best aquarium/tank set up.

[potato5656]

In your opinion what is the best set up for a whole salt water live rock only aquarium? Within a week or two my father is going to purchase one and was wondering what would be best for a 50-100 gallon tank. by best i mean in terms of upkeep, i would like as little upkeep as possible. my father had an 8-foot tank (230 gallon i think) full of docile fish, 100 gallon for triggers (killer tank), and a 50 gallon full of calm fish back in pennsylvania about 7 years ago and now wants to get back into the hobby with me, his son. He was wondering what kind of improvments have been made of the past years and what the state of the art is. any help would be greatly appreciated. tia

 

[cmor1701d]

Welcome to AA.

First thing you should know about this site is that when you a word or acronym, a definition will appear if you let your mouse pointer hover on the word.

This is a friendly with lots of great advice from the advisors, although no one here has tried every product on the market or knows everything there is to know. They know what works for them, what has failed and can help guide you in the right direction.

You are sure to get so many varied opinions that your head will spin. There is no BEST! There are many different combinations depending on your goals.
You say you want FOWLR now, but are you sure you won't be going reef within a year? I'm headed in that direction my self now.

Read the articles on this forum. Get some of the books from the recommended reading list.
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta
are two good books to start with.

Start by creating a plan of what you would like in your tank.
Post that here and ask for comments and advice.
Some basics:
Get the largest tank you can afford to start with. Get a reef ready (pre-drilled tank)
Plan on a large sump from the beginning.
Don't forget to also get a QT tank with everything it needs.
Decide if you want a DSB in the tank or some other substrate.
Get quality items to begin with. It's easier and cheaper than buying something 2 or 3 times.

I'm sure others will pop up with detailed lists.

Good luck with your research (yes, school never ends ).

 

[potato5656]

thanks cmor1701d. So there is no one brand in particular that is regarded as the rolls-royce of the fish world? (when it comes to tanks, filters, skimmers etc.)

I heard Jeebo is TERRIBLE and to steer clear of them from a fish store in town that no longer carried them due to major problems with the line. is this true?

One other quick thing, what is the state of the art technology involved in aquariums nowdays? if any.

I don't think i will be getting into reef because within a year or two i will be moving off to college and my dad will tend to the tank. Reef seems like too much money and time for me, although i will probably lean towards it after the FOwLR wears off and i want new, bigger and better things. hopefully it won't end up that way because i wont be able to afford it.

 

[cmor1701d]

There are too many suppliers for one to dominate. Oceanic may be the cadillac of tanks, while filtration tends to be a DSB with lots of LR, though where to put a DSB (tank or fuge) is a matter of discussion these days.
Bare bottom tanks, shallow sand beds and even cc are seeing a resurgence too. You'll see proponents for each of these. I still believe that a DSB is the way to go. My tank is only a year old so I should have 3-5 years before OTS sets in, if then. I'm still waiting to see more data and research on the subject. I hope that the issue will be resolved or testing will be available in the next few years.

Skimmers depend on what size tank you're getting. There are several at the top end. As for heaters, I think the general consensus would be WON Pro Heat II.

Rio pumps are frowned on as garbage by most folks. Mag are considered good for in tank. Iwaki, little giant, and blue line for exterior pumps. I'm sure there are others.

As for PH, MaxiJets and Hagen get very high marks.

Lighting... the sky's the limit though for a FOWLR you don't need that much. CSL Or the Coralife Aqualight are good. If you want the best, well you can spend as much on lighting as on all else combined

Perhaps Aaron, Kevin, Steve or some others will chime in with some suggestions.

 

[potato5656]

Thanks again cmor1701d. My dad and i must put down one more support beam in the living room and then were ready! Our old tanks were on concrete slabs there were sturdy. it got me to thinking if a "buffer" type zone in between the tank and stand should be built in the case of an earthquake (although rare we still get a little shaking everynow and then.) Anyone else do this?


Aaron, Kevin, Steve or some others will chime in with some suggestions. DO IT!