Starting a new tank

[Evansimp]

To me, a perfect startup tank is this ...

20 gallon tank (long or standard)
HOB filter
1-2 hydor koralia nanos 240 gph
Heater
Lights (depends on fowlr or reef)
Live sand
Live rock

Pair of clowns
CUC (can include starfish. I recommend sand sifting starfish)

This is a basic setup that will be great for a beginner. Get a decent t5 or led setup and you can start adding coral. Don't worry about breeding as this will happen on it's own naturally If the clownfish decided to mate.

Try not to over complicate it. A pair of clowns is simple to keep!

As for mixing salt, there's different ways of doing it. For stating out, I'd fill the tank with RO water and then turn on filter and power heads and start adding salt according to directions!

Hope this helps

 

[skmackley]

thank you very much! i am going to do that! RO water? we have Tap Water? its ok because we can drink it

 

[Evansimp]

thank you very much! i am going to do that! RO water? we have Tap Water? its ok because we can drink it

Its reverse osmosis. I don't know all the science behind it, someone else can chime in.

Tap water will cause a lot of algae. So I highly recommend ro. Most lfs sell it. Or you can go to the water machines outside Ralph's, Von's etc

 

[skmackley]

Its reverse osmosis. I don't know all the science behind it, someone else can chime in.

Tap water will cause a lot of algae. So I highly recommend ro. Most lfs sell it. Or you can go to the water machines outside Ralph's, Von's etc

So Get a tank full of Tap Water treated with RO? because there is not enough RO to fill a 20 gallon tank?

 

[Evansimp]

So Get a tank full of Tap Water treated with RO? because there is not enough RO to fill a 20 gallon tank?

Tap water can't be treated with RO . You can buy an ro system that can be connected to your water and make tap to RO, but there's no liquid or anything like that to add to a tank. I suggest buying 5 gallon water jugs at Walmart and filling those up from a lfs or water machine.

Or you can buy an ro system that ranges from 100-200$ normally.

RO water is also distiller water. So you will commonly see RODI system!

 

[skmackley]

wow i am confused thought you do tap water and add de-chlorinator and other chemical removers and then add required amount of salt and powerheads and HOB on, yunno?!!

 

[cmwalters]

I am a freshwater guy, but maybe I can chime in and put it in a way thats easy to understand. Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong or add anything I missed. I am always open to learn something new.

Water from the tap contains many dissolved solids. This can include phosphates, various minerals, etc. When water evaporates, it does not take those solids with it, so when you add more tap water you are adding more of those solids. These solids can build up and cause imbalances in your water; some types of algae feed on these dissolved solids. These imbalances are also not good for corals. A RO/DI unit (reverse osmosis, de-ionizing) takes your tap water and removes all of these solids to produce pure water. This essentially takes away the food that certain types of algae need to survive. This will provide a more stable tank.

 

[Dav3]

Tap and chemical removers are fine for fresh water but for saltwater you want to start with absolutely pure RODI (reverse osmosis de-ionized) water and then add salt. Tap water contains impurities that chemical removers can't remove that will harm corals and other livestock in a saltwater aquarium. In addition tap water often contains contaminates that will cause excess algae.

You will want water that has gone through a RODI filter system. Most LFS sell this kind of water($.25/gal around here) or you can buy your own filter system as stated before.

I wouldn't trust the water from grocery water dispensers unless you test it with a TDS meter. No way to know if they keep up with filter changes and if it is just RO or RODI without testing.

 

[skmackley]

right ok so RODI water, is water with removed chemicals? i dont have a LFS nearest reliable one is 30 miles or 48 miles.

 

[Dav3]

RODI water is filtered water where everything like metals, chlorine, nitrates, etc... Have been removed. Since nearest LFS is so far away you should consider investing in a RODI unit from Bulk reef supply. You should contact your water quality control board and find out if there are chloramines in your water. If so you will need an additional add-on filter to the rodi.

Let me be clear. RODI water is filtered with a special RODI filter system and not like everyday household water filters.

 

[skmackley]

understood

 

[skmackley]

To me, a perfect startup tank is this ...

20 gallon tank (long or standard)
HOB filter
1-2 hydor koralia nanos 240 gph
Heater
Lights (depends on fowlr or reef)
Live sand
Live rock

Pair of clowns
CUC (can include starfish. I recommend sand sifting starfish)

This is a basic setup that will be great for a beginner. Get a decent t5 or led setup and you can start adding coral. Don't worry about breeding as this will happen on it's own naturally If the clownfish decided to mate.

Try not to over complicate it. A pair of clowns is simple to keep!

As for mixing salt, there's different ways of doing it. For stating out, I'd fill the tank with RO water and then turn on filter and power heads and start adding salt according to directions!

Hope this helps

so i just did research on the sand sifting starfish and everyone says don't get them they need a big supply of sand that we're not capable of handling, and they will destroy live sand and a waste of money.

 

[Evansimp]

so i just did research on the sand sifting starfish and everyone says don't get them they need a big supply of sand that we're not capable of handling, and they will destroy live sand and a waste of money.

I've had mine for like 6 months with no problem! But to each there own haha! there's a ton of starfish out there!

 

[bribo12]

I've had mine for like 6 months with no problem! But to each there own haha! there's a ton of starfish out there!

They can starve pretty slowly once they decimate a sandbed. It can take several months just for them to die once they run out of food. I like serpent stars as they are by far the hardiest and easiest to care for.

 

[skmackley]

They can starve pretty slowly once they decimate a sandbed. It can take several months just for them to die once they run out of food. I like serpent stars as they are by far the hardiest and easiest to care for.

oh right! WOW! but i dont like the look of them

 

[bribo12]

Most starfish species other than serpent, brittle or chocolate chip stars just don't survive long and are not good for beginners. I'd look into one of those 3 if you want a starfish. Oh also chocolate chips aren't reef safe.

 

[skmackley]

Most starfish species other than serpent, brittle or chocolate chip stars just don't survive long and are not good for beginners. I'd look into one of those 3 if you want a starfish. Oh also chocolate chips aren't reef safe.

so what is safe for chocolate chips? brittle or very sensitive and quite hard :/ serpent i don't like, what about the little red starfish

 

[bribo12]

so what is safe for chocolate chips? brittle or very sensitive and quite hard :/ serpent i don't like, what about the little red starfish

Brittle are easy. Chocolate chips will eat coral and by little red starfish I assume you mean fromia stars which I wouldn't reccomend for a beginner. They need a long, slow acclimation period, a very established tank and no parameter swings. It is also not well known exactly what they eat. I'd stay away until you have a lot more experience.