Starting New Marine Eclipse Tank
- Thread starter Seasalt
- Start date
What do you plan to keep in it? You'll want additional circulation (powerheads) and live rock. Depending on what else you want to keep, there may be more upgrades needed.
In my honest opinion, the eclipse hoods are all but useless for a marine tank. Firstly, the filtration that comes built into the hood and similar filters are usually detrimental to the marine tank enviroment. Secondly, the built in lighting will need some crazy modifications if it is to suport even low light corals.
It would be much easier, cheaper and dare I say smarter to buy the pieces seperately: a glass top, appropriate lighting for the critters you want to keep and a decent protien skimmer (wich is a much more appropriate filter). Of, course you also need to add powerheads, a heater and liverock to that too have a complete setup.
Where should you get started? Research (of course). Research and read about everything you want to put in your aquarium, about everything you want to put in your tank. Read about the things you don't want in your tank (namely parasites, nussiance algaes and certain hitchikers). To start your research, first decide what exactly you want to do with your tank. Do want to just suport a few fish? Or do you want to do a full blown reef setup
Some good places to start your research would be the article section, our search engine (this, after all, isn't the first time somebody has asked about how to start a marine tank) and the stickys in the marine sections. My memeber page is also loaded with links... it should prove helpfull to use them.
It would be much easier, cheaper and dare I say smarter to buy the pieces seperately: a glass top, appropriate lighting for the critters you want to keep and a decent protien skimmer (wich is a much more appropriate filter). Of, course you also need to add powerheads, a heater and liverock to that too have a complete setup.
Where should you get started? Research (of course). Research and read about everything you want to put in your aquarium, about everything you want to put in your tank. Read about the things you don't want in your tank (namely parasites, nussiance algaes and certain hitchikers). To start your research, first decide what exactly you want to do with your tank. Do want to just suport a few fish? Or do you want to do a full blown reef setup
Some good places to start your research would be the article section, our search engine (this, after all, isn't the first time somebody has asked about how to start a marine tank) and the stickys in the marine sections. My memeber page is also loaded with links... it should prove helpfull to use them.
plah831 said:
A 39 gal has the same "footprint" as a 29 gal, its just taller, so the same Eclipse hood will fit on both. I know, because I have one and, sadly, an Eclipse hood. I believe that a "39 gal" is actually more like 37 gal, based on my rough calculations.
In response to the original question, I was in much the same situation just over a year ago. I had been doing FW for years, had an empty 37g w/Eclipse and wanted to try my hand at SW.
I know I'm going to get some nasty feedback on this but, since it was all I had, I used the Eclipse system and an undergravel system w/ powerheads and (are you ready for this??) NO live rock and no skimmer. With careful maintenance and testing and a very light bioload, I was relatively successful at maintaining the tank with a damsel, bicolor blenny, and a Lubbock's wrasse, a few hermits and snails, a couple of brittle stars, and zoanthids actually grew when I finally added some live rock, replaced the bulbs with a daylight bulb and an actinic, and started a modest dosing regimen of calcium, iodine, and strontium.
To make a short story long, the reason that I set up this tank was to learn about SW using the equipment that I already had, while I planned a larger SW reef setup and was quite successful in my learning.
I still have this setup with the undergravel system in place (GASP!!). And everything is healthy and happy. I am, however, in the process of moving everything into my new 65g reef tank w/sump, skimmer, MH's, etc.
I believe that I will be just that much more successful with my new tank for my one year "practice tank" using the junk equipment that I had laying around, so my opinion is to go for it, but to know that you will be very limited in what can be kept with that setup. It will be a great learning tool and very soon you will be planning your own large reef tank. Good luck.
Sorry for this rediculously long post.
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Mayran,
I don't think that anyone would fault you for setting up a system like that. The reason that you won't see me recommending that sort of set up is that most people overstock. You also have to be pretty selective in what sort of fish you want to keep as many of them don't do well with out a lot of hinding places etc.
Do what ever works and I'm glad that you learned a lot but, could you honestly recommend that sort of set up to someone with out a great deal of self control?
Warmest regards and congrats on the new tank and keeping the other one up.
You'll find that your new tank is much easier to maintain.
max
I don't think that anyone would fault you for setting up a system like that. The reason that you won't see me recommending that sort of set up is that most people overstock. You also have to be pretty selective in what sort of fish you want to keep as many of them don't do well with out a lot of hinding places etc.
Do what ever works and I'm glad that you learned a lot but, could you honestly recommend that sort of set up to someone with out a great deal of self control?
Warmest regards and congrats on the new tank and keeping the other one up.
You'll find that your new tank is much easier to maintain.
max
Max-
I agree with you 100%. I just see posts at times where people mention undergravel filters, canisters, and wet/dry's, and everyone tells them to not bother with any of them. A tank can be maintained with any of the aformentioned equipment as long as you have patience, self-control, and a strict maintenence regimen. There are much better ways, of course.
I would just hate to push someone away from trying SW because they can't afford any new equipment and someone told them not to bother with FW-style equipment. I had a great learning experience with the "old-school" set-up that I have. I have moved on, though, to bigger and better stuff after about 9 mos. of reading, planning, researching, and saving my money. That was the only point I was trying to make. I apologize if I came off condescending or obstinate (good words, eh??) or any other sort of negative way.
I agree with you 100%. I just see posts at times where people mention undergravel filters, canisters, and wet/dry's, and everyone tells them to not bother with any of them. A tank can be maintained with any of the aformentioned equipment as long as you have patience, self-control, and a strict maintenence regimen. There are much better ways, of course.
I would just hate to push someone away from trying SW because they can't afford any new equipment and someone told them not to bother with FW-style equipment. I had a great learning experience with the "old-school" set-up that I have. I have moved on, though, to bigger and better stuff after about 9 mos. of reading, planning, researching, and saving my money. That was the only point I was trying to make. I apologize if I came off condescending or obstinate (good words, eh??) or any other sort of negative way.