Hey there reefers and aquarists,
Like most of the newcomers to the hobby that seek advice from the expert hobbyists I’m currently planning my first salt water tank. The information on the internet is endless so much to read and so much to learn, the vast knowledge is very confusing. This setup or that, with each and every post there seems to be an addition to the hobby and all the reading has rendered me confused as to what to start out with. The main issue that seems endless to me is filtration. OMG ! At first it seemed like a canister filter would do the job then came the issue of using LR as media instead of the bio balls then came along sintered glass media and with more reading I started to think about a DSB and a sump setup with LR. The more I read the more knowledge I gain but the more confused I become so then it became obvious; I’ve gotta ask the people for advice since they already have an up and running aquarium.
This is the basic setup I’ve been working on:
Tank: This is a custom made in wall show tank with a custom made metal stand, the dimensions are 73x31x18 = 175 gallon tank. I will be using either 1cm tempered glass or 15mm float glass reinforced by corner cover strips and both longitudinal and cross braces.
Heater: 2 x 300w heaters (Jager submersible vs Hydor inline)
Lighting: NO fluorescent lighting system
Substrate: Crushed coral vs Collected live sand
Protein skimmer: BOYU Protein Skimmer DG- 2524
2 Power heads for current and surface agitation on opposite sides
2 Digital thermometers on each side
3 Stage tap water filter (5 micron sediment filter, carbon block filter, granulated carbon filter)
BOYU UV Sterilizer - UVC- 40watt
Salt mix: Instant ocean (Although I am considering real sea water to reduce expenses)
**Filtration** : This is where it gets complicated, at first I was going to start off with an Eheim Canister filter 2076 or 2080 but then I thought about a cheaper alternative without compromising neither efficiency nor capacity. This is when I thought about a DIY Sump (30gallon) with a live rock + DSB compartment but I’m not quite sure if I can get all the live rock necessary(175lbs). I live an hr away from the sea and a few hours away from highly populated reefs (red sea) which has got me thinking about collecting my own LR and LS but that’s another story. Would it be possible to substitute the canister filter by adding extra compartments in the sump for the bio balls or any other media ?
I would appreciate it if you could give me some feedback regarding my setup, future marine aquarist in progress needs some advice.
Like most of the newcomers to the hobby that seek advice from the expert hobbyists I’m currently planning my first salt water tank. The information on the internet is endless so much to read and so much to learn, the vast knowledge is very confusing. This setup or that, with each and every post there seems to be an addition to the hobby and all the reading has rendered me confused as to what to start out with. The main issue that seems endless to me is filtration. OMG ! At first it seemed like a canister filter would do the job then came the issue of using LR as media instead of the bio balls then came along sintered glass media and with more reading I started to think about a DSB and a sump setup with LR. The more I read the more knowledge I gain but the more confused I become so then it became obvious; I’ve gotta ask the people for advice since they already have an up and running aquarium.
This is the basic setup I’ve been working on:
Tank: This is a custom made in wall show tank with a custom made metal stand, the dimensions are 73x31x18 = 175 gallon tank. I will be using either 1cm tempered glass or 15mm float glass reinforced by corner cover strips and both longitudinal and cross braces.
Heater: 2 x 300w heaters (Jager submersible vs Hydor inline)
Lighting: NO fluorescent lighting system
Substrate: Crushed coral vs Collected live sand
Protein skimmer: BOYU Protein Skimmer DG- 2524
2 Power heads for current and surface agitation on opposite sides
2 Digital thermometers on each side
3 Stage tap water filter (5 micron sediment filter, carbon block filter, granulated carbon filter)
BOYU UV Sterilizer - UVC- 40watt
Salt mix: Instant ocean (Although I am considering real sea water to reduce expenses)
**Filtration** : This is where it gets complicated, at first I was going to start off with an Eheim Canister filter 2076 or 2080 but then I thought about a cheaper alternative without compromising neither efficiency nor capacity. This is when I thought about a DIY Sump (30gallon) with a live rock + DSB compartment but I’m not quite sure if I can get all the live rock necessary(175lbs). I live an hr away from the sea and a few hours away from highly populated reefs (red sea) which has got me thinking about collecting my own LR and LS but that’s another story. Would it be possible to substitute the canister filter by adding extra compartments in the sump for the bio balls or any other media ?
I would appreciate it if you could give me some feedback regarding my setup, future marine aquarist in progress needs some advice.
