New (hi and please help)

[cmay]

I'm a total beginner in marine fish so please except my apologies for my lack of terminology.

I've fallen for the beauty of marine life, the colours, coral, fish and the fact I can set up and watch my own eco system in my home.

My objective is to set up my 4 ft (50gal) tank with live rock/coral reef, fish and various other live stock which will support and live with each other.

I'm planning to set my rock on a raised egg island (using spray bar going down and under the rock to improve water flow and filtration through the rock) and position water flow jets in various other places (close system)

As from reading water flow is very important ?

I believe a two grades live DSB will be the best solution for my biological filter and animals to borrow ?

After the water has reached the correct PH levels and temp im going to add the live DSB and rock (or should I add the DSB at the same time ???) leave for a good 2 months before introducing coral and then another month before fish, im under the impression the slower the better in order for the eco system to adapt and produce optimum cycling, also to watch my live rock come alive

However I'm finding the sump area slightly confusing with so many designs, I'v purchased a 2nd hand Deltec APF600 however im not sure if I will need a better filter system as I believe my DSB may not suffice depending on stoking levels.

Im not 100% sure the best way to use my sump apart from making my tank look tidy and increasing water volume which is good for water quality. (I would like to stick with Berlin method, using the sump partly for refug)

Whats the best order for the water to pass through the sump.

I'm confused !!!!

I would be most grateful for any advice or links to extra readings, I really want to get as much knowledge as possible before I start.

Thanks for all your help in advance

 

[4251cpd]

I'm a total beginner in marine fish so please except my apologies for my lack of terminology.

I've fallen for the beauty of marine life, the colours, coral, fish and the fact I can set up and watch my own eco system in my home.

My objective is to set up my 4 ft (50gal) tank with live rock/coral reef, fish and various other live stock which will support and live with each other.

I'm planning to set my rock on a raised egg island (using spray bar going down and under the rock to improve water flow and filtration through the rock) and position water flow jets in various other places (close system)

As from reading water flow is very important ?

I believe a two grades live DSB will be the best solution for my biological filter and animals to borrow ?

After the water has reached the correct PH levels and temp im going to add the live DSB and rock (or should I add the DSB at the same time ???) leave for a good 2 months before introducing coral and then another month before fish, im under the impression the slower the better in order for the eco system to adapt and produce optimum cycling, also to watch my live rock come alive

However I'm finding the sump area slightly confusing with so many designs, I'v purchased a 2nd hand Deltec APF600 however im not sure if I will need a better filter system as I believe my DSB may not suffice depending on stoking levels.

Im not 100% sure the best way to use my sump apart from making my tank look tidy and increasing water volume which is good for water quality. (I would like to stick with Berlin method, using the sump partly for refug)

Whats the best order for the water to pass through the sump.

I'm confused !!!!

I would be most grateful for any advice or links to extra readings, I really want to get as much knowledge as possible before I start.

Thanks for all your help in advance

Here is newbies guide. I know it pertains to nanos but goes into what you want to do/what to expect. You may want to run the DSB in the sump/fuge. Have a shallower SB for the display. I can go into whether gravity run or under sump is better but I just got home from work and it's nearly 0230 here across the pond. Will tackle the subject a little later and welcome aboard.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14008

 

[cmay]

Thank for the welcome and link (great read) so much to take in.

I'm going fro a sump and looking into a DSB 3-4" still reading (so many opinions)

thanks,

chris

 

[Waterboy]

Keep reading, here is some more for you.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3648

 

[morgan]

hey i have a sumpless 4 foot and u need sum good live rock u might want to add 1 fish while u cycle and dont forget to cycle with all ur rock
i would aslo suggest figuering out what corals u want to keep and what lighting do u have got any pics?
here sum of mine
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15658

 

[returnofsid]

Chris,
As a fellow newbie, I'd like to welcome you to RF!!! As a word of encouragement, I'll also say that this forum has been SOOO helpful to me in the past couple months as I go about the same thing you are. My 2 cents say that you should go with a shallow sand bed in the tank and IF you have a dsb, put it in the sump/refugium. I also wouldn't add any fish until your cycle is complete. There's much more humane ways to cycle a tank without putting a cheap but beautiful fish through the stress of the high ammonia and nitrites. Another reason is because if you don't want mean ol' damsels in your tank, it could be hard to catch them to remove afterwards. Keep an eye on the equipement for sale on RF!! I've only been able to go with a reef set up instead of a fish only because of used equipment I've been able to purchase from other members. They've all been VERY helpful. Just do a lot of reading about all the suggestions you're given. One other tip that I've been given by a few...stay away from Calurpa!! Get Chaeto instead...put it in your sump/refugium and it'll help a lot with your nitrates!!! Good luck and again, Welcome!!!!

Sincerely,
Michael

 

[Electrokate]

Welcome! That last guy is right... the deals on this site are so great it makes me smack myself all the time for buying new gear of lesser quality for more money.

I did the 2 grade sandbed on my first big tank, trust me you don't want to go there. There are only a couple species I can think of that need it and far more that won't do well with it. The coarse stuff sifts to the top blocking the sand sifting critters from getting to the sand, which compacts and gets nasty and the coarse stuff also traps debris like crazy that just rots. Nasty mess. Just stick to fine sand. I use black sand in one tank, aragonite in the other. Aragonite is probably easier on the "foot" of burrowing snails and other critters as the black sand I have is crushed crystalline material, looks like sugar crystals. There is another brand so if you want black check around. If you go bare bottom then paint the bottom and back first, hard to do it after the tank is set up

You will be able to do a lot with your tank, even though you can't keep the big fish. I am attaching a sort of lame picture I took of the tank yesterday.
Lots of small frags at this point (a few of which are knocked over). It's still getting going... has been up since february. Take your time picking your coral cause the members on this forum often have better stuff than the stores, but are not always offering it. You can get frags from friends and buy them too. I go for color myself.

A good book is Conscientious Marine Aquarist, Borneman's Corals book is also indispensable. I love books and could probably list a whole library

I cycle with liverock, it always starts a cycle whether the store did part of it or not. Much more humane. Set up your sump/fuge right away and you might not even get much of a spike, I didn't on this tank. The sump completely fills the stand and is half full of chaeto.

Good luck and have fun!
Kate

 

[moortim]

Welcome to RF cmay!
I assume when you say your location is essex that you are talking about essex England? What town do you live in? I used to live there.

As for tank designs I have a 55 and am slowly preparing it for clams, sps, and whatever else I find. One thing you have right is waiting for a while between stages of having your tank. A lot of beginners do things too quickly and accidentally kill their tank inhabitants. As you can see in my pictures I have a dsb in my fuge and about a 1" sb in my display. Most of my setup came from people on here or I built it myself. I would say do lots of research then get your tank setup and cycled (one method is to throw a piece of shrimp in the tank and let it break down until it is gone), then add fish slowly, then after all is happy and you have time to work out your systems potential bugs you can start with corals. Just make sure you have everything planned out and it will be much easier in the long run.

I still have a ways to go with my tank, I need to bump up my flow a bit, I am working on better lighting, I would like to redo my rock, and I also need a background.
I hope this at least helps you a little.

Tim

 

[cmay]

Thanks for all the replies, really good to get as many opinions as possible.

I've decide to go with 3-4 inch LDSB (one grade) cycle with LR, 3 X 1200ltr water circulation runs (closed), not to sure about return pump, I have managed to get a 2nd hand Deltec APF600 Skimmer.

Im still designing my sump.

Im Planning a DIY Light unit:

2 x white MH 250 W
2 x T5 Blues
2 x T5 whites (maybe) to use in the morning to bring the light slowly back up to full daylight (MH) and back down to blues and then no light) if you see what im saying.

So much to do and learn.

I've checked out some of your pic (im jealous)

thanks all

chris

 

[Reefdaddy1]

Welcome to RF Chris!!!. I would do as they said above for sure, Reading in this hobby is estential. If you have any question then best to ask and filter out what you want and dont want. Opinions Vary here, So please take what best for you and go with it. But knowledge in this hobby is power.

 

[Electrokate]

Hi,
I saw you were thinking of the T-5 blue bulbs... I read somewhere that T-5 blue bulbs are not true actinics? Can anyone provide better info? I was told not to use them, that the other colors are great but for actinic I should go with VHO or PC bulbs. Complicated little hobby we have here... It would be nice if I was wrong since I have a perfect sized t-5 retrokit and need actinics on my 55.

Kate

 

[Ed Hahn]

I love T5's. I am seeing more and more of them. I think people use the atinics for start up of aquariums before and after your halides are on. I think the reason is to cause less stress to animals or to simulate the Sunrise and Sunset in natural environment. Some people just like a lot of blue.

 

[jsmkmavity]

the only thing i would change is adding corals later than 2 months and go slow- after your first fishes. and i agree with others about cycling with all the rock right away.

 

[cmay]

Kate:

Arcadia advise marine blue "The Arcadia Marine Blue Actinic lamp range has been created to provide the specific spectrum (400 - 480nm) necessary to achieve the blue chlorophyll absorption for zooxanthellae symbiosis to develop."

Other people have also advised they use them purely for visible effect.

I agree "Complicated little hobby we have here..."

Jsmkmavity:

I agree with waiting for longer then two months before adding corals, after more research I will be surprised to be introducing before a year (go slow)

 

[Electrokate]

Interesting. I suppose that there are rumors everywhere regarding what is or isn't ok and I should be careful of quoting them! Don't even ask on some forums, there are these categoric reactions people hurl at certain ideas regardless of circumstance. So advice can be as good as, well, the source's sleep-caffeine ratio.

I hope you are right because I have a t-5 retrofit myself. Been using it on freshwater til the blue bulbs are really actinic, for now it grows plant quite nicely and it seems like the bulbs are immortal. Now I bet they will not fire tomorrow, given my luck. They are pushing 3 years without shifting and producing algae like a PC bulb would. I wouldn't try that on a reef tank though, except maybe on a fuge or algae scrubber.

Considering the replacement rate of VHO and the disappointment rate of PC (Great colors for the first couple months, then the bulbs shift) I would say T-5 is a good deal, especially since so many people are able to grow beautiful acros and anemones under it.
Kate