mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
So, I thought I'd be cool and try a SW tank a while back. I hated it. I tried a 10g FOWLR, which was both boring, and had lots of hitchhikers that I didn't enjoy. I've been contemplating starting up another one, doing it right this time. After thinking it over pretty well, I've decided to start the planning stages. I'm envisioning this tank starting around the first of the year. I've got the tank and stand already, and potentially a few other items.
I'm going to be using one of my 40 breeders. I love the tanks... they're the perfect size for everything it seems. I already know that I don't want to start with live rock. Nothing is going to change my mind on that. I'm going to start with 100lbs of dry rock, either marco rocks or some from reefcleaners. I also know that I'll be using aragonite sand. My plan is for a full blown reef. For the first few months, I'm not going to mess with RO/DI or anything of the sort. I'm going to start off with a pair of clowns, and probably stick with that for the first few months. I want to get the tank established before I start spending money on corals and such. I also want to get my head wrapped around the whole setup. I figure I won't be out much cash if something happens that way. Once I get a good grasp on how things work, I'll move on in to reef.
The way I was figuring, three Koralia 750's would be sufficient for flow. Not sure on a skimmer yet. I keep reading conflicting info. Some say that tanks under 30 gallons don't need one, some say under 55... some say every tank needs one. I guess that maintenance has a role in that somewhere? Anyhoo, if needed, I'd want a HOB skimmer, as I don't have plans to drill this tank... and I dont trust HOB overflows. I had originally thought about maybe putting one of the 20 longs that is sitting in my closet under it as a sump, but after deciding that this will be at the top of the stairs, I'm not going to fool with it.
I've got the lighting... I think. Is 4x39w T5HO over a shallow 40 breeder sufficient for most corals? I've been looking at 6x and 8x fixtures, but with the 16" depth of this tank, I'm thinking that would be a little overkill?
I've read through the SW forums here since joining. Once I decided that SW wasn't for me after the whole 10g incident, I realized that maybe I was just attempting it wrong and should try again. I did the same with plants. Went all out and can't imagine a FW tank without them now.
I know I left a lot of info out... like the fact that I plan on using a refractometer over a hydrometer, cycling, etc... but that's not really the intent of this thread. It's more probing on opinions about the plan I've got, thoughts on lighting, things of that nature.
I'm going to be using one of my 40 breeders. I love the tanks... they're the perfect size for everything it seems. I already know that I don't want to start with live rock. Nothing is going to change my mind on that. I'm going to start with 100lbs of dry rock, either marco rocks or some from reefcleaners. I also know that I'll be using aragonite sand. My plan is for a full blown reef. For the first few months, I'm not going to mess with RO/DI or anything of the sort. I'm going to start off with a pair of clowns, and probably stick with that for the first few months. I want to get the tank established before I start spending money on corals and such. I also want to get my head wrapped around the whole setup. I figure I won't be out much cash if something happens that way. Once I get a good grasp on how things work, I'll move on in to reef.
The way I was figuring, three Koralia 750's would be sufficient for flow. Not sure on a skimmer yet. I keep reading conflicting info. Some say that tanks under 30 gallons don't need one, some say under 55... some say every tank needs one. I guess that maintenance has a role in that somewhere? Anyhoo, if needed, I'd want a HOB skimmer, as I don't have plans to drill this tank... and I dont trust HOB overflows. I had originally thought about maybe putting one of the 20 longs that is sitting in my closet under it as a sump, but after deciding that this will be at the top of the stairs, I'm not going to fool with it.
I've got the lighting... I think. Is 4x39w T5HO over a shallow 40 breeder sufficient for most corals? I've been looking at 6x and 8x fixtures, but with the 16" depth of this tank, I'm thinking that would be a little overkill?
I've read through the SW forums here since joining. Once I decided that SW wasn't for me after the whole 10g incident, I realized that maybe I was just attempting it wrong and should try again. I did the same with plants. Went all out and can't imagine a FW tank without them now.
I know I left a lot of info out... like the fact that I plan on using a refractometer over a hydrometer, cycling, etc... but that's not really the intent of this thread. It's more probing on opinions about the plan I've got, thoughts on lighting, things of that nature.