New Tank first time ever

Cell

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I saw this water heater is that the one you were talking about? Also it mentions that 300W will heat up to 159-265 gallons of water, really? Also if I can place it in my sump I might as well get this.



Not familiar with that model. These below are rock solid heaters.

 

Cell

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Make sure you are budgeting for salt too.

If you are going to splurge on a piece of equipment, I would do it on the light.

Just to give you an idea on the powerheards:

MP60's are $800 each

Jebao's will be sub $100

If you want to spend more for quality, I'd go with Tunze.

Speaking of Tunze, you are also going to want an ATO, the gold standard being Tunze 3155. That will cost you $200, new. If you are handy, then you can DIY with a float switch.
 

ying yang

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I found watching brs" 5 minute guides" and " 52 weeks of reefing" videos very informative
Gives information on whats needed for a basic set up and information on lots of other optional extras if want more or some recommended equipment for extra flow/ reactors and the such.
But best at first to find out how to cycle a tank correctly ( nitrogen cycle)
Then as you doing this research what fish you would like ( live aquaria is a good site and at bottom of each fish description is a compatability chart to see if one fish good with another) look size of tank recommended,if peaceful of agressive,what its compatable with,and if sand dweller,lives on or around rocks,what it eats and if you want your fish to have a job,then once choose your fish and they all compatable and recommended size for your tank then decide what order to stock them ,peaceful first - more agressive last.and most add 1- 2 fish a time every few weeks - 1 month apart,research how to aclimitise your livestock of fish,clean up crew of shrimps,urchins,crabs,snails etc then as you slowly adding fish then research corals .for begginner corals its usually softies first as easier to look after then lps then sps usually hardest to care for .and depending which corals you want depends how much flow and how much light they need and where to place them in tank etc.
So just make yourself a plan of what order to do things and research how to do it best and keep researching and researching.
Good luck and have fun ^_^
One step at a time
 

ying yang

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Some of this is little heavy for begginner but i found it very usefull when i started researching about cycling a tank.i just told myself listen and remember what i need and forget the rest till get more experienced as dont need know all chemical formulas and stuff like that lol but you will hear on this site often " take it slow and nothing happens fast in a reef tank " so i took that as try have aa much patience as i can and not rush into things and i plan on having reef tanks for years so no need to try rush things for sake of waiting extra week or 2 or whatever it may be ^_^
 

Cell

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I just use the largest wattage that fits into the compartment because my temp controller will stop em from going over temp.
If not doing a controller I would do what you said though.
Temp controllers can fail too though. I'd rather eliminate the risk altogether.
 
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newreef1

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Temp controllers can fail too though. I'd rather eliminate the risk altogether.
So use two smaller voltage heaters so together they give the perfect heating but if one fails the other isn't enough to cook the tank while it still provides some sort of a heat source to the tank?
 
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newreef1

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Make sure you are budgeting for salt too.

If you are going to splurge on a piece of equipment, I would do it on the light.

Just to give you an idea on the powerheards:

MP60's are $800 each

Jebao's will be sub $100

If you want to spend more for quality, I'd go with Tunze.

Speaking of Tunze, you are also going to want an ATO, the gold standard being Tunze 3155. That will cost you $200, new. If you are handy, then you can DIY with a float switch.
ATO you mean automatic top off, like a small tank that holds the RODI water, luckily the tank already came with that and the float switch. I didnt realize the powerbeads are that expensive and a requirement for coral. With that said, so far I have almost everything I need, not counting lights and powerbeads. How many more things do I need to get to run this tank? I started this not really because I have a passion but simply because I saw reef tanks, I had a freshwater tank and decided to get a larger salt water tank that would hold more fish and hopefully some corals. Now its like an endless pit of expenses before I even have water in the tank. Can you please tell me if its going to be like this in the future, how much more needs to be spent on this thing?
 
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newreef1

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Good to know, ill also place my thermometer similarly. In the next day or two I'll get my remaining supplies, Ill check my sump and make sure that's good to go, Ill show you guys a pic. I'll also check the sand expiration and the RODI water quality.
 
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newreef1

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Thanks so much again, I'll order my water heater and see if I can get a bottle of nice bacteria also. My ATO sits on top of my sump, there also a divider in there if I want to make a refugium in the future but I'm going to wait on that for now. I'll post a pic of the sump on here just to make sure that my sump is correctly done and to show if my protein skimmer is placed correctly. Ill also check on the baffles. With that said it seems like I need a water heater before I fill my tank with sand and water, would it be okay if I wait for the lights for some time? Do the bacteria need that for cycling? Also its alright to make RODI water and save it for later right?
So I checked the sump, there's no holes so the water level has to go above the dividers, also I attached the float valve pipe to the little hole on the ATO, I checked the first 30 gallons on my RODI filter the TDS read it 0 ppm, I still decided to throw it out (washed my car with it lol) I have the RODI water filling my buckets. Silly questions, I have the salt and an old water pump that I;ll use to mix the water, what's the recommended salinity 1.024? Also someone mentioned here to rinse the sand first, can I rinse the sand with regular tap water or does it need to be salt water. Also when I move the water to the tank its going to be cold, should I heat the water in the buckets before I transfer it to the tank which should already have the sand or should I put the water in the tank without the sand, let it heat in the tank first and then put the sand in? I also haven't done the aquascape with the rocks, any ideas for that, can I superglue the pieces together after they've been in the water for some time cycling?
 
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newreef1

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So I checked the sump, there's no holes so the water level has to go above the dividers, also I attached the float valve pipe to the little hole on the ATO, I checked the first 30 gallons on my RODI filter the TDS read it 0 ppm, I still decided to throw it out (washed my car with it lol) I have the RODI water filling my buckets. Silly questions, I have the salt and an old water pump that I;ll use to mix the water, what's the recommended salinity 1.024? Also someone mentioned here to rinse the sand first, can I rinse the sand with regular tap water or does it need to be salt water. Also when I move the water to the tank its going to be cold, should I heat the water in the buckets before I transfer it to the tank which should already have the sand or should I put the water in the tank without the sand, let it heat in the tank first and then put the sand in? I also haven't done the aquascape with the rocks, any ideas for that, can I superglue the pieces together after they've been in the water for some time cycling?
I feel the second option is stupid on my part because the sand will probably cloud the tank even worse than putting water in after the sand?
 

dedragon

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tap is usually just fine, as long as the water isnt absolutely freezing it is fine, but i do suggest either live rock from a trusted source (ie another reefer on the forum) or some fritzyme 9 just to get some extra bacteria going. Hope this video might help a bit with assembly
 
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newreef1

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tap is usually just fine, as long as the water isnt absolutely freezing it is fine, but i do suggest either live rock from a trusted source (ie another reefer on the forum) or some fritzyme 9 just to get some extra bacteria going. Hope this video might help a bit with assembly

thank you so much, I did use this video to get an idea for assembly, it took me a solid two days to get the tank up. It looks beautiful now, hopefully when filled it'll be worth all the $$ and efforts, I just hope it doesn't cost me more money and hopefully it'll grow some corals to help me get some of it back. How much can you make selling not any fancy corals for some money?
 

Cell

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1.026 is optimal.

Cold water is fine with no livestock

Definitely tap rinse sand until clear. Final rinse in RODI.

For aquascaping, if you want complex/secure structures you will need mortar of some sort. I use JB Waterweld, but there are others, E-Marco 400 is popular. Sand and thinset glue is a newer method that works well. Check out the aquascaping forum for tips.

Yes, reefing is very expensive. Dont count on being able to make a bunch of money back, at least not in the first year of the tank. Now, it wont be as expensive as starting a brand new tank, but there will be ongoing costs like including salt, electricity, and a myriad of supplies, fish foods, coral supplements etc...I'm sorry you jumped in without fully realizing just how much this hobby costs. Over time you will find ways to save money though.
 
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newreef1

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1.026 is optimal.

Cold water is fine with no livestock

Definitely tap rinse sand until clear. Final rinse in RODI.

For aquascaping, if you want complex/secure structures you will need mortar of some sort. I use JB Waterweld, but there are others, E-Marco 400 is popular. Sand and thinset glue is a newer method that works well. Check out the aquascaping forum for tips.

Yes, reefing is very expensive. Dont count on being able to make a bunch of money back, at least not in the first year of the tank. Now, it wont be as expensive as starting a brand new tank, but there will be ongoing costs like including salt, electricity, and a myriad of supplies, fish foods, coral supplements etc...I'm sorry you jumped in without fully realizing just how much this hobby costs. Over time you will find ways to save money though.
Hey guys so I finally have all my equipment and I’ll be filling my tank tomorrow, partially because I only have about 80 gallons of RODI water prepared but I had a question is it easier to add less salt and then add more directly in the tank when it’s filled it just makes more sense because if I add more it’ll be a pain to remove water and to dilute it. Also I might go to my local pet store and see if they have any bacteria for helping to cycle the tank as some of us advised it. They carry ATI products and I believe I saw a bacteria starter bottle. Is it okay to use that? Should I let my tank run with water for a couple days and then add it or should I add it on day one?
 
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newreef1

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Thanks for your reply. I had my freshwater tank and the electricity wasn’t much I know this is a bigger tank but I hope it won’t be a huge increment
Hey guys so I finally have all my equipment and I’ll be filling my tank tomorrow, partially because I only have about 80 gallons of RODI water prepared but I had a question is it easier to add less salt and then add more directly in the tank when it’s filled it just makes more sense because if I add more it’ll be a pain to remove water and to dilute it. Also I might go to my local pet store and see if they have any bacteria for helping to cycle the tank as some of us advised it. They carry ATI products and I believe I saw a bacteria starter bottle. Is it okay to use that? Should I let my tank run with water for a couple days and then add it or should I add it on day one?
and food shouldn’t be that bad..right?!
 

Angel_V_the_reefer

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Good afternoon everyone. I had saved up money and after successfully passing my finals last semester decided to gift myself a new tank. I had a 55 gallon freshwater tank which I replaced with a Red Sea 750XXL unaware of all the details and how much goes into a reef tank, I now feel stupid and very uninformed. I'm hoping you guys here, many of who have years of reefing experience will help me out because with such a large tank I need all the help possible. Until now I had to do research to find out exactly what I needed because the tank didnt come with everything.
I now have the tank, return pump installed, a protein skimmer (does it suck up the water from the sump and return it back to the next part in sump, I haven't yet figured out how that works), I finally got my RODI filter which I'm draining the 30 gallons to clean the cartridges I'm using the 44 gallon Brute trash cans, I have my Red Sea coral salt coming in, and I know I still need to purchase a water heater and the lights for the tank (which I'm saving up for because literally all my savings have been exhausted). I'm hoping to have my tank cycling by the end of the week can you guys give me a quick walk through of what I should do to fill my tank for the first time. I saw someone say that the Red Sea salt you should not mix for more than 2 hours because it'll evaporate a lot of the essential minerals and additives in the salt. Can I make extra RODI water and leave it for the future, like one 44 gallon Brute and use the other to mix salt water, is the salt water good mixed for some time? Does it not work as well if left it for too long? I also purchased the CaribSea ocean live sand, the bag says don't rinse, but what do you guys think I should do?
I’m glad to help !! I barely got my first corals and they’ve been super big and happy for the first month ! When it comes to getting sand in thats live such as Carib sea, don’t rinse, it has live bacteria already installed. As to how to cycle, I wouldn’t go about adding ammonia and cycling u til you can get 2 ppm of ammonia cycled in 24 hours. Just do one single cycle and you’ll have enough for your first fish. This is how I went about cycling. I tried the 2ppm in 24 hours and prolonged my cycle so long and had high ammonia for months. Keep it simple. I have a 20 gallon reef, I do 5 gallon water changed weekly. I mix it in a bucket a week before. BRS has a video on the water chemistry of a stored mixed water, most stay pretty high with their freshly mixed result. I add a heater and a cheap pump you could easily get on Amazon for less than $25 dollars on Amazon.
 

Angel_V_the_reefer

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Good afternoon everyone. I had saved up money and after successfully passing my finals last semester decided to gift myself a new tank. I had a 55 gallon freshwater tank which I replaced with a Red Sea 750XXL unaware of all the details and how much goes into a reef tank, I now feel stupid and very uninformed. I'm hoping you guys here, many of who have years of reefing experience will help me out because with such a large tank I need all the help possible. Until now I had to do research to find out exactly what I needed because the tank didnt come with everything.
I now have the tank, return pump installed, a protein skimmer (does it suck up the water from the sump and return it back to the next part in sump, I haven't yet figured out how that works), I finally got my RODI filter which I'm draining the 30 gallons to clean the cartridges I'm using the 44 gallon Brute trash cans, I have my Red Sea coral salt coming in, and I know I still need to purchase a water heater and the lights for the tank (which I'm saving up for because literally all my savings have been exhausted). I'm hoping to have my tank cycling by the end of the week can you guys give me a quick walk through of what I should do to fill my tank for the first time. I saw someone say that the Red Sea salt you should not mix for more than 2 hours because it'll evaporate a lot of the essential minerals and additives in the salt. Can I make extra RODI water and leave it for the future, like one 44 gallon Brute and use the other to mix salt water, is the salt water good mixed for some time? Does it not work as well if left it for too long? I also purchased the CaribSea ocean live sand, the bag says don't rinse, but what do you guys think I should do?
I do have a brute trash can but I store freshwater in there and have 5 gallon buckets , they’re easier to wash ! But that’s for a nano haha, definitely two brutes for fresh and salt would be optimal, I have a pump in my bucket 24/7 to have it mixing and have the water at a stable temp.
 

Angel_V_the_reefer

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Good afternoon everyone. I had saved up money and after successfully passing my finals last semester decided to gift myself a new tank. I had a 55 gallon freshwater tank which I replaced with a Red Sea 750XXL unaware of all the details and how much goes into a reef tank, I now feel stupid and very uninformed. I'm hoping you guys here, many of who have years of reefing experience will help me out because with such a large tank I need all the help possible. Until now I had to do research to find out exactly what I needed because the tank didnt come with everything.
I now have the tank, return pump installed, a protein skimmer (does it suck up the water from the sump and return it back to the next part in sump, I haven't yet figured out how that works), I finally got my RODI filter which I'm draining the 30 gallons to clean the cartridges I'm using the 44 gallon Brute trash cans, I have my Red Sea coral salt coming in, and I know I still need to purchase a water heater and the lights for the tank (which I'm saving up for because literally all my savings have been exhausted). I'm hoping to have my tank cycling by the end of the week can you guys give me a quick walk through of what I should do to fill my tank for the first time. I saw someone say that the Red Sea salt you should not mix for more than 2 hours because it'll evaporate a lot of the essential minerals and additives in the salt. Can I make extra RODI water and leave it for the future, like one 44 gallon Brute and use the other to mix salt water, is the salt water good mixed for some time? Does it not work as well if left it for too long? I also purchased the CaribSea ocean live sand, the bag says don't rinse, but what do you guys think I should do?
If you have any questions feel free to dm me ! My Instagram is angelvega_____ with 5 underscores. I’m always glad to help a fellow beginner as I am still fairly new to the hobby and wish someone would have helped me too!
 

Cell

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With no livestock present, and ideally no rock or sand, you can fill the tank with RODI and add salt after. But you will need adequate flow.

I recommend Bio-Spira. Not sure about ATI products.

Get the water up to temp and the correct salinity and add the bac.
 

Rmckoy

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Thank you so much for the reply.
1. Ill check the expiration to make sure.
2. How much should I fill the sump? If I start filling in the first chamber where it will flow from the tank anyways I'm assuming the water will automatically flow to the other chambers. I also didnt know the float valve pipe gets attached to the ATO, its currently just folded in the last chamber where the return pump is.
3. Thank you
4. Sounds good, I figured the plastic hygrometer wasn't accurate anyways.
Also do I need anything else for cycling the tank? Do I need the bacteria bottle, is assumed the bacteria from the sand will cycle the tank, also now that the bacteria is going to be in the sand after adding the water I guess I need to add the water heater to the tank right to keep the bacteria alive? Any recommendations for a water heater, do I really need a fancy one with the led control, I used a small one with a dial for my 55 gallon FW?

And for the coral, do you recommend any corals which are easy to grow, look nice and get decent money for maybe around $20 or so for a frag? Also what fish do you recommend for the tank? Sorry for bombarding you with questions.
How much to fill the sump ……

when filling the tank , fill the tank so the water trickles into the sump and not over fill the sump with all power off .
mad soon as you turn the return pump on the level will lower to the operating level .
When running using a market or tape to draw a line for the max fill level when running .
when the power is off the sump will not over fill .

this level will also be your running depth for your in sump skimmer
Depending on the skimmer you have check their specs for depth of water required
 

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