First Post and I have a butt load of questions.

[mrcowboy]

Hello All! I'm in the process of saving up for my first SW tank. I just thought I would post what I plan on getting to see if I can get any feed back on the equipment I plan on buying. I want to start with a 50 gal reef tank and so here is what is on my want list:

50 Gal Clear for Life Rec. Tank
CPR CMB192 Wet/Dry Filter - includes CY 192, CS90 overflow , Bio-Bale and hose - $315 Shipped http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CRCM192

200W Ebo-Jager Heater - $20
and a 10 gal sump (Old FW Tank)

Now I have a few questions.

Any recommendations on lighting? As I'm totally lost when it comes to this.

Am I missing something?

Will the CPR CMB192 Wet/Dry Filter be adequate for skimming a 50 gall tank? Or should I buy a protein skimmer as well?

Is my 10 gal sump going to be enough? Or do I need a larger sump?

Whats the going rate on LR and LS (I get a shady feeling when talking to my LSF)

And how much LR and LS should I get?

Thats all I have as of right now. Please feel free to let me know what ya think. Thanks for your time.

 

[fishfreek]

Personally I would get a bigger sump. Oh wait your using a wet/dry aswell? The overflow has a max flow rate of 400GPH so you plan on using the sump and a second overflow and return pump to increase the flow above the 400GPH? Do you intend to use additional powerheads in the tank to move the water?

To answer the lighting we need to know waht your full intent for the tank is. Do you plan on going reef? Do you just plan on a fish only tank? The reason we need to know is because the amount of light you need will be based upon this decision.

You could go with reef lighting and then your set for what ever you want to do. If this is the case then I would suggest 2-3 110W VHO bulbs or a set of MH 175W bulbs with a single VHO actinic bulb for supplmental lighting. If your thinking just fish only or a fish with live rock then you could do lower lighting like a few power compact bulbs.

The wet/dry you have listed includes a built in skimmer. Im not fimular with that model wet/dry and skimmer so I cant comment on its effectivness.

I would go with a larger sump in all honesty. A 20 gal sump will be good for that size tank. So small a sump and you will run into problems with holding the backflow water from when the power is off, etc.

Online you can get LR for something like $3-5/lb depnding on the quanty orderd and the shipping costs. Liverocks.com is a great source for rock. Live sand is becomming harder to find online and I would avocate staying away from that bagged stuff they sell on the LFS shelves.

The normal amount recommended is 1 1/2 lbs per gal so in your case we would be talking 50-75lbs.

 

[mrcowboy]

I would like to go with a reef tank with a few fish.

What do you mean by this?

The overflow has a max flow rate of 400GPH so you plan on using the sump and a second overflow and return pump to increase the flow above the 400GPH?

I was under the impression that I only needed one overflow to sit in my main tank.

Do you intend to use additional powerheads in the tank to move the water?

DO you think I would need more powerheads to move water?

A 20 gal sump will be good for that size tank.

Ill prolly check the penny saver for a old used 20 gal ty!

 

[mrcowboy]

Any other tips or comments?

 

[blorkiemom]

Yeah--go for a bigger tank Read this board for a while and over and over you will see posts from people who wish they'd started bigger. I was going to get a 55 but after looking around I realized that a 75 didn't take up much more room and would give me more livestock options. If you want reef, just about everyone is going to tell you to go for the best skimmer you can afford.

And this is coming from a newbie, so take with a grain of salt--but you might want to reconsider the wet/dry and go for a DIY sump (20 or 29 gallons) and a really good skimmer and about 100 lbs of LR. (And powerheads for circulation.) The bio-balls will likely cause you nitrate problems and if you take them out it's just a sump--and you can do a sump a lot cheaper than that.

Anyway, it's great that you are doing research before you buy. You can read everyone's opinions and look around and decide what's going to be best for your setup. Have fun!

 

[Clown Monarch]

I would second the "go for a bigger tank" suggestion. I had a lot of trouble with my 45 gallon when I started out. If something starts to go wrong - everything's dead before you can react.

My 125 gives me plenty of time to see the changes in the system - and everything's doing well. If I notice the Powder-Blue looking a little pale or the corals looking limp, it's time for a water-change. In my 45, the only way I knew it was time for a water change is when I woke up and found everything dead.

 

[mrcowboy]

unfortunatly my 50 gal tank was given to me from my uncle which was left in the house that he moved into. So im kinda stuck with the 50 gal.

I did take your advise though and Im looking into a Eurofil sump. That hard part is finding a good skimmer. I was told by the dude at my lsf that CPR's are junk and that AETec or Remora's were the way to go.

A few other questions I have is what is the rule with fish? I heard somewhere that its 1.5 inches of fish per gallon. But is there other things I should take into consideration? Bio load? etc. etc.

Also how often do you think I should test the water and how often do you think I need to do a water change?

 

[malkore]

50 gallons isn't that bad of a size. You can't get big fish, but there's lots of great smaller fish.

CPR's are not junk...they are about as cheap as you can pay for a good skimmer. the Remora's are a little nicer...and more expensive. Never heard of AETec. *shrugs*
I recommend going with an in-sump skimmer since you're going to use a sump. These models are more efficient than hang-ons...plus it's one less thing in the main tank.

As far as fish stocking...the rule I hear for saltwater is 1" of fish per 5gallons of water, due to the use of live rock a fair amount of tank space is lost. You also have to consider that the crabs and starfish and other neat inverts/cleanup crew do add to the total bioload on the tank.
And even more important is fish compatibility. There are lots of fish that will compete for space, particularly in rocky caves. You generally don't want to put too many of these fish in the same tank...even when they are different species...if the body shape and coloration is similar you can run into territorial issues.

 

[blorkiemom]

Well, then 50 gallons it is! (unless you want to get like a 120 and make the 50 a sump. )

I looked at sumps and all the LFS wanted like $300. Instead, I got a $50 29-gallon tank and had baffles cut at Tap Plastics for $13 and paid $6 for a tube of all-glass silicone--I just glued the baffles in tonight and it took about 20 minutes. And I'm completely inept at DIY. So far, so good. (I was scared of DIY and the good folks on this board talked me into it.)

I got a Euroreef ES5-3 skimmer for $215. From all accounts, Euroreef is a very good brand. I haven't seen anyone dis it, at least.

Water testing--you'll get a different answer from everyone. I think people get into a routine that works for them and stick to it. Me, I test ammonia and nitrite every day in a new tank or a tank that's going through a mini-cycle (like if you add a new fish). I start testing for nitrates as soon as the nitrites start to drop. I do water changes on a new tank as often as every day if needed to keep the ammonia under .25. (All that testing and water changing aren't really needed in a tank with just LR--no fish. I'm just weird and want to keep as much alive on the LR as possible. Lots of people don't do any changes at all until the cycle is done.) On a stable tank--I test once a week and change 25% a week on my 20 gallon QT.

I don't know if you have any FW experience, but most SW keepers adovate a fishless cycle (LR and/or raw shrimp).

Like Malkore said, every tank's stocking level will be different--generally, the lighter the better. People with lots of corals might only keep 2-3 small fish in a 50 gallon. Realistically, you're probably looking at 4, maybe five smallish fish. A 50 will eliminate the tangs, basically, and a lot of other kinds of fish. Some random possibilities: pair of clowns, royal gramma, gobies, firefish, dwarf angel, fairy wrasse . . . hm, those seem to be the fish I'm considering for my 75! Anyway, Scott Michaels' Marine Fish (hope I have that right) is a great book for fish research.

I know that's a long message, but since you PM'ed me I wanted to try and be thorough. HTH!

 

[mrcowboy]

First off thanks for all your help/advise it is greatly appreciated! Well after a bit more research and talking to all sorts of different people. My set up has drastically changed:

All this is for a 50 Gal. Reef Tank

Coralife Pc Lunar Aqualight 36" 192w - $200
(Putting me at 4w per gal)

ASM G1 Skimmer - $200 With a 5.5" tube diameter and a height of 19" this skimmer comes with a Sedra 2500 pump and is rated up to 100 gallons. (Similar to Euroreef or so I'm told.)

60 Gal Sump - $60
(Kinda odd that my sump is going to be larger then my tank.)

Rio 14HR - $48 840 gph
(9 cycles per hour)

SCWD - http://www.windowtothesea.com/display.php?cat=23&subcat=129
(Suppose to be fairly new. It would be hooked up to the Rio14hr return pump and lead up to two flanges on oppisite ends of the tank. Water is pumped into the left side flange then switches to the right side flange. Thus eliminating the need for two power heads in the main tank.)

CPR CS102 Overflow box - $95 It is rated at up to 250 gallons and a flow rate of 1400 gph, it is 10" wide with 2 1" bulkheads.

200w Ebo Jager Heater - $15

60lb of LS - $43

65lb of LR - $237 Fiji Premium

Am I missing anything?
DOes anyone here use the SCWD unit?
Even with that would you recommend a powerhead in the tank?

 

[got bait?]

I too live in So. Cal and shop Marine Depot quite often. the main reason they do Will calls (for dry good only) Tues-Friday 8-5. They are over by Anaheim Stadium. Save quite a bit of money when you don't spend enough to qualify for free shipping.

Am I missing anything?

Test kit. Don't skimp here, Salifert makes one of the best IMO

ps. Looks like you're well on your way to a beautiful tank. Just be patient!!!!!!!!!

 

[mrcowboy]

ahh cool. I'll have to go check them out I work in Ontario so maybe one day I can take a hour detour =P