My First Attempt At Marine (cheap Custom Tank 80ish Litres)

[creg]

this will be quite slow going but hopefully will be up and running by xmas. after much deliberation i bought a 60x30x45cm tank from my lfs, its custom made by a local glazier and only cost 35 quid. ive kept planted tanks before but this is my first marine

what i have
80 litre tank
koralia nano 900 powerhead

shopping list
all pond solutions t5 lighting (or a cheap 2nd hand t5 unit if can find)
jbl cristalprofi e700 external filter (will run rowaphos, live rocks and filter sponge)
fluval e 100w electronic heater
marine salt (not sure which brand)
test kits
tmc coral gravel

what i want to keep (will probably change)
black and white clownfish
yellow tail damsel
emerald crab
hermit crabs
some kind of shrimp
easy to keep soft corals (really like the look of zoanthids)

im pretty much clueless when it comes to marine fish, shrimp species and corals so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. any other general advice very much welcome too.

 

[Xraymark]

Congrats on going salty. Check out. http/www.liveaquaria.com/


For info on livestock.  Plenty of time to think on stocking.

 

[creg]

Congrats on going salty. Check out. http/www.liveaquaria.com/


For info on livestock.  Plenty of time to think on stocking.

cheers loads of info on there and nice pics to drool over

 

[matt_storey]

this will be quite slow going but hopefully will be up and running by xmas. after much deliberation i bought a 60x30x45cm tank from my lfs, its custom made by a local glazier and only cost 35 quid. ive kept planted tanks before but this is my first marine

what i have
80 litre tank
koralia nano 900 powerhead

shopping list
all pond solutions t5 lighting (or a cheap 2nd hand t5 unit if can find)
jbl cristalprofi e700 external filter (will run rowaphos, live rocks and filter sponge)
fluval e 100w electronic heater
marine salt (not sure which brand)
test kits
tmc coral gravel

what i want to keep (will probably change)
black and white clownfish
yellow tail damsel
emerald crab
hermit crabs
some kind of shrimp
easy to keep soft corals (really like the look of zoanthids)

im pretty much clueless when it comes to marine fish, shrimp species and corals so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. any other general advice very much welcome too.

Good luck with it!!

Dont forget to add live rock

Also if you possibly could go for a larger tank, 3-4ft to start. Its recommended on beginner tank to get used to maintaining a healthy clean tank. You could use the tank you have as a sump and that way you wont need to fit a heater or skimmer to the main tank. It would also increase the volume of water allowing easier maintenance and more stocking options.

Alot to take in i know, but my advice is take your time! Dont rush into things, its a long process but worth it in the end

 

[creg]

Good luck with it!!

Dont forget to add live rock

Also if you possibly could go for a larger tank, 3-4ft to start. Its recommended on beginner tank to get used to maintaining a healthy clean tank. You could use the tank you have as a sump and that way you wont need to fit a heater or skimmer to the main tank. It would also increase the volume of water allowing easier maintenance and more stocking options.

Alot to take in i know, but my advice is take your time! Dont rush into things, its a long process but worth it in the end

hi matt, i have done a bit of research over the last couple years so i already knew people recommend 150l+ for a first tank. i didnt want anything that big in my bedroom though and i wanted it as simple as possible (no skimmers or sumps etc) it could be worse i was planning on getting a dennerle marinus cube 30 litres

 

[crazyforcordoras]

This will look awesome when done! You could a couple more fish, how abou

pair of Black and White clowns
Yellow Prawn goby with pistol shrimp
Neon Dottyback
Falcos hawkfish

Yellowtail damsels can be very nasty, i had one that would bite my hand when i stuck it in the tank.

 

[creg]

This will look awesome when done! You could a couple more fish, how abou

pair of Black and White clowns
Yellow Prawn goby with pistol shrimp
Neon Dottyback
Falcos hawkfish

Yellowtail damsels can be very nasty, i had one that would bite my hand when i stuck it in the tank.

thanks mate, will look into those species. think ive seen someone else say that about yellowtails

ive had someone on another forum say just to get black and white clowns on their own because they will attack anything else but i would like 2 or 3 different species at least as this is my first tank.

 

[gregswimm]

Check out the Royal Gramma, one of my favorites .

For salt brands I use Red Sea coral pro and have used Reef Crystals. Both are good salts although the KH on Red Sea is much lower than I like (@ 1.023 i get 6-7dKH, so I keep my tank @ 1.026 and supplement). Awesome RC sticky: http/www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505

Another one of my favorite sites for cursory info, and has proven to be rather accurate. (you may need to use a translating tool for some of it, there is a bit of German): http/www.reeflex.net/

A few words if I may, take what is said on live aquaria with a grain of salt. Perfect example being the margarita snail, LA says they can be kept at 72-78F even thought they are a deep water species and rarely experience temps that high (closer to 60F).
Stay away from API tests for SW (especially nitrate) there are much more accurate tests on the market such as salifert and red sea.
AND
decide what you want to keep before you settle on a substrate

Also some reading -
Into to chem- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-11/newbie/index.php
Part 2- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-12/newbie/index.php

Mg suppliment- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

Filtration (worth re-learning)- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/dw/index.php

Sand bed info- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.php
More about sand- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/eb/index.php

Aquaria as an ecosystem- http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/rs/feature/index.php

O well, here is the index, I don't feel like linking anymore
http/reefkeeping.com/issues/subject/

 

[creg]

hi greg i have been looking at royal grammas actually. at the moment im thinking 2 clowns 1 royal gramma 1 six line wrasse or orange spot goby

thanks alot for all the links, thats just what i need

think im going to get salifert tests because from what ive read they are very accurate

 

[gregswimm]

Humm, the six line would be an issue, they are quite aggressive if not one of the most aggressive wrasses. I'm not too well versed on my gobies but I know Amblyeleotris guttata is one of the species that readily pairs with pistol shrimp.

Also, I would highly consider a skimmer

 

[creg]

Humm, the six line would be an issue, they are quite aggressive if not one of the most aggressive wrasses. I'm not too well versed on my gobies but I know Amblyeleotris guttata is one of the species that readily pairs with pistol shrimp.

Also, I would highly consider a skimmer

six line wrasse is out then, i like a peaceful tank

why would you recommend a skimmer? i thought regular water changes and lots of live rock was enough for a nano

 

[crazyforcordoras]

The orange spot goby is really nice. Very beatiful.

 

[Box]

I've just added an orange spot very cool looking goby
He's always busy making his den

 

[creg]

The orange spot goby is really nice. Very beatiful.

think i saw one at my local maidenhead aquatics a year ago, it was so cool poking its head out of a rock

 

[gregswimm]

Humm, the six line would be an issue, they are quite aggressive if not one of the most aggressive wrasses. I'm not too well versed on my gobies but I know Amblyeleotris guttata is one of the species that readily pairs with pistol shrimp.

Also, I would highly consider a skimmer

six line wrasse is out then, i like a peaceful tank

why would you recommend a skimmer? i thought regular water changes and lots of live rock was enough for a nano

Your tank is rather small and fish create a ton of waste. A skimmer will help keep your nitrates and phosphates down and stretch the time between water changes.