My fowlr - to reef

[Glen-cowling]

Hello everyone I've been following everyones posts for a few months trying to learn a few things about this great hobby of ours. I have had a fowlr for a year now and I feel ready for the big step to create a great reef like many of you guys have . Anyway this is what I have got so far I think it's a 100 gal with a dry wet sump with bio balls need some advice with the bio balls been reading some bad things about nitrate . I have a reef octopus protein skimmer which I still haven't managed to get to work properly no matter how much I adjust it . T5 lighting x4 80w 2 White 2 blue it's made by aqua world  any advice would be great xx

 

[Glen-cowling]

Some more pics

 

[Glen-cowling]

More pics sorry bit excited 

 

[carey]

Looks fabulous! Can't wait to see it full of colorful corals!

 

[Glen-cowling]

Thankyou it's going to take a while but it's well worth the wait

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Looks good! What all is in there for fish?? Do you only have the one powerhead? Might want to consider getting another if so, don't want any dead spots.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Nice tank, would look great with coral! Have you thought of adding a starfish? I had a blue one and he was always out and about, very colorful and funny when he "hugged" something.

 

[Glen-cowling]

Looks good! What all is in there for fish?? Do you only have the one powerhead? Might want to consider getting another if so, don't want any dead spots.

I've been looking at seio prop 1000 x2 just not sure what to get I had 2 up to last week but one gave up 

 

[Glen-cowling]

Nice tank, would look great with coral! Have you thought of adding a starfish? I had a blue one and he was always out and about, very colorful and funny when he "hugged" something.

Yeah a star fish sounds good a bit of research me thinks

 

[Bettababe1011]

This looks great. I'm making the plunge into reef as well. Except I only have fw as of now. Lol. Cam wait to see what this becomes!

 

[Glen-cowling]

This looks great. I'm making the plunge into reef as well. Except I only have fw as of now. Lol. Cam wait to see what this becomes!

Thankyou I had fw tank for years they are great I just got fed up going to the store and seeing all those marine fish I couldn't have lol

 

[Bettababe1011]

Thankyou I had fw tank for years they are great I just got fed up going to the store and seeing all those marine fish I couldn't have lol

Lol. That's not my problem. I just saw all those pretty pictures...

I have to order everything. I don't have marine fish stores in my area.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Yeah a star fish sounds good a bit of research me thinks

Most definitely tons of research!

 

[Glen-cowling]

Most definitely tons of research!

Yes definitely from what I understand brittle stars are easier fromia ( orange) and linkia ( blue) are harder but I do have a lot of rock and I think the main problem with them is starving as long as it is acclimatised properly i think a linkia will be ok I have read they need about 4 hours acclimatisation by drip method 

 

[kurtyboh]

Most people just say they need to acclimate for but not you; you conjugate and come up winning!

For real though you're going to want to get your skimmer straightened out before you add corals, they're more sensitive to everything. It is because of this you should have am established tank (check), no amm, trite, and low trate. Do you use a sump or is your equip hob?

 

[Glen-cowling]

Yeah the skimmers breaking me I'm off work this week so I can adjust to my hearts content everything is in my sump test water every other day amm o nitrite 0 trate <5 my trate test only goes down to this but I will go and get a reef test kit I'm doin 10 g water changes once a week from the same lfs I buy everything from so they use same water seems to be working ok so far touch wood 

 

[kurtyboh]

Yeah if you can add some cheato in your sump itll help control trates

 

[Glen-cowling]

Yeah if you can add some cheato in your sump itll help control trates

Ok cheers I have no light on the sump at the moment can you use any light or only certain kinds 

 

[Tomchong22]

U want to get a cfl at 6500k. They run about $10 at menards.

 

[Glen-cowling]

U want to get a cfl at 6500k. They run about $10 at menards.

Ok thanks I live in the uk so I will look a round on eBay for a cfl