I have so much to learn !

[sharky]

I haven't even got my tank set up yet and I'm already getting stressed out ! Ive got a ? about heaters I have a 180 gal. tank , the heater i got with it is a 300 watt , I plan on putting it in the sump , will this be enough, or should I get another one ? I have a huge wet/dry filter , but between the proteen skimmer , water pump , and heater there's not a whole lot more room , but I guess I could jam another heater in there ! What about carbon packs should I put some in my sump < and how much ?

 

[OrionGirl]

I wouldn't use carbon--not really helpful in a reef system, and it can remove some of the good things that come with the salt mix. It's nice to keep on hand if you plan on keeping species that can release toxins, but otherwise it's not needed.

For the heater, I always advise having 2 heaters. It's just easier, and a stress reducer. If you have one and it goes out, you'r out of luck. With two, it might be tight, but at least the tank won't drop temp dramatically. Try getting one that's a touch smaller. Ideally, 2 that are half as big as you need is best, but you can use one full size and one that's smaller. If you'll be able to monitor the tank regularly for fluctations, and since you mention not having lots of spare room, you might want to just keep a spare in the house, not in the tank. This way you can easily replace it if needed.

Oh yeah--we all had lots to learn! It might seem overwhelming, but it isn't. Take it slow, and you'll do fine.

 

[sharky]

Ok I will get me an extra heater , about the carbon , I plan on keeping a fish only tank , not much LR , I was going to get about 10 to 20 pounds like you said and base rock do you still think I shouldent use carbon . I got me some sand today , I like to never found any , to my surprize I found some at wal-mart , its white beach sand from the gulf coast , will this be good ?

 

[OrionGirl]

Yep, any sand will work. You'll want to check it out for impurities, and maybe rinse it a bit if you suspect it's been treated with anything (I am not familiar with what sand Walmart would carry, so have to advise on the side of caution).

I still wouldn't use carbon. A protien skimmer will do better in the long run than carbon. Carbon is only effective for a limited time period (less than a week, depending on how much it's pulling from the water), so would be expensive in addition to un-helpful.

For the LR--sounds like a good plan. We split out LR and base rock about in half. Within 6 months, you can't tell the difference.