Hello

[mopargirl201]

I have always wanted to get into saltwater aquariums. Between moving frequently and unsure of commitment level, I haven't until now. We are starting a 90 gal reef tank. We are in the very early stages, by that I mean, getting it put together and leak free early stage. Any advice or tips are appreciated. I have read a few books but I know experience is the best resource. And holy endless options, Batman! I am up for advice on equipment too.

Thank and looking forward to learning.

 

[TJL]

Hey Mopargirl :car: a BIG :welcome: to Reef Frontiers and feel free to ask away on any questions you may have. There are a number of very experienced members in your area to help out in person as well if asked I'm sure. Tell us what direction you are thinking of going with this setup and we can go from there.


Cheers, Todd

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF!! :welcome:. As Todd mentioned, throw out whatever questions you have and we'll do our best to answer them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mopargirl201]

I have a couple of equipment questions. In the fairly near future I would like to get a protein skimmer and RO. Any models to avoid or any worthy of recommendation? I am hoping to spend $300 or less on the skimmer and I haven't even started pricing an RO. I have been talking with a couple of aquarium shop owners and they have been very friendly and helpful but I will have to buy my skimmer online. As far as my setup is concerned, all I know is I would like coral, some fish and no parasites. I do plan on having 1 or 2 clown fish to keep my preschool age Nemo fans happy. My thoughts are taking it slow and stick to easy, accommodating creatures first.

 

[estanoche]

Ohhhh welcome!! Another Spokanite :clap2: hehehe - are you ready for us to show you the darkside?? hehehe

As for an RO - expect to budget $150 or so for a good one... although, check with faciosity (Ben), he had an extra one for sale a few months ago, not sure if he got rid of it yet. Wasn't top of the line, but it would do the job. Our TDS out here isn't "that" bad, so we don't need some of those super fancy RO systems some of the online vendors sell.

 

[jrgilles]

I have an SWC skimmer (Salt Water Connections.) The one I have would probably be a great size for your system. It is the SWC 160 Cone. You can search google for it. I think it runs about $250, which is very cheap considering how well it skims/is built.

This is an in sump skimmer, not one you can hang on. Not sure if you are putting in a sump or not (i would recommend, as it is great for the livestock and keeps all the equipment out of site.)

A lot depends on how big your sump is, how tall the stand it, etc. The skimmers usually sit in around 9" of water, so you have to set them on a little stand in your sump. This makes them a bit high, so often run into trouble having enough room. Good to pick a skimmer and think about this ahead of time. The high issues are why a lot of reefers end up building custom stands.

As for RO/DI filters, there are many sponsors on this site that sell good products. (fire and ice comes to mind.) I got mine from thefilterguys.biz, and I also think they are awesome. If you are ever in seattle, I have one sitting in my basement... pm me if you may be interested in that and we can discuss.

 

[mopargirl201]

What a small world, another Spokanite. We do have a sump, however the side that would have enough clearance for a protein skimmer such as yours doesn't have a deep enough water reservoir. In fact, our sump learning curve has been an interesting one. We got it used, it ended up not having all the pieces and then we finally figured out it was one for bio balls, so now my husband is retrofitting it for sand and gravel chambers instead. It has been a pain.

Great information, it will help me to know what kind of protein skimmer to use. Thanks for the info on the RO as well everyone. Oh, and I put a heater in my tank about 7 hours ago and it the heater itself still isn't warm, let alone the water. Is that normal? I read the directions and set it up accordingly but I do believe operator error could still be the culprit.

 

[jrgilles]

The heater should almost instantly warm up. if it is not getting hot, there must be some issue. Maybe it is broken. Try playing with its temp control and maybe varify that the outlet it is plugged into is good?

 

[estanoche]

most heaters have a light that turns on too when they are "on" - if no light, then troubleshoot

water does take a really long time to heat up sometimes!

 

[mopargirl201]

So far on my set up I have an Eheim 60 pump, Berlin sump, 90 gal tank and metal halide lamp. There are 2 actinic lights (95 watts ea) in it and 2 400watt metal halide bulbs. I am thinking it's too much light for my tank. I want to do mostly LPS with just a few SPS. I don't even know what my light fixture is supposed to have (I bought it off of craigslist). I don't offhand see a manufacturer's name on the fixture itself. How do I find out what kind the light fixture is and what bulbs should be in it? The fixture is 36" long and has two mechatronics fans built in.