Rookie build

Don't know your budget but hob skimmer is ok, they do make hob overflow boxes though so you can have a sump without drilling, drilling is much better way to do it though.

Don't know what your LFS charges for water but in the long run your much better off buying your own RODI unit. If you already added sand and water when you get your rock shift your sand around and try to set the base layer of rock on tank glass, since you don't know your stocking plans if you decide to get something that burrows you dont want it crushing or trapping itself when it digs all the sand out from under the rock. Clean the canister often, cant let them go a long time like in FW cause they can produce alot of nitrates and phophates.

Sound good!


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aquanooby said:

Great info ty. I am getting a sump setup like you mentioned, once I go with corals. I will still have to go with a hob skimmer The sump that will fit my setup wont fit a skimmer. I took all of the ceramic out of the fluval and put in some
NP reducing bio pellets.I did leave in the bags of charcoal, should I remove them also ? I got a killer piece of rock that was put in the $3 lb tank when it should have been put in the $7lb tank lol but the guy's at my lfs gladly honored there mistake. I also got 1 2 1/2 lb piece of live rock to help with seeding I'll post a couple pics soon.

Click to expand...

Some of the HOB skimmers are pretty good as long as your willing to get a decent one its not a huge deal other then the lack of clean look with extra equipment. You can run carbon if you want some do some don't, I use Purigen myself.

What kind of lighting?

PC's? I never had those, probably 8-9 hours would be fine, if you had a white and actinic in I'd say 8-9 on both bulbs and let the actinics come on 60-90 minutes before and stay on the same after the white.