Blue's 30g rimless

MaD_ReefeR · May 7, 2013

so I was finally able to snatch up a tank on my brief visit home this week (Im a truck driver so Im gone most of the time, usually home one the weekends). I've had salt water tanks before a few yrs ago but didnt really get into coral. This time around I'm thinking of going predominantly LPS, thats just from pics so I know theres tons more out there that I haven't seen and therefore haven't put on my wishlist yet lol. I will also want to have a clam or two in the future. A clown or two, or some other types but not really planning on fish in this one (hoping to get a larger one for the misses, ya know the drill, tangs = happy misses so my coral tank can live in peace lol)

As of now, the tank is empty, we just got it today so I know I have a shopping list to complete before we can get started. That being said I think I will need a refresher with some questions... to get this thing cycling will it require lighting? as weird as that question sounds when I say it to myself I figured I'd still ask :squigglemouth:
I'd LIKE to turn one of the chambers in the back into a functional fuge but I know that might not be possible (its a JBJ 30g rimless nano) so I might go with a HOB, and I plan on sticking a skimmer in the other chamber (have to check the dimensions on the tunze). 30-35 lbs of LR, and if I remember correctly about the same for the sand?

Lighting... definitely need to do more reading up on this. My last tank I had a sunpod 150w HQI, but the more I read around I see lots more people going LED... are they powerful enough for most coral? My mind seems to be stuck on 'must have metal halide' not sure why

thegrilledcheesus · May 7, 2013

I went through that phase of huh? what is lighting, basically it comes down to PAR values, you need about 200 PAR I think for some acro, LEDS will cover you completely, but they are expensive.

Reefing Madness · May 7, 2013

Will it need light to cycle, no, it does not.
I'd go with as much rock up front as possible, as this is your bio logical filtration. 45lbs or better.

hurley12 · May 8, 2013

Well for that particular since it was mine haha, I can make a few suggestions. I would scrap the fuge idea, none of the chambers are really sufficient for that. The media baskets in the back are a good idea, but really don't work that great because water just moves out the back of them and not through them. What I was planning on doing before I upgraded was scrapping both of the media baskets, beefing up my tunze nano skimmer to the hydor slim skim, and on the the other side putting one of the nano bio pellet reactors that they have out there now. Regular water changes after that are pretty sufficient as far as keeping it clean go. Lighting I had the reefbreeders 120watt LED fixture over it and it was way overkill, but it is still an option as long as you dial it down. However, that tank in particular if I had to do it over again I would have done a combo between T5 and LED, or a 4-6 bulb led fixture. Just my thoughts =)

MaD_ReefeR · May 8, 2013

yeah Im gonna have to read up on LED fixtures... 4-6 led's? that doesn't seem like many LED's but like I said Im clueless about them. For skimmer you suggest the Hydor Koralia Nano-Skim Internal Protein Skimmer over the tunze? for the reactor, another homework topic, but ya mean comething like the cpr aquatic tumbler media reactor? Being out here in cookeville kinda puts me out in nowheresville it seems. there is at least one place local that has stuff, we visited it when we first came here, mostly fish but also had smaller rooms on the side with furry critters and such