Lighting??

[minnesotagal866]

I currently run a 55G with the upgraded AHS lighting (2x55) for a freshwater planted tank. We are moving and we thought it would be fun to venture into saltwater. I plan to start with a FOWLR--I think that gives me the best chance of success!! What if anything do I need to do with the lighting? Do I need to change the bulbs (they're less than 5 months old) to 50/50 or will the current ones work? Will any corals grow at that rate? I will be getting a better filter (have crappy walmart filter). Besides salt and it's accompanying test equipment, what additional equipment is recommended. I would like live rock (obviously), live sand, a few inverts, and a low bioload of fish--something like the royal gramma, a clown, gobis, etc--small and cute and well suited to aquarium life. I've been reading a lot of stuff about setting up a tank but not sure about the lighting.

Jackie

 

[mr_fosi]

What brand and color temp bulbs are in the fixture? Generally, corals will do fine if you use the same color temp (group of light wavelengths) as you use for freshwater plants, but they may not look very colorful.

Also, 110W over a standard 55g tank would be considered very low lighting. Low lighting is fine for a FOWLR tank since you only need enough light to see the fish, but if you plan to do corals in the future, you will be very limited in your stocking options.

If you have the $$, I would recommend getting a refractometer for measuring your specific gravity. I use a swing-arm SG meter and it is crappy. If I had the $40, I would definatly get a refractometer.

The main water tests you will need are NH3, NO2, NO3, and pH (capable of high range readings). You could also invest in copper, PO4, calcium, and alkalinity if you have the $$ and plan to do corals in the future.

What kind of flow rate (GPH or GPM) does your "crappy Walmart filter" give you? Is that your only planned water circulation?

Do you plan to run a sump or refugium?

What are your ultimate plans (hardware & stocking) for the tank?

 

[minnesotagal866]

The plan is to start with the FOWLR and the 2 WPG. The crappy Walmart filter is not going to be a part of this tank, in fact it's not moving with us. Honestly, I want to start simply with a good canister filter (fluval or eheim), live sand and rock, and a low bioload of fish, clean up crew etc. and go from there. I don't plan to have corals for a few years--it's just not in the budget to upgrade the lighting and I want to start with the basics of just keeping a saltwater tank. The bulbs are the 6700K bulbs for freshwater plants from AHS. I don't have any problem with only a few fish in that aquarium.

For the forseeable future, I'd like to have the ubitiquous clown, perhaps a royal gamma, some type of cardinal with some shrimp of some kind, perhaps a star if they do OK. I like community fish. If there are any corals that would do OK in 2 WPG, I'd like that, but the fish are main thing for now.

I'll be starting this tank out in another month or so when we are in our new house. I'll start with live rock and go from there. I can sit and look at live rock for a month very easily.

At this time I don't plan on a sump or refugarium but that could change. I will be reading a couple of books on saltwater before I do anything and I've been reading the sticky's for newbies here.

Hoping to spend less than $500 on additional equipment/rock/sand/fish/salt but can be over if necessary.

jackie

 

[dorkfish]

IMO, 110 watts should be OK for soft corals, ever do any reading at Garf?[URL] they use 120 watts of normal output flourescents for propagating most soft corals. for other equipment, a biowheel is a good filter to use, mostly because it lets you use the benifits of a wet dry without actually paying for a wet dry. A protien skimmer is hands down the best piece of equipment you can get for a saltwater tank, ever seen what they can pull out of a tank?

 

[mr_fosi]

The plan is to start with the FOWLR and the 2 WPG. The crappy Walmart filter is not going to be a part of this tank, in fact it's not moving with us.

Sounds good.

Honestly, I want to start simply with a good canister filter (fluval or eheim), live sand and rock, and a low bioload of fish, clean up crew etc. and go from there.

Again, sounds good.

Most SW forums will say you shouldn't get a canister filter, but I don't have a problem with them. It'll give you the flow you need and it's cheaper than a sump.

The bulbs are the 6700K bulbs for freshwater plants from AHS... If there are any corals that would do OK in 2 WPG, I'd like that, but the fish are main thing for now.

Those lights will be fine, but you may not see some of the "WOW" colors in the fish. People usually use 10000K - 14000K light to make colors pop out. The 20000K deep actinics are really more for fluorescing corals and simulating deep water conditions.

IMO, 110 watts should be OK for soft corals, ever do any reading at Garf?[URL] they use 120 watts of normal output flourescents for propagating most soft corals...

True, but GARF doesn't use 55g tanks to do their propgating and I didn't say that she wouldn't be able to keep corals. I said that her stocking options will be limited, and they will be... to low-light soft corals.

The depth of the tank is a big factor in determining when you have "enough" light for various things. The simple W/gal is a rule-of-thumb metric only.

Of course, one could place corals higher up in the tank to mitigate some of the light attenuation, but virtually all stony and many LSP corals will be out of the question.

... for other equipment, a biowheel is a good filter to use, mostly because it lets you use the benifits of a wet dry without actually paying for a wet dry. A protien skimmer is hands down the best piece of equipment you can get for a saltwater tank...

I agree about a skimmer being invaluable, but I disagree about the biowheel/wet dry filtration.

Stick to the canister for circulation and let your LR be the filter.

A skimmer is a great addition to any SW tank, just don't pick up a seaclone, which is often called by its other name: seaclown.

 

[mooman]

It wasn't specifically mentioned, but the canister filter should be run empty, or filled with LR. If you use the sponges, they should be cleaned out as often as you can stand. The reason being that as material is trapped, it will start to produce nitrates.

For the same price as a canister I would think a couple oversized Aquaclears and a couple powerheads whould be cheaper and give you more options as far as customizing circulation.

Note: I'm pretty new at this.

 

[minnesotagal866]

Thanks for all the great information. I will continue to read. I just figured a canister filter would be the easiest, I am willing to look at all options. Nice to know I can possibly grow a few soft corals. Also good to know the lights will be good for the initial set up. AHS recommends replacing the bulbs every year so next January I can consider replacement bulbs.

jackie