thc444
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello everyone. I’m completely new to the marine aquarium / reef systems. Past experience with Cichlid keeping many years ago.
The setup I’m working on consists of (so far)
75 gallon 48”x18”x22” drilled with one overflow
48 Inch SunDial T5HO 4x54watt with 4 Lunar Lights
Aqueon ProFlex Model 3 sump 1650 GPH.
I’m planning on adding 50lb of base rock and 60lb of live rock.
I have on hand, enough Southdown aragonite sand for a 4+” deep sand bed.
No skimmer heaters or power heads yet.
I’m also planning to use the center section of the sump as a Refugium. with live rock rubble with a DSB or miracle mud.
I’ve read a lot of articles on the setup and cycling of the tank and plan to add live rock and sand at the same time to start the cycle and cure the LR. I’ll also add power heads and heaters when the cycling starts.
The first (of many questions to come) is, should the Refugium be started at the same time the tank is cycled? It seems to me if I use live rock in it, it should cure and cycle with the LR in the display tank, right?
Second, the sump I’m using is setup for a skimmer in its last chamber. I have read that skimming is “the only way to maintain healthy water chemistry” and have also read that skimming “isn’t that important” I tend to believe that skimming would be nothing but beneficial to the system and plan to utilize a skimmer. That being said, wouldn’t a skimmer, placed after the Refugium remove the macroalgae algae, copepods and isopods I’m attempting to cultivate? Also with a skimmer in the same chamber as the return pump is there a risk of pumping micro bubbles into the display tank? Anything I'm missing for a startup? I should add i'm using RO/DI water for this setup.
The setup I’m working on consists of (so far)
75 gallon 48”x18”x22” drilled with one overflow
48 Inch SunDial T5HO 4x54watt with 4 Lunar Lights
Aqueon ProFlex Model 3 sump 1650 GPH.
I’m planning on adding 50lb of base rock and 60lb of live rock.
I have on hand, enough Southdown aragonite sand for a 4+” deep sand bed.
No skimmer heaters or power heads yet.
I’m also planning to use the center section of the sump as a Refugium. with live rock rubble with a DSB or miracle mud.
I’ve read a lot of articles on the setup and cycling of the tank and plan to add live rock and sand at the same time to start the cycle and cure the LR. I’ll also add power heads and heaters when the cycling starts.
The first (of many questions to come) is, should the Refugium be started at the same time the tank is cycled? It seems to me if I use live rock in it, it should cure and cycle with the LR in the display tank, right?
Second, the sump I’m using is setup for a skimmer in its last chamber. I have read that skimming is “the only way to maintain healthy water chemistry” and have also read that skimming “isn’t that important” I tend to believe that skimming would be nothing but beneficial to the system and plan to utilize a skimmer. That being said, wouldn’t a skimmer, placed after the Refugium remove the macroalgae algae, copepods and isopods I’m attempting to cultivate? Also with a skimmer in the same chamber as the return pump is there a risk of pumping micro bubbles into the display tank? Anything I'm missing for a startup? I should add i'm using RO/DI water for this setup.