Starting a Marine Tank

IMPS

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Feb 10, 2004
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Hi,

I am thinking of starting a Marine Tank after purchasing an all in one Tank/Filter/Air Pump unit at Christmas which I have Cichlids in that are doing very well and have got me hooked on this aquarist caper.

My problem is not getting any definate advice. I am prepared to spend $1,500 bucks or so on the set up, I have read a couple of books brushing up on the lingo and theory, but I am still stumped quite what to buy.

My thoughts are:
5ft tank - 70 odd gallons
Sump Filter
A little Live Rock
Metal Halides, should the budget allow if not blue actinics and some form af daylight replicating tubes.
Cabinet and Hood
Protein Skimmer - what type Venturi, CC, etc
Requisite pumps
A Power head or two

The real problem is what sort of sump filter? Different stores have different models from a large sqaure tank and a smaller refugium (is this what it's called?) on the inside with bioballs or similar in it.
Ohter option in a rectangular tank utilising a waterfall type effect with different medium in each chamber. Also, I have read that fluidised bed filter offer excellent biological filtration, yet no-one has recommended these?.

Any general info offered would be appreciated.
 
Before spending a dime, I'd urge you to decide what you want to keep. If you want a trigger, then you won't need the expensive lights. If you want clams, you'll need lots of light, and patience!

From your list:

Tank--get the biggest you can. Needing to upgrade because you fell in love with a porcupine puffer and he's outgrowing your 75 sucks.

Sump--doesn't have to be a filter. I prefer sumps being used just for equipment and additional water volume. The filtration of a reef tank is mostly live sand and live rock, with a good cleanup crew. A FOWLR can be run the same way.

Live rock--You want lots of live rock. You can start out with some base rock (porous enough to support anaerobic bacteria) and some live rock, but plan on having about 1.5 - 2 pounds per gallon in the long run.

Lights--gotta know what you want. Fish won't care, just corals. No point in spending money if you don't need to. The MH are great, but you'll probably want some VHO or PC to run actinic lights on as well. They sell combined units that are good.

The rest--depends. I wouldn't go with any Rio pumps or powerheads--they are not reliable. The skimmer---Euro-reef are a great brand, but costly. You'll also need a heater...get a good one, preferably two that are about 50-75% the total wattage needed.
 
A few things to add.

1. Fluidized bed filters are most useful in tanks with very heavy biological loads (like curing live rock or overstocked fish-only tanks) or sewage treatment. Their large effective surface area is excelllent for rapid conversion of NH3 and NO2 to No3. However, such a system is overkill in a properly stocked and maintained reef or FOWLR setup. Another problem is that FB filters consume oxygen as they take tank water and mix it in a sealed container with aerobic bacteria. Also, in my experience and from my reading, their efficiency is dependent on flow rate, so they need to be fiddled with. Finally, the whole thing will turn into an anaerobic smelly mess in the event of a power outage.
Short summary: you don't hear much about them because they have limited usefulness in marine aquaria.

2. I always push for doing some reading before buying anything else. ALthough every book I own has some information that is either out of date or I disagree with, the ones below give a very good grounding on how to succeed with a tank. Spending less than $30 US on Fenner's book will likely save you much more in lost fish and unneeded equipment.
General Marine:
The Conscientious Marine Aquaist, R Fenner.
Natural Reef Aquariums, J Tullock
Fish-only:
The New Marine Aquarium, M Paletta
The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums, J Kurtz
Corals:
Aquarium Corals, E Borneman.
 
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