Hi I am extremely new to reef aquariums as I have only had freshwater setups in the past and am in need deperately for someone to point me in the right direction. I have just purchased a four foot tank with external filter and a protein skimmer and also 1 light which holds two double fluros (each fluro has a blue and white tube), I also have testers, water additives etc. Firstly is this all the equipment that I need to get started as I have read that I may need powerheads inside the tank. Also would it have been more beneificial to get a sump? Secondly once I have the setup sorted out where do I start when it comes to selecting corals and fish bearing in mind I don't have knowledge of what goes with what. I don't have a great deal of spending money either and was planning on slowly adding more and more as I go along. Any help would be immensely appreciated.
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- Thread starter fishdude
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NaH2O
Well-known member
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- Jan 25, 2004
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Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!
Do you know the gallon size of the tank? Is it glass or acrylic, and is it drilled for a sump? Sumps are nice, as they provide extra water volume, which leads to more water stability, and are a nice place to put equipment. However, they are not necessary for a successful tank. I find that planning the livestock helps with deciding on set-up. Do you have any books yet? I personally like "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner - all around a good read. Take a look at this thread Show Me Your Full Tank Shots, for ideas on what you like and don't like.
What types of water additives were you given? Which tests do you have? A hydrometer or refractometer is important for determining your specific gravity; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits will help you determine when you initial cycle is complete; pH is another good test kit to have initially.
The powerheads will be helpful in providing your tank circulation and flow. The lighting may need to be upgraded depending on what you want to keep. Here is a thread for you: Starting Corals. Liverock will provide biological filtration, and is generally recommended at 1 pound per gallon of water. Also, RO/DI water (reverse osmosis/deionized) is great for water quality, as some tap water isn't ideal for a reef tank.
Hope this helps a bit. Here is an article that also may be helpful: Planning a tank
Do you know the gallon size of the tank? Is it glass or acrylic, and is it drilled for a sump? Sumps are nice, as they provide extra water volume, which leads to more water stability, and are a nice place to put equipment. However, they are not necessary for a successful tank. I find that planning the livestock helps with deciding on set-up. Do you have any books yet? I personally like "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner - all around a good read. Take a look at this thread Show Me Your Full Tank Shots, for ideas on what you like and don't like.
What types of water additives were you given? Which tests do you have? A hydrometer or refractometer is important for determining your specific gravity; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits will help you determine when you initial cycle is complete; pH is another good test kit to have initially.
The powerheads will be helpful in providing your tank circulation and flow. The lighting may need to be upgraded depending on what you want to keep. Here is a thread for you: Starting Corals. Liverock will provide biological filtration, and is generally recommended at 1 pound per gallon of water. Also, RO/DI water (reverse osmosis/deionized) is great for water quality, as some tap water isn't ideal for a reef tank.
Hope this helps a bit. Here is an article that also may be helpful: Planning a tank
wrightme43
Well-known member
Hey Welcome to Reef Frontiers. I am glad you are here. Please keep coming back. Nikki has given you great advice. Another usefull thing is to start reading some of the back posts and threads. You will get a good idea of what type of tank you want and how to go about doing it. Alot of great info in the past threads. Hope you have a great day. Steve
Fishdude, it sounds to me that you should do a lot more research before starting. This site is the perfect place to start. Here is a link to a site that has an extremely condensed version to setting up a reef tank. http://members.aol.com/rageller/rStart.htm
Remember, there are 100's of ways a methods to do this a lot of it is the choice you want. Have fun!
Remember, there are 100's of ways a methods to do this a lot of it is the choice you want. Have fun!
