help me start my reef!

B

Broman45

AC Members
Jan 19, 2007
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hello everyone that reads this i just sold all my stock and plants in my freshy tank to start out makin my dream reef.I have a 46 gal bow front none drilled :( tank.i have a few ?'s.
1.what filter set-up should i look into?
2.is there such a thing as to much live rock?
3.what other odds and ends should i be lookin into to have a healthy bright reef?
4.lighting i have a 75 watt mh,to little?
5.what chem's should i be buyin for corals live rock blah blah blah?
i just need help gettin started so i dont spend a ton on animals that are going to die due to poor plannin or just waste money one stuff that i dont need. if someone one could help me out,thanks :help:
 
Hello there Broman..Welcome to the forums and its nice to see you making the move to the salty side of life..

Answers to your questions...

1) With marine fish keeping, what most of us tend to do is use the live rock and sand as the means of mechanical filtration rather than using things like cannister filters. To privide this, you will need to have about 1 - 1.5lbs of live rock per gallon for you tank.

2) Yes, there is such a thing as too much live rock..It serves many purposes in the tank, but one purpose it does is to provide the habitat in which the fish and inverts live. This means that each fish etc takes an area of the rock as its territory...its sleeps there, hangs out..But also, fish need to swim..So, if you pile loads and loads of live rock in the tank, the actual water volume gets diminished and the space in which the fish need to swim diminishes also..Another point of having too much live rock is that it creates dead spots in the tank where detrius builds ups which also causes problems..Plus, i think i think it look a mess with far too much live rock in there..

3) Besides equipment and live rock, one of the main things to think about is buying an RO Unit ( Reverse Osmosis Unit ). This device filters the tap wter to remove phosphates, metal particles, chlorine etc etc..All these in the water column promote algae growth which in time causes the tank to become unsightly..The other important thing to always keep at hand is loads of patience..this part is a must or else things go wrong, and can go wrong bery quickly indeed..If you want to know a list of basic equipment that you will need to buy, post what you have and i will fill in the gaps for you..

4) Lighting wise...This all depends on exactly what you want to keep..If its just fish only with live rock ( FOWLR ) then normal standard lighting is fine. If its going to be a Reef, then IMHO metal halide is a must..I would probably suggest something like upgrading the light to a 150 or maybe 200w metal halide and buy some T5 actinics as suppliment..Also, maybe a moonlight or night light kit so you can view the Reef when all normal lights are out..

5) Chemicals you are likely to need to buy is a good Saltwater test kit which tests for Ammonia, NitrITE, NitrATE, pH, Calcium and Alk at the very least..Other additives to keep at hand is calcium in either a dosable bottle or calcium reactor, Phosban, maybe iodine ( this is a debatable issue )..The additives you buy will depend on the tank you are running and how its setup..These here are just some basics for you..


I hope this answers your questions a little..By all means, ask anything you want and we shall do our best to answer..Remember, there are never any stupid or dumb questions, no-one will laugh at you here...well, i wont anyways...

Niko
 
I just joined this sight last week because I have done the exact same thing. I have 46 bow and sold all my fish and plants Sat. the 27th of Jan.

The biggest thing I think you need is a really good local fish store! I have been at mine almost everyday with new questions.

I have put in 35lbs of live rock (started with 17lbs) and with my compact 96 watt 50/50 and an additional 35 watt 50/50 my rock looks great. In less than two weeks it has changed dramatically. I will add a little more rock as I find new pieces to fit my design.

I used a crushed coral (fine)substrate and topped it off with live sand. I let it run few days with just water, then with rock, and have added 3 damsels (which nobody seems to like, but I do). The salt I use (instant ocean) has all the buffers so my ph is 8.1 with my salinity at 1023. Amonia is almost zero, but not quite. I have the fish store test my water, so they can tell me if I have any issues. So far all is going well.

I am using a skilter (filter) that has a built in skimmer along with my old bio wheel filter (well cleaned) from my freshwater set up.

It is really cool and the live rock is incredible. Being patient is hard, but the live rock is captivating my interest. Now I need to sit and watch for a couple of weeks, while testing the water every couple days.

Again, I think, as a newbie the most important thing is a good fish store (mine is locally owned and the guy know saltwater).

Have fun,
Jay
 
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