I moved houses a couple of months ago and had to take down my tank, which had been running for a little over a year. Currently in the process of setting up a new tank. I'll describe the setup below, any feedback is welcome. I've been in the hobby for 2 years, which I guess is still relatively new. Been keeping freshwater tanks for about 7 years.
The Tank
The tank is custom-made, 10mm glass. Inner dimensions are 118cm length, 38cm height, 38cm width. Two holes drilled, one on each side along the back panel - one overflows into the sump, other's the inlet into the display tank. The sump is small, and I calculate the total water volume to be about 190 liters or 50 US gallons.
Decor
I'm using 20 Kgs of Reeflowers Pearl White sand as substrate, it forms about a 3-4cm thick layer. There will be lots of live rock, mostly concentrated as a long wall in the center.
Sump & Filtration
For the sump I'm using a rectangular glass tank without compartments. There's a filter sock for the water intake, a Red Devil RDC 250 protein skimmer, lots of filter media (ceramic rings and media blocks) a 200W heater, and for the return a 40W submersible water pump by Hygger, rated at 1500 liter per hour. Once the system is running, I plan to chaeto, in a container with holes so it doesn't go into the return pump. I will also add a small sponge filter, so that the sponge can be used for a quarantine tank when needed.
Does this seem fine for a heavily stocked tank? I will of course build up my stock slowly. I think there's more than enough live rock and filter media to take care of ammonia and nitrites, and I'm hoping that the combination of skimmer and chaeto will keep the nitrates in check.
Heating & Flow
Cold isn't a problem where I live, but the heat is. I keep the AC on at 28C, which usually keeps the tanks in the room at 26C (I also have a freshwater tank in the same room). If I'm in the room for longer than a few minutes, I lower the AC temperature to 23C and after a while the tack heaters kick in.
For flow, I've ordered a Jebao SCP-70 wave maker for the display tank, it's a gyre pump rated at 3500 LPH or 925 GPH.
Lights
I have an Aquael 36W actinic light, and two 9W LED lights that give 6500K. Combined they give a light blue hue which I think makes the tank look amazing. I'm hoping the light will be adequate for soft corals and maybe some LPS? Specially since the tank is relatively shallow. The actinic light is about 12cm above the water surface, with a glass lid in the middle. The LEDs are 4-5cm above that.
Livestock
I currently have an Ocellaris clownfish and a Blue tang, both only 1 inch long, some Nassarius snails, 2 Trochus snails, and 4 sea urchins (possibly 2 Halloween Urchins and 2 White Sea Eggs). All of these are currently in a temporary setup along with all the live rock from my previous tank. I lost some of my livestock unfortunately due to either the move or a temperature swing I had in the tank while I was traveling this summer.
Below are the fish and inverts that I'd like to have in the tank. I do not plan to keep all of the fish listed here, but rather the one's from below that I'm able to find and afford. Options for saltwater fish are rather limited at my local fish stores, and good specimen from new shipments tend to get sold out in the first couple of days. Prices can swing wildly depending on shipment and store. Online deliveries are not available here.
1 Azure Damselfish - have kept these before
2 Bangai Cardinals - never kept these, 2 better or 3?
1 Firefish - never kept these, would keeping 2 be better?
1 Royal Dottyback - I know it can be aggressive, but I've never seen any better alternatives like the Royal Gramma or Orchid Dottyback available here
1 Mandarin Dragonet - I've kept 2 before, and I was able to get them to eat frozen copepods
1 Midas or Bicolor or Forktail - Blenny - never kept any
1 Longnose or Spotted or Flame Hawkfish - is this a good idea?
1 Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse - is this a good idea?
1 Naoko or Spotted Wrasse - can I keep both?
1 Ocellaris clownfish - so that it can pair up with the one I already have
1 Coral Beauty - these can be very hard to find at a reasonable price
A second dwarf angelfish - probably a Bicolor or Red-Stripe or Half-Black or Flameback
Copperband - I know these can be challenging, but I've had one and was able to get it to eat frozen food
Another clownfish - one of the designer Ocellaris species, should I get 1 or a pair? Considering I will already have a pair of regular Ocellaris
1 Convict tang - never kept these but read they are peaceful and reef-safe
1 Sailfin or Scopas tang - will try to find a small-sized Sailfin, otherwise go for a Scopas
1 Foxface - usually the smallest that we get here are about 7-8 cm long
I know that the Blue tang, Sailfin tang and Foxface will outgrow my tank in a couple of years, at which point I will sell or re-home them and buy a smaller one or something else.
Inverts - 2 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Fire Shrimp, variety of snails, Sand-Sifting Star, Serpent Star, Formia Star. 1 or 2 anemones at a later stage.
I've never kept coral, but I intend to start with a few soft corals and then maybe some LPS.
The Tank
The tank is custom-made, 10mm glass. Inner dimensions are 118cm length, 38cm height, 38cm width. Two holes drilled, one on each side along the back panel - one overflows into the sump, other's the inlet into the display tank. The sump is small, and I calculate the total water volume to be about 190 liters or 50 US gallons.
Decor
I'm using 20 Kgs of Reeflowers Pearl White sand as substrate, it forms about a 3-4cm thick layer. There will be lots of live rock, mostly concentrated as a long wall in the center.
Sump & Filtration
For the sump I'm using a rectangular glass tank without compartments. There's a filter sock for the water intake, a Red Devil RDC 250 protein skimmer, lots of filter media (ceramic rings and media blocks) a 200W heater, and for the return a 40W submersible water pump by Hygger, rated at 1500 liter per hour. Once the system is running, I plan to chaeto, in a container with holes so it doesn't go into the return pump. I will also add a small sponge filter, so that the sponge can be used for a quarantine tank when needed.
Does this seem fine for a heavily stocked tank? I will of course build up my stock slowly. I think there's more than enough live rock and filter media to take care of ammonia and nitrites, and I'm hoping that the combination of skimmer and chaeto will keep the nitrates in check.
Heating & Flow
Cold isn't a problem where I live, but the heat is. I keep the AC on at 28C, which usually keeps the tanks in the room at 26C (I also have a freshwater tank in the same room). If I'm in the room for longer than a few minutes, I lower the AC temperature to 23C and after a while the tack heaters kick in.
For flow, I've ordered a Jebao SCP-70 wave maker for the display tank, it's a gyre pump rated at 3500 LPH or 925 GPH.
Lights
I have an Aquael 36W actinic light, and two 9W LED lights that give 6500K. Combined they give a light blue hue which I think makes the tank look amazing. I'm hoping the light will be adequate for soft corals and maybe some LPS? Specially since the tank is relatively shallow. The actinic light is about 12cm above the water surface, with a glass lid in the middle. The LEDs are 4-5cm above that.
Livestock
I currently have an Ocellaris clownfish and a Blue tang, both only 1 inch long, some Nassarius snails, 2 Trochus snails, and 4 sea urchins (possibly 2 Halloween Urchins and 2 White Sea Eggs). All of these are currently in a temporary setup along with all the live rock from my previous tank. I lost some of my livestock unfortunately due to either the move or a temperature swing I had in the tank while I was traveling this summer.
Below are the fish and inverts that I'd like to have in the tank. I do not plan to keep all of the fish listed here, but rather the one's from below that I'm able to find and afford. Options for saltwater fish are rather limited at my local fish stores, and good specimen from new shipments tend to get sold out in the first couple of days. Prices can swing wildly depending on shipment and store. Online deliveries are not available here.
1 Azure Damselfish - have kept these before
2 Bangai Cardinals - never kept these, 2 better or 3?
1 Firefish - never kept these, would keeping 2 be better?
1 Royal Dottyback - I know it can be aggressive, but I've never seen any better alternatives like the Royal Gramma or Orchid Dottyback available here
1 Mandarin Dragonet - I've kept 2 before, and I was able to get them to eat frozen copepods
1 Midas or Bicolor or Forktail - Blenny - never kept any
1 Longnose or Spotted or Flame Hawkfish - is this a good idea?
1 Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse - is this a good idea?
1 Naoko or Spotted Wrasse - can I keep both?
1 Ocellaris clownfish - so that it can pair up with the one I already have
1 Coral Beauty - these can be very hard to find at a reasonable price
A second dwarf angelfish - probably a Bicolor or Red-Stripe or Half-Black or Flameback
Copperband - I know these can be challenging, but I've had one and was able to get it to eat frozen food
Another clownfish - one of the designer Ocellaris species, should I get 1 or a pair? Considering I will already have a pair of regular Ocellaris
1 Convict tang - never kept these but read they are peaceful and reef-safe
1 Sailfin or Scopas tang - will try to find a small-sized Sailfin, otherwise go for a Scopas
1 Foxface - usually the smallest that we get here are about 7-8 cm long
I know that the Blue tang, Sailfin tang and Foxface will outgrow my tank in a couple of years, at which point I will sell or re-home them and buy a smaller one or something else.
Inverts - 2 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Fire Shrimp, variety of snails, Sand-Sifting Star, Serpent Star, Formia Star. 1 or 2 anemones at a later stage.
I've never kept coral, but I intend to start with a few soft corals and then maybe some LPS.
