mtglore
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi everyone,
I'm just beginning my first reef tank. I've been reading and researching for what seems like forever, saving all my hard-earned pay, and I'm ready to actually get my hands wet now. Before I do, however, I want to run my proposed set-up by all you experienced reefkeepers for some final gems of insight.
First of all, I can’t say much about the livestock I hope to keep, but I can say that I don’t want too be too limited. I will eventually want soft corals, LPS and SPS, as well as other invertebrates such as a cleaner shrimp and maybe an anemone. Oh, and maybe a few fish. Basically, I want to be able to do just about anything I want! I will of course, however, conservatively stock the aquarium and be mindful of the behaviors and requirements of the animals I introduce.
So, here are my proposed specs:
Main tank:
55 gallon glass aquarium (of standard 48" length)
~50 lbs. of live rock
2 MaxiJet 1200 powerheads for circulation
DIY hood with the following retrofit: 2 X 175 watt/5500 K metal halides and 2 X 65 watt actinic. The lights are about 10" from the water surface of the main tank. I will install two 3" fans in the hood for heat dispersal.
Sump:
15 gallon "ecosystem"-style sump w/ Caulerpa sp. and some Miracle Mud-like substrate
Mag 9.5 pump in sump
SeaClone 100 in-sump protein skimmer
250 watt submersible heater
Inverted 2.5 gallon reservoir bottle for dispersal of kalkwasser
Some kind of light source
That's about all I can say right now. How does it sound? Questions? Comments? Looking over the specs, I noticed that I have said nothing about substrate in the main tank. I was thinking about going substrate-less. Is this ill-advised? Will the substrate in the sump be sufficient? Perhaps I should have something in the main tank to accommodate a cleaning crew o' critters… If so, what? Play sand? Oh yeah, and what are some good, affordable, not outrageously-priced alternatives to Miracle Mud? Also, in order to facilitate gas exchange, I would like to keep the top of the aquarium open. What can I install to prevent fish jumps? Will eggcrate do, or will my lights cast a strange grid shadow throughout the aquarium? And finally, what is the best way to set-up the two lighting fans? Both blowing in, both blowing out, or one of each?
I appreciate everyone's comments and critiques and want to further thank everyone in the forum for sharing their experience and knowledge. It has helped me tremendously. Rock on!
Best wishes,
Michael
I'm just beginning my first reef tank. I've been reading and researching for what seems like forever, saving all my hard-earned pay, and I'm ready to actually get my hands wet now. Before I do, however, I want to run my proposed set-up by all you experienced reefkeepers for some final gems of insight.
First of all, I can’t say much about the livestock I hope to keep, but I can say that I don’t want too be too limited. I will eventually want soft corals, LPS and SPS, as well as other invertebrates such as a cleaner shrimp and maybe an anemone. Oh, and maybe a few fish. Basically, I want to be able to do just about anything I want! I will of course, however, conservatively stock the aquarium and be mindful of the behaviors and requirements of the animals I introduce.
So, here are my proposed specs:
Main tank:
55 gallon glass aquarium (of standard 48" length)
~50 lbs. of live rock
2 MaxiJet 1200 powerheads for circulation
DIY hood with the following retrofit: 2 X 175 watt/5500 K metal halides and 2 X 65 watt actinic. The lights are about 10" from the water surface of the main tank. I will install two 3" fans in the hood for heat dispersal.
Sump:
15 gallon "ecosystem"-style sump w/ Caulerpa sp. and some Miracle Mud-like substrate
Mag 9.5 pump in sump
SeaClone 100 in-sump protein skimmer
250 watt submersible heater
Inverted 2.5 gallon reservoir bottle for dispersal of kalkwasser
Some kind of light source
That's about all I can say right now. How does it sound? Questions? Comments? Looking over the specs, I noticed that I have said nothing about substrate in the main tank. I was thinking about going substrate-less. Is this ill-advised? Will the substrate in the sump be sufficient? Perhaps I should have something in the main tank to accommodate a cleaning crew o' critters… If so, what? Play sand? Oh yeah, and what are some good, affordable, not outrageously-priced alternatives to Miracle Mud? Also, in order to facilitate gas exchange, I would like to keep the top of the aquarium open. What can I install to prevent fish jumps? Will eggcrate do, or will my lights cast a strange grid shadow throughout the aquarium? And finally, what is the best way to set-up the two lighting fans? Both blowing in, both blowing out, or one of each?
I appreciate everyone's comments and critiques and want to further thank everyone in the forum for sharing their experience and knowledge. It has helped me tremendously. Rock on!
Best wishes,
Michael