equipment suggestions for 30gallon reef

[newfound77951]

I should be getting some more $$ soon so can start thinking about the rest of the equipment I will need to upgrade my tank. It is a 30 gallon long. So far I have:

Tank and stand
visi-therm stealth heater
4x39watt T5 lighting
Bak-Pak 2 skimmer

current 10g tank has 20 lbs sand....can I move all this over eventually or will it be too nasty?? I also have an Aqua clear HOB that I could use if needed down the line for a fuge.

What I need:
sand....how much more and what kind...I bought the Arag-alive before realizing that was probably a waste of money
PHs....how many, what size and brand?
egg crate for top (jumpy wrasse)
refractometer (tired of the hydro)

What else??

 

[melosu58]

current 10g tank has 20 lbs sand....can I move all this over eventually or will it be too nasty??

I would add new sand and seed it with a little bit of your old sand. If you switched it all it would transfer alot of nasties with it. Sand is cheap so just get some dry sand and like I said just seed about a cup of your old sand IMO.

 

[loganj]

I've never used the BakPak skimmer, but I've used the Aqua C Remoras. I would not go with less skimmer than the Remora Pro. The regular Remora, IMO, just isn't strong enough. I have a 29 gal that was set up only to provide a home for a clownfish that was no longer wanted. It has 2x65w PC, a Remora Pro, and two Maxi Jet 1200 ph's. It has plenty of flow.

 

[newfound77951]

Well, i already have the skimmer so that can't change. I've heard good reviews on both the Bak Pak and the Remora and got a good deal on the Bak Pak on ebay. if it really doesn't work then I'll think about upgrading later.

So: 2 MJ 1200s
Refractometer, any brand suggestions? I use them at work but those are all $500 lab grade ones so that doesn't help....wish I could "borrow" one!
Sand.....aren't there about a zillion types of plain 'sand'? any brands/grain sizes etc I should look for? what have people used successfully? Also, how much would I need for a 30 long (36x12)...I've heard several different opinions on depth of sand bed.

 

[Steven Pro]

For sand, I would use either CaribSea Aragamax, ESV Aragonite Oolitic, or Seachem Meridian.

 

[Mikebaker]

I'm a big fan of the caribsea argamax personally.

 

[newfound77951]

Seems like folks either favor a shallow (~1") sandbed or a really deep one (~6"), but not anything in the middle, which is where my ingrained freshwater aesthetic wants to go (the usual 3 inches or so). I'm not planning on having any substrate dwelling fish like jawfish, so should i go with a shallower sand bed?

 

[melosu58]

so should i go with a shallower sand bed?

IMO I would. But it totaly up to you and personal preference.