new salt water tank
- Thread starter firehunter451
- Start date
and i just put sand and rock and snails in this and let the water flow though it? with this i dont need any more filters? ( sounds to easy) what eles do i need or hve to do? also how muc hlight do i need i had planed on using 4x65 wat compact florecent 4pin set up with moon light is that going to cut it when i want to put in coarl or aninames?
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With enough live rock and sand, no, you don't need any other biological filtration. Crabs, snails, worms, stars, shrimp and pods act as mechanical filtration, and a skimmer helps with both.
For anenomes, I always encourage metal hallide lighting. Many corals will be okay with the ~4WPG from the compacts, but not all--you'll want to research the corals specifically and go from there.
For anenomes, I always encourage metal hallide lighting. Many corals will be okay with the ~4WPG from the compacts, but not all--you'll want to research the corals specifically and go from there.
so if i use all live sand and all live rock (wich i understatnd 2lb per gallon for the rock and the same for sand). a refugem and a proten skimer that and water changes is all i will have to do? i also have lighting that will be 370wats for a 70 gal aquarium. is that going to be adiquate for a good veritty of coral and anenomens? and one more question. when i ask for live sand the fish stores here are recominding argonite is that the same thing as live sand? also thanks for all of your help you have made this much easer than anyone else around my town has. i greatly aprechate the help.
That, and top off with fresh water for evaporation. That's how I've been running my reef for 2-3 years now.
370 will give you ~5 WPG--good, but still not great for anenomes. Hardy ones, like condies, will likely be fine, but these seldom host fish, and can catch/eat many larger fish.
Live sand is seldom available from your LFS. There are several places online you can buy it and have it shipped--if you put in regular play sand and then seed with good live rock and a 'starter' package, or something like Garf's Grunge, the sand bed will develop. The aragonite the store is offering is pretty much just sand--no life.
370 will give you ~5 WPG--good, but still not great for anenomes. Hardy ones, like condies, will likely be fine, but these seldom host fish, and can catch/eat many larger fish.
Live sand is seldom available from your LFS. There are several places online you can buy it and have it shipped--if you put in regular play sand and then seed with good live rock and a 'starter' package, or something like Garf's Grunge, the sand bed will develop. The aragonite the store is offering is pretty much just sand--no life.
that with 1.5 to 2 pounds of live rock and a deep sand bed is a great filter in itself. I would also strongly recommend a sump or refugium or both.
well i think that is going to be the plan is live sand and live rock around 2lb per galon and with the way my tank is desined i am going to have to go with 2 small hang on refugiums on the back, with a proteen skimer. thanks for all of the help. does anyone have any ideas on fish? my wife is obsesed with finding nemo so she thinks we need the fish off the show. i tried to tell that it wouldnt work, so any ideas on fish types would be helpfull, and do i need to place damseles in the tank after it has cycled?
Well, a pair of clowns will work--but most of the other fish from the movie will not. Tangs need bigger tanks. Puffers will be okay--but not if you want a reef of any kind. Sea horses won't mix in a community well at all, nor will jellies...And of course, moorish idols just don't survive in tanks for long, and damsels are cranky fish that don't share well with others. The shrimp are great though--cleaners are a good choice for most any tank. You could go with the false idol--heniochus butterflies are pretty, and do well in tanks. Gobies, basslets, and a variety of inverts works, as well.
