Need advice on new tank set up and maintenance

[jolieinc]

Hello group. We are getting ready to purchase a saltwater reef tank and need advice.

We are going with a 72" long tank either 125 or 180 gallons. I am in the pond business so I have some general knowledge although I want to make sure that we buy the right equipment the first time and not just what the sales person says we need.

I have seen maintenance costs to have someone come out and I want to make sure that I can do it my self to avoid the costs weekly or monthly. I have heard about pieces of equipment that will cut down on water changes and filters that do not need to be cleaned often also is a UVC a bad thing or a good thing with corals? I have spoken to a few of the stores that we sell to and I get mixed advice.

Are there electronic devices to keep the testing and administering of chemicals under control?


All advice is welcome and I appreciate the assistance in advance.


Allen
[/url]

 

[alrmc4]

hello you are already doing the best thing possible the best info you can get is right here you are best to listen to the people here and make your fish store choice based on what you learn hear here wish i had done that thousand of dollars later i am finally redoing things the proper way. for a reef tank i think water changes should be done at the least every other week every week is best however it is not hard to do when my husband is busy i do ours alone. so much can be learned by reading some of the old posts on deep sand beds, sumps, and lighting also ro water is highly recommended if you will have corals...happy reading and just ask....it is a very helpful crew here.

 

[fishfreek]

I dont put much faith in the supposed equipment that reduces or removes the need for water change.

I prefer to use as little equipment as possible. Using a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) and Live Rock (LR) as the main biological filter and add a protein skimmer to the system as a way to help remove disolved proteins from the water. A DSB and using LR of approx 1 to 1.5lbs per gal will give you much more suface area for your bio filter to reside than any man made product.

What is UVC ?

 

[loganj]

What is UVC ?

My guess is a UV sterilizer.
I would suggest reading "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner before you set up the tank. It has lots of info that will help you out. I agree with fishfreek about the gadgets and gimmicks. LR, DSB, and a good skimmer will handle your filtration. Some folks don't use a skimmer. I do. I think it gives you a safety buffer when you're getting started. You can make the tank as automated as you want to...depends on what you're willing to spend. There are controllers that will monitor many of the levels in the tank. There are eletronic probes for pH, salinity, ect... Be warned that they require maintenance and calibration though.
Can you tell us more about what your goals are for this tank? What kind of corals do you want to keep? What kind of fish? Once we know more about what you want to do, we can make equipment recommendations that will be specific to your needs.