Hiya! Well I'm off- I have a 55 tank and some lights from CL, my favorite lfs is closing and alas, they had all the coral I used to day dream about. Since I can't rush things, no crying, I will settle for some huge chunks of live rock out of their display tanks and start cycling the beast, hopefully another lfs will meet the demand for central-coast coral-keepers by the time my tank matures.
So the lights were a DIY job by a pretty handy guy to fit his tank: two bulbs on separate ballasts(has two switches) one is a Coralife 20,000K F30-T12-BP and the other is a PowerGlo 89.46cm 30W, both 36" long.
My questions are:
1) are these lights capable of keeping any types of coral(soft or whatever!) or do I need to plan a FOWLR only?
2) can and should I run a hang on back skimmer? Which one is a nice deal online? I like the "sea clone 100" for $90 so far
3) I am thinking of a hang on back refugium with an aquaclear filter or two running on either side of the tank or one in fuge, one in the tank. I want to avoid a canister filter but the top of the tank is enclosed except for a tiny gap and two holes, so maybe I'm S. Outta Luck. I'm a visual person and out of sight means I will never remember to clean a canister. My other tanks are spotless because I use internal filters despite how ugly and bulky they are.
The space for a HOB aquaclear is only 1 3/4" wide by 16 1/2" long, and it is set in 3/4" from the rear tank wall. I'm going to buy one locally today and see if it can happen. Otherwise the HOB refugium I was going to order from Drs. Foster & Smith measures 4 1/2" deep, 25" long and 12" tall. $185.. Comes with a power head and baffle system. I will add light of some kind.
Any obvious problems with the setup I have planned? My stock will be very minimal and I tend to under stock my tanks in general. Maybe some chomis to start. Eventually I might like to add a blenny or pair of fire fish. I love the idea of a single lionfish but I want to let my husband choose the main inhabitants so we shall see what appeals to him. He likes the above fish we have agreed would work out. Puffers always are massively appealing but I think I want to do a fresh tank of pea puffers and ADF frogs one day rather than any salt water puffers who seem intolerant of tank mates.
4) should I buy the CaribSea A.R.K. Refugium kit? $60 for 40lbs arag-alive sand, 10lbs calcium carbonate rubble, 5lbs mineral mud, some Aquabiotic bacteria booster(eh usually toss these) and the ever useful large bucket. I bet the sand would be enough for the tank floor too! Is is any better/worse than Aragamax sand? I like the whitish sand best, maybe just pool sand will do?
So the lights were a DIY job by a pretty handy guy to fit his tank: two bulbs on separate ballasts(has two switches) one is a Coralife 20,000K F30-T12-BP and the other is a PowerGlo 89.46cm 30W, both 36" long.
My questions are:
1) are these lights capable of keeping any types of coral(soft or whatever!) or do I need to plan a FOWLR only?
2) can and should I run a hang on back skimmer? Which one is a nice deal online? I like the "sea clone 100" for $90 so far
3) I am thinking of a hang on back refugium with an aquaclear filter or two running on either side of the tank or one in fuge, one in the tank. I want to avoid a canister filter but the top of the tank is enclosed except for a tiny gap and two holes, so maybe I'm S. Outta Luck. I'm a visual person and out of sight means I will never remember to clean a canister. My other tanks are spotless because I use internal filters despite how ugly and bulky they are.
The space for a HOB aquaclear is only 1 3/4" wide by 16 1/2" long, and it is set in 3/4" from the rear tank wall. I'm going to buy one locally today and see if it can happen. Otherwise the HOB refugium I was going to order from Drs. Foster & Smith measures 4 1/2" deep, 25" long and 12" tall. $185.. Comes with a power head and baffle system. I will add light of some kind.
Any obvious problems with the setup I have planned? My stock will be very minimal and I tend to under stock my tanks in general. Maybe some chomis to start. Eventually I might like to add a blenny or pair of fire fish. I love the idea of a single lionfish but I want to let my husband choose the main inhabitants so we shall see what appeals to him. He likes the above fish we have agreed would work out. Puffers always are massively appealing but I think I want to do a fresh tank of pea puffers and ADF frogs one day rather than any salt water puffers who seem intolerant of tank mates.
4) should I buy the CaribSea A.R.K. Refugium kit? $60 for 40lbs arag-alive sand, 10lbs calcium carbonate rubble, 5lbs mineral mud, some Aquabiotic bacteria booster(eh usually toss these) and the ever useful large bucket. I bet the sand would be enough for the tank floor too! Is is any better/worse than Aragamax sand? I like the whitish sand best, maybe just pool sand will do?