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Pet Forum / Aquaria / Marine Reef / April 2007New Set Up.
Hi there all, I am looking at converting my existing tropical freshwater Trigon 350 (litre) into a marine set up, although initially without any corals - I would like to progress to a reef setup at some point in the future. I intend to start the system using the internal Juwel filter and an external Fluval 203 feeding an undergravel plate (in reverse mode) covering about 40% of the base of the tank. I have a few question which I would like answering in respect of this, these are as follows : 1. Would a skimmer be required in a tank of this size or is that more dependant on stocking levels ? If so, will a Aqua-Medic Miniflotor Skimmer be man enough - quoted for use upto a 200 litre tank !! 2. Do I need a steriliser ? 3 Would a sump setup be a better option right from the word go ? 4. Are they any downfalls or issues in using this type of setup / filtration that I should be aware of ? Many thanks in advance to all who may respond. Kind regards, Steve. > 1. Would a skimmer be required in a tank of this size or is that more > dependant on stocking levels ? If so, will a Aqua-Medic Miniflotor > Skimmer be man enough - quoted for use upto a 200 litre tank !! Each Skimmer is rated for the tank, make sure yours is the right Tank size ie Some say up to 75 gal or something similar > 2. Do I need a steriliser ? No. You don't want to kill the good bacteria > 3 Would a sump setup be a better option right from the word go ? IMHO it's a matter of preference. If you want to hide your filters / heaters then do it. If you're is like mine, with the filter hiddne behind a wall, then I dont see why you would want it > 4. Are they any downfalls or issues in using this type of setup / > filtration that I should be aware of ? Yes Nitrate build up, I would use a canister without Bio Media, the Live rock with act as a bio (After your tank cycles) and will help your Nitrate stay low When you set up the tank, you should use a deep sand bed for the substrate ( about 4 inches), unlike a fresh water tank, when you do your partials, you try not to disturb the sand. You can place the LR ontop of the sand, let the tank cycle before adding any fish ( Make sure ammonia and Nitrites are zero) This make take a few weeks. During this time, get yourself a good reef book and read it, then get another and read that. You don't need corals right away, it sounds like you want a Fish only with Live rock (FOWLR) Lighting is not as important as its when you add corals. as far as fish buying if you are using RODI make sure your local fish store is also using RODI if they are not, go someplace else. This link is a useful guide for New Tanks owners for compatibility http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm When you get stuck you can post ur problem here, and wait for a response,, you're looking for the most consistant asnwers ( everyone has a differnt opinion on how to do things in here) Good luck Only place the live rock on top of the sand if you only have a few pieces of live rock. If you are going to stack the rock, then put base rock on the glass, and put your sand around that, and then stack your live rock on top of the base rock. Don't build your house on the shifting sand. Also that sand is best if it is a calcium based sand. Also get some good books and do some reading. Books are always a good investment in this hobby. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com Peter Pan wrote on 4/19/2007 11:11 AM: > When you set up the tank, you should use a deep sand bed for the substrate > ( about 4 inches), unlike a fresh water tank, when you do your partials, you [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > owners for compatibility > http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm > Only place the live rock on top of the sand if you only have a few > pieces of live rock. If you are going to stack the rock, then put base > rock on the glass, and put your sand around that, and then stack your > live rock on top of the base rock. Don't build your house on the > shifting sand. I've heard of people putting egg crate on the bottom/back and then stacking rock on that. The advantage is that you can glue the rock to the egg crate, but still be able to remove it at a later point. I've always thought egg crate was the bumpy foam pads that are used for packaging (or for sleeping on while camping) that resembles both the size and shape of egg crates. But apparently, it's also the name for the translucent plastic sheets with small bumps used for fluorescent or commercial light fixtures that can be found at lowe's and home depot in the lighting section. Just an idea if you building a large landscape and need it to be stable. btw, the reason sand shifts is because of all the shrimps, fish, etc that burrow in the sand under the rock to build caves. My blue damsels have been very busy lately. And, my clownfish was also building a nest. > I've always thought egg crate was the bumpy foam pads that are used for > packaging (or for sleeping on while camping) that resembles both the > size and shape of egg crates. But apparently, it's also the name for > the translucent plastic sheets with small bumps used for fluorescent or > commercial light fixtures that can be found at lowe's and home depot in > the lighting section. Nope. It's the name of the grids with square holes used for light fixtures. http://www.plaskolite.com/lighting-panels.htm George Patterson If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess to anything. > Nope. It's the name of the grids with square holes used for light fixtures. Thanks! Must be small birds to put there eggs in there. LOL and the light would help keep the eggs warm :-) Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com KurtG wrote on 4/23/2007 6:27 AM: >> Nope. It's the name of the grids with square holes used for light fixtures. > > Thanks! Must be small birds to put there eggs in there. Yep, that's right. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com George Patterson wrote on 4/22/2007 11:23 AM: >> I've always thought egg crate was the bumpy foam pads that are used for >> packaging (or for sleeping on while camping) that resembles both the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess > to anything. Other than misidentifying the egg crate :-) , yes you can put the egg crate down, and put the live rock on top of that, though I'm not a big fan of that method. But even still, if you do that you still will have sand above the bottom of the base rock if you want any kind of depth of sand in the tank, unless you want to stack egg crate on top of egg crate. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com KurtG wrote on 4/22/2007 8:14 AM: >> Only place the live rock on top of the sand if you only have a few >> pieces of live rock. If you are going to stack the rock, then put base [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > that burrow in the sand under the rock to build caves. My blue damsels > have been very busy lately. And, my clownfish was also building a nest. > 1. Would a skimmer be required in a tank of this size or is that more > dependant on stocking levels ? If so, will a Aqua-Medic Miniflotor > Skimmer be man enough - quoted for use upto a 200 litre tank !! Yes, you really need a skimmer. The higher the stocking level, the more often you will have to empty the cup. You can use a small skimmer on a large tank if it's lightly stocked or if you're willing to empty the cup often. > 2. Do I need a steriliser ? No. > 3 Would a sump setup be a better option right from the word go ? I would think so. > 4. Are they any downfalls or issues in using this type of setup / > filtration that I should be aware of ? If you're going to go reef eventually, I would pass on the undergravel filter. Use of filters such as cannister or wet/dry units allow nitrates to build up in the tank. The standard method for removing these is to perform frequent water changes, but you can also use a product like "nitrate sponge" in your cannister filter or in a separate "reactor." If you do go with an undergravel filter, drive it with its own powerhead(s). As the media clogs in the Fluval, the water flow will decrease. You want to keep the flow as constant as possible in a UG filter. If you do change over to a reef tank at a later date, the Fluval and undergravel filters should be removed. A sump setup can become a refugium. George Patterson If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess to anything. Yes skip the UG filter. Even if you don't do reef, still skip the UG filter. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com George Patterson wrote on 4/19/2007 11:58 AM: >> 1. Would a skimmer be required in a tank of this size or is that more >> dependant on stocking levels ? If so, will a Aqua-Medic Miniflotor [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess > to anything. |
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