Drak
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi everyone,
I am starting out buiding my first Saltwarer tank and your advice is needed before I start.
Some background about me.
I am 44 years young and I have done a lot of scuba diving which has always made me interested in getting a saltwater reef Aquarium and finally this year I am diving in. I am close to completion of the equipment gathering stage.
I have never done this before and have very little experience except for a small 10 gal goldfish tank that I have had for a couple of years.
My goal is to setup a mixed fish / reef tank that can hopefully sustain SPS & LPS and Fish. I want the hardware and reef life to be esthetically pleasing to the eye inside and out. However at the same time I don’t want to break the bank so finding the right balance has been hard in some areas.
I have been doing research and equipment gathering for about 6 weeks now and have accumulated the following kit: Any comments on what I need or concerns with the equipment would be appreciated as I am ready to start plumbing this weekend.
60 Gal Reef Ready Perfecto Glass Tank with Black Trim 48 x12x24 (Corner Overflow). I would prefer a 75 but that decision point is past.
Marineland Majesty Stand – Black
ESHOPPS RS-75 Sump
Reef Octopus NW-110 sump skimmer
Mag Drive 7 return Pump 750 GPH
1 x Koralia 600GPH Magnetic Power Head. I want 2 x vortech MP10 but they are ridiculously over priced) Once I start to populate the system I will look at a 2nd unit.
Fluval E200 Heater up to 60 Gal (Would a 300W be better ? )
60 Pounds of BRS Reef Saver Dry Aquarium Live Rock
60 Pounds of Fiji Pink Arag-Alive! Sand
90 Gal of Salt mix by Oceanic
RO System (Had one already for house water)
32 Gal Rubermaid Trash Can for RO water
API Salt Water Master Test Kit –. What else do I need from testing perspective?
H2 Ocean Refractometer by the aquarium solutions
Assortment of PVC and Vinyl tubing and plumbing parts from Lowes
Deep Blue Reef Ready Plumbing Kit( Waiting for UPS)
Still Need / thinking about getting
Lighting – Tough area - Some great systems out there but LED’s are so overpriced. I think the Maxspect R420R 160W 16,000K is an amazingly good looking system with solid functionality at a reasonable price unlike other vendors. Even comes with suspension hardware or tank rails in the box which is a big plus and cost saver. Thoughts?
Tank Background color Black or Blue ?
ATO System – Need to Research if I need this
Reactor(s) - Need to Research if need this
Refugium – Maybe later
QT Tank Setup
I am starting out buiding my first Saltwarer tank and your advice is needed before I start.
Some background about me.
I am 44 years young and I have done a lot of scuba diving which has always made me interested in getting a saltwater reef Aquarium and finally this year I am diving in. I am close to completion of the equipment gathering stage.
I have never done this before and have very little experience except for a small 10 gal goldfish tank that I have had for a couple of years.
My goal is to setup a mixed fish / reef tank that can hopefully sustain SPS & LPS and Fish. I want the hardware and reef life to be esthetically pleasing to the eye inside and out. However at the same time I don’t want to break the bank so finding the right balance has been hard in some areas.
I have been doing research and equipment gathering for about 6 weeks now and have accumulated the following kit: Any comments on what I need or concerns with the equipment would be appreciated as I am ready to start plumbing this weekend.
60 Gal Reef Ready Perfecto Glass Tank with Black Trim 48 x12x24 (Corner Overflow). I would prefer a 75 but that decision point is past.
Marineland Majesty Stand – Black
ESHOPPS RS-75 Sump
Reef Octopus NW-110 sump skimmer
Mag Drive 7 return Pump 750 GPH
1 x Koralia 600GPH Magnetic Power Head. I want 2 x vortech MP10 but they are ridiculously over priced) Once I start to populate the system I will look at a 2nd unit.
Fluval E200 Heater up to 60 Gal (Would a 300W be better ? )
60 Pounds of BRS Reef Saver Dry Aquarium Live Rock
60 Pounds of Fiji Pink Arag-Alive! Sand
90 Gal of Salt mix by Oceanic
RO System (Had one already for house water)
32 Gal Rubermaid Trash Can for RO water
API Salt Water Master Test Kit –. What else do I need from testing perspective?
H2 Ocean Refractometer by the aquarium solutions
Assortment of PVC and Vinyl tubing and plumbing parts from Lowes
Deep Blue Reef Ready Plumbing Kit( Waiting for UPS)
Still Need / thinking about getting
Lighting – Tough area - Some great systems out there but LED’s are so overpriced. I think the Maxspect R420R 160W 16,000K is an amazingly good looking system with solid functionality at a reasonable price unlike other vendors. Even comes with suspension hardware or tank rails in the box which is a big plus and cost saver. Thoughts?
Tank Background color Black or Blue ?
ATO System – Need to Research if I need this
Reactor(s) - Need to Research if need this
Refugium – Maybe later
QT Tank Setup