Tank Type And Size.

[always4lora]

I'm hoping to go Marine in the next year or this year and i'm a little confused on the hardware side of it , On the guide it says 3foot tank (30-40gallon) is perfect then in another sticky it says about 75galon tank is ideal. Just wondering which one is needed? I'm going to be on a tightish budget so dont want to spend more money than i ahve to on the tank.

Also does it matter if its a normal tank ? or does it need to be a marine tank ? i'd imagine theyd both be the same but then again reef ones are really epxensive.

Another thing is the diameters of the tank does it need to be longer than nromal /wider or taller or just your bog standard tank.

When reading the stickies it also mentions RO water is needed in one sticky then in the other it says it isnt. I have a filterd drinking water top in my house is this going to be suffiecient?


I'm looking at doing whats sugested in the guide which is get the tank stick some tropical fish in build my marine equipment bit by bit.


Not really thinking abou the stocking yet as i know it will be some time before im ready for the fish. all i know is i want a busy looking tank with a bit of everything and alot of colour.


Thanks in advance for any advise, want to get the project started really (well at least planned for the cost location of tank etc).

Regards

Ben

 

[ben1987]

hello mate,

tank size depends on what ou wish to keep. I myself started with a 3' 30 gallon, it was great for keeping clowns and other small fish. Generally speaking a big tank is more stable than a small ones because of the added water volume. Another way to increase water volume is a sump.

RO water is required if you would ever like a coral or two.

Shopping around for 2nd hand equipment is a great way to get good kit and stick to a budget.

Any more questions just ask


Oh yeah, on dimensions. You dont want a long narrow tank, as they are really hard to create interesting rock formations in. 36x18x18 is a nice sized 3' tank. 48x24x24 is great aswel

 

[always4lora]

Thanks for the reply , a 3 foot one would be ideal as i have my 4foot tropical so need something i can fit in the house As for the stocking i'm not sure as i havent thought that far ahead, there's nothing i really really want so am flexible. for the sump would i need one if i had live rocks as from what i've read these will do the job once bacteria is on them , i was thinki8ng of just using a cannister filter until its ready.I'll have a look for second hand equipment and see what i can get.


So if went with a 36*18*18 (190ish litre tank) is the below what i'd need ? obviously the prices are estimate of the items new so if its all i need below ill see what they are on ebay etc

Tank - £150ish second hand

Sump- 15x15x20 £80 (is this needed though with live rock ?)


TMC V2 Skim 400 Protein Skimmer £75 ish
Caribsea Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand (20lb) £25 would normal sand do ? i use play pit sand in my tropical
Seachem Reef Salt 600ltr Bucket £55
Crystal Sea Hydromter £10
Red Sea Marine Lab Master Test Kit £30
20kg live rock guessing around £200?
Rowaphos 1 Ltr Bucket/Tub - £35

Arcadia T5 34" 39w Marine White Tube x 2 £15 each
Arcadia Ultra Seal Twin lamp 24/39W T5 Controller £65ish

Rena SmartHeater 200 £25

D-D Full Size RO Unit (50 U.S Gallons/Day) £70

2 x Hydor Koralia 2 Circulation pump 600 GPH £35ish each
Hydor Koralia NANO Circulation Pump £20ish for mixing salt

 

[always4lora]

bumpity bump any advise on the above plan on gettingsomethng at the end of each month the tank being probs the last thing

 

[Trod]

All sounds good to me.

You don't need a sump they are a nice to have, they increase your water volume and you can put all the stuff in there, like protein Skimmer, heater etc.
a refugium is a good alternative.

I'd say forget the hyrometer and get a refractometer, much better and more accurate.

Most people use aragonite sand, it doesn't have to be live but if you can source some good live sand i.e out of a mature tank then all the better

As for test kits again, personal taste but salifert are good. you would need ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to start.

 

[TigerIssey]

and pH test.

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks pretty good to me. If I was going to get corals for that tank I'd double the lighting . If you're not that into hardware and DIY projects, a sump might not be for you. A hang-on refugium would be a great addition though if you're going no-sump

 

[always4lora]

i've seen those ready made sumps you can buy , don't seem terribly expensive, thanks for the advise on the lighting as corals are something i would like to have at some point.

does the normal api master test kit work for salftwater? always have a few kits kicking about. If the above all sounds good i'll make a shoping list and get buying bits here and there

wasn't sure if i had missed osmething, alot more to get than a tropical one i must say.

regards

Ben

 

[SkiFletch]

The API master is a good place to start. If you end up going the hard coral route you'll have to monitor calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium as well

 

[TigerIssey]

There is a difference in the Freshwater and Saltwater API master kits. The Nitrite is interchangeable, the pH High range may also be interchangeable but you need a saltwater colour chart. Ammonia and Nitrite appear to be just for saltwater however looking at the bottles the reagents may be interchangeable but the colour cards are different for saltwater.

 

[always4lora]

thats cool i'll make sure i don't forget and test with the wrong kit

 

[always4lora]

would a trigon 190 be any good for reef tanks? they go back quite far so imagien you could have a decent bit rock in it.

Interpet River Reef 94l <-- thats for sale on here , would they be any good ? i know they recommend not to start nano but 94l id imagine is inbetween nanno and normal?

 

[GlidergirlUK]

There is a difference in the Freshwater and Saltwater API master kits. The Nitrite is interchangeable, the pH High range may also be interchangeable but you need a saltwater colour chart. Ammonia and Nitrite appear to be just for saltwater however looking at the bottles the reagents may be interchangeable but the colour cards are different for saltwater.

I have the saltwater kit, the only difference is that it doesnt contain a low PH test (you can buy this seperatley) and also the colour cards for Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate are for salt only (my lfs gave me a spare set of freshwater cards!) The chemicals themselves are the same as the freshwater one.

I found it much cheaper to buy the saltwater kit and the low ph seperatley (saved nearly a fiver!) but my lfs did give me the cards for freshwater for free. I havent had any issues with the tests at all and have even double checked them against the lfs freshwater kit.

 

[always4lora]

bumpty bump ,,,, any opinions on the Interpet River Reef 94l they seem very cheap so presume theres something wrong?

 

[mutantbigman2000]

I love the trigon 190. i have one as a full reef tank.

Check my threads in the nano section.

Will be happy to answer any questions you have.