Help Whats needed for a saltwater aquarium with coral

[obscurereef]

Oh no it's fine! I was saying it in a weird way I guess..oh well now we're on the same page.

 

[fort384]

I skimmed this thread, so forgive me if that has been covered ad-nauseum, but using WPG when talking LEDs, or even talking about total Watts when it comes to LEDs in not an accurate way to determine whether or not you are getting a good fixture.

Let me preface this by saying I am by no means a reef tank expert - my reef tank is less than a year old. However, I have been reading, researching, and using high powered aquarium lighting for years on FW planted tanks, and all of this is equally applicable on that side of the hobby. My experience includes using CFL, T8, T5HO, T5NO, PC, high powered LEDs, and low powered LEDs.

PAR is a much more accurate way to discuss whether or not you have the correct amount of light for a reef tank, though more updated thinking is evening getting away from that, at least when comparing output of a t5ho or VHO bulb to LEDs.

The point is, discussing total wattage is somewhat immaterial. The individual wattage of each diode is far more important, and whether or not the diode has optics installed is even more important.

What you want is to see at least 100-150 uMol at the sandbed if you want to promote growth in most coral - with higher being even more desirable. You could have 500W of LED over your tank but if they are 0.1W diodes with no optics, you might get close to 0 uMol at the bottom of your tank. This is why it is so important to research your lighting and the requirements of the specific species you want to keep. This is also why certain COTS fixtures that are commonly available are wholly insufficient to grow most coral, even if they have the same or even higher wattage than more specialized, but perhaps less common LED fixtures.

Just food for thought.

Also, I saw in another thread you said you had a $900 coral in your tank. I am trying to figure out how that is the case when in this thread you don't even have the equipment purchased yet?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/corals-228086.html#post2149223

Interesting.

 

[Fishfreak1]

I do have it in another aquarium which was done by professionals that my wife hired for my birthday. Now I want to make my own aquarium and not get help from professionals

 

[fort384]

Your professional setup tank has eggcrate in it? They setup a professional frag tank for you? Have any pics?

 

[Jeremy S.]

I'd like to see pics also. Kinda confuses me how you have all of these questions yet can take care of a $900(?) coral. I'm not trying to dog anyone just confused and curious of what kind of tank they setup.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Do your professionals also do the water testing, mix the saltwater, and do the water changes on the tanks for the fish that you breed and sell to your LFS? I'm a little confused by how you supposedly breed fish and yet don't know anything about those things evidently?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/tap-water-question-228991.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/test-kits-for-reef-tank-228835.html

Despite your apparent newness to the hobby, your going to build this complete system from scratch, you claim to know what you are doing, insist you take good care of your fish, maintain multiple tanks, and breed saltwater fish to sell? And yet you don't seem to know much at all about taking care of a saltwater tank.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with attempting to learn, but it certainly appears that you are not being totally forthright in how you are respresenting yourself here.

Guess I"m just confused?

 

[Jeremy S.]

+1 I'm also confused

 

[Fishfreak1]

I breed freshwater fish the saltwater tanks are for my enjoyment and yes the company does everything in them, but I want to do It myself and not pay them for maintenance here's a pick o one of my saltwater tanks done by them

 

[Fishfreak1]

I've built freshwater tanks before from scratch not the saltwater (companies did it for me and my wife 2 for my wife and one for me) and I believe it's the same thing as to making the aquarium itself but not some of the equipment and stuff like that. If I did the saltwater tanks myself then I wouldn't be starting threads i would help other people out on this forum.

 

[huma-huma]

I've built freshwater tanks before from scratch not the saltwater (companies did it for me and my wife 2 for my wife and one for me) and I believe it's the same thing as to making the aquarium itself but not some of the equipment and stuff like that. If I did the saltwater tanks myself then I wouldn't be starting threads i would help other people out on this forum.

Building a 100g sw aquarium from scratch isnt a great idea. Considering youve never built a larger tank like this before and for reasons made obvious by others. Just buy a tank and stand, itll give you peace of mind over building one

 

[fort384]

Beautiful tank. How long has it been setup? I don't see the eggcrate from your $900 coral photo...

 

[Fishfreak1]

No egg crates just placed on the live rock. Plus if i buy a whole tank then I will be set back $800. My tank if I do it myself will cost me $500 for all materials (glass adhesive silicone plus sump tank).

 

[fort384]

Wow astonishing!

Even more astonishing is the fact that you won the march of 2006 tank of the month over at thereeftank.com.

http://www.thereeftank.com/totm/mar06.php

Can we cut the nonsense here? I don't understand what you hope to gain by misrepresenting yourself and your experience.

 

[Mrc8858]

Wow astonishing!

Even more astonishing is the fact that you won the march of 2006 tank of the month over at thereeftank.com.

http://www.thereeftank.com/totm/mar06.php

Can we cut the nonsense here? I don't understand what you hope to gain by misrepresenting yourself and your experience.

Gonna start calling you detective fort great slooth work buddy lol.... This thread has become very sad now haha

 

[severum mama]

This thread has run its course. Closed.