycle like a tropical tank does before adding livestock? How long can this take?

Sorry I know a lot of questions but I really want to do this and get it right!
I would appreciate any help and advice, even if you can recommend products that you have used and are pleased with.

Many thanks in advance
Scott

 

[Donya]

T5 bulbs?
 

 
For corals, yes, T5s or LEDs meant for reefs. Either way, you will need a new fixture since T8 is not suitable for a reef. 
 
 

Protein skimmer?
Approx 18kg live rock and live sand?
A power head or 2?
 

 
Yes, although you don't "need" the sand to be live. It doesn't hurt, but it's a lot cheaper to use dry aragonite and just let it colonize more slowly using the rock as the seed.
 
 

Obviously I would need to give the tank a good clean, but then does the marine set up need to cycle like a tropical tank does before adding livestock? How long can this take?
 

 
No way to tell before it happens. You need to test the water for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate a couple days after adding the rock and go from there. If there's a lot of dieoff on the rock, it can take a few weeks. If the rock is really high qualiy and transported well, it may not really cycle at all and would be ready for a CUC right away.
 
 

I also have a small 19l fry tank that I could run as a sump and fill with live rock, or will the external be ok for this?
 

 
Canister and hang-on filters do not substitute for a sump due to the difference in volume. Both canisters and hang-on filters also need regular maintenance and do best if prefiltered (put sponge/floss around the intake) to avoid internal debris buildup. On a tank of the size you're setting up, an external filter would mainly serve as a place to stash chemical media like carbon and phosphate remover. But, you could do this in a sump too. Generally a sump is better, although 19L is kind of small. Can you fit anything bigger as a sump?

 

[Scott_T_27]

Hi Donya

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately due to where my tank is situated and the stand it is on that would be thy biggest sump I could get. I have read on other forums though, maybe on here can't remember I've read that many, that I could just fill my external filter with frags of live rock as well as filling my tank with live rock, agitated by power heads/wave makers. I am aiming to have 25-30kg of live rock in my tank plus whatever I can fit in the filter.

I am going to purchase a new T5 lighting unit that will hold 2 x 100cm, 45watt bulbs. Do I need one white and one blue?

 

[Donya]

Yeah if all you can fit is the 19L then it's not really worth sumping. You can do a canister, but their main benefit is really for chemical media. You can put rock in too (I have one of each type on one of my tanks), but it's usually better to have the rock in the tank itself unless you're either trying to fill space or have some specific reason you don't want the extra rock in the tank. If you have a really big canister, then you can fit both things in.
 

I am going to purchase a new T5 lighting unit that will hold 2 x 100cm, 45watt bulbs. Do I need one white and one blue? 
 

 
The standard thing to do is half of the bulb count being 10,000K (white) and the other half being actinic with peaks at 420nm. Be aware that 2xT5 on a tank this size limits what you can keep coral-wise quite a lot, mainly to the hardier soft corals.

 

[Scott_T_27]

Thanks Donya

I'll just use my canister for floss and carbon then, maybe some phosphate remover.
Would I be better off getting a 4 bulb T5 system then? Or should I just go straight for LED? Could you recommend any LED light units that aren't too pricy? Some of the one I have been looking at are pretty dear. Or can you recommend any good systems? Because if I'm going to fork out for a light unit I want it to be a good one lol

Could you recommend any good power heads/wave makers??

 

[Scott_T_27]

Update

One of my workmates has just offered me 25kg of live rock, with some live sand ( unsure how much but says it will be enough for my tank) some of his water and a power head. Will this be ok under my T8 bulbs until I get my new light unit? I have a daylight bulb and a blue actinic bulb.

 

[Donya]

The rock should be fine with the T8s. If there's not much growing on it, it shouldn't require much light at all to sustain what's there. If there are any pieces with lots of photosynthetic organisms (macroalgae or polyps) then you might see some die-off if left too long, so try to get those pieces near the top and closer to the lights while you look for a new fixture.
 
Before picking a fixture, the important question is: what sort of reef are you wanting? A SPS reef is very different from a softie reef. 4xT5 fixtures are pretty good and can support a lot of things, but the high-end LED fixtures will be better of course. The lower-priced "reef" LED fixtures are again only suitable for primarily softie reefs and some LPS. 
 
As far as powerheads, there are a lot of different things out there depending on what features you want exactly. On the high end are things like Vortec pumps (seen them, never had them) and then there are th emore normal circulation pumps like Hydor's pumps that, like the Vortecs, cling with magnets rather than suction cups and so are less prone to falling if messed with by animals. There are also pumps with rotating output (ZooMed makes some for example) that can simulate waves and produce pretty good non-linear flow, but they can sometimes require a lot of maintenance to keep rotating freely depending on how much encrusting stuff grows in the tank.

 

[CezzaXV]

When you say you can only fit the 19L sump tank, is this due to cabinet space? I found with mine that I had a very limited space, and it was beneficial to get one custom made which was taller than a standard tank that you'd get off the shelf. Make sure you plan it out beforehand though, as you need to be aware of the optimum operating depth of your skimmer and anything else you'll put in there.

Don't get a sump custom made though, as they're expensive. You can just get a standard tank and then silicone in your own glass, which doesn't need to be as thick as the outer glass.

Although a sump will cost you more money, it will save you money and frustration in dealing with substandard hang on skimmers, reactors and any other equipment you might add in the future.

The T8's should be fine with the live rock for the time being. The only issue you might have is any attractive coralline algae might die off a little, but it's not a big deal. If you plan on going reef in the future (or even if you don't, be prepared for the possibility you might change your mind like I have), it may be beneficial to go for a unit that will hold 4 T5 bulbs as you might find 2 will limit your choices.