New 70g

[Jk83lfcn]

Hi all I'm new to the site and looking for some advice on starting my new 70g saltwater tank any help would be great! I live in Ireland so not so easy to get my hands on all the equipment but I'm slowly getting there.

I have the tank but I have no room for a sump so I have ordered a Reef Octopus 1000 hang on the back skimmer and I also have a Fluvel 305 external filter, I have about 25 kg of live rock ordered also I know I'll prob need more in time but this is just to get me started, do I need much more to get started?? Any help would be great thanks!

 

[danbstrong]

Hi all I'm new to the site and looking for some advice on starting my new 70g saltwater tank any help would be great! I live in Ireland so not so easy to get my hands on all the equipment but I'm slowly getting there.

I have the tank but I have no room for a sump so I have ordered a Reef Octopus 1000 hang on the back skimmer and I also have a Fluvel 305 external filter, I have about 25 kg of live rock ordered also I know I'll prob need more in time but this is just to get me started, do I need much more to get started?? Any help would be great thanks!

I highly reccommend a refugium of some sort to export excess nutrients or maybe a nitrate reactor
reefoctopus imo is a great skimmer you need good flow so you need powerheads fish only flow is 20-30 times water volume reef is 30-50 times volume possibly a heater if you room temp fluctuates alot light depend on what your puttin in tank stronger lighting for coral

 

[Jk83lfcn]

I highly reccommend a refugium of some sort to export excess nutrients or maybe a nitrate reactor
reefoctopus imo is a great skimmer you need good flow so you need powerheads fish only flow is 20-30 times water volume reef is 30-50 times volume possibly a heater if you room temp fluctuates alot light depend on what your puttin in tank stronger lighting for coral

Cheers, I have power heads and heaters I must get 2 T5 bulbs for the tank it has just the standard light set up do you think it would be strong enough with the two T5's as I would like to ad some coral down the road?? As for the nitrate reactor could I use something like pictured below with the proper midia in it?? I have little knowledge about this.

 

[crister13]

A 2 bulb wouldn't support anything besides possibly zoas and shrooms. I would get a radion or 2 if you can afford it. If not, I would get taotronic dimmable LEDs. You would need 2 and they're $180 a piece. That will work for a nitrate reactor just make sure the flow through it is extremely slow ( like 4 drops a second). Glad you're getting everything and researching before you go out and buy fish!!!

 

[danbstrong]

Cheers, I have power heads and heaters I must get 2 T5 bulbs for the tank it has just the standard light set up do you think it would be strong enough with the two T5's as I would like to ad some coral down the road?? As for the nitrate reactor could I use something like pictured below with the proper midia in it?? I have little knowledge about this.

Not sure if thet would work or not since no fuge what i would do is get 2 phosban 150 reactors run one biopellets and one gfo

 

[Jk83lfcn]

Thanks for the help, not really sure what lights to get so don't know enough about them, also I'm wondering is the contents of my external filter correct for a saltwater set up??

 

[Jk83lfcn]

Could I start off with just the standard light set up with two T5 tubes and eventually upgrade before I am putting coral in the tank?

 

[danbstrong]

Could I start off with just the standard light set up with two T5 tubes and eventually upgrade before I am putting coral in the tank?

I would think so you might even be ok with some soft coral not really sure tho

 

[Beengirl]

Could I start off with just the standard light set up with two T5 tubes and eventually upgrade before I am putting coral in the tank?

If you're not going to have coral at first and you already have the light, you can use it. Any light at all is ok for FOWLR-you don't even have to have one actually for just fish and rocks. But if you haven't bought it yet, then you should just buy one good for coral so that you're not paying twice. I have a Fluval 406 for my tank, and I love it. The water is very clean and clear. I do also have a skimmer. Thats the right medium. There should also be some carbon bags in there. I switched my carbon out recently and now have chemipure instead of the Fluval carbon, but that can be done at any time when you clean the filter. I do PWC every week and rinse out everything and alternate replacing parts of the media like polishing pads, long foam, etc.

 

[Jk83lfcn]

Thanks for the help, I have just two standard daylight tubes in at the moment would the be ok for the moment until I am putting coral? The fluval 305 has the carbon bags in it also.

 

[crister13]

Yes. As stated you can run a FOWLR with little to no light at all. Just switch BEFORE you get coral.

 

[Jk83lfcn]

Yes. As stated you can run a FOWLR with little to no light at all. Just switch BEFORE you get coral.

Ok cool, I'm pretty much ready to cycle my tank so I think? Thanks for the help again all it's good to have somewhere like this to get advice as its very hard to get info on things like this in Ireland :-(

 

[crister13]

Yu. Just make sure the bacteria also colonize on the rock you get which they will..... In just paranoid about cycles lol. Keep us updates!!!!!!

 

[Jk83lfcn]

lol No problem Crister13 I will cheers!

 

[Beengirl]

Ok cool, I'm pretty much ready to cycle my tank so I think? Thanks for the help again all it's good to have somewhere like this to get advice as its very hard to get info on things like this in Ireland :-(

Yea!! Set it up, drop in a raw shrimp and start the cycle!! While you're waiting for the cycle to complete is the perfect time to research mire and hone your fish list down. Good luck!!

 

[Jk83lfcn]

Yea!! Set it up, drop in a raw shrimp and start the cycle!! While you're waiting for the cycle to complete is the perfect time to research mire and hone your fish list down. Good luck!!

What does the raw shrimp do for the tank? :-/ also what kind of fish work well together I don't know alot about them but I know you can't just put in any fish, I would like clown fish and some tangs any other suggestions would be great also how many fish would be good in this size tank?

 

[Beengirl]

The raw Shrimp will decay and be a continuous source of ammonia for the bacteria that you need to grow in your tank before you add fish. You should research fish tank cycling before you get going. If I was better at the stuff, I'd be able to give you a link to it, but I suck at tech. Lol. So, google tank cycling and read up on the nitrogen cycle. No more than 2 clowns in the tank or they'll Fight. Most tang need a bigger tank than you have to be happy. There are some bristletooth tangs that would be ok In a 70g tank though, so research those. Best thing you can do is do a lot of research on the fish you're interested in. Go to liveaquaria.com and look up fish, that site tells you their temperament, size tank they need and there's also a compatibility chart on there. Lots of reading involved.

 

[Jk83lfcn]

A friend of mine has just sold he's livestock from he's 120g saltwater tank and has offers me he's live rock and the water from the tank if I use the water and rock would I have to leave my tank cycle as long?? I will also be adding some new live rock that I had already ordered.

 

[danbstrong]

A friend of mine has just sold he's livestock from he's 120g saltwater tank and has offers me he's live rock and the water from the tank if I use the water and rock would I have to leave my tank cycle as long?? I will also be adding some new live rock that I had already ordered.

Use new water cycle will be short and sweet if you use your friends rock the rock is where the bb grows so no need to use the water make all new water thars what id do

 

[Jk83lfcn]

I need to take the rock from him this weekend if I'm taking it as he is moving too a new house and unfortunately I have a RO/DI unit being delivered but it won't be here until next Thursday :-( so would it be ok too use he's water too??