Setting Up My New Tank

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, plumb the RO unit wherever is convenient for you. Just remember to have a sewer drain nearby if you don't plan on re-claiming the waste water .

About sumps, go ahead and checkout melevsreef.com for info on how they work, why to use them, and a little about how to DIY them.

For test kits, you'll need to start with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and I'd reccomend a phosphate kit (to ward off algae) as well. You'll need a hydrometer or refractometer (refractometer being more reliable) to measure your salinity and obviously a thermometer. Once you start adding corals, you'll need to add a Calcium and a kH (aka alkalinity or carbonate hardness) test kit. Its OK to not buy the best of the best for basic biologics and pH, but spend the money on good quality Seachem or Salifert kits for phosphate, Calcium, and kH.

All other advice given here is great.

Have you thought about water flow and cleaning your glass yet?

 

[byebend]

Agreed, plumb the RO unit wherever is convenient for you. Just remember to have a sewer drain nearby if you don't plan on re-claiming the waste water .

About sumps, go ahead and checkout melevsreef.com for info on how they work, why to use them, and a little about how to DIY them.

For test kits, you'll need to start with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and I'd reccomend a phosphate kit (to ward off algae) as well. You'll need a hydrometer or refractometer (refractometer being more reliable) to measure your salinity and obviously a thermometer. Once you start adding corals, you'll need to add a Calcium and a kH (aka alkalinity or carbonate hardness) test kit. Its OK to not buy the best of the best for basic biologics and pH, but spend the money on good quality Seachem or Salifert kits for phosphate, Calcium, and kH.

All other advice given here is great.

Have you thought about water flow and cleaning your glass yet?

Thanks for the advise. I have had a quick look at 'melevsreef' but will be taking a longer look today. His photos are albsolutely stunning!
Water flow and glass cleaning I had not thought about any advise?

 

[byebend]

hi,
Can you tell me how much waste water I will get by using a RO unit. I have decided to purchase one after reading recomendations on this forum.
I really believe it will pay for itself just by using it to fill up my new tank. Or am I missing something?
Also if I run it enough to fill my new tank, I assume it is then switched off until I need to do a water change. Are the filters ok in the unit as they would have dried up?

 

[demonmagus]

I think most RO units have around 75% waste, 25% RO - yes it will pay for itself quite easily lol and I think that there is a way of keeping the membranes wet when the unit is off

 

[byebend]

Hi,
I am getting closer to set up now and would like to thank everyone for their help but thinking I might need more water movement in the tank. Being a corner tank I am worried about there being a 'dead' corner at the back.
I have a Eheim 2217 plus skimmer. Would anyone recoment getting a powerhead or two to place in the rear corner? Also I wondered whether I should try to raise the rock up from the tank base?
Any advice appreciated!!

 

[callell]

The only 2 powerheads worth mentioning IMO are Seio's & streams (both have new style's)

Seios are cheap & very powerful & cheap to run
Streams are expensive but more reliable (apparently) - I have had a few problems with the streams I have owned in the past

You can make you own 'Reef Rack' from a product called Eggcrate or there is a UK based company called 'Reef Stage' that have off the shelf clear plastic racks to suit most sized tanks, they will also do custom jobs as well (I have just ordered 2 for my new 36" High Tank)

 

[leecara]

i have maxi jett powerheads they seem to be doing the business

 

[byebend]

I am trying to decide on my powerheads today.
Most people seem to be saying 20 x water volume is needed in water turnover. My tank is 77 gallons so I am looking to get 1500 gph in flow. I hope this is making sense - remember I am a total newbie so excuse me if I am not explaining things right.

The current flow is as follows:
Eheim 2217 265 gph
V2 600 Skim 533 gph
TOTAL 798 gph

Therefore I need another 700 gph from my powerheads. I have been looking at the Eheim 1212 but they only produce 143 gph meaning I would need 5.
Could someone just confirm I am working this out correctly

 

[callell]

Firstly you dont add the Skimmer in to your circulation calculations

Why not get a Tunze 6055 Nano Stream - Max flowe rate of 5500lph - one of the best products on the market IMO

I wouldnt bother with Maxi's etc now these are on the market

 

[byebend]

Hi,
They look really good but I assumed that I would be better with more small ones rather than a few powerful ones?
Most tanks seem to have a few in. In your opinion would I be better to budget for size rather than quantity.

 

[rhysiboy]

erm best results usualy come from two powerheads in each corner of the tank so the flow goes against each other and causes it to diffuse around the tank. Best t ohave two bigens than loads of little smaller ones IMO

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd have at least 2 powerheads so that in case one fails you can limp along on the other until you can get the broken one fixed/replaced. Dual Seio M820's might be good for this project, dunno about equivalent tunze products though.

As for glass cleaning, you might want to look into brush pads, or this might sound wierd, but toilet scrapers. Its tough to clean a bowfront as you can't use magnet scrapers on them, and standard blade scrapers really risk cutting it up with the corners of the blade

 

[tmreynolds]

I'd have at least 2 powerheads so that in case one fails you can limp along on the other until you can get the broken one fixed/replaced. Dual Seio M820's might be good for this project, dunno about equivalent tunze products though.

As for glass cleaning, you might want to look into brush pads, or this might sound wierd, but toilet scrapers. Its tough to clean a bowfront as you can't use magnet scrapers on them, and standard blade scrapers really risk cutting it up with the corners of the blade

I use a magnet scrpaer on my bow front with no probs. As long as you have it in the vertical position and its not too wide using a sideways motion, should be OK