Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
have a quick question. whats a good substright for a noob reefer like my self? i have had other SW tanks but never a Reef tank. and how much shoudl i get for a 30g tall.
HMMM Sand or crushcoral?
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blazeyreef
Aquarium Advice Addict
sand it much better IMO! ( I have 2 SW, one has sand and one has CC and I like the sand a LOT more)
a 30gall tall? you mean a 29gall? or a 30 hex? I would put about 40-ish pounds in for a 29 gall and maybe about 30 pounds in for a hex (since its taller than it is wide)! I have 40 pounds of agralive in my 29gall
a 30gall tall? you mean a 29gall? or a 30 hex? I would put about 40-ish pounds in for a 29 gall and maybe about 30 pounds in for a hex (since its taller than it is wide)! I have 40 pounds of agralive in my 29gall
Sand is the way to go . CC will trap debris and cause high nitrates. Use this sandbed calculator to figure out how much you need.
http://www.fantasyreef.com/flash/calculator.html
http://www.fantasyreef.com/flash/calculator.html
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Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
i am shure. its a 30g . its what it says on the frount.
Cool, Sounds like the people have spoken lol sand it is then.
Now for the light. i am going to buy a HQI light. the tank is 20"Long x18"wide and 20"High. would a 150Watt do? i dont want to limit my self on corals i can have.
u can check my photo on my profile for a picture. the 2 tanks to the left are my old FOWLR
the one has the 36lbs of fiji LR curing now.(thats whats going in my new reef tank) nitrites are just about peaked and my ammo. is slowy coming down. so i dont think it should be to much longer.
Cool, Sounds like the people have spoken lol sand it is then.
Now for the light. i am going to buy a HQI light. the tank is 20"Long x18"wide and 20"High. would a 150Watt do? i dont want to limit my self on corals i can have.
u can check my photo on my profile for a picture. the 2 tanks to the left are my old FOWLR
the one has the 36lbs of fiji LR curing now.(thats whats going in my new reef tank) nitrites are just about peaked and my ammo. is slowy coming down. so i dont think it should be to much longer.
blazeyreef
Aquarium Advice Addict
wow that is one odd shaped tank ( I did the math and it is a 30 gall, well, 30.96 to be exact 20x20x18=7200x 0.0043=30.96) ....150 watts, thats 5wpg IMO thats pretty good lighting! but im no reef expert I will let one of more knowledge help you there!
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
IMHO, a 150 watt MH will be plenty, especially with a shorter length tank. Keep your higher light corals towards the top, and you'll be fine.
blazeyreef
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree I must have missed the MH I thought you said HO sorry *hits himself on head*Devilishturtles said:
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Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
is there a big diffrence between them both?(the 150 and 250) and is it posible to burn coral? its just seems like alot of light for a 30g. but if u think i should get it , then thats what i will get. i like the sps corals too. i really dont want to not be able to have them.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Besides the extra wattage, it will put off a lot of extra heat, burn up a lot more electricity, make the need to buy a larger and more expensive ballast. I think that, unless you want to keep sps corals in the bottom of your tank, you don't need the 250. Keep them in the upper portion of your tank, and you'll be fine with a 150. I think it you go 250, you'll be limited on the other end of the scale...having to worry about what the lower light corals can handle.
Again, that's my opinion. Other's may vary.
Again, that's my opinion. Other's may vary.
Lance M.
Aquarium Advice Addict
You could get a 10,000k 150 watt MH and add some HO or PC actinics to increase the wattage.
But a 14,000k 150 watt MH would be fine.
But a 14,000k 150 watt MH would be fine.
beachbumin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
sand all the way!
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Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
cool thanks for all the imput guys u are all great.
i have agronite sand in my little 24 gallon tank now. its a all in one tank. i dont know what its called but it was a waste of money.lol. so i will take the 20lbs of sand thats in that tank now after my LR is done curing and the cycle finishs. and add another 20lbs to it for a total of 40lbs in the 30g. and call it at that. or should i have a deep sand bed? mabey 4 inchs?
i think the math comes out to be about 90lbs of sand in a 30g to equal 4" sand depth.
i just ordered my Sunpod 150watt light today. it will be here in 7-15days. gives me time to get every thing set up.
i dont want to rush anything. i am shure i will have a few post when i get it how to place my rock and stuff and where to put my light.. and so forth..
thanks again
i have agronite sand in my little 24 gallon tank now. its a all in one tank. i dont know what its called but it was a waste of money.lol.
so i will take the 20lbs of sand thats in that tank now after my LR is done curing and the cycle finishs. and add another 20lbs to it for a total of 40lbs in the 30g. and call it at that. or should i have a deep sand bed? mabey 4 inchs? i think the math comes out to be about 90lbs of sand in a 30g to equal 4" sand depth.
i just ordered my Sunpod 150watt light today. it will be here in 7-15days. gives me time to get every thing set up.
i dont want to rush anything. i am shure i will have a few post when i get it how to place my rock and stuff and where to put my light.. and so forth..
thanks again
Deep Sand Bed is a debatable issue. For as many people that recommend it, you will find just as many that hate it.
I have found that about 2-3" works well for me. I can stir it up a little with each PWC and get at the stuff that is growing on the glass under the sand level, and not have to worry about Sulfides that come up in the anaerobic spots in a deeper sand bed.
Some people even run bare bottom tanks with just rock and no sand.
Just make sure that howeve deep you make your sand be, place you rrock directly on the tank bottom so that you don't get any deadspots under the rock and so that any diggers you might get don't cause a rock slide as they dig under the rocks.
I have found that about 2-3" works well for me. I can stir it up a little with each PWC and get at the stuff that is growing on the glass under the sand level, and not have to worry about Sulfides that come up in the anaerobic spots in a deeper sand bed.
Some people even run bare bottom tanks with just rock and no sand.
Just make sure that howeve deep you make your sand be, place you rrock directly on the tank bottom so that you don't get any deadspots under the rock and so that any diggers you might get don't cause a rock slide as they dig under the rocks.
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
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I would add about half that sand and save the rest for your next tank, and believe me, there will be another tank. LOL!
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Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
cool. well it looks like my cycle is on the back stright now and should be done by this time next week for shure. give or take a few days lol.
so now i have my light coming and my sand depth decided. about 2inchs is what i am going to go for. how long can Live rock be out of water befor stuff dieds off? its going to take time to set the rock on the tank bottom and find a way i like it. then i have to epoxy every thing together and then add my sand. then finaly my premixed airated SW.
plus does any one know how to stack LR in a square fish tank? do i stack it up in the center or work it up like a mountin on the back glass? (wont that push on the glass and brake it?)
and where do i get that paint to paint my tank in the back. and whats it called?
sorry about all the question in this one post but i like to keep every thing in one place i can refer to if needed lol. thanks again for your time
so now i have my light coming and my sand depth decided. about 2inchs is what i am going to go for. how long can Live rock be out of water befor stuff dieds off? its going to take time to set the rock on the tank bottom and find a way i like it. then i have to epoxy every thing together and then add my sand. then finaly my premixed airated SW.
plus does any one know how to stack LR in a square fish tank? do i stack it up in the center or work it up like a mountin on the back glass? (wont that push on the glass and brake it?)
and where do i get that paint to paint my tank in the back. and whats it called?
sorry about all the question in this one post but i like to keep every thing in one place i can refer to if needed lol. thanks again for your time
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think I would do an alcove type arangement with that tank...smaller rocks so you have more flexablity on placement. That could be an awesome little tank! I agree with your purchase of the 150! You will like it and it will do well for that tank! I think I would go a bit deeper on the sand bed though! Before I moved my 72g tank I had rock right up against the back glass and didn't have any problems from it. I've seen tanks at my LFS with rock against the glass and these tanks have been set up for years. I guess it's one of those things...personal choice...also you have to take into account whether you are going to be moving things around in the tank a lot.
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Frogspawn
Aquarium Advice Freak
sweet but whats a alcove? i have 2 great big LR's and a bunch of flat peices and some small peices. i even have some tonga branch. should i epoxy evey thing together?
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