Water temperature question.

[pwilk20]

Hi, I have successful set up a beautiful fresh water aquarium. I would like to take the next step into salt water . I only have room for a 38 gal. tank. I am worried that my room is a bit too hot for a reef tank .
The salesman at my lfs told me that the temp. should not exceed 77 F. Is that true? Do I have to buy a chiller?

Also, I plan on having the AquaC Remora protein skimmer + live rock for filtration. Do I need any additional filters? If so, what do you guys/gals think of the Ehim Wet/Dry?

Thanks,

Paul.

 

[loganj]

The salesman doesn't know what he's talking about. Very few of us on here keep our tanks that cool. Mine stay at about 80* and creep up to 82* during the summer. Some folks keep their tanks at 84* all the time. Remember, the fish and corals are from tropical waters and are used to warm water. The only thing you'll need to monitor is how much heat your lights and pumps add to the tank during the course of the day. Once you have that balanced out, everything should be fine. I very much doubt you'll need a chiller.
The Aqua C Remora should do a great job on a 38 gal tank. I would get it with the Maxi Jet pump and I'd recommend adding a surface skimmer to it. That will not only increase the efficiency of the skimmer, but will help with microbubbles being returned to the tank.
Assuming you'll have at least 1.5lbs per gallon of LR (2 lbs per gal would be better), you won't need any other filtration. A wet/dry is certainly a valid option for a SW tank, but you really don't want one on a reef because there are natural ways to handle the biological filtration. These are usually used on FO setups where there is no LR or on FOWLR tanks that house fish that are heavy waste producers. If you'll go with a DSB when you set up the tank, you'll not only increase the diversity of life in the tank, but you'll also have a natural way to get rid of those pesky nitrates. I would take the money I would have spent on a wet/dry and invest in several powerheads and a wavemaker. This will help you create a more natural reef like environment for your animals.

 

[pwilk20]

Wow! Thanks for the rapid response!

Looks like it`s a green light for me . I`ll take your advice - no wet/dry for my reef. Will have 50-60 lbs of LR and 4-6" of sand.

Question - which is best suited for my 38 gallon? 2x55W, 2x65W, or 2x96W compact flouresents.

Thanks,

Paul.

 

[Bearfan]

Paul-

I love my moon-lite fixture I got. Assuming your 38 gal is 36x12x20, go with a fixture like THIS. Go with the 2x96.

 

[biotoxin]

hahahaha 77 degrees. Id be worried if my tank got that cold. No, he's not correct (right on par for most lfs employees) i keep mine at 80 and 81 at the most. I wouldnt go under 79 for a salt tank, altho some do, i wouldnt. Also, remember to take any advice from a LFS with a grain of salt. Ask here and get the info from people that actually HAVE tanks, not from people that just go to work for a paycheck.

 

[loganj]

2x96 would be best if it's a 36" tank...have to agree with Bearfan on the fixture as well. I don't think you could go wrong with the light he suggested.

 

[pwilk20]

Hi, thanks for everyone`s help.

Some more questions...

I have freed up some space in my room, now I can house a 65 gal tank .

The tank is 25" tall, adding DSB will give me approx. 20" of water height. Will 2x96W be ok? or must I go with 3x96W? I would like to use 2x96W because of the cost.

Are titanium heaters preferred over others? Why?

Paul.