new tank help

[vikings]

Getting a tank up and running again after 8 year break. My last tank was a 65 gallon salt water fish only tank. No live rock or coral.

This tank I am going to start with a small 15 Gallon saltwater tank but with some live rock. going small because of the room the tank is going in will go back to a large 65 + Gallon tank after a construction project finishes up.

So my question is what type of lighting and filters (Skimmers) would I need for a 15 Gallon salt with live rock tank.???? Also how much live rock is good for that small of a tank.?

Thanks

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

its a good idea to double the lb per gal, so about 30 lbs lr would be best. if you do that, then a skimmer is a good idea, but optional. you could also put a hob filter on and put macro algae in, or the media of your choice. its best to rinse the media in the old water from a pwc periodicaly, as everything it collects could leak into the tank again... i also hope youve read the articles about fishless cycling, . lighting is dependant on what type of tank that you prefer (i.e. reef, folr, etc) if you are wanting a reef tank (even evantually, and believe me when i say it will happen, LOL) youll want stronger lighting. look into t-5, pc, and mh.... HTH

 

[MT79]

If your not planning on keeping corals, a standard NO fluorescent should do the job. A bulb in the 10-14k range will be good for the coralline and other life on the LR. As far as a skimmer goes, I would hold off on buying one for this 15 gal and put that money towards buying one for the 65 gal. They are pricey and you definitely get what you pay for. Weekly PWC's of 20-25% will help keep DOC's relatively low and are fairly easy w/ smaller tanks. A hang on back or canister filter will give you a place to run GAC, etc. to keep the water clear. Regarding LR, generally you want a minimum of 1-2 lbs of rock per gal of water if that is your primary source for biological filtration. The more porous the rock, ie. Fiji rock, the less you'll need for biological filtration to be completed. Keep in mind small tanks can go bad fast due to the low volume of water. Keeping tabs on your water parameters is crucial. Good luck!

 

[vikings]

thanks for the replys that all makes sence except what is a "place to run GAC," I'm not sure what a GAC is.

Everything sounds about what I was thinking. I do not plan on keeping corals but will probably get the extra lighting up front just in case. What brands of lighting are good for a small cheap tank. I dont need anything fancy.

 

[MT79]

I'm not sure what a GAC is.

Granular activated carbon-ie charcoal.

What brands of lighting are good for a small cheap tank

Hellolights.com has a good variety of lighting options to choose from.

 

[roka64]

Granular activated carbon-ie charcoal.

I used this to keep my water clear.