I would definitely go with a two bulb t5 strip for a fish only system. It is cheap and energy efficient. You may need a heater. I live in Florida, my tank is never below 76 and I don't run one. Depending on where you live and what temperature you keep your home you will need to adjust accordingly.
2 clowns and a mandarin
- Thread starter barterking85
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
yeah im in Canada so a heater is a must and no its not drilled for a sump but do i absolutly need one what does it do? and what about this live rock what is it and is it expensive ?
so right now what iam getting is a hob filter, sand, and t5 lighting anything else?
so right now what iam getting is a hob filter, sand, and t5 lighting anything else?
A sump is Filter system where have a tank, smaller then your display that you can hide in a stand or something else. It draws water from the display, filters, and skims if you buy a protein skimmer, before returning the clean water to your display. The second function it performs is adding water volume. More water equals more stability, it is easier to maintain a large tank then a small one. There is more room for error and the tank maintains its parameters much better.
It isn't an absolute must, its just preferable. A hob filter will be fine. You may want to look into a skimmer as well. With that tank you are going to have to do diligent maintenance and monitoring given its smaller size. 30 gallons shouldn't be too bad for a first tank, my first one was 35. A skimmer would make it easier to maintain water quality.
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
yes i built a protien skimmer from a filter on a diy fourm and i have a 30 and 10 gallon filter from a freshwater tank can i use them or is it a special filter for sw and i hear people talking about powerheads is that just a fancy filter?
No, for that small of a tank with fish only you wouldn't need powerheads. A powerhead is a small pump that you hang on the glass to move water simulating currents in the ocean. In a small tank with no corals, your return pump should move,plenty of water.
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
ok cool so i already have my filter iam gonna get sand and t5 lighting that should be it other then simple decorations?
No decorations for a sw tank, they will just grow algae and cause nitrates. You need rock. For a 33 gallon you need between 33-66 lbs. Preferably towards the higher. You can save money by buying base rock and just a couple pieces of live rock to seed the rest. You wants porous pieces, not large chicks. Pours mean more surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow.
Live rock serves as a natural filter, the more you have the more stable the tank will be because there is more beneficial bacteria. You will need to cure the rock if you don't buy it cured, there are many great articles on this website for that.
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
ok so i should stack the rock in a way to give the clowns a place to hide?
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
ok i was just curious cause you said no decorations so where would they hide but i will stack the rocks to offer a couple caves
Yes, is this your first sw tank? I can tell you have done fw before. If this is your first attempt at salt I would advise you to read some of the articles on here written by some of the senior members. There is some great information on there.
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barterking85
Aquarium Advice Addict
yes first sw i have 4 extremely stable fw tanks but they kinda get boring well not boring but there is just so much to do in the sw world
